Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“Don’t pay attention to her,” Elias said, passing Pandora a glass that, this time, was full of wine instead of blood. “Just another ploy to draw attention to herself. You look lovely.”
“Thanks. I’m still not leaving Victor for you, no matter how nice you’ve been,” she told him.
During that brief period when she hadn’t been in contact with Victor, she’d actually seriously tried to consider it, to make herself see him as a viable romantic interest. But she simply couldn’t do it.
“I know,” Elias said with a nod. “No one who saw that kiss the other day would think you’re anything but head-over for the guy. Save for maybe Bellatrix,” he added.
“What do you mean?”
“She was there that night,” he told Pandora. “That was who I’d seen and went to try to confront. But she was too fast. Got away from me.”
She was about to ask some follow-up questions, when the knocker clacked against the front door, making her jolt.
“Probably Lucy,” she said, hoping that was the case so she could get her blood. But when she rushed toward the door and pulled it open, Victor was standing there.
“Oh, hey,” she said, surprised. “Where are your parents?”
“They’re driving in,” he told her. “Traffic was awful tonight, so I told them I would meet them here and take the Underground so they didn’t need to fight it to get me. Can I come in?” he asked with a small smile when she kept barring his entrance.
“Oh, right. Of course,” she said, moving out of the way, only to find herself secured around the waist and pulled against his firm body, his lips crashing down on hers.
She melted into him, her hands sliding up his arms, holding on as his kiss grew warmer. But just for a moment. Then he was lowering her down onto her feet, giving her a soft smile that made her belly flip.
“You ready for this?” he asked, low enough for just the two of them to hear.
“No,” she replied, leaning forward to bump her forehead into his chest.
“It’s gonna be fine.” His hand went to the back of her neck for a second and she could almost swear she felt the brush of his lips on her hair. But surely that was just her wishful thinking.
“Oh, Victor!” Ravenna cheered, rushing down the foyer, her low heels clicking on the tiles, her arms outstretched.
“Ravenna,” Victor said, greeting her back. “So nice to see you aga—”
He lost the rest of his sentence as Ravenna yanked him against her and just about squeezed the air out of his lungs before kissing him hard on each cheek.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? You make me wish I was five hu … fifty years younger. Come in out of the cold! We can’t wait to meet your parents.”
With that, she rushed off to get Victor a glass of wine as Pandora led him into the sitting room.
“You must be Henrietta,” Victor said as he immediately spied Pandora’s aunt on a sofa with half of her dogs sitting next to her or on her lap and the others on the floor at her feet, chewing at her rubber clogs. “I’ve heard so much about you,” he said politely.
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Henrietta said, holding out her hand for a kiss. Which Victor managed to pull off after a moment’s hesitation. “They don’t like men,” Henrietta said when Victor tried to pet one of the dogs, only to get snarled and snapped at. “Smart that way,” she added with a little chuckle.
Pandora led Victor across the room toward her uncle and his boyfriend, who had untangled themselves from Reginald.
“You must be Leopold and Cody,” Victor said, giving them each a hearty handshake. “You’re not historical reenactors?” he asked as he looked at their outfits.
Leopold’s brows pinched and he opened his mouth to speak, but Cody was quicker, slapping the back of his hand into Leopold’s chest and replying with all of his light, easy charisma. “Oh, not us. We like modern times a little better. Did Reginald tell you about that scene from that Black Death play he worked on?” he asked smoothly.
Thank goodness, Pandora thought, feeling her shoulders relax. She had two more people to act as a buffer against the more eccentric family members.
“That must be Lucy,” Pandora said, hearing another knock and pulling Victor along with her toward the hallway.
But Ophelia was already at the door, opening it to reveal another visiting family member.
“Oh, no,” Pandora said, eyes going wide as she looked at Great-Uncle Dudley.
He was a tall, thin man who wasn’t aware any shade other than midnight existed, so he wore it from the top of his top-hat-covered head to his leather shoes.
He looked like he’d stepped out of some gothic novel.
Or, Pandora thought with rising panic, like a stereotypical vampire.