Page 126 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

“Nope. It’s just me and this furry rodent,” she says.

I stifle a laugh as Achilles leaves her be. He probably already figured out her MO and doesn’t care for her much. As soon as I’m sure that he’s gone, I step out of hiding. Achilles is not the only one who has abandoned the scene. Rain has left too.

I’mon my way home, but I can’t sit still. It’s not yet midnight, which means I have to wait more than eight hours to see Paisley. But I need her now.

I reach for my phone in my coat pocket, and it rings as soon as soon as I have it in my hand. I check the screen. It’s her.

Chapter Forty-Two

It Just Slipped Out

Paisley Grove

Iask Greg to drop me off at the building next to where Hercules lives. I know Greg’s on my side, but I can never be certain. At least I trust him enough to not ask him to drop me off clear across town. Otherwise, I would have had to call an Uber to take me to Hercules’s apartment.

When I walk to the front of Hercules’s building, he’s waiting for me. He’s wearing a suit without a tie. He reminds me of one of those men in a fashion ad. He's the guy every man wants to be and every woman wants to make passionate love to.

“Hey,” he says in a silken voice when we’re standing in front of each other.

It's still hard to believe that he and I are this close these days. But the elation of our nearness is dampened by the fact that I’m being a phony. I look into his sultry eyes, and my insides feel as though they’re soaring to another universe.

“Have you been crying?” he asks.

“No,” I whisper. And that’s the truth. I’ve been wanting to cry, but I haven’t allowed myself to do it.

“Then what’s wrong? Did you get into a squabble with your friends?”

“Sort of,” I whisper.

He wraps his arms around me as a couple walks past us. I suddenly remember that he and I are in public.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks.

His lips… I close my eyes and let mine touch his. And as usual, I start the kiss, but Hercules takes over as his tongue journeys into my mouth and spirals around mine. I whimper as I hug him tighter, kiss him harder. We’re not close enough. I need him in my skin.

“Let’s go upstairs.” He takes me by the hand.

The staff takes notice of me as we walk under the chandeliers that hang in Hercules’s lobby. The place is decorated like a palace. I feel so different being with him. I’m so alive that I think I would die if I were ever forced to part ways with him.

We make out some more on the ride up in Hercules’s private elevator. The taste of his mouth, his strong lips, and the way his erection presses against me make me cream for him—although something in the back of my mind is keeping me from falling completely for his allure. It’s my mom. I can’t unsee the way she behaved at dinner tonight. It wasn’t like her at all. Even the cheap shots she took at Treasure were off. I mean, her and Londyn are always making disparaging comments about the other’s daughter, but tonight, her meanness regarding Treasure seemed to come out of left field, and she took it to a whole new level.

“Hercules,” I whisper as the elevator doors open.

He opens his eyes. “Yes, babe.”

Oh gosh.I love how he said that. It sounded as though he would be calling me his babe forever. I look at him with my lips parted. The truth is on the tip of my tongue.

“Say it, baby,” he whispers as if he’s pleading for me to speak my mind.

“Let’s just go to bed,” I say instead. But I’m still so close to disclosing the truth about who I am simply because I want to discuss our families with him. If he and I are really falling in love with each other, then maybe we can figure it out together.

Hercules lifts me up off the ground and cradles me like he did the night he saved me when O’Brien slipped pinkies in my drink. I kiss him tenderly, thinking how he’s always been my knight in shining armor. Endorphins swim through me, and I’m intoxicated by his taste and scent. Our lips brush, and the tips of our tongues swirl around each other. I open my eyes to see the passion in his face. It’s there. I now know why I’m so sensual with him. I want to be present with him. I want to enjoy him. The way we kiss, touch, and make love reminds me that what we have is real.

Our mouths don’t let go of each other until Hercules sets me on my feet at the foot of his bed. He takes off his coat. I drop mine. His shirt comes off, and so does my blouse. We’re out of our pants. My panties. His underwear. Hercules steps behind me, unclasps my bra, and slides the straps down my shoulders.

I sigh when his large hands cup my tits and then squeeze the flesh as his erection presses against my lower back. My head falls back against him as he pinches my nipples, and then he turns me around to face him. He sinks his mouth over one of my breasts, sucking. I kiss the top of his head and then his forehead when he rakes his teeth across my nipple. The sensations send shivers of delight through me.

“You’re soft and wet,” Hercules whispers as his fingers glide in and out of me.