by Honey
Zora rushed inside the office ahead of her husband. She turned and narrowed her eyes at him after he closed the door behind them. “The big deal is my little sister sounded like a teenage girl with a crush on the cutest male teacher in the whole damn school! She was giggling and babbling about how deep he is into fitness. Did you know he drives a red sports car? What kind of priest shoots basketball, pumps iron, and whips around town in a two-seater?”
“He’s the same priest who tutors our son, trains him for basketball tryouts, and keeps him out of trouble at school.”
Eric took a seat behind his desk and busied himself making notes in a stack of charts. Zora stood in place above the desk as her mind replayed the conversation she’d had with Royce early that morning. She was convinced she wasn’t imagining anything. There was something strange going on between her little sister and the new priest at Lord of the Harvest Roman Catholic Church.
From the pictures Tyler had emailed to her a few days ago, Zora had learned that Father Gregory was a tall, fit, and fine-looking man. Any woman could find herself drawn to him, but not Royce. She was supposed to know better. After the fiasco with Marlon Burrell, her need for caution when dealing with members of the opposite sex should’ve been heightened to the highest degree. Stylish-dressing hunks who talked fast and dreamed over-the-top dreams had been banned from her life forever. Married men and good-looking gold diggers didn’t stand a chance either. But priests were absolutely off-limits. They were considered taboo for any devout Catholic woman, the ultimate no-no. A million Hail Marys couldn’t save Royce from the consuming flames of hell if she were to lay a finger on Father Gregory. It didn’t matter how handsome his face looked or how chiseled his body was. Royce had better hang a cross around her neck and invest in a chastity belt. No matter what measures were necessary, under no circumstances should she fall for a priest. Ever.
* * *
“Whoa!” Royce yelled after Tyler burst into her home office out of breath. He almost knocked the chair over with her sitting in it. “What’s going on?”
“I made the team! I made the team, Auntie Royce! The coach posted the names this afternoon.”
“Congratulations! I’m so proud of you, Tyler.” She wrapped her arms around his lanky body and squeezed. “Let’s order pizza from Romano’s Italian Kitchen to celebrate.”
“Cool! But I’ve got to call Father Gregory first. Can I invite him over to eat with us? I never would’ve made the cut without his help.”
Royce wanted to see Father Gregory. God and Satan alike knew she truly did. But she’d made a promise to herself that she would stay clear of him at any cost. As much as she hated to disappoint Tyler, she had to do the right thing. “You may call him and tell him your good news, but I think we should celebrate alone this evening. I’ve had a long and busy day. I don’t have the energy to play host to anyone except you, sweetie.”
“But you won’t have to do anything. I’ll set the table and wash the plates. I can—”
“I’m sorry, Tyler,” Royce apologized, shaking her head. “It’ll be just you and me this evening.”
* * *
“Congratulations again, buddy. I’m very proud of you. I’ll see you at mass Sunday morning.”
Father Gregory hung up the phone and swiveled around in his chair a few times in deep thought. He was happy Tyler had earned a spot on the basketball team at Saint Xavier’s. The boy was so excited that he’d talked nonstop for twenty minutes on the phone. The priest smiled, reflecting on the sound of his raspy voice filled with enthusiasm over his accomplishment. Tyler had worked tirelessly to earn a spot on the team. No one knew that better than Father Gregory. That’s why nothing would’ve pleased him more than to have been able to celebrate with Tyler and Royce this evening. But for some unknown reason, she had balked at the idea. Her claim that she was exhausted from work made sense to Tyler, and he’d accepted it as the gospel truth. But Father Gregory had a hard time believing it. He wondered if Royce had other plans. Maybe her friend was coming over later after Tyler had gone to sleep. It was a possibility. Royce had probably planned a romantic evening with the guy. Father Gregory couldn’t help but wonder if the man would spend the night and share Royce’s bed with her.
He stood from his seat and began to pace the floor inside his spacious office. It was not his business how Royce conducted her life. His duty as her priest was to pray for her and offer her spiritual guidance on her Christian journey whenever she sought his counsel. Even so, Father Gregory’s feelings for Royce, outside of the sanctity of the priesthood, were genuine. He didn’t want her heart to be broken again by a man undeserving of her affections. He didn’t know the details about her relationship with the Marlon character Tyler had spoken of, but he sensed the man had caused Royce undue pain. He was the reason the boy was so overprotective of his aunt and distrustful of any man who expressed the slightest interest in her. It was humorous, because the only man Tyler approved of spending time with his aunt was one who was forbidden by his religion to have any personal dealings with her. But Tyler had no authority over his aunt’s personal life, and neither did Father Gregory.
The reality of the situation was clear and could not be changed. Royce was a modern-day woman with no husband. There were no restraints on her social life, from a religious aspect or otherwise, that prohibited her from dating. It was not a spiritual offense for single men and women to court one another in the Catholic Church. However, fornication was indeed a sin in the sight of God. But so was lust of the flesh. It was a transgression that Father Gregory fought to overcome every day. Thus far, he was losing the battle, but he wanted desperately to rise above his fault and please God. That had always been his desire. His heart for ministry had not changed. His circumstances had. Just like King David’s ungodly craving for Bathsheba, Father Gregory was in a constant struggle with his desire for Royce. But he was determined not to fall. Maybe it was best that he hadn’t been invited to the Phillips home for the pizza celebration. As always, God had protected him from temptation.
Chapter Five
Tyler released air from his cheeks and shot the ball and missed. He closed his eyes as sweat poured down his face, and he frowned at the laughter and heckling that exploded throughout the gym.
Damien, the center and tallest guy on the team, retrieved the basketball. “You’re a loser. How did you make the team?”
“Maybe he should be playing for the girls!” yelled Romello, the team captain and starting point guard. He gave a couple of his amused teammates a high five.
“That’s enough! No one has the right to criticize anyone else’s skills or lack thereof on the court until you all have mastered the plays. Now, quit your yapping and let’s take it from half court.” Coach Yarborough looked at Tyler head-on. “You can make this shot, Benson. I know you can. You’ve got to believe in yourself. Don’t let your teammates get inside your head.”
The Saint Xavier Bobcats ran the same play five more times before Tyler finally made the shot. By then, his teammates were frustrated and didn’t care to join in the celebration with him and Coach Yarborough. They all left the court and headed for the locker room with major attitudes.
“They don’t like me, Coach,” Tyler mumbled, tilting his head toward the other guys on the team. “Damien and Romello said I’m not good enough to play with them. Maybe they’re right. It did take me a while to nail that shot.”
“Forget about them. I chose you because you’re a team player and you know how to follow instructions. The fundamentals of basketball are second nature to you. The other coaches and I can tell you’ve been trained well.”
“I practice every day except Sundays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Father Gregory drills me for hours. He’s taught me a lot.”
“It’s evident. Besides that, your grade point average is higher than every other boy’s on the squad. You may be the only kid on the court if Damien, Romello, and their crew don’t start cracking the books.”
Tyler gave Coach Yarboroug
h a half smile before he walked away feeling much better. With more practice, his game would improve and build his confidence. Father Gregory would help him.
* * *
“I’ll serve the food and drinks as soon as your last guest arrives.”
“Okay. He’ll be here soon!” Tyler yelled over the noise in the room. His eyes never left the television screen as his hands shifted fast and wildly, maneuvering the video game remote.
Royce smiled and shook her head. She must’ve lost her mind, allowing Tyler to invite five sixth-grade boys over for an entire weekend. The noise level had spiked off the chart. Jokes and trash talk could be heard all the way in the kitchen, where Tyler’s favorite party treats were being prepared by Ms. Essie, Royce’s housekeeper. The boys had cluttered the den terribly with paper cups, candy wrappers, and smelly tennis shoes. It was expected to get a lot worse after the food had been served. Boys were just plain old messy, and it wasn’t a secret. But Royce didn’t care this weekend. It was all about Tyler. His behavior at school had improved and so had his grades. And to put the icing on the cake, he was now a member of the Saint Xavier’s Bobcats basketball team.
The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of Tyler’s fifth and final overnight guest. Royce stepped over a few duffel bags and a pile of sleeping bags scattered about the floor. Neither Tyler nor his rowdy group of visitors responded to the chime rippling through the house. They were too busy laughing and yelling over the competitive video game in progress. Royce’s den reminded her of a boy’s college dorm room. She hurried to the door barefoot to welcome the last boy to the slumber party. Smiling, she pulled the door handle and was immediately struck by something with more crackle than lightning.
“Ms. Phillips, how are you this evening?”
Sound and time paused as Royce took in the raw masculinity of the chocolate god standing tall on her stoop. Her eyes undressed him shamelessly before her proper Southern upbringing snatched her back to decency, dousing her flame of lust.
“Come in, Father Gregory. I’m surprised to see you.”
He entered the house. Then he stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his jeans and smiled. Royce almost fainted. The simple motion drew attention to his thighs and the manly member nestled between them. Royce lifted her eyes back to Father Gregory’s handsome face.
“I promised Tyler I would stop by for a couple of hours if I finished up at the church in time. I hope it’s okay with you that I’m here.”
Royce filed a mental memo to lock Tyler in the basement for thirty days with no food or water for inviting the priest to his get-together without asking her permission. “It’s fine,” she lied. “I told him he could invite whomever he wanted to as long as I was familiar with the boy and his parents. You’re not exactly a boy, though, Father Gregory. I haven’t met your parents either.”
“I can call my mother right now.” He grinned and reached inside the pocket of his black leather bomber as if he were searching for his cell phone. “She and my stepfather will gladly tell you how great a guy I am.”
Royce returned his infectious smile, deciding to play his little game of dare. “Or maybe your parents will tell me all of your secrets.”
“I don’t have any secrets. Honestly, I was a good kid. Mom, Max, and my sisters can confirm it. They knew I was going to be a priest even way back when I was in elementary school. Hopefully, they’ll all visit me some time this coming spring. I’ll invite you and Tyler over so you can meet them. You’ll hear all kinds of stories about my years as an altar boy who loved basketball and church. What were you like as a young girl?”
Royce attempted to hide her shock, but she was totally caught off guard by Father Gregory’s question. She regained her composure. “You’ll have to follow me into the kitchen if you want to know about my misbehaviors as a child growing up in South Georgia. Essie probably thinks I ran off and left her to serve the food to the boys all by herself. Come with me.”
* * *
Fascinating. No other word could better describe Royce Phillips as far as Father Gregory was concerned. She was like a human magnet. Her bubbly and spicy personality pulled you in and made you want to be in her presence forever. She was quite entertaining, too.
Tyler and his friends were enjoying her wild sense of humor and her playful nature. Royce had accepted every challenge they’d set before her. They hadn’t expected her to shoot hoops with them outside on the court situated in her sprawling backyard. Then there was the water balloon fight that her team had won hands down against Tyler’s team. Father Gregory was amazed by Royce’s energy level and ability to out-strategize a group of youngsters without much effort at all. And she was a skillful dancer. Rico, Tyler’s best friend, had pumped up some music from his digital recording device, which he’d connected to a pair of large stereo speakers in the corner of the den. Royce rushed into the room and started wiggling and gyrating to the beat like a teenager.
The boys went crazy over her impromptu performance. Two of them responded with some hip-hop moves made popular by singers and rappers on the music video channels. Father Gregory hadn’t danced since his high school senior prom eleven years ago, but he was tempted to join in on the action the instant he saw Royce’s hips swaying and thrusting rhythmically to the music. His better judgment kicked in, and he stayed put in his corner of the den, where he watched her in awe until the song ended. Royce then returned to the kitchen to prepare movie-time snacks for the boys. Gory horror movies were next on their agenda. The requests for popcorn, chili dogs, and soda seemed only natural.
Father Gregory wandered mindlessly into the kitchen a few minutes after Royce had left the den. Her back was to him as she prepared platters of food for Tyler and his guests at the stainless-steel center island. Ms. Essie had gone home for the evening, leaving all of the kitchen duties to Royce until tomorrow morning.
“Do you need any help?”
Royce’s high-pitched shriek bounced off the kitchen’s four walls. She spun around quickly, clutching her chest. She was visibly startled. “Oh, my God! You scared me.”
“Forgive me,” Father Gregory apologized, rushing to her side. He sincerely hadn’t meant to frighten her. He rubbed the center of Royce’s back in a circular motion. The gesture had been intended to soothe her, but touching her singed his palm and caused it to tremble. Her skin was soft, and the scent of vanilla rising from her pores teased him into an aroused state. He withdrew his hand and backed away. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Royce smiled and turned around to lift a platter from the island. “And yes, I could use some help. You can serve the boys these chili dogs while I gather the rest of the snacks.”
Chapter Six
Royce collapsed forward on the island and rested her head after Father Gregory left the kitchen. Her nerves were completely frazzled and her body engulfed with pure lust. The priest had frightened her within seconds of a heart attack it seemed, but that wasn’t the most troubling effect his surprise visit to the kitchen had caused. His closeness, the rich tone of his voice, and his God-given good looks had combined and launched a terrible attack against Royce. It had left her feverish with feminine need. She wanted the man in the worst way, and she was afraid she would offer herself to him if he didn’t leave her home soon.
Royce hurried to the refrigerator to find something cool to drink. Her body temperature had shot through the roof. Anything wet and cold would perhaps help bring it down. There was half a bottle of Riesling tucked between several jugs of the assorted organic fruit juices Royce usually drank. She actually preferred a beverage a hell of a lot stronger than the German white wine, but it would have to do for now. Royce uncorked the bottle and took a long swig like a Saturday-night wino. She swallowed hard and immediately felt a relieving buzz, but it did nothing to quench her thirst for a certain sexy priest roaming around in her den.
Sighing in frustration, Royce put the wine back in the refrigerator and returned to the island. She grabbed the huge bowl of popcorn and a h
andful of napkins and made dreaded steps in the direction of the den. The silence she met at the entrance was kind of eerie. It was dark in the room with the exception of the light from the big-screen television. Five pairs of preadolescent male eyes were glued to the drama unfolding as the surround-sound speakers blasted screams of horror throughout the room. Father Gregory was just as absorbed in the scary movie as the boys.
Royce wasn’t a fan of ghosts, vampires, or psychotic mass murderers, but she wanted to hang out with Tyler and his friends for as long as her energy level would allow her to. She placed the popcorn and napkins on the coffee table and searched for an available space to sit. God must’ve been playing a cruel joke on her, because there was only one vacant seat in the entire room and it was right beside Father Gregory. Royce felt trapped. She looked at the empty cushion and then at Father Gregory. In that instant, his eyes left the television screen and locked with hers. Even through the darkness, Royce saw a twinkle in their depths. And when he smiled, air swooshed from her lungs. The sight took her breath away, literally.
“There’s enough room for you right here,” Father Gregory offered in a tone deep enough to make James Earl Jones insane with jealousy. He patted the vacant spot to his right on the loveseat.
Royce now had an idea of how Daniel must’ve felt walking into the lion’s den against his will. The fear of being devoured by something or someone greater and more powerful was paralyzing. And Father Gregory, although clueless to the fact, most definitely had the ability to melt Royce with just one touch. Thank God they were in a room with five preteen boys or otherwise . . .
“Thank you,” Royce finally said softly and took the seat next to the man who gave her reason to pause yet tempted her to throw caution to the wind at the same time.
