by C. R. Jane
"Perfect," he spoke softly as if to himself before he dipped his head, capturing my breast into his mouth and sucking it in deep. My back bowed off the bed, my hands flying into his soft as silk hair. The sensation was unlike anything I could describe, making warmth flow to my whole body. He took his time licking, sucking, biting, and caressing every inch of skin above my waist frequently returning to nip and kiss my lips during his exploration until I was a writhing, wiggling body of need.
"Please," I whimpered at one point, begging to be put out of such pleasurable agony. But Hades either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me as he continued his devastating ministrations. He returned to my mouth, sucking on my bottom lip. His hands scored through my hair; his fingers pressed into my scalp. He ground his pelvis into mine, and I instinctively ground back.
He sat up, breathing heavy as he pulled my thong over my hips and down my legs. Again, he stared, taking in the length of me. I squirmed under his scrutiny, reaching to cover myself with a sheet, but he grabbed my wrist halting my progress.
"Don't." He brought my palm to his lips and kissed it softly. "Don't ever hide yourself from me. You're perfect. Every inch of you." He traced a line of kisses from the center of my chest down the rest of my body. His nostrils flared as he breathed me in. "Your scent is intoxicating. It's been driving me crazy since I first saw you. If I don't taste you soon, it will drive me insane."
I had an idea what he planned to do, but the reality was more than I could have imagined. His tongue felt wicked as it licked me deftly. I raised my hips and ground against his mouth, trying to get closer. His mouth latched on, sucking, as he touched the right spot perfectly. I didn't last long. My orgasm erupted from my body and out my mouth in a long moan. The sound must have excited Hades because he growled against me, prolonging the climax and sending more aftershocks coursing through me. Spent, my limbs like jelly, I wasn't sure if I could move. I raised her head. Hades was still between my legs, nuzzling against me while lightly kissing the insides of my thighs. I plopped my head back down, and he made his way up my body, stopping to bury his face in my neck, breathing me in. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I brought my arms around him as well, my hands like a magnet, digging into his hair, my fingers playing with the silken strands.
I startled awake, alone. The bed was cool next to me, as was the air as it settled over my skin. My body ached in all the right places since Hades had made sure and gone the full distance after my first mind-blowing orgasm.
I smiled through my stretch, my hands above my head and my toes pointed. If I let myself, I could get lost in the hotter-than-hell memories of Hades’ hands on me, and his lips, and the way his body fit perfectly into mine, but I’d really like to find my missing person and entice him into bed to recreate the perfection. I grabbed his shirt from the floor and slipped it on while walking into the living room portion of my bedroom suite. His skin was burnished gold in the dim lighting of the lamp that sat on the coffee table beside the couch where he was sitting writing in what looked like a journal.
He pulled at his lower lip with his fingers. I stood in the doorway, watching the rise and fall of his bare chest in complete awe that I just slept with this perfect creature. He looked up. “Did I wake you?” he asked.
I frowned at his rigid jaw and his tone—affectionate Hades was gone; a stranger is securely in place.
“No, I…. You weren’t there when I woke. I missed you.”
His eyes fell back to his journal. “I couldn’t sleep any longer. Go back to bed.”
“But I’m cold without you,” I teased, walking behind him.
Bending down, I grinned into his neck and slid my hands down to rub his chest. He tensed and his quick intake of breath told me I had his attention. “Come to bed, please.”
Pinning my fingers between his, he snapped, “I need a moment, Elena. Give me a second to be alone.”
Right. That hurt.
My heart plummeted to my stomach. I yanked my hand away and wrapped them around myself. He didn’t move. And before he had a chance to follow, I darted to the bedroom, slammed the door behind me, and threw myself on the mattress, head buried in the pillow. Last night meant nothing to him when it meant so much to me.
I’ve been dismissed. I can see it now; I’m the girl he’ll fuck when he needs to scratch an itch, but I’ll never mean anything to him.
His words were crystal clear. It’s one thing to have unattached sex, but disrespect was intolerable. I wouldn’t allow him to treat me like shit because he was a broken bastard. I deserved more than that. I dragged myself to my feet, I slipped to the door and locked it, wishing he had picked somewhere else to sulk other than my beautiful suite. It’s going to be forever tainted now. The memories, the feelings, the experience I wish I could take back. How soon could I get out of here?
My room felt stale and dark, but I flung myself onto the bed and took up a new chant. I would not cry. I would not cry. I wouldn’t; tears are for fools. They don’t wash away pain or free me from it. A long time ago I began to see them as a weakness, and I hadn’t allowed myself to cry until I got to this Grecian funhouse. My lids burned as the tears threatened. What had I done?
Chapter 7
An hour passed before there was a soft knock on the door that separated the sitting area from my bedroom. I ignored it, hoping he would get the hint and use the other door in that room to let himself out. He knocked again and after I didn’t answer, I heard the lock disengaging in the door. Of course, the bastard would have a key.
The door opened.
“Elena,” Hades softly called in a devastated voice. I ignored him.
He startled me when he sat on the bed beside me, his footsteps were so light that I didn’t even hear him move. He reached out and brushed a piece of hair away from my tear-stained face.
“I’m so sorry,” he said in a choked-up voice. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t mean it.”
I sat up and scooted as far away from him as I could. “Get out of my room,” I hissed at him.
He crawled across the bed towards me, his eyes burned as he reached out and enfolded me into his arms. I wanted to fight, but all I could do is cry. He’s ruined everything.
“Let me go,” I sobbed.
“Ask me something that’s possible,” he said to me as he buried his head in my neck.
“I won’t be treated like that. I’m not something you can just throw away when the mood suits you. Last night meant something to me. I didn’t force you to be with me.”
“I’m so sorry. It’s the truth, Elena. I want to be with you. But that was the first time I had slept with someone that wasn’t Persephone. To be with you, I have to work through my emotions without hurting you. Last night was a big lesson for me.”
He dragged his forehead to mine, forcing eye contact. “Please forgive me. It won’t happen again, I promise you.”
“I want to believe you.”
“Give me a second chance.”
So much sadness is in him; it’s in me too ever since my father deserted us when I was child, yet I wondered if it had to be that way. This was new territory for both of us, and we would have to work together to figure it out.
I brushed my lips against his.
“I may be a fool, but I will.” We stay stuck to each other for minutes, and then he laid me down so that he was laying on top of me. I ran my fingers over his back while he nuzzled my neck.
“Don’t you have some Lord of the Underworld tasks to get to?” I asked on my way to complete distraction.
He brushed a kiss against my lips. “I have some time to show you just how sorry I am.”
He nestled between my thighs and I giggled, sinking my hands into his silken hair.
I don’t know how long we lay wrapped together. My limbs are like jelly. Incapable of holding myself upright, I stayed snuggled into his side. Hades rubbed my back, his fingers soft on my bare skin. Finally, I looked up, gauging his reaction to make sure I didn’t lose hi
m to dark thoughts like I did last night. His eyes were closed, and he looked relaxed. His cheeks were soft, his jaw wasn’t clenched as I’ve noticed it gets when he’s tense. He opened one eye, smiled, and then opened the other to fully look at me.
Before I said anything, he gripped under my arms to bring my lips to his. I leaned back to look at him and slipped my hand through his ebony hair that had become disheveled from my grip. I brushed my mouth against his, once and then again, I snuggled back into his arms, but I’m not cocooned in his warmth for long. He slid out from beneath me and leaned on his elbow. He stared while I lay flat on my back. I immediately covered my chest, but he stopped my hands.
“I want to look at you,” he said, smiling.
And he did, every curve and inch of my body. Moving to my stomach, he drew a circular path around the planes of my abdomen, getting lost in his own thoughts. His fingers came to a sudden halt. I grabbed his chin, forcing his gaze to meet mine. “Hey, don’t go anywhere. I want you to stay with me.” For the briefest moment his eyes widened. There’s vulnerability within them and then he’s gone. He becomes blank, shutting down and shutting me out. I sensed his internal struggle against falling back into his comfortable pain. He clenched his jaw; he rolled onto his back and broke all contact with me. His lids closed tight, and my heart lurched in my chest.
As soon as he lets go, gets close to me, he withdraws or tries to push me away. I’m not going to let that happen. I scrambled onto my knees beside him. I grabbed his chin and mimicked his stern tone, “Hades, look at me.”
He doesn’t move. He lifted his hands to press the palms against his eyes, his long fingers covering his forehead, reaching into his tousled hair.
“Talk to me.”
It’s heartbreaking to see him, a god, splintered in this way; unable or unwilling to move beyond the misery he’s convinced himself he should live with.
After a moment of silence, I lost my patience. “You are an obstinate, confusing asshole!”
I think his lips lifted in a hint of a smile, but I couldn’t be sure.
“I’m going to be honest with you, and if you get mad so be it. I’d rather fight for you than let you slip away with a ghost. Persephone is gone.” Her name stung my lips. “Her death was tragic; I can’t imagine the pain you endured. She died thousands of years ago, Hades. I can only presume to know the love she had for you, and with that, Persephone would not have wanted you to suffer her death for a millennium. You loved her; it’s okay to let her go.”
His brooding silence sliced my heart with each passing minute. Getting frustrated, I pulled against one of his arms and he allowed me to move it easily, lifting his other so his wary eyes can open. I kneeled naked by his side, I grasped his hand and waited for him to speak.
“It’s much easier not to feel anything,” he said finally.
His jaw clenched as he contemplated his thoughts. “It’s hard for me to let go of what happened, forget the past and trust what I feel when I’m with you. I can’t relive the pain I experienced; it almost broke me.” On a sigh, he continued. “When I’m with you, Elena, I forget about everything. I forget about Persephone and what happened. I feel alive again. And then I feel guilty for forgetting her in those brief moments of happiness you have given me.”
I wish I knew how to help him. “I’m not Persephone.” My voice wavered as I said it. Longing to touch him, I gently stroked down his cheek and ran my thumb along his full bottom lip. “You deserve to be happy, Hades.” He winced.
“I’m not the woman you fell in love with all those years ago. My future is not tied to Persephone, just as my past is different from hers. Maybe it’s time to take a leap of faith. Believe in me.” I sounded desperate even to my own ears. For an inexplicable reason, I needed him to believe in me. He remained silent, considering my words for a long moment.
He finally sat up, his chest an inch from my breasts. He dug his fingers into my hair, and he held me still as his thumb rubbed over my bottom lip. Our eyes remained connected as he answered me with a sweet kiss. I leaned in, parting my mouth to accept his tongue. Falling back to the bed, he took me with him, covering his body with mine in a blanket of heat.
“Master,” accompanied a pounding on the door as one of the servants frantically tried to get Hades’ attention. “Master, are you in there?” came the distressed cry. Hades cursed as he pulled away from me, pulling a pair of pants on and marching to the door.
He pulled it open, “What is it? This better be important.”
“Her garden, you have to come see it!”
Hades is out the door before I can ask what the servant is talking about. A sense of foreboding filled the air as I hurriedly put on my clothes and flew after them. There’s no sign of them in the house and I hated what must be Hades’ godlike speed as I tried to think of where in the gardens they could be. “Her garden,” rang in my head and I had a feeling of dread as I jogged towards the scorched plot where Hades had taken me the day before.
As I turned the corner and finally got to the area where I thought I remembered the garden being the day before, I gasped in amazement. I must have gotten lost and walked to the wrong place because the garden in front of me was unlike anything I had seen before. A multitude of flowers, fruit trees, and greenery fill every inch of the plot. The colors and sweet smells of the flowers are more vibrant than anything I’ve ever sensed before. Everything is larger than it should be, as if the plants were determined to be the best and brightest the world had ever seen. Thousands of butterflies flitted about, the colors on their wings shades that I didn’t think were possible. It’s as if I had stepped into a veritable Garden of Eden. It’s as if I have stepped into that image that I saw in Hades’ crystal room.
All of a sudden, I’m yanked into someone’s arms and lips come colliding down upon mine. “It’s you, it’s really you,” Hades cried as he spun me around.
I flinched as if I’d been struck by a belt. He can’t possibly mean what I think he’s saying.
“I’m who?” I croaked, my voice trembling.
“Persephone, you’ve returned to me. The curse is broken,” he said as he sat me down, an elated smile filling his whole face.
“Hades,” I choked out. “What are you saying?”
“Don’t you see...you are her,” he told me, gesturing towards the garden. “You created this. It only would have returned for Persephone. When we made love the garden came back because the curse was broken.” He said this while looking happier than I had ever seen a person look. Meanwhile, I felt like I was dying inside.
As soon as he sat me down, I backed away. I felt destroyed inside, like all the light that I’d ever held inside of me had been demolished.
He didn’t love me. He loved her.
I’ll never be anything but a replacement for the girl that he once loved with his whole heart.
I had to get out of here.
To be continued soon….
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Other Books by C.R. Jane
The Fated Wings Series
First Impressions
Forgotten Specters
The Fallen One (a Fated Wings Novella)
Forbidden Queens
Frightful Beginnings (a Fated Wings Short Story)
Faded Realms
Faithless Dreams
The Rock God (a Fated Wings Novella)
The Timeless Affection Series
Lamented Pasts
Lost Passions
The Pack Queen Series
Queen of the Thieves
Queen of the Alphas (2019)
The Sounds of Us Contemporary Series
Remember Us This Way
Remember You This Way
&
nbsp; Remember Me This Way (2019)
Fallen World Series Co-write with Mila Young
Bound
Broken
Broken Souls Series cowrite with Mila Young
School of Broken Souls
Blurb
Hades’ Goddess
Elyse and her four gods have been to Hell and back, literally, but now that things are meant to calm down, the story after her “happy ending” isn’t quite how she imagined it would be.
Hermes brings her a dinner invitation to visit Mount Olympus. The rest of the Divine Beings want to meet the mortal who captured the heart of four gods. But things are never simple when it comes to Greek Gods because there’s always a hidden agenda, and Elyse realizes very quickly she isn’t one of the gods despite her title. And is being a goddess really worth losing so much over?
Chapter 1
With Hades’s large form on top of me, him buried deep inside of me, I writhing with desire, but I couldn’t forget. Forget about saving the world, forget about looking after the humans every damn day. Forget about who I was now.
I let my eyes roll back in my head and moaned.
“Fuck, Elyse,” Hades bit out when I closed my legs around his hips and he rammed into me harder and harder. My body shifted across the mattress until we ran out of it. His hand was fanned open behind my shoulders, his fingers curling around my neck. He held my head up and stopped me from toppling over the edge as he rode me good.
“More,” I whispered, and he obliged. Repetitively.
It wasn’t the first time I’d come undone and it sure as shit wasn’t going to be the last. I didn’t want it to be. But the way Hades handled me, hard and fast with enough gentleness to remind me what we were now in a real relationship, I knew I was in for a treat tonight.
