Page 16

Chapter

Fifteen

P ersephone

Convincing Linus to hand over his kitchen was no small feat. But a night off for Maya and Linus to visit Asphodel City wasn’t something either could deny once I dangled the carrot.

Now, I’ve got the castle kitchen to myself. After familiarizing myself with the layout, which is huge, and scoping out all the goodies stored in all the places, I’ve got a saucy lasagna with extra cheese sprinkled with crispy bits of ham cooking in one of the ovens.

That’s right, there is more than one oven in this kitchen, which is why I’m cracking eggs into a bowl of ingredients that already smells mouth-wateringly sweet.

I’m whipping up those ingredients when the air shifts. A hot heaviness settles in the massive space, and yet goosebumps rise on my skin. A quickening in my chest dances with a flutter in my belly. My breath hitches on a sharp inhale.

I don’t dare look over my shoulder, trying my best to pretend that I don’t feel him as he stalks me.

I fail, breath shuddering from my lungs as that hot heat teases a touch that doesn’t come at my back. His hands find the counter on either side of my body, and the deep pitch of his murmured words trails hot against the bare skin of my shoulder.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

I fight the smile that threatens to reveal just how much I love that he found me. “Oh?”

“For a moment, I worried I would have to hunt Tartarus for you.” Needles of awareness prick my skin at the darkness in his words. “Hydra convinced me that you’d not left the palace.”

“Mmm.”

He lifts his hands from the counter to gather my hair before pushing it over one shoulder. Then his hands settle on the counter again, bracketing me there in the circle of his arms.

He dips his face into the nook of my neck that is now exposed for him. I feel the blade of his nose run the column of my neck. I shiver under the featherlight scratch of his scruff on tender skin.

“It smells good in here.”

I suck in a rattle of breath at the feel of his hot lips pressing into my skin.

I can’t speak.

I don’t have to. Hades has plenty to say, apparently. “Are you cooking for me, little goddess?”

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 feel of 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 and God —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 .

“Hades,” I cry.

He finds my entrance and spears me with his tongue.

Stars of the universe wink behind my eyes as I thrust my fingers into his hair.

I think I’m trying to hold him in place against me, inside me.

But he’s too strong. He thrusts his tongue inside me again and again, swooping up to stroke that maddening bundle of nerves inside me before thrusting again.

I’m lost to sensation as he fucks me with his tongue, holding tight to the tie that knots his hair at his nape.

“Oh, God,” I gasp. “Oh, God!”

His thrusts quicken inside me until that pressure he built finally detonates.

I fall back limply against the counter, eyeing him through the haze of a red-hot orgasm as he stands proudly.

His full mouth is wet with the shine of my pleasure, his jaw hard and square.

He has never looked more like the God of the Underworld than he does in this moment.

And I have never felt so much the sacrifice than I do spilled out in orgasmic bliss on the stone of his counter.

His hands, thick and veined make quick work of the buckle of his belt. He sinks one hand into the black of his boxers before pulling out his length. It’s impossibly hard and thick, long and dripping need from an angry red tip.

The knot in my core tightens painfully as Hades lines his tip with my entrance, and sinks in to the hilt in one hard thrust.

I watch, breathlessly entranced as he throws his head back in pleasure. Veins rise in the column of his neck and a sound of vicious pleasure tears from between his lips.

He’s so beautiful, lost to this need. Lost inside me.

My body responds to the thought, clenching around him. And that’s when his control snaps. His hands find my hips, gripping me tight as he pulls me to the edge of the counter, and he fucks me like a God lost to his Goddess.