A Preacher’s Passion Read online

  15

  Just a Little More

  Passion smiled as she waited for Lavon to answer his phone. Her ex had just picked up Onyx, who would be spending the next two days with him, his wife, and their recently born son. And Lavon had finally agreed to come over to her place for a home-cooked meal. In the past few weeks, she’d mostly talked with him at church, and aside from a midweek lunch date, hadn’t enjoyed any one-on-one time. She’d tried to be patient, reminding herself that he had been brought in for a time-sensitive project. Still, she wanted more to happen faster, and was glad she was finally going to see him in what she hoped would become an intimate setting. Lavon would only be in town a few more weeks. Whatever was going to happen needed to happen now. The thought of what could happen later on that night caused her to giggle.

  “What’s so funny?” Lavon said as he answered his phone.

  “Hey, Lavon! Oh, nothing. Just a silly thought I had.”

  “I’m glad you’re in a good mood.” He was welcoming this feeling because the coffee he’d had a couple days before had left a bad taste in his mouth. Or more like the news that had come with the coffee, that Carla wanted to chill things out. Hopefully Passion would help him honor her wishes. “Uh, yeah, what’s up?”

  “Oh, I just wanted to make sure you liked strawberries…before I made dessert.”

  “Strawberries are cool,” he responded, remembering the last thighs from which he’d licked whipped cream. But those thighs belonged to someone else, were married to someone else. “Yeah, strawberries are fine. See you later.”

  A few hours later, Lavon sat on Passion’s couch, pleasantly full from a dinner of baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. Georgia women could sure throw down in the cooking department, although if it were a contest between Carla and Passion, Carla would win. Lavon shook his head to interrupt the thought; he had to try and stop thinking about Pastor, Mrs. Carla Lee.

  “I wish they’d come back,” Passion said, referring to the R & B group Boys II Men, whose concert DVD was playing on her television. “They’re one of my favorite groups.”

  She handed Lavon a saucer of strawberry swirl cake, topped with a sugar glaze and thankfully, no whipped cream.

  Lavon could only imagine where Passion would have wanted eating whipped cream to lead and he was determined that Carla would be the only member at Logos Word he screwed. “This is good,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had strawberry cake.”

  “My grandmother’s recipe,” Passion said, delighted her dessert was a hit. “Oh, and I’ve got some whipped cream if you’d like.”

  “No, no, no, that’s okay,” Lavon responded a little too forcefully. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to cover up this perfection with cream.”

  They finished dessert and Passion took their plates to the kitchen. When she came back, she cozied up on the couch next to Lavon, rocking gently as Boys II Men sang about making love. “I’ll make love to you; like you want me to…”

  Passion’s mind raced as she sat next to Lavon. On the one hand, she was physically turned on by him and wanted to take their intimacy farther than the few kisses they’d shared so far. On the other hand, however, she’d been celibate five years for a reason: She wanted to “live holy,” as her mother would say, and be married the next time she made love. But it felt so good snuggling up next to this man. Just a little farther, she thought as she leaned her head on Lavon’s shoulder and placed his hand in hers.

  Lavon shifted his body and placed his arm around Passion. His middle finger drew lazy circles on her upper arm as his other hand stroked her thigh. Passion felt a tug in her lower belly as feathery sensations stoked a dormant fire. She raised her head and placed a light kiss on Lavon’s cheek.

  As “Water Runs Dry” flowed into “On Bended Knee,” the conversation lessened and the kisses intensified. Lavon nipped and traced Passion’s full lips with his tongue. His hand moved from stroking her arm to stroking her nipple, its hardened presence protruding under the knit top and silk teddy she wore. The friction caused Passion to gasp, granting Lavon’s tongue full access to her mouth, her own tongue swirling around his, her hands traveling the length of his muscled arm. Just a little more…

  Lavon was a highly sexual man. Despite his pledges to the contrary, his hand was soon inside Passion’s loose knit top and under the teddy. He kneaded her mounds of flesh as he trailed his tongue from her cheek to her neck, planting kisses along the way. Before Passion could decry his mouth leaving hers, his lips fastened onto her nipple, his tongue creating tingles from her breasts to her buttocks.

  Passion moaned aloud. Her mind screamed stop even as she parted her legs to grant access to the hand pushing its way between them. Lavon rubbed the fabric covering her treasure while Passion pressed his hand harder against her. Her body demanded more, begged for intimate contact. The clothes were in the way.

  “We’ll be more comfortable in my bedroom,” she whispered. They kissed again, and this time it was Passion’s fingers that went on a treasure hunt. Her eyelids briefly fluttered open when she felt Lavon’s large, hard manhood pulsating underneath his light wool slacks. Her body reacted to the possibilities of what this massive piece of muscle could do inside her. “Lavon, I want this,” she whispered, squeezing it gently. “I want this so much.”

  Her words wound their way through the lust-induced fog inside Lavon’s brain. This wasn’t Carla, this was Passion, and he was not going to have sex with her. He stopped abruptly and covered Passion’s breasts with her teddy before sitting up.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice gruff, his breathing heavy. “I got carried away.”

  “I know, me too,” she said. She sat up and away from Lavon even as her body screamed its protest at the sudden end to his physical contact.

  “Maybe I’d better go,” Lavon said.

  “No, don’t,” Passion responded quickly. She placed a hand on his arm before he could rise, and turned once again to face him. She was suddenly nervous and self-conscious.

  “I…” Passion stopped, sighed, and began again. “I am very attracted to you, Lavon. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way about anyone.”

  “You’re celibate, and I—”

  “Yes, it’s been several years since I’ve had sex, but it’s not just your physical presence I enjoy.” Passion forced herself to not look at the outline of his still hardened penis resting almost midway down his thigh. “It’s your sense of humor, our conversations. I like being around you.”

  “I enjoy you as well,” Lavon admitted. “But the truth is, I’m only here for a few more weeks. I am involved with someone else. It wouldn’t be right for me to sleep with you.”

  That’s right, Passion remembered. The lucky woman back in Kansas. His words caused an ache in Passion’s heart and caused her feelings for him to deepen. They were the words of a good man, an honorable man. She wanted him more than ever…when the time was right. She prayed that one day the time would be right. Her still throbbing body wished the time were now.

  “Can I cook you breakfast in the morning?” she asked.

  Lavon looked over quickly, his expression quizzical. “Aren’t you listening to me, Passion? I can’t do this with you.” He rose to leave.

  She rose with him. “I know you can’t, and as much as I want to make love with you, I know I can’t either. But it’s been so long since I’ve been held by a man, slept next to a man. It’s a lot to ask, but could you maybe just do that? Spend the night and let me fix you breakfast in the morning?”

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Passion,” Lavon said. “I’m not sure I could keep myself…away from you.”

  “Then maybe for a little while, until I fall asleep?” Passion knew she was begging, but she didn’t care. Her longing for male closeness was stronger than her pride.

  Lavon looked at the beautiful woman standing before him, size 40-DD breasts barely concealed by a knit top and satiny teddy, wide hips filling out print lounge pants. He watc
hed as Passion nervously moistened her lush mouth with her tongue and smoothed back her black, shoulder-length hair. Lavon hadn’t had sex all week. He was horny, his manhood ached for release. Release stood in front of him, begging him to spend the night.

  “Where’s your bedroom?” he asked.

  Just a little more, she thought as she reached for Lavon’s hand to show him the way.

  16

  Save Her from Herself

  Lavon arrived back at his hotel Sunday morning with just enough time to shower and change for church. Fortunately the series production had found its rhythm and the taping was going smoothly. It was a good thing he didn’t have to think too much. Between his unreleased sexual tension and Passion’s soft, pliant body that periodically bumped up against him during the night, Lavon had hardly gotten any sleep. He hadn’t gotten any breakfast, either, after deciding he needed a cold shower more. He’d eased out of Passion’s bed at seven-thirty, leaving a note and her house five minutes later.

  A blinking message light on the phone greeted Lavon as soon as he opened the door. Seeing it, Lavon remembered he’d turned off his cell phone the night before, just as he’d arrived at Passion’s house. He hoped there were no emergencies.

  He decided to listen to the hotel messages first. There were two; one from last night and one from a half hour before. Both were from Carla.

  First message: “Hey, Lavon, Carla. Stanley wants to invite you over for dinner tonight to discuss the completion of Kingdom Keys. Dinner’s at seven. If you can make it, give us a call or just come by.”

  Second message: “Ahem, good morning, Brother Chapman. I’m assuming you didn’t get the messages from yesterday, either here or on your cell. Anyway, we’d like to invite you over for an early Sunday dinner, around five thirty. No need to call back, we’ll see you in church.” There was a long pause before Carla hung up the phone.

  “Well, Chap,” Lavon said, undressing as he walked toward the shower, “you’ve gone and done it now.”

  Less than ten hours after leaving Passion’s bed, he sat at the Lees’ dining room table. Carla looked lovely in her perfectly coiffed braids pulled up and away from her face, a form-fitting dress that showed off her curvaceous body to perfection, and a pair of low-heeled mules. As she walked from the dining room to the kitchen, Lavon discreetly studied her backside. Carla had the best ass he’d ever seen, bar none. It was large, hard, and as round as a basketball. After his sexless night with Passion, he wanted Carla more than ever.

  Carla stood in the kitchen feeling the same way. Women’s intuition told her that Lavon had been with someone the night before, and as unfair and unjustified as it was, a wave of jealousy consumed her. She was married and had absolutely no rights to Lavon, but that didn’t stop her from being envious of the woman who’d enjoyed his illustrious charm and lovemaking skills. Her earlier resolve disappeared as fast as her Sunday chicken and dumplings. Carla had watched how much Lavon enjoyed the meal, and she wanted to be sopped up just like the sauce on his plate.

  Carla brought out a moist, lemon-frosted pound cake made from scratch. She was surprised to see Stanley rising from his seat, reaching for his suit jacket.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “Derrick just called, and I think he could use some support. He’s doing much better since losing his uncle, but I want to say a prayer with him, in person.” Stanley put on his jacket and reached for his briefcase. “On the way to his house, I’ll drop off the kids for the church musical and probably be back around eight. I figured that until I get back you two could discuss SOS and which promotions would be best to put at the end of these DVDs.”

  “You probably should be here, baby,” Carla replied, mentally begging him to come back and help save her from herself. “You know best how you want the DVDs to look.”

  “But you know me,” Stanley said, coming around the table to plant a kiss on her lips. “And nobody makes me look as good as you do. I trust your judgment in watching the tapes for the best footage. It will give us a leg up on our work tomorrow. And like I said, I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  Lavon didn’t trust himself alone with Carla and quickly sought to get out of the situation. “I’m not sure I have all the DVDs,” he said as he walked with Stanley toward the door. “It would probably be best to do this tomorrow, Doc.”

  “Well, let Carla check out whatever you have; we don’t have time to waste.” With that, Stanley called to his three children, who were all on program to sing with the youth choir. “Y’all ready to go?” Brianna, Shay, and Winston came bounding down the stairs with a chorus of “yeahs” and “uh-huhs.”

  Stanley looked the epitome of the perfect father as he held the door open for his children. He blew his wife a kiss. “See you soon.”

  Lavon and Carla stood still a full two minutes after Stanley left, both silently trying to talk themselves out of the inevitable. And then they were in each other’s arms.

  “I missed you,” Carla said as she led Lavon to the guest bedroom.

  “Me too,” Lavon responded, his hand on Carla’s generous backside. “And I’m getting ready to show you how much.”

  17

  Dirty Laundry

  “It’s me, girl, open the door,” Kelvin said impatiently, banging on Princess’s door at one o’clock in the morning.

  Princess rubbed sleep from her eyes as she undid the latch to her dorm room. “Kelvin, what are you doing here? You trying to get me in trouble?”

  “I’m in enough trouble for the both of us,” he said, pushing his way into the room and dumping a large, stuffed backpack on the floor. “I left the Rev’s.”

  “You what?”

  “Left, got kicked out, however you want to look at it. Me and the Rev had words or whatever. I told him I wasn’t going to church, and he told me that it was either that or get out. So I got out.”

  “And you came here? Kelvin, you can’t stay here—”

  “Oh, I’m your man but you gonna throw me out too? Is that how you roll?”

  “No, but—”

  “But what? Look, whatever, I’m only here to crash for the night. This weekend, me and you are moving into our own place.”

  Princess was sure she was dreaming. All she’d ever wanted was for Kelvin to be her man only, and now here he was saying he wanted them to live together? It was more than she could have prayed for. Once they were living in the same house there would be no way for him to be with anyone else; all the other girls would have to back the bump up. Yes, she knew about the other girls. She’d just kept believing they didn’t mean anything, that they threw themselves at Kelvin because he was an athlete, but that she was the one who really mattered in his life. Now, here was the proof. He was at her place, saying he wanted them to live together. It didn’t matter the reason. The bottom line: he was here and Princess thanked her lucky stars that her roommate, Joni, was spending the night in her boyfriend’s room.

  Princess pulled Kelvin toward her and sat down on the bed. “We can’t get our own place, Kel. Where are we gonna get the money?”

  “Don’t worry about that; I’ve already got the hookup. A friend of my dad’s is, let’s say, ‘sponsoring’ me. He’s a huge basketball fan and wants me to be able to focus on that and school, and not worry about money.”

  “You talked to this man tonight?”

  “I talk to him all the time. He’s like a play uncle who I’ve known since I was thirteen. I’ve been kicking around the idea of an apartment for a while, since even before attending church got to be such a big deal. He feels the same way I do, that I shouldn’t have religion forced down my throat. And he’s got hella bank and friends in real estate. For him it’s no big deal, but for us…”

  “I’m surprised you don’t wanna hook up with your boys and make this a party pad.”

  “Oh, it’s gonna be that; it’s definitely gonna be party central, baby, but not with a bunch of hardheads. Plus, the place can’t be in the name of anybody on the team. The rul
es are strict about us college ballers not getting paid. So Geoff’s gonna pay the year’s rent in advance and we’ll put the condo in your name.” He reached over and hugged Princess. “It’s gonna be our own hot spot, baby, just you and me.”

  Our own spot. Princess didn’t mind rooming with Joni but setting up house would definitely have its advantages. A part of her was already relishing the freedom, but another part was hearing her parents’ voices, already knowing how upset they’d be if they ever found out she’d moved off campus, was sexually active, who she was sexually active with…and not necessarily in that order.

  “So what’s it gonna be, we down or what?” Kelvin’s countenance was serious as he awaited an answer.

  Princess pondered her answer. If she said no, the question might not come again. Girls were waiting in line to hook up with Kelvin. But if she said yes, that was a different kind of weight. She didn’t want to imagine the consequences of her parents finding out, and with her mother’s nosy intuition, combined with Aunt Viv’s regular phone calls and dinner invites, it wasn’t “if” the truth about her living situation would ever come to light, but “when.”

  “So what’s it gonna be?” Kelvin asked again. “’Cause if you ain’t down, I need to keep moving. Geoff’s already got a place for me to look at, and since he knows the owner, I might be able to move in tomorrow. But we gotta handle the paperwork ASAP, feel me?”