Page 3 of Unleashing Chaos
A man in slacks and a button-up shirt walks up the path. His brown skin is smooth, and his hair is styled into mini twists that lie close to his head. He meets my gaze with the most breathtaking sky-blue eyes, and my knees go weak when his plump lips turn up into a smile. He may be the most handsome human I’ve seen all day.
“I’m here about the room for rent,” he and I say at the same time.
I crinkle my forehead, and he cocks a brow. Seconds tick by as we stare at one another, waiting for the other to explain themselves. I take advantage of the quiet to size him up before he says, “So, you don’t live here?”
“No. So you’re not the landlord?”
“Nope.”
I lift my chin and square my shoulders. “Well, I hate to break it to you, but that room is mine.”
“A confident woman. I like that. But we’ll see who gets the room. May the best man or woman sign a lease today.”
He holds out his hand, and we shake.
“I’m Cannon, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Desi.”
He takes a step back and looks up at the modern exterior with its black shutters and wrought-iron fixtures. “This is a big place. It’s hard to believe that there’s only one room available.”
“Maybe they have more than one,” I say hopefully.
Mandis clears his throat and says, “We’ll never know if no one knocks.”
“Right,” I say quickly, dragging my stare from Cannon’s icy blue gaze to tap my fist on the door.
A man wearing joggers and a T-shirt with a short, green alien-looking creature printed on it stands on the other side of the threshold. His chestnut-brown hair is rumpled, and his angular jaw is covered in scruff. Black horn-rimmed glasses frame his light-gray eyes, and his rosy lips, with their predominant cupid’s bow, rest in a scowl. He doesn’t give off the kind of vibes I would expect from someone who lives in a house like this.
His eyes bounce between the four of us and for a moment confusion clouds his features. “Um, hello. Can I help you?”
For a split second, I’m struck silent by the combination of his voice, eyes, and mouth, but I collect myself quickly and say, “Yes, I’m Desideria. I’m here to look at the room for rent.” Was it a dick move to pretend Cannon isn’t even standing there? Probably. But was I here first? Yep. Am I desperate? Also yep.
“You must be Jace. I’m Cannon; we spoke a few minutes ago.” My new competition for the single room wedges his way to the front of the group and gives me the side-eye. “I’m excited to see if the room you’re offering will be a good fit for me.”
The homeowner, Jace, looks between me and Cannon and then to my brother and Glen. “I only have one room available.”
Mandis and Glen both hold their hands up in surrender. “We’re just here for moral support for my sister,” Mandis explains, nodding toward me. “You don’t have to worry about us.”
I bat my lashes, giving Jace my best puppy dog eyes. “I really, really need a place to stay. I’ve been house hunting for what feels like ages, and I just know your place would be perfect.”
Jace releases a breath and steps aside, gesturing for us to enter. “I’ll let you two duke it out. Please take your shoes off before we go any farther,” he says, pointing to the wooden-slat bench in the entryway.
“Your ad said you wanted to rent the room out to a guy.” Cannon flashes me a million-dollar smile that screams he has an advantage over me.
“It’s true; I’d prefer to rent the room to a man. No offense, Desad . . .”
“Desideria. Just call me Desi.” My nostrils flare as I sit down to unzip my knee-high boots, then tug them off and push them under the bench. I get to my feet and move in front of Jace. Standing straight, I’m still about five inches shorter than him. “Why is that, by the way? Do you have a particular reason you don’t want to live with a woman?”
“I’m attracted to women and don’t want to complicate the situation.” He tilts his head toward Cannon. “He’s a good-looking guy but not my type.”
“Well, as long as I’m not your type, I think we’ll be okay,” I joke.
He crosses his arms and steps back, never taking his eyes off me. His lips stretch as he runs his tongue over his teeth behind them. “A girl like you isn’t what I’m looking for,” he quietly says.
I can’t hide the flinch at the obvious diss. Even Mandis lets out a low whistle, and when I hear a grunt from his direction, I know Glen has elbowed him in the gut. Good. “Well, all right, then,” I murmur.
Jace removes his glasses and rubs his eyes. He takes what I imagine are several calming breaths before saying, “Look, it’s nothing against you, and I’m not saying that it’s impossible for a man and woman to have a platonic relationship. I just want to make sure this is a safe place for everyone involved.”