Page 12 of Shadows of Nightshade
There. Now his brother could see that Finn was a good guy.
Damen was silent but didn’t appear to be convinced. However, his cynicism returned to intrigue. I never normally looked into people’s faces—only at their mouths—but something about his gaze held my attention.
I should have been nervous. Instead, a sense of familiarity swelled in my chest. My cheeks burned under his scrutiny. There was no way to deny that I was attracted to him.
I had no idea what might be going through his mind. Whatever it was, though, made him frown even more.
I was a crappy future sister-in-law.
The moment between us shattered as Miles opened the double doors and entered the room, pushing a silver cart. Another manfollowed him—probably the person who’d been hiding in the library.
The stranger was glaring at Miles, but as he spotted me, his mood shifted. Full lips quirked up, and my pulse skipped.
What were the odds of there being so many good-looking people in one place?
This was a really strange group.
I couldn’t stare at any of them. You were meant to forsake all others once you found your soulmate, and fidelity was my most valued trait. To avoid any semblance of improper thoughts, I might need to gouge out my eyes. Nowhere was safe to look.
But then the new guy spoke, and I realized the flaw with my plan. Heaven help me—his voice was as beautiful as his face.
“Hello, Bianca.” He seemed to float across the room before he stopped in front of me and kissed my knuckles. “It’s wonderful to meet you. I’m Julian Kohler. I hope Damen was behaving himself. He tends to be a flirt.”
Damen made a strange sound I couldn’t decipher, and Miles stared wide-eyed at Julian even as he set out a fragile-looking tea set. I hardly had the capacity to feel self-conscious about their reactions because most of my attention was focused on the man in front of me.
He was taller and thinner than Damen and had the most striking blue eyes. His dark complexion was offset by a light-blue polo, but I could see the lines of lean muscle pushing against the long-sleeved shirt. Yet Julian’s most defining feature was his legs.
He was easily the most beautiful man I had ever seen in my life. Where the others were rugged or seductive, this man was the embodiment of grace.
Though why was he claiming that Damen was a flirt? Because I was sure that they all were.
My eyes began to water, and I realized I’d been staring.Meanwhile, I hadn’t even responded to his introduction. Not that he’d said anything about that, though. Julian just held on to my hand and acted as though being stared at wordlessly was a normal experience for him.
“I’m sorry,” I squeaked out in horror. My cheeks heated again. I couldn’t believe I was being so rude. “It’s nice to meet you. And I’m sorry about intruding on your meeting tonight.”
“Hush.” He touched my hand as he sat beside me. “It’s all right. Damen’s meetings are boring anyway, so you’re bringing some excitement into an otherwise tedious evening.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. But thankfully, he didn’t care. Instead, he sunk back into his seat while Miles flitted about the room, offering me and everyone else cookies and tea.
“Speaking of—” Damen, who had regained his composure, leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. “—it’s time to get started. First thing first. Bianca, can you explain why Dr. Stephens sent you? Then we’ll take it from there.”
4
I should have beenable to launch right into it—this was what I’d come here to do, after all. But I hadn’t made a plan past arriving. I’d been too focused on the worst-case scenario.
However, now I was in a pickle. What, exactly, should I say to pique their interest? I couldn’t tell them everything. They would think I was crazy. I had to tell them just enough, so they’d agree to help me.
“It sounds stupid,” I stalled, trying to find the words. Why was my heart beating so fast?
Julian’s mouth turned down, but Miles spoke. He’d taken a seat on the floor in front of me, and the gentle expression in his eyes put my racing pulse at ease.
“Hey,” he said. “It’s okay to be shy. I’m sure it took a lot of courage to come here by yourself. But you don’t need to be afraid. Please don’t worry. You can talk to us just like we’re anyone else.”
Anyone else? What was he talking about? Besides being good-looking, they weren’t all that special.
I folded my shaking hands in my lap and focused on my tea. “Well, I’m house-sitting for Professor Hamway, and I’m pretty sure that the place is haunted.”
“But why come tomeabout this?” Damen asked. I glanced up, and as our gazes met, he grinned. “I mean, you’re welcome to do so—for any reason, really. I’m not going to protest when a beautiful girl seeks me out. But Bryce is on campus. Why not go to him first?”
