Sinful Solace

by Garnell Wallace

  SINFUL SOLACE

  By Garnell Wallace

  PART 1

  PART 2

  Author Page

  PART 1

  Jessica Munroe had already broken four of the Ten Commandments, and the day wasn’t over yet. She’d stolen her sister’s sensible black heels because she only had flats and heels made her look more professional and grown-up for her job interview. She’d cussed twice while stuck in traffic, trying to get to the interview. She’d had to wait until five when she closed the church office where she had to serve time like all her sisters had before her. Being Reverend Jesse Munroe’s daughter meant you worked at the church in some capacity until you got married. She was far from ready for marriage, though she couldn’t see herself spending another month under her father’s strict thumb, yet alone another few years.

  Once she’d finally arrived at the Rose Hotel for her interview, she’d compared herself to every other woman in the room. She’d envied them for their clothing and confidence while she sat small in her one good suit and tried to keep her butt in the chair and not run out like she wanted to. Only the thought of having to work for her father for the rest of her life, or until she married some family-approved man kept her from bolting.

  She sat in the waiting room of the smaller of two conference rooms, which Kane Morley had rented to conduct interviews for his new assistant. The hotel wasn’t fully open yet though the conference rooms were rented out for various functions.

  Mr. Morley was in town to settle his estate, Morley Manor, which had been vacant for a decade. The city was now buzzing over his return, and it looked like every single female between eighteen and fifty were vying for the opportunity to finally get a glimpse into the monster of a house on the hill overlooking the bay.

  She had no real idea who Kane Morley was, nor did she care. All she knew was that she needed a job, and working for him could not be half as bad as working for her father. She anxiously watched as each woman got called into the interview room.

  Jessica started when her name was finally called. She jumped up and wiped her sweaty palms on her black skirt. She wished she’d worn flats as she followed a stylish blonde. She ran slightly trembling fingers over her mess of vivid red waves, which were temporarily tamed into a bun at the nape of her neck. The woman opened one side of wide double doors and ushered her into a room with black leather chairs around a dark mahogany table. A very tall man stood with his back to them, looking out of a large window. He turned, and Jessica's world came to a screeching halt.

  Kane Morley had the most arresting face and presence she’d ever seen. He looked to be about six-five or six, with broad shoulders and a tapered waist. Despite his size, his gray suit fitted perfectly. His hair was jet black, and his eyes looked violet, and so piercing Jessica wilted under his intense stare.

  She’d never had a man look at her like that. She went around town with preacher’s daughter stamped on her forehead in scarlet letters. There had been a few boys who’d tried to “corrupt” her; however, she’d never wanted to be dishonored until now. She’d knew that it was rude to stare, but she couldn’t help it. Kane was the epitome of every hero in every romance novel she’d ever read. Romance novels had become somewhat of an obsession for her when she’d turned eighteen and started rebelling against her strict upbringing, where most secular things were strictly forbidden.

  Her appetite for romance novels was bigger than her modest paycheck, so it had been a godsend to find the local library where she’d found an endless supply of books and, more recently, a budding friendship with Bronte Manley, the town’s newest librarian. She’d wanted that job after Mavis Johnson had retired after fifty years. However, her courage had failed when it’d come time to apply. That’s why she hadn’t hesitated after seeing Kane’s ad in the Crimson Journal. It was only a temporary job. However, it would get her feet wet, and hopefully, something else would open up at the library in a few months.

  Until then, she needed this job, and so she had to stop gawking, though her body didn’t seem to get the memo, maybe because it was too busy reacting to Kane. Her body had never responded to a man before, and Jessica had convinced herself that she was frigid. Now suddenly she was burning up. A trickle of sweat slid down between her ample breasts. Her body came alive, and she tingled in places that made her blush.

  The blonde’s cold voice snapped Jessica back to reality. “I’m Lauren Daniels. Sit down, Miss Monroe.”

  Jessica felt heat stain her face.

  The blonde indicated a chair, and Jessica’s wobbly legs took her to it, and she sank into the plush leather. The blonde moved to the chair directly across from her, though Mr. Morley didn’t move from his spot at the window. She was the last appointment of the day, and the sun was now barely visible. The grayness of twilight gave him an eerie presence. Jessica tore her eyes away from the enigmatic stranger when the blonde flipped open her file and asked her first question.

  “You’ve been a secretary for your father’s church for the past seven years. Why are you now looking for something else?” The woman pierced her with cold gray eyes.

  Jessica shrugged. “I’ve been the church secretary for seven years. I think it’s time for a change.”

  “Working for Kane Morley won’t be anything like working in a church.”

  “That’s one of the appeals. I have excellent organizational skills, and I can use any spreadsheet program, not to mention I have a good knowledge of antiques and period furniture, as well as art and history.”

  The blonde smiled. “Yes, I would say that you are highly qualified for the position.”

  “Do you know anything about my family, Miss Munroe?”

  Both women turned toward Kane. Jessica stared into his eyes. “No,” she answered softly. It was a lie. She knew he’d bought the property from Mr. Blackwell and that Maria Morley had died under mysterious circumstances. The rumor was that her husband had sacrificed her for money and youth. That was about ten years ago when Kane Morley was supposed to have been in his early thirties. He still looked like he was in his thirties, so either the rumors were true, or he was blessed with incredible genes. The latter was easier to believe, especially since he was so tall and good-looking.

  He placed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the window. “This is a small town, Miss Munroe, and the residents love to gossip, so I’m sure you’ve heard something. If we are to work together, you must never lie to me.”

  Jessica looked away from his penetrating stare. “I make a point not to listen to rumors,” Mr. Morley.”

  “Well, that’s one vital qualification for the job,” he said.

  “There are other criteria we need to take into account,” Lauren answered.

  Jessica turned to her. “What criteria?”

  “Criteria that Mr. Morley and I will discuss in private.” She stood up and held out her hand. “Good day, Miss Munroe.”

  Jessica scrambled to her feet. Just like that, the interview appeared to be over. Most of the other candidates had had much longer sessions. That meant it hadn’t taken them long to decide she wasn’t the right fit for the job, though after the questions Mr. Morley had asked, she wasn’t sure what the job entailed, or if she even wanted it.

  Jessica stood. “Thank you for your time.”

  She barely made it to her car before she collapsed in tears. She’d had such high hopes for this job, which would’ve provided her with the opportunity to live life on her own terms or as much as she could being Minister Munroe’s daughter and living on Crimson. She was a preacher’s daughter, and she’d lied, though she was sure that wasn’t the only reason she wouldn’t get the job. She wiped her tears and started her car. She pulled out of the hotel’s vast parking lot and drove with no particular destinat
ion in mind.

  Despite living on Crimson Island her entire life, there were still places she had never seen. As the tenth child of Jesse and Ruth Munroe, there had been few places her father had deemed appropriate for his children. They’d never attended the local schools or eaten at any of the fast-food places. According to her parents, homeschooling and home cooking were the best. She passed the movie theatre where she hadn’t been until she’d become an adult. They were building a multiplex, I-Max theatre right across the street, and she couldn’t wait to see a 3D movie.

  At twenty-five, she’d been inching her way to freedom for a few years now, and a new job would give her such a sense of independence. With a well-paying job, she could get her own little place in a less expensive area of town, and then, eventually, she’d find another city. If she stayed, she would become just like her mother.

  She didn’t want to deal with her parents’ right then, and so she stopped at the movie theatre and bought a ticket for an eight o’clock horror movie. Horror movies were her favorite because everything about them felt so taboo. She’d always been drawn to the darkness, even when she’d had little access to it. She bought a hotdog and soda, something else she’d had little access to growing up, and settled down for a night of indulgence. She deserved it after the day she’d had.

  She’d stopped going to church on Friday and Saturday nights. Her decision didn’t sit well with her parents, and she didn’t care. She usually went to the movies or the library, and recently, she’d attended a few art shows with Bronte. Once she had her own place, she fully intended to go out more. She knew her parents were waiting up for her. They didn’t scold anymore like they did when she was younger. They just gave her disapproving looks and then went upstairs to bed.

  They were in the living room when she walked in. Her mother was knitting a sweater for her newest grandchild. Her sister Rose was due to give birth in a week. Little Abigail would be the twentieth grandchild, and her mother was as excited as she’d been over the first one. Rose was second to the youngest, and now that she was on her first child, Jessica knew her parents were expecting her to get married soon. The vultures had started circling at church. However, she wasn’t interested in any of them. None of them affected her the way Kane Morley had. She’d thought that kind of attraction only existed in books and movies, though she’d felt it for him. She didn’t believe he felt the same way about her for a second. She felt ashamed for even thinking about him around her parents.

  “Bertram Cyrus asked about you at choir practice tonight,” her mother said after Jessica had greeted them politely.

  She stood awkwardly at the door. “I went to a movie,” she explained.

  Her father’s mouth thinned into a stern line. “You missed choir practice for that?”

  “You have such a beautiful voice, Jessa. It’s your gift from the Lord, and you should use it for him.”

  Jessica walked over to her mother and kissed her weathered cheek. She loved that her mother and her favorite sisters, Mary and Mercy, called her Jessa. Mary and Mercy were closer to her in age and life perspective, though they’d both yielded to the pressure from their parents and older sisters. Jessica had no intention of doing that.

  “Good night, mother. I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed.”

  “Bertram and his parents are coming over for dinner on Sunday. A few of your sisters are coming too. I expect you to be up early to help your mother in the kitchen.”

  Jessica nodded. “Yes, father. Goodnight.”

  She walked out of the room and upstairs to her bedroom. She could endure Bertram for one evening. She’d rather do anything; even become Kane’s plaything, before she committed to a lifetime of Sunday dinners with him.

  She’d moved up into the attic of their two-story home the day she’d turned eighteen. It was the farthest she could get away from her parents on the first floor. Her oldest sister Liza had recently moved back home after leaving her husband. She had the second floor for herself and her youngest daughter; an eighteen-year-old brat Jessica couldn’t wait to get away from her. Liza had been pushing her to get married since she’d turned eighteen. Now that her own marriage had fallen apart, Liza had come to despise the very thing she used to believe was a woman’s calling. Her daughter, Megan, had a boyfriend and no desire for marriage or work. Their father had tried to rule Megan with the same iron fist he’d used on his girls, but she wasn’t having it, and they had a shouting match at least once a day.

  The attic had been converted into two bedrooms and one bathroom to accommodate at least seven girls who were in the house at any given time. She loved now having the floor to herself and especially after she’d bought a fridge and stove and converted what had once been a study room into a little kitchenette. Now she could go for days without seeing her parents if she snuck in and out at the right times.

  One thing she and her parents had in common was a love of antiques. She loved the creaky floors, old-fashion brass beds, and vintage bathroom details. Away from the fighting, she could pretend that she was in her own place. But she was tired of pretending.

  Jessica stripped on her way to the bathroom, leaving her sister’s shoes and her attempt to be something she wasn’t on the floor on the way to the claw-foot tub where she washed the day away. As she ran the sponge over her body, Jessica thought about Kane and how he’d looked at her.

  Even now, it made her hot. She ran the sponge over her breasts and imagined what it would feel like if it were Kane’s hands. A man like him would know how to handle a woman’s body. In theory, she’d know what to do with his. However, she’d be way out of her league with a man like Kane. Had she been so uncomfortable in his presence? She might’ve been green, but at that moment, she felt positively wanton.

  She lay back and placed the sponge between her legs. She lifted her legs and placed them on either side of the tub. Closing her eyes, she envisioned Kane’s face as he’d stood next to the window. What if a man like him could take her virginity? Would he be gentle, or would he be rough? She pressed the sponge over her sex and rubbed hard. Would he use his hands and tongue on her, or would he just take what he wanted with no regard for her pleasure? The soapy water moved with her body, and her breasts jutted up out of the water as she arched her back in pleasure.

  “Jessica Naomi Munroe, did you take my shoes?!” Liza shouted from out on the landing.

  Jessica thrashed about in the water. She went under and came up gasping and cursing. “I have to get my own fucking place!”

  ****

  “She’s the one.”

  Lauren sighed and gathered up her papers. “She’s not the one, Kane.”

  Kane turned back toward the window. “She’s the one,” he insisted. “You didn’t feel what I felt. Her sexual energy is incredible. I’ve never felt anything like it before.” When Jessica had walked into the room, everything around him had faded into the background. He hadn’t been impressed by her beauty; he was used to seeing beautiful women. But Jessica’s energy had made his knees weak.”

  “She can’t handle you. Did you see how nervous she was?”

  “That’s because she’s a sheltered virgin. How many of them do you think are in this town?”

  Lauren sighed. “You have a point there.”

  “I need to know everything about her. Dig deep into her family. We need to find something that will make her want to do this.”

  “I will get on it right away.”

  “I’m going to talk to Fiona and Gustav. They have been here for decades and might know of something we can use.”

  “It has to be something major to get a preacher’s daughter to not only give you her virginity, but also accept the fact that you’re a demon who needs to harness so much of her life energy it could kill her so you can kill the town mayor.”

  “Who is a very dangerous and well-protected man. No ordinary man can get to him, so I have to do the job, and Jessica Munroe will help me. Call her first thing tomorrow and tell her to come by Morley Manor
. You can go back to Italy. I’ll take it from here.”

  Lauren shook her head. “I think it’s best if I stay.”

  “I need you more in Europe overseeing things while I’m not there.”

  Lauren stood up. “Do you really want to attempt something like this alone?”

  “No, but I have a life to go back to after this, and I want to meet it the same way I left it. As your boss, I’m ordering to get your ass back to Europe.”

  Lauren crossed her arms. “As your friend, I’m keeping my ass right here. We have great teams in place in Italy and France, and I will be checking in every day. The business will be just fine. But, if Jessica dies, the only life you will have is behind prison bars.”

  Kane raked one hand through his hair. “It’s nice to know you have so much faith in me. You really think I’m going to fuck this up.”

  “I really think you’ve picked the wrong woman. She’s not even aware of her sexuality. She’s a preacher’s daughter and a virgin. She will never agree to do this, and even by some miracle you get her to agree, you will fuck her up for life if she even survives,” Lauren warned.

  Lauren walked over to his side. “Your reasons are noble, but you’ve never done anything like this before. She’s a young woman with her entire life ahead of her. If something happens to her, will you be able to forgive yourself?”

  Kane closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll just have to make sure nothing happens to her.”

  “Can you promise me that? Can you promise that nothing will happen to her?”

  Kane looked at Lauren. They’d been friends for twelve years, and for much of that time, Lauren had been his personal assistant. She helped him run his multi-million dollar vineyards in the south of France and Tuscany, and his premium rum factories in Costa Rica and Mexico, and she also ran his life since his wife Marie had died ten years earlier. Most people would say she was cold, and some called her an ice princess behind her back because they didn’t know her like he did. He was ordinarily aloof, and yet with Lauren, he could be more of himself.