Page 89 of Unleashing Chaos

“You look really good in this dress,” I say, my lips close to her neck, and watch as her skin rises in goosebumps.

She turns her head just enough so she can see me over her shoulder. “Thank you. You’re sure it’s not too tight?”

“No, it’s perfect,” I whisper and take a chance that might backfire on me. I press my lips to the top of her shoulder, desperate for one small taste of her skin.

Her sharp intake of breath has me holding mine, but when she turns around, there’s a smile on her face. I would do whatever I can to see it over and over again.

After I put my suit on and ask for a bit of extra assistance straightening my tie, possibly just to get Desi close to me again, we’re on our way to Matt’s office. The city is bustling, with people rushing this way and that, and the noise is overwhelming as always. My senses are overloaded, but I’m absolutely enamored watching Desi’s reactions to everything around us. The smile on her face is wide and so are her eyes, trying to take in as much as possible.

“Jace, this place is amazing. It’s even better than I thought it would be. Thank you for bringing me here. We haven’t even gone anywhere yet and I am about to explode from excitement,” she says, bouncing on the balls of her feet, her curls mimicking the action against her shoulders. “Where’s Matt’s office?”

“We’re going to have to grab a cab.” I lift my hand and flag the first yellow car I see, opening the door for Desi and then climbing in next to her. The drive itself isn’t that far, but the traffic is horrendous. I’m starting to get nervous that we’re going to be late, and the first impression Edmonds has of me will be a terrible one. He might decide to back out, that he can’t count on me, that I’m irrespon—

“Downtown Denver is a grain of sand compared to this place,” Desi says in awe. “Everything is so tall! And all the people . . . it reminds me of trying to fit a new outfit into my overstuffed closet,” she says out of nowhere, completely oblivious to my inner spiral.

I can’t help it; I laugh at that comparison. I swear, this woman is like a natural anti-anxiety medication. She can ease my worries without even realizing it, and there’s just something so pure about that.

We stop in front of a high-rise office building and I help Desi out of the taxi. With her arm looped in mine, we enter the modern lobby and the woman at the front desk directs us to the fifty-second floor.

“Fifty-two floors?” Desi hisses. “That’s a lot of floors to take an elevator for. What if it—”

“It won’t,” I assure her as we wait for the doors to open, and I usher her in. “I promise.” Wherever she was going with that train of thought, I don’t want to jump on for the ride. There’s no worry she can voice that I haven’t thought of at least once before.

The elevator stops at several floors as we travel farther up, and people pile in. The man next to us moves closer, and I notice Desi inch even nearer to me. Not that I mind, but she was practically standing on top of me to begin with. Glancing at the guy who’s crowding us, I see him raking his smarmy gaze over her, snagging on her hips and chest.

My nostrils flare and I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her back flush against my chest, even closer than before. My voice is a firm warning when I say, “Keep your eyes off my girl, man.”

The older man straightens his tie, his hand adorned with a golden wedding band, and mumbles an apology before exiting on the next floor.

Desi’s chest expands with a sharp inhale and when she exhales, I feel her whole body relax against me. I know she’s all right when she looks up at me and teases, “Your girl, huh?”

I lift one shoulder in a casual shrug. “Saying my roommate seemed weak, and it was a moment where I had to pull some macho-man shit.”

“Feel free to do it anytime—it reminded me of that night outside the club except this time I didn’t have to endure the dude’s hands on me, and I still got to hear you get all alpha-hole possessive.”

“Alpha-hole? I don’t think anyone has ever called me that.”

“Too bad, because I think it’s a turn-on.”

I smirk. “Good to know.”

The elevator signals our floor and I take Desi’s hand as we scoot through the couple of people around us. If we thought the lobby was nice, Matt’s office is the lap of luxury. Rich, dark furniture, amber light, and the scent of leather in the air. The young man at the front desk has perfectly coiffed hair and a slim-fitted suit. He guides us to a conference room and taps on the tall walnut door before entering.

Matt sits at the head of the conference table with an older man. They each have their hands clasped on top of folders and crystal glasses of water within reach.

Matt stands and gives Desi a once-over. It’s the harmless flirtation we’ve both come to expect of him, and while it doesn’t bother Desi in the least—in fact, I think she finds the attention amusing—I must admit I’m becoming slightly perturbed. Maybe I am an alpha-hole.

After an appreciative whistle, he says, “How do you do it? Four hours on a plane and you still manage to look like a million bucks. Why couldn’t you get your man to clean up this good?”

She leans forward and kisses the air at both of his cheeks before turning back to me and tugging on the lapels of my suit jacket. “Thank you, but I think Jace not only looks phenomenal, but like he’s about to sign the most promising young graphic designer in the business.”

“On that, I will agree with you. Come take a seat.” Matt points to the empty chair across from the other man. “This is Maxwell Cartwright, my attorney. Maxwell, may I introduce Jace Wilder and his better half, Desideria.”

We shake hands.

“I apologize in advance if this all seems rushed. I just got a call about a last-minute will reading at my Connecticut office. I wasn’t planning on heading out tonight, but getting this family to agree on a time has been the bane of my existence,” Cartwright says.

“No problem at all,” I answer with a smile. “I’m happy to get it all signed and taken care of sooner rather than later.”

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