Page 45 of Queen of the Underworld

Persephone let her mind run wild, refusing to hold it back in this fantasy. Here she could do anything.

She took over from his hands, some bold part of her wanting to tease him, to torment him with the sight of her touching her own body when he couldn’t. She trembled as she pinched her nipples, the apex of her thighs throbbing in response, and tiny sparks skittered through her. Her breaths quickened and she denied the fear and the feeling she shouldn’t be doing this, surrendering to the desire instead and chasing her pleasure.

She skimmed her hand over the flat plane of her stomach and shunned the embarrassment that tried to scald her cheeks as she plunged it between her thighs. At the first brush of her fingers between her petals, she gasped and her spine arched, her breasts cresting the surface of the water. The cool air hardened her nipples, teasing them as if it was breath, and she clutched the edge of the bath with her free hand, gripping it as she stroked between her thighs.

Good gods.

Her breaths shortened, her mind growing hazy as she teased herself, fondling the tight bead. Waves of pleasure swept through her, rushing outwards to her hands and feet before rolling back towards her feminine core to gather there and feed the ache. It became a wild need as she pictured Hades looming over her, his blue gaze tracking her hands, his bare chest straining with each hard breath he pulled down as he watched her. She imagined locking eyes with him as she touched herself, stroking her slick heat and running her gaze down the honed perfection of his body to the hard length that jutted from between his thighs.

She wanted that.

She cried out as she pressed a finger into her sheath, pleasure rocking and shocking her as she imagined it to be his erection. Her head tipped back as need stole control, as she lost herself in her pursuit of release and thrust her fingers into her slick core. Her other hand slipped from the edge of the bath, her fingers grazing her nipples before a wicked need bloomed inside her, a desperate and wild one that had her hand dropping to join her other one.

Persephone flicked her fingers over her aroused nub as she plunged her fingers inside her.

And barely stifled the scream of pleasure that tore from her lips as her entire body shook and shuddered and her sheath spasmed, warmth and bliss spilling through her as she climaxed.

“Oh gods,” she muttered, swept up in her release, each wave that hit her stronger than the last, unsure it would ever cease.

Imagined-Hades reached for her hands as she pulled her finger free, lifted it to his lips and sucked on the digit, tasting her, his eyes dark with arousal.

Persephone shuddered and sighed as she sank into the water, every inch of her sated and her mind foggy. She slowly smiled and savoured the ripples of bliss that continued to flow through her. Why hadn’t she ever done that before?

No trace of embarrassment touched her cheeks as she thought about what she had just done. She revelled in it instead, feeling alive and warmed from head to toe, and incredibly eager to do it again. She had a lot of lost time to make up for. If the water hadn’t been growing cold, she might have waited a while and done it again.

Although she didn’t want to risk Hades walking in on her while she was in the bath.

Or did she?

Her cheeks did flame now. She would be dining with him later. This realm was tied to him somehow. What if he knew what she had done? Her eyes widened and she prayed to the Moirai that he wasn’t aware of the things people did while in his realm. What if he didn’t know but spotted it in her eyes when he saw her again?

What if she couldn’t stop herself from being awkward around him and he asked what was wrong?

She grimaced.

What if by fantasising about him and touching herself to relieve the ache in the hope it would give her more control around him, she had only made things worse?

She had the terrible feeling she might find it harder rather than easier to control herself around him now.

Because a bold part of her wanted to know how it would feel if he was the one giving her pleasure.

Chapter 12

Hades had managed to stay away from the tower and Persephone for the entire day, a feat that had felt akin to torture. But it was a torture he deserved.

Again, he had come close to harming her. Only this time, he had managed to regain control in time and had left her rather than lashing out at her. It was progress, he supposed, and he would take that small victory over the darkness and use it to strengthen his hope that he could be near Persephone without hurting her.

He didn’t want to hurt her.

Hades glanced down at his boots, sorrow washing through him, the surging wave of it so powerful that he couldn’t hold it back. He hurt so many when the darkness had him in its grip. His heart ached and he idly rubbed the centre of his chest. His regrets were as deep and fathomless as that dark abyss that lived within him, and well deserved.

But if he hurt Persephone—truly hurt her—he wouldn’t be able to live with the weight of regret and guilt it would cause, or the self-loathing.

Could he be near her without mention of other males or thoughts she could never want him clouding his mind and giving the darkness an opportunity to seize him?

Hades wasn’t sure.

He lifted his head and gazed at the tower, doubt swirling together with hope. There was only one way to find out the answer to that question. He would go to her as planned and face his fears, and if the darkness grew to strong for him to control, he would somehow find the strength to leave again.

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