Page 44 of Unleashing Chaos

Rounding the corner into the foyer, I stop short and almost run into Jace when I realize who’s here.

Not my favorite brother, the one who brought me here to begin with, the one who understands me, knows how to listen, and gets what I’m doing.

But my second oldest brother, the one who can call bullshit at every turn, and knows the ins and outs of love and lust better than anyone in this realm or any other.

Lux.

“Desideria, sister, I hope you’re well,” my brother says, looking around Jace’s house approvingly. His red hair falls over his forehead and his green eyes, identical to mine, are bright and curious. Clad in a monochromatic suit as always, he is 100 percent overdressed for a casual visit.

“Lux, hi. I didn’t know—what are you doing here?”

Jace gestures down the hall with his thumb. “I’ll be in my office if you need me. It was nice to meet you, Lux,” he says, shaking hands with my brother.

“Likewise, Mr. Wilder. Extremely nice to meet you,” Lux says, and my eyes widen as my brother unashamedly checks out Jace’s ass as he makes his way down the hall.

I slap him on the forearm. “Um. Hello? What are you doing here?”

Lux shoves his hands in his pockets and strolls past me. He lifts his chin and turns in a circle between the kitchen and living room. After several deep breaths, he says, “This place smells just like my den of lust after a long night of orgies.”

My mouth opens and closes several times before I say, “What? No! We haven’t—Jace and I are just friends. There’s no lust here.”

“Is that right? And I bet you’ve taken up ironing and grout cleaning as your new favorite hobbies.”

His gaze falls on the rumpled blanket on the sofa and the out of place couch cushions. He turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

“Stop it, Lux. Jace and I were watching a movie and we fell asleep on the couch. That’s it.”

He picks up the blanket from the side Jace was sleeping on and brings it to his nose. All humor drains from his face and his eyes roll in the back of his head. “Your loss, sister. His pheromones are divine.”

“Pheromones? No,” I squeak, bringing my palm to my collarbone and nervously running my fingers over it. “He was asleep until you rang the doorbell.” I lower my voice to a hiss. “Are you insinuating that he was turned on?”

A sly grin pulls at Lux’s lips. “I guarantee you that the human was on the verge of losing it in his joggers. Too bad that delicious smell is tainted by your lust.”

“My lust?!” I whisper-yell, my gaze darting down the hall to ensure Jace’s head doesn’t pop out of his office before I lower my voice. “You’re not listening; I don’t have any lust for Jace!”

It’s a lie. I’m all but clenching my thighs together right now to relieve the throbbing between them. My brother knows everything about how humans function, but even if he didn’t, I know my conversation with Jace last night affected us both. It was too flirtatious and way too descriptive. We journeyed into dangerous territory for people who are just supposed to be roommates.

“That’s a shame. I was hoping that morsel of muscle and sex would be the human you bring to meet Father in two days. He’s eager to see how you’re faring in your search for an eternal partner.”

My knees go weak, and I grip the back of the sofa for support. “Excuse me. What? Two days? I have to come home in two days? And bring my . . . bring a human? You’ve got to be kidding me, Lux.”

“It has been over thirty days since you left. You should be making some headway. Are you telling me that you aren’t narrowing down your options?” Lux clicks his tongue and wanders to the front of the house. “So I should tell Father you’re in the same predicament as when you left Infernis?”

Panicked, I let go of the sofa and follow him. “No. No. Don’t tell him that. I’ll bring Jace. You were right,” I say, my words coming out in a rush before I can stop myself. “I like him, okay? I’ve even told him what I am. I just—” Desi, what are you doing? I don’t want to lie to my brother, but I can’t let him tell our father that I’ve made no progress. I’ll be so screwed. “I still need to give him the rundown on the family. We’re a lot for someone like him to handle, but I swear, I’ll tell him tonight.”

Lux spares a glance down the hallway and smiles. This demon is shameless in his quest to satisfy his sexual appetite. And if I’m being honest, I don’t blame him for being attracted to Jace. I clearly struggle to keep it under control when he’s nearby.

“I look forward to getting to know him, and I’m sure our brothers will feel the same.”

All I can do is nod and say, “I’m sure they will. I’ll see you in two days, Lux.”

“Don’t be late,” he says, and on his way out he flashes me another sly smile over his shoulder.

When the door closes, I collapse back onto the couch and bury my face in my knees. What the hell am I going to do now? It hasn’t been that long since I told Jace what I am, and now I have to convince him to come with me to Infernis?

I hear Jace’s soft footsteps and the cushion next to me sinks with his weight. “Desi?”

I groan in response, leaning back against the couch and tangling my fingers in my hair.

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