[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
I don t know how to tell you this, but& She lifted her head and jutted out her chin. I have an
STD.
The breath was knocked out of him as surely as though a wrecking ball had slammed into his
stomach. You have a sexually transmitted disease?
Yes.
But how? I mean&
She glared at him, her defiant demeanor hardening her apology. I m sorry and I know I shouldn t
have. But I lied. I didn t want you to think I was easy like those other girls at the club.
Anger surged through him. Don t you think you should ve told me this before now? I can t
remember everything we did the other day or even if we went all the way, but I think having a
communicable disease should ve been mentioned right from the first kiss.
www.samhainpublishing.com 73
Beverly Rae
At last the defiant edge was gone. Tears sprang to her eyes. I know and I m so sorry. I never wanted
to hurt you and that s why I didn t want to tell you. I was afraid that you wouldn t want me. But isn t it
better late than never?
Better late than never? Are you serious? What had happened? Allie had gone from being a gorgeous
sweet woman into a woman who d lied to him. If she d told him about the disease, he wouldn t have let her
down. But she hadn t given him that chance. Since leaving the bakery, she d come across as a different
person, a girl he hardly recognized.
Allie, I want you to leave. Now.
No, Tom. How can you do that? After what we ve come to mean to each other? She sobbed, almost
breaking his heart. But he had to have time. Time to understand what had happened and where things had
gone wrong.
Allie, please leave.
So is this goodbye?
He shook his head and his chest tightened, crushing his heart. No. I mean, I don t know. I need time
to think. Go home, Allie.
She hurried toward the door. Fine. If that s the way you want it, then I m gone. Whirling to face
him, her hand on the doorknob, she lifted her chin. But know this, Mr. Halloran, Allison Tristan is the best
thing that could ever happen to you. Saying goodbye to her is your loss, not hers. I mean, mine.
If he d had a retort, he still wouldn t have had time to say it before she slammed the door behind her.
Still reeling, Tom plopped down on the couch and stared at the door. Holy shit.
What did you do, Hilly? The three sisters had quarreled many times before, but Allie couldn t
remember ever getting this angry. I ve tried calling him, but they keep telling me he isn t available. And
we all know what that means.
Damn it, Allie, you need to leave him alone.
I can t, Hilly. I have to tell him everything. Are you sure you didn t hurt him?
Oh, my word. Of course, I didn t hurt him. You know me better than that. In fact, I m trying to keep
him from getting hurt. I simply made him see that a relationship with you is impossible. I m sorry, Allie,
but I did it for your own good. For his good, too. Hilly paused, her back stiffening in defense, but her hand
gripping the ladle shook. You ll be happier in the long run. I just know it.
But why did you do it? I promised I d take it easy, that I d keep my hands off him until we figured
out a solution.
74 www.samhainpublishing.com
Magical Sex
Based on your past experience, I couldn t trust that you would. Face it, Allie. You weren t going to
stay away from him, so I had to make him stay away from you. Hilly stirred the soup simmering in the pot
and brushed off Allie s attempt to turn her around to face her.
And how did you make him see that we couldn t be together? She added air quotes around the word
make but doubted her sister noticed. Did you use one of Meg s spells?
Hey, leave me out of this. Meg continued to cut up the carrots for the soup. I didn t give her any
potions, spells or do any witchcraft. I m innocent, I tell ya.
I thought you said you didn t know what she said to him.
Meg winced, then offered a weak smile. No, I didn t. I said that I couldn t say. And I couldn t. Hilly
swore me to secrecy.
Allie slid onto the barstool next to the kitchen island and glared at them. If they d made a pact not to
spill the beans, then nothing would shake them.
Allie, let it go. You barely know the man. Besides, he knows where you work and he hasn t come in.
Doesn t that tell you where he stands?
Not if he s under a spell. Or if you frightened him away. Or had he simply lost interest? She
struggled with the unpleasant idea, then pulled back her shoulders and met her sister s questioning look. I
don t know what to think. At least not until you tell me what you did.
I told you. I did nothing. I merely made him see that you aren t right for him. Hilly banged the ladle
on the edge of the pot.
Meg ran a hand down Hilly s back. What do you know about him anyway, Allie? That he jumped on
the chance to turn an old bar into a hot club? That he has women throwing themselves at him every night?
That he s a good kisser? Ooh, that he s a lot more than a good kisser?
Meg paused and Allie could see the wheels in her head turning with imagined sex with Tom. Stop
thinking about him.
Meg laughed and tossed the carrots into the soup Hilly stirred. Okay, okay. Don t go getting
possessive.
Allie wanted to shake her sisters but of course that would do no good. I know a lot more than you
think I do. We talked for quite a while.
Is that right? Then tell us. What do you know?
Meg, don t encourage her.
I know that he s an only child and that his mother was a teacher and his father was a police officer. I
know that they re gone just like our parents.
Another look passed between her sisters but this one was filled with pain. A pain she knew all too
well. I know that he was a straight-A student through high school and college. He also played on the
football team and was captain of the debate team.
www.samhainpublishing.com 75
Beverly Rae
Great. So he s intelligent and a jock. That s a deadly combination. Meg rolled her eyes, but it was
obvious she was impressed. What are you going to tell us next? That he s found a cure for cancer. Or
adopted an orphan from China?
No. But he does volunteer at the local teen outreach program. Allie grinned, happy that she d
thrown a curve at her sister s sarcasm. Obviously he s very ambitious. Plus he handles money well. He
transformed the club on a shoestring budget and it s already making a profit.
Hilly shook soup drops from the ladle, then placed it on the counter before pivoting to face her. And
you got all this information from talking to him that one night?
Well, most of it anyway.
Meg edged closer and arched one eyebrow. Ooh, me thinketh there s more.
Okay, I admit it. I Googled him. Why did it matter how she d gotten information? But I got most
of what I know about him from our conversation.
Now it s getting interesting. Meg s blue eyes darkened. So tell me. Does he have a Facebook page,
too? Maybe with revealing photos?
Allie shoved her sister s arm. No, everything I found about him was very positive. He s a good guy.
In fact, he s the nicest, most caring man I ve ever met.
Not that you ve met many.
And whose fault is that, Meg?
Allie, we re not putting Tom down. In fact, it s because he s a good guy that we don t want you to
see him again. Hilly slipped her arm around her. You haven t learned how to control the hunger. And
until you do, it s not safe for him. He s not someone you can feed on and then forget about.
I know and I d die if I ever hurt him. But don t you get it? I don t want to feed on him. I want to love
him. She sniffed back a tear. Why can t I have what everyone else has? What Mom had?
Meg softened to her sister s plight, coming around to give her a hug. We know how much you want
him, Allie. And I believe he has the same thoughts for you. But even though I feel for you and Tom, Hilly s
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]