Page 66 of Unleashing Chaos

I press my lips to his and whisper against them, “So . . . you lied.” He groans and a giggle escapes me. “You really thought I was going to let you slide right past that?”

The playful upturn of his mouth returns. I’ve missed that barely there smile these past few days. “I was hoping that my mouth between your legs would act as penance and that you would forgive me. Do you forgive me for being a jealous, lying coward?”

I smile and pull him down next to me. “Hmm . . . all right. I forgive you. But just so you know, you aren’t going to be limited to doing that only when you screw up, okay?”

He falls back on the mattress, his arms spread wide. “Oh, the torture you inflict upon me, you evil demon queen. How will I ever survive having to taste you on a whim?”

I cackle and climb on top of him, straddling his waist and leaning back on his bent knees. “And now you see my true plans. ‘Future queen of Sloth, too lazy to find a husband, shacks up with roommate instead.’”

Jace snorts and rests his hands on my hips. “You’re funny. That’s another reason you deserve to have the man of your dreams. You’re too much fun to settle for anything less than perfect.”

Lying forward on his chest, I take a deep breath and rest my chin on his pec. “That’s just it. I’m actually afraid that at this point my father is going to end up choosing for me. You and Cannon have both said it yourselves; I’m running out of time. And when they find out you and I aren’t going to ‘work out’ after all, he’s going to lose patience with me. I just know it.” Meeting Jace’s gaze, I add in a whisper, “So that’s why I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to hear me out.”

Jace sighs and runs his fingertips up and down my spine, the motion both comforting and arousing. “All right. I’m listening.”

I sit up, tugging him to face me, my legs wrapped around his waist. “My date tonight was confirmation that I’m not going to find someone who wants to go back with me from this realm. The time I have left just isn’t enough to convince someone to give up their life here. I’m coming to accept that. My father will make a good choice for me. I’m sure my partner will step up when I need help ruling.”

“You shouldn’t give up. There is someone out there. Cannon—”

I place my finger over his lips. “You’re listening, remember?” He sighs, clamps his mouth shut, and I continue. “I want to use the time I have left to have these kinds of experiences . . . with you. I trust you and you know what you’re doing. I don’t want to waste what’s left of my freedom fumbling around with someone.”

He slides his palm across the side of my neck and tilts my head back with his thumb. “Are you saying you want me to be your plaything while you explore your sexuality?”

I smirk and run my tongue over my top lip, keeping my eyes on his mouth. “That’s absolutely what I’m saying, Jace Wilder. Are you up for it?” I ask, tightening my legs around his waist and grinding against his growing length.

Jace tilts his head back, his eyes darting across the ceiling. He’s so practical. I can almost see him sifting through all the things that can go wrong and right.

“I’ll agree on one condition,” he finally says.

“What’s that?”

“You stay open to finding someone yourself. You’re too strong to roll over and let your dad choose for you. And if you find that someone, you have to let me know.”

“I can do that.”

“All right. You’re going to have to explain what you expect of me. I wouldn’t want to cross any hard lines for you.” His fingers trail down my spine until he reaches the small of my back. He pulls me in tighter until his hard cock is trapped between us.

A whimper escapes my throat as I arch my back to create more friction between us, and a satisfied smile crosses my face when a hiss slides past his lips. “What if I told you I didn’t have any hard lines? I am open to anything when it comes to you. I trust you that much.”

He licks a path up the column of my neck and presses his lips to my ear. “I’d say you better pray I don’t ruin you, Desideria.”

I tilt my neck to signal that I want more of that, tangling my fingers in his hair.

If only he knew he already has.

Twenty

DESI

“So, you’re telling me that Harry Styles is a demon?” Jace asks.

Pointing at the pantry, I open the door from across the room and float a bag of pasta to my outstretched hand, then pour it into the boiling water on the stovetop. For the past twenty minutes, Jace has flipped through pictures of celebrities, searching to see if they have a mark.

“You tell me. Do you see a mark?”

“It’s well hidden in his tattoos, but it’s there. That dude seems way too nice to be a demon.”

I feign offense, placing my hand over my chest. “Pardon you, sir. But I am a very nice demon.”

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