"Ask me again later," I managed. "I can't really feel my limbs yet."
He chuckled softly. "I think I lost my mind a little," he whispered. "But you... gods, you draw it out of me."
I leaned in, my teeth raking his bottom lip. "I fucking love it," I breathed. "I love the way you love me."
He reached for my hair, attempting to straighten out where he'd disheveled it. "Are you ready to go meet your friends?” he asked.
“I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to walk or appear as though I haven’t been railed over backward, but sure,” I answered.
His smirk widened, and he kissed me softly before glancing around the room. “I’m sure they already know,” he said. “Ezzie told me no office sex because of the cameras. Now, I’m going to have to kill the security guard.”
“What—Gavin!” I grabbed his jacket off the desk and covered my chest.
He laughed outright this time, head swinging back. “I’m joking. I just wanted to see you sweat.”
I grinned stupidly and shook my head, then shoved his side. “Ass.”
But he swept me off the desk and into his arms, my feet off the floor, and he gazed at me with pure bliss in his eyes. “Will you smile like this for me every day?” he asked.
My hands pressed to his cheeks. “Every day.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE - GAVIN
I WANTED TO live in the absolute ecstasy of having Chloe back in my life—wholly in my life—peacefully, for all of eternity. However, with every phone call and text about her canceled wedding, I felt her fade, and I wasn’t sure how to help her.
Lana and I tried to keep her occupied and help her continue living normally with work. I wasn’t sure we realized how much it would affect her. It hurt me to see her like that, and I wracked my brain to figure out what I could do.
“She just needs time,” Persephone said when she came to my office a week after Chloe left Tyler. “It’s a breakup.”
I sighed and sank back into my seat. “It’s eating me,” I admitted. “I feel like I’m not enough.”
Her mouth twisted into a pout. “So cute,” she cooed. “It’s just a timing thing, Eros. She has to let herself feel happiness. And on the day her wedding was supposed to be, I’m sure she’ll be a little more depressed. You just have to be there for her.”
“Lana is taking her to the cliffs to jump in the ocean and then burn her dress,” I said.
Persephone’s eyes lit up at the mention of fire. “Do you think they’d let me join?”
I gave her a flat look. “And have you accidentally mention she’s a long-lost goddess? No. I can’t trust you around her yet. She’d never trust me again.”
“Yes, how are you planning on bringing that up?”
My insides curled as I thought about it. “My mother has been calling me,” I said, ignoring her previous question. “She keeps asking me to come home.”
“Why don’t you?”
“I’m going to see her at the retreat,” I answered.
“Oh? So you are going? Are you bringing Chloe?”
“I have a plan,” I said, picking up a pencil and twirling it between my fingers.
Persephone raised a brow. “You can’t tell me any of it?”
“I’m keeping this one close,” I said.
“Fine, fine,” she sighed. “Hades isn’t thrilled about going either.”
“I’m surprised you’re conning him into this. I can’t imagine he’s happy about a retreat with Zeus.”
