Page 10 of Unleashing Chaos

I don’t mean to say it; it just rolls off my tongue. I noticed them the first time we met. Eyes like his aren’t common in Infernis; nearly everyone’s irises are green, red, or purple, and his are the smokiest, richest shade of gray that reminds me of a stormy day, perfect for staying inside and reading under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate.

He stiffens at my compliment and takes a step back, returning to his cereal. “Thanks. When is your first victim supposed to be here?”

I bite my bottom lip and glance at the clock on the microwave. “Any minute now.”

The front door opens and a cheerful voice asks, “Anybody home?”

“In the kitchen!” I call back.

“He’s going to kick his damn shoes off in the middle of the entryway,” Jace grumbles, shoving more cereal into his mouth, like it’s going to cure his irritation.

I’ve noticed that Jace is especially irked by Cannon’s lack of tidiness. He practically follows Cannon around the house, picking up dishes and lining his shoes up under the bench in the foyer. But even though he has little patience for Cannon’s disregard for his rules, the two get along. They’ve spent the past two nights in the living room playing video games and talking about work over beers. I must admit that I’m jealous that the two have clicked so easily, while Jace and I are still tiptoeing around each other.

Cannon strolls into the kitchen, pulling on his tie. He stops and whistles. “Damn, Desi! That dress is sexy as hell.”

I shoot Jace a glare as if to say That’s the reaction I was hoping for, and then flash a smile at Cannon. “You think so? I just got it this morning.”

“Green is definitely your color. Jace, did you have any clue that we were living with such a smokeshow?”

“None,” he mumbles as he moves to rinse out his bowl.

Cannon chuckles. “I got to get our boy a new prescription for his glasses.”

I roll my eyes and examine my nails before glaring at the back of Jace’s head. “He’s just irritable because that was his last bowl of peanut butter puff cereal.”

Jace grunts and walks past us. “I have a proposal I need to finish. Enjoy your date, Desideria.”

“I will,” I answer in an overly chipper tone.

The doorbell rings, and Cannon grabs my shoulders, turning me to face him. Bringing a bunch of red curls over my shoulder, he says, “You got this. Smile and remember you look smoking hot.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before going to the door and swinging it open. The man on the other side is just as attractive as his photos, and it’s all I can do to keep my jaw from dropping.

His blond hair falls in soft curls over his forehead and his hazel eyes sparkle as he takes me in. “Hello, Desi, it’s so good to meet you in person.”

I grin and step back, opening the door wider and letting him in. “Thank you, Kyle. You too. Come on in and let me grab my jacket.”

He follows me into the kitchen where Cannon is at the sink getting a glass of water. He looks up but doesn’t say anything, just nods in Kyle’s direction.

Kyle gives a polite nod back, and I feel the need to explain myself.

“Oh, this is Cannon. He’s just my roommate. I’m not, like, married or anything.”

Crap.

What if he thinks I don’t ever want to get married now?

I backpedal. “Not that I’m opposed to marriage. In fact, that’s what I’m looking for. Eventually, I mean. How do you feel about marriage? I think the possibility of being with the same person forever is romantic. I love going to weddings, and I’ve even planned my own just for fun. Have you ever thought about your wedding before?”

Cannon coughs and does a spit take into the sink, water going everywhere.

Kyle fidgets and looks around the room. “I . . . um . . .” He pulls his phone from his pocket and stares at the screen. “Oh, damn. I hate to do this, Desi, but I just got a text from my vet and my . . . um . . . my lizard isn’t doing so well.” He steps backward toward the door. “Maybe we can reschedule for another time.”

“Do you want me to message you later?” I ask.

“You know, this isn’t looking good for my, uh, turtle. He might need a kidney transplant. I’ll message you when things have calmed down.” Kyle runs for the door and slams it closed behind him.

I’m stunned. The message came out of nowhere, and he left so quickly.

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