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My throat feels tight, but I push past it. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“I feel like I need to get back to the basics.” I clear my throat. “This is what you initially wanted me for, right? A home-cooked meal?”

His chuckle is dark. “I wanted you for far more sensual things, little goddess.”

“Oh?”

One hand swoops from the counter to settle on my belly. He pushes just enough to drag my back into his hot chest. The feelof him there behind me, so big and powerful is nearly enough to make me moan.

God, I missed this. Just being us.

These last weeks have been hard.

“Hades.”

His tongue lashes at the flutter of my pulse in my throat. My hands leave the bowl of batter to flatten against the counter.

I’m trying to steady myself, if only a little.

“What are you making me?”

“Lasagna.” I drop my head into the cradle of his shoulder, nearly moaning as he sucks at the skin of my throat. There is fire in my veins. It’s spreading quickly to my blood. The smoky haze of it is filling my thoughts.

“This doesn’t look like lasagna.” Hades pauses his kisses to peer into the bowl, but his hand at my belly is slowly drifting down to the slits in my gown.

His fingertips graze the flesh of my hip.

I laugh, but I can hardly manage my thoughts much less an entire sentence. “Cookies.”

“Mmm,” he rumbles a moan.

His fingertips drift over smooth skin, hot with want.

My belly is in knots, twisted up with need.

His touch is whisper soft as it moves from my hip to my thigh. I spread my legs eagerly as he palms my inner thigh with a borderline rough grip that sets off sparks of violent need inside me. I whimper. He groans. Then I feel the pad of his thumb sliding over my panties. I can already feel I am wet, and by the hum of pleasure that rumbles from the deep of him, I’d say he likes that.

“You’re so warm,” he praises. “So wet for me.”

“Yes,” I agree, pressing my core into his touch. “Always, Hades.”

I whimper when he pulls his hand away, spinning me around and lifting me onto the counter. His eyes are filled with flames andGod—he’s so beautiful.

“I need to taste you.” His hands are already sliding up my thighs to hook the band of my panties, and then he’s pulling. My panties fall to the floor seconds before his hands press firmly into my inner thighs, spreading me for him.

And then his hot mouth is on me.

My head falls back as heat swoops throughout the entirety of my body. My palms are slick against the smooth stone of the counter, and I fall to my back. Sensation rockets inside me, spearing deep as Hades’ tongue swirls around my clit. He sucks and licks and pulls until madness swims inside my mind.

I’m a moaning mess as pleasure begins to crest inside me, and then he pulls his tongue away.

“No!” I cry out, sitting up enough to see the mischievous darkness that dances with those enchanting flames.

His fingers bite into my thighs as he spreads me even wider for him. Then he strokes all of me with his thumb.

A squeal rips from between my lips, but he holds me in place against the counter where I am helpless to escape the sensation.Him.