Page 13 of Winning Back Persephone (Jinx Paranormal Dating Agency #9)

PERSEPHONE

The haze of sleep was still hanging over me, but it drifted away somewhat, especially when the cold air hit my back. It wasn't just that. There was something warm pressed against my leg. I tried to stretch out, but whatever was making the warmth was heavier than I expected it to be.

It took me a moment to remember where I was and what the likely reason for the warmth against my leg was.

"Cebby, you're stealing my covers and I'm cold," I murmured sleepily.

"I can warm you up," Hades responded, closing the gap between us and putting his arm over my waist. His hand splayed across the bare skin of my stomach. It was comfortable. Far too comfortable.

He nuzzled into my neck and I leaned back into him, enjoying how well we fit together. I'd slept more peacefully than I had in a long time while in our bed. His bed. I was still having trouble remembering that.

"He's still taking my covers," I protested.

"He's used to having that side of the bed to himself," Hades responded.

The words lanced through my heart as I thought about why that might be.

"You've changed your shampoo," Hades said, changing the subject.

"You haven't."

He chuckled, pulling me even closer to him. All I could think about was the perfect way we fit together and how much I wanted to stay here forever, even if I knew that this hadn't solved any of our problems.

"You know me, Sephie. I'm a consistent person."

I swallowed hard. He wasn't wrong about that. One of the things that had drawn me to him in the first place was how steady he was, it was such a contrast from the other immortals and gods who were living in Greece at the time. I hadn't wanted to be involved with any of them, but Hades had been so steadfast.

I ran my fingers over his arm, enjoying how it felt to be here.

My stomach rumbled, making him laugh, the pleasant sound travelling through me.

"I'm guessing you want breakfast," he said.

"Apparently so."

"There's yoghurt in the fridge. No fresh berries, though I think there are some frozen ones," he said. "If you still like that as breakfast."

"I haven't completely changed my personality in the past two years," I joked.

"I don't think you've changed at all, Sephie," he whispered.

"Neither have you." I turned around so I was facing him, taken in by the intimacy of the moment. I put my hand on his chest and looked into his eyes. There was more love in them that I wanted to admit, though there was also a slight hint of hesitation that I hated having caused. I'd hurt him by leaving.

More than that, I'd hurt myself by leaving. And while this was a step in what seemed like the right direction, I still didn't know how to broach the subject of the whole break-up being a mistake.

He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine, kissing me softly and in a way that made me want a thousand more kisses.

My stomach rumbled again.

"We should get you some breakfast," he murmured against my lips.

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for," he assured me. "We can get breakfast." He threw off the covers and got out of bed, gaining an unimpressed look from Cebby as he did. No doubt all of that would change when the dog realised that food was involved. I knew what he was like.

I watched him get out of bed and grab his robe, a familiar sight that I'd missed more than I realised I had.

"There's one of yours still in the wardrobe," he said.

"I didn't realise."

"Mmm. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it." His words weren't a surprise, especially considering how much of the rest of our home was still exactly the same as when I'd left. "I'll put some coffee on. Come join me when you're ready." He kissed me softly before leaving to go to the kitchen.

I leaned back on the bed and closed my eyes, trying to think everything through. I wanted more of this. The domesticity, the comfort, everything that was just within my grasp. All I had to do was admit out loud to Hades that it was what I wanted, and then maybe I could have it.

"Come on, Cebby," I said to the dog.

He lifted his head and flopped back down.

"You can't sleep forever." I reached out and ruffled his head. I knew there was no putting off getting up, especially when my stomach rumbled again. "All right, it really is time to get up." I threw off the covers and hurried over to the wardrobe. I pulled it open, not surprised to easily find the robe Hades had mentioned. I pulled it off the hanger and put it on.

Hades smiled as I walked into the kitchen with Cebby on my heels.

"Strong coffee coming up." He put a mug down in front of me. "And the most delicious dried kibble for Mr Cerberus."

I laughed. "You can pretend all you like, but I know you'll feed him stewed beef later."

"Ah yes, but boring kibble in the morning, exciting beef in the evening, that's how these things work."

"I remember," I responded, watching as he got Cebby's food ready for him. From how quickly Cebby's tail was wagging, anyone would think that his breakfast was the best thing that could ever possibly be available to eat.

I picked up my coffee and took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh. It was good coffee, made just how I liked it.

Hades hummed to himself as he pulled yoghurt out of the fridge, putting it on the breakfast bar for me, along with some honey and frozen fruit.

I got myself a bowl without thinking, putting one down in front of him too.

"Thanks." He flashed me a smile that made my insides melt.

I loaded up my bowl with yoghurt and toppings while he grabbed a box of cereal out of the cupboard. "It's blue," I said.

He gave me a strange look. "They changed the packaging."

"It's weird."

"It is. Cebby is fed up with hearing me complain about it. The box has been yellow for forty years, why did they change it?"

"How long have you been holding that in?"

"Longer than I want to admit," he responded. "I ended up standing in the supermarket for twenty minutes trying to work out where they'd moved the cereal to. I almost messaged you to ask if you knew because you did most of the shopping."

"You could have done," I whispered. "If you'd needed my help."

"I know. But I found it. I swear it doesn't taste the same as it used to."

"Maybe they changed the recipe along with it?" I suggested. "You could probably find out if you look online, people will be talking about it."

"No one wants to listen to me complain about cereal," he said. "Only you."

"It's annoying," I agreed with him. "And such a drastic change."

"Exactly. See, I knew you'd get it."

I sucked in a deep breath. It wasn't hard to jump to the conclusion that he'd been thinking about telling me about all of this every time he saw the blue of his cereal box instead of yellow.

"Anyway, it changed," he muttered.

"Do I need to start a cereal-making company just so the cereal never changes?"

"I think that might be a little extreme, Sephie. But if it keeps being a problem, I might take you up on the offer."

"It would certainly be a challenge. I've never done food before." Though I did help him with the club, so maybe I did have some knowledge.

"You haven't even launched your latest business venture yet, you can't go straight into another one. You have to rest."

"I know that."

He raised an eyebrow.

"In theory," I mumbled. In truth, there was only one person who'd ever been able to talk me down from putting too much on my plate, and I'd barely talked to him in the past two years. It was only just becoming clear to me how much I'd missed having him to talk to about anything and everything.

And the worst part was that I'd done this to myself.

"This is nice," I said, looking up from my bowl. "Maybe I could make you dinner? To say thanks."

He raised an eyebrow. "To say thanks?" His expression left no doubt that he saw through my thin excuse for spending more time with him.

"Yes."

"All right. But only if I can make you a thank you dinner for the thank you dinner."

I laughed. "Is that not just dating?"

"I don't know, Sephie, is it?"

I sucked in a sharp breath. This was it. I didn't know how to get things back to where they'd been when I'd left, but here was an opportunity I couldn't refuse. "Yes."

"I like the sound of that."

"Me too."

We ate our breakfast in comfortable silence. We'd shared this kind of morning more times than I could count, but it felt like I'd never properly appreciated them before. Or maybe I had in the beginning but had forgotten closer to the end of our relationship.

It was clear that I couldn't return to denial after last night. I just had to make sure that I didn't mess this up for a second time.