A Game of Retribution (Hades Saga #2)(114)

He smiled and leaned close as he whispered, “It will be our secret.”

He kissed her, and his hands shifted upward toward the apex of her thighs, while hers skimmed down his chest to the button of his trousers.

“Persephone,” he breathed as she freed his sex and took him into her hand. Her palm was warm, and she kept her thumb at his crown, rubbing circles over the come that beaded there.

“I need you,” he growled. “Now.”

He thought she might resist, drag this out until he was feverish and desperate, but she seemed to feel the same because she mounted him, sliding on with a groan that rocked each of their bodies.

“You have ruined me,” Hades said, holding on to her hips, fingers digging into her skin and the gods-damned fabric of her billowing dress. “This is all I ever think about.”

“Sex?” she asked, breathless. She alternated between sliding up and down his shaft and grinding against him. It made his head spin, and he wanted to fuck her harder.

“You,” he said between his teeth. “Being inside you, the feel of you gripping my cock, the way you tighten around me just before you come.”

“You just described sex, Hades.”

He laughed, though he panted too. “I described sex with you. There is a difference.”

They lost themselves at some point, and they came together viciously, kissing and thrusting, and there was nothing to hold on to but each other.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Hades said, and he sought her clit, touching her there until she came apart, and though she had come, she still moved for him, whispering erotic things until his release exploded inside her. In the aftermath, Persephone collapsed against him, and his body sagged with exhaustion and pleasure.

He tangled his hand into her hair and kissed her face, groaning. “Fuck me.

I’m like a fucking teenager.”

“Do you even know what it’s like to be a teenager?”

“No,” he said truthfully. He had been swallowed as a baby and born an adult. “But I imagine they are always horny and never quite sated.”

He could take her again if she’d let him.

“Perhaps I can help.” She shimmied off his lap to the floor and wrapped her hand around his cock before he stopped her, hands on her face.

“No, darling.”

“But—” she protested.

“Trust that there is nothing I would love more than for you to go down on me, but for now, we must attend this gods-forsaken dinner.”

“Must we?” she asked, a pretty pout to her mouth that made him want this even more, but they were nearing the hotel where the gala would take place, and this event…it was important.

“Yes. Trust me, you will not want to miss it.”

She held his gaze for a moment, and her hand slipped up and down his cock in defiance, though eventually she rose to sit beside him, and they restored their appearances, which was easier said than done, especially because Persephone kept her eyes on his cock.

“Goddess,” he warned.

She offered a sheepish smile before her attention turned to the window, and he noted how she stiffened at the sight of the crowd that had gathered outside. Though they were still a few miles from the hotel, the sidewalks were packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of divinity. He reached for her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. He did not blame her for being nervous at the sight of so many people—so many strangers—and when the limo stopped and the door opened to a blinding wall of flashing lights, he felt her anxiety spike even more.

He exited the car and turned to her, reaching for her hand. He would not let her go through this alone.

“Darling?”

She latched onto his fingers and allowed him to help her from the car, and together they walked down a red carpet that led to the front of the Olympian Grand Hotel. As they walked, people shouted their names and demanded pictures, even reached across the barriers erected on either side of the walkway in hopes that they might brush their skin.

Hades kept Persephone close, and when the carpet widened and gave them more distance from the crowd, they both felt at ease.

“Zofie!” Persephone cried, and Hades turned his attention to the Amazon who approached, looking very uncomfortable in her blue gown and with the hug Persephone pulled her in to. Hades had requested Zofie join them tonight, both as Persephone’s aegis and her friend.

“Persephone, are you well?” she asked, frowning a little, perhaps confused by Persephone’s excitement. The Amazon was not used to being valued beyond her skills as a warrior, so it was likely she did not understand what friendship really meant.

Though Hades knew Persephone would teach her.

“Yes,” Persephone answered. “Just happy to see you.”

The Amazon smiled.

They continued on, and Hades kept a firm hand on Persephone at all times, though the goddess was handling every request with grace. They stopped for a million photos, and by the time they came to the end of the media circuit and were led into a large reception hall, all Hades could see was flashing lights. The hall was less crowded, but there was a roar to the room that was somehow worse inside. Perhaps that was because the noise was contained. Still, people gathered into small groups to chat, while servers darted around carrying trays of drinks.

Hades noted that Persephone kept her gaze on the ceiling, which was, essentially, an art piece—a field of glass-blown flowers in an array of striking, bright colors. She did not get to enjoy the view long because they were approached by people who wished to make Persephone’s acquaintance. Luckily, they were people Hades liked, mostly donors, some who ran within the circles of Iniquity and some not.