Chapter 25
PERSEPHONE
My wine-induced headache felt like a psychotic drummer had taken up residence in my brain, and I groaned as I peeled my eyes open. Damn, I’d slept for hours.
I couldn’t think about Hades. Of course, my brain switched straight to Hades and, oh, my gods, what we’d done.
I groaned in embarrassment and pulled the covers over my head.
The image of him—his head nestled between my thighs—took up residency in my mind.
It would live in my head rent-free, probably for the rest of my godsdamned life.
But the way he’d made me feel. ‘Oh, shit.’ I placed my palms over my face.
I was so frustrated with myself. Why had I let him do that?
I didn’t even like it—well, before him. Bah.
I couldn’t blame him, though; I’d been like a freaking lovesick teenager.
Fucking hormones. Fucking Hades and his stupid face.
His ridiculous body. Stop! Just thinking about him caused my blood to heat and my lady parts to tingle.
Dammit, I needed an anti-sex pill or something for when he was near me.
I smacked my forehead with my palm. I felt like a horny, moody adolescent.
I climbed inelegantly from the bed, grunting.
That annoying, warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest pulsated.
He was in his chambers. I stared at the doors between our suites—the last time I used them, on the day he told me about my disappearance, they had been unlocked…
I wondered if they still were. I cursed and stomped my feet.
Maybe I’d pop over to Apollo’s court. At the thought, that feeling in my chest buzzed like a swarm of pissed-off fireflies. Crap. This bond shit was unbelievable.
Did I love Hades? I had no idea what romantic love felt like. I was undoubtedly attracted to him. But I couldn’t love him. I’d sworn off that ridiculous emotion. Irritatingly, that warm buzzing sensation in my chest still hummed. When would this overdramatic bond bullshit ever end?
I cursed under my breath and trudged into the bathroom.
One glance in the mirror—whoa. Red, swollen eyes, courtesy of hours crying into my nectar while venting with Tee.
My stomach tumbled, and I blew out a long breath.
Argh. I looked like shit. I took a cold shower; but even as the icy water sluiced down my body, thoughts of Hades made my skin burn. Damn him.
I knew he’d avoid me now, and the idea left me both furious and… weirdly hollow. My emotions were a complete fucking conundrum.
I stepped out of the shower and shivered.
‘A bath. I want a hot bath.’ I turned the taps, letting the tub fill with steaming water and enough foam to flood a small village.
While it rose, I cleansed, toned, and moisturised, pressing a pair of under-eye masks into place to battle the puffiness.
I towel-dried my hair and scraped it into a messy topknot.
When I caught my reflection again, I nodded. ‘Better,’ I whispered. Sliding into the bath, I sank beneath the heat, a sigh slipping free as tension drained from my body. I closed my eyes, and for a blissful moment, I drifted.
My eyes flew open as the door slammed against the wall. Hades stormed in, brow furrowed and lips a hard line. ‘I’ve been waiting ages for you,’ he said, then froze when his gaze landed on me.
I growled and hurled my wet sponge at him. Of course, he caught it with one hand, his eyes narrowing; I grabbed the bottle of bath foam next and hurled it with all the force I had—it should’ve at least left him with a bruise. He caught that too, cool as ever, and I snarled.
His voice knocked me from my temper. ‘What’s on your face?’ My gaze rose to his; his head tilted quizzically as he scrutinised me. Ugh. That beautiful face. My temper sparked again.
‘What?’ I hissed as I remembered the patches beneath my eyes. I deflated. ‘Oh, skincare things,’ I muttered, peeling them off.
‘We need to talk.’
‘Right at this very moment?’
‘What’s wrong with right now?’
Was he daft? ‘I’m in the bathtub, in case you’re blind.’
‘Oh, I’m not blind.’ His voice turned husky as his eyes grazed my body before returning to my face.
I glanced down; the bubbles were all but gone.
I caught his eyes again, and the expression he wore—a muscle ticked in his jaw, and his eyes swirled with gold.
Annoyingly, my body went straight back into take-me-now-land.
Damn him.
‘Fine,’ I gritted out in annoyance at myself and stood. He went completely rigid.
I fought not to cover myself and let him look his fill. The intensity of his perusal ignited my flesh, making my skin flame and warmth pool between my legs.
Double damn him.
‘Towel,’ I said, holding out my hand. He continued to stare at me, and I smirked to myself.
Here’s what you could have had, jackass.
‘Hades!’ He jumped, his eyes finally meeting mine.
‘Towel.’ Shaking his head, he grabbed a towel and placed it in my outstretched hand.
Electricity buzzed over my skin as his fingers brushed against mine.
I glanced down and raised my brows at the long, hard length pressing against his leather trousers.
‘I’ll wait outside.’ He swung around and closed the bathroom door.
I dried off and slipped into my robe, basking in the satisfaction of his reaction to me again.
Then I hesitated. No one had ever seen me completely naked, not even poor Matt, but I enjoyed it.
I relished Hades perusing my body as if it were a feast to be savoured.
Gods, perhaps I was turning into a harlot?
When I came out of the bathroom, Hades had gone.
I took the time to dress. I popped on a pair of shorts, a crop top, and my Nike trainers.
I applied a little makeup, mainly to conceal the dark circles under my eyes, and I was finishing braiding my hair when Hades reappeared from his suite, his hair damp as if he’d just showered.
He gave me a tentative smile as I lifted my eyes to his in the mirror, but I glowered at him. ‘You’re angry with me,’ he said.
‘No, of course I’m not!’ I deadpanned.
‘You’re not?’
Was this man for real? My hands flew out in exasperation.
‘Yes, I’m fucking furious with you, you arrogant, idiotic prick,’ I snapped as I secured the final pin in my braid and turned to face him.
His jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared.
‘You know, your mood swings are giving me whiplash.’ Those eyes met mine again, and he cocked his head.
‘One minute you’re being nice’—and kissing me.
Damn it, I wanted him to kiss me—‘and the next, you’re the arrogant Mr Silent and Grumpy. ’
He released a sad sigh. ‘The last thing I want to be around you is grumpy.’
‘Your emotions are so hard to discern. I need a codebreaker.’ He stared at me blankly. Ugh, men. He turned to look out of the window at the meadow. ‘Like, one minute we’re… you know.’ I flushed like a fever spreading across my skin. ‘Then you’re rejecting me.’
His head snapped around. ‘I’ll never reject you.’
‘But you did.’ My voice wavered as tears clogged my throat, and I wanted to smack myself in the face for showing such weakness.
‘Persephone,’ he said softly as he turned.
‘If I fuck you’—His eyes locked onto mine, and the breath froze in my lungs—‘Your choice of leaving me will be relegated to when Tartarus freezes over. I shall never let you go.’ He swallowed hard.
‘I can’t do that to you… I can't do what Demeter did by taking away your choice.’
‘Oh,’ I muttered in a dazed stupor. I shook my head to try to clear my confusion. ‘Then why… why did you kidnap me?’
He froze for a heartbeat, scrubbing the palm of his hand along his jaw; then he continued with his stone-strong confidence. ‘I was hoping if I kept you for three months’—he swallowed—‘you would fall back in love with me.’
I blinked. Blinked again. Then blinked some more.
The burn and sting of emotions became a knot I could barely swallow.
I felt as if I’d been sucked into a vacuum, aware but confused and disoriented.
Long seconds passed before I spoke again, his beautiful eyes swirling with ether, never leaving my face.
‘You want me to love you?’ I croaked. He nodded. Could I ever love a heartless god?
‘Do you want me to leave?’
‘No,’ I blurted, feeling somewhat elated as a happy little seedling took root in my chest. I shook my head. I was sure it was the accursed bond messing with me.
I hesitated; this man was an anomaly. Everything I wanted to despise: first and foremost, he was an arrogant freaking god. Yet I’d seen behind the armour, glimpsed something more. Coming from such a fucked-up family—Zeus being top tosser of them all—must have taken its toll.
No family is perfect, I know, but his was as screwed up as they come. I saw his flaws, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities, and still, that fuzzy knot in my chest swelled when I glanced back up at his face.
I loosed a breath and spoke. ‘Your interpersonal skills are worse than mine, great god of the dead.’ Again, he lowered his brows.
‘Honestly you’re doing a dreadful job of trying to make me love you.
You need to chill out… ditch the arrogant asshole routine.
You know… Less brooding. More personality. ’
He grimaced, jaw clenching, and gods help me… even though he acted like a complete dick most of the time, something warm welled in my chest. Was it the bond blindsiding me? Or… was it love? I shoved the thought aside.
‘Take me to my garden.’ His lips curved, and that damned dimple made my heart skip. I edged closer, slipped my small fingers into his, and he tensed. ‘Lead the way,’ I said as I squeezed his hand. He stared down at me, confusion clouding his features—then turned, guiding me forward.