[excerpt] Chaos & the Geek (Grace Grayson Security Book 1)

Chapter Three: Amber

I heard his door open and pulled my other book back to me.

"Did you forget something?" I asked, for a minute acting like I would with Patrick.

"What?"

I looked up at him then and saw he was in a completely different suit. This one was dark blue with a white shirt, matching navy tie, and brown dress shoes. He was doing up cufflinks as he walked out of his room, giving me a funny look. And that managed not to distract from the fact that he was completely gorgeous. Him with his damned chiselled cheekbones, his perfect eyebrows, that strong jaw, those lips that barely ever rose and yet I'd still imagined what they'd feel like against me on far too many occasions.

"Did you not go to bed?" he asked, looking out the window like he just had to check that it was actually the next morning.

I followed his gaze and saw that the first hint of dawn was sneaking up the sky.

"Bugger," I muttered and looked at my page. "What time is it?"

"About half seven."

I nodded. "Great."

"So you haven't slept?" he asked, with his nonchalant ease.

"No, Kit," I huffed. "I haven't slept. I don't seem to do that anymore."

I took my glasses off and rubbed my eyes. Now he'd pulled me out of my research, I felt exhausted, but my mind was wired. I knew if I went to bed then I'd just be lying there replaying everything. And Dannie and Brent were going to make a lot of appearances.

The day before, I'd showered and put away my clothes before I'd fallen onto the bed and slept like the dead for six hours. Then I'd dived into study. I ignored calls and messages from Dannie, Farrah and Brent – not that there were many – and I think I'd let my phone run out of batteries somewhere along the lines. Oh well, the only people who used it that I might have wanted to talk to were my parents and I didn't really want to talk to them just then anyway.

"Wi-Fi?" I heard myself say.

"What?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Do you have Wi-Fi?"

"Uh..." He paused and looked around. "Yeah, Nico set it up though. I'll get him to send you the..." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and held a hand up to me. I watched the corner of his lip quirk. Almost. "My bad, dude. But I need Wi-Fi–" He shook his head. "Get some coffee in you, will you? Amber needs the Wi-Fi details." Kit nodded. "Great. Thanks, man."

He hung up and looked at me. Which of course, meant I looked anywhere but at him.

"He's got a client to deal with but said he can drop past about lunchtime and set it up?" Kit said as he walked into the kitchen.

I nodded, sure I probably could have done it myself. But whatever worked for them. "Thanks."

"If you need it sooner–"

"No. I'm good. Just figured I'd need it at some point."

He nodded. "Coffee?"

I picked up my mug and wondered when I'd finished it. I opened my mouth to say thanks, but then realised that maybe I should hold off on the caffeine if I planned to sleep at all sometime that day. And I did need to sleep. But I also wanted to avoid my problems some more.

I got up from the table and slid my mug across the counter. "Sure. Thanks."

I pulled myself onto his far too tall bar stools and watched him work, taking the time to let myself stare at him unashamedly. His jacket lifted and his suit pants pulled against his arse as he moved and I let myself appreciate it in a way that thirteen year old me and sixteen year old me hadn't really been able to do. Not that I remembered his arse being quite that tight.