But Hades is still moving, his hands unfastening his belt and drawing down his zipper.
My eyes widen as he kicks off his soaked shoes and tugs down his dress pants, leaving him in a pair of tight black boxers and socks.
The latter of which he bends down to remove.
“Come here, Serapina,” he says as he steps into the shower in just the single undergarment.
“I… I don’t think…” I clear my throat, my mouth still dry. “Hades?—”
“Please?” he says softly, glancing back at me. “I’m not going to punish you, little soulmate. I just want to take care of you.”
I blink at him, his tone and expression not at all what I’ve come to expect from the real Hades. Instead, he’stalking to me like the version in my dreams. The Hades I long to see every time I close my eyes at night.
The water comes on, this time the way it should—by flowing down in the enclosure rather than spraying outside of it—and Hades holds out his hand. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Serapina. I simply want to help.”
I stare at him and then down at his unwavering palm.
Can I trust him?
Probably not.
But I’m exhausted. And I… I really do want to take a shower.
He’s also already seen me naked.Stars, he watched as Maliki kissed me between my thighs.
I shiver, recalling how it felt to be watched.
I liked it. Perhaps a little too much. And now, I just… Oh, I simply want to relax. Maybe eat and sleep. However, I need to wash all the sand off first. It’s sticking to my legs.Because I’m still wet… down there.
My cheeks heat at the thought, my throat once again trying to swallow.
This is ridiculous, I tell myself.He’s seen me without clothes already. And he’s kind of my mate. So. What does it matter?
I release the towel and take a step forward.
Hades holds my gaze, his hand still steady before him.
Releasing a breath, I start toward him and nearly slide across the wet tiled floor. Hades is on me in an instant, his palms grabbing my hips to ensure I don’t fall.
Which sends me right into his bare chest.
Warmth immediately surrounds me, as does the scent of a chilly winter night.Right before a snowfall,I think, inhaling deeply as I close my eyes.Stars, I miss this fragrance.
I used to step outside of the greenhouse with a freshly cut rose and indulge in this exact aroma.
How is it possible for him to smell like this? I wonder, dizzy.Why is it so comforting?
His purr rumbles to life, adding to my tranquility. I sigh, lost to his touch. His magnitude. His masculine presence.
Gone are my concerns and fears.
And all that’s left is a sense of peace unlike any I’ve ever known.
I’m only vaguely aware of him pulling me into the shower, his hands roaming up my sides to my back and into my hair. It feels so good, sofreeing.
For a moment, I just… exist. In solace. In kindness. In a warm state of security.
Because I feel safe.
