There was a challenge in her voice. It was enough to make his decision. He was going to kiss this woman like his life depended on it.
He threaded his fingers into her hair and brought his lips to hers.
The sweetness of her mouth combined with the warmth and softness of her lips into a glorious cascade of sensation. It showered over him like sparks, biting into his skin with a mix of pain and pleasure.
Oh yes, he remembered this. What it felt like to kiss a beautiful woman. Except this sensation was far beyond anything he’d experienced with Evangeline. Maybe it had been so long that he didn’t remember it accurately. Or maybe he was just that out of practice.
Or maybe it was Tessa.
He teased his tongue along the seam of her lips. They parted and his tongue grazed hers tentatively, testing for her response.
It came a second later as she moaned softly, a sound so quiet it could have been a whisper, but it spilled from her throat as involuntarily as a breath. The sound washed over him like a balm, soothing the scars that latticed his soul. Scars left by Evangeline. Deep down inside, a part of him broke open.
He almost wept with how much he’d missed this small intimacy. The contact. The communion of touch. To think otherwise was a lie. His throat constricted with need and his fangs ached with the craving to have even more of her. All of her.
In his head, he knew he needed to stop.
But that knowledge didn’t match the desire that burned through his body.
A slave to the overwhelming need for more of her, he indulged the kiss a moment longer, lingering at her mouth like the succulent offering it was, until at her second, louder moan, he finally released her.
Her eyes stayed closed for three long seconds as she inhaled a breath that seemed to have no end. When her lids lifted, she blinked several times.
He realized his hands were still in her silky tresses. He eased them free, already wondering when he might be able to kiss her again.
She just stared at him.
“Better?” he asked. If she said no, he’d have no other recourse than to take her somewhere private for his third attempt. Because there would be a third. Sebastian Ellingham was no quitter.
She nodded and swallowed and blinked some more.
Her cheeks were flushed. He’d met her challenge, that much was plain. He took a modicum of joy from that.
“That was…” She cleared her throat and gripped the bag of sweets a little tighter. “That was much more convincing. I think that will do. If an occasion for such a thing even arises.” She laughed in a sort of nervous, giddy way that seemed very unlike her. “Probably won’t, but who knows?”
“Right. If needed. And only if needed.” Except, bloody hell, he was ready to do it all over again immediately.
She jerked like she’d suddenly remembered where she was. “I should probably get home.”
“The car’s not far from here.” He got them moving toward it and imagined she was happy for the reprieve from being face to face with him. Perhaps he’d put too much into the kiss. Had he offended her? Taken the kiss too far? Damn his inexperience with women. With normal women, anyway.
Silence hung between them until he’d gotten her settled into the car and taken his own seat behind the wheel. Traffic was minimal. He drove up Main to make a U-turn at the light, buying himself a few more minutes to figure out if he owed her an apology.
She broke the silence before he’d come to a conclusion. “What time do you want me tomorrow?”
His mind couldn’t quite process what she was asking, going somewhere he doubted she’d meant. Then the teeth of the cogs caught the wheels in his brain and everything made sense. “Early is fine. I don’t sleep much.”
“Neither do I. Eight a.m. too soon?”
“No, perfect. Come for breakfast then. I’ll tell Greaves.”
“Your butler?”
“Sort of.” She might not know what a rook was, but there would be plenty of time for explaining in the morning.
She nodded. “Eight it is.”
She seemed happy enough. Maybe he’d misread her being upset by the kiss. He pulled into her sister’s driveway and went around to open Tessa’s door.
She climbed out and gave him a little nod, holding her purse in one hand and the shopping bag in the other. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Before he could say anything, she leaned up, kissed him on the cheek, then darted toward the house.
She had her hand on the doorknob as he spoke. “Tomorrow, then. Sleep well.”
She nodded, a jerky, rapid motion. “You too. Night.”
Then she was through the door and gone.
He stared at the closed door. Women were curious creatures. He was nearly four hundred years old and what he understood about them wouldn’t cover a postage stamp. Not that he’d ever cared to improve upon that.
Not until now.
“How was it?” Jenna was lounging on the couch, eyes glued to the television where her favorite reality show, Real American Firefighters, was on, while eating ice cream out of the carton. She wore sweatpants with bleach stains and a NFPD T-shirt with a frayed hem. Jenna took her down time very seriously.
“It was fine.” Tessa couldn’t bring herself to say more than that because while she was slightly afraid of what adjectives might come out of her mouth, she was more afraid of her sister knowing the truth.
It had been the best evening she’d had in a long, long time. Finished off with a kiss so mind-numbingly amazing, she’d actually forgotten where she was for a few moments. For a man who hadn’t been involved with a woman in over three hundred years, Sebastian kissed like it was his superpower. And if he was that good at kissing…
That could explain why Evangeline wanted him back.
“That’s cool,” Jenna answered, gaze still fixed to whatever shirtless contest was ongoing in firefighter land.
Duncan was playing with a foil ball on the living room floor. He looked up at her and cried.
“Oh, poor baby, did you miss me?” Tessa dropped her purse and the treat bag on the side table and scooped him up.
For the first time since Tessa had walked through the door, Jenna’s eyes came off the half-naked men on the TV and focused on Tessa. She hit the pause button and leaned forward. “Odin’s good eye, what on earth is that rock on your finger?”
Tessa had somehow forgotten about the ring. Maybe because Sebastian’s unexpectedly good kiss had melted some of her brain cells. She stuck her hand out as Duncan chewed on a piece of her hair. “It’s just temporary. Obviously. But if we’re supposed to be engaged, I need a ring.”
Jenna grabbed Tessa’s hand and stared at the ring. “So it’s a fake, right?”
“No. It came from that jewelry store on Main Street.”
Jenna’s eyes widened. “Are you freaking serious? This is real? Holy hammer of Thor. That’s insane. You’re basically wearing a really nice luxury automobile on your finger.”
Tessa admired the stone. “Yes, and it’s mine for all of twenty-four hours. After dinner tomorrow night, it’s going right back.”
Jenna’s gaze narrowed. “You should see if you can get him to throw it into the deal. Those Ellinghams are loaded. Maybe it could be like a bonus if things go extra good.”
Tessa yanked her hand back. “I am absolutely not doing that. I’m already getting an incredible job out of this. That’s enough.”
Jenna sat back. “You get the job if things go well. If they don’t, you get nothing.”
“It will go fine. Even Sebastian thinks so.” And he’d basically said the job was hers regardless. Hadn’t he?
Jenna’s left brow lifted. “You’re giving off some majorly weird vibes right now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Except that she did. Jenna was reading her, picking up on her happiness and growing fondness for Sebastian. That was the trouble with valkyries. You really couldn’t lie to them. Tessa hugged Duncan a little closer as she
grabbed her purse and attempted an escape before her sister also figured out that Sebastian’s kiss had turned Tessa on. “Okay, see you in the morning. I’m going to bed.”
“You like him.”
Tessa hadn’t even made it past the kitchen. With a sigh, she turned. “Of course I like him. He’s giving me a job. Probably. And he just bought me dinner.”
Jenna’s disbelief was plainly evident on her face. “Yeah, but Sebastian Ellingham? He’s like the Grinch without the green fur. He’s Scrooge with fangs. Nobody likes him.”
Tessa couldn’t stop herself from leaping to his defense. “I’m sure his grandmother likes him. And his brothers. And Delaney seemed at least…tolerant of him. You shouldn’t buy into rumors and gossip. Granted, he might be a bit, I don’t know, set in his ways, but he’s very nice when you get to know him.”
“Get to know him?” Jenna’s mouth came open. “You’re defending him. Oh, wow, you really like him.”
“I just think you’re being judgmental and that’s unfair. You have no idea what he’s been through.” Or how amazingly loyal he was. Or how his kiss had the power to set things on fire internally.
Jenna threw one leg over the arm of the couch. “Judgmental is a valkyrie’s middle name. Speaking of being a valkyrie, I can tell you that every time I’ve had any contact with him, the read I get off him is true to what everyone says about him. He gives off strong vibes of wanting to be left alone, of being super concerned about details, and being generally standoffish when it comes to the opposite sex. He’s a cold, cranky fish. How you can like him, I have no idea.”
“Because he’s not that way all the time.” Tessa realized she was digging herself a deeper hole, but after what Sebastian had told her about keeping his promise to Evangeline’s father, she felt for the man. He was doing his best to do what he thought was right. He deserved to have someone stand up for him. “Just cut him some slack, okay? Everyone has a story and you have no idea what’s happened in his life to make him this way.”
Jenna shook her head. “Fine, you like him. Just don’t tell me you like him like him or I might lose it.” She snorted. “Next thing you know you’ll be kissing him. Gross.”
Tessa made a small involuntary sound. She turned quickly, headed for the guest room again. Duncan meowed when she squeezed him a little too tightly. Please let Jenna go back to her show…
“What a minute. You just went red. Did you kiss him? Did he kiss you?” Jenna was off the couch and in her face. “You did. You did! No. Way. Was it gross? Did he force you?” She gasped and shoved Tessa’s hair off her shoulder to peer at her neck. “Did he bite you?”
“No, he didn’t bite me and no, he didn’t force me. Don’t even imply that.” Tessa put Duncan down, tired of his squirming and tiny, needle-sharp nails, then she swatted her sister’s hands away. “And no, it wasn’t gross. It was…nice. Very nice.” It was the best kiss she’d ever had. Not that she’d had many.
Jenna jerked back. “You’re not lying. I need details.”
Tessa leaned against the wall. “This relationship has to look real. We’re supposed to be an engaged couple. We didn’t think having our first kiss in front of his ex was such a good idea. So we got it out of the way.” They’d hardly gotten it out of the way. If anything, it was all Tessa could think about. Well, maybe not the first one, but the second one…oh boy.
Jenna nodded, seemingly mollified. “That makes sense. So it wasn’t gross? Are you sure he didn’t try to bite you?”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “I’m going to bed. I have to be at his house at eight in the morning. It’s going to be a long day. Oh, and there’s a box of goodies from this sweet shop we went into. Apparently, his sister-in-law owns it and—”
“Delaney’s Delectables?” Jenna pivoted to look for the box. “No wonder I’m getting a pheromone spike off of you. I knew that couldn’t be from Sebastian. But Delaney’s better-than-sex goodies? Definitely.”
“Yes, that must be what it is.” Crisis averted. “The box is in that little shopping bag there. Don’t eat them all.”
“Yeah, okay.” Jenna opened the bag, her attention well diverted. “Night.”
“Night.” Tessa headed for her room to the sound of rustling paper.
“Still, it’s kind of weird.”
She stopped with her hand on the door knob. “What is?”
Jenna lifted a truffle from the box. “You and him? It’s weird.”
“Why? Because you’re not used to me having a man in my life? Or because you don’t think of him as boyfriend material?”
Jenna’s face screwed up in a curious expression. “Whoa. Are you saying you do think of him as boyfriend material? Because…wow. I mean, that whole dark and moody thing isn’t really your gig, is it? I never figure you’d see anything in a guy who wasn’t a total brainiac bookworm. Of course, it’s all just pretend, right? But still.”
“Right.” Tessa offered her sister a smile. “Just pretend.”
Except ever since that kiss, it hadn’t seemed like pretend at all.
Nerves were not something to which Sebastian was accustomed. And yet, here he was, at seven fifty-five a.m. feeling like a schoolboy who’d just been called to the headmaster’s office. He was downright jittery and didn’t know what to do about it.
And all because Tessa was about to arrive.
The woman whose kiss had brought him back to life. He’d thought of very little else since that kiss because it had done exactly what he’d feared. Reminded him of everything he was missing.
Now his thoughts had turned to her impressions of him.
What would she think of his home? It was nothing like his grandmother’s estate, but it was larger than both of his brothers’ homes. Well, Julian lived in the penthouse at the Excelsior, which hardly qualified as a proper house so it shouldn’t even be compared, but Hugh’s house was large and well-appointed.
Sebastian had built his home knowing it would be his refuge. He’d allowed for things like a library, a gymnasium, a theater and a pool—indoor, of course. And because of those allowances, the house was on the large side. Plus he had a guest house.
But for the first time since living here, he cared what someone else thought. Two someones, actually. Tessa and Evangeline. In Tessa’s case, he hoped she liked his home and saw it the same way he did, as a sanctuary. In Evangeline’s case, he hoped his house told her that he was doing just fine without her. Maybe even showed her what she was missing out on.
Hmm. He’d never realized how petty he could be. Another trait Evangeline brought out in him. And another reason to be done with her. If only he could.
The doorbell rang and he jumped, then immediately groaned at his response. “Calm down, man. You’re acting the fool.”
He forced himself to relax. He cracked open the Tombstone, the local newspaper, and did his best to read it, but there was nothing on the pages as interesting as the woman Greaves was welcoming at the front door.
From the library, the conversation was easy to hear. Especially with Sebastian’s heightened vampire senses.
The door opened and Greaves’ gravelly accent followed. “Good morning, miss. I’m Greaves. Please come in.”
The door closed. “Good morning. I’m Tessa Blythe. Sebastian invited me for breakfast. Well, for more than that, really, but you probably know all about that already.”
“I do. Quite generous of you to help him out this way. May I take your coat?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
“If you’ll follow me, Mr. Ellingham is in the library.”
Sebastian stiffened as their footsteps came closer. It was no accident he’d positioned himself in this room on this morning. He wanted her to be impressed and if there was any room in his house he thought capable of accomplishing that, it was his library.
The double doors opened and Greaves stepped in. “Mr. Ellingham, your guest has arrived.”
Sebastian folded the paper and stood as Tessa walked in.
Her hair
was down and she wore a simple wine-colored dress with a scoop neck that showed off her slender throat and lovely collarbones.
He’d not had such attractive company for breakfast since Evangeline had been sharing his bed. “Good morning, Tessa.”
“Good morning.” But her eyes were not on him. They were on the room. Slowly, she walked deeper into the space, her gaze sweeping up the shelves to the second-story balcony that encompassed the room then back down again, lingering only briefly on the collection of antique weaponry hung around the fireplace before her inspection returned to the books.
He smiled, pleased that he’d been right. His nerves disappeared. “We’ll take our coffee in here, Greaves. And tell Frauke we’d like breakfast in half an hour.” He’d borrowed his grandmother’s cook, not trusting Greaves with anything beyond toast.
“Very good, sir.” Greaves left with a nod.
Sebastian turned to watch her. Her face was awash in abject wonder, giving him the feeling that he was being made privy to a rather intimate view of her. “What do you think of my library?”
She shook her head. “It’s beautiful. And so well stocked. It reminds me of the library at Harmswood.”
“It should. I used this one as a model, expanding the school’s version to handle all the academic books as well.”
Her gaze finally met his. “You designed that library?”
“I gave my input. Architecture has always been a bit of a hobby but I can’t take the credit for that space. All I did was make some sketches that were then turned into the final plans by a man much more skilled than I.”
She looked around again. “If I had a room like this, I would never leave it.”
They were so alike. The realization brought him inordinate pleasure. “I rarely do.”
Greaves returned with their coffee service, setting it up on the side table. “Anything else, sir?”
“That will be all, thank you.”
Greaves left them alone again.
Sebastian lifted the silver carafe. “How do you like your coffee?”
The Vampire's Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls Book 5) Page 8