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“I will keep that in mind,” he said, his voice quiet and even. He wished she knew how difficult it was to speak each word in the face of her beauty, in the face of her temptation. “For now, I’d like you to get dressed. I have a surprise for you.”

“What could be more of a surprise than what’s going on in that head of yours?”

He laughed and kissed her nose. “Dress. I will wait for you.”

He released her and stepped away, heading for the door.

“You don’t have to wait outside,” Persephone said, sounding confused by his actions. Obviously, this was unusual for him, but his usual would include following her into the bath to fuck her against the wall.

It was better this way. She could get ready in peace.

He paused at the door and looked back at her, and he hoped she could see how difficult this was for him rather than feeling it was rejection. She would understand later.

“Yes, I do,” he said and stepped into the hall.

He waited there like an idiot while she showered, which felt like a completely different type of torture. He found himself leaning his head against the marbled wall to cool his heated face as he thought about her on the other side.

“Are you all right, my lord?”

Hades opened his eyes to find a spirit standing at the end of his hallway. He employed many of them in the Underworld. They were different from souls, as they were not dead, and they had minor power and influence over very specific emotions. Aletheia, who stared at him with wide eyes verging on terror, was the spirit of truth and sincerity. Of all the spirits who resided here, her influence was probably the least threatening.

“I am fine,” he told her.

She hesitated as if she did not know what to say and then managed, “May I get you anything?”

A bucket of cold water, he thought. “No, Aletheia.”

Her eyes grew even wider when he spoke her name.

“Thank you.”

The spirit nodded and then wandered off, as pale as a ghost.

Hades considered teleporting to the baths to dunk himself in one of the pools, but instead, he remained and waited until Persephone emerged from their room, dressed in the most complicated outfit he’d ever seen.

Why were there so many layers?

“What?” Persephone asked, clearly feeling self-conscious beneath his gaze.

“I’m trying to assess how long it will take me to undress you.”

She arched a brow. “Isn’t that why you stepped out of the room?”

“I’m merely planning ahead.”

For later…when it wouldn’t feel so wrong to take her.

He took her hand and pulled her against him, teleporting to Alexandria Tower. When they arrived, he released Persephone, and she looked around in silence for a few minutes. It wasn’t until he heard her clear her throat that he realized this place was making her emotional.

“Why are we at Alexandria Tower?”

He felt a rush of panic and then realized why she was struggling. This place reminded her of Lexa.

Fuck, he should have been more discerning. The least he could have done was prepare her for her return here, but he hadn’t thought about it at all. Now he feared she would reject his idea outright. Still, he had to try.

“I would like for you to office here,” he said.

It was the perfect place. He owned the building and every business that operated out of it, including the Cypress Foundation, which he hoped to see Persephone become more involved with. Being so close to Katerina would ensure collaboration. What mattered most, though, was that Persephone didn’t see it as some kind of prison.