Page 53 of The Prince of Hidden Shadows
I lie back, letting the rich cotton sheets press against my skin. I reach out, intertwining my fingers with his. “It will, if you don’t change,” I insist. “Not your summer plans. Go, have fun with Noé. But now that I’ve found you, it’s my job to protect you, to guide you onto a better path. How mortals live shapes their souls. In the end, the judges decide where it all ends; I don’t. But I won’t refuse to have yours rot somewhere terrible. You’re good, Théo. No matter what mistakes you’ve made, I don’t think you’d ever hurt anyone on purpose.”
He smirks, but the light in his eyes tells me there’s something sweet beneath it, something real. Propping himself, he deposits a soft kiss on my temple. “Okay, then.”
“Huh?”
“I trust you. You want what’s best for me, even if you say it’s selfish. I don’t want to lose you either. Show me the way—so we can be together.”
I squeeze his hand, registering how the air shifted with his promise.
Settling against me, he sighs, brings the back of my hand to his lips, then he concludes in a steady voice that is far from a murmur.
“For good.”
Chapter Twenty
INTO MY ARMS
Théo
2 months later
“Remind me again why hanging out here isn’t enough for you?” The credits roll, and I stretch out on the couch in Zagreus’s 13th floor hotel suite in Princedelphia.
My legs are draped over Zagreus’s lap, still carrying the delicious heaviness of ourBridgertonbinge—room service trays, long naps, and days wrapped around each other here.
As fun as it was to watch it through his fresh eyes, I hadn’t signed up for the reason behind it. The bastard lured me back to Oregon under false pretenses, and now I’m trapped. Of course, he’s not holding me hostage, but I never agreed to this. I was all in for the good deed, yet not eager about cosplaying the show with a masquerade ball, stupid mask and all. I urged him to consider staying in his suite instead—swapping masks for blindfolds and suits for skin-on-skin—but he wouldn’t listen.
Needless to say, showering ranked low on our list of priorities, so the room reeks of food, sweat, and sex. What a perfect combo! Hence my initial question, which he refuses to answer properly.
“Enough, Théo!” Zagreus swats the side of my bare leg. I should have pulled on my jeans rather than hanging around in boxer briefs. That’ll leave a mark, but I’m more aroused than irritated. “How often have we gone over this in the past week?”
Blinking at the black screen in order to get back to reality, I click on the nearby lamp and stick my tongue out at him. “This,” he begins with a level voice that contrasts with the tone I’ve been favoring lately. His thumb points at my daring tongue. “That belongs to indoor activities as far as I’m concerned, whether it’s in my mouth or my ass.” Despite my foul mood, the warmth of Zagreus’s hand tracing idle patterns on my shin steadies me, even as my pulse stumbles at his suggestion. “Well, I’m fine when it goes around my cock or my balls, too.”
My cock stirs to life inside my boxer briefs. “That’s what I’m saying: vegging out half-naked on the sofa and having wild sex was my idea of a fun night. I want your balls, not their ball.”
“Ha-ha!” my favorite god teases, giving my knee a squeeze. “We’ll get to that after tonight’s event. Don’t forget, what Layla and Sheena have planned is important.”
I cross my arms over my bare chest. “Says who?”
“Me. Your soul. Our future…”
“Fine,” I grumble. “You win.” I should have sent the donation and skipped tonight’s fundraiser. Why did I agree to this again? Oh, right—I missed him too much. “But I’m not dancing or whatever it is people do at this type of thing.”
“Deal! You’ll see, you’re going to have a blast.” I knit my brows, unconvinced. “I’ll be right by your side, and you can take care of my balls afterward.” The corner of my lips quirks up at that, and I tug at my throbbing, covered cock. Damn, I should have insisted on watchingBridgertonnaked on his massive bed. “Please stop tempting me. We don’t have time… and drop the grump act. You love this show! You couldn’t hide how invested you were in Anthony’s storyline. I saw you gritting your teeth when he was being a stubborn idiot.”
I roll my eyes. “Admit it, you’re thrilled I confessed he has decent bone structure.” I swing my legs around and push myself upright, then shift towards him, the leather squeaking under my bare thighs. My lips brush his cheek, lingering long enough to hint I might not stop there.
“Mmm… Not as good as mine, though.” He tilts his head, waiting for me to confirm, because of course he does.
I scoff, but my fingers slide up to his jaw, my thumb tracing over the sharp line of it. “Duh! You already know you win.”
He shrugs. “But I’m cheating—I can alter my appearance however I want… I haven’t changed it since…” Sighing, voice fades, and it’s easy to read between the lines.
My heart races, my temper flares, and heat climbs the back of my neck. I purse my lips, stifling the possessiveness stirred by the first human he ever cared for.
Zagreus might have—somewhat—adjusted his style to the century he spent on Earth, but he’s kept his features and overall looks as they were when he met Willem.
His thumb settles in the middle of my bottom lip, releasing it. “Look, you have nothing to be jealous of.” Busted! I nod, eyesresting on his hands for a moment, taking in his words. We lock eyes when he continues in a huskier voice. “Setting your eyes on the real me—or any god for that matter—in our godly form would kill you… or any human, in fact.”
