Page 37 of Calling Chaos

His words stopped Cooper’s pacing in its tracks. “Why would I—”

“He’ll meddle if he scents anything,” Chaos muttered darkly, annoyed at the very thought of it. “He’s an incubus, he can’t help it.”

Chaos would be shutting that part of himself—the part that looked at Cooper even now and wished to see him writhing and whining underneath him—right off the very moment Nix arrived. In that sense, it was probably good Cooper wasn’t letting Chaos use his mouth to soothe him. The place would reek of sex if they were interrupted. It wouldn’t take an incubus to scent it.

Chaos and Nix were friends, it was true, but Nix also had a soft spot for humans. He’d see someone like Cooper and assume he needed protection from Chaos. With the contract in place between Cooper and Chaos, there wasn’t much Nix could actuallydoabout it, but it would be…tiresome to have someone try to keep Cooper from him.

And again,notin the fun way.

“I want your sweatshirt,” Chaos said suddenly.

Cooper paused the pacing he’d resumed, his fingers falling from his mouth. He looked down at his chest. “The one I’m wearing?”

“Yes.” Chaos reached out a hand for it. “Maybe if I smell like a human, I can fool Nix. That would be entertaining.”

Nix hadn’t seenallChaos’s human forms, after all. Who was to say Nix would recognize him?

“Um.” Cooper pushed up his glasses as he looked Chaos over. “You know your face looks the same, right? Whether you’re in your demon or human form—it’s identical, either way.”

Chaos waved his outstretched hand, dismissing Cooper’s concerns. “Details, details.”

Chaos didn’t actually care how unlikely fooling Nix was. That was part of the fun of playing any game—there was inherent thrill in the possibility of losing, just as much as in the possibility of winning. Anyone who felt otherwise was playing for the wrong reasons.

Cooper handed the sweatshirt over with a sigh, and Chaos grinned, tugging it on before cocking his head, listening closely. He could hear footsteps in the apartment hallway, followed by the murmuring of voices, one of them very familiar.

Sure enough, there was a knock on Cooper’s door the next moment.

Cooper made a sad, strangled sound and headed toward the door to undo all his many locks.

Chaos stayed right where he was. He was fast enough to interrupt any danger if Ivan tried something against Cooper. And he could see the door from where he was, although at the moment any sight of what was on the other side was blocked by Cooper.

“Ivan,” Cooper greeted.

A cold voice answered him. “Cooper. Where’s the demon?”

Oh no, no. Chaos didn’t like that tone. And not even a hello? No hug for Ivan’s lonely, touch-starved cousin? (Never mind that Chaos would have thrown him off the moment he tried.)

Rude, just as Chaos had thought.

“No demons here!” Chaos called out from his perch on the coffee table. He was pleased when Cooper laughed, even if it was an awkward, nervous sound.

Cooper opened the front door wider, stepping to the side to reveal both Ivan and Nix, who was beaming at Chaos. Maybe he wasn’t fooled by the sweatshirt after all. It didn’t matter at the moment—Chaos was distracted by his own perusal of Cooper’s mean cousin.

They looked nothing alike.

Ivan had none of Cooper’s shy mannerisms or interesting features. He was maybe handsome, if someone was looking for a block of ice made sentient. He had white-blond hair, pale skin, and an expressionless face.

Boring, boring, boring.

Chaos cocked his head at Cooper, who was standing to the side now and nibbling at his fingers again, and Cooper drew closer to Chaos, anxiety wafting off him.

Ivan scared Chaos’s puppy, even with Chaos here to protect him. It wasn’t life-or-death fear, but Cooper clearly didn’t want to disappoint the man.

“Ivan, meet our chaos demon,” Nix announced.

Chaos shot him a pout. “No demons here,” he insisted. “I’m just a mortal, human friend of Cooper’s here.”

If Cooper hadn’t summoned any demons with the Book, then Ivan would have no need to be angry with him. And if Ivan wasn’t angry at Cooper, Chaos wouldn’t have to kill the man for scaring his puppy.

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