The Professor Woos The Witch (Nocturne Falls Book 4) (35 page)

He followed the signs for visitors, parked in the lot and walked in with a manila envelope containing his resume tucked under one arm. The place was swathed in dark wood and tapestries. Marble tiles provided flooring while shelves of books and framed maps lined the walls. In the center of the space sat an ornate globe about the size of a compact car. Very Old World. Very old money.

The reception area was just beyond the foyer. A woman with pointed ears greeted him. “Good morning. Welcome to Harmswood. How may I help you?”

“I’m Cole Van Zant. I have an appointment with Hugh and Sebastian Ellingham.”

“Of course.” She stood. “Right this way.”

She led him down a broad hall. Oil portraits of the board members decorated one side. Many of them were decidedly not human. He tried not to stare. The receptionist turned into a small alcove with two doors. She knocked on the right one.

A voice called out, “Enter.”

She opened the door. “Mr. Ellingham, Mr. Ellingham. Mr. Van Zant is here.” Both of the Ellinghams stood. She stepped out of the way to let Cole into the large conference room, then closed the door.

And left him alone in a room with two vampires.

It was impossible not to feel some level of discomfort.

One of the men stuck his hand out and smiled. “Hugh Ellingham.” He gestured to the other man. “This is my brother Sebastian. Good of you to join us on such short notice.”

“Thanks.” Cole shook the man’s hand. It wasn’t cold like he’d imagined. “I appreciate the opportunity.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet,” Sebastian said as he sat behind the table.

Hugh took the chair at the head of the table, so Cole took the one across from Sebastian. “True,” Cole said. “But whatever it is, I still appreciate the opportunity and your time.” That might have been a little bit of a suck-up, but it was true.

And they were vampires. Best to stay on their good sides.

Hugh clasped his hands and rested them on the table while Sebastian continued to stare at Cole like he was trying to map the veins in his body. Not the most calming of thoughts. Hugh cleared his throat. “We’ve checked up on you. Your resume is impressive, and your colleagues speak highly of you.”

“You spoke to my colleagues?” He hadn’t yet told the college he wasn’t planning to return.

Hugh held up a hand. “Discreetly, I promise.”

That was something. Cole laid his envelope on the table. “I assumed this was about a possible teaching position, so I brought my resume.”

“It is about a teaching position. And we’d be happy to add the resume to your file, but you graduated with honors from M.I.T. a semester ahead of your fellow students. I don’t know what other recommendation we’d need.”

That information was available in his online bio. Not the part about being a semester ahead, though. “You did your homework.”

Sebastian nodded. “We’re very thorough.”

“Are you looking for a math teacher, then?”

“We are,” Hugh answered. “Specifically for Advanced Placement classes. Algebra and calculus. As the school is expanding, we’re trying to broaden our curriculum. And as you can imagine, it’s not always easy to find qualified teachers who are also supernaturals. We need teachers who are both skilled in their professions and sympathetic to the particular needs of our students.”

Hugh paused. “I should mention, you’ll need to meet with the board of trustees and the dean as well, but it’s merely a formality. They’re all in agreement that you’d be an excellent addition to the school’s faculty.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Sebastian glanced at his brother. “And seeing as how we control the school’s finances, they also weren’t inclined to be anything but in agreement.”

Cole thought for a moment before he spoke. “You understand that I’m fairly new to being a supernatural, let alone knowing that supernaturals exist. I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”

Hugh smiled. “We know. And from what we’ve been told, you’ve adapted extraordinarily well. It’s not an area of concern for us. As long as it’s not an area of concern for you.”

“No,” Cole said. “It’s not. But I am still learning.”

“That’s a healthy place to be in,” Hugh said. “I understand you’re interested in enrolling your daughter here.”

“I am. What is the tuition? I’m afraid I don’t know much about the school.”

“That’s all right. We keep a low profile outside of the supernatural community. Tuition for students requiring room and board is twenty thousand a school year. For students not requiring room and board, it’s ten thousand. However, for the children of our faculty, all fees are waived.”

“That’s a nice perk.”

“We believe in taking care of those who take care of our students. And I assure you, we’re an excellent school. We run all grades from kindergarten through twelfth, and our students have been accepted into every college you can think of. I believe you’ll find our offer very competitive.” Hugh looked at his brother.

Sebastian opened a leather portfolio and took out a sheet of paper and slid it across the table to Cole. “It’s a fairly standard deal.”

Cole picked it up and read it. The highlights were paid vacations, holidays
and
summers, full insurance including dental, and a non-disclosure agreement, which, considering the nature of those working at and attending the school, seemed fair. The only thing that gave him pause was the figure at the bottom. It was thirty-five percent more than his college salary.

He looked up at the brothers, then turned the sheet around and pointed to the sum. “This number here. This is the salary?”

Hugh glared at Sebastian. “I told you that was too low.” He shifted his gaze to Cole. “We’re prepared to offer another ten thousand a year, as well as—Sebastian, the other agreement?”

Sebastian made a growly sigh, took a second sheet of paper from the portfolio and added it to the table. “If you sign a five-year contract, there’s a seventy-five-thousand-dollar signing bonus.”

Cole stared at the contract, unable to react. The amount of money they were offering him was life-changing for him and Kaley. In so many ways.

He thought about what it would mean for him and Pandora. With a calmness that surprised him, he picked up the five-year contract and skimmed it. There was a lot Cole didn’t know about this school, but what he did know was he was being offered the opportunity of a lifetime.

After a moment, Hugh said, “I can arrange for a complete tour of the school tomorrow as well as arrange the meeting with the dean and the board of trustees and some of the teaching staff so that you can have a more complete idea of who’d you’d be working with and what the school is like. I understand this is a big decision. Do you have any questions I could answer now?”

Cole put the contract down. “Just one. Do you have a pen?”

Pandora stepped out of a hot shower feeling almost a hundred percent better. She could probably sleep more, but she didn’t really want to. What she wanted was to catch up with her mother and Cole and see what had transpired since she’d passed out.

Well, she remembered
one
thing. Last night. With Cole. She grinned as she dressed. That wasn’t something she’d ever forget.

Her phone rang. She grabbed it, checked the caller ID and smiled harder. “Hello,
lover
.”

Cole laughed. “I guess I didn’t wake you.”

“Nope. Just got out of the shower.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good. A little tired still, but better. And starving actually.”

“Perfect. I happen to have two of Mummy’s cheesesteaks with fries in my truck right now. Should I bring them over?”

A whiff of grilled meat and spices filled her senses. Was this what being bonded did? Her mouth watered. “You got hot peppers on them, didn’t you?”

“Is there another way to eat cheesesteaks? Still, good guess.”

“It wasn’t a guess. I could smell them. I think that means we’re bonded.”

“Wow. Really? That’s…amazing.”

“I know, right?” Her stomach growled. “Did you get gravy for the fries?”

“Does two plus two equal four?”

“Yes, it does! Bring them over right now. How did you know?” She gasped. “Did you sense my hunger because we’re bonded? Do you think us being bonded means that you can now anticipate all my needs? If so, I approve.”

He laughed. “I just thought you’d be hungry. I’ll be there in five minutes. And I’ll be happy to attend to whatever
other
needs you might have.”

“Feed me first then we’ll talk.”

Ten minutes later, they were elbow-deep in greasy, delicious cheesesteaks and fries smothered in gravy. Cole smiled at her and pointed at a spot on his face. “You have a little something right here.”

She wiped a napkin over her mouth. “Better?”

He nodded, then eyed her plate. “You weren’t fooling about being hungry.”

“I went full Pumpkin on that cheesesteak, didn’t I? I was starving.”

“You did miss dinner last night. And breakfast this morning.” He ate a fry. “You should go to bed early tonight.”

She leaned back in her chair and twirled a fry between her fingers. “Is that a come-on?”

He laughed. “As much as I would like it be, no. You need your rest. And Kaley and I probably need to talk a little more about everything that happened. It’s going to take her a while to get past what Lila did.”

Pandora nodded. “With you for a dad, she’s going to be fine.”

“I’m sure that’s true. But we still need to talk about it.” He cleared his throat. “Speaking of talking about things, I have good news and I have bad news.”

She put the fry down. This wasn’t good. Well, the good news was, but what if the bad news was worse? She nodded, her mood completely shifted. “Bad news first.” That was the way to do it. Get that out of the way.

“Okay.” His face went solemn. “I’m not giving you the listing on the house.”

“You’re not?” She thought about it, then nodded. He needed the money. She got that. She took a breath. “All right. I can accept that. So what’s the good news?”

An enormous smile erupted across his face. “The reason I’m not giving you the listing. I’m not selling the house. Because Kaley and I need a place to live.”

She squinted at him, not fully understanding. “I can find you a more affordable place. And a family who won’t care about Gertrude in the attic.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want a cheaper place. I want that place. Gertrude and all.” He reached out and took her hands. “I want a place where our kids can grow up. If we have kids. A place that means something to both of us. The history of us includes that house. I don’t want another family living there. Especially since I’m going to be here a long, long time.”

“You are?” The lightness of her mood started to return. “For sure?”

He leaned over and kissed her. “For sure. I signed a five-year contract this morning to teach at Harmswood Academy.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.”

She got up to sit on his lap and throw her arms around him. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy. Thank you.” She kissed his face, then his mouth.

After a long moment, she pulled back. “I love you.”

“I love you too. I’m just sorry I couldn’t make your dream come true.”

She frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”

“There’s no white picket fence around Pilcher Manor.”

She grinned. “Wrought iron is just fine.”

“Good.” He stood, picking her up in his arms as he did. “And now, you should probably be resting. We still have to remodel that house, you know.”

“I can’t rest. I’m too excited!” She wrapped her arms around his neck. Her life had suddenly gotten amazing.

“Oh, my apologies. Did I say you should be resting?” His eyes darkened with a wicked glint. “I meant
bonding
.”