AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You can do anything…have your own personal fantasy come true, a night to remember the rest of your life,” her friend said. “As the years go by, he’ll become sexier, stronger, more dangerous in your mind. When you’re old, you’ll get a secretive smile on your face when you think of that one amazing time when you went for something incredible.”
Fanning herself with her hand as her vividly painted words sunk in, Tessa fell silent. Reaching for a plate of cellophane-wrapped brownies, she tore one open and began to shove it into her mouth—every woman’s first substitute for great sex. “Who wouldn’t go for that?” she mumbled around the chocolate.
Allie’s legs were still shaking at the picture Tessa had put into her head. “One whose last experience with irresponsible sex made her a single mom by the age of twenty-one.” She hadn’t even mentioned her son to Damon during their walk, knowing any sexy guy would be unnerved by a woman who’d gotten pregnant the first time she’d had sex. Maybe if she’d actually planned to sleep with him, she would have told him. But it was a moot point now.
“Allie, there is such a thing as protection.”
Yeah, and she owned stock in it, never going anywhere without condoms in her purse, not that she expected to use them. “There’s also such a thing as my reputation. Do you think I don’t know the way some people look at the unwed tramp who wormed her way into Mr. Potts’s good graces?”
“That’s so twentieth century.”
“It’s also so true.”
Tessa frowned, but she didn’t deny the accusation. How could she? She knew as well as Allie that there were a few holdouts in Trouble who had only accepted Allie and her little boy because of their connection to the town patriarch. Not only did Allie work for the man, but her sister was now married to his grandson. She was, whether the old-timers liked it or not, a member of his extended family, so they’d grudgingly accepted her. But if she slipped up and made a scandal of herself with some traveling carnival performer, she’d lose all the ground she’d gained with them.
Last week’s kiss had been whispered about; she was sure. But Damon’s act was so good, even the most scurrilous old gossips—like the Feeney sisters—couldn’t be certain she hadn’t been under his spell.
Well, hadn’t she been? And wasn’t she still?
“All I’m saying,” Tessa continued, grabbing another brownie and then a handful of chocolate chip cookies, “is that if you don’t go after what you want, you’re never going to get it.”
“But what if I’m not sure what I want?” A good, stable, old-fashioned home where she was loved and respected—enfolded into a community family—was what she thought she’d always wanted.
Now sin in the arms of a violet-eyed stranger was all she could think about.
“I think I know someone who could help you figure it out,” Tessa said. She pointed toward the crowd pouring into the Roma King’s tent, anxious to attend his last show of the carnival.
“Oh, yeah, he could help me figure it out while relieving me of my clothes one piece at a time.”
“Yum.”
“Forget it.”
Tessa wasn’t giving up. “Seriously, you need professional help.” Smirking, she added, “That, or a dildo.”
“Very funny.”
“Well then, go to the professional. Hypnotists are good at getting to the heart of people’s innermost desires, right?” Tessa reached into her pocket and pulled out two tickets for tonight’s show. “I think it’s time you go to the expert and let him help you figure out what it is you really want.”
Chapter 4
DAMON IMMEDIATELY SPOTTED Allie in the audience. Seeing her face in the crowd two rows back from the stage explained the tension he’d been feeling. His body had known she was there, even though his brain had told him all day that she wouldn’t show. He was glad his body had won out over his brain. If only hers would.
Nodding to let her know he’d seen her, he began looking for volunteers. He knew better than to try to get her onstage—she’d bolt. There were plenty of others to choose from. Dozens of people’s hands were up as they offered to be hypnotized.
For the past week, Damon had avoided selecting any young women—the most vocal about wanting to be chosen. Since the night he and Allie had kissed on stage, his show had been packed with females with low-cut shirts and high expectations. It wasn’t just the young, on-the-make ones he had to look out for. On Tuesday he’d chosen a middle-aged blonde from the audience, whose husband had been sitting beside her, making her a safe choice. Uh…wrong. She’d barely stepped onto the stage before she’d thrown her arms around his neck and yanked his face to hers for a slurpy kiss.
After that, he’d picked men and old ladies, or, on occasion, a few people together. Multiples generally proved susceptible to suggestion due to group mentality. And three people wouldn’t be diving on him with lips puckered all at the same time. He hoped.
It was when choosing another group for his last session of the night that he noticed the woman sitting beside Allie. She was young, maybe twenty, with frizzy blond hair and a loud laugh. Her arm waving frantically in the air, she almost fell out of her seat in an effort to gain his attention. “We want to be part of the group!” she said, jerking Allie to her feet.
“You’d better be talking about you and the mouse in your pocket when you say ‘we,’” Allie snapped, making Damon and the closest audience members chuckle.
The woman was already pushing Allie over the legs of those sitting between them and the aisle. “There’s safety in numbers.”
Damon didn’t say a word. If Allie’s friend wanted to get them together again, even in front of an audience, he wouldn’t argue. Tonight was probably the last time he’d ever see the woman who’d awakened something in him that he’d thought was dead. Several somethings. Not just his sex drive, but his sense of humor, even a bit of his optimism.
“Okay, we’re ready,” the blonde said when they reached the stage. Her arm was wrapped tightly around Allie’s, almost holding her captive, and a married couple who’d volunteered stood between them and the stairs, blocking any escape.
