Read Sweet Nothings: A Karma Café Novella Online
Authors: Tawny Weber
Tags: #Karma Café Series, #Book 2
Sweet Nothings: A Karma Café Novella (12 page)
But time wasn’t a luxury the Karmanski’s had.
“Mama, the magic is fading. If Anja doesn’t marry, have a child, it’ll be lost.”
“You don’t know that, Natalia.”
“Family legend says—”
“Family superstition, you mean.”
Natalia ground her teeth as her mother dismissed that gut-wrenching fear with a languid shrug. As if it didn’t matter. As if the blessed magic that ran though their blood drying up was as negligible as a tray of burned tarts. Easily thrown away, easily forgotten.
She waved her hand, throwing fire at the array of candles lining the counter. The energy pulsed, beautifully inside her, then it sputtered and faded away. Her breath caught in her chest, she held back tears when she saw only half of the twelve candles had lit.
“See,” she ground out. “Even now, my power is lessened.”
“Because you expect it to be,” Odette snapped, flicking her fingers toward the remaining candles. The wicks flared, flames dancing as she placidly folded her hands together at her waist. She took a breath, then continued in the same tone she’d always used when teaching her daughter, her granddaughter, the meaning of old ways. “Believing that power is real, or that love lasts, is always the first step. These are things that require faith. Without it, the magic falters, the love fades.”
“Gramma Irina said—”
“Stop,” Odette interrupted, throwing both her hands up as if she could shove the words back. “Consider the source, Natalia. My mother believes that all women should be married, cared for by a man because they can’t care for themselves. This is a woman whom we have no pictures of because she believes a camera will capture a piece of her soul.”
“Just because she has a few silly ideas doesn’t mean she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. This is family legend, after all.” And maybe not all of her ideas were silly. Too many nights, Natalia had cried into her pillow, wishing for a man by her side. To care for her, to carry part of the load. There was nothing wrong with a mother wishing that same blessing for her daughter. Natalia ignored the bitter memory of how that’d worked out for her. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting a man, mother.”
“Men have many uses. Sex, spider extermination, and yes, for love. But to want a man to simply become a checkmark on a to-do list? That’s wrong,” Odette said softly. “You married as much in fear as for love, darling. You’ve allowed this superstition to rule you, to influence all of your choices.”
Even as the truth rang loudly in her head, Natalia lifted her chin and steeled her spine. Love. What had that gotten her? She’d thought she was in love with Sergie, had left her home, followed him over the ocean. Only to be alone. There were more important things than love that she wished for her daughter. Power, for one.
“Anja must marry,” Natalia declared, her tone adamant. “She’s thinks she’s circumvented my plans, but so far these have only been happenstance. I’ll cast a spell, bring the perfect man to her. Then she’ll fall, and our powers will be secured.”
“You know better.”
“I know that we’re against the deadline, and I’m not giving up my gift,” Natalia ground out. She looked around the apartment, knowing it was the perfect setting for weaving a love charm strong enough to catch her headstrong daughter. Here, love would grow. It had twice already, for two other couples. It would awake soon for Anja, too.
“Anja will marry before the year is out,” she vowed. “I’ll make sure of it.”
More sassy, sexy books...
Sugar and Spice: A Karma Café Novella
Hot kisses, sexy shoes and a midnight rendezvous – the perfect recipe for Happy Ever After. Throw in a fairy godmother with a personal agenda, a midnight deadline and a marriage-of-convenience and you have a hot and sassy twist on a modern day Cinderella story.
For over a hundred years, the Karmanski women have been cooking up delicious treats, and a little magic. But now their business, Karma Café, is in trouble and each of the Karmanskis has a different opinion on how to save their livelihood. The matriarch, Odette, is old-school, and more than ready to rely on magic. Natalia is sure if she can just marry her daughter off to a wealthy suitor, all their problems will be solved, and she has just the suitor in mind – the gorgeous CEO of Chastain Shoes. Anja’s just as determined to foil her mother’s plans and stay single. She cooks up a scheme to serve up the perfect match for this prince of a guy. With the aid of a little magical help, she’s going to put a Happy Ever After twist on her mother’s matchmaking.
Administrative Assistant, Dedra Hanson has three addictions. Gorgeous shoes, yummy treats and her sexy boss. Her credit card balance and bathroom scale do a pretty good job of keeping the first two addictions in check. And the third? Love of her job has always kept her from acting on her passion for Paul Chastain. But now she’s leaving her job because her playboy CEO boss is about to become engaged to a chilly socialite to save his business. Paul Chastain is fair game.
All she needs for one wild fantasy night? The nerve to seduce her boss, and a little bit of magic. The only question left is, can she leave when the clock strikes midnight?
Her magic, his town, their love... is it enough? Or will a witch just regaining her powers have to choose between saving a cursed town, or giving up everything she’s come to care about?
Tired of her jinx-cursed love life, Natasha Stover figures the only way to fix it is to get naked and naughty with the guy who ruined her for all others. And Lady Luck is on her side…. A weekend in Sin City being a bad boy’s favorite toy just might be the cure Natasha’s been wishing for.
Take Valentine’s Day, a wedding and dancing in the moonlight, and what do you get? A sexy soldier home on leave getting crazy over a girl all wrong for him… who feels so right.
You can find more of Tawny’s sassy, sexy stories at
www.tawnyweber.com
