Lover (Betrothed 3)

Now I realized it wasn’t extra weight. It was a new person.

After I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I returned to the bedroom and got under the covers.

Hades was already in bed, the sheets resting over his hips. He was shirtless, his strong pecs reflecting the light from the slightly open window. The scars and bruises had faded, so his beautiful tanned skin was visible once more. He was a handsome man; that couldn’t be denied. It wasn’t like I was oblivious to it.

I just wasn’t ready.

I pulled the sheets to my shoulders and closed my eyes.

Hades immediately shifted closer to me. He positioned himself right in front of me, just inches between us. He didn’t touch me, as if he was waiting for permission.

I opened my eyes and saw his face directly next to mine. I knew what he wanted from me, noticed the way he was hard for me in his sweatpants. I knew he wanted my affection, even just a simple touch. I might have been okay with it, but then I found out I was pregnant, and the last thing I wanted was to be intimate.

It seemed like Hades meant what he said, that he still desired me as much as he had before.

Hades wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled us closer together. He grabbed my thigh and hooked it over his hip. We used to sleep this way all the time. I would wake up in the same position, my hand resting against his chest. The outline of his cock was noticeable, pressed right against me. He probably didn’t mean to make it obvious, but it was impossible to hide. “Baby.” His husky voice pierced the darkness, filled with longing and desire. He moved his forehead against mine, as if he wanted to kiss me. His hand slipped underneath my t-shirt and slid up my back. “I miss you.”

“I know… I’m just not ready.”

“That’s not what I mean. I miss this…us.” He pressed his lips to mine and gave me a gentle kiss. He tested my response by keeping it slow, delicate. His mouth remained closed. He kissed me again, his lips moving to the corner of my mouth.

I enjoyed being the recipient of his affection, being the only woman in his bed. But I felt so scared, so uneasy about the secret I was keeping from him that I couldn’t do it. If we slept together and he didn’t realize I was pregnant with potentially another man’s child, it would feel so deceitful. It made me feel like a liar, made me feel ugly. I kissed him back so I didn’t reject him outright, but then I pulled away.

If he was disappointed, he didn’t let me see it. He rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “Goodnight, baby.”

“Goodnight…”

I knew I was having a dream. But I couldn’t force myself to wake up.

I knew it wasn’t real, but I was still scared. Terrified.

Maddox was on top of me, his possessive gaze locked on mine. We were naked together, and he was using my body like he owned it. One hand was on my neck, and he choked me while he fucked me.

I threw my hands in his face to fight him off. There was so much hatred in my body, and it was about to explode. I hated him so much, hated him enough to kill him with my bare hands. “Die, motherfucker.” I swung my arms around, striking him in the face, in the chest.

“Sofia.”

I screamed as I fought, fought for my life.

“Sofia.” Large hands grabbed my arms and shook me gently. “Baby, wake up.”

“I’m gonna kill you.” Hot tears poured down my face as I kept fighting.

“Come on.” He shook me again.

My eyes opened and focused on the shadow on top of me, the outline of a man. His face wasn’t visible because it was too dark, but his physique was thick and powerful. Faceless, he was terrifying.

Maybe it wasn’t a dream. “Get off me.” I tried to slam my hands into his face, but he restrained me on the bed.

“Baby, it’s me. Hades.”

“I can’t see your face…” I continued to squirm in his grasp.

He leaned down closer to me so our faces were practically touching. “It’s me. Listen to my voice.”

When I saw his brown eyes and realized they weren’t blue, I knew Maddox wasn’t on top of me. I knew I was in bed at home, waking up from a terrible nightmare. None of it was real. Just a horrible flashback that my subconscious brain was trying to confront. I took a deep breath and felt my muscles relax.

When Hades knew I was calm, he let me go. He moved off me and gave me some space. “Just a dream.”

I sat up and blinked a couple times. The sight of the bedroom came to me, and I listened to my breathing start to slow. I turned my gaze on him and noticed the concern in his eyes. That was when I noticed the blood coming from his nose. “Oh no, I’m so sorry.” I reached my hand out to wipe the blood away with my fingers.