Page 50 of Unleashing Chaos
“You did so good!” she says, shaking me gently.
“Thanks. But that was the most terrifying meeting of my life. Did your dad have a huge ax lying on his desk?”
We turn and walk, and she snorts, saying, “Yeah, but usually it’s strapped to his waist, so . . .”
“The hell equivalent of a dad with a shotgun. This is definitely scarier.”
“It’s just for looks.”
A humorless chuckle escapes my mouth. “Sure it is.”
After taking countless winding hallways and staircases, we finally stop at a door. When she opens it, the sensual aroma of jasmine and vanilla greets us. Embers crackle in the fireplace, casting a soft glow on the ivory flowers etched into the mantle. The plush white settee is angled to capture the light shining through the lace curtains framing the window and the warmth emanating from the fire. There are pops of deep purple thanks to the decorative pillows and the comforter covering the four-poster bed in the center of the room. The singular, king-sized bed.
“Fuck me running. This should be interesting,” I say, running my hand over the back of my neck. I don’t know why I assumed they would separate us. We’re adults who are supposedly in a committed relationship.
Desi’s face flushes and she busies herself with a loose string on the sleeve of her jacket. “I didn’t think about the only having one bed thing. I can go see if I can find an empty bedroom to sneak you into; I just worry that someone will notice and think it’s strange we aren’t in the same place at night,” she rambles, her skin getting redder and redder the more she speaks.
I know what she’s thinking about, because I’m thinking about it too: the night we spent on the couch and what Lux had sensed the moment he entered the house. That was one night accidentally sharing the same space. Sharing a bed on purpose . . . every demon will sense my desire for her whether they have the power to scent lust or not.
“Or I can sleep on the settee. It’s just not the most comfortable thing in the world and definitely not long enough for you,” she continues, capturing my attention again.
“No way!” I’m surprised how quickly I speak. Wanting to play it cool, I sit on the mattress and bounce a couple of times like I’m testing it out. “We got this. It’s just sleeping. That is unless your father has some high-tech security devices in here that will make sure we consummate the relationship.”
“I don’t—he wouldn’t . . .”
“It’s a joke, Desi. But if you’re uncomfortable sharing a bed with me, I can sleep on the floor.”
“I’m not uncomfortable! I mean, I don’t mind sleeping with you . . . oh, kill me now,” she groans, burying her face in her palms and sinking onto the bed next to me.
I wrap my arm around her and rub her back. “Shhh, you’re fine. I can’t imagine the stress you’re under. Don’t let it get to you. You’re not in this alone. Granted, my track record for impressing parents is zero to one, but maybe I’ll do better this time.”
She drops her hands and smiles. “You already have. I can tell my dad likes you. I’m not worried about that for one second.”
“I don’t think that was hard to do. Your dad seemed overjoyed that you brought a real-life human man with you. I think the only requirement was a pulse.”
“Not at all. If my dad thought you were a tool or a douche, he would’ve given me the look. I’ve seen it many times, trust me. As long as my mom likes you, you’re in.”
“No pressure at all.” I think of the last mother I had to impress. That was the beginning of the end, the first sign that our relationship wouldn’t withstand harder times. It should have been clear to me, but it was her mother who caught on first.
“Is there anything I should do to win her over?” I ask.
Desi thinks for a moment, and her face turns that pretty shade of pink again. “Treat me like a goddess you can’t get enough of and show how much you adore me. My mother is a sucker for a great love story.”
I run two fingers over my lips and look her up and down, no longer able to contain how attractive I find her. I mean, I shouldn’t hold back, should I? Isn’t that why we’re here? To convince people we’re together? I can play into all the reasons I’m attracted to Desi. It will be the truth and buy her the extra months she needs to find a real partner.
“I can handle that,” I say.
Her hand next to mine on the bed twitches, and I hook my pinkie around hers. When I lift my head, she’s gazing at me, and she inches closer until her other fingers slowly entwine with mine. “I have a feeling you’ll be really good at this,” she whispers.
“Is that so?” I say, but the words come out more like a growl, sending a heatwave through me that there is no way she can’t feel. Every inch of me is going up in flames, and the only thing that will soothe the burn is pressing my body to hers, and not just in a ballroom at a dance in front of a crowd of hundreds. I need her naked, curvy body underneath me.
What is wrong with me? I’m doing her a favor, playing a game. I need to keep focused and not let my dick take control, no matter how much it reminds me that it would like just that. That door should remain closed, but I inched it open the night I watched her come undone in her room. If I swing it wide open, I’m going to have a hell of a time closing it again.
“Yeah, that’s so,” she murmurs, scooting closer to me and shifting to her knees. I lift our clasped hands and rest them on her thigh, and I feel her shiver at that tiny bit of contact. “You’re already making me believe you want me, and we just got here.”
“That’s because—”
Three firm knocks come from the door.