Chapter 4 4

Gabriel~

"Preacher? Preacher Gabriel?"

I blink, and I realize someone is talking to me. I blink again, and slowly realize it's a man standing next to her who's talking to me.

"What?" I frown. Shit. I clear my throat and take a breath, and my mask goes back on. I turn and smile warmly at the older man next to the golden-haired angel. "Yes indeed, sir! At your service!"

He smiles. "Oh thank the Lord we got here in time!" He puts an arm over her shoulders, and my throbbing hard cock falters for a second. Okay, clearly her father, and this good ol' southern boy looks like exactly the type to keep a loaded shotgun ready and waiting for exactly wolves like me that sniff to close to his little angel.

I force myself to take a breath and keep my eyes on him, not her. It might just be the single hardest thing I've ever done in my life though.

"Preacher Gabriel!" he beams. "I was hoping me and my daughter here could be washed in His holy waters before it's too late!"

It's never too late for a donation to Preacher Gabriel's whiskey fund, trust me.

I grin. "But of course! Of course brother..." I raise a brow, and he grins back.

"Oh, Jedediah, sir. Jedediah Somerset, and this is my daughter," he turns to her, and I grit my teeth. I've been trying my fucking hardest not to look at her. It's taken all of my willpower to look at him, not at the fucking stunning angel standing next to him. But, what can I say, the flesh is weak. I drag my eyes over to hers, and I grind my teeth.

Aww hell.

"This here's Delilah," he says.

Our eyes lock, and my pulse thunders. Shit. The girl isn't just an angel. She puts any fucking angel shit I've ever seen to shame. She's beyond beautiful-this heady mix of pure, wholesome southern charm, and a Playboy college-girl fantasy. My cock instantly hardens, painfully so. It's a reminder that I've been without the touch of a woman for a very, very long time.

There was a time, years ago when I first started this little entrepreneurship, where I'd have gladly, uh, partaken of the fruits of His flock. Lonely widows, curious and bored housewives, and God bless those "good Christian" girls who think a cross around their neck somehow absolves them of all sorts of sinful shit.

But that was years ago, and that was a different me. That me realized that if I was going to succeed at this, and actually make money, and not, you know, get shot, I needed to run things like a business, not a frat party. The dalliances were never fucking worth it, anyways, and always left me empty and hating myself. Don't get me wrong, I am only a man, and I firmly believe a man needs his vices to get through this world. But that list of vices over the last year or so has sadly not included temptations of the flesh.

Believe me, you keep enough of a whiskey habit going, and it's the only comfort you'll really need.

For a man who's bullshitting his way across this great country pretending to be pious, I've actually kept strangely celibate for a long time. I've forced myself to concentrate on the showmanship, and of honing my ability to separate fools from their money. But I take one look at this girl-at Delilah-and my walls begin to crumble.

The pulsing, thick erection tenting my bathing suit under the water is a pretty clear indicator of that.

"So we're not too late, Preacher Gabriel?"

I blink. For a moment, I want to say yes. I want to say fuck yes and blow his fucking mind and shatter all of these people's ideas about me before I pack up my shit and blow out of town. All because of her, because I know damn well this is trouble. I know she's trouble, not because of her, but because of what she clearly does to me. And that's trouble I do not need if I'm going to make this whole thing work.

"Brother Jedediah-"

"I brought cash, if that's okay?"

He raises a fistful of dollars, and I groan. Fuck me, it might as well be thirty cursed pieces of silver. But a sinner like me sees that shit, and whatever reservations I have melt away.

I smile, and I nod. "Of course, brother!" I crow. My eyes dart back to Delilah, and I groan when I see the blush on her face, and the odd spark in her eyes. I want to tell myself there's something wicked there-that this pretty little southern belle in the chaste white dress is hiding some very impure thoughts about yours truly. But I know that's just my own imagination. No, not a chance. This girl is way too pure looking, and this town is way too bible-thumping for that to be real.

I make a mental note that I should probably start jerking off more to keep my head focused, and I smile once again.

"Well then, brother Jedediah. Which of you would like to be bathed in His cleansing waters first?"

"You go, papa," Delilah whispers quietly. She swallows thickly and turns to smile at her father. "Please, you go first."

Jedediah beams from ear-to-ear, and he turns to look at me. "Just step right in?"

As soon as I can get my fucking rock-hard cock to go down, yeah, knock yourself out, buddy.

"But of course, brother Jedediah," I say gently, thinking of the most gruesome shit I can think of to will my dick down. I start going over baseball stats in my head as he kicks his shoes off. He's wearing a bathing suit and a long-sleeved black shirt with "Canaan Auto Repair" on the front of it over his rounded belly, and he starts to climb the steps. Luckily, by the time he's easing his big frame into the water, my cock is no longer in danger of starting some very awkward conversations.

"Brother Jedediah!" I bellow, more to the crowd than to him. "Do you renounce Satan and his wicked ways!"

"I do!" he bellows so loudly it takes me back a little. They've all screamed it, but Jeb here has the performance of the day, by far. Shit, he's even getting a little misty-eyed.

"Then come and be cleansed!" I roar. I grab him, and I grunt, my muscles straining to lower him back into the water. Jeb here might have a beer-gut, but the guy is pure bear muscle. It's just the final reminder I need to get my hungry fucking eyes off his goddamn daughter.

Jeb goes under, and I grunt again to drag him back out. He comes out sputtering and actually crying, and before I can stop him, the guy's got me in big, wet, manly bear hug.

"Bless you, Gabriel," he chokes against my shoulder. "Bless you for reminding this sinner that we can all share in His light."

I nod stiffly. Once again, if I did still have a soul, I might even feel a little guilty about this one. Good thing I don't, though.

Jedediah climbs the steps and steps down from the tub. Some of the other townspeople come forward to shake his hand and embrace him warmly, and I just smile down over the whole thing, hoping to God he gets her out of here before she fucks with my head any longer. Besides, now I really need to start drinking.

"Well, folks," I drawl in my best southern twang. "I'll be here for the week, with daily sermons, offerings, and Holy healings available to all-"

"What about me?"

Her voice is so soft and gentle that it takes me back. I blink, and even though I try, I can't stop myself. My eyes slide over to her, and I instantly groan. My muscles tighten, my jaw clenches, and that fierce hunger explodes through me again. I look at her-at that long blonde hair, those pretty blue eyes, that tight little body cloaked in the soft white dress-and I want to devour her.

"Sorry, I-"

"Do you have time for her, preacher?" Jedediah says eagerly. "Please? We can pay."

No. No no no, fuck no. No fucking way am I putting hands on-

"Is this enough?"

Fuck. He waves that green in my face, and I'm helpless to resist.

"Yeah, uh..." I swallow, and I take a deep breath to try and get my shit together. "Of course, brother!" I beam. My eyes swivel back to hers, and my jaw clenches.

"Please, won't you step right up..."

"Delilah," she says softly, starting into my eyes.

"Delilah," I smile back. "Come," I beckon with my fingers again, and she blushes. She starts to climb the stairs to the tub, and my cock is already thickening. Baseball stats, and multiplication tables, and pictures of car wrecks flit through my head. But goddamit, none of it helps. None of it does a damn thing to stop my cock from swelling to full thickness in my bathing suit.

Delilah gasps quietly as she steps into the water. The dress begins to billow out around her, and she blushes and pushes it back down. The water soaks it, and she steps all the way in until the water is just above her waist.

"Like this?" she whispers, standing next to me.

"Like, yeah..." I growl, fumbling. "Stand this way."

I reach out before I can stop myself, and my hands circle her waist. She tenses for a second, and my cock just fucking throbs. Shit, this is going to be bad. I turn her to face the right way, and my hands assume the position of holding the small of her back and the back of her head. Her long silken blonde hair teases my arm, and I grit my teeth.

I'm so fuckin' hard, but I'm also straining to stand a bit back from her than I normally would. The last thing I need is this girl coming up from her baptism sputtering that the preacher's got a boner.

"Delilah."

Her name tumbles quietly from my lips, and I groan. Fucking hell, it's like a switch getting flipped. My hands tighten on her just a little, and my pulse thunders a little louder in my ears. Her soft, tight body melts against my big hands, and she smiles and closes her eyes. I start to dip her back, and my eyes sweep over her.

Fuck.

I want to scream at whoever the fuck thought it was a good idea to let a girl who looks like this wear a white fucking cotton dress to a goddamn baptizing. She's clearly wearing underwear, but as the water soaks through her thin dress, I could almost tell you the fucking brand name of them. My eyes look hungrily through the water, and I swear I can almost see a little shadow between her legs, through the soaked dress and pant

ies.

Get ahold of yourself, dumb ass, I growl to myself.