Read Online The Vampire's Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls Book 5) by Kristen Painter - Free Book Online Page B

that happens around here. It’s the Halloween party my grandmother’s been throwing for years. It’s a huge deal. People come from all over to attend. It’s a perfectly legitimate way for us to have met as I am forced into attending every year.”
    “Okay. Where is it held?”
    “My grandmother’s estate.”
    “Any chance I could see that tomorrow? Just to have a sense of what it looks like?”
    He hesitated. “That would mean bringing my grandmother into this and I’d prefer not to do that. I have pictures from past events I can show you though. As for Elenora, well, she has an intense dislike for Evangeline—”
    “I’d be surprised if you said otherwise. Most grandmothers are pretty protective.”
    “Mine is no exception.” He grimaced, thinking about what Elenora would do if given the opportunity to confront Evangeline in person. “What else do we need to work out?”
    Tessa bit her lip. “Well, we’ve only been seeing each other since the end of October and we’re already engaged? You don’t seem like you’d act that quickly.”
    “I wouldn’t.” Although he wasn’t entirely sure. His and Evangeline’s marriage had been arranged, so no proposal necessary. “We’ll say we met at the ball the year before. Good enough?”
    “Yes. Now, how and where did you propose?”
    He smiled. “At this year’s ball, since that’s where we met.”
    “I like that. It’s romantic.”
    “Evangeline won’t buy me being romantic.”
    Tessa made a face. “Then she doesn’t know you very well. I think anyone can be romantic under the right set of circumstances.”
    He smiled. He very much liked the way she thought.
    The server returned with their drinks and took their order. When she’d left, Sebastian raised his glass. “To success.”
    Tessa lifted her beer. “To success.”
    They clinked glasses and drank.
    He swallowed and tipped his head to one side. “What if she Googles you?”
    Tessa shrugged. “What if she does?”
    “Is she going to find anything about you online that says you live elsewhere? I apologize, I don’t recall where you moved from.”
    “Ohio, and no, I doubt she’ll find anything. I used to run the Northeast Ohio Library’s Facebook page, but my name wasn’t on it, just the head librarian’s.”
    “You’re not listed on the library’s main website, then?”
    “Hah. Like Mrs. Unger would approve that.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “Nope, not listed on the website either.”
    “Very good. I take it Mrs. Unger is your former boss?”
    “Yes.” She wrinkled her nose.
    “And not someone you’re fond of.”
    “No.” Tessa sipped her beer. “I think she felt challenged by me. She’d been the head librarian for years and then I get hired right out of school with all these new ideas and…” Tessa’s brows lifted. “You know how it is.”
    “Hmm. I guess I do, but I believe I might be Mrs. Unger in that scenario.”
    Tessa grinned. “Why? Do you hate change?”
    He nodded, reluctantly. “It’s not my favorite thing, no.”
    “Why’s that?”
    He leaned back, slowly turning his glass of whiskey. “If things are working the way they are, why change them?”
    “What if there’s a better way to do something?”
    “I don’t know if I believe that’s enough reason. And better by whose definition?”
    “So if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
    “Exactly.”
    She stared at him over the rim of her glass. “Is that why you’ve never gotten officially divorced from Evangeline? That seems like a broken situation that would have been fixed by changing it, don’t you think? Plus, you’re not a bad-looking guy. You could have found someone else to be with.”
    He took a small amount of pleasure in her compliment, but didn’t dwell on it. Vanity was a weakness. “ No .” The word came out sharper than he’d intended, but bloody hell, she was asking questions she had no right to.
    Her brows went higher. “Forget I asked.”
    He sighed. And lowered his voice.