Chapter 23 #2
‘It was easier,’ he muttered.
‘Easier?’
He nodded with a self-deprecating smile. ‘The wanting and not having.’
‘Huh?’
‘When Morpheus found you.’ He wet his lips. ‘I can dream-walk. It was the only way to see you.’ He looked at me—serious and earnest—like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.
I pressed my fingers into my eyes, then raised my head. ‘When you… with your shadows’—I couldn’t say it—‘was that real?’ He briefly closed his eyes and nodded. Hot damn. ‘So you and Zeus both stalked me.’
His brow shot up, and his eyes slammed closed. ‘Are you upset with me?’ he uttered, eyes still closed.
‘No,’ I whispered, and he released a long breath as his gaze locked onto mine again. ‘I recognised the garden.’ My eyes searched his.
‘It is your garden in the Underworld, Persephone.’ At his words, my eyes widened, and a little kernel of happiness took root in my chest.
‘Can I see it?’
He nodded again. ‘We can practice your shadow magic there.’ I grinned up at him, and my breath caught in my lungs. His eyes… they looked close to combusting. ‘I would give the godsdamned world to taste you again, Persephone.’ His voice was thick with desire.
‘My blood?’ I squeaked. He shook his head, gaze locked on mine as he slipped off his jacket. ‘Oh.’ I squeaked again, because apparently, squeaking was my new normal.
Right. Taste me. Gods above, every coherent thought just… evaporated. I swallowed hard. I’d tried it once—with Matt—and it had been awkward as hell. Not exactly my thing. I’d been too self-conscious, too mortified to even pretend to enjoy it.
‘May I… taste you?’ Shadows gathered in his voice.
The air left my lungs in an unsteady rush, and a pulse of desire lit up my veins.
Good gods, what was wrong with me? But I knew the answer.
Fervent attraction. A haze of throbbing hormones wrapped around me like a fine mist, obliterating all rational thought.
I gave a slight nod, and as his eyes travelled from my face to the tips of my toes, I inhaled sharply.
His stare scorched me. My nipples tingled and hardened, and a sensual thrill sent goosebumps across my flesh.
He eyed me like he wanted to feast on me as he backed me up against the wall, using one of his knees to spread my legs.
Liquid heat spread through my veins, licking at me, and lust pulsed wildly.
The still-functioning part of my brain fired off warnings. This was insanity.
‘I’m not sure if—’ At my words, he stilled, but as my gaze met his, my heart stopped.
The feel of his rock-hard chest pressing against my breasts caused my brain to short-circuit.
The clothes between us were no match for the heat that rolled off him or the heat clawing within me.
The breath I inhaled rattled through me, full of his earthy scent.
A tight coil throbbed low in my belly, causing my breasts to ache, and I drew in a deep breath as my lips parted on a breathy gasp.
A small smile twitched on his lips. ‘Should I stop?’ His dark, brooding voice caressed my ear, and I shook my head.
He grasped my wrists, securing them with one hand above my head.
Gently brushing my hair from my face, he lifted my chin with a finger, our eyes locking.
His look was one of desire—like he wanted to consume me—and a torrent of heat coursed between my thighs, making my legs feel like butter.
I was so, so wet. He tenderly cupped my face with his free hand and brushed his mouth against mine, his tongue parting my lips.
He kissed me like a man starved. The kiss deepened until we were drowning in each other, and as his tongue licked against mine, my insides liquified.
He picked me up in one swift motion, making me yelp, and carried me to the bed.
Hades leaned over me on his elbows. His eyes swirled more gold than blue.
His lips and teeth grazed over my neck, making me groan softly, then further down to my breasts.
He sucked at my taut nipples through the fabric of the dress, and my back arched as I jolted.
Gods, I was overcome with need… desire. My brain tripped and I moaned.
He worked his way over my stomach and slipped the hem of my dress up to my waist, hesitating as he traced the small tattoo on my hip. ‘Beautiful,’ he murmured at the entwined red and purple roses.
When he slid his fingertips under my lace panties, dragging them down my legs, my heart rate spiked.
Once they were off, he placed them into his pocket.
Taking my thighs in his large hands, he pushed them apart.
I wanted to feel awkward and self-conscious, but I couldn’t.
As his eyes swirled almost pure gold, I felt want—yearning.
Pulses of sublime heat settled in my core, and I arched my hips and whimpered, causing him to growl low in his throat.
At the sound, a dipping motion churned in my belly as desire, hot and dark, swelled through me.
Never in my life had I been so viscerally affected by anything.
He stared between my spread thighs. ‘Exquisite,’ he uttered darkly as his fangs elongated.
His lips brushed the inside of my upper thigh, rasping his stubble across my sensitive flesh, causing me to gasp in response.
He kissed, nipped, and scraped my flesh with his lips and fangs, making his way upwards.
My breath came in quick pants. When his tongue touched my centre and then danced over my clit, I gasped.
‘Gods, you’re so delectably wet,’ he hummed against my sex.
‘You taste like spring flowers,’ he purred as his hot, broad tongue danced against me again, flicking, lapping, and sucking, and as he pushed a finger into my tight, wet entrance, curling it and hitting a sensitive spot, I whimpered.
He froze as his eyes met mine. ‘Am I hurting you?’
‘No—no. Please don’t stop,’ I gasped.
A wicked smile carved into his lips, and as he dropped his head again, that indecent tongue made me squirm with pleasure, my fingers curling into the bed covers.
When his finger thrust and twisted, I bucked my hips.
He held me down with a big hand on my abdomen, letting out a throaty laugh.
Feeling myself tighten in little flutters around him, he groaned, ‘Fuck, Persephone, you’re so tight.
’ His hot breath caressed my core, and then his tongue was back in long, broad strokes, licking up my slick centre; when he sucked that sensitive nub, I jerked and whimpered again, trying to buck.
‘You’re so delicious, Persephone,’ he uttered as his fangs grazed the throbbing bundle of nerves.
‘I—oh,’ I panted as he sucked again.
I started to lose focus and closed my eyes.
The pressure in me built, and when ripples of pleasure began to cascade through me, I moaned, ‘Oh. Oh, gods, yes.’ I pressed myself deeper into him.
Intense rapture enveloped me like ceaseless waves, wracking my body as I felt myself tighten so hard it was almost painful, and I released a guttural moan.
Still, he continued that erotic dance with his tongue until I saw stars and broke into a thousand quivering pieces.
Hades gave one longer lick, making me twitch, and withdrew his finger.
‘You don’t know how much I’ve longed to do that.’ His eyes were half-mast, smouldering with lust.
He worked his way back to me and smiled, his eyes never leaving mine.
When he put his finger in his mouth and sucked, dark desire ripped through me, and when our lips met again, I tasted myself on his tongue, making me groan low in my throat.
The kiss was deep, our tongues gliding over each other.
His mouth moved to my lower lip, sucking before his tongue delved deeper into my mouth.
I felt the hard length of his erection against my thigh and the feeling of his cock, along with the intensity of coming like a freaking rocket—that kiss tipped me over the edge, igniting a longing within me, a need for something more profound, more palpable.
I wanted him—all of him. I needed him to fuck me.
‘I—I want you,’ I breathed as my hips lifted to him, and he stiffened. The next second, he stood a few feet from the bed.
He chuckled darkly as he picked up his jacket, but frustration marked his features. ‘I’m going to fuck you so hard, you won’t remember your name. But not today.’ Then he vanished into the aether, leaving me alone.
A messy swell of emotions threatened to drown me. Why had he left me? One minute, he was everything I’d ever dreamed of; the next, he was back to being the arrogant king of shadows and darkness. What complicated corner of the universe did he come from?
A scalding tide of tears choked my throat; then anger spread through me like an out-of-control wildfire.
I clung to the anger like an old blanket; I was not going to cry over fucking Hades.
I jumped up, rearranging my dress as I hiss-growled and stamped my feet.
I was going to find Hades, and when I did, gods help him.
Breathless and pantless, I stormed out of the room, ready to eviscerate the bastard.
I stomped down the steps, and luckily, people were too focused on their conversations or conquests to even notice me—well, apart from Charon and Thanatos, who stood together with Hermes and Dionysus, all staring in my direction.
Great gods, where’s a hole in the ground when you need one?
Thanatos winked and smiled, but at my returning glare, the smile melted from his face.
‘Persephone!’ Simmy trotted over to me, studying my expression. ‘What’s wrong? You look like you want to punch someone in the nuts.’ I bared my teeth in response. ‘Did you have sex with Hades? You did have sex with him. Has he got a big—’
‘Stop. You’re gross.’
‘Well? Tell me why you’re so cranky.’
I stopped, placing my hands on my hips and narrowing my eyes. ‘I wanted to, but…’ I gritted my teeth. ‘I practically begged him to fuck me, but he… Gods, I’m such an idiot.’
‘He said no?’
I glared at him and fisted my hands. I glanced at Hermes and Dionysus, who were watching us, looking like they needed a big bowl of popcorn, and it was obvious Charon and Thanatos were gossiping like two nursing home patients.
‘Well,’ Simmy continued, ‘they always want everything on their terms. It’s probably god-speak for “I wanna bang your brains out, but I’ll make you wait till you’re begging me for it”.’
My dream flashed through my head. That’s what he’d said in my dream. I puckered my brow and released an animated sigh—the tosser. ‘Let’s get wasted. Come on, Sim.’
‘I bet Apollo will fuck you,’ he whispered as we walked to find more alcohol. I gave him a death glare, and he snapped his mouth shut.
Tee appeared, carrying two glasses of wine, and handed one to me. ‘You okay, babe?’
‘Peachy.’ I smiled grimly, then downed nearly half the glass. ‘Where’s Hades?’ I asked without looking at her.
‘He, um, returned home,’ she said cautiously. I merely shrugged as if I didn’t care a jot, but inside I was simmering.
A beautiful, melodic laugh—an intoxicating sound—caused us both to turn our heads. Zeus, the smarmy bastard. If I didn’t know better…
‘He’s like a giant jackass pinata begging for someone to beat the candy out of him,’ I mused, making Tee almost choke on her wine.
Behind him, now chatting with Ares, Dionysus looked as if he were a second away from faceplanting into a wall. I fought a grin; Ares was as entertaining as a traffic jam.
After finishing another glass of wine, I crossed the tipsy border and stumbled right into drunk land.
‘Come on,’ Tee said before I could grab another wine. ‘I’ll get you both back.’ Spotting Apollo, I left Tee and made my way over to him. ‘Sephy, don’t,’ she whisper-shouted. Then I heard her curse.
‘Apollo.’ I grinned up at him, and his mesmerising eyes danced with amusement as I wobbled. He grasped my arm.
‘Persephone, are you going?’
‘I am. But I just wanted to do one thing before I leave.’ He lowered his brow at my words.
‘Alright.’
As I rose to my tiptoes and gentry pressed my lips against his, he tensed.
But as I ran my tongue over his bottom lip, he groaned softly and placed his large hands on my hips, teasing my mouth open with his tongue.
Deepening the kiss, I wrapped my arms around his neck and waited.
It felt nice, but not like when he kissed me.
Ugh. Fucking Hades. I pulled back, smiling.
‘Thank you,’ I said to a somewhat bemused Apollo.
‘Erm, you’re welcome?’ His erection was evident, and I winked at him before turning back to Tee.
She, Zeus, and Poseidon were all staring at me with intense, almost homicidal scrutiny, looking as if they were ready to breathe fire like dragons of doom, and I should incinerate on the spot.
Simmy, however, stood behind them with his lips pressed together, looking rather pleased.
I gave them a small wave, and then carefully sauntered back to Tee.
‘Let’s go, Hecate.’ I smirked. Her glare? Instant death sentence. Grabbing hold of Simmy and me, she flashed us back to my room.
Simmy skulked out of the room, probably because Tee radiated anger like nuclear fallout.
‘What the actual fuck are you playing at, Sephy?’ she ground out through clenched teeth. ‘Why did you kiss Apollo?’
‘Why not?’ I slumped onto the bed.
‘Do you want Hades to kill him? Because, believe me, if he finds out, he will!’
‘He doesn’t own me,’ I bit back. ‘I can kiss whoever I want.’
‘Why, Sephy?’ Her voice softened, and that messy swell of emotions returned as stupid, damnable tears choked my throat and then leaked from my eyes.
‘Hades, he, we—’ I gulped. ‘He was so sweet. He gave me oral sex. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
The orgasm was…’ I placed my hands over my face.
‘But he ruined it.’ At my words, her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline, and I’m pretty sure she stopped breathing.
‘And I practically begged him to fuck me, but he’—I hiccupped—‘refused, became an arrogant twatwaffle god again, and left me. Now I feel like a total dipshit.’
‘Damn it,’ she grunted. ‘No wonder he told me to take care of you. Gods, wait till I see him, the dick.’
‘Why, Tee? Why did he refuse me?’
And why the fuck was I so upset? I wanted to go back to London.
I didn’t want to be with him. Did I? I released a sob, knowing damn well that I did want him.
Physically, at least… I yearned for him.
The attraction was beyond compelling. I needed the arrogant god of death to want me back, just as much as I needed the air I breathed.
The thought made me cry even harder.