53 | Defiance

*“And eventually you realize that real love comes down to feeling safe enough to be vulnerable” ― J. M. Storm*.

**Third Person POV**

Gabriel flared his nose and fisted his palms, letting the simmering anger remain beneath his skin. But Aimee has already taken two steps back and stood like an obedient lamb with her hands wringing behind her.
“I am sorry, what did she say again?” He asked when Aimee detailed him about Sienna Emerson’s reply to their morning conversation.
“She said, Father, that you have a class with her and that she will meet you after the class,” the poor girl stuttered. Unlike her predecessor, she was not bold. And of late, Father Sullivan’s punishments were getting pretty infamous. Therefore, nobody wanted to be at the short end of a stick.
“Did she?” He muttered through clenched teeth. His tone was as cold as the arctic, making Aimee shift uncomfortably in her position.
“Yes, Father.”
His narrowed eyes focused on the girl before him. “Did you tell her that I specifically asked for her?”
“Yes, Father,” she stammered a little. “Father, may I go back to the dorm now?”
Gabriel was seething from within, so he simply waved his hand to dismiss her. And once the door closed, he simply grabbed the pen stand and smashed it on the floor. The array of pens and pencils scattered around while he muttered a few bible verses to control his temper.
It seemed like nothing had changed in the matter of his dark, brooding rage.
When he finally managed to calm his breathing, he rose from the chair and went ahead to put on his cleric’s attire. As he prepared himself for the Morning Mass, he felt restless. More than the sermon, he was eager to see Sienna. And somewhere, in all this, his devotion was slipping. His preferences went from sacred books to worshipping her between the legs, and he wondered if he was living the same lie.
Gabriel tried his level best to fixate his gaze on the crucifix in the church, but as soon as the pews started to fill, his anxiety gnawed in his stomach. Even though he forced his eyes elsewhere, his mind was heavily distracted.
*Please, dear God, give the patience to serve you, to preach your words, and remove the temptation*.
His silent prayer fell into deaf ears.
As if the entire universe was conspiring against him when he felt the mad urge to look up, and there she was — sitting on the second row in her Catholic school girl uniform.
Sienna tied her hair in a low ponytail, her posture demure with her hands bundled in her laps while her legs were crossed. Her eyes, too, landed on him and locked. For a split second, the world vanished, and it was just the two of them.
She sucked in a harsh breath and quickly looked down.
And fuck it to hell, Gabriel was hard.
Sienna Emerson looked every bit of a submissive that he craved. He thought that she was teasing and taunting him — depriving him of her. And for that, surely he would extract the punishment.
And God knows, Gabriel would really make her suffer this time.
The church service began with the usual sequence of introductory rites, first reading followed by gospel and homily. The communion and prayers were conducted smoothly and ended with the blessing and dismissal. And through it all, Sienna Emerson and Gabriel Sullivan stole brief glances when neither of them was looking at each other.
When the mass came to an end, and Gabriel looked up, Sienna was gone. She left quickly as the hoard of school girls chattered among themselves and left for breakfast.
His heart twisted in raw pain.
Gabriel was feeling it. He realized that the tenor between them was changing. For the past few days, Sienna has been behaving differently. Her eyes no longer held the same heat as before, but they were cold, distant, and avoiding. It made him awkward. The girl was trying to be at her behavioral best, avoiding his punishments. She hardly looked at his way, during church or class, much less speak any word to him.
In fact, she had gone to the length of avoiding him that she constantly kept herself busy and surrounded by others. Hence, she was unapproachable. For obvious reasons, Gabriel could not break the protocol and talk to her as it would raise several suspicions.
Maybe, she regrets now, he thought.
It was a possibility. Sienna was young and realized that this was all a big mistake. Gabriel was a priest and way older than her, and a moment’s weakness doesn’t ensure the commitment of a lifetime. Besides, what was the definition of their relationship anyway?
And what about Gabriel? How could he be so stupid and careless, pinning for a young girl he was supposed to guide and educate, not spank and fuck?
He let out a frustrated sigh and slammed his tight fists against the table top. Fuck! He missed her. He was missing the connection they had, the burning lust and simmering chemistry whenever they were together—the caress of her hand on his skin, the soft floral scent, and the silly laughs.
Gabriel felt the twitch in his palm, itching to spank and punish her for tormenting him so much without an explanation. God, once he would get his hand off her, he would take it out of her ass for sure.

***

There was no change in her behavior during class as well. She kept her head down, her nose buried inside a book, and she knew that Gabriel could not single her out. It would have been too risky, too stupid.
However, the young priest had half a mind to wrench her ears and drag her to his office. She was being outrageously indisciplined and roguish, something that really ticked off Gabriel.
It was not their usual repartee. This defiance was not cute and not something that would get her a spanking. This was serious delinquent behavior, one he intended to nip in the bud and make sure that she took him seriously.
After all, her education was at stake.
Once the classes ended, and students started dispersing, he shut the book with a loud snap and pinned her with his gaze.
“Miss Emerson?” He called out her name loudly, making sure he caught the attention of a few girls. “You will see me in my office after class.”
For a second, Sienna was shocked. Did he really single her out and in front of everyone else? What the hell was he doing?
He glared at her, silently promising scathing retribution for all her misdemeanors, and made it abundantly clear that Mount Carmel was his domain.
His words were the law, and if he wanted, he could easily break and hold the rules at his pleasure.
And the fact that he was dominant in every sphere, he knew how to make the most unruly student obey his commands. Such was the force of his personality.
“Yes, Father,” Sienna muttered demurely.
He grabbed the books and stormed out of the classroom, heading straight to his office. He closed the door and perched on his chair, his elbows resting against the table while his finger interlocked in anticipation of her arrival.
In fact, Gabriel was so restless that he resorted to counting seconds in his head with his closed eyes, hoping the tortuous slow passing of time would end soon.
And then there was a rap on the door.
His stormy eyes flew open as his steely voice called out, “Come in.”
Gabriel braced himself for his awaited visitor, but when the door pushed open, someone else peeked ahead.
“Father, may I interrupt?”
His disappointment quickly morphed into irritation at the sight of his new receptionist. “What is it? I am a little busy here.”
The poor girl gave a quick scan and found no laptop or papers on his desk. But, she did not dare to contradict him.
Instead, she tendered a quick apology. “Oh, I am sorry. Actually, a visitor request came for a student, and it requires your approval. May I hold it until you are free?”
“Which student?” Gabriel inquired.
It was a little odd because the school reopened recently post the long Holidays, and everyone here has been to their homes for celebration. Mount Carmel did not receive visitor requests post-vacation.
The receptionist looked at the small paper in her hand where she had scribbled the name and information and read out. “One Miss Sienna Emerson. She is a junior-year—”
“I know who she is,” he snapped, cutting her off. “What is the name of the visitor and relationship details?”
She referred to the paper once again. “Um…Mr. Zak Abbott. He is a family friend.”
Gabriel closed his eyes and flared his nose. “Decline the request,” he gritted lowly.
“Uh…I am sorry?”
“I said decline the request,” he growled. The force of his voice made her stumbled a few steps back.
“Yes, I heard you, Father. I mean, what should I give as a reason?”
“Miss Emerson have been to her home once during the holidays and at present — scratch that.” He paused for a second. “The school is not bound to disclose the reason if the request does not come from the immediate parents. And close the door behind you.”
“Yes, Father.”
It took him another long minute to calm the storm beneath his skin. The audacity of Zak Abbott requesting a meeting surely ticked him off, but as he continued to stare at the clock, he realized that Sienna, once again, defied his orders.

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**Thank you for reading Chapter fifty-three. Do you think Gabriel will ever find out what is keeping Sienna away from him? Also, is Sienna’s caution justified?
If you liked the story, please like and comment below and support me. Love and hugs, XOXO.
— Peaches**.