A Game of Fate (Hades Saga #1)(97)

“You don’t have to eat those,” Hades assured her as she continued to crunch.

“No, they are the best cookies I have ever had.”

Hades raised a brow. “You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not.”

She wasn’t, but he didn’t understand. He knew those cookies were terrible.

“They’re the best because you made them.”

Hades snorted.

“I’m serious,” she said. “No one’s ever made anything for me before.”

Hades stared at her for a moment, and suddenly, he was the one who felt ridiculous for not taking her words for granted.

“I’m glad you like them,” he said, his voice quiet.

They sat in silence. Persephone continued to eat his cookies, and he continued to drink. After a moment, she rose to her knees.

“Do you want one?”

She came toward him and held out her hand, a cookie clasped between her fingers. Hades grasped her wrist and bit into the cookie. It was exactly what he expected, hard and bland, only slightly sugary. Still, he loved it if she loved it. As he chewed, her eyes dropped to his lips, and he raised a brow.

“Hungry, darling?”

He wasn’t sure how she would answer, given her earlier sadness, but when she lifted her eyes to his, he could see her longing.

“Yes,” she answered.

He leaned in to press his mouth to hers. For a while, they maintained their distance as they kissed. Hades enjoyed this, the feeling of desire building up inside him, resisting the urge to take her into his arms and touch her. He ran his tongue along her mouth, and just as he was about to pull her to him, he pushed her away as a ball flew between them, followed by Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus.

“Sorry!” Hecate’s voice came from the trees beyond.

Hades sighed, and Persephone giggled.

“Oh, a picnic!” Hecate said as she appeared in the clearing.

“Hades made cookies!” Persephone said. “Would you like one?”

Hecate did not hide her obvious surprise and looked him. “You…baked?”

He glowered, and Persephone, who was either oblivious to his obvious discomfort or did not care, said, “I taught him!”

Hecate laughed and took a cookie. Hades was a little relieved. Maybe she would leave, and he and Persephone could get back to kissing.

Except that Persephone had other ideas. “Sit with us!”

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude—”

No, you don’t, Hades thought.

“There is more food in the basket, and Hades brought wine!”

The two looked at him, and he sighed, relenting. “Yes, join us, Hecate.”

Persephone dug around in the basket, handing Hecate a variety of foods, while Hades poured the goddess of glass of wine.

Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus returned, the three fighting over their red ball.

They weren’t there long when Hades sensed Hermes’ magic.

“Fucking Fates,” he mumbled, drawing the attention of Persephone and Hecate.

“Oh, Hades!” Hermes sung as he appeared in the clearing. “Oh, a picnic!”

“Did you need something, Hermes?” Hades asked, his jaw tightening, frustrated that the evening he had planned for him and Persephone had turned into this…circus.

“Nothing that can’t wait,” he said. “Are those cookies?”

“Hades made them!” Persephone said.

Hermes sank to his knees on the blanket, and Hades watched Persephone offer food and wine, and smile and laugh, and his frustration at having their evening interrupted lessened because she was happy. He also found that he did not mind the company so much, though he could do without Hermes’ teasing.

They spent a long time in the woods together, until the Underworld’s light faded and Hades’ night lit the sky. When they left, he and Persephone walked side by side back to the palace. They did not touch.

“Thank you for tonight. I know it did not go as planned.”

Hades chuckled. “It was nothing like I had imagined.”

They came to a stop, shrouded by the garden just outside Hades’ fortress, and faced each other.

“If Hecate had not thrown that ball at our faces, I would have kept kissing you,” he said, and his hand came up to cup her face.

“Is it too late?” she asked. “To have it all?”

Hades stared at her for a moment, thumb brushing her cheek. He stepped closer.

“What are you asking for, my darling?”

“I’m not sorry Hecate interrupted us,” she said. “But I still want that kiss and everything that comes after.”

“I’m only sorry you didn’t ask me sooner,” he said, obliging her request. His mouth touched hers, and he drew her against him, making love to her beneath the stars in the garden outside his home.





CHAPTER XXIX – A TORTURE LIKE NO OTHER




It was a week later when Aphrodite arrived to see him unexpectedly. Granted, she never arrived with notice, but Hades thought she would come closer to the end of their six-month deadline, which was now weeks away.

Hades sat behind his desk at The Cypress Foundation, finalizing a few small details for the Halcyon Project before handing it over to Katerina He had a hard time concentrating, thinking that the last time he had been stuck behind a desk, he had been more preferably engaged with Persephone.