I grinned. “You need to expand your reading horizons, Prince,” I informed him. “It’s a heavily overused trope in the romance genre. One of my favourites, in fact.”

I walked two fingers up his stomach and chest, booping him on the chin. “It’s exactly what it says on the packet. I pretend I’m dating you … but I’m faking. Ergo, ‘fake dating’. And you are a monster, so …”

His eyes tightened, but he nodded. “You have made your point. So, you must do this … date-faking thing … with me. Additionally, for the entire hour, you also cannot demand that I leave. You cannot get angry with me. No matter what.”

“Oh, it’s a little late for that,” I growled. I inhaled a calming breath and pasted a delighted smile on my face. “But I’ve done my research …” Faking It With Frankenstein’s Monster was one of my favourites, after all, “… and it’s lucky I’m very, very good at pretending.”

His eyebrow lifted in mocking disbelief, one side of his mouth curling as if to say, ‘Sure you are’.

Ooh! I would wipe that smarmy look right off his face. I’d show him that I could pull off fake dating the devil with the best of them.

I gripped the back of his neck.

“Come here, ya big lug,” I cooed, pulling him down to me. “It’s been too long.”

My lips crashed into his, knocking my glasses askew.

His mouth was hot against mine but so much softer than I’d expected. It didn’t stay soft for long. He took control, his hand cupping the nape of my neck. His lips parted mine. I gasped at the shock of it, and suddenly our breaths were mingling. The tip of his tongue darted out and flicked against mine, and it was like electricity shooting straight to the centre of me. A low, quiet rumble vibrated up from his throat.

I had to lock my knees to stop them from turning to jelly under me.

“I’ve missed you,” I mumbled against his mouth, the words coming out in a dirty, panting gasp … totally intentional. I was acting, after all … we were supposed to be a couple …

“Have you?” His hands slid down my spine to the small of my back, pressing me closer. And there, again … the hard nudge of his …

I broke away from that searing kiss. “Enough of that,” I muttered, hoping I didn’t sound as flustered as I felt. “I’m not about to give the girls an R-rated show with you.”

His eyes flashed. “Is an R-rated show on the table?” he asked, his voice gone rough.

I smirked, ignoring the way my lungs suddenly felt filled with helium. “That depends … would it count as another repayment?”