The Vampire's Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls Book 5) (17 page)

He held his hand out toward the door. “The bathroom is all yours. It’s the door next to this one. I’ll change in here.”

“Thanks.” She hugged the pajama top to her chest as she left.

He heard her gather up her things, then the bathroom door opened and closed. He undressed, putting his shoes, belt and cuff links away before hanging up his suit and throwing his shirt and socks in the hamper.

The soft sounds of her movements in the other room filtered through. He tried not to think about her undressing.

And being just a few feet away.

He pulled the pajama pants on, then looked at himself in the full length mirror on the back of the closet door. The chain about his neck that held the amulet responsible for his daywalking ability stood out against his skin. If he left it on, she might ask about it and he didn’t want to lie to her, but taking it off wasn’t something he wanted to do either.

The amulet had kept him safe from the sun for so long he couldn’t imagine being without it. The magic it contained had changed his life.

Much in the way Tessa was about to change it again.

He left the chain on. If she asked, he’d tell her. After everything she was doing for him, he felt safe trusting her with such a valuable secret. And maybe she wouldn’t ask. She wasn’t the type to pry, either.

He took a pillow and blanket from the linen cabinet that was part of the closet and went back into his bedroom to make up a bed on the leather chesterfield sofa. It sat beneath the bank of windows overlooking the back garden. It was one of his favorite places to sit and read and a rather comfortable spot, but he’d never slept there.

As he spread the blanket out, the bathroom door opened.

He turned. “How’d the top work for…”

His pajama shirt skimmed the tops of her thighs, displaying legs that were pale and gorgeously muscled and so long he lost himself staring at them. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen so much of a woman. The expanse of alabaster skin was positively enthralling.

Tessa cleared her throat.

He picked his head up to meet her gaze, hoping he hadn’t inadvertently drooled on himself. Her hair was bound in a messy knot atop her head and her face was scrubbed clean, leaving her cheeks pink. She looked like a wild creature. A forest nymph. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a woman more beautiful.

“Hello,” he whispered.

Only as the word left his mouth did he realize how inane he must sound.

She smiled. “Hi,” she whispered back. She tugged at the shirt’s hem, trying to lengthen it and failing. “It’s a little short, but it will do.”

“It looks good on you. I’ve never seen a woman in my clothes before.” It was infinitely more arousing than he’d imagined.

“Really? Is that why your eyes are glowing? I know it’s a vampire thing, and I can sense that it’s strong emotion, but I can’t quite pinpoint what emotion it is specifically. It’s almost like your vampire reaction fogs up my ability to read you a little.”

It was overwhelming desire, but he wasn’t interested in sharing that. But then, he didn’t have to share what he was feeling for her to know, did he? She had to been sensing some of what he was feeling. He turned away, using the prepping of his makeshift bed as an excuse to hide his chagrin. “It’s not always voluntary, but one can learn to control it.”

He heard rustling and glanced over his shoulder to see her climbing into his bed. It was a traditional tall bed with a heavy wood frame, and as she maneuvered under the thick down comforter, he caught a glimpse of the white cotton underwear that covered her firm backside. White cotton. Of course that’s what she would wear. It was practical and unadorned and perfect. His throat went dry.

If his eyes had been glowing before, they must be positively on fire now. He forced his head around. How was he going to spend the entire night in the same room with her? Already her soapy-clean fragrance permeated the space and in such quiet, listening to the rhythm of her beating heart was its own kind of seduction.

He closed his eyes. The image of her cotton-clad backside peeking out from under his pajama shirt appeared. He opened them back up again.

She sighed. “I wish I had my book.”

He risked a look at her again. Thankfully, this time she was under the covers. “I could run down to the library and get you something. Or there’s a copy of Forbes on the nightstand, but I don’t imagine that would hold much interest for you.” Or he could crawl in bed next to her and give her something else to do besides read.

She squinted at him. “Your eyes glow a lot.”

He forced himself to get control. “It’s all the…stress.” That was the best he could do.

“I’ll skip the magazine. I’m plenty tired and have to be up early, so it’s just as well.”

He nodded. “I’ll get the lights then.”

He strode across to the switch and turned them off, but enough moonlight snuck through the curtains for his vampire eyes to see the room as though nothing had changed. She watched him from bed, probably unaware just how well he could see her. “Good night, Tessa.”

“Good night, Sebastian.”

He slid beneath the blanket and settled in, throwing one arm behind his head. From the way he was positioned, he could see her perfectly. In his bed. He couldn’t stop watching.

She closed her eyes and turned onto her side, her face away from him. If he lay behind her, she would mold to his body seamlessly. Spooning, they called that now. He barely remembered what it felt like to hold a woman that close.

His body ached with need to the point that physical pain bloomed in his chest. Finally, he twisted away, made himself close his eyes, and prayed for sleep.

It was the only way he was going to stay out of that bed.

Tessa stared at the wall, or what she could see of it. Valkyrie sight was good, but not as sharp as a vampire’s eyes. Close, though, and the moonlight trickling in helped. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, trying to cleanse the emotions of the evening so that sleep was a possibility.

But sleeping when there was a half-naked vampire just steps away was not going to be easy.

Especially when that vampire was giving off waves of desire. She’d asked him about his eyes hoping he’d confess to it, but he hadn’t and she’d realized a second later that he was trying very hard to control himself.

So she’d let it be. Because she was trying very hard to do the same thing.

She was glad the sight of her naked legs had distracted him when she’d come out of the bathroom. That had saved her the embarrassment of being caught staring at him. No doubt her mouth had been open and eyes wide. She knew she’d blushed.

Sebastian without his shirt was…wow. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen a man’s chest before. She did go to the community pool during the summers. And there was television and social media and the covers of romance novels, which she devoured in between the literary stuff librarians were expected to keep up with. But being in the same room with a half-naked man? Who had also kissed her? To the point that she’d thought parts of her would catch on fire?

That was a very different thing.

And now she was in his bed. It smelled of him, dark and spicy and sort of woodsy. Like the pages of a much-loved, leather-bound book.

He’d been in this bed. Right where she was now. Probably wearing this exact shirt.

She swallowed as an uncontrollable shiver ran through her.

Her lips parted and the urge to call him to her was so strong she pressed a hand over her mouth. No, no, no. Getting involved with him in a purely physical way would never end well. She wasn’t that kind of woman anyway.

She sighed and wished Duncan were here. At least then she could snuggle his furry little butt. If he’d stay still. When he slept, he went out pretty hard. And since they’d been in Nocturne Falls, he’d taken to spending part of the night with her and part of the night with Jenna. He was probably curled up on her pillow making biscuits in her hair right now.

Tessa’s eyes blinked open. She hadn’t cleared bringing Duncan here, but he was her cat. And kittens needed a lot of attention. It wouldn’t be fair to leave him at Jenna’s when she was gone so long on her shifts for the sheriff’s office.

She already knew Sebastian wouldn’t like it. Look at his house. It was immaculate. But after what she was doing for him, he was just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. She wasn’t going to spend an entire week away from her baby.

Not even for that ridiculously handsome man. There was only so much sacrifice she was willing to make.

Maybe she’d bring Duncan and then tell Sebastian about him after he was firmly ensconced in Chez Ellingham. The whole ask for forgiveness rather than permission thing. It wasn’t her way. Her way was usually planning and by-the-book and all forms in triplicate. But what if he said no? They couldn’t have that argument in front of Evangeline.

She huffed out a breath. Evangeline. The woman was under this same roof. Probably snooping around right now.

“Sebastian?” She said his name quietly, not wanting to wake him if he’d already fallen asleep.

The quickness of his reply indicated he had not. “Yes?”

There was an eagerness in his voice that surprised her. Had he been expecting her to ask him something? If so, what? She’d think about that later. “Aren’t you worried that you-know-who might be riffling through your things while you’re asleep?”

“She might be, but anything of importance is behind locked doors. My desk drawers and filing cabinets are locked as well.”

Tessa rolled over to lay on her back. “Couldn’t she pick those locks?”

“I suppose she could, if she’s learned to do that. But Greaves is probably keeping an eye on her. And even if she gets into my office, she’d have to pick the locks on my desk drawers as well.”

She smiled. “You’re a smart man to have that double security even in your home.”

He laughed softly. “You say smart, my brothers say overly cautious.”

“But you’re protecting them, too—and the town. I approve.”

“Thank you.”

They both went quiet again. Sebastian spoke a minute later. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“Yes. This couch is surprisingly adequate as a bed. Considering what it cost, it should be.”

Note to self, do not let Duncan claw the bedroom furniture.
“Good. I’d feel bad if you were miserable.”

“And if I was?”

She smiled up at the ceiling. His words seemed very flirty. “We’d have to figure something else out for you.”

“Something else?”

“A different place for you to sleep.” Like next to her in this very large bed.

Because that would lead to sleeping. Sure.

He chuckled softly. “I’m not sure how well I would sleep in that situation either.”

Her eyes widened. It was like he was in her head. Vampires couldn’t read minds, right? She’d never heard of that being a thing. The best she could do for a response was laugh nervously, but it came out a strangled noise that made her sound like she was choking on something. She quickly cleared her throat and changed the subject. “We should go out to dinner again tomorrow night.”

“What about Evangeline?”

“You agreed she could live here for a week. I can’t imagine that includes accompanying us on all the things that couples do. Like dinner, movies, walks in the park…”

“You’re a brilliant woman, you know that?” She could hear the smile in his voice.

She smiled right back. “Thanks. I take it that means yes to dinner?”

“That means yes to anything you want.”

Her smile widened. She’d be sure to remind him of that when she brought Duncan back to his house in the morning.