The Professor Woos The Witch

Cole looked up and raised his brows. “I’d say. Those are huge. Kaley, maybe just half of that.”

Stanhill put his coffee down. “Delaney has a hard time with moderation. Being a vampire means calories don’t count.”

Charisma pointed her fork at him. “They do for the rest of us mortals.”

Kaley’s eyes rounded. “This was made by a vampire?”

Stanhill nodded. “Yes. Does it taste any different?” he teased.

She took another bite. “Just extra awesome.”

“Yeah,” Saffie said. “Extra awesome.” She laughed and made a face, and the two of them went back to stuffing their faces.

Pandora tucked her head to hide her smile as she leaned toward Cole. “I think Kaley has a not-so-secret admirer in Saffie.”

“I see that.” He paused, his head bent to match hers, his voice so low and husky it sent a shiver over her skin. “She’s not the only one with a not-so-secret admirer.”

She stilled. That was not fair. He couldn’t flirt with her and pretend nothing had changed when he was leaving.

She sat up and dug into her cake, putting a big forkful into her mouth so there would be no polite way to answer him. The cake was all that was right in the world. It would mean extra time on the treadmill tomorrow, but right now chocolate and bourbon seemed like the answer to everything.

Stanhill noticed. “What do you think of the cake, Pandora? Delaney will want to know.”

She finally swallowed. “It’s perfect. I mean, chocolate and booze?” She paused to gesture dramatically with her fork as the need to jab back at Cole rose up within her. “With cake this amazing, who needs a man?”

Cole gave Pandora her space for the rest of the evening, which thankfully wasn’t much longer. After dessert, she seemed very ready to go. And very ready to be away from him.

On the way home, he let Kaley ride up front while he sat in the back with his father. Kaley did exactly as he’d hoped and kept up a steady salvo of questions about the coven meeting.

Jack was staring at him. Cole could feel it. Finally, he turned toward his father and lifted his brows in question.

Jack took the opening. “Good meal.”

Cole nodded. “Very.”

“Nice family, too.” In other words, Jack no longer thought Pandora or her family was out to get him.

“Yes.”

“You probably should have brought more than wine.” Translation: The wine hadn’t been enough to make up for upsetting Pandora.

“I didn’t know what else to bring.”

Jack hmphed and turned to watch the scenery out the window.

Cole caught Pandora looking at him in the rearview mirror, but as soon as he made eye contact, she snapped her gaze back to the road.

They pulled into the driveway five minutes later, although it felt like the trip had taken an hour. Cole jumped out and opened Kaley’s door. As soon as she vacated, he leaned down. He had to say something to Pandora. “I’m sorry about tonight. I really am.”

“I told you, it’s no big deal.” She was flip and casual and completely on the defensive. “I’ll be by around six fifteen tomorrow to pick Kaley up.”

She shifted the car into reverse, ready to go.

He exhaled. She obviously didn’t want to talk. Or listen. “Okay. See you then.”

“Yep.” She stared straight ahead.

He shut the door, but stood in the driveway as she reversed and pulled away through the gate. She’d be back tomorrow. He knew that. But he couldn’t get past the fact that her leaving right now felt like it was forever.

Kaley was in the house already, but Jack stood on the porch. “Let her go.”

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” Cole knew the tone in his voice was less than respectful, but he was angry and didn’t care. He strode up the drive to join his father on the porch.

Jack shook his head. “This is for the best. Trust me.”

“Maybe Pandora and I wouldn’t both be so upset right now if I’d known what I was before she and I met.” Cole faced him. “Still think my not knowing is what’s best?”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll tell you what you need to know when you need to know it, and yes, it’s what’s best for both of you. Plus, you have a house, a job and a life back in North Carolina. You going to give all that up to move here on the chance things might work out between you? What kind of teaching job are you going to get living in a town where pretending every day is Halloween is the main industry? Pull yourself together, son.”

“Hard to do when so much in my life has been upended.”

“And you think Pandora’s going to fix all that?”

“No, but that’s not her job. What if things did work out between us?”

Jack grunted. “All I know is you have a daughter to provide for.”

“I’m well aware of that.” A daughter who wasn’t all that happy with him right now. What else was new? He tried to focus on that and not the burgeoning ache in his chest. He had no right to feel this way about Pandora anyway. They’d kissed a few times. That was all. “I should go talk to Kaley.”

“They seem like good people, but—”

“Dad, I really don’t want to discuss it anymore. It’s late. I need to talk to Kaley, and then I’m going to bed. This house isn’t going to remodel itself.”

Jack held his hands up. “You got it. I’ll be on the couch tonight and out of your hair in the morning.”