Lover (Betrothed 3)

She rested her forehead against mine. “I know you will.”

14

Sofia

I returned to work at the hotel.

Hades was nearly recovered, so he didn’t need me anymore. It was nice to be back in the office, to be productive once again, but it was strange to get back to normal life.

I refused to confront the fact that I had been raped. I refused to confront the fact that I’d been a prisoner of an evil man. I tried to brush it off and pretend it didn’t hurt me. But once Hades confronted me, I realized how deep those scars went. I realized Maddox was still inside me, poisoning my mind and killing my relationship. Hades was the person I trusted most in this world.

Why had I ever shut him out?

Why had I ever assumed he would think less of me?

When he said he still wanted me…I couldn’t believe it. It was exactly what I needed to hear, that I hadn’t been ruined by that cruel man. I needed to know that the terrible things that happened to me wouldn’t change my life, especially since they were out of my control. I was a victim of a crime…and I shouldn’t be punished.

I stayed in the office most of the day because my time was spent trying to catch up. It’d been months since I’d been at this desk, and the disarray showed me how much I was needed. The hotel was behind in every category. A couple employees had quit recently, and those vacancies hadn’t been filled. As a result, the hotel was shorthanded, and the flow was off.

It made me realize operating this hotel completely on my own was unrealistic. If my health were compromised or one of my kids got sick, I couldn’t just leave. Having a partner like Hades made everything much easier. Without him, the board would’ve taken over and squeezed me out.

I was looking through spreadsheets when Hades appeared in the doorway. He was in a black suit and gray tie, his expensive clothes hiding the scars and bruises underneath. His face was free of discoloration, so he looked like the handsome man he used to be. He just moved a little slower, carried his body rigidly.

I stared at him for a second, a smile slowly creeping onto my lips. “You clean up good.”

His hands rested in his front pockets, and a slight look of affection was in his eyes. “I think I look better with a few scars.”

“I think you look perfect no matter what.”

He inched farther into my office and stopped in front of my desk. He stared at me expectantly, as if he hoped I would rise to my feet and greet him with affection. The look lasted a long time.

After our candid conversation, I felt more comfortable with him, but I wasn’t ready to restart the physical relationship we had before. I’d been home for six weeks, and we hadn’t kissed once. The only time I saw him naked was when I helped him get dressed.

When he realized nothing was going to happen, he prepared to turn away. “I have a meeting I should get to. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

I watched him turn away with guilt in my heart, and that pain made me spring to my feet and move after him. I grabbed the front of his suit and gently tugged him back toward me.

When his head turned back to me, there was already a playful smile on his lips.

I pulled him against me until our lips pressed together. It was a gentle embrace, a closed-mouth kiss that was tame. But I felt the electricity we used to share, the physical desire I’d had for him since the day we met. The chemistry was always there, no matter what we’d been through.

His body pressed into me harder, and one hand slipped beneath my hair. He cushioned the back of my neck with his fingers and deepened the kiss. His other arm circled my waist, and he brought me close to his chest. It was the way he used to kiss me, like he wasn’t thinking of anyone else but me.

I tried not to think of anyone else besides my husband, but I knew that would take time. For now, it was just baby steps.

He pulled away first, his eyes on my lips like he wanted the kiss to continue. After he gave me a final squeeze, he let me go. The sense of loss was in his eyes, as if he wanted to keep kissing me and wanted to make love to me on my desk.

I probably would…if I had been ready.

To mask the sensual tension between us, I changed the subject. “Where is your meeting?”

“In the restaurant.”

He never met the board there, so I wasn’t sure what he was up to. “Who are you meeting?”