Chapter 19

19

So this was...different.

Persephone sat at the table with Hades for breakfast later that week. Yes, at the table, not under or beside the table at Hades’s feet.

She shook her head and took another bite of her eggs.

Hades was reading the paper, apparently completely oblivious to her. He hadn’t said a word to her this morning, not even when he’d set her plate on the table opposite his instead of on the floor.

It was a first. The last few days, even after he’d put away the chain, the plate had still gone on the ground.

She hadn’t known how to feel about that. Was he rewarding her for her submission in the bedroom? Or had he just finally realized that, duh, there was no point in chaining her if she’d be scooped up if she tried to leave the penthouse anyway?

But that would’ve been true all along, so the chain had been more about humiliation and subjugation than actually keeping her trapped. So, did he consider her appropriately cowed after the police station and the…the crawling?

Her face heated even at the memory.

Or maybe this was the fucking point, to have her constantly questioning and second-guessing, and even third-guessing herself so she never knew which way was up. Because while every time he took her to bed, dominant and demanding, so often he took her to that place of ecstasy beyond thoughts, just feeling…in the morning she woke to find her brain firmly in command again.

And her brain didn’t know how to deal with what her body so welcomed. Hades. In control. His will ruling every single minute of her life.

She dropped her fork to her plate with a loud clatter and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

Hades finally dipped his paper to look at her, but only for the shortest moment.

“We are going out tonight. So shower and shave.”

What?

“What?”

He lowered the paper enough to look at her again, his expression unreadable. “If you don’t, I’ll do it for you.”

“Fine,” she snapped.

“A stylist will be here at four. Be ready by then.”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“She’ll bring the dress.”

“Where are we?—”

“Enough,” he cut her off impatiently.

She clenched her teeth mutinously. But if he was telling the truth… And he was actually going to take her out of the penthouse… Well, it wouldn’t kill her to play by his rules for another day.

She showered. She shaved. And at 4 o’clock, a knock sounded on the door. Hades opened it to a thin, fashionable man pulling a suitcase and a rack of what Persephone assumed were dresses in black hanging garment bags.

“Don’t speak to her,” Hades ordered abruptly. “I’ll choose the dress.”

Persephone glared at him, feeling her cheeks heat. Was this what it would be like all night? Him humiliating her in front of whoever it was they might see, wherever it was they were going?

She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. It didn’t matter. Her pride didn’t matter. She could behave. And she wouldn’t be stupid like last time.

She wouldn’t run down the street on her first opportunity out of the penthouse crying for help. No, she had to play this game smart. If Hades wanted her to be a puppet on a string, she had to pretend to dance.

But that didn’t mean that she couldn’t still use tonight to learn all she could and to seek allies and opportunity.

So later, she smiled sweetly at the stylist who nodded at Hades, obviously intimidated if not outright afraid, and gestured toward the master bathroom. “If you come this way, we can get started.”

Three hours later, she was made up, her hair teased and curled and sprayed into a sleek updo with curls cascading over one shoulder.

Hades had chosen a red dress, far more daring than anything she would have ever chosen for herself. The front was modest, but it draped daringly over her shoulder, exposing her back so that the stylist had to use tape to make sure none of her derrière would be exposed.

She stared at herself in the full-length mirror, even more bewildered feeling than when she’d looked at herself on her wedding day.

She looked sophisticated and worldly. Far more than she felt. She was a farm girl from Kansas.

She shook her head. No, that wasn’t true. Not anymore. She wasn’t the wide-eyed girl who’d first ridden the bus into the city three months ago. Not after Hades.

Still, she wasn’t… She turned and looked at the daring dip of the back of the dress in the mirror, and saw Hades coming up behind her.

Her breath caught at the sight of him.

Hades in a tux was… Terrifying. Formidable. Drop dead gorgeous.

He came right up behind her. She gasped when his hands came swiftly to her neck and watched with bated breath in the mirror as he used the small, oddly shaped key to unlock the collar around her neck.

She could only guess at what the stylist had thought of it. The clunky stainless steel had obviously not gone with the elegant look, but per Hades’s instructions, the stylist hadn’t said a word.

Hades tossed the collar to the bed behind him and produced a large, square velvet box from his suit coat jacket. He sat it on the dresser beside the mirror and opened it, still silent.

What was he?—?

“Are those dia?—”

“Yes.”

Persephone’s eyes went wide as he lifted the delicate diamond studded choker to her neck. Chill bumps raced down her body as he lifted her hair. His fingertips graced her skin as he fastened it at the back of her neck.

The one-inch thick interlaced diamond necklace sparkled, even in the dim light of the room. It was made of what looked like hundreds of smaller diamonds along with larger diamonds studded in a central pattern.

It must have cost a fortune.

Persephone couldn’t help her hand lifting to touch the spectacular piece of jewelry, but she stopped herself at the last second from actually making contact, dropping her hand again. She swallowed hard and the diamonds glittered with the movement.

“Why?”

“So everyone will know you are mine.”

Persephone nodded. Finally an answer that made sense.

“What if I lose it somehow? Or the clasp breaks and I don’t notice it fall off, or?—”

“It won’t fall off. Now, I trust you won’t manage to lose this again, either.”

He pulled out another box, this one smaller and familiar, and opened it.

It was her engagement ring and her wedding ring that she’d thrown across the room that first night. Had it only been two weeks ago? It felt like a century.

Her eyes flew to Hades’s in the mirror but his face was stone. Impassive.

She took the rings out of the box and slid them on the fourth finger of her left hand.

After she had, Hades put his large, cool hands on her bare shoulders, eyes meeting hers in the mirror.

“You will not embarrass me tonight. You will act like a proper wife.”

“Because gods forbid anything sully your sterling reputation?” The barb was out of her mouth before she could help it.

Hades was not amused.

He slid his hand from her bare shoulder over to her throat and for the first time all day, she saw a fire stoked in his eyes.

He put no pressure on her throat around the choker, but kept his hand there.

And in demonstration of how much Persephone was not the simple farm girl from Kansas anymore, the sight in the mirror and the feel of his commanding hand there had her tingling in all sorts of ways, none of which were fearful.

She might not be an innocent anymore, but she was assuredly just as foolish. Because her heart squeezed at his touch, too.

She turned away from the mirror and strode for the door. “I assume our chariot awaits.”

So yes, the stylist and the dress and the necklace should have tipped her off. But Persephone still wasn’t prepared when Charon let them off in front of a red carpet. It was a gala with an Actual. Red. Carpet.

It was a charity gala, Persephone would learn over the course of the next hour as Hades took her arm and she was blinded by camera flashes as they walked the aforementioned red carpet into the Elysium hotel ballroom, the only hotel in New Olympus fancier than the Crown.

Persephone tried to keep her eyes from bugging out of her head when she saw famous actors, actresses, musicians, and politicians mingling all around them.

Hades strode through the crowd without batting an eye and Persephone did her best to keep up with him. He’d stop occasionally and make small talk. And he was charming. Charismatic even. He introduced her around, his hand always at the small of her back.

Persephone had officially entered the twilight zone. Hades was smiling. It was obviously a show he could put on at will, but still, she’d forgotten what his full smile looked like. The dimple. She’d forgotten about the devastating dimple.

Was this what he had been like when they were ‘dating’? But no, after twenty minutes of watching him, she realized it wasn’t. She didn’t know if she felt better or worse that he hadn’t taken the energy to be this full, false self to draw her in, or if it meant she’d been able to see slightly more of the real him from the beginning.

Or maybe she still had no idea who the hell the real him truly was.

After he’d met whatever quota of social engagement he felt was appropriate, he led her to view the auction items that had been donated for the charity gala. All sorts of things were up for bid: Paintings. Box seats for popular sports teams. Dinner with the mayor. A helicopter tour of the city. Theater tickets.

The theater tickets were the only thing to tempt Persephone. She promised herself as soon as she had any disposable income, she’d go see a show.

“Anything catching your eye?” Hades asked. “Maybe a handbag or two?”

She rolled her eyes and set the flyer down about the hottest show on Theater Row. “Nobody’s around now. You don’t have to keep up the act.”

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” The question was quiet and slightly incredulous.

Persephone gulped as she looked up at him and her tongue snuck out to lick her lips. That zinging sensation was back in her belly at the intensity she saw on his face. Stupid girl. Stupid girl.

A gong sounded and everyone around them started to move out of the auction area, but Hades kept staring at her.

Persephone’s hand went to the necklace around her throat, stroking the glittering gems. She pointed her chin at the retreating crowd. “I think that means dinner is about to begin.”

Hades stood unmoving for another long moment before giving a sharp nod, taking her arm, and walking so stridently to join the flow of people that she had to lift her skirts in order not to trip as she followed him.

They were seated at a large round table with ten other people. Hades glanced at their seating cards and at those beside them. His face went dark, and he promptly switched them with two from another table.

Persephone wasn’t sure he was allowed to do that, but who was going to stop Hades Ubeli?

Persephone sat down and smiled awkwardly at those already seated at the table but Hades didn’t sit beside her.

“I’ll be right back,” he murmured before stalking off to the side of the room to talk to someone. Persephone watched him go and get into a discussion with a man. That man called over another man. Hades pulled out his phone and quickly texted someone.

Why was she staring at Hades? She had her own agenda.

She looked around the table and smiled at the two other couples seated there. “Hi, I’m Persephone. It’s so nice to meet you.”

The two women at the table exchanged a glance before looking back to her. “You’re married to Hades Ubeli?” asked the one a couple of seats away from her, a pretty redhead whose male companion had to be at least forty years older than her.

Persephone tried to keep her smile genuine. “Yes, two weeks now. Still in the honeymoon stage.”

“How nice,” said the redhead in a tone so patronizing, Persephone gritted her teeth.

She glanced back at Hades and saw that he was now talking with three people. Two men and a woman, a blonde who had her hand possessively on his arm, her body angled into his in a way that brought Persephone’s breath up short.

It was an intimate touch. An invasion of space unless… Unless you knew the person very well. Intimately so.

“Persephone, darling!”

Persephone swung her head around in time to see Hermes heading her way. He leaned down and gave her two kisses, one on either side of her cheek. He stepped back, beaming at her.

“Look at you. Absolutely stunning, my love. I must talk Hades into letting you model the dress I’m working on. No one else could do justice to the signature piece. I designed it with you in mind.”

Persephone flushed as Hermes plucked the two seating arrangement cards beside her, handed them to an assistant who was trailing him and sat down beside Persephone.

“So what do you think of your first gala?” he asked, raising his arms flamboyantly. “Does it live up to expectations?”

“I didn’t really have time to make any expectations,” Persephone said, “I didn’t know we were coming here until we arrived.”

“That beast,” Hermes said. “You look stunning.”

Persephone glanced over at Hades again. The woman was still there and she’d moved closer, if such a thing was even possible.

“Ugh, that woman is a witch.”

Persephone jerked her head back at Hermes who’d obviously noticed her looking at Hades.

“You know her?”

“Unfortunately.”

When Persephone stayed silent, Hermes obviously took pity on her.

“She’s an executive at one of the big telecom companies in New Olympus.”

“They dated?”

Hermes lifted a hand and waved it in a so-so gesture. “I’m not sure I would call it that.”

“For how long?”

“Off and on for maybe a year or two.”

“Then what happened?”

“The rumor mills said she wanted more. Apparently he didn’t.” Hermes raised his eyebrows significantly.

“How long ago was it?”

“I guess they broke things off maybe two months before you got to the city.”

Persephone reached for her glass of water. After a long swallow, she thumped her glass down,almost sloshing water onto the tablecloth.

“She’s old news, honey. He’s only got eyes for you. I’ve seen the way that man looks at you.”

Persephone barely stopped herself from scoffing. If Hermes only knew.

And what the hell was she doing wasting energy thinking about this anyway? Persephone turned to Hermes, angling her back away from Hades. Tonight was about developing relationships. And yes, Hermes was Hades’s friend… Or maybe they had some business together? Persephone didn’t know what a crime lord and a fashion designer might have in common but still, Hermes was a start. The more information she had, the better.

“So, tell me how you’ve been. How is the line doing? And the spas? You’ve opened a chain of upmarket spas, right?”

“Ugh, they’ve been running me ragged. I thought being an entrepreneur and being my own boss meant I got to set my own hours and sleep in. Ha! I work from dawn till dusk and still never get to half the things on my to do list.” He leaned in. “Probably doesn’t help that I party from dusk till dawn.” He winked.

Persephone barked out a laugh, startling herself. How long had it been since she’d genuinely laughed? It felt good. It felt really good.

Persephone reached out and gave Hermes’s forearm a squeeze, letting go almost as quickly as she touched him. But her smile was genuine when she said, “It’s good to see you, Hermes. Really good to see you.”

“Hermes,” Hades’s deep voice came from behind Persephone. She jumped in her chair and craned her neck to look up at him. He set a hand possessively on her shoulder before sitting down beside her.

“How’s business?” Hades asked and Hermes transferred his attention to him.

Persephone watched Hades. Had he seen her touch Hermes? Was he mad at her about it?

But Hades seemed at ease. More at ease than he’d been all night, relaxed back in his seat and sipping from a glass of bourbon he’d picked up from somewhere as he and Hermes chatted about the newest spa Hermes had opened. Unlike with other people Hades had chatted with tonight, he and Hermes seemed genuinely friendly.

Waitstaff came around and collected cards asking which entrée they’d like, and Persephone excused herself to the restroom.

Hades stood up at the same time she did and his eyes skewered her. She heard his unasked question.

She leaned up on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. “Let me guess, you have thugs guarding the ballroom and I’ll be snatched up and taken back to the penthouse if I take a step out of line?”

Hades wound a hand around her waist and pulled her up tight against him. His breath was hot on her ear as he answered, “Something like that. I expect you back within ten minutes. If you don’t, I will come looking for you. Or one of my…thugs will.” When he pulled back, the corner of his mouth twitched.

He gave her waist one last squeeze and let her go. But Persephone could still feel his touch long after she’d walked away from the table toward the restroom.

She went to the bathroom, relaxing only when she closed the door to the stall. What was she doing? Had she actually felt jealous of that woman out there? When what she was meant to be doing here was trying to find a way to escape?

She dropped her face into her hands but lifted it again quickly. She couldn’t afford to muss her makeup. She rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of her situation.

Talk about a gilded cage.

But sitting on the toilet wasn’t going to get her anywhere. So she flushed and opened the stall, heading for the sink. She was so in her own head, she didn’t even really notice the woman who’d opened the door as she began to wash her hands.

“So, you and Hades Ubeli.”

Persephone looked up and her eyes widened at seeing the elegant blonde had stepped in the door. The same woman Hades had been talking to earlier.

“I have to say, bravo. I thought that man would be a bachelor for life. He always did like his fuck toys young, but I never imagined he’d go and marry one.”

The woman advanced and stood at the mirror beside Persephone. She settled her clutch on the bathroom counter and pulled out a tube of lipstick. Her dress was black, the lipstick fire engine red. She looked to be in her mid-30s. She was stunning, refined, sophisticated. The kind of sophistication that came from experience and not a fancy dress.

Persephone couldn’t help staring at her as she began touching up her lipstick that already looked perfect.

The woman’s eyes slid back to Persephone. “Well, aren’t you a quiet little mouse.” She put the top back on the tube of lipstick and closed her clutch with a snap.

Persephone still didn’t say anything. It wasn’t like she could defend her relationship with Hades or would even want to. He didn’t mean anything to her. She hated him.

“Really? Nothing to say? You know he and I have been lovers for years? I was supposed to be seated beside you but you saw how upset he became. It’s still so raw between us. We fight like cats and dogs and then we make up passionately, that’s how it’s always been. But trust me, he always comes back to me.”

The woman looked Persephone up and down, eyes narrowing, obviously waiting for a response to her cattiness.

And it wasn’t that her words didn’t make Persephone feel small and little. They did. This was not her world. She didn’t know the rules to the games these people played, Hades least of all.

And suddenly she had the strongest longing to be back at the farm where everything was simple.

If only she could go back in time. Her mom wasn’t really that bad. And it was nothing Persephone couldn’t handle now. She wasn’t a child anymore. She could stand up for herself now.

After a day like today… And everything with Hades…

If only she could go back to a life of rising when the sun came up, spending her days on the land, and sleeping after a hard day’s work.

Gods, she’d do anything to go back to that.

The woman looked like she was going to make another snide comment before dismissing Persephone completely, when Persephone reached out a hand. “Can I borrow your phone?”

“What?”

“Can I borrow your phone? I forgot mine at home and there’s someone I need to make a call to.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed in confusion but she opened her clutch and slid out her phone. “If you use it to text something to Hades pretending to be me, he’ll see right through it.”

Gods, the petty games these people played. “I’m not texting or calling Hades.” Persephone snatched the phone out of her hand and stared at her. “Do you mind waiting outside?”

The woman snorted an amused laugh and sashayed to the door. She looked over her shoulder once as she grabbed the door handle. “I’ll be waiting right outside when you’re finished.”

Persephone nodded distractedly, already dialing.

She glanced underneath the stalls, but the restroom was empty apart from her.

“Hello?”

Persephone closed her eyes and leaned back against the counter at hearing her mother’s voice.

“Mom.”

“Persephone!” A clatter sounded over the phone. “Persephone, where are you? Where is he keeping you? Are you okay? Tell me where you are and we’ll be right there. We’ll kill that son of a bitch.”

“No, mom,” Persephone frowned. “I’m fine. It’s okay. I thought maybe we could?—”

“Where are you? I swear that bastard will never hurt you again. We’ll make him pay. I’ll cut his heart out of his chest and we’ll go back home where no one can ever hurt you again?—”

“Mom!” Persephone spun around and slapped a hand on the counter. “Listen to me for a second. I’m fine.”

“Tell me where you are,” her mom all but shouted.

“Right now, at a gala at the Elysium hotel. And the rest of the time he’s keeping me at the Crown. Why didn’t you tell me about dad? And what he did?” She hadn’t meant to ask it, but it popped out.

“Because you were never supposed to be part of this world. It was always supposed to be you and me. Just you and me. And that’s how it will be again. We’ll kill that son of a bitch and?—”

“No,” Persephone said, irritated and angry. “I don’t want you or my uncles to hurt him.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized they were true.

“What?”

Persephone stared at the floor and lifted a hand to her forehead.

Gods, she was fucked up. Because it was true. She didn’t want Hades hurt. And what that woman had said earlier, it had bothered her. She had been jealous.

And as nice as farm life sounded…she couldn’t go back. It was too late for that. What she’d begun with Hades, whatever this was, she had to either see it through or get out of it on her own.

She looked at herself in the mirror. And now the woman reflected back didn’t look like as much of a stranger anymore. She looked pale but striking. The jewel tone red of the dress made her skin look luminous.

“He’s gotten into your head.” Her mom stated it icily.

Persephone couldn’t deny it. Why wouldn’t she want all the retribution her mother was promising otherwise?

“We haven’t been able to get into the city but we’re working on it, baby. We’re coming.” Her mother’s voice was so ice cold that it sent a chill down Persephone’s spine.

Persephone had heard it like that before, usually before a punishment, one of the bad ones.

“I have to go, Mom. I can figure this out on my own. I just wanted you to know I’m okay.”

Persephone hung up the phone before her mom could say anything else. And she strode to the door, opened it and all but slammed the phone down into the beautiful blonde’s hand.

It had been stupid to take it and stupider to call her mother. Even hearing her voice brought it all back.

The slaps if she burned the bacon at breakfast. Being shoved to the ground and locked out of the house if her mind wandered off and she was late returning from the fields. Denying her meals if Demeter thought she was getting too thick around the middle. The daily barrage of demeaning words and name-calling.

Yes, Hades had put a collar on her. But he’d never once hit her. He didn’t call her names and if he continued allowing her freedoms like this, getting out of the penthouse, maybe even going back to volunteer at the shelter?—

So because he’s the lesser of two evils, suddenly he’s your knight in shining armor?

“You know,” the woman whose name Persephone still hadn’t learned, lifted an eyebrow at her coyly. “Hades can be adventuresome in the bedroom. The next time he and I get together, it could be fun to have you as the third in our ménage à trois.”

Persephone glared at her. “You can go fuck yourself.”

She strode back toward the table where Hades was sitting. Hades stood like he meant to pull her chair out for her but she jerked it out roughly before he could and sat down hard, keeping her eyes firmly forward at the auctioneer and not looking his way.

Champagne had been served around the table and Persephone grabbed her glass and tipped it backward. It was bubbly and cool and in spite of the bite, she drank it all the way down. She reached for the untouched glass in front of Hades but he swiftly put his hand out and stopped her.

She glared his way. His eyes darkened and locked with hers in response. He did not look happy.

Well, fuck him too. She gave him a saccharine sweet smile. “Oh darling, I’m so thirsty,” she said loud enough for everyone else at the table to hear.

“Have my water, sweetheart,” he replied, handing her his water goblet.

She narrowed her eyes at him but accepted the water. She’d get her hands on more champagne later. If there was ever a night to get drunk, this was it. She didn’t care that she was only nineteen.

Suddenly, Hades lifted an auction paddle she hadn’t even realized he had in his lap and called out, “$50,000.”

There were gasps from all around them and Persephone sat up straighter, suddenly looking back and forth from the auctioneer at the front of the room to Hades.

“Well folks, that’s one expensive set of theater tickets. Do I have any other bids? Didn’t think so. Sold, to number forty-six.”

Persephone’s mouth dropped open. Did he just—? Her head swiveled back to Hades.

“What did you do?”

He gave her his characteristic mouth twitch. “Donated to charity.”

She stared at him as the auctioneer went on to rattle off the next item.

She was left to stew in her own head about the evening, her mother, the woman in the black dress, and most of all, Hades. She came to few conclusions about any of it other than the fact that she was very confused and probably couldn’t trust her own judgment.

The auction finally finished and dinner was served. Hermes chattered in her ear about city gossip and others around the table made polite conversation. When the subject of Hades’s donation came up, a reckless hair struck Persephone.

“I’m not surprised,” Persephone said, smiling at Hades. “Hades supports all sorts of charities. It’s one of the reasons we fell in love. He loves the fact that I spend so much time at a dog rescue shelter down on 35th and Thebes.” She turned her smile toward Hades. “Isn’t that right, honey?”

His eyes narrowed but he nodded. “Yes, I’ve always admired your generous spirit.”

“Oh really?” said a man from across the table, leaning in in obvious interest. “I don’t know if I said, but I work for the New Olympian Post. Everyone is always curious about the elusive Mr. and now Mrs. Ubeli. I’d love to get a story on the charity.”

“No,” Hades said at the same time Persephone clapped in apparent delight and said, “Yes! That’d be wonderful.”

Hades’s head swung her way and she continued smiling at him. “Oh, come on, darling. You’re such a respected businessman about town.” She lifted a hand to straighten his tie even though it was already perfectly straight. “It’s natural that there’s curiosity about you.”

Persephone looked back to the reporter. “Come by this Tuesday. I’ll be volunteering then.”

Underneath the table, Hades’s hand clapped on Persephone’s thigh. She turned back to him and gave him a glittering smile. “Hecate will be so delighted to share the shelter’s story.”

Hades smiled coolly, his eyes hard, before changing the topic. His hand, however, was still very much engaged, as it slid under the slit in the side of her gown up her inner thigh.

Persephone had to hide her gasp by taking a quick sip of water.

Hades’s hand didn’t stop there, though. With one hand he ate his smoked salmon and with the other, he continued his path up her thigh until he was nudging her panties aside and then, oh?—

Persephone’s fingers went white knuckled around her fork as he thrust a finger inside her. Right there at the dinner table. In a room with hundreds of people. While she was wearing a designer gown and Hades chatted with another man about the current state of the stock market.

How dare he?—

Oh. Oh?—

The pleasure quickened her stomach, sharp and surprising. She sank back in her chair and opened her legs as wide as the dress would allow.

No. What the hell was she doing? She couldn’t?—

Oh! Two of his long, thick fingers explored her now, in and out, stroking through her folds and up to her clit before pushing inexorably inside her again.

It was wrong. So, so wrong for her to be enjoying this.

Her chest rose and fell sharply as pleasure radiated throughout her body, warm lapping waves. She clutched her water glass and bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying out. Oh gods. Oh yes. Oh yes. Right there. Just like that.

It was coming— Oh! She wanted to throw her head back and close her eyes. But none of them could know what he was doing to her. She didn’t even want to admit what he was doing to her. His fingers worked her even more furiously.

The climax hit soft at first but it spread, wave after wave, radiating out from her center. A lightness so pure and freeing she wanted to hold onto it forever. The things Hades made her feel, oh gods. The things he made her feel?—

He kept stroking her through it, more languidly now as she rode the crest, riding it and riding it and riding it?—

He clutched her entire pussy in his large hand and massaged it as the waves subsided. A tremor rocked her body that she couldn’t help and her eyes flew open. Shit, she hadn’t even realized they dropped closed but the pleasure had been all-consuming.

His hand retreated. She almost gasped at the loss.

Hades pushed his chair back from the table. “If you’ll excuse us,” he said crisply. He held out a hand to Persephone. “Darling?”

It was not a request; Persephone could tell by the fire burning in his eyes. Her hand trembling, she lifted it and took his. He pulled her up from the table, his fingers interlocking with hers. Persephone briefly shot a wobbly smile in the direction of everyone at the table. Hermes looked back knowingly. Oh God, had everyone at the table realized what was happening?

Hades didn’t say anything as he pulled her through the crowded tables and Persephone didn’t dare either.

Out of the ballroom, they went. All the way to the coat check.

“Your ticket number, sir?” asked the attendant.

“Do you know who I am?” Hades asked.

The attendant’s eyes widened and he swallowed. “Yes sir, Mr. Ubeli, sir.”

“Give us the room,” Hades demanded. “Twenty minutes.”

The attendant pushed open the half door he stood behind and scurried out without another question.

Persephone shook her head at Hades’s heavy handedness but the next second, he was dragging her into the room and closing both the bottom and top half of the door as well as locking it.

Then he pushed her up against the rack of coats.

“I don’t appreciate being contradicted in public,” he growled, his eyes dark. “By anyone, but especially not by my wife.”

His wife? Persephone couldn’t help scoffing. “Let’s not pretend I’m anything more than a convenient...what did that despicable woman call me? A fuck toy? And every time you fuck me, you’re getting revenge on my father, so I guess I’m a two-for-one special.”

If it was possible, Hades’s gaze got even darker. His voice was dangerous when he said, “What woman?”

“I didn’t catch her name and she wasn’t wearing a collar, but apparently you like to have threesomes with her, so I hope you at least know her name.”

“Lucinda.”

Stupidly, hearing her name on his lips hurt. Because Persephone was a stupid, stupid girl.

But apparently Hades was moving on without any more comment on his former or perhaps still current fuck toy. “If you think telling that reporter that I’m keeping you against your will will help you?—”

Persephone laughed bitterly. “If you have the New Olympian Police Department under your thumb, I’m pretty sure you’d handle the third most popular newspaper in the city without much effort.” She leveled her gaze with his, which unfortunately meant she was still looking up to him, a disadvantage not even her three-inch heels could help.

“I want to see my friend, Hecate. She’s got to be worried about me since I haven’t even spoken to her since the wedding.”

Even talking about the wedding hurt, remembering how hopeful and excited she’d been on that day.

Persephone lifted her chin defiantly. “Besides, surely a mobster like you will take any good press he can get because that’s how it works, right? The hypocrisy of this city? Everyone knows what’s actually going on but you all come to parties like this and rub elbows and smile at each other and pretend you care about charities when it’s all a smokescreen for the terrible reality?”

“Careful,” Hades barked and his hand came to her throat.

Persephone kept glaring at him. “Lock me back up. Starve me. Hit me if you want to. It’s nothing I haven’t had before. I told you, I survived before and I’ll survive you.”

Something flickered in his eyes but before she could try to figure out what, Hades grabbed her by her waist and twirled her so she was facing away from him. He dragged up the skirt of her dress and the next second, had her panties down.

There was the noise of a zipper and he pulled her back against himself. She felt the heat of his long shaft against her buttocks and her sex clenched in anticipation.

Such a stupid girl.

He bent his head over her shoulder so that his five o’clock shadow bristled against her ear.

“You will never disrespect me in public like that again. You’ll do as I say. When I say.”

He thrust inside her drenched sex. Her eyes all but rolled back in her head at the fullness of him. His fingers had felt good but this, oh gods, this?—

“Sorry if I’m not your usual mindless bimbo fuck.”

His arm circled around her chest and curved up until his hand was at her throat again. “Language,” he growled.

And as if for good measure, he gave her ass a sound smack.

Persephone let out a hiss of outrage even as her sex clenched around him. His other arm that was a bar around her waist dropped until his fingers were strumming her clit and immediately the pleasure started to rise again. It was always like this, she’d noticed. After having one orgasm, the second was easier and quicker to rise, as well as often being harder and more fulfilling.

“This doesn’t change anything,” she panted even as her hips bucked back against him in pleasure. Oh gods. “I still,” gasp, “hate,” gasp, “you.”

“It’s time to shut that pretty mouth of yours,” he barked.

When he’d taken her virginity, he’d been gentle and patient.

It appeared that patience was at an end. He clutched her to him with both arms and he thrust deep and wild and violently.

Persephone stopped thinking. She only felt with all her senses.

The wet sound and feel of his thick cock sawing in and out of her. The harsh noise of his breath in her ear. The smell of his sweat mixed with cologne. Looking down and seeing his strong, manly hands clutching and working her.

He was usually so in control. So studied and cold. But his thrusts were wild and his noises animal as he took her. He couldn’t hold himself back any more than she could. This thing was bigger than the both of them.

Persephone couldn’t help the cry of pleasure that escaped her mouth when the climax hit this time and Hades’s hand moved from her throat to her mouth to muffle her noises. Somehow that made it even sexier, him fucking her so hard in this coat closet, hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. She clenched on him as the spasms rolled through her, involuntarily at first and then voluntarily as he swore in her ear and pumped even harder still.

He crushed his face into the hollow of her neck and thrust the deepest he ever had yet as she felt him, the heat of him as he spilled inside her and she felt a high beyond that of climax, of womanly triumph.

He pulled out and thrust in again, and again and he stilled, like he was unwilling to let go of the moment. He stayed there a long time, his breathing ragged and Persephone clutched around him with every ounce of strength she had.

She didn’t let the thoughts back in yet. Not yet. Not yet.

There was only Hades and her in this moment, so perfectly connected.

She didn’t know how long they stayed like that. A full minute? Two?

Before he finally pulled out and she felt his seed begin to slide out and down her inner thighs. Her sex clenched again, involuntarily, as if to keep him inside her.

She was glad she was faced away from him because she didn’t know what he would have seen on her face in that moment.

She was only sure of one thing as she stared forward at the rack of coats, exhilarated and horrified by all that had just happened.

That had so not been part of the plan.