Unleashing Chaos

Chapter Twenty-Seven

*****

A week later, I'm yawning and dragging my rolling suitcase down the stairs at 5:30 AM, silently cursing Jace for booking such an early flight.

Speaking of, there he is at the island, eating a bowl of peanut butter puff cereal, looking bright eyed and awake behind his glasses, wearing jeans that hug his ass and a tight red sweater that somehow brings out the stormy grey in his eyes.

Shit, this is going to be a long trip.

"Good morning, princess," he says, raising his eyebrow, not bothering to conceal his gaze as it runs up and down my body.

I'm suddenly glad I went for the dressier outfit—my dark skinny jeans, ivory sweater with a v-neck low enough to show some cleavage, and boots that come almost to my knees. My curls are loose and wild around my shoulders, but my face is bare; no time for makeup before a flight this early.

"Morning sunshine," I grumble, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and taking a sip. "You're awfully chipper for 5:30 AM."

"What can I say, I'm excited. I could hardly sleep last night. I got up at 3:30 and went for a run."

"Sometimes I wonder about you, Jace Wilder."

"And in those thoughts, do I have my clothes on or off?" He scrunches his face and shovels a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. "Sorry. That was inappropriate."

I grin and lean forward in front of him on the island, my v-neck dipping low enough to show him my lace bra and a glimpse of my mark beneath it. "Off. Almost always off."

"Exactly how I imagine you," he says with a wink.

Hades, Lucifer, and Beelzebub, what have I gotten myself into? I'm not complaining that Jace is in a good mood; seeing him happy is a beautiful thing. But the flirtation...we are going to get into so much trouble. Then again, isn't everyone in New York expecting to see a happy couple? I suppose it doesn't hurt to start acting the part now. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Shaking my head, I say, "Come on, babe, don't you think we should be going now? Our flight is in an hour and a half."

Jace takes the last bite of his cereal, washes his bowl, and says, "Hold on, one sec. I have to brush my teeth first. I wouldn't want my girlfriend to have to deal with chocolate peanut butter puff breath. Disgusting." He disappears up to his room and comes back five minutes later with a toiletry bag that he stuffs in his suitcase. "All right, I'm ready."

"Breath check," I say, putting my hands on my waist and sticking a hip out playfully.

He steps toward me and kisses me on the cheek, his lips barely brushing the corner of my mouth, the taste of peppermint filling my senses. "How's that?" he whispers.

My breath catches and I am rendered speechless for a couple seconds. "P-perfect," I stammer. "Very minty. You pass."

"Good. The Uber is out front. Come on, princess." He grabs both of our suitcases and I sling my purse over my shoulder, following him out to the car.

When we get to the airport, the crowd is much worse than I expected. Granted, I've never been to an airport, much less flown in an airplane, but I didn't think it would be like this. "Do you think we're going to make it on time?" I ask, worrying my lower lip, looking around at all the people flitting in and out of lines and rushing to different kiosks and service desks.

"We are fine as long as you didn't pack anything sharp in your carry-on bag. Getting through security will be the most time consuming, and even that won't be too bad. We get to use the priority lane."

"Sounds fancy."

Jace scans our tickets and selects the button for the baggage tags. "That's me, full of fancy."

"The nerdy shirts gave you away."

He scowls at me, but I don't miss the glint in his eyes. I'm pretty sure that I could tell this man that all the video game consoles were damaged by a major virus, and he would continue skipping through this day.

After checking in our bags, we make our way through security and stop at one of the markets to stock up on snacks. We make it to our gate just as the attendant is calling for first class to board the plane.

"Keep moving, sweetheart. That's us."

I look over my shoulder at him, my eyes widening. "First class? Really? Isn't that expensive?"

He shrugs. "Yeah, but this is a special occasion and a reason to splurge a little. Besides, it's your first time on a plane. I wanted you to have a good experience. The seats in first class are so much more comfortable, you get champagne, there's more leg room, and you get a blanket."

Warmth blooms in my chest. Jace paid extra for first class tickets just so I could have a special first-time flying experience. I loop my arm in his and look up at him, leaning my head against his arm. "Thank you. That's really sweet."

"Fancy and sweet—I'm really on a roll today."