I’d thought I would be prepared for what I’d find, but no …

SJ, hair perfectly quaffed, forearms perfectly defined, a hint of pecs at the open collar of his shirt. Eyes blazing with … something devious, no doubt … and lips pursed in a pouty frown. The damn devil took my breath away. It took me a hot minute to get my brain to act and send messages to my mouth.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight.”

The pout ticked up at one corner. He leaned closer, one big, warm palm engulfing my hip, his lips at my ear. “I would have thought you’d be constantly looking over your shoulder, awaiting my next visit.”

I inhaled his smoky, spicy scent, and my stupid, hormonally charged body lit up like a Christmas tree. One hand tangled in the front of his shirt, holding him close.

“What do they want from you?” he asked, his voice rough and growly. His words snapped me out of my horny haze just enough to respond a little acidly.

“I was about to negotiate that with them, before you interrupted.”

A rumble erupted from his chest, vibrating through me where our bodies touched. Which was far, far too many places, I realised. I was curled into him. Embarrassingly so. I forced myself backwards. His fingers gripped me tighter, hauling me against him once more.

“Just remember that your soul is already mine.”

“Not yet it isn’t!” I hissed.

His face somehow managed to get closer to mine, his breath hot on my cheek. “Well, it’s not available for others to … bargain for.”

I shivered. Furiously. It was a furious shiver. “You do realise that in my almost thirty years of life, only once has anyone tried to make any sort of business deal out of my soul … and that someone is holding me far too close right now.”

Gosh, we were so close. But he didn’t release me. And I didn’t pull away.

I told myself I needed to keep up the façade that we were lovers. Why? Because I kept stupidly introducing him to everyone that way … what on earth was wrong with me?

No, it was smart. I was already lying to so many people. Adding different lies into the mix was a recipe for me blurting the wrong thing to the wrong person and all my lies crashing down around me.

Yes. That was why I was keeping up this fake dating ruse. That was the only reason.

“Just don’t … concede more than you’re willing to part with …” he warned.

I sneered. “Oh, so not like I did with you?”

His eyes flickered, his lips pressing together. At my waist, his fingers dug into my skin. Heat flooded me … and not just where he was touching.

“Not like that,” he agreed.

“Uh, we can come back later, if you two have some … stuff, to do.”