Page 84 of All for her Forgiveness

"You want me."

"You can't use my desire against me. I may want you, but I hate you too, and if all you wanted to talk about was lawyers, we might as well leave now."

"You're not leaving here until we finish what we need to talk about. Get used to my insistence. I'll never give up convincing you that you're mine."

"I'm not. I never will be. Now tell me what you need, so I can go back to my son."

Kennedy

Despite what he’s said, that people are looking at me because they find me beautiful, I don't believe that's the case. In every newspaper in the country, there's nothing but talk about a young woman—me—accused of being an accomplice to murder, publicly supported by the family that once protected the deceased woman. The moment it hit the news, I don't know how, Ernest's landline and cell phone didn't stop ringing. It was the press wanting an interview. If no one knew I was in Louisiana before, the whole world is certain now.

There were also TV station vehicles at our door, and if they didn't come in, it was only because Ernest told me that Hades had arranged for bodyguards to protect us since we left the hospital.

Damn arrogant Greek. He didn't even tell me about it.

The discoveries made my blood boil, but as soon as I opened the door to our house to welcome him, about an hour ago, King ran into his father's arms and I didn't have the heart to ruin their moment by bringing my anger to the surface.

Now that we're alone, however, I can't control myself anymore.

Everything Hades has told me, coupled with the effect his presence has on me, is tying my brain in knots.

"I want you, Kennedy, and I won't give up until I win you back. I don't care if the road ahead is long; you're the only woman for me."

"Until recently, I was the woman you hated. You're only saying that because of King. I'm not foolish. I know Greeks value family—as a concept, at least—and don't want children out of wedlock."

"Everything you’ve said is true, except that I would never marry another."

"What did you just say?" I ask, even though I heard very well and my heart is pounding in my throat.

"I've thought a lot about our situation. I'm already arranging to recognize King as my son. I want him to have the Kostanidis surname."

"And what does that have to do with you and me?"

Hades

I know I have to play the pieces of this game carefully. I can see by her expression that, as Dionysus predicted, she's ready for war, and I didn't expect anything different.

"If you carry the Kostanidis surname too, everyone will see you differently."

It's not arrogance; it's a fact. Our family is known worldwide not only for the money and power we possess but also for the honor we’ve maintained over generations.

As soon as I hung up with Vina, Dionysus sent me links to some celebrity gossip sites that had begun to name Kennedy as an unjustly accused young woman.

One even said they hoped a "fairytale" would come true for the young woman and that she would have a "happily ever after," which means they've already read between the lines of the subliminal message I sent in my statements to the press and see Kennedy and me as a couple.

"You must be crazy. The two of us, married? I'd rather marry the devil himself! And maybe that's what I'd do if I were insane enough to accept. I know what your name means, god of the underworld. I can't imagine a better name because, to me, you are Satan himself."

I reach for her over the table. "Want to go to the bathroom? Because you have to let out all this fury somehow, Kennedy."

"What?"

"I can't stop thinking about how you bit me yesterday when I made you come. Part of your anger now is lust. When I made you mine, I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have, but I intend to correct that. It drives me crazy to know that you like it rough."

"You can't say these things to me. I'm angry. It's not desire," she retorts, but I notice her shifting in her seat, uncomfortable.

"My proposal still stands. No one will notice if we go to the bathroom together. I can make you come very quickly, Kennedy. But this time, it won't be with my fingers or mouth. I'll bury myself in you so deeply that you'll feel me for days."

She stands up. "Our conversation is over."

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