Delilah Read online

  Delilah

  Delilah

  Shelia M. Goss

  www.urbanchristianonline.net

  DELILAH

  SHELIA M. GOSS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I thank God for showing me grace and mercy every day of my life. The best gift my parents, Lloyd (1947-1996) and Exie Goss, gave me was teaching me and my brothers, Lloyd F. (Jerry) and John, about Christ. For that I’ll always be grateful.

  I want to dedicate this book to Jasmine Hogan, my twelve-year-old cousin who has shown an unwavering faith at a young age, and my grandmother N.E. Hogan, who at eighty-eight is still on the battlefield.

  Of course, my unofficial street team, Hattie Hogan Jones and Nicolette Hogan, get a special shout out, along with three cousins who buy all of my books: Demetrius Hogan, Mary Jean Foster and Dorothy Hodges. I want to thank my local book club, Cedar Hill Divine Women of Faith, for agreeing to choose Delilah as their first book of the month for 2011 (smile).

  Although this is my tenth book, this is my first work of Christian fiction. Thank you, Joylynn Jossel, for making this book possible. I also want to thank my agent, Maxine Thompson, as well as Carl Weber and everyone else at Urban Christian.

  I also want to thank the following for their prayers and encouragement: Kemmerly Beckham, Carla J. Curtis, Kandie Delley, Peggy Eldridge-Love, Linda Dominique Grosvenor, Deborah Hartman-Fox, Sheila L. Jackson, Shelia E. Lipsey, Michelle McGriff, Angelia Menchan, and Anthony Rivers.

  I’ve had a great support system behind me on this literary journey, and I would like to thank the following people: Mrs. Til (Jokae’s Book Store in Dallas); Abiola Abrams; Vincent Alexandria; Gwyneth Bolton; Tina Brooks McKinney; Jennifer Coissiere; Yasmin Coleman (APOOO Book Club); Ella Curry (EDC Creations); Essentially Women; Eleuthera Book Club; Brenda Evans; Sharon “Shaye” Gray; Bettye Griffin; Cynthia Harrison (one of my test readers); LaShaunda Hoffman (Shades of Romance magazine); Yolanda Johnson-Bryant; Live, Love, Laugh and Books; Lutishia Lovely; Rhonda McKnight; Darlene Mitchell (another one of my test readers); Michelle Monkou; Celeste O’Norfleet; Debra Owsley (Simply Said Accessories); Onika Pascal; Tee C. Royal (RAWS.I.S.T.A.Z.); and the list goes on and on.

  Thanks, Cedric Ceballos, my favorite former NBA player, for being a man of your word.

  If your name wasn’t mentioned, it’s not that I forgot about you; I just ran out of room. Thank you ____________ (fill in your name). I appreciate you all.

  Shelia M. Goss

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Delilah: Reading Group Guide

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “Dee, either you do what I asked you to do or else I’ll let your church family know all about your prostitution days,” William Trusts said, from the other end of the phone.

  Delilah opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out at first. She was caught off guard by this revelation. She assumed her past was like a bad dream, long forgotten. “How did you…How did you know about that?” she stuttered.

  “Why do you think I chose you to handle this important task? Money seems to rule your world, baby. Now do me a favor; hurry up and get what I want. Your life just might depend on it.”

  The phone remained up to Delilah’s ear until the automated recording came on. “If you’d like to make a call, please hang up or call your operator.” William Trusts had hung up on her.

  Delilah refused to go back to the life she led before she got her latest job as a project coordinator at Trusts Enterprise. She would do whatever she had to do to remain on top, and if that included deceiving people who had come to trust her—then so be it. She had done it once. She could do it again. Only thing was, she wasn’t Dee anymore. She had chosen to go by her birth name, Delilah S. Baker, when she started attending Peaceful Rest Missionary Baptist Church a few months ago.

  She turned and stared at the man who had finally succumbed to her advances after numerous one-on-one counseling sessions. He was the man she hoped to marry one day, the man the members of Peaceful Rest Missionary Baptist Church called Reverend Samson Judges. His snoring was a welcomed sound after their night of passionate lovemaking.

  Delilah couldn’t believe her luck. She had seen him on television and when William Trusts, her boss, asked her to find out as much as she could about Samson, she knew it was a sign for her to attend his church. She had fallen in love with the local television evangelist as soon as she saw him walk across the stage live on TV.

  He had swagger like the rapper Jay-Z and good looks that mimicked Denzel Washington’s, except Samson’s skin was lighter. With his naturally wavy jet-black hair, fair skin, and thick mustache, Samson was an immediate turn on. Despite their situation, Delilah didn’t want to think the man she watched weekly had any flaws. She had met too many men who disappointed her time after time. In her mind, Samson was perfect.

  William, on the other hand, believed that every man had a skeleton in his closet. He offered Delilah financial security if she took on the task of finding out Samson’s Achilles’ heel. Once she agreed to do so, she started attending Samson’s church and had quickly become part of several of the ministries, most notably the singles’ group and Pastor’s Aide committee. She originally joined Peaceful Rest for the wrong reasons, but through her interactions with other church members and learning more about God and Christ because of Samson’s teachings, she renewed her relationship with God.

  God was the last thing on her mind right now, however, as Samson stirred beside her. She felt his leg brush against her. “Good morning,” Delilah said.

  Samson didn’t respond right away. “I’m sorry about last night,” he said with remorse.

  “Why are you apologizing? Nothing happened that we both didn’t want to happen,” she assured him.

  He sat up in bed, making sure the comforter covered his lower body. “I’m not a drinker, and I should have told you so when you insisted I drink t
he glass of wine.”

  “Like I told you, it had little alcohol in it,” Delilah lied. She knew the sweet taste of the wine masked its potent effect. She would have to thank her friend, Keisha, for the bottle later.

  He rubbed his temples. “I have a lot to repent for.”

  “The Good Book says it’s okay to drink in moderation,” Delilah said as she moved closer to him in the bed.

  “The Lord frowns on fornication. And what we did last night, well, it just wasn’t right.” Samson pushed her away.

  Delilah felt embarrassed. She slipped her naked body under the comforter. Samson reached to the side of the bed for his clothes. “I think I better get going.”

  “You can wash up in there.” Delilah pointed toward the master bathroom connected to her bedroom.

  He barely said thanks before she saw him walk in the bathroom and close the door.

  Delilah frowned because it seemed her plan had backfired. She hoped he could look past last night. They had become so close, and she didn’t want to think about going back to a life without him. She grabbed her pink satin robe from a nearby chair and put it on before sitting back on the bed. A few minutes later, Samson walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and looking refreshed.

  “In light of what happened, I think we should keep our distance,” Samson said.

  “But…it was bound to happen. We have chemistry. We’re meant to be together,” Delilah responded.

  Samson hung his head before looking back up. “Delilah, you’re a sweet woman, and any man would be blessed to have you in his life. But you must be forgetting—I’m already spoken for. I’m getting married in two weeks, and this shouldn’t have happened.”

  Just the thought of Samson’s fiancée, Julia Rivers, put Delilah in a foul mood. “Whatever, Samson. I thought you were different. Now I see you’re just like the rest of the men out there. You got what you want—now just leave.” Delilah turned her back to him.

  Samson walked up to where she sat. “Delilah, don’t be like that. What we did was wrong. You know it, and I know it. Let’s just end this as friends.” He reached out with both hands to hold her hand.

  Delilah became livid and pushed his hands away. “I have enough friends.”

  “I’m sorry. Let me know what I can do to make it better,” Samson said.

  Delilah gave him the silent treatment and wouldn’t look him in the face. Samson stood and waited, but a minute later he said, “Just tell me what I can do to make it up to you, and I will. I’m so sorry I let it get to this. Will you forgive me?”

  Delilah looked him directly in the eyes. “Ask God to forgive you, but as for me, I need you to leave now!”

  Samson didn’t delay leaving after she raised her voice. It wasn’t long before she heard the front door close. Delilah ran to the bedroom window and watched Samson get in the black SUV the church had leased for him two months prior.

  “Samson, you’re going to be mine one way or another. You having a fiancée don’t mean nothing to me,” Delilah said out loud.

  A smile swept across Delilah’s face as she thought of how Julia would respond once she learned of Samson’s indiscretion. Delilah removed the small camera she had hidden behind the clock. She hadn’t planned on using the video; she planned on telling William the camera had malfunctioned. But now, Samson’s actions left her with no choice.

  Chapter 2

  “Julia’s been trying to reach you all night,” Kelly Judges, Samson’s mom, said to her son over the phone.

  Samson could hardly get a word in. At times, he would hold the phone away from his ear. When he tried to say something, he was cut off again. He finally said to his mother, “I’ll call her.”

  “You do that. I hope you weren’t unavailable because of Delilah. I told you there’s something about that woman I just don’t like.”

  Samson wondered how his mom seemed to always know what was going on in his life. He assured her, “Mom, nothing is wrong. I’ll call Julia and all will be well. Trust me.”

  “In God I trust only,” she responded. “Just make sure you straighten it out. Your wedding is two weeks away. There’s still a lot to do.”

  He listened to his mom go on and on about his upcoming nuptials. One would think she was the one getting married instead of him. “I’ve waited all my life to see my only child get married. Now whatever is going on with you, deal with it before you say the words ‘I do,’” Kelly said.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he responded. At least she cut off her usually long lecture before she got to the part about how long she had prayed for a child and after twenty years of marriage, the Lord blessed her and his dad with a son. His mom informed him at an early age that she had given him to God the moment she found out she was pregnant.

  Because of the constant reminder of his obligations, Samson, at thirty years old, did his best to stay on the straight and narrow. Even in his teen years, when some pastors’ kids, or PKs as most people called them, were being rebellious, he did the opposite. He avoided trouble and didn’t mind spending most of his time in church right under his dad’s coattail as he learned more and more about God’s Word.

  As soon as Samson hung up the phone with his mom, he reminisced about the night before. It had been obvious to him from the moment he met Delilah that she was different. He was used to putting off women’s advances, but there was something about Delilah and her model height that caused him to throw caution to the wind and give in to the desires she stirred up in him.

  He knew he shouldn’t be having the carnal thoughts that crept in his mind every time she came into view. Delilah changed her hairstyle like most women changed clothes. He never knew what to expect. One thing that didn’t change was her curvaceous figure and sweet, alluring perfume. His father had warned him about what to expect as a pastor when it came to women. That was one reason why his father insisted he get married. He said a single man over a church would cause many to sin, and he was right about that. He had only been the pastor for a year, and although Peaceful Rest had seen an increase in membership, it was obvious many of the new female members were there only in hopes of snagging a husband, and not just any man—him as their golden prize.

  The phone rang again. Elaine Benjamin, his secretary, would answer and let him know if he needed to pick up the call. He was lucky Elaine decided to stay and work for him when his father, Regis Judges, decided to retire at the age of seventy-six. He knew stepping into his father’s shoes as pastor would be a challenge.

  Elaine, five feet even with heels on, walked into Samson’s office handing him a pink slip of paper. “William Trusts says he’ll be waiting on your call,” she said.

  Samson took the paper and balled it up before aiming for the trash can as if he was shooting basketball. “I hope he’s not holding his breath.”

  “Would it really hurt you to meet with him? At least one more time?” she asked as she stood in front of his mahogany wooden desk.

  “It’s only a waste of time. Unless the Lord places it on my heart to give up the land that Trusts wants, I will not, nor will Peaceful Rest, have anything to do with him,” Samson said sternly. Samson and the church had agreed to use the land they had purchased on the south side of the neighborhood to build a community action center, something that in Samson’s opinion would be more beneficial than a shopping center.

  “It would be something good for the community. It’ll bring jobs,” Elaine added.

  “I refuse to make a deal with the devil. And Trusts should be wearing a red suit instead of those black pin-striped ones he likes to wear,” Samson said.

  “Pray about it again. I have to finish up the programs for Sunday, so I’ll let you do what you do.” Elaine turned around before walking out the door. “I forgot to tell you, Julia will be here any minute.”

  Before Samson could take in what Elaine had said, Julia stormed into the room almost running Elaine over. “I’ll be out here if you need anything,” Elaine said with a raised eyebrow before shutting his office d
oor.

  “Samson Judges, I’ve been calling you all night,” Julia said, sounding agitated.

  “I—” he stuttered.

  Julia stood in her cream-colored designer suit with her hands on her hips. Her arched eyebrows were coming together due to the frown on her face. She used her freshly manicured nails to illustrate her frustrations as she talked.

  “Don’t even think about lying to me because I sat outside of your house until two in the morning and you, mister, didn’t return home.”

  “What had happened was…someone called and needed prayer. It took longer than I had expected, so I just spent the night.”

  Julia walked closer and stood over Samson. “Who was the person? You could have prayed for them over the phone.”

  “You know I like to be sitting face-to-face with people when I can,” Samson responded.

  Julia folded her arms and tapped her feet. “I’m waiting. Who was this person in desperate need of prayer?”

  Samson mumbled, “Delilah,” but it sounded like he said, “David.”