Page 35 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘You have my word,’ he said from behind me. He had moved closer; I could feel his body heat, and his scent swirled around me—it was earthy, like the night air mixed with a fresh, woody, spicy fragrance. I inhaled deeply, like a crack addict taking a hit. My stomach twisted with anticipation, and heat pooled between my legs, making me close my eyes and draw in a shallow breath.
I turned slowly and looked up at him. He was beautiful—a sculptured work of art. His look had a hypnotic, paralysing effect on me; the heaviness and fever in his stare sent flames sweeping over my skin. As I took in the gorgeous hunk of arrogance before me, my gaze returned to his full lips. Gods, I longed to taste them. Something inside me caved. Something foolish that should be stabbed to death, but I couldn’t control it. I stared at him, panting slightly, then rose to my tiptoes and cupped his cheek with my hand. A dangerous half-smile flickered on his lips, and my stomach did several traitorous flips.
‘Let’s eat,’ he said, taking my hand, and irritation buzzed beneath my skin like a thousand pissed-off hornets. I shot him an icy glare as he led me out onto the terrace, pulling a chair out for me. What an asshole.
‘You’re beautiful.’ Hades traced a fingertip down my arm—a featherlike touch that made the fine hairs stand on end, and I almost crumpled into the chair as my knees turned to jelly. The way my body responded to him seriously ticked me off.
He sat opposite me and snapped his fingers. Burgers and fries appeared, accompanied by assorted salads and condiments, plus a carafe of red wine, which I grabbed, filling my glass and taking a generous gulp.
‘I’ve been told you enjoy this food,’ he said, filling his glass.
‘Mhm,’ I muttered, grabbing a burger and biting into it, groaning with pleasure. I slowly licked the cheese off my fingers and ran my tongue over my bottom lip.
‘One of my favourites,’ I said, peering at him. Hades cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, then grabbed a burger and began eating.
We ate in amiable silence, and once I’d had my fill, I topped up my wine glass and took a sip. ‘So,’ I began, ‘tell me about Persephone.’
‘You, my sweetness, were my power, my pleasure, and my pain.’ His words made my heart do a weird little dance.
‘Your pain?’
He looked down at his hands. ‘Yes. When you vanished, I lost myself.’ Again, emotion balled in my throat. I could feel his anguish. I could feel him. ‘I missed you every second of every minute. Every minute of every hour. The first time, I waited for you for centuries. This time felt even longer. I would have waited another millennium to have you back.’ He lifted his gaze to meet mine. ‘You were the only one I ever yearned for. The beacon of hope for every lost soul in the Underworld, including me, Persephone.’
It took every ounce of control I had not to weep; dreaded tears clawed at my throat, pricking my eyes as fresh guilt sank its claws into me. I could almost taste his anguish, but I pushed the messy ball of emotion down and took a large gulp of wine.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered, gazing into his pained eyes.
‘It was not your doing. I find it difficult to talk about. I apologise.’ His eyes turned distant as he drank his wine.
‘Are you with Minthe now?’ The words escaped before I could stop them, and his eyes shot to my face.
‘You’re jealous of Minthe.’ And he smirked. He actually freaking smirked!
‘Am not. I’m not bothered in the slightest.’ I narrowed my eyes, giving him a death glare.
‘I can see through lies, little goddess.’ He raised a brow, and I nearly hurled my wine at him. ‘But the answer to your questionis no, Persephone.’ Instead, I drank my wine, feeling a glow of satisfaction at his words.
‘Have you slept with her while I was… gone?’ I’m not sure why I asked, but for some strange reason, I needed to know.
After what felt like an eternity, his eyes met mine. ‘Once.’ Jealousy felt like a bitter pill exploding in my stomach. Totally irrational.What was going on with me?But I wanted to knock Minthe’s teeth down her throat. I clenched my jaw, my nostrils flaring.
‘It was a mistake. I was grieving, and she comforted me. It spiralled out of control.’
‘Out of control?’ I barked a laugh.
‘Are you angry?’
‘No! Yes. I’m confused. I don’t know why I’m angry.’ I blew out a breath and took another gulp of wine, tears misting my eyes.
In a flash, he was beside me. He pulled me to my feet and placed his hands on my waist, lifting me effortlessly to his chest until we were face-to-face. Something raw and primal in his eyes made my breath hitch, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. When I felt his arousal, a bolt of energy surged through my body, filling me with a heady, intoxicating feeling. My lips met his, and he rumbled low in his throat.
The kiss was hot and hungry—he kissed like a man starving for a taste,ignitingmy body. Something inside me thawed and bloomed, like one of my flowers unfurling to meet the sun for the first time. As a thousand butterflies took flight in my chest, a fire burned deep in my core.
The way he kissed me made every kiss before seem like a rehearsal… lifeless, meaningless, forgettable.
Thiswas the kiss I’d been waiting for—a kiss that caused a cascade of liquid heat to pool between my legs. His lips ran fervent kisses down my neck, and when his teeth and fangsscraped my skin, I moaned. As he sucked on the tender skin of my throat, that intoxicating feeling sent me reeling, and when he lifted his head from my skin, I felt bereft.
My eyes widened, and I panted. He was power and shadows, dreams and death, but the attraction was potent.
