Page 60 of Flowers Near Me

He prowled towards her until his hands rested on the sides of her arms. “Nothing at all. You made the right call. We shouldn’t rule out the testers until we’ve dug into their activities.” All he wanted was to kiss her again, but he didn’t want to force things between them, no matter what his body screamed at him to do.

She released a sigh. “I have a hard time believing it’s bad code. I had the beta version on my phone months ago, and it worked perfectly.” Something unreadable cast over her face. “Weird how things change.”

Dropping his hands from her arms, he took a step back. Why hadn’t she had issues? During the car ride to the restaurant, she told him she’d deleted the app. Was it possible she knew what caused this and offloaded the app before disaster struck? This paranoia had kept him steps ahead of his adversaries. As distasteful as it was to consider Sephy his enemy, he couldn’t shrug off this worry. She was Demeter’s daughter, taught to despise him. And he’d yanked her from a familiar, cozy place to come work with him.

To his horror, he remembered their conversation the first time she’d stepped into his place. She’d acted as if she didn’t know that using a god’s network connection meant they could access everything on her phone. Was she still playing him?

Perhaps it’d been a mistake to make her the Chief Product Officer. His infatuation with the little goddess had clouded his judgment and now his empire could die at her hands. Even he wasn’t immune to the capricious nature of the Olympus consumer. IfFlowers Near Mehad bad tech running rampant on users’ phones, what would that mean for the other apps and websites where Underworld Unlimited made its fortune? He’d already wagered his empire with the Fates in order to understand this charming goddess. What if she was taking it over only to crush it underneath her feet?

Sephy’s sweet voice shook him from his thoughts. “Do you disagree?” Her head tilted to one side as her brows wrinkled.

She looks so sincere.This being before him was not the same cold, scheming goddess as Demeter. This wasn’t him ruling out distrust, but he needed more information. He’d barely gotten to know Sephy even if his heart felt like they were an allied pair.

Mustering a smile, he answered, “No. I think your suggestion is right.” He rolled his shoulders. “There’s nothing we can do at the moment other than worry so let’s do something else.”Anything else.

Feeling at odds with her made his body sick with unease. Being sharp didn’t mean she was devious as well. He needed to understand her better, that was all.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

WINNER TAKES ALL

PERSEPHONE

The teapot whistled, and Persephone removed it from the stove. Fragrant jasmine and green tea filled the air, curling into delicate wisps. The large common space was quiet, save for Cerberus padding softly in the background.

Laura’s advice to lean into her feelings only highlighted her sister’s misplaced trust in Persephone’s ability to stay rational. Laura had married Peter—reliable, tender-hearted, and nothing like Hades. Of course Laura could trust her own heart. But Persephone? She had allowed her guard to slip, and now she couldn’t stop replaying that kiss.

Tea in hand, Persephone sank into the opposite end of the couch where Hades lounged, his long arm stretched casually across the backrest, almost within reach. She tucked her legs beneath her and blew on her tea, doing her best to feign indifference. His mere presence made her pulse race, and the corner of his mouth curved, as if he knew it.

Hades leaned closer, the faint scent of pine teasing her senses. “Care for a game of dice?”

Persephone hesitated but gave a coy smile. “Why not?”

He placed an ornate obsidian tray between them. It was a beautiful piece inlaid with opal stones shaped into a bident and helm. “You know the stakes are high when you play with a god.”

A thrill danced up her spine at the reminder, but she kept her composure, leaning forward as if studying the pieces. “I’m not afraid of a little risk,” she murmured, her tone a playful dare. She knew she should be more cautious around him, but she was enjoying some of his games.

Hades’ grin widened, and he inched closer. “Good,” he replied, his voice warm enough to melt the air between them. “I like a partner who’s not afraid to gamble.”

Opening a velvet satchel, Hades placed black dice in the tray. As he set the small bag to the side, he asked, “Care to make a wager?”

Alarm bells flooded Persephone’s head.Titans no.“Let’s do a few rounds first. It’s been a while since I’ve played. Which game?”

“How about Sevens?” He picked up a die and extended it to her, his fingers brushing hers as he offered it. “Let’s see who goes first.”

“Alright.” Sevens was easy enough. Each round you removed any number pairs that equaled seven and totaled the remaining numbers for your score. You could take up to three tries, but the final one would be the roll you were stuck with.

With a small toss, Persephone rolled a five which beat Hades three.

“Are you good with thirteen rounds?” He gathered the dice in a cup to hand to her.

She nodded and rattled the cup then dumped it onto the tray. Unfortunately, she made two sets equaling seven—a one and a six and a three and four—thus loosing those dice from her score. Fortunately, there were a six and a three leftover.

“I’ll stick with this roll,” she said, knowing that she’d only have two more dice to use on a second turn, and they could end up being a combination that totaled seven and granted her no points. Nine points was decent for an opening round.

She watched his face as he slid a point counter on the edge of the tray, marking her score. He met her eyes and a smile immediately bloomed.

“Nicely done. Let’s see if I can do better.” He winked at her then placed the dice in the cup and rolled.

---