Magical Sex: Magical Sisters, Book 1 Page 10

  “I still don’t get why. Is it because of her condition?”

  From her startled expression, he’d surprised her.

  “She told you about that? What exactly did she say?”

  Should he pretend that he knew about Allie’s condition or should he tell the truth? As luck would have it, however, he didn’t have to make that choice.

  “Okay, I’m back.”

  “Allie.” He relaxed, relieved that her sudden appearance had interrupted her sister’s interrogation. “That didn’t take long.”

  “Thankfully, no.” She swayed over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Yet, unlike the other times she’d touched him, the touch left him unmoved. “Hilly needs you again, Meg.”

  Meg broke her focus away from Allie’s hand on his shoulder. “Yeah? Umm, I’m thinking maybe I’d better stick around out here.”

  “Suit yourself. But Hilly’s back on the phone with that distributor and her face is getting really red. Like she’s about to blow her top. And you know what happens when she blows her top.”

  “Stars and moon. All right, I’ll go calm her down.” She took Allie’s arm as she stood to leave, shooting her sister a look that said everything, yet nothing. “Be careful, okay?”

  “Oh, my word. You know I’m always careful.”

  Meg blinked, then furrowed her brow. “What did you say?”

  “You’d better get going, Meg,” urged Allie.

  “Fine. Just don’t do anything you’ll regret, sister.” Spinning on her heel, she rushed away.

  “You three sure have a lot of excitement around here. If Hilly’s having trouble with a distributor, maybe I could—” But Allie’s hand over his mouth cut him off.

  “Shh. Let’s get out of here before she comes back.”

  He wasn’t about to argue. Instead, he let her lead him out of the bakery. She almost ran down the street, tugging him along, but he didn’t mind. Getting out of the bakery and away from her sisters was exactly what he wanted.

  “Not that I don’t want to do this, but don’t you think your sisters are going to call out the Marines when they find you gone? Where are we going anyway?”

  Allie whirled toward him, giving him no choice except to run into her. He grabbed her, keeping both of them from falling. She slipped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips close to his. He wrapped his arms around her and waited for the reaction her body always gave his.

  Yet nothing happened. No heat, no zing of excitement. Nothing. Although he did his best to hide his disappointment, he couldn’t squash the tickle at the back of his mind. Something was wrong. Yet he couldn’t understand what it was. Instead, he shook the doubts from his mind and kissed her.

  Again. Nothing. She broke free of the kiss and he looked at her mouth as though he could see the problem on her lips. Was he suddenly not attracted to her?

  “Take me back to your place.”

  His shaft twitched at the idea, but his mind fought against it. “Now?”

  Allie’s exuberance dimmed. “Is there a problem?”

  Although he wanted her to tell him about her condition, he decided the street wasn’t the place to do so. “Uh, no, no problem. Sure. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I’m back.” Allie turned the corner and skidded to a stop. Tom was no longer in the bakery. Instead, a bald fat man had taken his place and was eating Tom’s box of baked goods. “Where’s Tom?”

  The man shook his head, not bothering to stop eating even as he spoke. “I non’t oh.”

  “What? You don’t know?” At his nod, she whirled around, searching the small interior of the store. “But I don’t understand. Why would he leave?”

  “Oh, did Tom take off?” Meg slipped behind the counter and waved a greeting to a mother with two children who’d walked through the door.

  “I guess so.” Allie’s heart plummeted to the floor. Did Tom leave simply because he couldn’t wait for her any longer? Or had he used her departure as an opportunity to make a quick getaway from the girl with a problem? “I wish I could’ve at least said goodbye.”

  Meg boxed up three cupcakes the lady ordered, then deposited the cash into the register. “I’m sure he had a good reason.”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Yet, as hard as she wanted to believe what her sister said, she couldn’t.

  “Don’t worry about him, Allie. Besides, you know you’re not allowed.”

  Allie caught the strange expression on her sister’s face. “What’s going on, Meg? Where’s Hilly anyway? I figured she’d gone to check on a delivery so I waited for her in the office, but she never showed.”

  Meg’s strange expression grew even stranger. “Hmm. Beats me. Maybe she left some paperwork at home and went to get it.”

  “Hilly? Are you kidding? She never forgets anything.” Allie caught Meg behind the counter, cornering her. “What do you know? Don’t try to deny it because it’s written all over your face. Did Hilly make Tom leave?”

  Meg dodged first left, then right, but couldn’t get past her. “How should I know?”

  “Where were you when Tom left? You were still with him when I went to the back.” She flattened her hands on the counter behind Meg, holding her prisoner.

  “Me? Oh, I, uh, had to refill the napkin holders so I went to the supply room.”

  Allie put her face closer to her sister’s. “You’re lying, Meg Tristan. I can tell. Now I’m going to ask you one last time. Where did he go?”

  “I ain’t sayin’ a word, you dirty copper, ’cause I ain’t no snitch.” Meg’s humor fell flat and she dropped her act. “I’m warning you, Allie, if you don’t get out of my way, I’ll use a spell on you. And you know how that turned out last time.”

  Allie cringed, then strengthened her resolve. “Go ahead. Do all the damage you want. After changing me into a three-legged cat, I can handle whatever you dish out. Besides, Hilly made you promise to never use your craft on me again. Other than to keep me from draining a man too much.”

  “I don’t think she’d mind a little magic right now.”

  Meg swished her hand in front of her before Allie could defend herself. An unseen force pulled her from behind, sliding her backwards. She ran in place, but it was no use. A couple of seconds later, she found her back pressed against the display case. Unable to break free of the invisible hold, Allie finally gave up.

  She tipped her hand in the direction of their customers, a few of whom had confused expressions. “The display case hid my magical ride, but doing more might give you away. Undo the spell.”

  “Not a chance, little sister. Not until you promise to behave yourself.”

  “I will once you tell me where Hilly is.”

  Meg fisted her hands on her hips. “She’s doing what she thinks is right. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “What she thinks is right? Oh, hell, Meg, please tell me she’s not hurting Tom.”

  “What? Don’t be ridiculous. Hilly doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. She’d never hurt anyone.” Meg waved her hand again, releasing Allie.

  “Meg, please. I’m begging you. Tell me what’s going on.” Allie’s heart thundered in her chest. What could Hilly be up to?

  Meg shifted from one foot to the other. “Damn, I hate it when you beg. And don’t look at me with those sad eyes. You know I can’t resist those.”

  “Please, Meg? Please?”

  “Okay. But if Hilly asks later, tell her you forced it out of me.” She tugged Allie aside, lowering her voice. “I know you’re not going to like this, but Hilly thinks it’s the best thing for you.”

  Allie’s throat closed up, threatening to choke her. “Oh, God.”

  Meg took a deep breath, then let her words go. “Hilly changed into you and left with Tom.”

  “You mean she looks like me now? But why? What good will that do?” What scheme did Hilly have that had her resorting to taking Allie’s form?

  “You know she wants you two to stay away from each other, right?”


  “Yeah. So?”

  “Well, she figures if she tells him something really bad about you that she’ll scare him off. Problem solved.”

  How could her sister be so sneaky? Would Tom believe her? And yet she knew without a doubt that he would. After all, it would be Allie telling him, not Hilly. “How can she be so mean?”

  “Mean isn’t the right word. She’s just protecting you and him, too. Trust me, sis, she doesn’t like this any more than you do. But she doesn’t know what else to do.”

  Allie narrowed her eyes at Meg. Her sister had told her the truth, but had she told her the whole truth? “What’s she going to tell him?”

  “I can’t say.” Meg shook her head, a bewildered expression making Allie think twice.

  “Meg,” she warned. “Spit it out. What’s she going to tell him?”

  “I told you. I can’t say.”

  Can’t or won’t? Either way, she didn’t think she’d get any more information out of Meg.

  “I can’t let her do this. I have to stop her.” Allie lunged forward to leave, then almost fell over when her feet suddenly wouldn’t move. Stunned, she stared down at her feet. They were like cement blocks that had been built into the floor. “Meg, turn me loose!”

  “Calm down, Allie. Once we figure out how you can be with a man without hurting him, you can tell Tom the truth and get back together. Until then, however, you’re stuck with me.”

  “So here we are.” Tom gestured around his small apartment, watching Allie’s careful expression. “I know it’s not much, but I spend so much time at the club, why pay for more, right?”

  “Oh, of course. Right.”

  She pasted on a pleasant smile, but he could tell she was less than impressed as she turned, taking in his apartment. He resisted the impulse to ask her if she wanted to leave. Either that or do the white glove test. “I know. It’s a typical bachelor pad. If I’d known I was going to have company, I would’ve cleaned up.” Grabbing a pair of his underwear, he hoped she didn’t notice as he shoved them under a sofa cushion.

  “It’s fine.”

  “Thanks.” Did she mean his small apartment, his lack of housekeeping, or his trying to stash underwear in the couch?

  Unable to resist the impulse to have her in his arms again, he swept over to her and pulled her into an embrace, forgetting his earlier resolution to take it slow. Kissing her hard, he tried to pour all the emotions he’d had since meeting her into one kiss. He groaned, wanting her, hoping she’d realize how much she meant to him. Yet, the voice in his head that had bothered him on their way home spoke up again. She was different. Irritated at the nagging voice, he let her push him away.

  “Stop.” She glared at him, but then her expression softened. “Is everything okay, Tom?”

  Tom crossed to the other side of the room. “Damn, Allie, I don’t know. I’m sorry, but you don’t seem like yourself. It’s like you changed after you came back from helping your sister in the back office.”

  Her eyes flashed and she turned away. Why did he get the impression she had a secret?

  “I’m the same as I always was.” She straightened her back and faced him. “We need to talk.” She tossed her golden hair defiantly. Almost as though she prepared for battle.

  He studied her, trying to pick out the pieces of a puzzle that didn’t fit. Allie was just as hot as she always was, so what the hell was wrong with him? Still, he couldn’t shake the impression that something was off. Allie looked the same on the outside, but on the inside? He just didn’t know. “Are you hungry? I think I have a few crackers and cheese. Or I could run out and pick something up.” Tom stared into her eyes and, once again, was struck with the unsettling feeling.

  This isn’t right. He growled, hoping to turn off the inner voice. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

  Maybe if he repeated the phrase enough times, like a television ticker running through his mind, it would keep the nagging ideas away. Yet the more he thought it, the stronger the unsettling sensation became.

  “No, thanks. Let’s just talk.”

  For a moment, he thought her face seemed to shimmer. He blinked several times and chalked the illusion up to his imagination. Still…had he seen Hilly’s face?

  She wrung her hands, suddenly very nervous. He took a step closer, reached out for her, but she shook her head and paced to the other side of the room.

  “I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  “Whatever it is, Allie, we’ll handle it. As long as we’re together, even when we’re physically apart, we can conquer any problem.”

  Her mouth parted and her eyes narrowed, piercing him, diving inside him as though searching for the truth. “Do you really mean that?”

  “Of course I do.” Tom pushed all the sincerity he could into his tone. “You know I do.”

  “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.”

  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.”

  “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.”