I cleared my throat. “Well … you’ll have to return my book!” I crowed, pointing at the offending item. “And I’ll be expecting a full book report. I’ll have a quiz prepared and everything—so you better pay proper attention to detail.”

His lips parted sultrily. “Oh, Mouse, I’ll be at full attention the whole way through.”

I choked on a breath. He was talking about what I thought he was talking about, wasn’t he?

While I tried desperately to summon the wits to question him, the portal whirled and expanded to SJ’s size. He turned to step through it.

I surged forwards, grabbing his arm and tugging him to face me.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I breathed. His eyebrow quirked. “You haven’t kissed your fake lover farewell … like a good boy.”

Was I playing with fire? Probably. I mean, he was a devil. He literally lived with the fires of Hell as his central heating.

“As you wish,” he murmured, and he snaked his hand around me, his broad, warm palm pressing into the small of my back, pulling me against him.

His lips were the opposite of the demanding kisses I’d received earlier. But the soft, sweet way he moulded his mouth to mine, moved against mine … I could get addicted to that sort of kiss.

But before I had a chance to really melt into him, he pulled back, his eyes shuttered, giving nothing away.

“Until next time,” he mumbled and stepped through the portal while I tried not to collapse into a swooning heap on the crappy hallway carpet.

I stared at the spot where the portal had been long after it disappeared. My fingers traced the still-damp patch on my lips where his mouth had just been.

With a sigh and a nauseous tickle in my stomach that had absolutely nothing to do with gluten and everything to do with a certain glowing devil man who should not be worming his way into my … my heart, damn him … I returned to the apartment.

“Holy skimpy black jocks, Jem!” Ezra squealed, almost making me leap out of my skin. “He’s divine! That whole interaction was giving Mr Darcy all wet from his little dip in the lake at Pemberley vibes! Completely underdressed but still manages to use his manners like a gentleman. And the way he fills out those undies!” He gasped dramatically. “And his clothing! What did you two get up to, shredding his clothes like that? Have you corrupted poor Mr Draco Darcy-Malfoy with your monster pornography?”

I tried to smile, but I couldn’t get my mouth to work properly. Ezra clocked my expression, and his face went from delighted to concerned so fast it could have been comical.

“Jem, what’s wrong?”

I sighed, my bottom lip wobbling. “Everything!” I collapsed onto the lounge, my feet no longer able to hold me up a second longer.