Slowly, Az pulled away. Darkness flickered in the depths of his ice blue eyes, and my chest thumped with the rhythm of my frantic heartbeat. I didn’t know what the hell had just happened, but I knew I hadn’t hated it. Had he felt that same spark? We weren’t still pretending, right? Or had all that just been for show?

Even with the flicker in his eyes, I couldn’t read his mind.

“Well,” he said with a delicious smile that made my toes curl. “That will certainly do the trick.”

“I mean, I would be convinced if I were him.”

His eyes flashed as he spun me around and gave me a spank on the ass. I let out a little chirp of surprise. “I seem to have made you late to your shift. Better get to dancing, Mia. I’ll see you after.”

As he strode away, I reached my hands up to my cheeks. They were boiling hot. I took a deep breath and rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off what had just happened. I needed to get a grip. At the start of all this, he’d warned me that we might have to share a few fake kisses in front of people. That was all that was.

He was just a really, really good fake kisser. And I couldn’t let myself think it was anything more than that.

* * *

After my shift, Valac, Caim, Phenex, and Stolas were waiting for me in the hallway. There was a fifth demon among them, one I hadn’t met yet, but whose name I’d learned was Bael. With dusty blonde hair and a winning smile, he looked like he’d strolled right out of a college football team. One of those wholesome, boy-next-door types. But luckily, I knew it was nothing more than a mask.

“I need a minute.” I held up my hands when they tried to usher me into their little crime-solving dungeon. “It’s hot as hell in there, and I need some fresh air.”

Truth be told, I was still reeling from the kiss. But also, I’d spent four hours dancing. I needed to pee.

“Alright, but we’re coming with you,” Phenex said with a nod. “We’re not letting you out of our sight when there’s someone out there intent on killing you.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. I should have known I wouldn’t get some privacy as easily as that. “I’m going into the ladies’ room. You can’t come in there with me.”

Stolas frowned. “What if he climbs through the window and steals you that way?”

“Or does the whole teleporting thing,” Caim added.

“Look, you guys. I appreciate your concern, but you can’t go into the bathroom with me. If there’s a problem, I’ll just bang on the door. Alright?”