Sin and the Preacher's Son by Bonnie Dee

Author:Bonnie Dee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: coming of age, journey, redemption, carnival, road trip, opposites attract, traveling circus, damaged hero, mysterious hero, small town hero
Publisher: Summer Devon

Chapter Sixteen

If he’d done the right thing, why did he have a heavy feeling in his gut as if he’d swallowed a cannonball? Rafe spent the entire day with memories of the previous night’s frolicking in the moonlight with Jonah playing in his head. He didn’t want to push them away. In fact, he never wanted to forget how, for a little while, the fake glitter of the sideshow had become real. Last night he’d felt like a boy again, open to possibility, believing in magic and the chance of a happily-ever-after.

But when Jonah had started asking questions, Rafe had remembered his life in England, the reason he’d left, and that there could be no future with Jonah. He’d quickly sobered from the intoxicating spell of moonlight. No glitter. No happy endings. Just as there was no real magic when Parinsky discharged a shot of gunpowder and pulled a live bird from his sleeve.

He’d known from the beginning it was a mistake to get wrapped up in Jonah Talbot. The young man was too sincere, too emotional, too deep to indulge in a merely physical affair. All of his chatter last night hadn’t hidden the fact that he was hurt by Rafe’s rejection. When he wasn’t on guard, Jonah’s face reflected his inner self like a shining mirror, whereas Rafe’s face was the distorted reflection of the cheaper mirrors in the wagon—blurry and unclear.

“Good Christ, what a bungle,” he growled. “No more sex. That’s it. Fucking him will only encourage his romantic fancies.” And mine.

He gave a sharp bark of laughter as he paced out the measurements for the ring in their new setup. He couldn’t fool himself with bold words. Come nightfall, he’d find his way to Jonah again, drawn like a farmer’s hungry child drawn to the candy butcher. As long as Jonah was around, he wouldn’t be able to keep away.

He liked him too much. That was the problem. Not merely the sex, although that was amazing, but the lad himself, his warmth and open heart, his imagination and cleverness, his enthusiasm and eagerness to experience all life had to offer. Rafe felt he regained some of his own lost innocence when he saw the world through Jonah’s eyes.

Rafe shoved a marker into the ground, and Pete hurried over to him. “That’s not seventy, boss. Sixty-eight.”

“God damn,” he muttered. They couldn’t afford mistakes like that. The performers and their animals counted on every measurement being exact, especially in the ring. He went back to the other marker and began to count off again.

“Hey, Mr. Grimstone.” Jonah’s voice sent a bouncing ball careening through him, unpredictable, beyond his control, goddamn feelings he didn’t want to acknowledge.

Rafe lost count. “God damn,” he growled. A day of frustration got to him, and he whirled around. “What the hell do you want, Talbot?”

Jonah took a step back. “Nothing, sir.” His gaze cut to the side, and Rafe understood why he’d called out to him. Perhaps he’d also spent the day thinking of last night and whether they would come together tonight.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.