I took payment. SJ refused to let go of my waist, following me around like a conjoined twin. I wanted so badly to hate it.

But I couldn’t.

What is wrong with me? Oh, that’s right, ovulation hormones …

Jules scooped up a very reluctant Falcor, who dooked madly and looked ready to take off one of her fingers.

I giggled. “Well, it seems our ferrets have taken a shining to one another!”

Jules wrangled their monster boy while Esther handed her own card to me. “Any questions, give us a call, or email, or message us on socials. We’ll respond as fast as we can.” She gave me another shoulder pat. “I really hope we get to work together.”

She turned to leave, and Jules sidled up. I gave Falcor a scratch on the head. He only tried to bite me once.

“See you next time, Falcor! I’ll have your pretty pink costumes sent out to you as soon as I can. You look desperate to try them on!”

“You’ve got a good man there, Jemma,” Jules murmured, flashing me a sweet smile before following her partner off into the evening.

When they were safely out of hearing range, I slapped SJ on the hand repeatedly until he let me go.

“Where do you get off?” I demanded, stepping away from him. Brrr, it was so cold without his big, Hellishly warm body enveloping me. I rubbed at my arms, tugging my cardigan tighter around myself.

“Get off?” He frowned, mystified. I threw my hands up in the air.

“Acting all bossy, domineering alpha male! You were so rude to them!”

His frown deepened. “I was just trying to help.”

I opened my mouth to rant some more, but no words came. He had helped … in his own way. I would have jumped headlong into a partnership with Esther and Jules and their Ferretcon after a five-minute conversation with them. Which, in hindsight, was not smart.

Joe would very much approve of SJ. The thought only made me grouchier.

“Alright,” I huffed. “You might have had some good advice. But did you have to be so … beastly about it? Holding me tight and tugging me around like a doll?”

His eyes darkened. “Where I’m from, a handshake is a very serious commitment. I was … I am beginning to understand that here, it might be different.”

I rolled my eyes. “How serious can it be? You didn’t need to shake my hand to take a piece of my soul.”

He muttered something under his breath.

“What was that?” I demanded, folding my arms over my chest. His gaze found my cleavage, then darted away.

“Never mind.” He scratched at his head. “I just feel very … protective of you.”

“Protective of me?” I snorted. “Or of the soul inside me that you hope to harvest for your infernal misdeeds? I’m just a meat sack housing your precious commodity, aren’t I?”