Page 58 of CHASE: Captive to the Dark

“No?”

Only then did he look up.

“I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay.”

“Why?” I exploded. “What reason could you have to keep me when I don’t want to be here? I’m not in danger anymore, am I?”

Silence.

“Father? Did you kill the sheriff?”

“He wasn’t the only one. You said he was with someone. You could still be at risk.”

“Liar! You’re not worried about that. You’re just latching on to any excuse you can. Tell me why.”

Chase pushed up, stomping toward me until I was walking backward at a face pace.

“You want to know why?” Deep pants left his mouth. What I saw behind his deep green eyes was something so profound, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Something that went from rage to lust faster than I could process him moving in. Lips crushed against mine and although my fist connected with his chest to fight, I found myself letting his tongue push to meet mine.

Hungrily, his hands pushed under my shirt to grip my back and I couldn’t stop the moan that poured forth. My head was spinning. I was so lost, confused, afraid, I wasn’t thinking straight.

“Stay with me,” he said, lifting me to the bed and immediately covering my body. “I want you to stay.”

“I have to leave.”

“No.” His lips were on mine again, but it was his weight I found myself basking in. I needed the contact like I’d needed interaction all those hours of being alone. I couldn’t stop myself from enjoying the way it felt. I wanted more. Needed someone to tell me it was alright, even if it was from the one person turning my world upside-down.

“Jesus, look at you, Kit. You want me. Admit it to yourself. Say you’ll stay so we can see how this plays out.”

I broke away at his words. “Play out? So you can lock me in the basement some more and forget about me when I’m not convenient for you? Are you going to hide me there for the rest of my life so your dirty little secret doesn’t get out? If I am pregnant, am I supposed to give birth surrounded by sex toys and BDSM equipment?” My hands pushed into his chest. “Do you hear how that sounds?”

“Your punishment is over. You’ll stay up here with me. You’ll have the best care. Denver has an excellent hospital.”

“You’re a priest,” I emphasized. “Are you saying you’re going to leave the church?”

A pained looked filtered over his face and I shook my head.

“I didn’t think so. Sorry, Father, you can’t have both. Besides, there’s still a possibility you can mend your ways with God. You can’t with me. I want to leave and that’s not going to change.”

“From the beginning, there was something between us. Are you going to deny that?”

“No. But just because there was some sort of spark doesn’t excuse what you’ve done. I have rights, choices, and I choose my path. Not you. Not unless I give you that right, and I don’t.”

Chase eased off me, turning and pulling me up to lay on the bed right. While he held me, I tried to make myself believe I was somewhere else. His comfort wouldn’t sway me. I had to focus on what was best for me, and it wasn’t staying here with him as some brainwashed slave.

A soft caress stroked the length of my arm while I stared up at the ceiling. Time dragged out and his touch managed to creep onto places of my body I would have fought had he not spanned the length out perfectly. The shirt I wore was raised just below my breasts and in circles, he brushed around my ribs, down to the hem of my pants. Arousal was there, just as much as an odd sense of peace. My eyes were closed and I felt as though I were floating. I knew I was close to sleep. Lately, I didn’t feel as though I could stay awake for more than a few hours at a time and it was already late. I fought the heaviness, trying my best to stay aware. No matter how much I tried, unconsciousness beckoned. I’d fall under, only to jolt from the darkness.

Soothing sounds allowed me to calm enough to return to the in-between, where I knew what he was doing, but didn’t have to have my eyes open to see. For hours, Chase didn’t stop touching me. He never pushed the bounds. Never dipped below the hem of my pants or into my shirt. He took his time on everything else—my arms, my face, my stomach, and sides—even at times, whispering things I couldn’t quite make out in my tired state. Regardless of his words, I felt them.

I woke in the morning, staring into his beautiful face, wondering when he’d finally fallen asleep. The slight snores had my lips pulling into a slight smile. Hadn’t I thought before, in another life… Yes, in another life, we could have been something great. In the right time and circumstances, I could have easily fallen in love with him. In this life, there was no chance of it.

As quietly as I could, I eased from the bed, heading to the restroom. My heart was already racing. I shut the door behind me, locking it. Unwrapping the package from the pregnancy test was almost impossible with my shaking hands, but somehow, I managed to get through.

At the knock on the door, I tore my eyes from the first pink line beginning to appear. Blindly, I reached out, unlocking and turning the knob. Chase eased in behind me, gripping my biceps as we both watched the test begin to register.

“Either way, everything’s going to okay. Have faith, little one. Life is a gift from God. He wouldn’t give us this gift if this wasn’t our path. Whatever the result, be at peace. We aren’t given things we can’t handle.”

His words were meant to give me strength, but it was far from what I felt as I waited for some form of shadow to appear as a second line. My knees grew weak, banging against the counter as I almost went down. If it weren’t for his grip, I might have.

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