Page 16 of How to Seduce a Slender

Smith watched his boss and best friend twist to face the werewolf who stole Smith’s sanity. With a bow, then an extended hand, he shook Melody’s. “Greetings, you must be Ms. Deathless.”

“I sure hope I am, or else this will get awkward soon,” she chuckled.Why is she so funny?Even Sebastian cackled as he took a seat at the table. Smith floated forward, lured by her warmth. She glanced up at him and smiled. “Hello again, Smith.”

“Melody,” he whispered, slipping into the seat next to her. “I believe I instructed Agatha to bring you to me.”

“Mmm, and I believe Lady Rosemont instructed her to bring me to her, so, meh!” She stuck her tongue out at him, and his body reacted without permission. Quick as a flash, he snatched her tongue. Melody squeaked and seconds after he caught it, he let it go and ripped his hand away from her.

“Melody, I am—”

Melody burst into a fit of laughter, holding her stomach in pain as she wheezed. “Oh my dragons, you’re so fast, you scared the cheese and crackers out of me! Smith, how’d you even do that! Why are you so fast! No one’s ever caught my tongue before, you weirdo! Why are you out here just snatchin’ girl’s tongues? Huh? It’s been in my mouth, you don’t know where that’s been. You don’t know what I’ve done and put in my maw and now you’re just out here, snatchin’ tongues and stuff willy nilly? Have you lost ya marbles?”

Smith sat back, fully baffled and burning from his crown to his toe. “I apologize, it won’t happen again.”

“For damn sure it won’t happen again cause you’re not gonna be able to catch it! Now that I know how fast you are, I gotta be faster,” she huffed, returning to her coffee.

Smith stared at her for a long moment before he felt the full pressure of everyone’s eyes on him.

Right…He slowly twisted his head to see the biggest, most mischievous smirk on Dahlia’s face as she sat her chin on her folded knuckles. Sebastian sat very still, the lenses of his mask flashing.Oh, he was in trouble all right…they werenevergoing to let him live that down.“I promise it won’t happen again.”

And yet, when he glanced back at Melody, the heat returned to his chest. She was beaming up at him, flashing those cute fangs once more. “You pinkie promise?”

“Pardon?” he blurted out.

“You pinkie promise to keep your hands to yourself? If I keep my tongue to myself,” she giggled, jutting her pinkie out to him.

A maddening flutter of wings filled the cavity of his chest as he looped his pinkie finger around hers. “Fine, but should you break your end of the deal?”

“I know, I know, you get to snatch my tongue…sheesh you lawyers are always such rule snobs. It’s a law, Melody. You can’t do that, Melody. That’s technically tax evasion, Melody. That’s what you sound like,” she teased, returning her attention back to her plate.

“Well, Smith is the expert on taxes,” Sebastian snickered.

Smith glanced up, catching the eased posture of a man who’d forgiven his friend for being a little snippier than usual. Only on the premise that Sebastian was about to tease the ever-loving shit out of Smith.That’s fine, Lord Sebastian, bring it on! But at least I introduced myself to Melody prior to stealing her away.

“So, Melody, I’ve heard whispers that you are an artist.” Dahlia directed her attention to Melody with a soft smile.

“I’d say I’m pretty good at it. You pick up a few skills standing around a diner all day.” Melody shrugged as she dug into the pockets of her dress. She procured the sketch book. When she flipped to a new page, Smith nearly dislocated his neck—which wasn’t possible, but he would definitely try—to see what was on it. Dahlia cooed, holding up the page.

“Moonpie! Aw, and you got her little tongue sticking out!”

“If you like it, I can make a bigger version for you to keep? I only caught her for a few moments on my way back to bed yesterday.” Melody flushed, clutching her hands in front of her.

“I’d behonored!What do you need? Whatever you need, I’ll take it on any medium. Can you paint? Can it be a canvas?” Dahlia immediately shoved the journal back in Melody’s hand before turning to Sebastian. “Maybe she can…”

But the room went quiet. Sebastian let out a shy laugh to fill the air. “Well, maybe someday.”

“It would be so nice to have a real portrait of us,” Dahlia sighed dreamily, leaning into him. “I won’t pressure you, but I’d love for you to consider it.”

“I shall…consider it.” Sebastian’s voice grew tight at the words. He’d been so brave recently, being moreloosey gooseywith his mask. One day last week, he didn’t wear it at all. Granted, it was pouring out and it was just everyone inside, but he didn’t wear it down from the bedroom and was out in the open all day.

Smith wasn’t sure how Melody would react…but when he glanced at her, trying to read her expression, she looked too excited for him to even think…to even consider she would break Sebastian’s heart. He’d made too much progress on his confidence.

“Thank you for breakfast, Dahlia, it was amazing. Far superior to diner food, that’s for sure.” Melody dabbed her lips with a cloth napkin before rising with her plate. “I feel like I’m dining at a swanky restaurant when you make food.”

“Thank you,” Dahlia chuckled, reaching for her plate. “I’ve got this, you go scurry off with Smith. I’m sure he wants to steal you away for something.”

“I merely have updates on your whereabouts from the incident,” he sighed, climbing to his feet. He’d resigned himself to sharing her. That was just going to be his fate.

“What!” Melody barked, ripping to face him. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”

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