Lead Us Not Into Temptation

A/N: Okay, so I lied. This is the second but not last chapter to this story. There's a third act to this melodrama. I didn't mean for it to happen. But I just couldn't help myself. Also, I'm sorry for the late update but RL can be a cruel bitch sometimes. Good news is it's already written. But I'm going to wait a couple of days before I post it.

Summary: Father Justin Russo finds himself at crossroads. One path will lead him to the prestige and power the Vatican offers. But should he choose the other…what then? Will he be able find happiness and fulfillment with a girl that doesn't share his faith and is his complete antithesis in every way? Read on to find out.

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of coitus and in flagrante delicto. Also depictions of a man of the cloth engaging in such acts. If you are overly religious and are offended by the topic, please stop reading this now.

Disclaimer: I don't own WoWP or its characters. Also, I don't own the plot or any of the ideas presented in Colleen McCullough's novel, "The Thorn Birds".

Acknowledgments: Thank you to all who have either added this story to your alerts or favorites. Also I'm truly grateful for everyone that's reviewed so far. To the registered and logged in members, I've done my best to thank you each personally. If for some reason I didn't send a reply, it was not intentional.

I would also like to acknowledge my anonymous readers:

karmen: Mucho appreciation, thanks.

Unknown: Your words not only praise my work but they also give me something to strive for. Thank you for the support you've shown to both of my Jalex stories.

God of Death: Thank you for your wonderful comments. I hope this next chapter gives you the satisfactory conclusion you hoped for.

Taboo90210: I'm so happy you that found my story entertaining. My only wish is keep you entertained and enthralled until the very end.

Justsaying: I know what you mean about the lack of cohesiveness that makes the Jalex bond we've come to know such a powerful and compelling one. That being said, I hope you can still appreciate the fic for what it is at its core – a unique love story. Sometimes two people don't have to know each other a lifetime to make that once in a lifetime connection. Call me a hopeless romantic. But I'd like to think that no matter what universe they find themselves in, Justin and Alex will always find a way to each other.

Chapter Two

Three years earlier...

And thus began the deflowering and eventual corruption of Father Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo.

Indeed it had.

During her first fervid encounter with Father Russo, Alexandra Grayback had exhaustively schooled the wayward parish priest in the pleasures of the flesh in the most imaginative of ways possible.

Of course at the onset, the virtuous initiate had been timid and ambivalent about the many different methods to express physical love. But as his surprisingly agile and creative partner introduced him to more and more blissful pursuits, his inhibitions soon fell away as his excitement grew. Ultimately, Father Russo had demonstrated a keen interest to learn everything about the unspoken language between men and women.

Thankfully, to Alexandra's supreme delight, the Padre had turned out to be a very apt and insatiable pupil. And now as she and her new lover lay on the carpeted hard-wood floor, exhausted but terribly happy, her tired eyes lazily roamed about the untidy space.

The office was truly a mess. Documents, important and otherwise, had been strewn from the desk and now lay all over the place like oversized confetti. Further perusal revealed that a glass container that held a variety of paperclips had fallen over and shattered, as well as the chipped ceramic coffee mug that had housed the many pencils and pens. The stapler, the Ma Bell issued telephone and the heavy Corona typewriter had all suffered the same fate as the paper and writing implements. Every piece of office equipment had been rendered broken and useless by the destructive force born out their illicit tryst.

Alexandra smiled then sighed contentedly as the recent memories flickered on the screen of her mind's eye. She recalled with vivid clarity how their tempestuous lovemaking had left no surface untouched. The desk, the chairs, the walls and every other available space had fallen prey to the aggressive rutting of their conjoined bodies. They had mauled one another like two wild animals fighting over a fresh kill.

The entire experience quite frankly had been frenetic, wild and incredibly passionate. And yet, it had also been a life-changing and joyful union of two kindred spirits who unbeknownst to them, had been torn asunder by time and circumstance, lost to one another until some miracle of fate had brought them together and made them whole again.

The scary part was that Alexandra had never felt this way about anyone, not even her dearly departed Mason.

In fact, no one had brought her to the heights of ecstasy or made her want to lose herself so completely in another person like Justin did. That's right, Justin. He had ceased to be Father Russo or the more affectionate sounding "Padre" in her eyes. Her heart recognized him simply as Justin Russo now-not the priest but the man whom she loved beyond reason. Besides, what saintly entity could have ever sated the aching needs of her body while at the same time reach in and touch that vulnerable part of her that she had kept hidden from everyone else?

Alexandra couldn't explain it. But something deep inside her had been nourished by the methodical and yet tender way he had sought to love and please her. Even with his novice's approach, Justin's wide-eyed amazement over every new sensation had fueled her own sense of wonder. Every touch, every kiss had been a revelation to her as their bodies forcefully collided over and over again like giant waves crashing against the rocky shoals at the water's edge.

Whatever it was, Alexandra knew that Justin was chiefly responsible for the way she had trembled under and over him as pure pleasure radiated from the inside out. Even now as they continued to bask in the euphoria of their shared afterglow, she still felt the delightful little tremors of her last climax dancing upon her glistening, sweat-drenched skin.

As Alexandra tried to regulate her erratic breathing back down to normal levels, she was suddenly overcome by everything she had felt and experienced with Justin. There was only one way she could describe the myriad of emotions that beat frantically at her breast.

It had felt like coming home.

Home – that warm and familiar place, that felt like something out of a long forgotten memory or dream. As crazy as the notion might have seemed, from the very first moment he entered her, that's precisely what their joining felt like. In Justin's arms, she had finally found a safe haven from the cold, uncaring world that turned a blind eye to her lonesomeness.

However, once their bodies had become one, the sweet tenderness of that significant event quickly gave way to more primal urges. As Justin finally surrendered to his lust, he eagerly began to drive his hips forward with jerky, awkward movements.

Wisely, Alexandra slowed things down and taught him to prolong both their pleasure with longer, deeper thrusts. Gripping his hips, she had made Justin completely withdraw from her snug wet vagina. Then before he could protest his expulsion she had violently pushed him back in seconds later until he was sheathed to the hilt within her tight walls. She then repeated this action several times while driving Justin wild in the process.

Under Alexandra's expert guidance, it wasn't long before the student had turned the tables on the master. When he began to plow into her with the force of a jackhammer, she knew that he needed no further instruction.

Meanwhile, Alexandra began to claw away at Justin's skin in a raw animalistic fashion as she moaned and writhed beneath him. She then coaxed her lover with breathy whispers and groans to pound her harder and faster.

Happily, he had obliged her impassioned request by fucking her vigorously and repeatedly, grunting in time with each thrust, as her long red nails left their indelible mark all over his back and buttocks.

When he felt the sting of her fingernails cutting into his skin, Justin knew that she was staking her claim on him. And it was in that moment that the intense desire to brand her his and his alone had possessed him as evidenced by the bruises that were already forming along the delicate skin of her inner thighs.

The extremely satisfied woman sighed as she recalled how his strong fingers had made those discolored depressions. Justin had orally serviced her. And in his enthusiasm, he had mindlessly yet viciously clamped onto her thighs so he could bury his face deep into her glistening folds to taste their co-mingled juices .

Although he had never performed cunnilingus before, Justin wasn't put off by the idea in the slightest. In fact, he wanted very badly repay Alexandra for the breathtaking fellatio she had been given him earlier. To his credit, the now disgraced clergyman was very eager to learn. And as it turned out, he took orders very well.

In fact, with very little coaching, Justin had Alexandra screaming his name in no time as she was brought off by the urgent flicking and sucking of his tongue and lips. The sheer force of her orgasm had caused her juices to gush all over his mouth and chin. Naturally, she'd been embarrassed about expelling so much fluid. But when he licked his lips,complimented her on the taste and then dove in for more, she just about died right there and then.

OOO

And now as Alexandra languidly stretched her tired muscles, she felt a twinge of discomfort flare up on her entire backside. And there was no doubt in her mind that there would be a smattering of black and blue contusions to contend with the next morning. Not to mention the numerous love bites that erupted on her skin, all red blotchy, broadcasting to the whole world exactly what she'd been up to.

Looks like I'll have to pile on the make up tomorrow to hide these beauties, she wistfully concluded as she turned her head to look at the exhausted and sweaty man laying next her still panting for each breath. As her dark eyes drank in the exquisiteness of Justin's naked body, she secretly prayed that he wasn't an illusion that would disappear from her sight in a puff of smoke.

Wanting to still feel connected to him, her fingers reached out to touch his torso. As she leisurely dragged the tips up and down his hairless chest, Alexandra demurely asked, "So, whatcha thinkin'?"

Lying flat on his back, Justin let out an incredulous laugh as he answered her. "What am I thinking? Oh, nothing really expect for the fact that I can forget about purgatory now. After everything we did, I'm Hell bound for sure."

The acidic tone of his voice made Alexandra's heart sink like a stone. Swiftly, she turned her body away from his as fresh tears cruelly pricked her eyes. As she stared out at one of the stained glass windows which depicted the Sermon on the Mount, she noticed that day had turned into night.

God, it's probably really late, Alexandra wondered, having no real notion of the time. All she knew was that she had fucked the rest of the afternoon away- literally. And it was all for nothing. She'd been wrong about Justin all along. Now that he got what he wanted, it was business as usual as far as she could tell.

How could I have been so stupid, she chastised herself as she bitterly realized that she'd just proven all those gossiping crones right. She was nothing but a desperate, lonely woman who sunk to the lowest depths of depravity to seduce a man that should have been off limits to the likes of her.

Suddenly, a great sense of panic overtook her as Alexandra thought of her friends, the Beakerman's. Not that she had a curfew or anything (because for Pete's sake, she was a grown woman) but there was always this unspoken agreement that everyone in the Beakerman residence had to be seated around the dinner table by six o'clock every night. Yet, something told her that it was probably way past the appointed hour.

Harper's probably sick with worry. And knowing her she's already sent Zeke out to find me. I gotta get out of here before he shows up here with that Louisville Slugger of his.

With a grace that was nearly feline in nature, Alexandra Grayback quickly rose to her feet. Next, she wordlessly began to hunt for her discarded clothes. Feeling felt cheap and used, Alexandra fought back the pitiful sob that threatened to tear at her throat. And all she wanted now was to get dressed at quickly as possible and then go home, so she would no longer have to suffer the indignity of Justin's obvious remorse. As the disheartened girl began to slip on her now ruined undergarments, she made sure to keep her back to him so she wouldn't have to look into his guilty eyes.

Justin, meanwhile was stirred from his own dark thoughts by Alexandra's hurried movements. When he noticed that she was nearly dressed he asked, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, genius?" she harshly fired back as she buttoned up her blouse with shaky fingers. Next, she stepped into her skirt and pulled it up to her trim waist as her bleary eyes searched for her shoes.

Sensing the frigid disenchantment coming off of Alexandra in waves, Justin was on his feet in moments. Giving no thought to his overt nakedness he moved swiftly toward her.

"Alexandra, are you okay?" Justin inquired with genuine concern.

When she didn't answer him, he was immediately gripped with worry as his heart started to hammer inside his chest. As Justin continued to watch her callously disregard him, he reached out to gently turn her around. But when she recoiled from his touch, Justin's fortitude to get to the heart of the matter was bolstered by his fear of losing her.

Desperately, he gathered her small body into his arms, pulling Alexandra toward him until her rigid back rested against his naked torso. As she began to futilely thrash about, Justin's hold on her tightened as he anxiously asked her, "D-Do you regret what happened?"

"What?" Alexandra was floored by the question. And for a fleeting moment she wasn't quite sure if she had heard him right. However, there was a discernible sincerity in his voice that managed to slip past her nearly impenetrable defenses. Eventually, the flailing of her body gradually ceased until she stood ready to listen to what Justin had to say.

As Father Russo felt his clandestine lover's stiff posture soften somewhat, he quickly moved in to affectionately nuzzle the side of her face with his own. "Alexandra...Alex," he cooed in her ear, trying out the derivation of her name for the first time. "Please look at me, my love."

Gosh darn it! There were two things in this world that Alexandra Grayback could not resist- well, make that three.

The first was definitely chocolate. She didn't care what kind- Swiss, milk or the deep, dark variety- as long as there was plenty of the stuff on hand, she was a happy camper.

The second was a man in uniform - solider, sailor, fireman or cop. There was just something extra special about a guy all brassed up in his finest regimented attire. Sadly, she can now add priest to that elite list of male distinction.

And the third and last item was the heartfelt supplications of the deeply repentant. She was a sucker for a gorgeous man figuratively down on his knees begging for forgiveness and kissing her ass.

Calling her 'Alex' had certainly been a nice touch too. No one's called her that since she was just a little girl in pigtails. Hearing it now, sweetly rolling off of Justin's tongue, brought back memories of a more innocent time when life wasn't so goddamned complicated.

Softened by Justin's gentle touch, Alexandra sighed as she allowed herself to be lulled into complacently by the tender hypnotic thrum of his voice. With an almost reluctant groan, she turned around to confront the undressed man that she had just recently defiled.

The moment she was facing him, Justin lovingly cradled her chin within his warm fingers, tilting her face toward his. And as his sea-green eyes peered deeply into hers, Alexandra felt herself drowning in them as she allowed herself to be dragged by the undertow.

The intensity of Justin's stare, coupled by the feral expression on his face spoke volumes of the pure animal magnetism that drew Alexandra to him despite her fear and doubts. God, she loved this man so much it was scary. But being a jealous and greedy woman by nature, the love she felt was a possessive one that precluded sharing Justin with anyone or anything, including his God.

One of the few times Alexandra had paid attention in school, her teacher had mentioned the French term amour fou or mad love as it is known in English. Thinking back, Alex could vaguely recall the lesson that the phrase had pertained to. But she did remember its implication and how it related to the present.

What she felt for Justin was beyond love, beyond some silly, soppy romantic sentiment. Romance was for dopes and ditzy housewives that believed the garbage they read in those trashy dime-store paperbacks. No, this thing, this whatever-the-hell it was, was a passionate, obsessive inferno that threatened to consume everything in its path, setting the world on fire while she stood by to watch it all burn to a cinder. Did she care? Not particularly. As long as she and Justin survived the blaze, then nothing else mattered.

And that's when she knew right then and there that she was capable of anything, even selling her soul if need be, if it guaranteed keeping Justin chained to her side.

oOo

Alexandra was already damned to Hell (if such a place existed) for successfully seducing one of the holiest of holies. So what did it matter if she lied, cheated, or stole? She'd be condemned just the same. Besides the idea of eternal damnation didn't scare her in the least, especially when she knew that Lucifer was just a big sissy with daddy issues and a huge inferiority complex. Take away the pitchfork, the horns, the bat's wings and that serious case of lobster skin and what do you got- a big red Meany that's been placed on a permanent time-out. Yep, the guy was a push-over, no doubt about it.

Alex almost laughed when she recalled all the times that Father Russo had warned her about her total disregard concerning the fate of her immortal soul. She never paid him any mind when it came to spiritual matters. In any case, Alexandra had a strong feeling that if she ever did end up in Hades, she'd be running the joint in less than a week.

When she had voiced that very prediction to Father Russo over lunch one day, he almost choked on his submarine sandwich.

"Mrs. Grayback, you shouldn't be so glib regarding such matters! Lucifer and his Angels of Darkness were cast down below by the Almighty Himself as punishment for their rebellion. Hell is neither a country club nor a place to be taken lightly. It is the Devil's dark domain, his kingdom, if you will. And he rules over it with an iron fist."

Alexandra just shrugged as she casually responded, "Good to know. But all that torture, fire and brimstone sounds so boring. And I think it's high time for a regime change. Besides, I always thought that there ought to be a Princess of Darkness. Hell could use a woman's touch."

Father Russo just sat at his desk, sandwich in hand, completely lost for words. His wit and intellect fought valiantly to come to grips with his secretary's flippant attitude. But alas the battle was lost before it had even begun. Therefore, the confounded cleric resigned himself to stare at the perplexing little heathen in disbelief as his jaw hung agape like some large-mouth sea bass.

Meanwhile, Alexandra had continued to hungrily chomp on her sub as she schemed to steal the uneaten half of her boss' lunch.

oOo

As her mind continued to sift through the recollections of past philosophical and theological discussions, Alexandra steeled herself for the battle of her life. Whimsical plans to overthrow the Devil and then preside over Hell in the hereafter were fine and dandy. But while she still resided in the mortal plane, the determined young woman was prepared to go to any lengths, short of killing, before she'd allow Justin to be taken away from her.

And it was in that precise moment that a sobering thought randomly popped into her head - being with Justin was still wrong, at least according to the societal and moral parameters laid down by the Church. Furthermore, in their narrow, condemnatory view she and Justin had just committed one of the deadliest of the Seven Deadly Sins. In fact, their relationship, if discovered, would be construed to be just as repellant as incest-firmly placing their love in the unspeakable realm of taboo.

Then another frightful thought came to her- what if Justin didn't love her just as strongly? What if he had already decided that their tryst was a one-time occurrence never to be repeated or spoken of again? What's to stop him from thinking those very things? He's already satisfied his lust and his curiosity regarding carnal matters. Father Russo could easily confess his indiscretions or forget them altogether and go back to being the righteous pillar of the community he always was. Besides, he would never give up the allure of Rome or the promise of a seat of power within the sacred walls of the Vatican just for her, right? Maybe not...perhaps she was foolish to think that one small insignificant girl could take on the might of a centuries-old religious institution.

But just as all seemed so utterly hopeless, Justin shocked and amazed her in an unexpected turn of events. Surprisingly, Alexandra received the answers to all of her burning questions the moment Justin grabbed her by the waist and then swooped down to capture her lips in a searing, breathtaking kiss. In an instant her troubled mind was sent reeling as he asserted dominion over her with fierce, possessive kisses that demanded her complete submission.

Justin's attack had been so quick, so ferocious the poor girl was deprived of her next breath. But as Alexandra struggled to draw in precious oxygen into her lungs, she soon groaned with pleasure when she felt his wet tongue plunder her mouth, daring her own fleshy organ to duel with his.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Alex engaged her lips and tongue in fierce warfare, matching and then besting Justin's fervor kiss for kiss. Quickly, she threaded her nimble fingers through the thickness of his unkempt hair, loving the feel of its soft texture as her heart began to race and her toes curled.

All the while the enamored young widow internally rejoiced- he does love me! How do you like them apples God?

In the meantime, consumed by the desire to maintain his ardor, Justin's hands reached up from her middle to grasp the sides of Alexandra's beauteous face. Then with a deep moan, he carefully held her head firmly in place while his thumbs lovingly caressed the apple of her cheeks. Next, in an experimental maneuver, his tongue slowly slipped from Alexandra's mouth, only to have the very tip of it trace the outline of her kiss-swollen lips.

Alexandra groaned unabashedly as she felt the flames of lust reignite between them. But just as she was about to surrender to passion's will once more, the fire burning in her belly was instantaneously doused by an unexpected and jarring knock on the office door.

And although the entryway had been locked and secured, Justin and Alexandra still guiltily jumped away from each other like two children whose hands were caught in the cookie jar.

"Oh, Christ!" Alex exclaimed which earned her a disapproving glower from her priestly lover.

Meanwhile, an older female's muffled voice called out, "Father Russo? Are you in there?" Her words were laced with an almost maternal concern.

The parish priest automatically recognized the intrusive tone. His eyes opened wide as he was suddenly attacked by anxiety.

"It's Reverend Mother Theresa," he fearfully mouthed to Alexandra who was nervously biting at her bottom lip as her frightened eyes stared at the door with rapt attention.

"Don't answer her," Alexandra hurriedly whispered. She too was experiencing a case of the jitters. The Reverend Mother was definitely no friend of hers. And the last thing Alex needed was to give more ammunition to a woman that already looked down her nose at her.

However, Father Russo knew there was no use pretending, the head nun must have seen the light on from under the door, hence the knock.

Usually, the Mother Superior never bothered him at night, since she had her own affairs to attend to running both the convent and the school across the street. However, if she had dared to venture out at this hour, perhaps something grave had occurred.

Thus, even in his current deplorable state, Justin's undiminished sense of duty to serve and help those in need still found its way to the forefront. Placing a long index finger at his lips, the young cleric signaled his lover to be quiet as he cleared his throat to address the abbess before any further suspicions were raised.

"Yes, Reverend Mother, I'm here. Is there something matter?" he anxiously asked.

"No, Father. It's nothing like that..."

"Good," Justin responded with some relief. "Because, I'm very busy right now. Can this wait until morning?"

"I've only brought your supper to you," the Reverend Mother kindly stated through the door. "When the sisters and I didn't see you in the dining hall this evening, I figured you must have worked through dinner again."

"Oh, thank you," he gratefully told her. Then as an afterthought he added. "Could you please just leave it by the door?"

"Father, is everything alright?" the Mother Superior cautiously inquired.

She found it rather odd that the young rector had not opened the door to speak to her like he normally did. And then there was the disquieting inflection in his voice which only added to her concern.

When the abbess had approached the rectory office just moment's earlier, she could have sworn that she heard more than one voice emanating from inside the office. But now that an eerie hush had descended, she wasn't so sure. Nonetheless, there was something strange going on behind that closed door, something dark and sinister. And she hoped and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mother that it had nothing to do with that little secretary.

The Reverend Mother may have been a Bride of Christ, but she was nobody's fool. For the better part of a year, she herself had witnessed many times the shameless way the dark-haired girl had flaunted her womanly wares whenever Father Russo had been in her general vicinity.

Shaking her head to clear her mind of impure thoughts, the wizened nun quickly brushed the edges of her black veil off her shoulders with a steady hand . Next, the pious woman took in a deep cleansing breath and then quickly released it as she tried once more to ascertain the reason behind Father Russo's uncharacteristic behavior.

"Are you feeling unwell? I can fetch Doctor Greenwald if you like..." the older woman offered as she tried to open the door from her side. When she found it was locked, the nun's face did nothing to conceal her disapproval.

Thankfully, for Justin and Alexandra, the deadbolt held. Nonetheless, the disgraced clergyman made up his mind to get dressed just in case the good sister had any hidden talents as a locksmith.

"No, no, no...there's no need. I'm fine. I just have some...uh, paperwork to finish up. Yeah, that's it, paperwork. So, good night, Reverend Mother." Father Russo tried not to sound too stern as he dismissed her. But he hoped that the authoritative tone of his voice would somehow dissuade the inquisitive Mother Superior from prying any further into his affairs.

"Well...if you're certain. I will see you in the morning then for breakfast. Sister Juliet is making pancakes." Despite the cheerful announcement of tomorrow's menu, the abbess did not sound convinced that all was as it should be behind that closed door.

Nevertheless, she still took her leave but not before the Cuban born nun bade the young rector a fond 'good night' in her native tongue, "Buenas noches, Padre Russo."

"Buenas noches," Justin repeated back to her with a nearly flawless Spanish accent.

After waiting for the retreating woman's foot falls to grow fainter and fainter until they finally faded into nothingness, Father Russo slowly expelled the uneasy breath he had been holding.

"That was close...almost too close!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Alexandra readily agreed with a nod. She then turned a wary gaze toward the priest whose furrowed brow signaled that he was deep in thought. As she watched her lover pace back and forth in front of her like some human pendulum, he held his chin within a pensive grasp. It was abundantly clear that he had lost himself in a state of meditative contemplation.

Well, Alexandra would have none of that. The few minutes of excruciating silence that followed had already exhausted the last of Alex's extremely thin patience. Feeling a major snit coming on, she placed her hands on her hips while her left foot started tapping like mad.

If Father Justin Russo assumed that he could just clam up and shut her out of his egghead thought process then he had another thing coming. Aggravated at being ignored, Alex was getting ready to throw him a very big piece of her mind when Justin suddenly broke the stillness he had imposed.

"We need rudiments," Justin calmly stated as he continued to wear a hole in the carpet with his bare feet.

Confused by Justin's strange choice of words, Alexandra questioned him. "Rudy's mints? Who the hell is Rudy and why do we need his mints?"

Justin stopped pacing just long enough give her an eye-roll of annoyance as he sighed in frustration.

Alex is adorable and I truly love her. But she can be so obtuse at times... the perturbed priest had surmised.

However, when Justin turned to fully face her, he encountered a rather mischievous smirk upon her ruby lips that indicated to him that Alexandra was a lot smarter than she let on. She knew exactly what he was referring to. And it didn't take him long to realize that the puckish little sprite was only pretending to be stupid and she wanted him to play along.

For a fleeting moment Father Russo smiled knowingly at her, letting Alexandra know that he was onto her little game. But then just as quickly, his features took on a more ascetic manifestation. Crossing his arms over the well-muscled chest peeking out from his partially buttoned shirt, he sternly addressed the young woman standing in front of him.

"Rudiments, Mrs. Grayback are ground rules. You do know what those are, don't you? Although, I highly suspect that you've seldom followed any set of regulations in your life," he decreed in an imperious tone.

Affronted by Justin's high-handed demeanor, Alex swiftly removed her hands from her curvaceous hips. She then balled them up into two little fists of fury as she stepped right up the man that dared to question both her integrity and intelligence. Sure, she had egged him to do so- but did he have to be so mean about it?

Alexandra stomped her foot and then snarled at her well-armed opponent in this game of wits.

"Listen here, poindexter!" she barked at the slightly amused man like an infuriated Pomeranian.

Undaunted by the gleam of sheer delight in Justin's gorgeous eyes which belied his dour expression, Alexandra continued the verbal assault. "If you'd speak plain English, like normal people, then I wouldn't have such a hard time understanding you! You ain't Shakespeare, you know! So cut it out with the fancy talk, okay? And for your information, dork-meister, I'm no ignoramus. I know what ground rules are. I just don't get why we need them."

Justin struggled to contain a grin of utter joy which threatened to destroy the spirited banter between them. To his happy surprise, he found their witty repartee to be just as stimulating as foreplay as evidenced by the partial erection that was slowly rising like dough inside his pants. The priest knew that the almost slavish zeal that he was currently experiencing during their heated argument boarded dangerously on fixation. And yet in spite of this insight, he planned to engage the little brown-eyed seductress in battle as often as he could.

Yes, it was sick and perhaps a bit twisted. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

Raising his bushy left eyebrow, Father Russo maintained his authoritative stance as he finally explicated his reasoning.

"We need rules set in place because we almost got caught tonight. Don't you see? What we've done was highly unorthodox not to mention sinful. And it could very well lead to my excommunication from the Church! I've worked too long and too hard to see my dreams dashed now! I still plan to be elevated to cardinal one day, God willing. I want to be within a hairsbreadth from the Holy Father himself. Do you understand?"

Alexandra understood him...all too well. It was funny how Justin's impassioned words left a bitter taste in her mouth. Yet, it was becoming abundantly clear that Justin's lofty ambitions knew no bounds and that she was just slight bump on the one-way road to the Vatican.

"I see...so what just happened meant nothing to you, right? You just used me so you get rid of whatever was left of your manhood before the Pope cuts your pecker off! Well, how about if I save him the trouble, hmm? Now, where did I put that letter opener?"

Alexandra then proceeded to put on a great show of searching the sharp implement as Father Russo's eyes widened in horror.

"A-Alexandra, w-w-what are doing?" the nervous cleric couldn't help stuttering as he subconsciously placed a protective hand over his crotch.

When she didn't answer him nor cease her actions of rifling through the debris of discarded office supplies and equipment, Justin moved to stop her before she hurt herself or more importantly, him.

Grabbing her gently by the shoulders, Father Russo tried to pull the mini-cyclone that was Alex away from devastating the office any further.

However, when she managed to wrench herself away from his grasp, Justin began to plead with her to listen to reason. "Alexandra, please stop! Let's talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? You've made up your mind already. So guess what? You can go screw yourself for all I care, Padre!" the angry young woman hissed back. She then turned away from him before he could see the tears that were already rolling down her flushed cheeks.

But it was too late, Justin had seen them and was immediately moved by her anguish. And that's when he came to the painful realization that he had allowed his logic get ahead of his heart. He was just thinking out loud, giving voice to his greatest hopes and fears. However, he hadn't taken into account how much his words would impact Alex. He had been unintentionally cruel when he made no mention of how much her presence in his life had drastically altered his plans for the future.

Justin needed to let her know right then and there that as far as he was concerned there would be no future for him unless she was a part of it.

Once again, Father Justin Russo reached out to touch the girl he had emotionally wounded. He wanted so desperately to give her comfort by sweeping her small body into his arms. However, he feared she would not allow the contact, so he settled for the next best thing.

Moving closer to the object of his affections, Justin's fingertips lightly brushed the soft nape of her neck as he resolutely declared, "I love you, Alexandra."

The feathery touch of her lover's fingers had sent tingles up and down Alex's spine as goose bumps broke out all over her sensitive skin. But it was his amorous confession that had her heart racing as her head swam in dizzying bewilderment. She suddenly felt so faint that her knees nearly gave way. Thankfully, Justin was right there to steady her when her stance actually did waver.

Once Alexandra was righted, Justin's hands remained on her body in a unspoken gesture of reassurance that he would not leave her side - not now, not ever. And yet despite this demonstration of solidarity, she still feared to meet his gaze. His words were one thing. However, she knew deep down that the truth would be found in his eyes. And right now she couldn't bear to look into them. A part of her was still afraid of the rejection she might find floating inside the depths of his gray-green irises.

"Alex..." Justin tried again to get her attention. "I said that I love you. Please look at me."

With an exasperated sigh, Alexandra muttered under her breath, "Yeah, yeah...I heard you the first time, you square."

Justin heard her anyway and became slightly distressed at being labeled as someone not in step with the times. And yet he found himself grinning from ear to ear when he finally saw her slowly turn around.

Although Alexandra was facing Justin, she obstinately kept her eyes downcast, evidently still afraid to look at him.

Seeing her apprehension first hand, he tried to allay her insecurities by gently touching his fingers to the side of her face. "Alex...please look at me.

"Why?" she spat out in anger. "So you can tell me how in I'm in the way of you becoming all chummy with il papa?" Alexandra's gaze remained glued to the floor still averting Justin's at all costs.

Bothered by her avoidance tactics, it was Justin's turn to become enraged. Forcefully, he tilted Alexandra's face up toward his so that he could peer right into her doubt-filled eyes. "No!" he cried out as his fingers clutched her chin a little too tightly. However, when he saw how Alex winced at the contact, he was suddenly filled with remorse for being so brutish with her. Immediately, he offered a heartfelt apology for his actions as he eased up on his unyielding grip.

"Alexandra, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me," he said sincerely.

Given no other choice, the petite spitfire let his contrite words seep in. However, lingering resentment caused her to remain defiant. Wrenching her face from Justin's grasp, she stepped back a few paces but made no move to leave. Instead, she placed her hands on the sides of her cinched waist as the burning look in her eyes dared him to convince her.

"Go on, I'm listening," Alex sneered haughtily as she tapped her foot impatiently waiting for Justin to explain himself.

Father Russo's shoulders suddenly slumped forward as if he were just burdened with the weight of the world. A tired sigh hissed past his lips as he nervously ran his fingers through his unruly locks before he leveled an unwavering stare at the tenacious young woman.

"Look, what I said earlier about my aspirations..."Justin carefully began, trying his best to cast some much needed light on the subject. "I apologize if all that came out wrong. I didn't mean to sound so callous. Besides you only heard part of the story."

Alexandra smiled contemptibly as her voice dripped with saccharine laced derision. "Oh, really? You don't say? Well, don't keep me in suspense, Hitchcock. Spit it out!"

Justin resisted the urge to roll his eyes again as he tried to overlook the sarcastic comments. "I've made no secret about my plans, Alexandra. Becoming a Cardinal, a Prince of the Church has been my life's ambition. And for a long time I've thought of nothing else. Do you know that I've spent years studying Holy Scripture, pouring over ecclesiastical texts and immersing myself in codes of canonical law so that one day I could serve my God and His Church?"

"Figures...I bet you were a real apple-polisher in school too, weren't you?" Alex scoffed unkindly as she shrugged her shoulders.

"There's nothing wrong with showing those in authority the respect they deserve, Alexandra!" Justin tersely lectured, fully aware that he was very close to losing his patience with her. Yet, despite his ire, he decided to push forward with what he had to say before his words became a sputtering mess of nonsensical ramblings.

Clearing his throat, Father Justin Russo went for broke. "What I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted was that everything changed for me the very first time I laid my eyes on you."

"Say what?" Alexandra abruptly exclaimed as her eyes bulged out of their sockets.

Pleased that he had finally caught her off guard, Justin reveled in having the upper hand- for once. His next words were relentless and vicious but, they had to be if he wanted to get his point across.

"That's right, you heard me! From the moment I saw you I knew you were going to be trouble. With those lips, those eyes and that incredible body how could you be anything but? Oh, I tried to stay strong and not give into my desires. But there you were, day in and day out, bewitching me with your revealing outfits!"

"Oh, so you did notice," Alexandra cheekily retorted, smirking all the while.

"How could I not?" Father Russo incredulously fired back, arms gesticulating wildly . "Good Lord, Alexandra...I'm a priest but I'm not dead. I'm still a man from the waist down. And don't get cute. I always had a sneaking suspicion that you were wearing those tight sweaters and skirts just to get my attention. Argh! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Well, bully for you then. Give the boy a gold star. It took you long enough. I was beginning to think you were more into the altar boys than me."

It was Justin's turn to have his eyes bug out of his head over Alex's insinuations regarding his manhood. "Listen here missy, I think we both know that despite my vocation I'm all man. In fact I've proven it several times today. But if you need more proof, I'll gladly give you another demonstration."

When he saw the demonic grin on Alexandra's face, Father Russo quickly realized that he had played right into her hands. "Oh, God what am I saying? That's exactly what you want, isn't it?"

"I'm willing if you are..." she purred seductively as she slowly began to advance on him.

"No, no, no! You're missing the point! Or maybe I am. Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is that for the first time in my life I began to feel things, to want things that I shouldn't because I'm a man of the cloth. And I'm not talking about fornication either. Although it is nice, in fact it's wonderful. But I don't want you just because of your body. I love you for your mind and how you don't take anything at face value. You buck against authority but, I admire the fearless way in which you do it. And I'll be the first to admit that there's a stubbornness about you that drives me half way up a wall! But that's just it. You challenge me and make me call into question everything that I believe in so blindly."

Alexandra had halted her steps at this point. She just stood there staring at Justin with tear-filled eyes as his impassioned words touched her heart.

"Really?" she asked as she fought unsuccessfully to hold back a choking sob.

Justin smiled crookedly when he how sweet and vulnerable she looked like harmless little kitten. "Yes, really." He then quickly approached Alex, bridging the chasm between them, so he could tenderly caress her soft, warm cheek.

Smiling down at her, he emphatically stated, "Because of you, you crazy girl, I've re-examined my entire life. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I've often wondered what it would be like to share it with you...to have children with you, grow old together and just be happy. Isn't that what the Almighty wants for us? Isn't that His plan? I certainly hope so."

"Justin, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Alexandra tentatively asked, her heart daring to hope for the impossible.

After placing a sweet kiss on her forehead, Justin bravely looked into Alex's eyes once more and declared, "Yes, my love. I'm planning on leaving the priesthood. In fact I am going to write to Archbishop Laritate first thing tomorrow to let him know about my resignation."

Alexandra, filled with happiness, squealed with delight as she wrapped her arms around the man she loved. "Oh, Justin! Do you really mean it?"

Father Russo returned the embrace just as fiercely as he joyously replied, "Yes, of course I mean it." He then tightened his hold on his little paramour.

After a few moments of relishing being in his arms, Alexandra was suddenly jolted by a dose of cold, hard reality. Pulling herself away from Justin momentarily, she lifted her face up to stare into his questioning eyes. "Uh, Justin...you do realize that we'll be both be out of a job, right? I don't know about you but I've grown accustomed to things like ...oh, I don't know...food, clothes, a gosh-darned roof over my head. I can probably find something. But what can you do besides being a priest?"

Justin only laughed at the adorable manner in which she worried about their combined livelihoods. "First of all, my love, thanks to the Church, I do have a college degree in civil engineering. So I should have no problem obtaining gainful employment in the secular work force. I even have a letter of recommendation from one of my old teachers, Professor Crumbs."

"That's great...but if you're leaving the priesthood wouldn't that mean you'd have to pay them back?"

"Yeah, I would which means I'll be up to my ears in debt. But I'd gladly pay any price to be with you."

"How long before we're together living in sin?" Alexandra asked, testing the waters to see how far he was willing to go with this life-altering decision.

Apparently, he was willing to take it all the way. "Living in sin? Oh, my darling girl, we'll do no such thing. I plan on making an honest woman out of you whether you like it or not."

"Married? Holy cow!" Alexandra exclaimed with wide-eyed amazement. Her lips then split apart in a self-assured grin as she dreamily pronounced, "Mrs. Alexandra Margarita Russo." Sighing wistfully, she loved the way the name sounded to her ears.

Justin returned the sentiment. "Yeah, that does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

oOo

Sadly however, Justin and Alex's plans to run away and get married never came to fruition. And the Archbishop never received Father Russo's resignation letter. In fact (as Alexandra later learned), by some divine intervention Archbishop Laritate had paid the parish priest a surprise visit the very next morning to offer him something that he had been hard pressed to refuse: the suffragan bishop's position for the entire Archdiocese of Greater New York.

The proposition was a lucrative one which would have allowed Father Russo to work directly under His Excellency, the Archbishop. The promotion also meant more exposure to the Church hierarchy and it was the first important stepping stone towards donning the deep crimson robes of a Cardinal in the foreseeable future. It was everything that the striving young cleric had ever dreamed of. And as expected, Justin's ambitious side was immediately attracted to the brilliant future laid out before him, like a shiny new bauble. And as he pondered over the possibilities, thoughts of Alexandra and his promises to her were shelved just as his superior had planned all along.

Because unbeknownst to the unsuspecting priest, the proposal had only been a ruse, a diabolical plot concocted by none other than Reverend Mother Theresa and then carried out by her co-conspirator, the Archbishop to summarily drive a wedge between the two lovers. For the longest while the wary nun had been afraid of losing the best pastor St. Joseph's had ever had to that dark-haired harlot.

So far the good Father had remained steadfast to his faith. However, the Mother Superior's suspicions about the girl's less-than-honorable intentions had been confirmed when she had pretended to take her leave that night so that she could eavesdrop on their damning conversation. The deception had been a minor infraction but...it had been committed with the best of intentions.

In any case, to the Reverend Mother's shock and dismay, she had heard more than enough compounding evidence to prompt her to urgently contact His Excellency and enlist his help in her holy crusade to keep Father Russo where he rightfully belonged by playing to his vanity and aspirations.

Consequently, the promise of advancement gave Father Russo enough pause to put his plans of marriage on hold. And the longer the promotion was dangled in front of him like a carrot on a stick, the longer the Church had to get its hooks back into him.

But what the Mother Church hadn't counted on was the sheer tenacity of one Alexandra Margarita Grayback.

When Justin had first told Alexandra that he had been having second thoughts about their future together, she had been crushed- especially when she later found out about how the Archbishop had been manipulating him with the promise of a promotion that three years later he had yet to make good on.

Most women in her position would have given up fighting for what seemed a lost cause a long fucking time ago. But not her. Yes, her heartbreak had been debilitating in the beginning. But soon enough it had transformed itself into steely resolve to get her man at all costs.

Heaven knows that the three-year war she had waged with the Roman Catholic Church had been hard-fought. And in the process she had been ridiculed, demeaned and maligned by every member of the congregation for her continued yet unwanted presence in the rectory's office. Ultimately, her position as parish secretary had been under constant threat every day. If it hadn't been for the protection Justin still availed to her, Alexandra was certain that her job would have been forfeit years ago.

Meanwhile, Father Russo's life had not been without peril as well. Despite being singled out as the dioceses supposed golden boy, he had suddenly found himself under a very discriminating microscope. His every word and deed was being scrutinized at every turn by the all-seeing eye of the Church. In the beginning he had attributed the extra special attention to the customary vetting process that every candidate goes through when being considered for promotion.

However, soon enough the young Jesuit had learned that the focal interest on him had nothing to do with the suffragan bishop's position at all. In fact, thanks to Alexandra's clever and almost magical way of obtaining information, he found out that the offer had been nothing more than a falsehood devised to keep him attentive to the Church and more notably in line.

There had even been talk of expulsion and excommunication if he insisted "on carrying on with that little witch". At least that was the way that Alex had heard it when she had "unintentionally" picked up the telephone receiver one day and just happened to overhear a very enlightening discussion between the Mother Superior and the Archbishop.

Surprisingly, in spite of Justin's indecision and all of the duress they had endured over the years, their love affair had remained as ardent as ever. Sadly, they've had to resort to cloak and dagger methods which involved meeting in seedy motel rooms located clear across town, wearing silly disguises and using the aliases of Jim Bob Sherwood and Jessica Moon just to get around the vigilance established by the very astute Reverend Mother and her network of nun/spies.

At first, all the sneaking around had been fun and very sexy. But as the years wore on and Justin still clung to the Mother Church's strangling apron strings, Alexandra had grown tired of playing part of Mary Magdalene, the love suffering whore with the heart of gold.

She wanted what Justin had promised her on their first night together- the cute little house in the suburbs with the white picket fence, the 2.5 kids and maybe even some mangy mutt they'd name Dragon. But most of all she wanted Justin, all of him, not just the scraps she had managed steal from time to time.

Her priest had dragged his feet on this issue for far too long. Three goddamned years to be exact. So the time had come to finally take action and make him choose once and for all what he desired more- blind ambition or the woman he claimed to love.

TBC…