They disappeared, and I ran my hands over his chest.
“How about a nice bath before bed?”
He didn’t tug free of my hold as I led the way, or resist when I pushed him backward into the pool.
A slight smile tugged at his mouth when he rose, water cascading down his beautiful body.
“Catch me,” I said before jumping. He did, but his hold slipped, and it turned into another make-out session. This time, I kept myself in check, too, better understanding his fears.
We stayed in the water until my fingers pruned. With a snap, he dried us both and carried me to the bed without clothes. I watched him, waiting to see what he had in mind. He simply got under the covers with me and held me.
“I hunger for the release I can find in your body, but this is what I craved for an eternity. This. Holding you in my arms. You welcoming my touch. Looking at me. Smiling at me. This is enough, Ashlyn. It will always be enough.”
My throat tightened with the emotions I felt. With Hades, I was loved, protected…safe. With Hades, I was everything.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“Love inadequately describes what I feel for you. Every breath, every beat of my heart, every thought is yours, Ashlyn. Without you, I don’t exist.”
I turned in his arms so I could look at him and traced my fingertip over his brows.
“Every breath, every beat of my heart,” I repeated. “Every thought is yours, Hades. Without you, I don’twantto exist.”
The pain and wonder in his expression tore at me, as did the single tear that tracked down his skin.
“Rest,” he said softly, “and call my name when you wake.”
Safe in his arms, I closed my eyes.
It felt like only moments had passed when a loud boom filled the air. I bolted upright in a dark room lit by a bright flash from the outside.
“Hades,” I said.
He appeared beside me, touched my cheek, and disappeared.
Zotera came rushing into my room, and I grabbed the sheet to hold to my bare chest.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
“Someone tried breaking through the ward,”she said. “Don’t worry. Father will find whoever it is.”
She went to my closet and got me a set of pajamas without me asking.
“If he catches Thanatos tonight, can I go to Eugene’s?” she asked hopefully. “His taste no longer lingers in my mouth.”
Sometimes, she said things that sounded so much like Hades.
“Let’s wait and see what happens rather than get our hopes up,” I said, pulling the shirt over my head. She turned on the light while I shimmied my shorts on under the covers.
The house gave another shuttering boom, and I looked at Zotera. Anger flashed over her expression.
“You’re not thinking about going out there to confront whoever it is, are you?” I asked.
The rage vanished, and she shook her head.
“No. My place is here with you.”
