Page 29 of Hades and Persephone: Keeper of Sins

There is a lot to unpack in his single command. I could dismantle it time and again and still have more to unravel in the aftershocks of the feelings his words strike inside me.

But I don’t dismantle it, because then I’ll have to face those aftershocks. I’m not ready for that. So, without another word, I spin on my heel and leave for my room with the three pups following close on my heel.

Chapter

Sixteen

Persephone

I holdmy door open as Noc, Jas, and Prim strut through. When it falls with a softclick, and I flinch, three sets of eyes fall on me as though to ask,what?

They might be Hades’ dogs, but they’ve taken to wanting to be with me. At first, it made me uncomfortable and nervous thathisdogs he very clearly loves very dearly, would choose me over him. But now, I suspect that Hades not only prefers them to remain with me, but that he’s commanded it and they somehow understand him enough to listen to such a bizarre command.

Noc remains at his station by the bedroom door,which is always his station while the girls follow me to the closet. Jas sits outside, but Prim dances into the room with me, her eyes watchful as I feel my belly sink into my feet.

Hades didn’t just buy a few things. He bought enough to completely fill the big closet.

My mouth drops at the section of work clothes. They’re all light in color to keep me from overheating under the hot sun I’ve begun to crave more and more every day while I dig, shifting to the relaxed section of at-home wear that is comfortable, but still stylish. I see jeans, suit pants and leggings, shorts, skirts, and summer dresses all to be paired with shirts of all kinds, cardigans, sweaters, and jackets. There is also an enormous, and quite frankly silly, section of gowns the kind of elegant that I can’t imagine I will ever have reason to wear.

Numbly, I pull open the drawers to see underwear, night dresses and lingerie, swimsuits, scarves, and accessories. There are rows of shoes for every occasion.

“The man is a nutcase,” I breathe to myself, but from the corner of my eye, I see Prim’s head cock to the side. “Even more than I am.” I touch a gown that glimmers like starlight in the night sky. “He’s a madman.”

Prim gives a doggy huff. I’m not quite sure if it’s in agreement, or not. It doesn’t matter, though. Hadesisclearly a few marbles short of sane if he’s willing to spend this kind of money on his hired companion.

But I can’t deny it all makes me feel special. Like I am more to him than I am or can ever be.

Feeling frazzled and wanting to escape this closet, I grab the first swimsuit I see and start to strip. When the suit is pulled into place, I can’t help but gape at myself in the mirror. I’ve always worn one-piece suits, but Hades hasn’t given the option of anything but bikinis in the drawer of suits.

Midnight black clings to my skin with features of gold that warm the paleness of my skin. With my wavy, white-blonde hair, I feel like I look a little mythical. A lot unlike the girl I’ve always known myself to be. But that’s the magic of Hades. He always makes me feel different. More. Right from that very first moment when I opened my mouth and spilled my innermost secret to him.

Pushing the thoughts from my mind, I find a sheer black cover and slide it on. I tie it tight at my waist, grab a towel and hurry from the room.

To the side of the kitchen, I find an open door that has always been locked. It’s open wide now, displaying a wide set of stairs to another door that is also open wide. The sky above is painted in strokes of midnight, shimmering with a million dotted stars. Like someone tossed glitter onto a canvas of black to bring it alive.

It’s so big, so vast, and should be so heavy. But rather than crush me with its great expanse, I feel asthough something is lifted from my chest. My insecurities, maybe?

I pull my gaze from the sky to find an oasis of pleasure. There is a long glittering pool of blue with water so still under the open sky, I can almost see the faint twinkle of the starlight in the glass of it.

My gaze slides beyond the pool to the other side of the rooftop paradise, where there is a massive shelter done in rich wood tones. The top is painted a crisp, bright white to ward off a high dramatic sun. Little bulbs illuminated with warm amber light string from the rafters over an intimate hot tub, seating area, and bar. Lush plants sit in massive pots, bringing life to an otherwise stark but luxurious space.

My eyes drift from the lights back to the pool, landing on Hades. My heart skitters and my breath stalls. Tingles of awareness erupt over my skin, and my mouth goes bone dry.

The man is—there are no words.

But if I had to find words, I would say he is massively dark and dangerously, devilishly handsome. I haven’t seen his chest bare since the interview when Leuce led me to the room where he was painting. The effect now is as damning as it was then.

But his eyes—his dark eyes are what have me rooted to the ground, struck still by the physical touch of his gaze.

“Come,” he beckons roughly from theopposite side of the pool. He is facing me, his arms thrown up over the ledge as one might toss them over the back of a couch. “Join me.”

Clearing my throat, I move closer on legs that feel wobbly. My knees are crafted of jelly. Unable to handle standing when he looks at me like he is, I try to save face and lower myself to sit on the edge of the pool. I dip my feet into cool water that seems to sear my boiling blood, offering tiny relief.

It’s delicious, but I feel only a little of the tension seeping from my flesh. The rest clings to me as though it is a thing of claws and teeth, hungering for the flesh of me.

Needing to say something, anything—to simply fill the space with something other than this new need he’s pulling from the depths of me, I murmur, “This is beautiful, Hades.”

“I rarely take the time to enjoy it.”

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