Page 103 of Unleashing Chaos

I don’t want her to be upset. Not for a moment. We can’t waste this day, not when it’s all we have left. “I don’t plan on it.” Twisting around to the nightstand, I pluck a strawberry off the platter I brought from downstairs. “A little bit of breakfast in bed?”

Desi’s eyes light up and she parts her plump lips to take the piece of fruit I offer her, and all I can think about is her little gift to me in the tub yesterday. And when she lets out a moan that’s borderline erotic, I have to adjust myself over my joggers. “Wow, that’s delicious,” she exclaims, completely oblivious to the effect she’s having on me as she lazily points at the platter and wiggles her fingers until a piece of the red fruit lands in her palm. “Your turn,” she murmurs, holding the fruit to my lips.

I take a bite and nod. “It’s a good strawberry.” I lean in and kiss her lips. It’s innocent but the way it makes me feel is anything but. “I like the taste of you better though.”

Desi flushes at the compliment, and just like that sets my plans for the day in motion. I can’t let her leave without seeing her do that a hundred more times. For today, every smile, every bashful look, every moan of desire will be mine alone.

I cut into the eggs Benedict and hand her the fork. “I was thinking that in a few hours you should take some time to say goodbye to Meredith and prepare as much as you can.”

Her happy expression fades into disappointment, and a stabbing pain pierces my chest.

“I just thought you should get it out of the way since I plan on consuming the rest of your evening. I need some time to put a surprise into place,” I admit, hoping I can make her smile again.

At the mention of the word surprise, her demeanor perks back up and I thank whatever deity might be watching that her lips turn into a grin. “A surprise, you say? Well, in that case,” she says, pretending to get out of bed right away.

“Hey, now, you need to finish your breakfast,” I growl, pouncing on her and pulling her against me for at least one more kiss.

The sun is low in the sky when Desi’s bedroom door opens and she descends the stairs. I’ve spent the last few hours pulling some strings and sneaking around the house to get everything just right. It wasn’t easy. What does one give a future demon queen to thank her for her friendship? I couldn’t let her leave with a cheesy trinket. No, I wanted her last night with me to be an experience she could never have in her realm.

I glance up from my second bowl of peanut butter puff cereal. My anxiety is running high and not even a shot of pure sugar to my veins can set it right. But the sight of Desi in an oversized sweatshirt and leggings seems to do the trick. She looks so innocent with her hair piled on top of her head and crimson curls framing her face. The puffiness around her eyes tells me she’s been crying. Saying goodbye to Meredith and packing to leave were difficult for her. I plan on taking her mind off all of that.

“Go put on your boots and meet me in the backyard,” I say, moving to the sink to rinse out my bowl.

“Is it time for my surprise?” she calls as she sits on the bench in the foyer, and I can hear her tugging on her waterproof boots, a cute little grunt escaping her before one of her feet slams onto the ground.

I walk into the foyer and lean against the doorway, crossing my arms over my chest and one leg over the other. “It is. Are you having trouble?”

She looks up at me and blows a stray curl off her forehead. “These boots are annoying. Glen bought them for me, and he got them half a size too small. Not to mention these socks I have on are so damn thick,” she growls.

I kneel in front of her and pick up her other boot. “Here, little hurricane, let me help you before you tear down the house with your sassy attitude.” Picking up her foot, I slide the boot on with very little trouble.

She huffs and watches me closely. “How’d you do that so easily?”

I shrug. “Magic, I guess. You aren’t the only one with powers, ya know.”

Rolling her eyes, she gets to her feet. “You’re such a dork.” Leaning into my chest, she takes a deep breath and whispers, “I’m going to miss that so much.”

I place my index finger under her chin and lift it. “None of that. Give me tonight. Stay in this moment with me. Understand?”

She nods and tears pool in her eyes. I wipe them away with my thumbs before they can fall down her cheeks. When she’s composed, I hold out my hand to her. Her delicate fingers curl around mine, sending a shock wave through my system. The simplest of gestures has my body reacting when Desi is involved.

I lead her back through the house and smirk at the confusion on her face. “This feels . . . odd,” she says, watching her shoes leave imprints on the area rug in the living room.

I open the French doors to the back porch and say, “I’ve trained you well, young Padawan.”

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes before she stops in her tracks. Snowflakes drift to the ground and cling to the trees at the edge of the yard. Steam rises from the surface of the pool as the lights gradually change the color of the water. Off in the far corner a fire crackles in a crude fire pit lined with river rocks. The flames reach for the darkening sky while illuminating a cream-colored, A-framed tent.

“What is this?” she asks.

“I figure this might be one of the last times you see snow for a while. And I wanted to give you an experience you can’t have at home. We’re camping for the evening. Minus the bugs, terrible toilet situation, and bathing with baby wipes.”

She turns to face me, and when her eyes meet mine I know for a fact I will never in my life see another shade of green like that. And every time I see anything that even remotely resembles it, I’ll think of her, this moment, and a hundred others when she looked at me with this kind of emotion reflected in them.

And for the five thousandth time since I’ve met Desideria, I wish that I could be what she needs.

“Thank you, Jace. This looks perfect. Come on,” she urges, tugging me toward the tent. The snow falls faster, landing in her hair and sticking to her clothing. She holds out her palm and several flakes pepper her skin, melting almost as soon as they land. “It’s beautiful.”

Her pink tongue slips between her lips, and she turns her head to the gloomy sky. Her arms spread out at her sides like she is going to take flight as she spins in slow circles. I’m captivated by her every movement. Fuck angels; nothing is as beautiful as a demon queen.

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