by Lucian Bane
“Take your time, you’re fine,” she called. He barely heard her repeating herself in a distressed low tone. “You’re fine? Really, is that what you just told him? Oh my God, I’m going to faint now.”
Daniel stood there, helpless, right in the middle of the pile up still in progress. There was nothing he could do to stop it. It was all done and there was only the violent aftermath still wrecking into his body until it quivered and throbbed everywhere from it.
He sat on the edge of the tub, putting his head in his hands, willing the heat out of his painfully hard cock. There was no shower for this. It was fucking done. There was only moving on.
Like a sister. Right. Fucking right.
Chapter Five
“You know, you should be a model,” Nineveh said, putting coffee on. After their little ordeal, she couldn’t sleep, and now she was doing that say all the wrong things about it. “I should remind you that I’m just the type to talk about the elephant in the room.” More like the most gorgeous male specimen on the planet. “Great tattoo, by the way.” And ass, my God your ass is amazing. “Who are the three people in the picture? That must’ve taken some time, such detail. Not that I had time to stare. It’s… sort of burned into my head now.”
She bit down on her tongue, forcing it to stop as she stuck the coffee pot under the maker.
“Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego,” he said, making her glance back.
“Say who?”
“The story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den.”
“Ohhhh,” she said, turning the machine on. “I’ve heard of that. Somewhere.” She faced him and leaned against the counter. “I’m sorry, I said I believe in God, but I should clarify. I don’t really know him outside of my own personal opinions I’ve drawn from life.” She placed her hands on the counter behind her. “My parents were agnostic and they kind of left me to figure that stuff out on my own.” She counted her findings on her fingers. “So far, I believe there is a God. I think he’s a good God—because how else would there be good in the world, you know? And if he’s good then he has to be all good, because you can’t have a God who is halfway good, that’s like,” she shrugged widening her eyes, “being halfway pregnant.” And I also figure that he’s a gentlemanly God, he doesn’t make you do anything. It’s up to you. And he lets you learn from your mistakes.” She nodded, wondering over the cute look on Daniel’s face. “That’s about it. And I do believe in Hell,” she added. “Not sure why I do? But it feels like it would make sense if we are made to live forever. Which… I do believe we are. Not sure why of that either. And so you… gotta have some place to put the trash. I think of Hell like…” she pursed her lips, squinting. “Like an everlasting trashcan.”
Daniel lowered his head and shook it before raising his super impressed slash humored looking face. “Wow!” But it was his gorgeous smile that made her stomach do somersaults. “That… was the most amazing self-discovery of God I’ve ever heard. Bravo. And you are actually very correct on everything you said.”
A surge of relief and joy rose inside her and she couldn’t stop her proud smile. She crossed her arms. “Well… thank you.” She remembered the tattoo they were talking about then. “And so this… Daniel and the Lions’ Den, that’s in your Bible?”
“Our Bible, yes.”
“Right,” she said, not ready to feel like she owned any part of it. “You trust it? The Bible? I mean, you believe it’s the word of God?”
“Absolutely. With all that I am. It’s one of the most miraculous compilations. Forty different men wrote all sixty-six books of the Bible during a period of over 1,800 years and they all had one theme—the creation and redemption of the human race by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Kings, priests, judges, lawyers. Princes, shepherds, soldiers. Musicians. Inventors,” he laughed. “Singers and poets, preachers and prophets. And fishermen,” he remembered. “Even physicians!” he said, amazed. “These are all the different walks of life in the pages, all of them from various lands spanning three continents—Europe, Asia, Africa. They were written in different ages, some who never saw each other or knew what the others wrote on the exact same subjects. Yet when their writings became one book,” he pointed to the Bible, “there is not one contextual contradiction among them.” He set it down. “But the biggest proof that it’s the word of God?” His eyes somehow burned brighter. “Is when you put it to the test.” He shook his head and lowered it before pinning her with those gorgeous, fiery eyes. “That’s where the real proof is. Who I am. What I am. This is where it came from.” He nodded at the book before him. “These Words. These principals. These eternal truths.”
Mother of unholy shit bombs, it was happening again. She was needing to fan her face, and of course she did. “Whooowee,” she whispered. “You have so much passion, I’m catching fire over here.”
By the bashful smile he lowered, he had no idea what kind of fire was burning in her or where it was burning. “What were you reading earlier?” That’s where she’d originally found him when she decided she couldn’t sleep. At the snack bar, reading. Or praying. Probably begging God to help deliver him from his hour of misery with having to deal with her. The Whore of Babylon was likely the last thing he imagined he was getting when he signed up to help her.
“I try to read the full armor of God and meditate on it every morning.”
“Can I hear it?” She crossed her arms over her boobs at feeling her nipples harden. She put her bra back on but wasn’t entirely sure it was able to hide the kind of arousal he caused in her.
He suddenly handed the book to her. “Start at verse ten.”
Nineveh stared at it, suddenly unsure. She stepped forward and took the book into her hands, scanning the page. “Verse ten?” She looked up at him, licking her lips when he nodded. “Do I… need to like, do it in a certain voice? Something austere?”
“No, just read it like you would read anything else.”
“Are you sure?” She was sure that couldn’t be right.
“Yes, positive,” he said with a small grin.
She looked at the text. “Just saying, if this is God’s words and all. Not your average read, I would think,” she mumbled. “But… I’ll read it like anything else.”
“Okay, then read it however you feel God wants you to.”
She worried at her lower lip feeling certain God didn’t want her reading the words at all. She handed the book back to him. “I’m not ready. You do it this time, I need time to practice.”
He chuckled and gave her a perplexed look. “It’s not like an audition, you’re not getting judged by how you read.”
“I know that,” she cried, lightly. “I just… I want to do it right and I’m not ready. What!?” she cried at his weirded-out expression. “It’s God’s Word. Sue me for wanting to treat it with respect! And awe and fear! Plus I’m a huge sinner, I could get struck down trying to read that!” she said, gesturing to the book.
He full out laughed, shaking his head. “Wow, I’ve… never met anybody that cared about that before. I think it’s great, actually. Don’t change. I love it.”
He may as well have said he loved her by the way her body exploded with a million emotions.
“Okay,” he said, pulling the Bible to him. “The full armor of God.”
Nineveh braced for what was coming. She knew hearing him read it would do things to her, just like she’d known something was coming when he prayed for her.
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore…” he paused, aiming those burning orbs at her for a second then continuing, “…put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you ha
ve done everything to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
“Wow,” Nineveh said, clapping in awe. She stopped at seeing his amused expression. “Sorry. No clapping.”
“No, please clap, if that’s what you feel you want to do, do it with all your might. Don’t ever be sorry for the reverence in your heart toward God.” The hot passion in his words sent her heart pounding out of control. She suddenly wanted to jump up and down and clap like a maniac. Wow, she was seriously emotionally depleted!
“Okay,” she managed through the chaotic heat inside her.
“I should get ready,” Daniel said, standing and stretching.
Her eyes lowered over the clear outline of muscle under his white t-shirt. Did he have any tattoos on the front? What did his nipples look like? Did he have a lot of hair? Did he shave it? Down there? She suddenly gasped lightly. Was he… circumcised? What would that even look like if he weren’t? How big was his cock?
“You okay?” he wondered.
She snapped out of her debauchery and nodded. “Yes. Fine. I’ll be fine. Uh. If it’s okay, I’m not… ready to meet Gramma yet. Is that okay? I would rather meet her with you.”
“Of course, sure.” He glanced around then. “Don’t leave the house, okay?” he eyed her and she nodded.
“Got it. Bossy,” she added with a small smile, suddenly nervous about being alone. “I don’t guess Darius could possibly find me here.”
“I don’t know how he could,” Daniel said, like he’d already thought all about it. “You don’t have a phone?” he checked.
“Uh. Not on me. I left it.”
“Good. Any other devices he could possibly track you by?”
She considered, hugging herself while worrying at her lip. “Nah, I don’t think so.”
He suddenly made his way over and her heart erupted in mad poundings. What was he doing? Wanting? He opened his arms before her. Dear God, was he… offering… He wrapped his arms around her and she pressed her face into his chest. God yes. She closed her eyes and her arms snaked around him, hugging him back.
“You’re safe here.”
She nodded, not trusting her voice and then the magical hug was done and he released her.
“Help yourself to whatever you need. What’s mine is yours. You get scared, bored, whatever, you can call me. I have a house phone there,” he pointed, “and I’ll have my cell. It’s brand new, so I wrote the number to it on the side of the fridge. You have any problems, any whatsoever, call me.”
She nodded. “What time you gettin off?”
“Three.”
“And of course if you get bored, Gramma is always home. She sometimes goes out but not that often. I’ll call her and let her know you’re here but to not bother you till I get a chance to introduce you.”
“Okay,” Nineveh said quietly, still not trusting her voice. “You go on, then. Have a good time with those dishes.” She pointed to the fridge. “I might just try my hand at cooking you something. Don’t worry, I actually know how to cook, I won’t burn the house down.”
“Good,” he chuckled, looking at the Bible on the snack bar. “And if you want to practice, I’d love to hear you read something to me later.”
“Oh dear,” she whispered.
He gave her that sexy grin that made her knees wobble before finally turning to leave. She stood there, watching, wondering if she was supposed to walk him to the door. Pretty sure only lovers did that.
“Bye,” she called when he was out the door and shutting it.
“Later, Nineveh.”
“Bye Daniel,” she whispered after he locked her in from the outside.
Chapter Six
Daniel kept his head down at work, only talking when necessary. He’d learned how to be invisible in the pen, and it was a hard habit to break. And even though he wasn’t talking, he was definitely carrying on a lively conversation with God in his head. Namely him repeatedly repenting of what had happened hours before. Fucking devil was crafty. But even knowing he was crafty, Daniel never once thought he’d struggle there. In fact, he was sure he’d overcome that after seven years locked up. He’d rewired.
Even as he thought it, visions of her breast filled his mind. One shot and all that discipline was gone, obliterated. It was pathetic, disappointing. And his big brother idea fell right apart when he’d stupidly decided she needed a hug. Now the feel of her face pressed into his chest and her small arms clinging to him were added to his torments. Not that it aroused him, it hadn’t. Not in a sexual way. But in every other way.
He went over the ways he’d tripped. Sexually, emotionally, and… wow, spiritually, he realized. Her pure, undefiled, raw zeal for God had taken him so off guard and he’d… shit he’d never loved anything so much. It was… exotic in its own right, alluring. He looked at the clock over the door for the fifth time. He’d call her at his 10:30 break and check on her. She hadn’t called him yet. That was a good sign but he needed to make sure she was ok.
The minutes dragged and Daniel had the place spotless when 10:30 hit. He made his way outside the diner and found an empty table, pulling out his phone. He dialed the line to his apartment, glad Gramma insisted he have his own now.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Daniel said, annoyed with how his pulse sped up.
“Daniel?”
“What’s wrong?” he wondered at her confused, hushed tone.
“Nothing,” she said. “I was just…waking up, I took a nap. You must be tired.”
Daniel was suddenly fighting images of her in his bed, naked. “Uh. Good, that’s good. I’m fine. I’ll have to nap later.”
He put her standing at the counter in his mind, half asleep. “You managing okay? Nothing weird happen?”
“Not a thing. Slept like the dead. Your bed is soooo comfortable. And it smells like you. Just an FYI you never needed to know, because you know, I’m…”
He fought a smile. “Right, you ramble, I remember.” He looked around, stroking his forehead with his thumb. “You want me to bring home food? Don’t cook, just let me bring something. You should probably catch up on your sleep.”
“I should. I will probably take the Bible to bed and read. If you come back and I’m gone, it means God zapped me.”
Daniel chuckled. “Why would he do that?”
“Because I’m wicked.”
Daniel sat on the table. “I don’t think you’re as bad as you say.”
She gave a single laugh. “I didn’t get kidnapped into that hell you yanked me out of, you know. I went there willingly. Sure Big D pretended he was something he wasn’t, but what you don’t know is that what he pretended to be, I actually liked very much. So much, I was willing to ignore alllll the red flags. You didn’t know that, did you,” she accused.
No, he didn’t. And now he was officially at a need to know more crossroad. “Tell me. I think I need to know this one.”
“Tell you what?”
“What you liked that he pretended to be but wasn’t. But take it easy on me, nothing… graphic.”
“I like pain with pleasure,” she said, simply. “With limits, obviously.”
Daniel shook his head, standing and pacing at the idea of her being hurt in any way, but especially sexually. “Why would you want something so… stupid?”
“Pain with pleasure? I said with limits.”
“It’s still stupid.”
“Have you tried it?”
“I don’t need to touch fire to know it burns.”
“Ohhhh, Preacher,” she said, tsking. “You might be wrong about that one. Better hold off on judging that one.”
“Till when?”
/> “Till I don’t know, till… you have more time to think about it? I could teach you a lot.”
“That’s nothing I want to learn, thank you.”
“I mean not literally, I wouldn’t like… show you kind of teach you, God no. Just tell you kind of teach you.”
“Why would I want to know anything about that shit?”
She choked out an offended breath. “Well I don’t know, maybe to have some insight into the lives of the people trapped in that lifestyle?”
Her wisdom hit its mark, square and true and he conceded. “Okay, I can… I can go with that. In a purely educational sense.”
“Of course. I would never want to teach you literally that’s for sure.”
He thought, good, but instead, “And why’s that?” came out of his mouth.
“Because you’re a Preacher!” she cried, like he was being dense and he knew it.
“Just making sure you had your head on straight about it.”
“Oh I do. But my head and my heart, and this body of mine, they are like arch enemies. They never agree, never get along, and they fight with each other like red headed step siblings.”
Daniel realized she was describing exactly what he was experiencing in her unique, colorful way. Which meant she was telling him she knew what was right but that didn’t mean her body and heart agreed with that. So if her head knew it was wrong to do that with a Preacher, him, and the rest of her was fighting that, then… yeah. That meant she wanted him.
Fucking great.
Now he had another element to fight. Knowing she wanted him in ways that… He clenched his eyes tight, refusing the images her words evoked. Pain with pleasure, with limits. He couldn’t fathom it, which made his brain need to work it out even more.
“You there?” she wondered.
“I’m here.”
“Are you mad at me now?”
“No I’m not mad at you. We’ll talk later about it.”