Heat swept through her, leaving her dizzy and on the verge of bad decisions. “You shouldn’t say things like that unless you mean them.”
He stared her down, his dark gaze taking on the feral look she’d seen before. “You tempt me, Pandora.”
Without thinking, she licked her bottom lip.
He made a growly sound, and the next thing she knew, his mouth was on hers. For several long seconds, all she could do was feel. The pressure of his mouth, the grip of his hands on her shoulders, the intoxicating scent of a man fresh from the shower. He became the heat coursing through her, then a soft breeze seemed to lift her off the ground. She was floating. Or they were floating.
Or they were flying.
In a moment of panic, she pushed a stabilizing spell at him.
Then a throat cleared.
They broke apart. A man stood in the open door behind Cole. He was an older version of Cole, hair more salt and pepper than pitch black, stockier, maybe an inch shorter and wearing different glasses.
Pandora felt a new kind of heat rise up in her. The kind that came from sheer embarrassment. Cole’s dad had just caught them kissing, except kissing didn’t really encompass what they’d just been doing. Making out like horny teenagers was probably more on point.
He cleared his throat again and looked at Cole expectantly. “Are you going to introduce us?”
Cole showed no signs of mortification. Pandora wished the same was true for her, but she knew her face had to be the same color as her hair. Cole rested his hand lightly on her back. “Dad, this is Pandora Williams. Pandora, this is my father, Jack Van Zant.”
She stuck her hand out, pleased that it wasn’t shaking. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Van Zant. Cole’s spoken highly of you.”
Jack shook her hand, his grip a tiny bit tighter than comfortable. “I’m not sure that’s true.”
She didn’t know what to say to that.
Jack released her hand. “You’re the witch who’s going to teach my granddaughter the craft, are you?”
Cole spoke before she could answer. “She’s the witch who’s going to help her, and speaking of Kaley, would you let her know it’s time for us to go?”
Jack gave his son an unreadable look. “Ah yes, the dinner that I’m not invited to.” He turned his gaze back to Pandora. It held a clear challenge.
For a moment, she felt completely intimidated. Then she decided she wasn’t going to let him make her feel that way. If he thought she was up to something despicable, how better to show him that she wasn’t? She straightened her spine and put on her best realtor smile. “Actually, we’d love to have you.”
It was enough to erase the judgmental look right off his face. “You would?” He glanced at Cole. “Did my son put you up to this?”
Honesty was always the best policy. “Nope. He actually told me not to invite you, but it’s my family and I can invite whomever I please.”
Jack smiled broadly at Cole as if to say, So there. He gave Pandora a little nod. “That’s very kind of you.”
“You know how we witches love familiars.” She widened her smile, knowing that was a bit of a jab but unable to help herself. “You are a familiar too, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” He gave her a strange look. “I’ll go get Kaley.”
“We’ll be right here.”
He disappeared back into the house.
“Why did you invite him?” Cole hissed. “And don’t think I missed that crack about witches loving familiars.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but I couldn’t help it. And I invited him so he can see I’m not after you for naughty reasons.” Although after that kiss, she had a lot of naughty reasons to think about. “If you and I are going to work together on this house and your daughter, the last thing you need is for your dad to be on your back.”
He shook his head. “You’re something else, you know that? That was very kind and completely unnecessary. I just hope this doesn’t come back to bite you. My father can be a real handful.”
She laughed. “You haven’t met my mother or my sisters yet. Which reminds me, I should send my mom a heads up to put out an extra place setting.” She pointed at her car. “My phone is in my purse.”
“Go ahead. Hey—I got a bottle of wine. I hope red is good.”
She started for the car. “It’s perfect.”
“Good. I’ll grab it, collect the stragglers and lock up the house.”
Ten minutes later, they were pulling into Corette’s driveway. Stanhill’s Bentley was already there.
“Nice car,” Jack called out from the backseat. “Your mother must do pretty well.”
“That’s her beau’s car.” Although her mother did own a gorgeous white Mercedes, which never left the garage unless she was driving it.
“Is he a familiar too?”
Pandora shot Cole a look as she parked. “No, he’s a rook.”
Kaley leaned up between the two front seats. “What’s a rook and a familiar?”
Cole opened his mouth, but the look on his face said he didn’t know how to answer.
Pandora twisted to face her. “A familiar is usually an animal but is sometimes a person who forms a deep bond with a witch in a way that strengthens the witch’s magic. A rook is a like a vampire’s assistant.”
Kaley’s eyes rounded. “Whoa. There are vampires? Like, for real? Is there going to be one here tonight?”
Pandora looked at Cole. “I feel like we should have talked about this sooner.”
He nodded. “I see that now.”
Pandora smiled at Kaley. “Yes, there are vampires for real, but there won’t be any here this evening. There are several who live here in town, so at some point, you’ll meet them. All kinds of fun supernaturals reside in Nocturne Falls. Stanhill, the rook, is my mother’s boyfriend. You’re in absolutely no danger from him, though, okay?”
“Okay.” Kaley sat back and scooted closer to her grandfather.
Cole put his hand on Pandora’s thigh. “This is sort of news to me too. What kind of fun supernaturals are you talking about?”
She tried to hold onto her train of thought while the heat from Cole’s touch warmed the skin several inches above her knee. Holy goddess. What was the question? Something about supernaturals, right? She swallowed and checked her answers off on her fingers, mostly to give herself something to do. “Uh, vampires, werewolves—and other kinds of shifters. Witches, obviously. Fae and fae-adjacent creatures, gargoyles, valkyrie, ghosts, mer-people. You name it, we probably have it.”
Cole nodded. “I see.” But he looked a little overwhelmed.
And clearly unaware that he’d just set parts of her on fire. She cleared her throat as he finally moved his hand. “Hey, listen up, all three of you. They’re all friendly. They live here because that’s the benefit of this town. The whole thing of celebrating Halloween every day means we can live in peace and pretty much out in the open about who we really are, and no one suspects anything.”
Jack made a noise. “You’re telling me you’ve never had a tourist figure out the truth?”
“No.” Pandora made eye contact with him in the rearview mirror. “The spring that feeds the falls and supplies the town’s water was enchanted years ago by the witch who helped establish the town. It prevents humans from grasping the truth about this place.”
“Pretty clever.” He snorted. “Remind me not to drink the water.”
“That’s not something you have to worry about.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Because it only affects humans, Mr. Van Zant.” She gave him a wink and got out of the car. Let him explain that to Kaley.
Cole got out at the same time, shutting his door in sync with hers. “Hey, Kaley doesn’t know about me yet.”
“Well, you’d better explain that to her. It’s going to come up in conversation. She’s a witch, Cole. She’s going to learn this stuff sooner or later. Don’t you want her to hear it from you?”
“Yes. Yo
u’re right. Give us a few minutes? I’m probably not going to tell her about the animal-shifting part. Not yet.”
“Whatever you think she’s ready for. Let me just grab the wine I brought out of the trunk, then I’ll go in and see what I can help my mom with. Come in when you’re ready.”
“Thanks.”
Jack and Kaley got out. Cole turned toward his daughter. “You, me and Grandpa are going to have a little talk before we go in.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be on my best behavior, I swear.”
“It’s not about that.”
Pandora grabbed the wine and gave the trio a wave. “See you inside.” Then she left them to talk.
The house smelled of garlic and herbs and roasting meat. “What are you cooking? It smells crazy good in here.” She walked into the kitchen to see her mother and Stanhill smooching on the other side of the island. A big pot of red sauce bubbled away on the center stove. “Okay, that’s enough of that.”
They stopped kissing, but not embracing. Stanhill tipped his head at her, his wry smile challenging her to disagree. “I’ll kiss your mother whenever I bloody well please, thank you.”
“I see that. Just maybe not over the food.” Pandora put the wine on the counter and took a seat at the island. “You’re getting love germs in the sauce.” She stuck her finger in the pot and licked it clean. “Oh, that’s good. Germs and all.”
“It’s very good. It’s pork roast with spaghetti marinara.” Corette eased out of Stanhill’s arms. “Where are your guests?”
“Having a little conversation outside. Kaley and Cole just found out that witches aren’t the only supernaturals in Nocturne Falls, and Kaley’s also getting the explanation about what her father and grandfather really are. And, yes, Cole’s dad is also a familiar.” She took a deep breath. “And I should probably tell you that Cole’s dad thinks I’m out to use his son for all the benefits of his familiar status. Including the hot sex.”
Corette narrowed her eyes. “Get him in here. I’ll talk to him. The nerve of that man assuming my daughter is—”
“No, Mom, don’t. We need to kill him with kindness. Not get up in his face. He already doesn’t trust witches. Cole had a bad first marriage, so…” She shrugged. “Just be nice to him, okay?”
“Whatever you think is best, darling. But I’m not going to let him disparage you in my house.” Corette tapped her finger on the counter. “I draw the line there. A sharp one.”
“I understand.”
The front door opened. “Hello?” Cole’s voice rang out.
Pandora hopped off the seat and headed for the foyer. “In here.”
She met him halfway. Kaley looked like she’d taken the news about her father’s and grandfather’s true identities pretty well. Pandora nodded toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Cole pushed his glasses up. “Lead the way.”
She took them back into the kitchen, and after Cole had handed his bottle of wine to her mother, Pandora made the introductions. Everyone shook hands, including Kaley, who then retreated a few steps and stared at Corette and Stanhill like she expected them to do something magical at any moment.
Thankfully, before the silence got awkward, Pandora’s sisters arrived. Marigold came in with an enormous salad bowl, a large bouquet for the table and her eight-year-old daughter, Saffron, in tow. Charisma was right behind them with her own contribution of freshly baked Italian bread in crisp paper sleeves.
More introductions were made, and as everyone headed to the table, Pandora found a moment to fill her sisters in on the situation with Cole’s dad. They nodded as she spoke.
“We’ve got your back.” Marigold glanced toward the dining room. “I get the protective-parent thing, but Cole’s a grown man. He can make up his mind about you on his own.”
Charisma nodded. “The father’s projecting his own fears onto his son. Classic emotional transfer.”
Pandora cut her eyes at her life coach sibling. “Can you not psychoanalyze him at the table?”
“I’m just stating the obvious. And if he thinks he’s getting away with dumping all that on you, he’s got another think coming.”
Pandora rubbed her forehead. She appreciated her sisters’ protectiveness, but she was already getting visions of just how badly the night could go. “I didn’t bring enough wine for this.”
Cole wasn’t surprised by how pretty Pandora’s mother or sisters were. After all, Pandora was a knockout. He’d expected the gene pool to be strong. What he wasn’t prepared for was the amount of noise the clan made. There were nine of them seated around a dining room table meant for eight. For someone who’d been raised an only child, it was somewhat overwhelming. It also filled him with a curious longing to be a bigger part of something this loud and raucous. There was an abundance of love and joy in this room, and despite the craziness of it, the feeling was infectious.
Kaley and Saffron, Pandora’s youngest sister’s girl, were seated next to each other and, despite the five-year age difference, seemed to be becoming fast friends. At least, they were talking up a storm and laughing, so it looked like they were having a good time.
In that moment, an ache filled him at the thought that Kaley was growing up an only child too.
Pandora, seated on his left, bent closer to him. “You okay? Or just overwhelmed by all this?”
He smiled, thankful for the easy out. “A little overwhelmed. But good. I like it. Just not used to it.”
“I totally understand.” She lifted her gaze toward his father. “Your dad and Stanhill seem to be getting on.”
Cole nodded. Stanhill was at the head of the table with Jack directly across from Cole. The two men had been engaged in conversation since dinner started. “It helps that they have cars in common. Especially British cars. My father’s been in love with British machines since as far back as I can remember. He has an old Jag in the garage that he’s been working on for the last couple of years, but he loves Aston Martins and Bentleys, too.”
“My mother excels at hostessing. She knows how to pair people up at the table.”
“I’d say.” He tipped his head toward his daughter. “Look at Kaley and Saffron. I’m not even sure they know the rest of us exist.”
Pandora smiled. “I’m happy about that. I think they could be good for each other.”
“I agree.” Just like he thought Pandora could be good for him.
She blinked at him. “You’re staring.”
He held her gaze. “It’s hard not to.” He wanted to kiss her with the kind of intensity that almost made him lean in, but this was her mother’s house and her mother’s table. He was not about to cross that line.
As if sensing his thoughts, Pandora retreated a few inches.
Corette, who was at the opposite end of the table, must have picked up on something, because he heard his name a second later. “Cole, what is it you do for a living?”
“And so it begins,” Pandora muttered.
He smiled. He’d been waiting for the inquisition. “I teach math. Most recently at East State University.”
“But not anymore?”
“I took a sabbatical. Getting this house remodeled is my job now. I’ve worked construction almost every summer since I was sixteen. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.” He nodded at his dad. “A job worth doing is a job worth doing well.”
Jack smiled. “That’s right.”
“I agree,” Corette said. “Pandora told us you inherited the Pilcher Manor. Your skills will come in very handy. I’m glad someone who cares about it will be in charge of fixing it up. It’s going to be a big job, though.”
He smiled. “It is. Huge. But the money that came with the inheritance will help. That’s what made it possible for us to move here while I fix the house up. Once it’s sold, Kaley and I will be set.”
“I’m sure Pandora will get you a fabulous deal.” She picked up her wine. “I know you haven’t been in town long, but do you know what neighborho
od you want to be in then?”
He hesitated. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Corette finished her sip and set the glass down. “Well, most of the neighborhoods here have their own sort of flavor. Pandora can tell you better than I can, but her section tends to have large ranch-style homes, while the houses on the streets in this part are almost all two-story cottages.”
Marigold chimed in. “I live one street over. It’s a small house, but this is a great neighborhood. They all are, really. This is a well-planned town.”
“You could always get a condo,” Charisma said. “I live in the Excelsior. It’s a fabulous building. We have an indoor pool and a gym, not that I get to use them that much. I travel a lot, so having a house to take care of isn’t really feasible.”
Pandora, her mother and her sisters all looked at him, waiting on his answer.
He put his fork down. “That sounds great, but we’re not staying.”
Beside him, Pandora frowned. “What do you mean you’re not staying?”
He blinked in confusion. “We have a house in North Carolina, where I work. We’re only here as long as it takes to fix up my uncle’s house and sell it.”
The table went silent. Even Kaley and Saffron. Kaley looked at him. “But we could stay, right?”
“No, Kaley, we can’t. I have a job to go back to.”
Kaley frowned and crossed her arms. “But my mentor will be here.” She looked around the table. “Right?”
Pandora shook her head. “You and your mentor need to live in the same town. Or at least the same state.”
“Dad.” Kaley glared at him.
He gave her the look that said they’d talk about it later. Then he glanced at Pandora.
Her mouth was open, and it seemed like she’d started to say something. Instead, she snapped her jaw shut, pushed her chair back, put her napkin alongside her plate and stood. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.” Then she walked into the kitchen.
Corette’s brows lifted gently. “I guess this is news to all of us.”
He sat there, feeling about as awkward as could be. “I thought she knew…”
The Professor Woos The Witch (Nocturne Falls Book 4) Page 10