Chapter Twelve
For a long moment, Cora stared at the foyer, mulling over their conversation.
Hades gave off hot and cold, and it was very confusing.
At least on the surface level, but she was catching feelings, and that was very bad.
Should she leave? She wished she had the courage to leave, but truthfully, she didn’t want to.
If her time with Hades was limited, then she wanted as much time with him as possible.
Did that make her a doormat? Na?ve?
Perhaps.
But at least she was honest enough to admit that about herself.
Since it was Sunday, she couldn’t go to the library, so she spent the rest of the day watching television. Thinking. A lot. Having nothing to do was boring. Later in the evening, when Hades texted that he was on his way home, she started dinner for them.
“I need to go back home,” she told him as they sat down at the table. She had cooked baked chicken, potatoes, and a salad.
“Why?” he asked.
“I have work tomorrow.”
“You don’t need to work.”
She blinked. “Uh, yeah, I do. That’s how I can afford to live my Los Angeles dream.”
Hades frowned.
“That was a joke,” she clarified. “My dream is affording a place to live and food to eat.”
He didn’t even crack a smile. “I can give you a place to live and food to eat.”
She mentally sighed.
“Can your driver take me home?”
“That place isn’t a home, it’s a room,” he stated. “I want you to stay here.”
“Hades, you know I can’t do that.”
“If you need a job, then I’ll give you one. I have many businesses so you can take your pick.”
“That’s ... strangely nice of you to offer,” she said. “But you know I can’t accept.”
He scowled. “Why not?”
“If I took a job from you,” she said softly, “then sleep with you, what does that make me?”
“It makes you better paid,” he argued.
“I appreciate the offer, but no.”
A frustrated sigh leaked from his mouth, but he didn’t argue any more. Instead, he took her to bed and, once again, spanked her until her ass was flaming hot.
In the morning, he tried hard to get her to stay at his house, but she declined. He didn’t talk to her as he drove her to her tenant house, then waited as she showered and changed. When she walked out, he dropped her off at the LC Group.
He placed a hand on her leg, halting her from getting out of the car. “I’ll pick you up this evening.”
Why was he making this difficult? If he kept insisting she be around him, she was going to catch feelings, and she didn’t want to be that dumb.
“No, Hades.”
“Not up for negotiation.” He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in to claim a kiss that went all the way to her soul. “He tried to suffocate you, remember?”
She flinched. Truthfully, she had tried to push it out of her memories. “I remember.”
“He’s disappeared, which means he’s out there. Capable of hurting you again.”
“I’ll make sure I’m not alone,” she assured him.
He blew out a frustrated sigh. “I’ll send a car to pick you up and bring you to me.”
“Hades—”
“Like I already said, not up for negotiation.”
At his firm tone, she conceded. “Okay, but I’ll have to run home and get a change of clothes.”
“I can have clothes sent over.”
“Stop. You don’t need to buy me anything.”
“But I want to buy you things,” he stressed. “No offense, babe, but your clothes are cheap and scratchy.”
“They’re all I can afford.”
“And that’s why I want to buy you things.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Nope. Stop fighting me.”
She huffed. “Okay, but not too much. Just a few essentials.”
“Thank you,” he said. “There’s one more thing I have to ask, before you head into work.”
“And what would that be?”
“I want you to stay with me at Christmas.”
Pulling back in surprise, she stared at him, incredulous. “You want me to celebrate the holidays with you?”
“Yes.”
“You celebrate Christmas?”
“More or less.”
“More more or more less?”
He didn’t reply.
“Do you even know what day Christmas is?”
A scowl creased his brow, and she fought a smile. Maybe he was starting to catch feelings for her, too. A girl could hope.
“Okay,” she replied. Wasn’t like she had any plans to begin with.
He placed a hard, quick kiss on her lips. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
She nodded and exited the car when the driver held open the door. With a wave she headed into the building and made her way to the time clock. Betsy was there, so she stepped to her friend’s side.
“Hey, you,” Betsy greeted. “Would you like to come over for Christmas? No gifts needed. We’re just going to have an awesome dinner, watch holiday movies, and drink hot chocolate.”
“As yummy as that sounds, Hades asked me to celebrate with him.”
“Wait, what?” Betsy’s mouth dropped open. “Shut the front door.”
“I know, right?” Cora shook her head. “I couldn’t believe it myself.”
“What’s going on between you two?”
Cora sighed. “I wish I knew. He’s told me in not so many words to not get attached but then he asks me to celebrate Christmas with him and wants to see me on weekends. He’s always blowing hot and cold and it’s confusing.”
“Could he love you?”
“No,” she replied firmly. “We’re too different. I think he thinks I’m unique, but that’ll fade.”
Betsy laid a hand on her arm. “Do you love him?”
“Of course not,” Cora answered. “Flies live longer than the number of days I’ve known him.”
Was that really the truth? Not love, but something was there. Attraction? Fascination?
“I see,” Betsy said. “Well, I’m always here for you.”
“Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s get this day over.”
Betsy went to her floor, and Cora went to the mail room.
The day was uneventful until lunch. Since she hadn’t brought anything to eat, she went to the vending machines and got a bag of cookies.
As she was heading back to the bank of elevators, munching on chocolate chip goodness, she was shoved from behind and went flying.
Since she was caught unaware, she didn’t get a chance to brace herself, and her cheek connected sharply with the ground.
Pain exploded and tears immediately formed to run down her cheeks.
Laughter erupted but she hurt too much to care, knowing who had been the one behind the push.
Unable to move, she cupped her face, crying as Ranelle and her bitch squad walked past.
“Stop right there!” an angry male voice commanded, as he knelt beside her.
Cora glanced up and saw her supervisor, Mr. Lee. Instead of looking at her, however, he was glaring at Ranelle, who had halted and turned around, eyes wide with panic.
“I’ve warned you,” he told her, his voice cold and harsh. Mr. Lee helped her up, and for the first time, Cora saw that Ranelle was scared. “All of you, come with me.”
“To where?” Ranelle asked.
“This ends today,” Mr. Lee replied. “We’re heading upstairs to HR. All of you have no business working here.”
Ranelle shook her head, opening her mouth to argue, but Mr. Lee wasn’t budging. He pointed, then took hold of Cora’s arm, helping her as they all made their way to the human resources office.
****
“What happened?” Betsy asked, eyes wide with horror as she inspected Cora’s cheek. “This is one nasty bruise.”
“Ranelle and her friends were fired, effective immediately,” Cora told her, holding an ice pack to her face. “Mr. Lee really hammered in the nails to their coffins.”
“Good riddance,” Betsy said. “They should’ve been fired long ago.”
“Well, karma finally caught up with them.”
“Hey, now there’s a few admin positions available. You should apply.”
“Yeah, I think I will.”
They walked down the stairs from the building to the street. Hades’s driver arrived and Betsy escorted her to him, staying with her to make sure she didn’t have any side-effects from banging her head.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
Cora nodded. “See you tomorrow.”
They hugged and then she headed to the sedan, where the driver held open the door. She thought she was going to be alone, but as she ducked to sit in the darkened interior, she saw Hades there. She smiled, the stretch of her skin aching a little from the bruise.
“Didn’t expect to see you,” she said.
“What the hell happened to you?” he demanded, placing a finger under her chin and turning her head.
“I fell,” she answered.
“You fell?” He sounded like he didn’t believe her.
“I fell by way of being pushed.”
“What the fuck? Who did this? I will tear their fucking lives apart!” Furious anger exploded across his face but she placed her hands on his cheeks so he’d look at her.
“It was Steven’s girlfriend, Ranelle, but it’s been handled in the best way possible.”
“Cora—”
“She’s been fired,” she stated. “Please, trust me. Remember?”
He studied her face, then brought his finger up to turn her face. Then he lightly kissed the bruise.
“I don’t like it, but very well.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
He took a deep breath and nodded, then wrapped his arm around her and she snuggled into his side. She stared out the window, and it didn’t take her long to realize that they weren’t going to Beverly Hills. They were headed to Westwood, which meant he was taking her to the condo.
The place he took hook-ups.
“Why are we going to the condo?” she asked.
“I have a surprise.”
“What surprise?”
“If I tell you, that’ll ruin the surprise.”
“Hades, I’m not sure if you know this but when you say the word surprise, it’s terrifying.”
“Should I be insulted?”
She tilted her head, waiting.
“From now on the condo will be yours,” he declared, as if that was some sort of prize.
“What?” she asked, shocked.
“The condo in Westwood,” he repeated, tucking some hair behind her ear. “You’ll live there, and I can visit when I have the chance.”
Cora searched his face, trying to see if he realized what he was saying. All she saw was that he was very pleased with himself, as if he’d solved some kind of puzzle that had bugged him for a while.
“I’m not going to live in your condo,” she said firmly.
He frowned. “I’ve already decided it. I’ve had food delivered. There are dishes and utensils. Towels. Everything you need is now there, and you never have to go back to your room.”
“I can barely afford rent where I’m at. How am I supposed to pay rent in a place that’s worth millions?”
“I’m not charging you rent,” he said, as if that was silly. “You’ll want for nothing. In fact, you don’t have to work.”
“Oh, well, that’s even better,” she said sarcastically. “Do you hear yourself?”
His face hardened. “What’s the problem?”
“You’re treating me like I’m your mistress.”
He didn’t say anything, only stared at her in expectation. Shocked, she realized she’d just hit the nail on the head.
“Is that what you think of me?” she asked.
“What’s the matter?”
The fact that he couldn’t see the matter was her hard limit.
“No,” she said, shaking her head.
“You can’t possibly want to live in that hovel. Or work in that dead-end job.”
“No, that isn’t going to work for me,” she said.
“You accept or you leave.”
That was a slap in the face. “You don’t mean that.”
“Every fucking word. I will take care of everything you need.”
She refused to let this break her heart. Refused to cling to an emotionally empty relationship. Did they even have a relationship? “Could you have your driver pull over?”
“I don’t understand you,” he snapped. “I am offering you luxury. You’ll never have to work again—”
“And what happens when you tire of me?” she asked, and that shut him up. “I’ll have no home or a job, and absolutely no way to afford living in Los Angeles. Does that sound like luxury? Because what you’re offering me is dictated by sex.”
He opened his mouth to argue but then closed it again. He didn’t even challenge her statement that he’d tire of her.
“That’s not me, Hades, and the fact that you think it is tells me all I need to know. Thank you, but my answer is no.” She took a deep breath, realizing she was trembling. “Please have your driver pull over.”
“You leave me, I won’t be back.”
This was it. The end. Although they hadn’t ever started so why was this bothering her?
“I know.”
“I won’t offer again.”
Everything was quickly fracturing apart. “I know.”
“Do you know how many women would kill to have this opportunity?”
She had to blink rapidly so she wouldn’t cry. “I’ve already told you, I’m not most women.”
“No, you’re a fool.”
“Maybe,” she whispered.
He stared at her for a long moment but eventually instructed his driver to pull over.
When the car came to a stop, he stared at her coldly.
In his gaze, she saw the ruthless man everyone had warned her about.
She also saw that he was done with her. The tears were coming, and she refused to let him see how much this was killing her.
“Goodbye, Hades.”
Then she exited the car, and watched it drive away.
The fairy tale was over.