Page 69 of Undisputed Chaos
Every dress suddenly looked juvenile, too short, too tight, not “please don’t panic, my new boyfriend is onlyslightlydangerous.”
"I can't believe you're meeting my parents one day into dating," I sighed, pulling out a pale pink dress only to immediately stuff it back like it might bite. "This is insane."
Adrian was sprawled across my bed, his massive frame making my queen-sized mattress look ridiculously small under him. His legs dangled off the edge, every foot of him stretched out and easy.
He was watching me with undisguised fascination, green eyes tracking my every movement like I was the most captivating thing he'd ever seen.
His ever-present jade-handled knife spun between inked fingers, catching bits of sunlight and tossing them across my carpet.
"Why wait?" he countered, flashing that beautiful devil-may-care smile that made my knees weak and my brain forget every reason not to give in.
“I’m not going anywhere, angel. Besides, better to get the interrogations out of the way. If Crew survives, I get to keep you.”
I grabbed a cream-colored slip dress with a modest neckline that still managed to hug my curves.
"My brother’s going to interrogate you like you're a criminal," I warned, holding the dress against me and turning to Adrian for approval. "And my dad will probably try to intimidate you with some story."
Adrian's eyes darkened as he took in the dress, his knife stilling mid-twirl. "Wear that one," he decided, his voice dropping an octave. "And don't sweat about your family. I already won over another important one ten years ago.”
I snorted, not buying it for a second, but some ridiculous thing inside me relaxed.
There was something so vibrantly, intensely real about Adrian—even in his danger, he felt trustworthy in ways normal boys never had.
I disappeared into the bathroom to change, hyperaware of Adrian's presence just beyond the door. When I emerged, his reaction was worth every second of deliberation.
He sat up straight, knife forgotten on the bedspread, eyes drinking me in with such naked appreciation that I felt myself flush from head to toe.
"Angel," he breathed, rising to his feet in one fluid motion. "You're so pretty."
He crossed to me in two long strides, his hands settling on my waist.
The ribbon—his ribbon—still circled my throat, a silent declaration that I belonged to him. His fingers traced it before sliding up to cup my face.
"I'm the luckiest man alive," he murmured, bending to press his forehead against mine. "And I'm going to make sure your family knows exactly how much you mean to me."
Some nights, I’d wondered if I’d ever feel honestly special in someone’s arms. One day with Adrian and I burned with it.
“We should go,” I whispered, mostly because Adrian looked like he’d be content to just hold me there forever. “You still need to change.”
He grinned, reluctant but smug. “My place first. I’ll shower and put something on that won’t give your dad a heart attack.”
The gleam in his eyes suggested he’d enjoy testing the boundary.
As we stepped out of my building, Adrian's hand settled possessively at the small of my back, guiding me toward the private parking area.
The evening air was warm against my skin, and my heart fluttered with anticipation.
Not just for dinner with my family, but for whatever disaster would probably come after.
I expected Adrian to lead me toward one of the sleek, understated luxury cars that sometimes populated my neighborhood's streets. Instead… he steered me toward something that could only be described as pure automotive chaos.
There, gleaming under the streetlights like some alien spacecraft, sat a Lamborghini in the most outrageous shade of lime green I'd ever seen.
The color was almost radioactive, practically pulsing with energy—exactly like its owner.
Of course.
"That's..." I trailed off, searching for words.
