Page 12 of Hades’ Revenge

Her legs twitched like they had at the bar last night. She played the part of the bold Brooklyn girl, but I saw through that. She bit off more than she could chew when she came looking for me. Her lofty ideas about fate and being meant to cross paths were cute, but they didn’t apply when it came to me. I wasn’t known for backing down. I could push much harder than she could, and I was way more relentless.

“You want answers?” I trailed my fingers higher, until I reached the point where her panties met her thigh.

She lifted her head and slowly nodded, but the uncertainty overwhelmed her gorgeous face.

You came to me. If it was a game she was after, I could outplay her, outmaneuver her, and end up with whatever I wanted.

“Take your clothes off.”

FOUR

Capri

What had I gotten myself into? I wanted a little adventure before going back home, but did I want this much excitement? My gut instincts screamed through a megaphone not to do this, but as I stared at this god in front of me, my body had other ideas.

“Well?” Sebastian stood by the edge of the pool and shed himself of his bathing suit with one swift motion.

“Oh.” I shielded my eyes and glanced down at the elaborate pavers surrounding the pool, but not before catching a glimpse of his tattooed, muscled back and rock-solid behind.

It was only when his body splashed into the water that I dared to remove my hand from my eyes. His hair was wet and slicked back and his naked form was submerged in the water when I looked up.

“What are you waiting for?” He swam closer to where I stood as I debated my morals. Where had my standards gotten me so far? “The water is perfect,” he said, resting his arms on the edge of the pool and gazing up at me with his vibrant, green eyes. “Join me.”

“Can you at least show some manners and turn around?” I toyed with the strap on my shoulder.

“Who said I had manners?” He bit the corner of his lip, releasing all of his impolite magnetism in my direction before facing the pool. “You have five seconds before I turn back around.”

I tugged my sundress over my head and tossed it on the lounge chair. I quickly unhooked my bra and laid it on top of the dress. As I latched my fingers on either side of my panties, I contemplated my next move.

Am I really doing this?

“Three seconds.” The water swished in the pool.

I guess so. I skimmed my panties down my legs and left them on the pool deck. My heart raced as I hustled over to the steps and immersed myself into the refreshing water. The humidity mixed with climbing the fence had left me hotter than I would have liked.

Melting was not a good look for me, especially not in front of a man who probably looked steamier when he was sweaty.

I swam to the deeper end so I could keep myself shielded in the water. He joined me, but he was still able to touch the bottom of the pool without going under. The water barely covered his broad shoulders.

“I’m in the pool." I treaded, keeping my head above the water. “Can I have answers now?”

“What do you want to know?”

“How do you know my father?”

“We grew up together.” He reached for my arm, bringing me back to where I could touch the cement at the bottom of the pool. “You’re going to tire yourself out if you keep that up.”

“I have pretty good stamina.” I put some distance between us, feeling confident that my track background kept me fit enough to tread water for a few minutes. “Were you close?”

“I considered him like a brother,” he said. “We were just as close as brothers.”

“What happened?”

“We had a falling out.”

“Over a woman?” I asked.

“No.”