Page 9 of Unleashing Chaos

“I did not mean to buy this much stuff,” I say as I drop bags of clothes, shoes, makeup, and hair products onto my bed. “But I left most of my belongings at my parents’ house, so I think we can call this spree necessary.” It’s not untrue; I didn’t want to haul all my stuff from Infernis, but as soon as I got here, I realized my mistake. All the items I went shopping for today are necessities if I’m going to be dating. And tonight, I have my first date with Kyle.

“Hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,” Meredith says as she adds the bags she was carrying for me to the pile.

“Thank you for taking me to the mall. I would’ve had no idea where I was going. Back in In—” I stop short and clear my throat. “Back in my little hometown, we don’t have all those stores. I’m not used to this kind of variety.” I gesture for her to sit down in one of the plush armchairs across from my bed.

She sits and I do the same, crossing my legs under my butt. “Glad to help. It was fun to have a girl’s day. I was serious when I said it’s been a while since I had a neighbor I could gossip with. In other words, it’s been a while since a woman lived next door. I’ve been stuck talking to Jeremy and our sons, and I’d be better off talking to a rock sometimes.”

I grin. “Well, can I trouble you for a little something else?”

She clasps her hands. “Please. Anything to avoid going home to all the chores I have to do.”

“I have this date tonight. I haven’t been on a real date before, and I just . . . I need advice. How do I act? What do I say?” I have a million other questions, but I shut my mouth and let her think.

“Oh honey, you have nothing to worry about. He’s going to take one look at you and be invested. But I guess the best advice is to be yourself, ask questions, and listen. Oh, stroke his ego by laughing at his stupid jokes. I don’t know why, but men love it when you think they’re funny.”

“Okay, I can do that. And also . . . how do I know for sure if he’s creepy? Jace had me turn my phone’s location tracker on last night, which freaked me out a little. What if I read this guy all wrong?” Kyle’s pictures had me weak in the knees based on his extraordinary height, ski instructor build, hazel eyes, and blond hair, but looks could be deceiving.

Meredith shakes her head, the dark curls whipping around her narrow face. “Always follow your gut. If he is giving you a bad feeling, then you run. Send me a text, I’ll call saying you have a ‘family emergency,’ text Jace to come get you, and then you’re out of there. But if you’re really in a jam, you can always kick him in the balls. But you know there is a safer and perfectly scrumptious option in this house—every time I catch Cannon sliding out of that Lexus of his, I swear I drool down the front of my shirt.”

“He is handsome, but I’m not sure it’s the best idea to date him or Jace.”

She snorts and tucks a curl behind her ear. “Please, you’d have a better chance at landing a date with a priest. Jace is damaged goods.” My ears perk up at that; it reminds me of the conversation I had with Cannon last night, but before I can put too much thought into it, I glance at my alarm clock and nearly jump out of my skin.

“Oh my gosh, I have to get ready! He’ll be here in an hour!”

Meredith stands. “Well, I’ll let you get to it. I’ll stop by tomorrow with some goodies so we can chat about how it went.”

“Sounds perfect. Thank you for everything.”

Meredith nods and slips out of my bedroom door with a wave.

Now that it’s time to get ready, I feel sick to my stomach when I think about what I didn’t ask Meredith. Kyle invited me to dinner, and then he said we’d just “see where the night takes us.” I have a feeling I know what that means, and I’m nervous about it.

I don’t have any intention of sleeping with a stranger on the first date, but it would be nice to be kissed, maybe even touched. But just the thought of it has my heart hammering, and as I apply my eyeliner, my hand is trembling.

The chances of me finding my perfect match on my very first date are slim to none. Kyle might as well be the appetizer to what could be a five-course meal. And let’s face it, what I’m really looking forward to is dessert. The man I choose will have to be the decadent chocolate treat I crave when life is at its worst and its best, even if I might have to swallow a few bites of salad before I get to what I want.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, I shake the nerves out and start again, feeling a little steadier as I finish my makeup and tame my unruly mane of curls. I slide the dress I decided to wear off the hanger and slip into it, smoothing the emerald satin over my hips and adjusting my breasts so my cleavage is fully on display. One thing I do appreciate about my realm is that we’ve never been encouraged to hide or be ashamed of our bodies. I choose a pair of stilettos, and when I check the final product in the full-length mirror, I take a note from my brother Fier and admit that I look pretty damn sexy.

Snatching my clutch and a black leather jacket off the chair in the corner, I make my way down the stairs. Jace is leaning over the island in the kitchen, flipping through a stack of papers. His hair is just as disheveled as yesterday, and he wears a plain black T-shirt and gray joggers. He’s eating a bowl of cereal, the only snack I’ve seen him eat since I moved in.

“Hey,” I say, walking across the kitchen, my heels clicking on the tile floor.

He glances up at me and stops with the spoon halfway to his lips. “Hey. You look . . .” He blinks and shakes his head before shoveling the cereal into his mouth. “Nice.”

I raise an eyebrow and place a hand on my hip as I lay my jacket and purse over the island. “Nice? Are you sure you’re not talking about that cereal you’re currently stuffing into your face?”

“Nope,” he says with his mouth full, pointing at the bowl with his spoon. “This is good, and you look nice.”

That’s okay. He doesn’t need to say the words; the way his eyes roamed up and down my body the second he looked up said it all. Even now he continues to steal glances in my direction. My grumpy roommate thinks I look smoking hot. And I do, dammit!

“Don’t you think your contacts might be overkill for a first date though? Maybe hold off on the sexy witch thing until the second date, when you strap him to the bed and sacrifice his poor soul to Satan,” he says.

Satan. I nearly laugh out loud at the mention of the name, but more than that, the notion that I’m wearing contacts. “What are you talking about? These aren’t contacts. This is my real eye color.”

“No way. They practically glow. I’ve never seen eyes like that before.” He steps around the counter and bends down until we’re eye to eye, inspecting me as though he’s never really looked at me. “Oh. They are real. Your eyes are amazing.”

“Thank you,” I manage to say, and clear my throat, unnerved by how close he is to me. “So are yours.”

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