Unleashing Chaos

Chapter Twenty

Something slips through my fingers and a warm brush slides down my cheek. Jace's voice is a whisper as he says, "Hey, we got to get ready if you still want to sled."

My eyes flutter open and I look around my room. Jace sits next to my hip in a gray long-sleeved shirt and black joggers. A beanie sits on his head and the leg resting on the bed shows he's wearing his running shoes. He flips the book I fell asleep reading over and reads the description. "A haunted hotel and two brooding, handsome twin brother spirits. What more could a girl want?"

My face flushes and I snatch the book from his hand and fling it over on the other side of the bed. "You are nosy," I say in a gravelly voice. My eyes run over his form one more time. "Besides, you totally left me hanging last night; I had to take the edge off somehow." My tone is teasing, but the wink I give him is less silly than it is seductive.

"I'll make that up to you today with some cold weather and hot cocoa, but you have to get moving." He places a soft kiss on my lips and stands. "And you wouldn't be so grouchy if you hadn't stayed up late reading about beefy twins getting frisky with a hotel owner."

I grab a pillow from behind me and throw it at him, but he is too quick, slipping out the door before it reaches him.

With a whiny groan, I roll out of bed and jump in the shower. I twist my curls into two long braids that fall over my shoulders before digging through my closet and finding a pair of thick ski pants Grub had insisted I buy when I decided on moving to Denver. Before I put them on, I layer them with a pair of long johns and a thermal shirt. I add a parka, waterproof boots, gloves, and a scarf, and I look exactly like an Oompa Loompa.

"I'm ready," I announce, tugging a green stocking cap onto my head as I waddle into the kitchen under all my layers.

Jace is leaning against the island with a bottle of water in his hands. He unscrews the top and brings the bottle to his mouth. "You look...warm," he says, covering his smile by taking a sip.

He has added a jacket to his athletic ensemble and changed into snow boots. The fingers of a black glove hang out of his pocket. He doesn't look much different than when he goes for his morning run.

"Is it too much?" I ask, looking down at myself and gesturing to my pants and parka. "Should I ditch the snow pants?"

He sets down his drink and walks over to me. Helping me out of my jacket, he says, "We will be in the car or moving, you won't get that cold. Did you get some fleece-lined leggings?" I nod and he continues, "Those will be better for this trip. The snow is solid where we are going, and it's a clear day. I promise we won't be in a blizzard."

Jace kneels before me to remove my boots and reaches for the waist of the bulky pants. He pulls them down and chuckles at the long johns. Reaching around me, he feels for the two buttons above my ass. "Sexy. You could just go in these."

I cock my head to the side and look down at him. "Ha-ha. You're hilarious. In case you didn't notice, we don't exactly have snow in Infernis, so I was just going by what I've seen in the movies I've watched since I've been here. Apparently, they're a little extra when it comes to wardrobe," I say as he unsnaps the buttons and gives the globes of my ass a playful swat. "I—" But my words get caught in my throat as he stands in front of me and fingers the top button on the long johns before making his way down the center of my chest.

"The truth about everything is less is more." He pulls the fabric down my shoulder and kisses the exposed skin. "And the same goes for snow gear. If you wear too much, you sweat." The top of the onesie falls away leaving me naked from the waist up. "Sweat cools the body. And when it is cold outside, the last thing you want is moisture eventually freezing." He cups my breasts, pulls down the thin fabric of my bralette, and lifts a peak to his mouth. After lapping at the now-hardened nipple, he says, "But there are other activities where sweat is very appropriate."