Seduced By A Wolf Read Online Free Page B

without being too revealing. Paired with it she wore a baby blue shirt with fitted three-quarter length sleeves, possessing a neckline that bared only her collarbone. Her hair, which hung to the center of her back when unbound, was gathered and pinned to her nape in a reserved bun. Her only adornment was the slightly decorative hair comb helping to hold everything in place.
    Satisfied that she looked nice, she left her bedroom and answered the door. “Hello,” she greeted Derrick with a peck on the cheek.
    Derrick placed his arms on her shoulders and pushed her back a step, looking her over from the floor up. He was smiling and nodding approvingly until his gaze reached her face. Then he scowled. “You’re wearing makeup.”
    “Just the barest hint of face powder,” she defended.
    “Wash it off.”
    “But Derrick...”
    “Von, you know what we teach. How can we, as leaders, expect others to do as we say if we’re not obedient to scripture ourselves?” he asked in a more reasonable tone.
    She pulled away from him and widened the distance between them. “The bible doesn’t say anything about women not wearing makeup. This little bit of foundation I’m wearing is not going to send me to hell.” In recent weeks, she’d been questioning more and more their church’s teachings and searching for her own answers rather than blindly following what she was told. “Not only that, I’ve been watching other churches on television. Their women wear cosmetics and pants, too, and their ministers don’t make them feel like whores for doing so.”
    Derrick reached for her and when she avoided him, he sighed deeply. “You’re right. Wearing makeup is not a sin. We never said it was. We believe, like Paul, that women should focus more on their inward beauty rather than their outward appearance. You have a pure and holy soul. Inner goodness radiates out of you like a light. You don’t need to paint your face. You’re beautiful naturally, the way you are.”
    She wavered indecisively. There was logic in his words.
    “Will you do it for me, please?”
    Von bit her lower lip, tugging on it with her teeth before nodding.
    “Thank you,” he said warmly.
    She went into the bathroom and washed her face, then reapplied moisturizer. As she gathered her purse and keys, Derrick asked, “When did you purchase that stuff?”
    “I didn’t. One of Marketta’s friends sells Mary Kay. She bought it to help out and gave it to me as a gift.”
    Under his breath he muttered, “Should have known she was involved in this.”
    “Derrick, don’t start,” she warned.
    “I’m not starting anything. I just wish you could see that she isn’t the best influence on you,” he said defensively.
    “She’s family. Marketta’s always been there for me and always will. I love her.” Her association with her cousin was the one area Von had always refused to bend on. Neither Derrick nor his father liked her. They thought she was too loose, too opinionated, too...everything. They’d tried to get her to terminate her relationship with her cousin and when that didn’t work, they pushed her to minimize contact. Again, she’d refused, preferring instead not to mention Marketta unless absolutely necessary.
    They walked to the elevator in silence. In the car, Derrick spoke. “If you have questions about our teachings, come to me. Watching all those religious programs on television isn’t good for you. I don’t want you getting confused.”
    “Truth is the truth, Derrick. Shouldn’t matter who is preaching it.”
    “There’s truth and then there’s practices and varying interpretations. To avoid confusion, a family should always be fed from the same source and that’s what we’ll be—a family. One day soon.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “So, you’ll stop watching those other programs and from now on, ask me?”
    “I’ll think about it,” she said as she gazed out the window.
    Derrick’s grip