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A crisp, friendly voice came down the staticky line. “Hi, Luna. I’m Vi Harper. I work at Sweethelm Books in town. I got your number from Beth; I hope that’s alright. Beth said you helped her out with some marketing issues she’d been having.”

“Well, I love those adorable little chocolates,” Luna said. “I’m actually really busy right now, so you might have to talk fast.”

Oliver folded his arms over his chest. Luna winked at him.

“Of course,” Vi chirped. “I won’t take up too much of your time. I just wanted to call and ask if you know much about setting up an online store. I’d do it myself, but it’s really not my area of expertise, and I’ve been?—”

She faltered, her polite tone faltering. She cleared her throat.

“Too busy to learn,” she continued. “My boss?—”

Another voice cut in on her end of the line, old and croaky. “Is that that rich lady who bagged the grumpy werewolf? Tell her we’re fine! People need to get off their butts and come into bookstores, that’s the problem!”

Luna snorted. Oliver’s hands faltered on her back, proving that he was listening in to her phone calls like he always said he wasn’t. Luna turned to give him a smug look, which he resolutely ignored.

“Thank you, Chester,” Vi said. Then, into the phone, “Sorry about that. We’ve been running into a lot of problems. I’ve been doing what I can, but it’s not exactly my wheelhouse.”

Chester’s voice echoed over the line again. “Every step needs you to do a hundred things first! I have a life, you know! I don’t know how to validate a domain! I don’t even know what a domainis! And the website helpers are no real help. It’s like they’re speaking gibberish?—”

“We were wondering if you’d be available to help,” Vi said over him.

Luna sighed, twirling her hair around one finger. She’d only let the phone call go on this long because she was entertained by the old guy’sranting.

“Vi,” she started. “Cute name, BTW. Like an old-timey detective. Anyway, unfortunately, I don’t work with website design or any of that. But I’m sure you can find someone else.”

Vi paused. For a second, Luna thought she might get more of that strain that she’d gotten a glimpse of when Vi mentioned she was too “busy” to learn. But when Vi spoke, her voice was as crisp as ever.

“Of course. Thanks for your time.”

“Byeeee.” Luna hung up, throwing the phone back down on the bed and lying down next to it. “Now. Where were we?”

Oliver didn’t move. He didn’t even look down at her breasts, still prominently displayed above the sheet. “Who was that?”

“Vi. From that little bookstore in town.” Luna reached up with her bare foot, skimming his hip.

He stepped aside. “What did she want?”

“I don’t know,” she said, chasing his hip with her foot until she could hook her toe into his belt strap. “Boring stuff.”

“Boring stuff?”

“Website stuff. Online store crap. It can get stupidly complicated. I let everyone else deal with it for me. Good luck if she’s going to do that herself; she didnotsound like she was having a good time—hey!” She pouted as he unhooked her toe from his belt loop and pushed her foot away.

“I thought you wanted something to do,” Oliver said.

“I do,” Luna replied. “But I’m notthatbored.”

She sat up, reaching for his shirt.

He stepped out of the way a second time. “So, someone gave you something to do, and you’re going to go back to painting your nails, looking at spas you’re going to book when you get home, and complaining about how bored you are?”

Luna beamed. “Yes!”

Oliver gave her a flat look. He tried to dodge a third time, but Luna grabbed his shirt and held him fast, leaning in to skim his cheek with her nose.

“Since when,” she asked, tongue darting out to lick his stubble, “do you want to help these people?”

“I don’t,” Oliver said hastily.