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I set my glass on the table and meet her gaze. “Strip.”

“Damn it, Hades.”

I love the way her mouth forms my name, even in anger. I raise a single brow. “Was my order unclear?”

She considers arguing. I can see the battle in her expression. It doesn’t matter. We will have this conversation one way or another. If I have to pin her down and rip each piece of clothing from her body first, then I will. Finally Meg reaches for the button of her jacket. “No, Sir. Your order wasn’t unclear.”

I can actually see her coming back to herself as she loses each piece of clothing. Meg may enjoy dominating, but with me, she’s the perfect submissive. Not in a well-behaved sort of way—the term doesn’t apply to her—but in the way she inspires me to step to the line every single time. I don’t have to hold back with this woman, because she can take everything I give her. More, she loves it.

Once she’s undressed, I snap my fingers, and she drops to her knees. An instinctive response, and one she no doubt resents. I allow myself a moment to appreciate the picture she creates on her knees, all sharp angles and bottled-up fury. Some days I think she hates me more than she loves me, but she is one of the few constants in my life. We were made for each other, two twisted trees that grew to lean on each other to the point where they won’t survive alone.

Meg has no plans to leave me. I would know it if she did. That doesn’t change the fact that she’s unhappy. She’s withering with every day that passes, and I want to see her bloom once more.

“That’s better. Shall we try this again?” I push slowly to my feet and move to her. I don’t touch, not yet, but I circle her, letting the anticipation build in both of us. Finally, when she’s practically quivering, I reach down and draw my fingers through her hair.

Meg leans into it, though her mouth tightens as if she didn’t mean to. “You used me as bait. You tricked him into coming here. You trapped him with a lie.”

“Yes.” No need to deny it. Not here. Not with her. “Though one could argue that there’s a very fine line between a lie and the truth. The man is a white knight in search of a damsel. It’s not my fault that he saw what he wanted and ignored the reality. You are no damsel, love. You never were.” I wind her hair slowly around my fist, increasing the tension as I force her head back.

So beautiful, my Meg. So sharp and brittle and broken. I cup her jaw and drag my thumb over her bottom lip. “He doesn’t see you, love. Not like I do.” A slip, that. I have no reason to be jealous. Meg is mine. Hercules is as well, though he isn’t aware enough to realize it. Not yet.

She blinks up at me, vulnerability crawling through her eyes for one breathless moment before she shuts it down and her walls go back up. “Hades… Sir.” She swallows, and I can feel the movement against my palm where it rests on her throat. A reminder of who truly owns her. She presses her lips together and then seems to decide to continue questioning me. “Why?”

I allow my lips to curve a little. It’s not beyond me to yell and rage, but I learned a long time ago that soft words and gentle sentences inspire fear and obedience just as easily. More so in some cases. Meg sees and shivers in my grasp. I could tell her my plans, could lay all the details out in a neat little row. But, knowing her, she’ll balk at the idea of using Hercules; both to heal our relationship, and to construct my revenge. No, there’s plenty of time for pure honesty later, once we’ve come out the other side.

I speak softly. “I don’t want you to fuck him again. Anything else is up to your discretion, but not that. Not yet.” Not until it serves my purpose.

She frowns as if I can’t see the conflict written all over her body. “I don’t want to fuck him.”

“Yes, love, you do. And you can… but not yet.” I give her bottom lip another slow stroke. “Do you think I’d deny you anything, Meg? You want him. I’ll give him to you.”

The line between her brows deepens. “You didn’t do this for me.”

It stings a little, her lack of faith in me. It’s nothing more than I deserve, but after ten years together… No use in following that thought any deeper.

“Why?” she finally asks.

“Because, love, we’re going to seduce him. Together.” And, in doing so, we’re going to bring all of Olympus to its knees.