10. Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Eden
A iden doesn’t even look up as I exit the coffee shop with Luca. He is too lost in his studies as music blares from his headphones. I quickly guide Luca to one of the many tables positioned on the side of the cafe. We take a seat across from each other, his drink nearly spilling.
"Note to self: when you mean now, you mean now," Luca laughs, taking a long drink from the cup.
"I hate seeing people from church outside the cathedral," I say with full honesty. My reasons for avoiding Roman are not something I want to explain to anyone.
"I get it. My parents tried the whole Sunday Mass thing for a while. Then, they got dragged into Bible study sessions and prayer groups. Eventually, they got sick of having to be involved in so many different activities to be fully accepted into the church. That's kinda when they broke off."
The veneration in his tone as he tells me about his parents is obvious. My intuition tells me that they’re close, that there’s a lot of love there. The concept of having a choice when it comes to faith is foreign to me.
"I wish my parents were capable of giving their all to something other than the Church. My whole life has been centered around the Catholic faith and serving God. Not to mention, my dad’s interpretation of scripture is literal. It’s the ultimate authority for him, and it has a major influence on how he wants us to live.”
"Jesus, when you say literal, you mean-"
"If you looked up 'Crazy Catholics' on Urban Dictionary, my parent's pictures would no doubt pop up," I sigh, leaning my face into my hands, my ass still throbbing from the punishment my dad probably spent the morning justifying to himself was necessary.
"Well," Luca sighs, "I've never minded a little crazy in my life."
I smile. If I wasn’t trapped by just how much my parents being ‘Crazy Catholics’ affected my life, I’d probably have a chance of developing a truly healthy relationship with someone for once. The weight of the realization that my home life was something I’d never be able to share with someone like Luca hits me, shame and longing distorting my features as I dip my head, unable to look at him any longer.
His fingers wrap around my chin, lifting my head up so that our eyes meet again. His touch is warm and gentle, and I feel my face grow hot from the attention.
I can’t help but give him a smile, even if it’s an awkward one.
"What are you doing?"
"Hoping to see that again- "
"Eden?" A deep voice questions from somewhere in my periphery, the familiar way it sounded coming through my phone last night sending warmth through my body.
Oh no.
Craning my head up, I see Roman glaring at us, his fingers clinching tightly around his paper to-go cup as Luca’s hand falls from my face.
"Rom-Father Briar," I correct.
"Faulkner," He smirks, throwing on a pleasant front despite the anger lingering in his stare.
Is he jealous?
My texts from the night before were still unanswered. Maybe it’s just my mind whispering deceitful thoughts to that more logical part of me, but I chalked up yesterday’s love affair with the priest as some sort of one-night stand fantasy he’d been dying to fulfill after being abstinent for so long.
"Who's your friend?" Roman points at Luca.
"We actually just met, Father," Luca smiles, holding his hand out to Roman. "Luca Thorn."
"Roman Briar," He says flatly as he eyes the empty seat next to me.
"Well, Father, as you can see, we're busy," I bite out, pleading to Roman with my eyes to just walk away.
"I don’t think Luca would mind if I sat here while I finished my drink, would you, Luca?"
Luca gives Roman a tight smile, gesturing for him to join us.
I’m sure, in most cases, any devout Catholic would welcome the presence of a priest if they were in this situation, probably fearful of God’s wrath if they denied such a holy figure .
But most priests aren’t Roman, nor do they look like him, either.
Roman had removed the sweatshirt I’d seen him in earlier, standing in front of us now in a plain, form-fitting t-shirt, the same shade of black as his pants. His figure stands taller and more imposing than Luca's, his older age adding to the fullness of his frame. As he moves closer to us, I notice the defined muscles beneath his shirt, drawing attention to his physical strength. My gaze lingers on the tattoo snaking up his neck, catching a glimpse of its intricate design—a complex pattern of black vines and thorns twisting together.
"Not at all, Father," Luca smiles.
"Great. Eden, do you mind?"
He knows damn well that I do. But giving Roman any sort of attitude in front of Luca would raise questions that I didn’t want lingering between us. I’ll have to play nice.
"Not at all, Father," I grin. "Be my guest."
Taking a seat directly next to me, Roman’s scent fills my nose. His leg brushes mine as he adjusts himself to get comfortable in the chair, but instead of moving it away, he keeps the contact between us. He settles his left hand in his lap and leans back, widening the space between his legs.
"So Luca, I see you're wearing a cross. What faith do you follow?" Roman questions, acting like he really gives a shit.
What’s his move here?
"Catholicism, actually. Forgive me, Father, but you seem pretty young to be a priest." Luca’s tone is cautious, but I catch the skepticism etched in his expression as he waits for Roman to respond .
"Perhaps young in age, but not in mind," Roman sighs. "You should come by the church sometime. Eden's family are very active members."
"He doesn't go to church-"
"I might, actually. I haven't had the opportunity to see this town's cathedral since I moved here. I suppose it never hurts to try something out," Luca challenges, feeding into the charged air I feel between them.
"You a hockey fan?" Roman eyes Luca’s jersey.
"Fan, player. Pretty much my only hobby," Luca beams as they go back and forth on the topic, my own thoughts drowning out their conversation.
Roman's fingers graze the side of my leg, and my mind wanders back to last night.
"-She's my altar server," Roman says, my ears tuning back into the conversation.
"You serve?" Luca questions with surprise.
"Not willingly," I snap, looking over Roman. "My father signed me up-"
Beneath the table, Roman subtly slips his hand under the part of my apron resting on my lap. He inches slowly up my exposed leg, pushing up my dress as his hand settles in the groove where my thigh meets my abdomen. I stiffen as he hooks his pinky around the fabric of my underwear and presses his other fingers flush against my center. I feel his long fingers begin to move between the folds of my flesh, spreading me open as his thumb teases close to my entrance. The sensation threatens to dislodge a moan from my throat .
"You okay?" Luca questions. Roman's fingers continue gliding through my wetness. I bite back a yelp when he pinches my clit, his way of warning me not to expose what’s happening under the table.
All it would take is for Luca to lean over a bit too far to see Roman’s hand is somewhere it shouldn’t be.
"Yeah, I'm fine-"
I smile as I reach below the table, pressing my hand to the material of my dress between my thighs, feeling his hand nestled in my underwear, continuing the slow, up-down motions between my folds. His pointer finger swirls around my entrance, and I try to cross my legs. The slickness from my desire for him soaks my thighs as I work to keep my focus on Luca.
God, please give me strength right now.
"What do you do for fun, Luca? Big on playing games?”
"Some. You, Father?" Luca asks, casually sipping from his drink, still unaware of the game Father Briar is playing with me below the table.
Fuck.
I hate how much I love this.
Anyone could come around the corner of the coffee shop and see Roman's hand under my apron from behind.
"I love a good game of spades," Roman smirks. "I rarely lose at cards. In fact, I’d probably say I rarely lose any game I—”
With my elbow, I nudge some stray napkins off the table down to the ground between us. Roman’s legs are tilted towards me, his inner thigh being the perfect place for me to place my hand as an anchor point while I lean down to pick them up off the concrete. He continues making idle conversation with Luca. While he’s distracted, I move my hand further up between his legs, wrapping my hand around the thick bulge of his cock and squeezing before sitting up completely and placing the napkins back on the table. I move my hand back to my lap until it's flush over his. I spread my legs wider for him and press down firmly through my dress so he’s forced to still his movements.
I plan to show him that this is a game he won’t win.
The man stifles a groan, his right hand shaking around the empty coffee cup.
"You mind tossing that behind you in the trashcan around the corner, kid?" Roman hands Luca his cup while he’s still tucked between my thighs.
Glancing behind him, Luca shrugs, swinging his legs over the bench and turning away to walk back towards the front entrance where the trashcan sits.
Pulling his hand away from my throbbing center, Roman grabs the back of my neck with his free hand and pulls me closer. His left elbow sits on the table as he holds his glistening fingers in the air between us. Seeing my slickness coat his fingers elicits a needy groan from some deeply hungry place inside of me. Unable to stop myself, I look down at the strain between his legs. I push out my lower lip in a pout, moving closer to him, our noses almost touching.
"Forgive me, Father-"
Squeezing the back of my neck to silence me, Roman slides his fingers into my mouth, the taste of me coating my tongue. He presses further into my mouth, grabbing my face as I nearly choke on his fingers that hit the back of my throat .
"You want so desperately to feel my cock, Eden?" He growls, referencing not only now, but last night when I reached into his lap briefly before he’d brought me to my house.
"Then learn how to take it," He hisses, coaxing his fingers further down my throat, a gag trying to force its way out. "You can barely handle my fingers. How do you think my cock would feel pounding into that pretty pussy?" He brushes his cheek against mine. "We both know that fucking glorified frat boy isn’t the reason you’re nearly soaked through your underwear," He whispers, his lip grazing my ear, nipping at my earlobe. "You said it's "my move" Eden?" He questions, throwing my words back at me. "This is only a taste of what kind of moves I’ll make after you sent me that fucking picture last night.”
Pulling his fingers free from my mouth, I gasp, finally able to take a breath before seeing Luca’s head of curls emerge from around the corner. Roman looks up at him and smiles, reaching down in his lap to adjust his very prominent erection before Luca reaches the table.
"Is that your brother in there?" Luca questions. "The one studying?"
I slide away from Roman to put some space between us so I can think straight.
"Yeah," I admit. "Why?"
"I did a few summer athletic camps with him," Luca shrugs. "We got to chatting while I was tossing away the cup..."
Trailing off, Luca turns to Roman.
If the tension was visible, it would be thick enough to cut right now .
"Father Briar, aren’t you leaving? You said you’re still settling into your new place, right?"
The last thing I need is Roman anywhere near me right now while I try to recover from the feeling of his fingers in my mouth.
His words of taunt are echoing through the chambers of my mind.
How do you think my cock would feel pounding into that pretty pussy?
I clear my throat, crossing my legs to ease the ache at my center.
"You’re right, Eden," Roman sighs, dragging his hoodie over his head and down his torso before standing. His hand is in one pocket, barely concealing the bulge that still lingers in his joggers.
"I'll see you at the church at five," He moves past me, his eyes latching to mine. "Don't be late," He whispers.
Causally brushing past Luca, he ignores the man's attempt to shake his hand, turning the corner, disappearing, and leaving me here in a lusty haze.
Touching my cross, I try and think.
How much more of this can I allow?
"I wasn't really keen on speaking in front of your priest, he's a bit-"
"Intimidating?" I question, answering for him.
“Just a bit.”
How the hell could I have let Roman do that to me right in front of Luca?
A boy actually my fucking age? That I might actually grow to like? That might actually be good for me?
One who has not devoted his entire life to the church .
"So, Aiden. I got to talking to him. A few of my buddies and I plan on heading to the meadows and having some drinks, maybe lighting a fire. I invited your brother and the spunky girl at the counter to come. She said you two are friends. You care to join?"
I lower my head. The idea of being alone with any group of men again after what happened with my brother and his friends yesterday was not on my bucket list.
"I promise you don't have to drink to have a good time. I can pick you up from the church later. Aiden said he planned on dropping you off-"
"My relationship with alcohol is not the best," I admit. "It's even worse when it comes to social settings."
"I swear to stay sober so you don't feel alone," Luca smiles. “You seem like a cool girl, and honestly, it would be nice to associate with people other than my teammates," He shrugs. “So, what do you say?”
Going to a party in the middle of nowhere with people I don’t know is the last thing I should be doing, but locking myself in my room, hiding from my dad will only open up the possibility that I’ll reach out to Roman again, and that can’t happen.
"Okay. I’ll plan to come with Aiden," I sigh. "What should I bring?”
Smiling, Luca raises his brows.
"Got a swimsuit?"