Page 14 of Dancing with My Elf
“I’ll be there the entire night,” I told Sebastian. “I won’t let anything happen to them.”
Zoe turned to me, and her face brightened. She turned to Sebastian. “I’ll be there, too. Armed.”
And dangerousher tone alluded. No doubt. Despite her petite stature, I bet she’d take out any mofo who crossed her. After all, she was tracking demons as part of her job. Impressive.
“I don’t like it.” Sebastian’s hands dropped to his sides, closed into fists. “It’s not safe.”
“Sebastian, you know I wouldn’t agree to this either if I thought it too risky,” Nova added.
They exchanged a look, and Sebastian exhaled, releasing his fists. Nova’s trust in the situation must have shaken some of his reticence.
He tugged at his beard. “The only way I’ll be remotely okay with this is if I’m there, too.”
“Oh, come on,” I protested. “This is where Iwork. I can’t have everyone I live with scouting the scene pretending they’re Sherlock freakin’ Holmes.”
“I’ll hang out backstage,” Sebastian replied.
“You don’t even know the layout of the club,” I countered. “Let alone if there’s a backstage area.”
“Is there?”
My lips twitched. “Yes,” I admitted.
He rubbed his hands together. “There you go.”
Although I didn’t like the idea of him being there, I wanted to impress Zoe. If that meant I took on more of a role in this crazy plan tonight, so be it. If I could reverse last night’s disastrous performance with an unforgettable one tonight, that would be a good start. Since she seemed serious and keen on solving crime, I had to show her I was more than a pretty face with killer dance moves. One way of making that happen was being a key part of her investigation.
She might be so impressed with my skills that she’d take me home with her, and I’d ensure she wouldn’t regret it. We’d both leave the bedroom with a smile on our faces. Win-win. Even better, my dragon would get this ridiculous fixation out of his scaly head, and I could move on with my life.
“I can say you’re a potential new hire,” I told Sebastian. “You’re checking out the scene.” My gaze darted over to Zoe. She caught it and her lips curled up in a hint of a smile.
One point in my favor. Yes, maybe I could turn this whole affair into a strategy for seduction.
“There you go.” Sebastian’s concerned expression vanished, replaced by a lopsided grin. He turned to Gianna and motioned down the front of his body. “Think I got the goods to dance on stage?”
She laughed. “I think you should audition for us,” she teased with a suggestive brow raise.
He stepped closer to her. “You’d be okay with me dancing in front of other women?” He stroked his fingers down her arm. “They might paw me, encourage me to take off my clothes.”
Gianna’s teasing grin faltered. “Never mind.” She placed her hand on his bicep. “No one touches my guy but me.”
While they stared at each other, the mood between them shifted from tense to simmering.
With an exaggerated eye roll, I groaned. “Before you two start banging on the coffee table, let’s figure this thing out.”
We worked through some ideas. In another attempt to impress Zoe, I piped up, “I’ll stay attuned of any unusual activity or scents.”
She arched both brows. “You’ll help us search?”
I lifted one shoulder. “Yeah, why not?”
She appraised me as if searching for a motive. Yes, there was one, but I buried it deep under an innocent façade to mask my plan for seduction.
“How’s your sense of smell?” Zoe asked.
“As sharp as fire.” I tapped my nose.
“Not as good as a wolf’s,” Sebastian interrupted.
