Lover (Betrothed 3)

I rested my cheek on his shoulder with my arm around his waist. I had to go to the hotel today, but I wanted to stay right there next to him. I lived in bliss, and I wasn’t ready to let that feeling go.

When I told him I loved him, I really thought he wouldn’t say it back.

Thankfully, he did.

I eventually got out of bed and got ready for the day. After I showered and styled my hair, I returned to the bedroom to pick out something from my closet.

He was awake, standing in his black sweatpants without a shirt. The curtains behind him were open, letting the winter sun stretch across the rug. With his thick arms resting by his sides, he looked at me…really looked at me. It was the kind of stare he used to give me all the time, years ago when we were clandestine lovers. It was a look full of possession, desire, and something much deeper. We hadn’t exchanged a single word last night after we went to bed. The night was spent with our bodies moving together, carrying on a silent conversation that didn’t need words.

But now that the sun was up, everything was different.

He slowly moved toward me, his bare feet audible against the floor. He was a heavy man, strong like a horse and thick like a bear. His presence was potent and overwhelming, like he could control me without lifting a finger. When he was directly in front of me, he tilted his chin down slightly to meet my look.

I was paralyzed by him in a way I had never been before. Butterflies fluttered in my tummy, and I could feel my quickened pulse in my neck. My chest rose a little higher to get more air into my lungs. My lips suddenly felt hot, as if I could feel his warm tongue against my mouth without even touching him. I saw Hades in a whole new way. He was the most desirable man in the world. He was strong and powerful, deadly sexy, and had the loyalty of a king.

And he was mine.

He stared at me for what felt like an eternity. His eyes shifted back and forth as they looked into mine, as if he were experiencing the same emotions that I was. He was comfortable in the silence, so he continued to say nothing.

I wasn’t the calm and cool woman I used to be. My palms were sweaty, and the palpitations in my chest rocked my rib cage. I was actually nervous around this man when I had no reason to be. “Good morning.”

His hand slid into my hair, and he pulled me close. His strong arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me into him. His lips lowered to mine, and he kissed me, his mouth gently embracing my lips. He breathed into me a few times, his fingers lightly fisting my hair as though he didn’t care if he messed it up before I walked out the door.

As if a spell had been cast over me, I was paralyzed by that touch. There was no better feeling than being kissed by this man. No other guy had embraced me this way, like I was the most important thing in the world to him. Hades made me feel loved without saying those three little words.

After he pulled away, he released my hair. “You aren’t leaving.”

“I have work…so do you.”

“I only work when I want to. And I definitely don’t want to.”

When he looked at me like that, the last thing I wanted to do was leave the sanctuary of our bedroom and go into the public eye. I wanted to stay right here and let this man do whatever he wanted to me.

Hades reached his hand up my back until he found the top of my zipper. He slowly pulled it down until the fabric came loose and fell to the floor. He unclasped my bra with a slight movement of his fingertips. His eyes never left mine. “Get your ass back in bed.”

After a few days of practically being tied to the bedpost, I was finally able to return to work. Now that I’d stopped thinking about Maddox, I was able to get a lot more work done. My mind wasn’t afraid that he would jump around the corner and grab me. Sleeping with Hades seemed to reset my mental state.

It gave me a new start.

I took care of most matters for the hotel and even had a few meetings with the board. I wasn’t thrilled the Tuscan Rose was still infiltrated by the country’s most notorious criminals, the leaders of organized crime, but I was helpless to fight it. So I let it be.

I’d just finished a meeting with the board in the conference room when Hades quietly stepped inside. He always made the most subtle entrances, but no matter how quiet he was, his presence was so loud. His power permeated the air around him. You could practically feel it.