A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone 1)

She took another breath as heat rose from the bottom of her stomach. As she inhaled the crisp Underworld air, she felt something...different.

It was warm. It was a pulse. It was life.

It felt distant, like a memory she knew existed but couldn’t quite recall, and when it started to fade, she tried to chase it. Descending the steps into the garden, she halted on the black stone. Her heart was racing, and her breath came harshly. She tried to calm herself again, holding her breath until her chest grew tight.

Just when she thought she’d lost it, she felt the feather-light pulse at the edges of her senses.

Magic.

It was magic. Her magic!

She stepped off the path and wandered into the gardens. Surrounded by roses and peonies, she closed her eyes and breathed deep. The calmer she became, the more life she felt around her. It warmed her skin, soaked deep into her veins. It was as heady as the lust she felt for Hades.

“Are you well?”

Persephone’s eyes flew open, and she turned to face the God of the Dead. He was a few paces behind her. She’d stood beside him often enough, but this morning, in the garden surrounded by flowers and wearing only a wrap around his waist and still in his Divine form, he seemed to swallow her vision. Her eyes fell from his face to his chest and down, tracing all the planes of his body she’d touched and tasted last night.

“Persephone?” His voice took on a lustful tone, and when she met his gaze again, she knew he was restraining himself. She managed a smile.

“I am well,” she said.

Hades took a breath, and then approached her, clasping her chin between his fingers. She thought he would kiss her, but instead, he asked, “You are not regretting our night together?”

“No!” Her eyes lowered, and she repeated herself quietly. “No.”

Hades’ thumb passed over her bottom lip. “I don’t think I could handle your regret.”

He kissed her, his fingers threaded through her hair, and he cupped the back of her head, holding her to him. It wasn’t long before her robe parted, and her creamy skin exposed to the morning. Hades hands trailed down her body, gripping her thighs. He lifted and thrusted into her. She gasped and held him tightly, moving against him harder and faster, feeling wave after wave of pleasure rush through her body while life fluttered around her.

It was intoxicating.

Persephone buried her face in the crook of Hades’ neck biting down hard as she shattered in his arms. A growl tore through his throat, and he pumped into her harder until she felt him pulse inside her. He held her a moment while they breathed hard against each other before he withdrew and helped her to the ground. She held onto him, legs shaky, fearing she might fall. Hades seemed to notice and picked her up, cradling her against him.

Persephone closed her eyes. She didn’t want him to see what was in them. It was true she didn’t regret last night or this morning, but she had questions—not only for him but for herself. What were they doing? What did this night mean for them? Their future? Her contract? What would she do the next time things started to go too far?

They returned to Hades room where they showered and when Persephone went to pick up her discarded dress, she frowned. It was far too dressy to wear around the Underworld, and she planned to stay a while.

“Do you…have something I can wear?

Hades gave her an appraising look. “What you have on will be just fine.”

She gave him a pointed look. “You’d rather I wander your palace naked? In front of Hermes and Charon—”

Hades jaw tightened. “On second thought—”

He disappeared and returned in an instant, carrying a length of fabric. It was a beautiful shade of green.

“Will you allow me to dress you?”

She swallowed hard. She was getting used to these kinds of words coming out of his mouth. Still, it was odd. He was ancient and powerful and gorgeous. He was known for his ruthless assessment of souls and impossible bargains, and yet he was asking to dress her after a night of passionate sex.

Would wonders never cease?

She nodded and Hades set

to work, wrapping the fabric around her body. He took his time, using this as an excuse to touch and kiss and tease, and by the time he finished, her body was flush. It took everything in her power to let him pull away. She wanted to demand that he finish what he started, but then they would never leave this room.

He kissed her before they left his chambers and directed her to a beautiful dining room. She almost felt it was a little ridiculous. Several chandeliers cut through the middle of the ceiling, and a gold coat of arms hung on the wall over an ornate throne-like chair at the end of an ebony banquet table crowded with chairs. It was a banquet hall for more than just she and Hades.