The Vampire's Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls Book 5) (14 page)

She looked classy and sexy and just slightly unattainable. Perfection. His heart clenched at the sight of her. His fake fiancée.

“Thank you. You look very nice too.” She stayed by the door, hands clasped and looking rather unsure of herself.

He realized she must be racked with nerves. He lifted his glass. “Would you care for a drink? Might help take the edge off.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I can’t risk losing control. What if I slip up and do something wrong?”

The worry bracketing her mouth cut him. She was doing this for him. Bearing this stress, all in the hopes of winning a job. “You won’t do anything wrong. You can’t. Whatever happens tonight, happens. The job is yours, Tessa. No matter this evening’s outcome. You’ve already done more than enough for me. Come on, have a drink and relax a little. One won’t hurt. And it might take the edge off.”

She walked toward him, eyes rounding a little. “You mean that, about the job? You’re definitely giving it to me?”

He nodded as he poured her a whiskey. “Yes. You’ve earned it. And I don’t mean just because of this favor you’re doing for me. You’re exceptionally qualified.”

“Thank you.” She hesitated, then leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Her perfume teased his senses and he smiled wryly. “Was that a test?”

“No. That was just a thank you. Although I suppose I shouldn’t be kissing my boss.”

“I’m not your boss yet.” He handed her the glass, then picked his up and knocked it against her. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” She took a cautious sip.

The doorbell rang.

Sebastian smiled, doing his best to ease her mood. “That will probably be one of my brothers.”

Delaney’s and Hugh’s voices rang out from the foyer. Greaves showed them into the library a few minutes later.

“Hi, Tessa.” Delaney gave Tessa’s arm a squeeze. “How are you feeling? You look fantastic.”

“Thanks, so do you. I’m feeling okay. A little nervous.” Tessa lifted her glass. “This is helping.”

“I’m sure it is.” Delaney laughed. “How were the chocolates? Are they all gone?”

“Not yet. Of course, that’s assuming my sister didn’t eat the rest for breakfast.”

As the two women chatted, Hugh sidled up to Sebastian. “You ready for this?”

“Yes. One way or the other, things have to change between Evangeline and me.”

Hugh nodded. “That’s for damn sure.”

“Whiskey?”

“I’d rather have wine. You have any red?”

“Not in here.”

Before Sebastian could ring for Greaves, the doorbell sounded again.

Julian strode into the library a few moments later. “Isn’t this cozy? Evangeline not here yet?”

They all answered him in unison. “No.”

“All right then.” He poured himself a glass of whiskey. “What’s the plan?”

“Reinforce our story. Whatever we say, go with it. Keep the conversation light. Steer Evangeline away from any probing questions,” Sebastian said. “But above all, if anything goes wrong, protect Tessa.”

Delaney made a worried face. “You think if Evangeline finds out this is all a ruse, she’ll try to hurt Tessa? What kind of woman is your ex-wife?”

“Wife,” Julian corrected. “They haven’t actually gotten a divorce.”

Hugh glared at his brother. “After this many years of separation, it’s a formality.”

“True. But Evangeline would probably disagree with you.” Julian sipped his drink and went off to join the women.

Hugh gave Sebastian a nod. “Tessa won’t come to any harm. Evangeline’s outnumbered.”

“Numbers won’t keep her insults at bay. She won’t lay hands on Tessa, but she will try to eviscerate her with words if given the chance.”

Delaney linked her arm through Tessa’s. “Then we just won’t let that happen, will—”

The doorbell rang again and everyone in the library fell silent. Sebastian’s entire body tightened with resolve.

Evangeline had arrived.

The dining room was beautiful, the food was delicious and five of the six guests at the table were firmly on Tessa’s side.

None of that kept her from feeling like a woman on trial. Was this how the dying souls on the battlefields felt when her valkyrie sisters came to collect them?

If so, it was horrifying, and confirmed her decision to live her life as far removed from her lineage as possible.

Evangeline was tremendously beautiful. Tessa knew some of that was due to her being a vampire. The turning magnified a person’s human beauty. Evangeline must have been stunning as a mortal. Her skin was as perfect as a picture in a magazine, her eyes bright and full of mystery, her hair dark brown and glossy except for a few streaks of red.

Compounding the matter, she was dressed impeccably in a cobalt blue dress that hugged her perfect body. Her make-up was equally perfect and she seemed to be unflappable, with the right response to every question and comment.

Evangeline was the kind of woman who made the world her playground and turned those around her into staff.

Tessa felt like a pretender. Well, more of a pretender than she already was. Getting ready for dinner had been as simple as changing her clothes and accessories, adding a little more makeup and running a brush through her hair. Something told her Evangeline had exerted quite a bit more effort than that.

She took a breath and reminded herself that this was not a competition. This was just a game in which the goal was to make Evangeline believe Sebastian was capable of attracting another woman and to therefore remind Evangeline that he was not to be taken for granted.

With that in mind, Tessa stopped staring at her potato gratin and lifted her head to smile lovingly at her bogus betrothed.

It wasn’t hard to do. She was, sadly, a little smitten with him. It was a rare man who valued books and learning the way he did and had the means to indulge those passions. That alone would have been enough to sway her. But then there were his dark good looks. He was the vampire version of Mr. Darcy and if she was supposed to resist that, then someone needed to tell her how.

But if she thought about the kissing, her bones went to jelly and her brain to mush and the heat of desire warmed her to the point of combustion.

She hadn’t realized the extent of her loneliness until just this moment. Freya help her, she was a sad thing. And, to make matters worse, she missed Duncan. Snuggling that little fur ball was a tremendous stress reliever.

Jenna would roll her eyes and proclaim Tessa had finally become the stereotypical cat lady librarian, but the truth could not be ignored.

Nor could the man seated at the head of the table.

Sebastian listened as Delaney described the dessert she’d brought, some red velvet cake with raspberry filling that was a test for the cake she was going to enter in the Valentine’s Day Bake Off.

Tessa smiled. She liked Delaney and not just for her skills with sweet things. She was a kind, happy woman who Tessa imagined was also a fiercely loyal friend. And Delaney and Sebastian’s brother Hugh were very clearly in love. It was charming how he watched her, a proud gleam in his eyes.

Tessa wondered if a man would ever look at her that way.

Maybe Duncan would.

She snorted at the thought, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Evangeline, seated mercifully at the other end of the table, raised her brows and directed her gaze at Tessa. “What was that?”

Tessa swallowed. “Nothing, sorry.” She lifted her goblet of water and drank, hoping that would end the questioning.

It didn’t.

Evangeline tipped her head while her eyes remained on Tessa. “Will you be entering the bake off?”

Tessa put her water down and shook her head. “I’m not a baker by any means.”

“Where do your talents lie?”

Sebastian reached over and took her hand. “Tessa is a librarian. In fact, she’s about to become the Dean of Library Studies at Harmswood Academy.”

Evangeline smiled and looked dutifully impressed. “Well, how about that. Congratulations. I’ve never had much time for reading. All those dull, musty pages. Not for me. Not when there are so many other more interesting things to do. But now I see why Sebby is so attracted to you. He loves dull things.” Before anyone could say a thing, Evangeline laughed. “Books, I mean.”

Tessa’s valkyrie temper nudged at the base of her spine. She forced herself to smile. “Of course.”

Sebastian’s hand tightened over hers. She looked at him in time to see a muscle in his jaw twitch. “Watch your tongue, Evangeline.”

She rounded her eyes and blinked at him as though she didn’t have a clue why he might be angry. “I said I meant books.”

He grunted at her, the sound a mix of disbelief and irritation.

She grinned and lifted her wine. “Quite the leap to defend your paramour. A very nice touch. Definitely the way a man should act.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched again. “What is that supposed to mean?”

She grinned over the rim of her glass. “Nothing at all. I do find it rather convenient that you’ve rallied the troops. You’re the one who invited me to dinner, after all.”

Despite Julian’s lazy slouch in his chair, there was something dark simmering in his gaze. His dislike of Evangeline, Tessa guessed. He leaned a little farther away from the vampiress before he spoke. “We’re here because your reputation precedes you, Eva.”

She drained her wine, then set the glass down. “What reputation is that?”

Someone else snorted and Tessa realized it had come from Hugh. “Evangeline, don’t play coy. My brothers and I have known you for nearly four hundred years. You were willful and spoiled as a child, given to tantrums and diatribes that lasted until your demands were met. None of that changed as you grew up and when you became a vampire, the turning did what it always does. It took the strongest of your characteristics and magnified them. Unfortunately, in your case, those characteristics weren’t all good ones.”

Hugh shook his head as he continued. “For once in your self-centered, indulgent life, do the right thing and let Sebastian be. He’s found happiness. You ought to try to do the same.”

Evangeline stared at him. An icy glaze narrowed her eyes for a moment and then she seemed to catch herself. She smiled and straightened in her chair. “I will ignore your insults but only because I’m concerned for Sebby. I just want what’s best for him.”

Julian barked out a laugh. “If that’s the case, give the man his dissolution already.”

She snapped back, “What’s best for him is me.”

Sebastian grunted again.

Evangeline’s eyes went liquid and her gaze turned to Sebastian. “Is that what you want, my darling? A dissolution? To end us once and for all?”

All eyes shifted to Sebastian. Tessa watched, knowing this was a pivotal moment for him. He’d said that getting Evangeline back was necessary for him to keep the promise he’d made, but his actions toward Tessa had said he’d prefer to be free.

She put her hands in her lap and interlaced her fingers, squeezing them together. Maybe she shouldn’t have pushed him away. Maybe she should have given in to her own feelings and let him touch and kiss her all he—and she—had wanted.

If he chose Evangeline because Tessa had denied him, she would be complicit in his unhappiness. Because there was no way he could be happy with that woman.

No. Way.

Tessa couldn’t imagine spending any length of time with her. Thank Freya this dinner was almost over and the charade with it. Any longer and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep her dangerous temper under control. The woman was just flat out infuriating.

Sebastian lifted his chin, his mouth firmly set until he finally spoke. “A dissolution would be bloody brilliant.”