The Professor Woos The Witch (Nocturne Falls Book 4) (22 page)

His mouth flattened to a thin line. “Not here.”

“Then where?”

“My bedroom.”

She snorted. “Well played, Mr. Van Zant. Is that how you get women up there?”

He grabbed her hand. “Yes, and it works beautifully.” He tugged her along while he walked backward through the stacks of boxes.

“Really? How many women have you had up there?”

“Scads. More than I can count.”

“That’s saying something for a math teacher.”

At the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and embraced her. “I went on a few dates after the divorce went through, but only because I was set up. They were awful.”

“Setups usually are. Any particular reason you’re telling me this?”

“I want tomorrow night to be nice, but I’m sorely out of practice.”

She leaned in and brushed her mouth across his. “You’re doing fine with the kissing. And you already sent flowers. I’m sure you can’t miss the good-date mark by that much.”

He kissed her back. Slowly and deliberately. His mouth was soft and firm and the focus of her entire being in that moment. More sparks went through her, accompanied by a warm current of air that spiraled around them and gave her the curious sensation of being weightless.

His hands gripped her hips, possessive and strong. His kiss turned demanding.

She met his hunger with some of her own. She wanted Cole. There was no denying it. As much as she didn’t want to be hurt again, she was willing to risk it for him. She was sure she could make him see that this was the right place for him and Kaley. Positive that she could convince him to stay.

And that they were meant to be.

When he broke the kiss, they were both panting. His eyes were as black as the midnight sky. “I don’t know if going up to my bedroom is such a good idea after all.”

She held his gaze. “Maybe not. But we’re both consenting adults.” She held a finger up. “And we both know it’s not going any further than kissing. Not until you decide to stay in Nocturne Falls.”

The heated look on his face eased into one of amusement. “Sexual blackmail, huh? Well played, Miss Williams. Well played.”

He took her hand again and started up the stairs.

“What grade would you give that kiss?”

He gave her a quick glance. “B-plus. But you can bring it up with extra credit.”

She made a little choked sound. “That’s what she said.”

He laughed and led her into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. “You’re going to do everything in your power to make it impossible for me to leave, aren’t you?”

The room was military-grade neat, which was what she’d expected after seeing his truck. “Yes, but it’s a win-win, so relax.” She sat on the bed and leaned back. “All right, show me your raven.”

He rubbed his hands together.

“Nervous?”

“A little.” He closed his eyes. “Here goes.”

A few seconds ticked by. Then a shimmer of energy passed over him like a heat mirage.

And an enormous raven sat on the floor before her.

Another shimmer of energy distorted his image again, and Cole stood before her. His eyes were solid black, even where the white should be. He blinked, and they went back to normal.

A surge of desire went through her with such power she flushed with warmth. “Whoa.”

“What?”

She stood, reluctant to tell him she felt like she was going into heat. “I should go. Busy day and all that.”

“Pandora, what aren’t you telling me? Did I do something wrong? Freak you out?”

“No, but…” She hesitated. “You gave off some kind of metaphysical power surge. I think. Whatever it was, I felt it.”

He seemed to ponder that. “The shift was much easier that time. Maybe because you were here. You didn’t do anything magical to help, did you?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Not doing that anymore. Whatever happens, happens.”

She just hoped it happened fast. There was no way she was going to be able to keep her hands off him for very much longer.

Cole’s Monday zipped by in a blur of getting Kaley off to school, finishing the front living room clean-out, calling the hauling company to come empty the dumpster and finally, getting ready for his date with Pandora.

Around lunchtime, she’d texted to say it would be easier for her to come by after work since she’d had a last-minute meeting with new sellers. He’d planned to pick her up, but he knew how busy she was. Whatever worked for her worked for him.

He took a quick shower, checked in to make sure Kaley was at her friend’s house working on their school project, then ran into town to get Pandora more flowers. Maybe it was overkill, but this date was going to be as perfect as he could make it. Which was also why he was doing this in person instead of ordering flowers online again.

Not until he walked inside the Enchanted Garden florist shop did he remember the business belonged to Pandora’s sister Marigold.

She smiled when she saw him. “Hi, Cole. What brings you in?”

“Hi, Marigold. I need flowers.”

Her brows did a little wiggly thing. “I’m fresh out.”

He looked around at all the flowers and greenery and potted plants. “Uh… Really?”

She laughed. “Obviously, that was supposed to be a joke.”

“Oh. Right.” He laughed too, feeling weirdly under pressure.

She shrugged. “I’m not really the funny one in my family. Don’t sweat it. What kind of flowers do you want? Same as last time?”

“Last time?”

“I’m the shop that fulfilled the order you did online.”

“I didn’t know that’s how that worked.” He thought for a moment. “Not the same thing. Roses. I guess.”

“These are for Pandora again?”

“Yes.”

Marigold’s grin reminded him of Pandora’s—bright, dazzling and utterly captivating. “Any particular occasion?”

He squinted at her. “You’re digging for info, aren’t you?”

She dragged her finger along the counter. “Maybe.”

He smiled. “It’s okay. I like how you all look out for each other.”

“You know how family is.”

“Not really. I was an only child.”

She nodded. “Saffie is too. I worry that she’s missing out by not having siblings. She hasn’t stopped talking about Kaley since dinner. I’d ask about a play date, but I’m sure a thirteen-year-old doesn’t want to hang out with an eight-year-old.”

“I don’t know. Kaley really took to all of you, and she’s enamored of the whole witch thing. Maybe we could do some kind of cookout next weekend.”

“Or you and Kaley could come to Saturday dinner again.”

He nodded. Getting to know Pandora included getting to know her family, something that could only help strengthen their relationship. “That would be great. We’re in. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now about those flowers… You don’t want roses. I mean, they’re okay for accent flowers, but Pandora loves big, bright, slightly wild arrangements. I’ll put something together.”

“I appreciate the help.”

She nodded. “You’re going to need it with that one. She hasn’t dated much.”

He stuck his hands in his pockets. “She told me about Ren.”

Marigold went to one of the glass-front refrigerators lining the workspace of the shop. “That whole thing was incredibly hard on her. And none of us really knew how to help her. She blamed herself.”

“Still does, from what she told me.”

Marigold brought bunches of flowers back to the craft table and started arranging them. “We’ve all told her it wasn’t her fault. Charisma even took a series of grief-therapy classes when she was working on her counseling degree to find ways to help. Pandora can’t seem to let go of it.”

He leaned against the counter, admiring Marigold’s deft touch. He’d never really thought of flower arranging as an art until now. “Do you think the accident has anything to do with her magic not working right?”

“No. It was never right. But the accident sure didn’t help. She was more reluctant than ever to attempt even the smallest magic. She did her training along with the rest of us, but all her learning was on paper. She knows her spells, knows her potions, all of it. But it’s all book smarts. When it came to practice, she’d just flat out refuse. After a while, it was just understood that her gifts were broken.” She added some greenery, then turned the bouquet so he could see it better. “There. What do you think?”

That Pandora was good at hiding how hurt she was. His heart ached for her and what she’d endured. “Impressive. And much prettier than a bunch of one-color roses. How much is this masterpiece going to cost?”

“Twenty bucks.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I may not buy flowers a lot, but I know that has to be a lot more than twenty bucks.”

She wrapped them in plastic and paper. “Family discount.”

He held out the cash. “That’s very kind, but I’m not family.”

She took his money, then handed over the flowers. “Play your cards right, and you could be.”

He accepted the flowers, unsure what to say in response. He didn’t want Pandora’s sisters to think poorly of him, but Marigold had to know he and Pandora were only at the beginning of their relationship. There was no guarantee of anything more at this point. Including him staying in town.

She laughed. “I know you’re being cautious in case things don’t work out between you two, but you’ll see.”

“Are you a mind reader?”

“No, that’s not where my talents lie.” She popped her hip to the side. “But you’re a man. And all men think pretty much along the same lines, so it’s not that hard to guess what’s going on in that handsome head of yours.” She pointed at him, her expression shifting to one of stark seriousness. “But you’d better not be playing with Pandora’s heart.”

“I’m not. We’re taking it slow. Getting to know each other.”

“Good.” Marigold crossed her arms and a sudden, inexplicable breeze zipped through the shop, rustling leaves and bending petals. “Because you do not want to get on our bad side.”

His brows lifted. Was that magic? There was no other explanation for it. “Noted. And thank you.”

He took the bouquet and went home. Marigold’s words stuck in his head while he got dressed. He had no intention of hurting Pandora, but he knew that if she fell for him but he didn’t fall for her and he decided not to stay in Nocturne Falls, that’s exactly what would happen.

And what if the reverse came true? He knotted his tie. If he fell for her and she ultimately rejected him, he’d be hurt. But so would Kaley.

All three of them had so much to lose. He’d manage. He’d been hurt before and gotten past it. But Pandora… He sighed. Pandora would be once again a witch without working magic. How badly would that hurt her?

And then there was Kaley. She was a kid and very vulnerable. He knew how excited she got every time Lila made any kind of contact.

What would she do if he had to tell her Pandora wasn’t going to be in their lives anymore? And not just because they were moving back to North Carolina.

As much as he wanted this evening to be light and fun and carefree, he had to talk to Pandora about this. Protecting Kaley was his priority.

He shrugged on his suit jacket and checked himself in the mirror. He hadn’t worn this suit since his annual review. Three knocks rang out from downstairs. He looked at his watch. Pandora was right on time. He grabbed his wallet and went to answer the door.

He opened it, and his jaw dropped. Her little black dress and sky-high heels, combined with her gorgeous red hair and creamy skin, took his breath away. She was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever had the honor of knowing. And he was about to be seen in public with her. He licked his lips and reminded himself this was just the start of the evening.

“Did you really go to work like that? Because if you did, you must have sold everything.”

She laughed, and he decided that was a sound he’d be happy to hear every day. “I had a jacket on. And different shoes.”

“I really like the ones you’re wearing now.” His gaze traveled down her shapely legs to her black patent leather, open-toed heels. They were the kind of shoes he’d love to see her wear all by themselves. His gaze lingered on them as the thought filled him with heat. Her toenails were painted a hot, juicy pink. Like ripe berries.