The Professor Woos The Witch (Nocturne Falls Book 4) (11 page)

“How?” He took a step in her direction.

“A little suppression spell. That’s the best thing I can think of. You willing to give it a shot?”

His answer came without hesitation. He threaded his fingers through her hair and tipped her mouth up to meet his.

She sank into his kiss with none of the hesitation she’d felt the first time. If he wanted to kiss her, she was going to give it her complete effort. She was also going to do her witchy best to keep him from shifting again and freaking out. He could learn to manage that in his own time. With that in mind, she pushed a little spell over him.

His mouth was hungry and searching and fit hers as perfectly as if they’d been made for each other, which she guessed was kind of the case.

She could practically feel his pulse thrumming through his skin. Or maybe that was hers. For a moment, it seemed like they were one person, one being, one perfect entity. A whirlwind spun around them, lifting them, making them lighter than air…

And then he broke the kiss and backed up. His eyes were a little wild, wide and feral with the kind of animalistic need she’d seen in him right before he’d transformed in the attic. She whispered a calming spell on top of the one to suppress his shifting.

He relaxed and took a breath. “Did you just use more magic on me?”

She nodded. “A calming spell. You looked a little freaked out. Like you were going to shift.”

“But I didn’t, right?”

“No.”

“Thanks for the help, but it makes me think we need to practice more.”

“Practice more what?”

“Kissing.” He reached for her again.

Half an hour later, Cole had said good-bye to Pandora three times. This time they’d somehow made it stick, and he gave her a wave as she pulled out of his driveway.

He was crazy. He knew that. But at a certain point, you couldn’t fight the inevitable. So if he was going to be crazy, he was at least going to enjoy himself.

And Pandora was very enjoyable.

But it wasn’t just a physical attraction. He felt complete around her. And that wasn’t a feeling any part of him wanted to fight.

He watched her car until it was out of sight, then went to the kitchen to grab his cellphone and call his father. He walked out onto the back porch to sit as the line connected.

“Hello, Cole.”

“Hi, Dad. How are you?”

“Good, son. How’s that granddaughter of mine?”

Where to start? This wasn’t exactly a conversation about the weather. “She’s good. We’re settling in.”

“Glad to hear it.”

There was no way to ease into the tough questions, so Cole stumbled through them as bests he could. “I know about the…that is, I
think
I know. What I mean to say, without sounding like I’m losing my mind, is that I know about the whole familiar thing. Including the shifting. And we really need to talk about it.”

His father didn’t respond right away.

Cole cringed, wondering if he was losing his mind. If his dad said there was nothing to discuss—

Jack Van Zant let out a pensive breath. “I could pretend not to know what you’re talking about, but we’re both too old for that. I owe you an apology and an explanation, but I’d rather talk to you in person about this. You okay with that?”

Cole would have rather heard everything immediately, but he was just thankful his father was willing to talk. And that he wasn’t crazy. “Sure, but this house isn’t exactly in visiting shape.”

“I don’t care about that. Any chance to spoil that granddaughter of mine is a good one. I’ll leave first thing in the morning. Be there by noon.”

Wilmington, North Carolina, was six hours away. “Dad, you don’t have to leave at six A.M.”

“And miss lunch with my granddaughter?”

“Uh, Kaley and I have a dinner thing to go to tomorrow night. I’d invite you, but it’s not my place to add someone. I’m not telling you you can’t stay, just that you’ll be by yourself tomorrow night.”

“I’m happy to sit someplace and read. That house have a back porch?”

“I’m on it right now.” Not that you could see much past the railing thanks to the riotous overgrowth.

“Good. See you tomorrow.”

Cole hung up. The feelings inside him almost defied labeling. He was as unsettled as he was excited, which was plain odd, because to think he’d be excited about being something more than…human went against everything he believed in.

But if being a familiar meant more time with Pandora, he was all about that. Just the thought of being near her again pumped endorphins into his system. That had to be this other side of him at work. He hadn’t been interested in a woman in ages. Not after the scar Lila had left.

He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, the buzz of insects and the melody of birdsong creating a natural white noise that let him drift into his thoughts. Pandora was beautiful and had curves that wouldn’t quit, but there was more to her than just a stellar exterior. She was kind and sweet and funny and smart. Also not afraid to speak her mind or stand up to him, which he loved.

But above all that, she was good with Kaley. If there was one way to his heart, it was through his daughter.

After the divorce had been finalized, he’d dated a few times. Mostly set-ups put together by some of his colleagues at school. But after watching the change of expression on his dates’ faces when he mentioned Kaley, he’d quickly decided his need for companionship could take a backseat until his daughter was off to college. Apparently, it took a special kind of woman to accept another woman’s child.

He hadn’t really needed another woman in his life that badly anyway. And Kaley sure as hell hadn’t needed another mother figure walking out on her.

But Pandora had started out liking Kaley better than she liked him. He grinned. For a witch, she was all right. Hell, for a human being, she was spectacular.

Which brought him right back around to thinking about kissing her again. He sighed deeply, remembering the sweetness of her mouth on his and the lush curves of her hips under his hands. And after seeing her in those skimpy shorts and too-tight tank tops, he could imagine very well what she’d look like—

“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”

He opened his eyes and sat up abruptly. “Hey, Kaley. I didn’t even hear you come out the door.”

She sat in the chair next to him. “That’s because you were dreaming about Pandora, weren’t you?”

“Miss Williams.”

“Hah! So you admit it.” She got a big goofy grin on her face. “You’re in luh-ove,” she sing-songed.

“Kaley. I just met Miss Williams. No one falls in love that quickly.” Although it wasn’t out of the question to say he was headed toward deep
like
.

Kaley shrugged. “Whatever. You like her.”

He gave her his best fatherly look. “Did you come out here to harass me or did you have another reason?”

Her smile turned sly. “I thought I heard you call me for ice cream.”

He laughed. “Oh, you did, did you?” For a moment, he was overwhelmed with how beautiful his daughter was. How perfect and smart. This child had been a gift to him. If he loved her any harder, he’d explode. “Come on, let’s get in the truck.”

She sat up straighter. “Why?”

He stood. “You said you wanted ice cream, didn’t you? Well, let’s go into town and get some.”

She jumped up. “You mean it?”

“Get your shoes on, young’un. They don’t serve the barefoot.”

She ran back into the house. “Okay!”

He walked in behind her and shut the door. If Kaley was a witch, he was okay with that. And if Pandora could help Kaley, then he needed Pandora. No matter what he was or what he had to sacrifice, he’d make sure this worked out.

Pandora had over an hour to meet her buyers at the house she was showing them, which gave her the perfect opportunity to swing by her mother’s place. Corette didn’t open Ever After until ten anyway, allowing them plenty of time for coffee and an interesting chat about Mr. Cole Van Zant.

She knocked on the front door, then walked in. As always, her mother’s house was pin-straight and picture perfect. “Mom? It’s me, Pandora.”

“In the kitchen, honey.”

Pandora set her purse and briefcase on the granite counter, then leaned in and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Morning.”

“Morning.” Corette stood at the island, scrambling eggs in a Pyrex bowl. She smelled like Chanel No. 5, her signature perfume. “Hungry?”

“No, I ate at the house, but I’d love another cup of coffee.”

“Help yourself. What brings you by this morning?”

Pandora filled a cup, then added cream and sugar. “I need some advice. And help. And I might not be the only one.”

Corette’s precisely sculpted brows went gently skyward. “Are you in trouble, honey?”

“Oh no, it’s not for me…” Pandora frowned. “Well, it might be a little for me.”

Corette stopped whipping the eggs. “What’s going on?”

Pandora stared at her coffee for a second, choosing her words. “What do you know about familiars?”

Corette poured the eggs into a buttered pan and put the bowl in the sink. “The same as any witch, I suppose. A familiar is an animal that can help a witch focus, and often strengthen, her craft.” She smiled, but it was bittersweet, and Pandora knew why. “I wish we’d been able to find one for you. I still think it would have made all the difference.”

If only her mother knew. “What about the human kind of familiar?”

Corette blinked a few times. “They’re very rare. I haven’t heard about one in ages. Some people think they’ve died out.” She shrugged. “I don’t think that’s true. I think the familiars that aren’t bonded yet keep a low profile, and any witch who has one guards that knowledge dearly.”

“I’d say that’s right.” She took another sip of coffee. “Ulysses Pilcher was one.”

Corette laughed. “I don’t think so. Gertrude wasn’t known for keeping secrets. I’m sure she wouldn’t have held on to that one. If it were true.”

“He was.”

Corette looked over at her. “How do you know? You seem so sure.”

“Because…I talked to Gertrude.”

Corette turned the heat down on the eggs. “Start from the beginning.”

“You know that guy I told you about? The one who inherited the Pilcher Manor? The one with the daughter who’s a witch—”

“Just turned thirteen, right? And she can see auras?”

“That’s the one. Kaley. I agreed to help him with her as she comes into her powers, and in exchange, he offered to give me the listing on the house when he sells it. I negotiated and got him to let me help with the renovation decisions too so I could get top dollar, because you know I know how to sell houses in this town.”

“You do.”

Pandora took a breath. “So, I was in the attic of the Pilcher Manor, and Gertrude showed up. Did she have pink hair?”

“Pick a color, she had them all at one time. She was a true eccentric.” Corette added a little sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to her breakfast and stirred.

“It was her, then. She told me about Ulysses and human familiars and said that Cole is one too.”

“How does she know?”

“She can see auras. I don’t know how clearly, but enough that she figured Cole out. And me.”