TA-DA! A midweek surprise for my lovely readers! You all can thank Leyshla for being my cheerleader in getting this chapter out so fast. I did my best to find all of the mistakes. Thank you Chocoholics Unite and catsvrsdogscatswin for the reviews. I do appreciate the vote catsvrsdogscatswin. And as for y'alls requests for a speedy update - wish granted! I hope you like it!
Eva saw that her hand was shaking as she held out the extra long match to light one of the few unlit prayer candles. The foyer of the church was lovely at night when the only light in the building was that from the flickering flames of hundreds of candles nestled in small red cups. Tall white tapers in the windows gave the sanctuary of the building a pleasant, subdued radiance that soothed her eyes after being in the harsh sunlight all day. Her fingers fiddled with the cross hanging from the rosary beads she wore around her neck. Walking straight to the altar at the front of the church, she knelt down on the padded bench covered in pure white linen. Looking up at the life-sized statue of Jesus Christ on the cross, she studied the incredible details of the likeness carved from wood. From the individual tears on the crucified man's face to the blood droplets trickling from around the wound where the nail held his feet to the cross, the artist had obviously lovingly created each immaculate detail in startling realism. Her hand caressed the wood that had been sanded to a fine, perfectly smooth finish varnished in way that left the statue a lifelike bronze color. Seizing the cross of her necklace, she pulled the beads over her head to wrap them around her hands that she pressed together. Bowing her head, she began her nightly conversation with God. Sometimes she wondered if He even heard her pleas, but she took comfort in the ritual anyway. She liked coming to the church at night when it was empty so she could think and be alone. Her troubled mind found peace here in the silence. Her body, beaten and bruised from the day's training, seemed to heal faster. Before long her aches and pains would be soothed away then the bruises would begin to fade.
Eva had been here for three months. As her fighting skills had increased, so had the distance between her and Father Anderson. An emotional chasm had opened up to separate them, growing bigger every day due to being constantly physically apart. Since she spent most of her day training, and he spent most of the day helping out at the orphanage, they hardly saw each other. The largest portion of time they spent together was at dinner. However, dinner had become a threesome including Rio Satomi who always sat at the head of the table in his house as if reminding them that he was in charge of both of them. The men would eat their meals and drink their wine, discussing church business or Eva's progress while she would force down the blood that was served to her in a crystal wine glass as if it were the finest vintage Iscariot had to offer. She supposed in a very weird way she was in fact receiving the best the Church had to give considering the blood was being taken from willing volunteers among the Soldiers of God. The blood was always served fresh, still warm from the veins of the donor as if they had performed the venipuncture in the kitchen while the other entrees were being prepared.
Eva missed being able to take blood straight from the vein herself. Running her tongue along her incisors that had extended even further down recently, she mused about what it would be like to sink her teeth into a live man, to feel him writhing beneath her as his blood flowed into her mouth. She groaned, the sound echoing inside the vacuous interior of the presently vacant church. Oh, the hunger that tormented her - and not just the blood lust but the lust for a man's body. The succubus that resided inside of her cried out to be satisfied. She had also purposely distanced herself from both men because such an intense carnal craving consumed her on a daily basis. The nightly mind fucks given to her by Alucard served to fan the flames of the constantly smoldering fire of yearning from that creature made for impure, licentious acts. Each night he would come to visit her in her dreams, fucking her (it could hardly be deemed making love) in a myriad of ways that would leave her breathless and miserable upon waking up.
Arousal seized her body at the present moment as she felt the unsettling sensation of being watched begin to crawl up her spine. That familiar and uncomfortable eternal flame of desire inside of her quivered and burned brighter as if someone had gently blown on it. Her body warmed drastically in response to the man who moved closer. A delicate pink blush like the teacup roses in Satomi's personal rose garden spread across her face as a reaction from the heat that filled her body. Satomi had become her greatest desire to sate her lust. Father Anderson had made it clear he would not violate his vows no matter how much she tempted him. She had no choice but to turn elsewhere to even think about satisfying her sinful desires. Besides, it would be more pleasing to seduce the man who controlled them both, perhaps gaining control over him by using his licentious masculine urges against him.
"Oh, dear God, please," she begged, pressing her forehead against her folded hands. "Please forgive me for the lascivious thoughts I've been having about that man."
Eva remained at the altar for several more minutes until her blood began to cool and the swell of desire that had washed over her subsided. She finished her prayer, made the sign of the cross over her body, kissed the cross on her rosary, and stood to her feet. Her eyes once again clung to tortured face of the sculpture.
"Yeah, I know how you feel," she murmured, before turning to walk down the aisle of the church. She did not think much about the door opening in the foyer signaling that someone had entered the building. The priests came and went from the sanctuary at all hours of the day and night so it was not unusual for someone to be coming in. Seeing a man with light blond hair and a white suit lighting a candle caused her feet to become glued to the floor. Run. Walk. Crawl. MOVE! Get out of here because temptation on two legs has just arrived! Her brain screamed orders, but her body would not comply. Her pulse quickened as he walked toward her, his patent gentle smile lifting the corners of his sensuous mouth. Life had a way of being so unfair. Or would this be considered life after death for her? Whatever it was, it sometimes hurt like a bitch.
"Good evening, Eva," he greeted her, stopping to stand in front of her.
"Good evening, Master Rio," she returned, bowing her head as she addressed him formally.
"Oh, my dear, I've asked you not to be so formal," he sighed, reaching out to cup her cheek with his hand.
Eva gasped from the skin to skin contact. She wanted to scream and run but also wanted to press her face into his silky palm. Torn and not sure what to do, she closed her eyes while willing her body to be still. The blood was coursing through her veins rapidly, the beating of her heart deafening her. Or was it his heart? Keeping her eyes closed, using her ears only, she turned her head to hone in on the sound. Moving at an almost imperceptible rate, she moved forward to eventually press her ear against his chest. The soft material of his suit under her cheek barely rivaled the softness of his palm that was still pressed to her other cheek.
"You're burning up," Rio whispered, his breath blowing loose hairs across her face to tickle her nose. "Are you feeling ill?"
I'm sick all right. And only you have the cure. Oh, God...Eva knew she should not have gotten this close to him but it was too late. She listened as his heart continued to beat at a nice, steady pace without quickening the least bit. He smelled so nice, faintly reminiscent of the same scent that clung to Father Anderson. The aroma of spices ranging from cinnamon and cloves to tangier notes of cardamom and ginger seemed to be a signature scent for the clergymen. She liked it. She liked it a lot. Her belly rumbled and turned somersaults as the hunger seized her along with a sudden peak in carnal need that made beads of sweat exude from the pores of her forehead and under her nose.
"Cardinal Satomi," she panted, opening her eyes to look up at him.
"What is it?" he inquired with concern, noticing her eyes had become a bewitching liquid gold color.
"There's something I want, no, something I need to do," she corrected herself finding breathing an absolute trial. Her fingers clawed at the buttons of the high collar of his suit.
"Whatever you need, I'll give it you," he assured her, his eyes holding hers briefly. His fingers raised to the collar of his shirt to assist her clumsy fingers with loosing the buttons.
Eva grunted like an impatient, starving animal as he slowly undid the buttons. Her hands pushed apart the open shirt to reveal his flawless, creamy skin that covered sleek muscle. The build of his lean body reminded her of Alucard in the way the firm, delicately defined muscles held a raw power, the way they flexed and moved under his gorgeous skin. She pressed her lips to his chest over his heart to feel it palpitate beneath her lips. Her tongue darted out to taste to his flesh that was like honeyed ambrosia under her tongue. A groan of sensual desire passed her parted lips.
"Eva," he gasped, his body shivering as her tongue moved up his chest to his neck.
Eva traced the pulsing artery upwards until she could no longer detect the flow of blood with her tongue. Nipping his earlobe, careful not to use her incisors, she placed her lips next to his ear. "Can I take it? Will you let me drink your blood?" she begged.
Eva could not help herself. She had tasted his blood once, and it was positively divine. She wanted that exquisite taste in her mouth again. What if she could not stop drinking his blood? She did not want to kill him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she gasped, jerking away from him as if instantly breaking free from an evil spell. She ran back toward the front of the church to pray. In route, her long white skirt tangled around her ankles to drag her to the floor. She clutched the rosary beads in her hand as she lay face down on the floor. Her body shook as she began to fervently pray. She hated this, and she hated herself for being this way.
"Eva," Rio called to her, kneeling down beside her. He pressed his hand to her shoulder that shuddered from his touch while she continued her vigorous chanting.
"I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you," she repeated, her words muffled against the carpet. "Please, please, leave me before something happens."
"Like what?" he asked, taking her by the arm to pull her up. He dragged her to a sitting position on her knees in front of him. Using his fingers, he pushed away the stray strands of hair that had stuck to her cheeks with sweat. "Before what happens?"
Eva looked into his barely blue eyes. If only this man knew the thoughts she had about him, he would not be standing so close to her, touching her, and staring at her with those pretty blue eyes. Her eyes fluttered closed to break contact with his as she fought for control of her body. She slumped forward, staring at the blood red carpet under her knees. "Please, just go before I do something we both regret."
Eva gradually opened her eyes as he pulled her to a standing position with his hands clasped around her shoulders. A yelp of surprise was muffled between their mouths when his lips covered hers. The kiss was short, having an experimental quality to it like he was asking for permission.
"Why? Why would you - " Her words ceased immediately upon seeing the ardent desire for the first time that had been hiding in the clear blue depths of his eyes. She held his face between her trembling hands before she smashed her mouth to his for a greedy, vehement kiss. To her great shock and joy, he responded by kissing her back. She sighed into his mouth when his hands moved to the tiny pearl buttons on her matronly white blouse. She moaned as his fingers stroked her skin after freeing each button to move down to the next.
"Wait!" she cried out when his hands slid across her belly to push her shirt aside. "But we shouldn't..."
"Of course we shouldn't," he agreed, pressing his soft lips to her neck.
"Oh, God," she breathed as flames of desire burned through her veins. When his tongue licked across the madly pulsating vein in her neck, she released a sound that was reminiscent of a howl. "What about your vow of celibacy?"
"I have taken no such vow," he said, pushing the sleeves of her shirt down her arms.
"Don't all priests have to take them?" She slid her arms around his neck, holding him close as he pressed a trail of kisses down her neck.
"No," he answered quickly. His lips moved downward, making a beeline for her breast.
"Isn't premarital sex a sin?" She moaned as his lips grazed her nipple teasingly.
"I'll pray for forgiveness." Rio clutched her hips with his hands to pull her against him.
"But Master - " She cried out, unable to speak words when he pressed the hard bulge beneath his waist firmly against her womanhood. She could feel wetness soaking her panties as he rubbed against her creating a delicious friction that sent small ripples of pleasure through both of them. Her body was powerless to resist him when he lowered her to the floor and lay her back before rising to kneel between her legs that extended around him. She watched as he unbuttoned his pants then tugged down the zipper. Her eyes greedily took in every movement as he pressed his hand against his pubis, the golden blond hairs wrapping around his fingers as he pushed them downward to grasp his erection. She closed her eyes as his fingers pulled at her underwear to take them off. As he lay down on top of her, pressing the head of his manhood to her entrance that was weeping with moisture, she enclosed his neck with her arms. Placing her lips next to his ear, she whispered, "Alucard, get out of my head you bastard."
The vampire's deep, resonant laughter trickled into her ear. His body weight on top of her lightened until it lifted completely. He was gone, but his sinister chuckling still echoed in her brain. Eva sucked in air as if she had been holding her breath for quite a while. Maybe she had. Opening her eyes, she stared up at the bare dark oak rafters of the church that made a pattern reminiscent of looking inside of a kaleidoscope. Using the wide bell sleeve of her bohemian shirt, she wiped the sweat from her face. Her skirt had become wrapped around her waist due to her writhing like a snake during her mental tangle with Alucard masquerading as the handsome Cardinal. That was the first time he had overtaken her while she had been awake. Or had she fallen asleep while praying which had allowed him to invade her mind? She rolled onto her side, slamming her fist onto the carpeted floor in frustration. He had intruded upon her last sanctuary, the one place where she thought she could hide from him. Pushing herself up, she stood to her feet to untangle her floor length skirt. There was no escape, no place she could go to be free from him.
"Eva? Eva!" Father Anderson bellowed as he threw open the back doors of the church. He was relieved and somewhat angered when he saw her standing in the middle of the aisle near the altar.
"Father? What are you doing here?" she asked calmly, staring at the man as he reached her in a just a few steps with his extra long strides.
"What happened to you? Are you hurt? Are you in pain?" he inquired, looking her over as he held her by the shoulders. Her face was pale, and she was sweating as if she were running a fever. Pressing the back of his hand to her forehead, she felt as if she were about to explode into flames. Sweeping her up into his arms, he ignored her protests as she squealed and pushed against his chest like a rebellious child wanting to be put down. "Stop it!" he fussed at her, shaking her roughly when she nearly pushed herself out of his arms. He had been worried about her and rightly so. It was after midnight; long after her usual bedtime of eight o'clock. She shouldn't have been here in the church praying since she was sick. Carrying her into the bungalow, he took her straight to her room. He gently sat her down on the bed, although he felt like dropping her since she was being a brat. "I'll be right back," he told her with a warning tone in his voice. "I'm going to get you a glass of water and a cold cloth. Don't you move."
Eva folded her arms over her chest, pouting shamelessly. When he returned, she eagerly reached for the glass he held out to her. Her throat was parched, and she felt positively dehydrated. Chugging down the cold, refreshing liquid, she ignored the tiny rivulets that formed at the corners of her mouth. The water ran down her neck, soaking into the thin cotton blouse that became transparent due to it being white. Using her sleeve as a cloth again, she wiped the water from her mouth and chin. She jumped, wrenching away from him when he pressed the cold cloth to forehead then her cheeks. She was still stuck in the flight mode of the defense mechanism that her body had been thrown into by the unwelcome visit of the vampire. Edging back across the bed toward the priest, she closed her eyes and lifted her face as if telling him "okay, I'm ready now" so he would bathe her face with the wash cloth he had just dipped in the bowl of water of he brought with him. She sighed gratefully as he ran the cooled wash cloth over her cheeks again. Taking the cloth from him, she pressed it to her whole face with both of her hands. It felt so good to her hot skin.
"Was it Alucard again?" Alexander questioned her, taking the hot wash cloth from her to cool it in the water. He busied himself with dipping the wash cloth in the bowl as she scooted past him to get off of the bed. His eyes followed her as she crossed the room to the white pine dresser. Although her back was to him, he could see her reflection in the mirror. Watching her open a drawer and pull out a plain white t-shirt, he continued to observe her as she grabbed the bottom of her shirt in preparation to pull it over her head. His eyes remained on her as the milky white flesh of her flat belly was revealed. He did not look away until the round undersides of her breasts appeared when she reached upward to completely remove the shirt. Wringing out the wash cloth, he kept his eyes on the water droplets as they fell back into the bowl to make ever-widening rings in the water in the dish.
"Yes. It was him. It's always him," she muttered testily, crawling past Father Anderson to sit between him and the wall next to her bed. She had removed her skirt as well in exchange for a loose white flannel pair of shorts. Every article of clothing Satomi had supplied for her was white as if he was reminding her that she was to stay pure and clean. "How will I ever be rid of him? I'm so tired of him messing with my head," she sighed, sliding between the sheets to lie on her back. "I'm sick of him torturing my body."
Father Anderson flinched, nearly flipping the bowl of water off of the nightstand with his knee as he turned to press the cloth to her face. Reaching back with his hand, he was able to prevent a big mess by grabbing the precariously tipping bowl. He twisted back around to look at her, flinching inadvertently when he saw her staring at him with her intense greenish gold eyes. "What is it?"
"Father, I can't stop these...cravings. I want it so badly." She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes as he dabbed the cloth to her face.
"You can fight this, Eva. Don't let him get the best of you. The Bible says-"
"Father," she snapped, grabbing his hand that was pressing the cloth to her cheek. She pushed it down, keeping her hand on his wrist as her eyes held his captive. "I know what the Bible says. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell me how to deal with the longing...the ache...the need." She sat up, moving closer to him until her hip touched his knee that was bent toward her. Her fingers slid along his jaw, pushing against the soft stubble before gliding into the short hair at the back of his neck. "No amount of scripture can make me stop wanting it."
"Eva, don't...please." Father Anderson cleared his throat, rising from the bed and sliding out of her grip. She had unwittingly been trying to hypnotize him, to seduce him. He knew how she struggled with lust. At night he could hear her in her room, moaning and howling as if she were having sex instead of enduring hyper-realistic dreams. Many times he had been tempted to go to her, to violate his vows and her body, to feed the appetite that both of them shared. He opened the french doors so the brisk ocean air would help cool them both off. Leaning against the door frame, he tried to come up with some profound, sage advice to give her on how to deal with the lust growing inside of her. Actually, he would like to have someone give them both the answer as to how to deal with not only their physical wants but emotional needs as well. He loved her. He loved her in a way that went beyond the platonic relationship he strived to keep sacred between them.
"Father," she whispered, sliding her arms around his waist from behind him. She pressed her face into his back as she embraced him. Although his body stiffened in her arms as if resisting her touch, she did not let him go. The smell of cinnamon and cloves inundated her nose. She inhaled deeply, allowing the heady fragrance to make her feel light-headed. "I love you."
"Eva..." he mumbled, taking her by the arm to pull her around in front of him. He gathered her into his arms for a proper embrace. Dangerous, so very dangerous. Sliding his hand through her hair, he brought a handful of her lustrous caramel waves to his nose to take in her lovely scent. Since coming to the island, she smelled like a mixture of the crisp salt air and the night-blooming jasmine that grew outside her bedroom window. The delicate white petals opened to the moon every night to release their heavenly scent.
"I do, Father, I can't help it. I love you!" she cried out, nuzzling her face into the folds of the cotton shirt he was wearing. It was rare to see him out of the priestly garments, but at the moment he was wearing a t-shirt and a plain black pair of pants. She remembered that first morning she had seen him - wearing no shirt at all and sound asleep sitting at that table. Her hands tugged at his shirt, lifting the hem until her hands were able to touch his bare back. The skin to skin contact was so pleasant, so addictive. She pressed her open palms to either side of the small of his back before sliding them upwards.
"Eva," he murmured, burying his nose into her hair. He liked the sensation of her skin against his. Her running her hands up his back was making his heart beat against his ribs with excitement. Risking putting them in an even more perilous situation, he raised his arms from her body to grab a handful of the material behind his head to jerk it free from his body in one pull.
"Alexander," she said, looking up into his eyes. She balanced her chin against his sternum, feeling the vibration of his wildly beating heart thrumming through the bone. Her eyes looked into his that had become black as the pupil had dilated and overtaken the green iris. A knowing smile curled the corners of her lips.
"You've never called me by my first name before." He used his forefinger to trace her lips. "I like the sound of it coming from your mouth." He held her body against his, mostly feeling the soft cotton of her t-shirt next to his skin. When she shifted from one foot to the other, he felt the stiff peaks of her nipples through her shirt as they scraped across his skin. A sigh of contentment escaped his lips when she pressed her cheek to his hard abdomen that quivered as she hugged him. "Your temperature has gone down. Are you feeling better?"
"Much better now," she murmured, relaxing her embrace but leaving her arms draped around his big body. She kept her cheek pressed to his skin, staring out into the night. Her eyes could clearly see the white petals of the jasmine flowers as they fluttered in the gentle breeze. After gnawing on her lips anxiously, she swallowed the lump in her throat and asked the singular question that had been plaguing her mind since she had confessed her true feelings for him. "How do you feel about me?"
"Why, Eva, don't be such a silly woman," he scoffed, trying to avoid answering the question. He was not sure if admitting how he really felt about her would be good for either of them - especially considering their present physical entanglement. "Of course I care deeply about you."
"I know. You wouldn't take such good care of me if you didn't. But Father..." She lifted her head from where she had rested it on his abdomen. "Do you think you could ever love me?"
Father Anderson ran his fingers through her soft hair again. He paused at the end to twirl one of her loose curls around his fingers. His eyes met hers that were so open, so honest, pleading with him to say it. He already loved her, but saying those three little words she longed to hear might be devastating to them both at this moment. He feared it would crush his flimsy modicum of willpower, thereby allowing him to take her, lay her on the bed, and show her how he felt about her. Continuing to toy with her hair to hide his nervousness, he held her close to him until she lay her head back down on his belly. "Oh, I definitely think I could love you."
"Good," she breathed as a feeling of absolute serenity covered her. Drowsiness tugged at her, wanting to drag her down into sleep. "Father, will you lay with me until I go to sleep?"
NO! Don't you dare do it! his mind warned him but the adamant warning went unheeded. He led her to the bed waiting for her to lay down before he positioned himself next her. Tucking her in under the covers, he lay on top of them beside her. The thin barrier might not do a lot to hinder his attempts to get to her should his restraint fail, but it might slow him down enough to allow him to regain control of himself. His arms moved around her shoulders after she fitted the upper portion of her body to his side, laying her arm over his waist.
Eva could feel the muscles of his abdomen flexing under her arm. She imagined lying on top of him, her body molded to his, her womanhood firmly pressed against the rock hard erection that was straining against his pants. "Father?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"Is masturbation a sin?"
"Wh-what?" he stuttered, every muscle in his body clenching at once. He had to resist the natural urge to flee upon hearing such a shocking and salacious question.
Eva giggled wickedly from his adverse reaction. Her body screamed for sleep, overpowering her need for sex at the moment. She decided it would be best to answer her body's call for rest. "Never mind. I'm sorry I brought it up. Good night, Alexander."
"Good night, Eva." Father Anderson smiled, staring at the ceiling. He really did love the sound of his first name when spoken in her voice. He liked the familiarity, the way she seemed to savor each syllable as it passed between her lips. His eyes watched the shapes of light on the ceiling; the white light from the moon as it wrestled with the blackness it attempted to dispel. Back and forth, the light and dark waved, performing a dance as they tried to defeat the other. He felt that same battle raging inside of him - good and evil at war. He wanted to be good, to uphold his priestly vows, and to be the father figure Eva needed. But then, there was a part of him who wanted to renounce the priesthood, to defy Iscariot. He wanted to take Eva away, to make her his wife and love her openly. He also wanted to satisfy every yearning he held for her while fulfilling her obvious need and desire. To hear her moan his name in ecstasy as he made love to her would be the most glorious sound he had ever heard, like a choir of angels singing just for him. Listening to her breathing as it became deep and rhythmic, he carefully untwisted her limbs from his body. Leaning over her, he kissed her forehead before whispering in her ear, "I love you too, Eva."
Once again, hit me with any likes, dislikes, questions, concerns, whatever this chapter brought to mind.