Page 11 of Hades

“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure she’s just passing through. A friend told me she was here.”

My heart instantly sinks into my stomach at the thought that this mystery woman could walk right over to us and whisk him away. As absurd as that is, I find something about this man irresistible.

“Here, as in, like… this bar?” I ask as I quickly scan the area for a woman most likely as attractive as him, if not more so. Several women fit the bill, which I imagine is part of being in Las Vegas. Beautiful women are not in short supply. “What does she look like?” I inquire when he doesn’t immediately give additional information.

“She looks like the goddess she is.”

“Well, there’s no competing with that now, is there?” I blurt out before my brain can stop me. “I mean…” I pause, trying to figure out the right thing to say. “Anyway, Hades and I should get going. Thanks for the drink and the company,” I say with a genuine smile before standing and gathering my things.

“Please don’t go,” Hades pleads as I turn to leave, his hand resting casually on mine. “I’ve enjoyed sitting and talking with you. I’m sorry if somehow, I offended you. I truly didn’t mean to.”

I look down at my dog, who hasn’t so much as moved from Hades’ side. I give his leash a gentle tug to let him know it’s time to go, and all I get is a huff of annoyance from him in response.

“Well,” I say as I try to figure out whether I should stay or just be on my way and forget that I ever laid eyes on Hades,the man, although I don’t think he’s the kind of guy a woman could forget. “We really should be going. We need to check into our hotel.”

A look of disappointment is strewn across his handsome face, but he doesn’t make another attempt at asking me to stay.

“Thank you again for the drink and the company,” I say with a smile as I tug again on my pup’s leash.

Hades stands and offers me his hand, which I take without hesitation. “It’s been truly a pleasure meeting you, Aradia,” he says with a bow of his head before lifting my hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on my wrist. “Until we meet again.”

If I thought that the electric sparks from his touch were something, that was nothing compared to the feel of his lips on my skin. My heartbeat quickens, and for a moment, I envision him pulling me into his arms and pressing those lips against mine.

What would they feel like?

I can easily imagine him gripping my hair and gently tugging my head back so he could press his lips against mine. I’d stand on my tippy toes to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down further. Our kiss would be perfect.

My brain is so far into its fantasy that I lose track of how long I’ve gripped his hand. And the next thing I know, he’s saying my name, trying to get me out of my trance-like state.

“Aradia?”

“Huh?” I breathe as I blink my eyes a few times, allowing my brain to join the present. Of course, the moment I do, I’m mortified as Hades looks down at me with a knowing smile.

“What were you thinking?” he asks, and for a moment, I want to tell him. But I refrain and pull my hand from his while taking a few steps back. Putting a few feet between us doesn’t minimize my inexplicable need for him. If anything, it grows stronger.

“Have a good night,” I whisper while tugging on Hades’ leash. Thankfully, he decides to follow me instead of sitting with his namesake.

Fortunately,, the club crowd has thinned a bit, thanks to the beast of a bouncer outside, and it’s easy for me to move through people quickly. The exit is a half dozen steps away when I stop and glance back over my shoulder. I don’t expect Hades to be standing where I left him, staring back at me.

But that’s exactly what he’s doing.

It’s as if time has stopped, and there is no one else here but us. There’s something about this man that I can’t help but be drawn to. It’s not his looks, though they are something that fuels fantasies. It’s something much, much more profound. Something I can feel in the very depths of my soul.

It feels as if our very life-forces are being pulled together or ripped apart.

When he flashes me a heart-stopping smile, I take a tentative step forward. My feet seem to know something I don’t, and they move forward until I’m standing in the middle of the room, and Hades is standing before me.

“I thought you were leaving?” he whispers.

It’s only now that I realize how tall he is as I nearly strain my neck looking up at him. “I was,” I mutter, far more breathless than anticipated.

“And now?” he questions, yet I have no answer. The best I can do is give him a shrug of my shoulders. “Have dinner with me.” He doesn’t pose it as a question, rather more matter-of-factly.

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my lips. “What about your goddess?” I question before I can stop myself.

“Ancient history,” he says as he smiles down at me, and I can’t help it that his answer makes me giddy.

HADES

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