Love in Healing

Chapter 8

"Why are you here really?" Caroline asked him quietly as she handed him the slice of pie. She had come home to see them sitting in the living room all cozy and had recognized him and felt the dart of fear. When her sister had told her about inviting him to stay for the few days she had forced herself to second the invitation. Now they were alone because Chandra had gone to take a bath.

"I have come to see my best friend," Marco took a taste of the pie and closed his eyes in delight. "I really thought Chan was lying when she spoke about your culinary skills but she underplayed it."

"Chandra is settled here for now so why have you come to stir things up?" Caroline asked as she ignored his roundabout compliment.

"Settled?" he smiled a little bit. "I hate that word. Don't you? It sounds horribly like retired and Chandra is way too good to be retired. That mark on her face could be her battle scar and even with the mark she is still the best model I ever seen, certainly the most beautiful. You two don't look like sisters by the way."

"Insult me all you want Marco but I happen to know people like you. I am a lawyer and -"
"I hate lawyers. No offence darling. It's just that they tend to lie a lot to get what they want." he told her mildly.

"I have a feeling you know exactly what that is." Caroline took a deep breath and refused to let him get beneath her skin. "She is settled here and she wants to be here so don't come dangling some kind of carrot in front of her and make her leave."

"It's up to her isn't it?" he looked up suddenly. "Darling you were right! Your sister is quite the pastry expert. This is delicious.

"What did I tell you?" Chandra asked with a laugh as she walked right over and sat on his lap plucking the plate from him and taking a bite. There was a cloud of something seductive coming from her and she was wearing a thin shift that showed the outline of her body. Her curls were loose around her face and down her shoulders and when Caroline looked at them, she saw a combination of beauty that was staggering!

"I will leave you two to chat while I go to bed."
"Nice meeting you Caroline," Marco said with a wave and a glint in his eyes.

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"Play nice Marco. This is our pastor." Chandra said as she followed the sister who had called her to help her with something. It was the next day and she had decided to show Marco the church she attended. It was late afternoon and she had called and told Gary that she was bringing a friend with her.

"She is stunning isn't she?" Marco murmured as they both watched  her leave. "Even in those clothes she is wearing it cannot hide. She is a super model and she will always be one. She does not belong in this tiny town, she will wilt."

"She is quite comfortable here," Gary said a little coolly as he looked at the beautiful man sitting opposite him in his small office. He had seen both of them come in and had stared in fascination! They made a stunningly beautiful pair!

"She has been on international stages all over the world."
"Maybe she wants something different."
"You mean you want her to want something different," Marco said shrewdly. "I see the way you look at her man and I know how you feel. Men fall in love with her everywhere she goes, you are not the first. I mean I am gay and I fell in love with her the first time I saw her."

"I would never force her to stay." Gary told him tightly feeling his heart breaking a little bit at the words.

"Of course not! You are a pastor and clearly you realize that she would never make a very good pastor's wife." Marco leaned forward a little bit. "I came to her with an offer that she is going to find hard to resist."

"I am not afraid of you," Gary said leaning forward on his desk. "Ask me why."

"Okay I will bite. Why?"

"Because I serve a very big God and he knows what is best for me and for Chandra. If it is will  that we be together then nothing can ever stop us being together."
"And if it is not his will?"

"Then I would go on doing his work and know that he will heal my broken heart. He made me and knows how much I can take."

Marco stared at him for a moment and then smiled. "You really believe that don't you?"
"I do."

Marco uncoiled his length from the chair and got to his feet. "Then I guess you have nothing to worry about."

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"I missed you last night," Gary murmured as his lips wandered down her long slim neck. 

"Gary," she breathed. "I wanted to come but I could not leave Marco. He knows by the way and I have sworn him to secrecy."

"Did you tell him?" he lifted his head and looked down at her. She had taken Marco back to the house and sneaked out in the dead of the night to come to his place. She had parked her car far up the street to avoid being noticed. 
She wrapped her hands around his neck. "No, but he is astute that way and he saw the way we looked at each other."

"he is quite something isn't he?" Gary murmured as he teased her lips.

"A lot of people don't like him because he can be quite nasty sometimes but he is a very good friend." she opened her mouth as he teased her lips.

"Are you leaving?" he had promised himself that he would not say anything but he could not help it.

"What?"

"There is a reason he is here Chandra not just to check out the small town you came from. Are you leaving?"

She avoided his gaze and concentrated on his strong chin. She had grown to love him in the few short months she had been home but she was not sure about a long term relationship. "I can't answer that."
"Just as I thought." he rolled off her and got off the bed reaching for his robe.

"Gary please don't-"
"Don't what? Spoil it?" he asked as he stared out the window. "I love you," he said with quiet force. "I want to marry you but I am way out of your league so I guess I was just kidding myself."

Chandra dragged the sheets and got off the bed to stand behind him. "Can we not talk about this now, please?" she urged.

He turned to face her and his expression gentled. "I love God first and then you but if I have to choose it has to be God. If you leave..." he pulled her into his arms and buried his mouth on hers, his fingers biting into her flesh as he left the rest of the sentence unfinished.