Page 103 of Hades

“Princess, the last thing you want me to do is stop.”

He’s not wrong, but I don’t tell him that. It would only go to his head, and that’s the last thing we need.

I go to stop playing with his hair, but he groans, chasing after my touch.

“Don’t stop. It feels good.”

“Does it? I know I enjoy when I wake with your hands playing in my hair.”

He growls. “I like when you wake with your fingers in my hair screaming out my name while I eat you.”

My cheeks heat at the memory of him doing just that not too long ago. It was my favorite way to wake up.

“Eh, it was okay,” I joke.

“You seemed to think it was better than okay when you begged me to fuck you,” he retorts. “Just admit it. You like me.”

“Hmm, you’re okay.”

It’s a lie. He’s so much better than okay. I like him as much as I hate to admit it. He’s the opposite of me in every way, but he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t waver. He doesn’t get annoyed with my work schedule and when I’m working. He doesn’t bitch when I leave a clump of hair in the shower and just adds to it before removing it himself. Then he does things like today and goes out of his way to try and make me happy. To do something he knows I would appreciate.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

He frowns. “What are you thanking me for?”

“For keeping me safe. For distracting me when I need it. For not getting mad at me for not being perfect. You know, the little things,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

“Princess, it’s my fucking pleasure. I wouldn’t want anyone else taking care of you.”

Something about his possessive tone makes my heart race. I really should ask him what we are doing. What this thing between us means, but I don’t. I keep my mouth shut.

I don’t know what is going on between us, but I do know that I’m afraid one wrong move from me and it will all disappear. I don’t want him to disappear.

As soon as the thought runs through my mind, I dismiss it.

No, Hades isn’t the type to just run when things get hard or scary. He would face it head-on before moving on.

“Hey, you okay?” he asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, why?”

“You got really quiet there, and I didn’t like the face you were making. It was like you were thinking something negative.”

How is it that he can read me so easily? Easier than anyone I know?

“I was just thinking about the games in the closet and trying to decide which one we should play,” I lie.

He raises a brow. “Okay, what did you decide?”

I appreciate him letting me off the hook.

“Cards Against Humanity, of course. I want to know how messed up your brain is,” I say, naming the first game I can think of off the top of my head.

“Oh baby, it’s on.”

As he gets up to get the game, I can’t help but watch him.

I want him. I want to keep him all to myself. I just have to figure out how to do that with everything else going on.