Balto didn’t react right away, staring at me for a few seconds as the weight of the situation hit him. “Then she’s aware of the problem.”
“For the most part.” I swirled the liquid in my glass. “She turned me down many times because she’s loyal to her family, but after I saved her…she felt differently. She finally gave in, and it was amazing.” I shrugged. “You know me, I always deliver.”
Balto didn’t react to my joke.
I kept going. “She doesn’t know everything…”
Balto figured out the rest on his own. “She doesn’t know you almost killed her father.”
I dropped my gaze and shook my head, feeling the past haunting me. There was nothing I could do to undo what I’d already done. I couldn’t lie and say I never intended to kill him because that was bullshit. If Hades hadn’t been there, her father would be dead in the ground right now. That was something she would never look past, something she would never forgive. “No.”
I was at home when she texted me. I want to see you.
I smiled when I read the message on my phone. I loved the way she didn’t ask for things, just demanded them. She spoke her mind so plainly that she was easy to understand. She wasn’t a closed book, but an open story that was so addictive and easy to follow. I bet you miss me.
Fuck off. You miss me too.
Baby, I always miss you.
Her anger immediately evaporated. Come over. We need to talk.
I rolled my eyes because I didn’t want to talk. I knew she wanted to talk about our situation, I just didn’t know what there was to say. She wasn’t gonna try to end the relationship because she wouldn’t have texted me in the first place. So, I would have to suffer through it and get to the good stuff. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
She opened the door for me, wearing a dark blue sundress with her curled hair pinned to one side. Mascara made her eyelashes thick and beautiful, and the purple eye shadow just made her eyes more exquisite. She wore a profound shade of red lipstick, her lips plump and sexy.
When I’d arrived at the door, I was in a bad mood because I wanted to get this conversation over with, but now that I saw her, my attitude changed completely. She was worth the annoyance, worth thirty minutes of idiotic conversation. My hands cupped her face and slid into her hair as I leaned down and kissed her.
She had been in a somber mood when she opened the door, so she went a little rigid when I kissed her, but once her lips met mine, her hands went to my stomach and she kissed me back, falling into our unbelievable chemistry.
When I pulled away, her eyes looked a little dazed, like she couldn’t believe all the feelings my touch provided. Her fingers wrapped around my wrists, and she closed her eyes for a moment, like she wanted to keep kissing me.
Oh fuck, she was so perfect.
She rose on her tiptoes and gave me another soft kiss, as if she needed a little bit more before she turned away. She walked to the small table in her kitchen and took a seat.
I closed the door behind me and moved to the chair I’d sat in a few days ago and slouched, wishing we were doing something better with our time than having this conversation. At least she was beautiful to look at, and I could think about how I would fuck her when this was over.
“Do you want water or coffee?”
I shook my head. “Just say whatever you want to say.” My hands came together in my lap, and my shoulders sank as I got comfortable.
She had her knuckles propped under her chin while her other arm rested on the table, and she dropped her eyes to the surface as she considered what she was going to say first. Her hair was big, with soft curls that framed her face, and when she looked so beautiful, she made it difficult to focus on her words rather than her appearance. “You’re right. This is going to keep happening even though I wish it wouldn’t. I thought one incredible night together would be enough for us both to move on… but it had the opposite effect.” Her gaze remained on the surface of the table, and she didn’t want to look at me as she spoke. “Nothing has changed. Our situation hasn’t changed.”
She stated the obvious, which I thought was a waste of time. This wasn’t gonna last forever. We both knew that.
“But I want to be with you.” After a deep breath, she lifted her gaze and looked at me. Her green eyes were filled with so much emotion, so much passion, and I was the cause of all of it. “It’ll be a secret. Short term. A fling.”