Page 66 of Hades and Persephone: Keeper of Sins

She steals another glance at me, and something steels in her soft eyes. Determination, I think curiously.

And then she moves. She bends to untie the straps of her shoes first, before she reaches behind her for the zipper of her dress. She shrugs from the clingy material, letting it fall to the patio around her feet before she steps from the puddle of brilliant red in nothing but her black panties.

Blood rushes to my groin in one quick swoop, leaving my head momentarily empty of everything but her.

She’s exquisite. Her pale skin, perfectly unblemished, and white-blonde hair reflects in the high silver moonlight, casting her in an ethereal glow. I watch as she sucks air into her chest, her breasts with the pebbled pink nipples expanding. I ache to taste her. To suck her breasts into my mouth, to nibble and lick and draw moans and cries from the depths of her. I long to erase his touch with mine. To banish his scent with my own.

I am a jealous God.

I watch, unable to take my eyes off her as she dips dainty fingers into the black band of her panties. Slowly, she pushes them down her legs until they are a puddle on thefloor with her dress.

She is completely naked. Every inch of her delectable skin is on display for me.

She can’t possibly know how dangerous this is. How very tempted I am to take this woman who is my mate, and claim all of her for my own.

I don’t move, waiting, watching, for whatever she does next.

She surprises me as she moves to the edge of the pool, and dives gracefully into the blue water. I move to the edge, standing fully clothed above her as she breaks the water to look up at me.

My voice sounds rough even to me. “What are you doing?”

Her eyes drag the length of me, landing on my erection and bouncing quickly back to mine. Her voice is breathy as she swims to the edge, pulling herself up to stand before me, dripping wet and lovely.

I should shutter my eyes. She is the personification of temptation and this is a test.

I can’t look away from her though.

“You said you could smell another man on me,” she says simply. “So, I washed him off.”

Chapter

Thirty-One

Persephone

The wayhe looks at me like I’ve gifted him something grand and immense is, well, it’s a little sad. He told me he didn’t like something, and I respected it. Granted, I did so with a naked flare. But still.

I sense there is more to this moment with Hades than what meets the eye. Sure, he’s obviously far more jealous than I anticipated. In all honesty, I hadn’t thought the man had a jealous bone. I figured, like I assumed of most wealthy men, that if Hades didn’t like something he’d simply throw me away.

I mean, there is a whole world full of women like me. Young, poor, impossibly starry-eyed and hopefulabout the future. I am not special, so why would he think to keep me?

Even still, I’m not certain this thing between us has a life beyond the next few months. It’s not like he confessed undying love for me when I told him I’d be leaving at the end of summer. In fact, he hadn’t protested at all.

There is no question in my mind that this is a fling. I’ll need to keep my heart securely fastened high inside the protective net so that it doesn’t fall at his feet. I should really build a wall to stand behind, but I’m just not crafty like that. My heart feels everything, all the time. In the end, it might be bloody and pricked one too many times by the gentle touch of his hand, the invasion of his body into mine, his depthless black eyes that somehow seem to touch my soul—but it is what it is. At least, even if it’s dripping blood and leaking dreams, it won’t be on the floor at his feet.

I lift my chin, about to speak when Hades presses his big hand into my naked belly. He’s so warm and my thoughts fracture as he shoves me back from the pool. He’s stalking me across the patio to the seating area, I think.

When we pass the seating area, I frown. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

My heart quickens. “You’re not going to throw me offthe balcony, are you?”

I’m only half teasing. A man as wealthy as Hades, he’d probably get away with it, though.

Hades glowers down at me. “I would never hurt you.”

Something about the way he says it, I believe him. Still, I press, “You wouldn’t?”

---