Truth of Fire by Abby Wood Page B

out of his hair, slid down his shoulder, and fell to her side. This wasn’t what she wanted. The spell was for true love, not lust, not something…fake.
    “S-stop.” She lowered her head, trying to catch her breath.
    “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” He enfolded her in his arms. The proof of his desire pressed against her lower stomach, making this more difficult.
    “I… This isn’t what I wanted.” She sniffed. I want love.
    He stepped back and tilted his head to the side. “I don’t understand.” Sliding his fingers down her arm, he then gathered her hand up in his and placed it flat against his chest. “Can you feel that?”
    His heart raced against her palm. She sucked in a breath. Everything seemed too perfect. Her body hummed in response. “I-I’m scared.”
    “Carly, there is nothing to be afraid of… I would never hurt you. I want to know everything about you, to please you, and love you.”
    She flinched. “Oh Max, I can’t. I’ve made a terrible mistake. I-I’m s-sorry…” Carly shook her head. “I’m sorry. This is all a big mistake. I need to leave…”
    “What about working with me today?” Max stepped over and ran his hand down her back.
    She jumped away from his touch and stepped backward toward the door. “I-I’ve got to go home.” Turning, she pushed through the door, ran through the main shop, and out of the building.
    She stopped on the sidewalk, leaned over, and put her hands on her knees, fighting the sobs building up inside her chest. Wiping the tears off her cheeks, she turned toward her family’s house down the street and headed home. Oh Goddess, what have I done?
     
     

Chapter Three
     

     
    Alexis pulled Carly’s arm and forced her to follow her out into the living room. Carly stuck out her lower lip and blew the hair out of her eyes. Don’t my sisters understand that I want to forget about what happened?
    “Oh good, you got her to come out.” Bonnie stood up and rushed over to hug Carly.
    Carly rolled her eyes but leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder. “She gave me no choice.”
    Alexis chuckled. “We had a feeling you’d fight the spell. You’ve always been the most stubborn of all of us. We let you have most of the day to hole up in your bedroom, but now it is time to tell us what happened that made you come home so upset.”
    Carly flopped down on the corner of the couch and pulled the throw blanket off the back to cover her legs. “The spell worked—”
    “Of course it did. You’d think twenty-five years’ worth of working with the elements would teach you that spells always work.” Alexis shook her head. “Why did that upset you? It’s what we all wanted. We’ve thought about it all year. It wasn’t something we dreamed up on the spur of the moment.”
    “I was going to say, the spell worked, but it is not true love. He only wanted me—wanted sex with me—because he had no choice. The Goddesses made him want me.” She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. “It’s not enough. I want love…genuine love like our parents had.”
    Bonnie scooted over on the couch. “Listen to you. When has the Goddess ever let you down? Hmm?”
    “Today.” She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Bonnie’s waist. “Max kept saying such lovely things to me. He made me feel so special, and I wanted to believe him…”
    Alexis stood up and moved over to the altar.
    “What are you doing?” Bonnie asked.
    Carly raised her head and frowned. She wasn’t in any mood to have a ceremony tonight. In fact, she wanted to go back to bed, pull the covers over her head, and forget she ever met the dashing and mysterious Max.
    “Come, sisters.” Alexis carried a white bowl filled with water to the small table in the middle of the living room. She set a tapered white candle in the water and pushed it into the stand at the bottom of the ceremonial basin. The wick stood one inch above the liquid. “There is one way to prove that love is real.”
    “Nuh-uh.”