Page 41 of Hades and Persephone: Keeper of Sins

Jas bumps her head into my palm. There’s something aware in the deep of her beautiful golden eyes. I drop to my knees when she scoots closer, her chest bumping mine as though to ask me to put my arms around her. I do, without hesitation.

Against her sleek black fur, I whisper, “I’m falling for you all so hard and fast.”

I tell myself I’m not including the man in that as I squeeze Jas tighter. I’m lying.

Prim gives a low growl, and I pull away to give her a stroke. “Urgh.” I give myself a shake as I sniffle back emotion I can’t begin to understand. “It must be my time of the month. I’m beyond emotional right now.”

Or it was just areallylong day.

Prim blinks knowingly at me—even though I know shecan’tknow. She’s a dog, after all. Still, I shudder at the weight of Noc’s midnight blue gaze as he watches over us all. Off-balance and clearly overly hormonal, I lose my balance as I attempt to stand and fall on my butt. As my luck would have it, that’s the moment Hades appears.

The difference between the two of us is glaringly obvious. For once, it has nothing to do with the fact he has his life together while I haven’t even figured out a sure career path. It has nothing to do with the gap in our ages, or even the wealth he holds that I can’t beginto comprehend, nor will I ever attain even a fraction of his worth.

The glaring difference is in the way he holds himself. Where I am insecure and uncertain, he is confident and sure. Where I am chaos, he is order. Where I am soft, he is incredibly firm. I’m a sticky mess of sweat and hormones in a pile of emotions on his floor, and he is the pinnacle of composure in fitted black slacks with a black button-down shirt tucked in and split by a black leather belt. The first few buttons are undone to expose the toned skin of a hard, golden chest.

The way his long legs are spread, his big hands dipped lazily in the pockets of his slacks, his square jaw hard and his black eyes pinned firmly on me—he is pure power. It radiates off him like heat radiates off the sun. He could burn me if he wanted, I’m sure of it.

Hades says nothing as he leans a shoulder into the wall, settling in to watch me on the floor with his dogs. I give Prim another stroke and share a blushing look with Noc before I gather the gumption to find my feet. I feel sticky from the long day. Gross in comparison to the obvious glamor that clings to the man.

“Hey,” I finally muster a greeting. I get a small chin lift in response. His quiet sets nerves flying inside my chest. “Um—did you cook?”

“Ordered in.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to.”

“But you hired me to cook for you. That’s why I’m here.”

His eyes drag over my body slowly. His broad chest expands with a deep breath before he releases it slowly. “I wanted a slow evening, Persephone. It looks like you could also use a night off.”

“That bad, eh?”

His lips twitch. “Canadians really do say that?”

“Hmm?” I’m confused.

“Eh.”

My already warm cheeks warm more. “Oh, that. Yeah. We do.”

“Cute.”

“We can’t help it.” He smiles a soft, barely there smile in response. When he says nothing else, I murmur, “Since I’m not cooking, would it be okay if I took a shower before I join you? It was hotter than Hell out today and I’m beat.”

“Hades.”

“What?” I ask at his bizarre reply.

“Hotter than Hades, Persephone. Even more accurately, hotter than Tartarus. Hell doesn’t exist.”

“Wait, you actually believe that?” I can’t tell if he’s joking with me or not.

“Believe what?”

“That Hell doesn’t exist.”

“It doesn’t. At least not in the way you’re thinking of it.”

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