Page 23 of Partnering with the Artist

“Right away, sir,” she says before leaving us in peace. Or.Mein peace. Maelin appears to be left in anxiety.

“Maelin…” I soothe.

My dear sweet Maelin is hiding in her hands now. “I’m so sorry. I got too excited. I forgot to be careful. I’ve been making a point of beingvery, verycareful in here, but I’m shocked all the teacups didn’t shatter when I walked through the door.”

Well, of course they didn’t. Inexplicable natural phenomenon is more Crisis’s MO.

“Maelin, darling, your food will get cold if you have a breakdown right now.” Picking up my fork, I stab a bite out of her quiche. “Humor some romantic drivel to take your mind offwhat happened.”

She peeks out between her fingers to find my fork positioned in front of her lips.

“Ahh…” I say.

Her eyes widen. “In front of all these people?”

“If romantic drivel is too drivelly for you, I can also try my hand at doing an airplane.” I pull back. “Nrooom. Pshoo. Nroooom.”

That gets her to giggle. “Stop it. You’re a very important person here.”

“Which means I can do whatever I want, love.”

Heat erupts in her face.

Lovegets to her. Fabulous. Putting that one in my mental notes to use whenever I need some dopamine.

“Open up.” When she obliges—with a beautiful little eye roll—I say, “Oh no, we’re all gonna die. A goddess is devouring us.Ahh.Why?Why?” She bites the morsel and covers her mouth to chew. I tut. “This is exactly what happened to five of Cronus’s kids. Poor things.”

“Do you like mythology?” she asks once she’s swallowed.

“I dabble with some of the elements in my work.” I dig out a bite of quiche for myself, examining it for onions before taking a bite. Delectable. I’ll have to come here more often. “Why?”

“You make references to the gods and goddesses often enough for me to wonder.” She glances toward the woman she assaulted with sugar, then—very carefully—secures a lump for her tea. Watching the crystals melt in the bottom of the peachy liquid, she smiles. Adding cream fills her with elation. And she sparkles as she stirs it with the delicate metal spoon shaped like a tiny blossom.

“I suppose,” I say, entranced, “one might suggest I have athingfor goddesses.”

Oblivious, Maelin lifts her teacup and beams. “My favoritemyth is Hades and Persephone. Pretty basic, but I love it.”

Hades and Persephone, huh?

Yeah, I can totally add a kidnapping to my current work in progress. Just for her. That would solidify myenemies to loversintent, too.

Lifting my own teacup, I delight myself in listening to my first date talk about pomegranates while I sip, concoct a plot, and consider that this isn’t bad at all.

Chapter 9

?

Best. Date. Ever.

Maelin

It is very likely I have never tasted anything so rich and wonderful as this chocolate cake. Every bite fills me with renewed strength, suggestingHarry, who?Oh right, that guy. That guy I was dating? Who I was engaged to? Who broke my heart?

No, no, no. None ofthatrings any bells.

Harry is little more than the reason I tumbled into Zakery’s lap, the reason I have this job modeling for him, the reason we’re fake dating each other right now, and the reason we are at this teahouse.

This glorious, glorious teahouse, which serves the most majestic chocolate peanut butter cake in the world. The frosting is practicallyfudge. Every last gram could kill a hamster. It’s taken everything in me not to dissolve into a grateful puddle of moans.

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