Page 104 of A Touch of Chaos

She used him for her pleasure, and he grew harder inside her. There was a primal part of him that could not help moving, aching to thrust into her.

Finally he lay back, bringing her with him, and rolled. He did not think she could get any more beautiful, but she stared up at him with hooded eyes and a swath of dark hair fanning out over her head, touching and squeezing her full and swollen breasts as he drove into her.

His body felt like it was on fire as he watched her writhe beneath him, and he knew she was close when she reached between them and rubbed her clit. Soon after, she dug in her heels and lifted her hips, and he felt her whole body tighten around him.

He bore down when he felt it, grinding into her as she gripped him tight, and then his orgasm hit, shuddering through him so violently, his arms and legs went numb.

Light-headed, he lowered his body, and though he could barely breathe, he kissed her deeply.

This time wasn’t like the last when he hadn’t known how to handle her after sex. Then, he’d doubted she wanted anything more from him once they had finished, but this time, he gave it no thought. He did what he felt guided to do and was pleased when she kissed him back.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

He frowned. He couldn’t tell what she was thanking him for, but if it was the sex, he wished she wouldn’t. He rolled onto his back and then sat up.

“If you want to freshen up, you can use my bathroom,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said again.

The words made him grind his teeth. He wasn’t sure why they put him on edge so much, but each time she said them, he felt like they were strangers.

She rose from bed and went into the bathroom. The light blinded him for a brief moment until she shut the door. While she cleaned up, he gathered her clothes, expecting that she would want to dress and leave quickly, but when she returned, she lingered at the end of the bed.

“Can I stay? Just…for a little while.”

Her question sent a thrill through him, though he thought it was odd that she was so bold when it came to sex, but in this, she seemed shy.

“Of course,” he said.

He pulled the blankets down for her as she crawled into bed next to him. He held her close, one arm beneath her head, the other wrapped around her waist. Their bare bodies felt seamless and warm. It was murder on his cock, which was already hard against her ass, but he refused to give in to his desire until she was ready.

They were quiet, and soon, Dionysus’s eyes grew heavy, but before he succumbed to sleep, he needed to ask her one question.

“Did you see Theseus?” he asked. “In the labyrinth?”

It took her a moment to answer, but when she did, he could tell her voice was thick with tears.

“I didn’t see him, no,” she said. “Just the horror he was capable of.”

CHAPTER XXI

HADES

Hades focused on the softness of the bed beneath him, the cold caress of the sheets against his skin, and the warmth of Persephone against his chest.

He counted her breaths and her sighs and each time she moved.

The labyrinth was the first time in a long while he’d been deprived of any luxury, and he wondered if being trapped in its dark depths was the Fates’ way of saying he’d grown too bold—that he deserved to fear an end to his blessings.

Except that he had never stopped fearing for Persephone.

Even now as they lay in the quiet of their room, blanketed by peace and solitude, he knew that beyond these walls, turmoil was brewing. He could feel it beneath his skin. The souls whose threads marred his body were restless.

It was a dreadful omen, but he knew from where it stemmed—from the magic of an old and angry god.

His father, Cronos.

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