His mouth twisted, and he stepped closer. “You are not!” he snarled. “And not everyone has pure intentions, Mouse!”

I gaped up at him. “Are you seriously lecturing me on pure intentions, Satan Junior?” I hissed. “Because I can tell you now, those women’s intentions are far purer than yours when it comes to me!”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “You have no idea, Mouse.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded. He just shook his head, turning his attention to the girls’ drawings of some of my designs.

“Harper did this one, didn’t she?” he murmured. I watched his fingers skim the little ferret in an angel costume.

“She did.” I stepped closer, my shoulder brushing his arm. “How did you …”

“I recognise the style, from her piece in the … healing centre.”

“Hospital,” I corrected automatically. We stood like that in silence, both staring at the angelic ferret drawing for what felt like an eternity. But I couldn’t step away. He was warm, and … something about him made me feel safe.

Get a frickin’ grip, Jemma Bliss! You are the opposite of safe with him!

I stepped away. “Donuts,” I blurted, my stomach fluttering wildly.

He quirked an eyebrow. “Donuts?”

I swallowed. “Yes, donuts. Go and get me some. If you’re going to lurk around here, at least make yourself useful.”

His lips twitched. “Gluten-free, am I correct?”

I narrowed my eyes. “You are. I think you know by now exactly the ones I want.”

“Oh, Mouse, I know what you want.” His voice was suddenly low, rough. The butterflies intensified. “Mind if I leave Beezle and Bub here to play with Lucifer?”

“It’s Luci-Fur, and do you have to? They’re very badly behaved.” I glanced down at Luci, who was absently batting at her squeaky toy, sulky little socialite she was.

I sighed. “Alright. They can stay. But if they cause even a fraction of the trouble they did last time, I will wring their little ferrety necks, and I won’t even feel a scrap of remorse!” What a lie.

He grinned, exposing his white teeth. The mischief in that smile reached all the way to his silvery-grey eyes.

My knees went weak, and I gripped the corner of the table for balance. He’d never smiled at me quite like that before. I couldn’t … I shouldn’t like it, but oh my gosh, I did.

Stand down, ovaries!

And suddenly, two black ferrets popped up from his shoulders, their red-tinged eyes bright and excited. Without tearing his gaze from mine, SJ lifted them into the playpen, where Luci greeted them with far more enthusiasm than they deserved, the little furry terrorists.

“Behave yourselves,” SJ warned, shaking a finger in their direction. I bit back a giggle as the three of them completely ignored him, launching into a very rough play wrestling match.