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Blurb:
Hades has fallen in love, but the woman has no idea she’s
been chatting online and texting with the god of the Underworld. Persephone is
a goddess herself, but she is innocent, sheltered and forced to live in her
mother Demeter’s shadow. She loves to stay in the mortal world where she can be
herself and escape her mother’s control, but Hades has plans for her. He wants
to bring her to the Underworld as his queen. When Persephone decides she’s
tired of being controlled, she demands to meet him so they can run away
together. He agrees readily, anxious to finally hold her in his arms and
longing to awaken the passions he knows she possesses. He knows he’ll be able
to satisfy her body, but when he reveals all, will he also be able to possess
her heart?
Excerpt:
Persephone
brushed her hair and thought of her first night in the Underworld. It hadn’t
been that long ago, but in a way it seemed like a completely different part of
her life. Cerberus sat watching her. He wandered off some days, but he spent
most of his time by her side.
“Are you
going to come on our walk with us?” Persephone always talked to animals. They
never talked back, and never would, but she’d taken care of enough over the
years to know it did make them smarter.
He came
forward a few feet and sat down again.
She smiled.
“Good.”
There was a
knock at her door, and she stood up. “Come in.”
Hades
opened the door and stepped over the threshold. “Are you ready?”
She nodded
and patted Cerberus’ head. “We are.”
Hades held
out his hand for Cerberus, and the hound walked forward to sniff it and be
petted. Persephone smiled.
“What?”
Hades asked.
She
laughed. “Both of you are supposed to be scary, striking fear into mortal
hearts. If they could see you now.”
She
definitely liked what she saw. Still all black, but he was at least wearing a
t-shirt and jeans. He looked nice and much less formal. She held her hand out.
He took her
hand and kissed it. “Let’s go then.”
They walked
through the halls in silence. Persephone looked at all the paintings. “Who
painted all of these? Are they from the mortal world?”
“They’re
duplicates of ones from the mortal world.” He pointed to a canvas covered in
flames. “That one was painted by Thomas Miller.”
“I’ve never
heard of him.”
“No one
else has either. He was a lawyer. He painted for his own pleasure. No one knew
about it, and after he died there was a fire. His family didn’t even know what
treasures they’d lost.”
“That’s
sad.” She looked at another. “I’ve seen this one.”
“They’re
all portrayals of the Underworld. This one’s from the sixteenth century by an
unknown artist. We know his name was Daniel Roper. It’s a vague interpretation
of Dante’s Inferno.
The swirling colors are meant to be the different parts. The Catholic Hell of
Dante’s time had separate places for murderers and atheists. The middle is
blue. Do you remember why?”
She smiled.
“It’s frozen. Satan is frozen in the middle of a lake.”
He nodded.
“Many of these are taken from literature. The Greeks and Romans, but also men
like Dante and Milton.”
“I like
Milton.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.
Surprised?”
“No, of
course not.” He led them out into the garden. “Did you think I would be?”
“I suppose
not, but no one’s ever talked to me about literature before you.”
“I see. No
one down here reads that much, except me.”
“It’s the
same up there. Except for Eris, no one in our world really writes either. Have
you noticed that?”
He
considered this, and then nodded. “You’re right. We don’t exactly have a
literary tradition.”
“Just my
luck. One way I could impress people, and it’s not relevant.”
He gave her
a slightly warning look.
“I know, I
know. People will be impressed once they get to know me.”
He kissed
her hand again. “Yes, they will. Your mother kept you hidden away. It was the
main reason I didn’t feel guilty for bringing you here.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My
plans haven’t gone too smoothly from there, but I’m working on it.”
She
squeezed his hand. She had no idea what to say to him. She tried anyway.
“You’re doing fine. We had a few kinks to work out.”
“Is that
what they were? Kinks?”
She looked up
at him. “Yes. That’s exactly what they were.”
“All right
then.”
After a few
moments of silence, she took another chance. “I finally got what I wanted.”
He seemed
puzzled, but also intrigued. “I’m glad to hear that, but I’m not sure I
understand.”
“I said I
expected certain things when we met. I wasn’t looking for a husband, remember?
I was looking for a boyfriend.”
Hades
smiled, and she thought he blushed a bit. When he looked back into her eyes,
she was sure of it.
“You’re
blushing,” she said, unable to resist teasing him.
He
shrugged. “Maybe I am. It’s good though. Very good.” He lowered his head.
She thought
quickly, not wanting him to feel she was teasing him because she thought it was
silly or weird. “So are you. You’re not a bad boy at all. You’re the good guy
every girl would try for if she had any sense.”
He was
silent as they entered the maze. He held his hand in front of Cerberus, and the
hound sat down. “Stay.” He pulled Persephone into the maze with him.
She felt
her pulse quicken. When he didn’t speak, she asked, “Did I say something
wrong?”
He turned
and pulled her close. “No. It was very right. No one has ever described me or
thought of me that way. I’m amazed you could think that, after what I did.”
“I already
told you I forgive you. You didn’t want me to leave. I’ve done very selfish and
stupid things to get my way. I understand why you did it.”
He stroked
her face. “So you don’t want a bad boy anymore?”
She found
it hard to breathe in his arms. “I think we all have more than one side. I’d like
to see all of yours.”
He smiled
and pulled away. He held out his hands and an enormous Greek helmet with a
visor appeared in his hands. The Helm of Darkness. Why would he want that? He
put it on and lowered the visor, disappearing before her eyes. She heard him
move around her, and she tried to follow the sound. His hand slid around her
waist.
“We’ll see
if I live up to your idea of a bad boy. I’ll give you a head start.”
He pulled
away, and she had no idea where he was.
“You’re
going to chase me?” She felt that heat low in her belly again as she imagined
being pursued by him. Making love out in the open on the grass.
He didn’t
answer.
“Oh boy,”
she whispered to herself.
She looked
to the right and left. Both ways looked the same, leading her to a turn that
would take her toward the center. She went to the right and then took a left.
She stopped and listened. She couldn’t hear anything. She went forward a few
feet and had three choices. She went straight. She paused again when she came
to a fork that would take her to opposite sides of the maze. A warm breeze blew
around her.
Then she
felt a hand slide over her ass. She gasped and instinctively pulled away. He
didn’t make a sound. She reached out, but she only felt air. She turned and
jogged back the way she’d come. She took several turns and became disoriented.
The maze’s walls were two feet taller than her, so she couldn’t see any
landmarks.
What
do you want?
She heard
his voice in her head, and her knees went a little shaky. “I want you to catch
me.” She didn’t hear anything, so she wasn’t sure how far away he was.
Then
something else touched her, but it wasn’t his hand. A thick vine twisted around
her waist and pulled her against the hedge wall. Two more bound her hands. She
couldn’t move. She tried to break them, but she couldn’t. They wouldn’t obey
her. All living things obeyed her above.
“Down
here,” Hades said, “Everything obeys me.”
He was
still invisible, and she looked all around her. “Including me?”
He removed
the helmet, and he stood just inches from her. He shook his head. “No. Never
you. I obey you.” His finger traced the strap of her purple sundress. “Command
me.”
When she’d
first arrived, she’d felt like she was being tested. This felt different. He
was giving her this choice to find something out, though she wasn’t sure what.
He’d said he only wanted them to have sex when she returned his love. As fast
as her heart was beating, as aroused as she was, she knew she didn’t. What did
he expect her to ask for then?
Since she
didn’t know, she asked for what she wanted. “Kiss me.”
His finger
strayed down to the swells of her breasts. “Where?”
She took a
deep breath. “Anywhere you like.”
His finger
moved lightly over her breasts, down to the tiny buttons he slowly undid. He
moved his hands over her breasts, never reaching inside, just caressing what he
had uncovered. He leaned forward and kissed the hollow between them, and she
sighed.
“Anywhere,
my lady?”
She nodded
her head. She felt dizzy with him touching her. The pulsing between her legs
returned. She felt it often when she thought of him. She didn’t have to touch
herself to know she was wet.
He lowered
himself to his knees and toyed with the hem of her skirt. Then in one movement
he ripped it off. She gasped as he pulled her panties down. These were the
kinds of fantasies she’d had, the kinds of things she’d pictured as she waited
for him that first night. The real sensations flowing through her blew the
imagined ones away, and he hadn’t even started yet. He smiled as he ran a
finger over her shaved pussy. The look in his eyes confirmed his approval.
“You’ll
have to forgive my enthusiasm.” His voice was different, deeper and darker. He
was breathing as heavily as she was. “May I pleasure you?”
“Pleasure
me?” she repeated, her mind struggling to make sure she knew what he meant.
He smiled
and leaned forward to kiss her just above her clit. “You said I could kiss you
anywhere. I want to make you come.”
“That’ll be
quite a kiss.”
“It will
be.” He lowered his mouth to her pussy and licked her slowly.
She gasped
as his hot tongue delved into her. He groaned as he explored her further. After
a few moments he ripped at the vines that held her, freeing her. He pulled her
down to the ground and pushed her back on the grass before burying his face in
her pussy again.
She wanted
him to touch her everywhere, but he only held her hips still as he licked and
kissed her pussy. He took her clit between his teeth for a moment, and she
jerked at the sensation. A white-hot bolt of pleasure had shot through her.
She’d touched herself before, and Alala had given her a vibrator years ago, but
the pleasure she’d experienced then didn’t compare with this. The hum of the
little toy and her own fingers were nothing compared to the powerful and
passionate man eating her pussy.
She felt
her orgasm coming, and she wanted him to touch her more. All she could do was
moan as his tongue found her most sensitive areas.
His voice
echoed in her head again. Say my name.
“Hades,”
she said with a gasp.
He
intensified his efforts, swirling his tongue around her clit.
“Hades!”
Come,
my love.
“Oh Hades!”
Her orgasm hit suddenly. The force of it and the pleasure took her breath away.
She arched off the ground, and he held her down. He continued his attentions,
and it drove her wild. His tongue stroked her in a smooth and steady rhythm as
the energy of her release moved all over her body. Her breasts felt heavy, and
her heart raced. She ran her fingers over her tingling nipples. She heard him
groan and looked down to see him watching her. He pulled away from her core,
and then kissed her one final time. She was still trembling as he moved up her
body. She knew she’d never touch her vibrator again, not now that she knew all
that an orgasm could be. It was like comparing a strong wind to a hurricane.
He hovered
over her. “You’re so beautiful. So many nights when we talked, I imagined doing
that to you.”
“You did?”
She knew her voice sounded shaky.
He smiled
and leaned closer. “Would you like to taste how sweet you are?”
She felt
her pussy tighten at the suggestion, and she nodded. He brought his lips to
hers, and she kissed him and tasted the tangy sweetness of her arousal. She
licked his top lip, and then his lower lip before deepening the kiss.
He groaned
and pushed his body down on top of hers. She ran her hands through his hair as
they kissed, but he soon pulled away and sat down beside her. “Your kiss and
sweet taste are overwhelming me.”
“Really?”
she whispered.
He nodded.
“This was not my plan. I lose my head completely when I’m near you.”
She sat up
and turned to him. “I’m glad you did.” She lowered her voice. “That was
amazing.”
He looked
into her eyes, and yet again it stole her breath. Why would such an amazing man
even look at her twice? She knew she was beautiful, but he was Zeus’ brother.
Another goddess would make a more fitting queen.
His eyes
darkened. “I can feel what you’re thinking. Stop it. In this, I will demand
obedience.”
The
firmness of his words sent a shiver through her. It startled and aroused her.
“I’m sorry.”
He held up
his hand to silence her. “I will have you as my queen. And when that day
comes,” he said as he grasped her chin and brought her face close, “you will
know how worthy you are to be so.”
