“Quit fighting,” Jinx scolded her, pulling her hair back tightly to wind in a tight coil that would rest at the nape of her neck.

Zerina picked up one of the increasing number of combs that she would find on her dressing table to pin her hair back with. She saw Jinx admire the sapphire one before putting it in her hair. Her silence was beginning to worry her. It was unusual for the fairy not to be chatting away.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Jinx shrugged.

She knew something was bothering her. She hadn’t said a word since Hades transported them back to her room for them to get ready for dinner.

“Are you angry that we got your hair wet?”

“No.” Zerina could see her troubled expression. “Just don’t do it again.”

The fairy had dressed herself in a black gown. She normally dressed in bright colors, but tonight everything was muted.

Zerina’s worry deepened. Could her being away from the land where fairies dwelled be taking a toll on her?

Zerina stood up, adjusting her gown until it spread out behind her. Taking the fairy in her arms, she then gave her a tight squeeze. “I feel terrible that you’re missing home and that you’re stuck here because of me. After dinner, I’m going to ask Hades to let you go home.” Releasing her, Zerina gave her an encouraging smile.

“You think because Hades kissed you that he’ll do what you want now?”

Hurt at her sarcasm, she stared at Jinx, not knowing what to say.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take my frustration out on you.” The fairy’s troubled expression soothed her hurt feelings.

As Jinx began pacing back and forth across the floor, Zerina watched her. The fairy was floating more than she walked.

“I know it’s frustrating for you not to be able to leave.”

“It’s frustrating for you, too, right?”

She lowered her lashes. “It’s not so bad,” Zerina admitted.

Jinx’s pacing grew faster. “You’re falling in love with Hades, aren’t you?”

Butterflies attacked her stomach at Jinx using ‘love’ and ‘Hades’ in the same sentence.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but I enjoy spending time with him. Since I’ve gotten to know him better—”

“You don’t know Hades at all.”

“Okay, I may not know him well, but he isn’t at all like I imagined him.”

“Hades is only showing you the parts he wants you to see,” she cautioned, stopping her pacing. “Zerina”—Jinx took her hand—“you may not consider me a friend—”

“Of course, I consider you a friend. I have come to love you as another sister since we’ve spent so much time together.”

The confession didn’t make Jinx seem any happier.

“Jinx, if there is something you want to tell me, do so.” Concern grew within her. That Jinx was hesitating to speak about what was bothering her had dread filling her.

Jinx dropped her feet back to the floor. “We don’t have time. Hades is waiting to have dinner with us. We can talk afterward.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

The women walked down to the dining room together.

Jinx was right; Hades was waiting for them, already sitting at the head of the table. Zerina sat down next to him as Jinx sat on his side across from her.

Hades watched them intently as the wraith filled their wine glasses. The soul silently moved around the room.

“Jinx is still recovering from getting her hair wet.” Zerina broke the silence, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Hades accepted her explanation as their food was served. Then Zerina teased Hades about being dunked by Jinx.

As they ate and talked, Jinx listened, but didn’t participate. When she didn’t raise her eyes to look at Hades, Zerina’s worry increased. What was the fairy hiding?

Zerina didn’t want to eat dessert. What she wanted was to go back to her room and talk to Jinx.

When they rose once they finished, Hades asked if she wanted to play a game of chess before going to bed.

“No, thank you. I thought I’d have an early night.”

Hades caught her hand before she could move away with Jinx.

“Just a quick one. I’ll take it easy on you,” he coaxed.

Torn between the desire to stay with Hades and sensing Jinx wanting her to go with her, Hades made her mind up for her, tugging her along the hallway to the game room.

“I’ll be up in a few …” Zerina wasn’t able to finish her sentence before he had shut them in the game room.

“Is there something going on between you two that I don’t know about?” she asked him suspiciously, trying to take her hand from his.

“No.” He looked startled. “Why would you think that?”

“Because Jinx is acting weird, and you couldn’t wait to get me alone.”

“Me wanting to get you alone has nothing to do with Jinx. I wanted to get you alone so I could kiss you again.”

She moved closer to him, winding her arms around his neck. “I thought you wanted to play chess.” She reached up, brushing teasing kisses along his firm jaw.

Once, she would have been too afraid of the sparks that filled her when she touched him. Now she craved that spark, becoming addicted to the power that emanated from within him. She was drawn to him like a magnet, and she no longer wanted to deny that attraction.

Rubbing her smooth cheek against his much rougher one, the charge that struck her core had her pulling away, embarrassed by her show of affection.

Hades had numerous liaisons over the centuries; he didn’t want affection from her. He wanted much more, and he didn’t try to hide the fact. It was her who was becoming too attached.

She took a seat next to the chessboard. “It’s your turn,” she told him, trying to deescalate the quivering bundle of nerves that had her wanting to beg him to make love to her.

“You know I don’t want to play … At least, not chess.”

Zerina forced her eyes to remain lowered, her fingers trembling as she made the first move.

He came up behind her, gently grabbing the nape of her neck. “I saw you when you were just a small child. Did you know that?”

Zerina eyes flew wide. “I don’t remember meeting you.”

“You wouldn’t. You didn’t see me. You were sitting in your mother’s library with your nose buried in a book that was almost as big as you. I was standing out on Fate’s balcony, waiting for her, when you found what I assumed was your favorite spot. You didn’t notice me. Plus, I looked different before Mother sent me to earth.”

“Why did you visit my mother?”

Hades started massaging her neck, making goose bumps break out on her flesh. “To tell her I was leaving and ask her to share my bed before I left.”

Zerina brought her hand to his, wanting to tear it away, but Hades just moved closer. She could feel the hard bulge of his cock between her shoulder blades as he continued stroking her neck.

“She was married to my father …”

“She was. I didn’t care that she was married. Your mother is a very beautiful woman, and I wasn’t the only god who lost his virginity thinking about Fate.”

Jealousy of her mother had her trying to jump out of her seat. However, he pushed her back down.

“Oh, you … you…”

“I gave myself many handjobs imagining myself fucking her. Fate was the original MILF.” He glided one of his hand to the front of her throat, pulling her back to him.

Zerina swallowed hard, feeling her pulse pounding under his hand.

“Of course, by the time I was old and brave enough to approach her, I was no longer a virgin. And by the time she walked out onto the balcony, I was no longer interested.”

Her jealousy vanished, her thighs squeezing together on her chair. “What changed your mind?”

“You did. Fate is a beautiful woman, but she couldn’t hold a candle to you. The sun was shining down on you, and you never moved away, even though you could have. You basked in that sunlight as you read your fairy tales.”

Hades dipped his hand into her cleavage, sliding under her gown to lift a naked breast out from its concealment. When he plucked her nipple, it tautened into a tight bud. He stood behind her, in control, while she was becoming mesmerized by the throbbing intensity in her pussy.

“I knew I would never see you again. Mother told me when she sent me away that I wouldn’t ever be able to come back. I couldn’t watch you grow up, see you become the beauty you had turned into, one that Venus or Aphrodite couldn’t overshadow. I couldn’t see which lovers you would chose, or who you had fallen in love with, ones I enviously imagined you with.”

“I’ve never had a lover.” She could hardly focus on his words. Her main focus was on not slipping from the chair and into a melted puddle.

Disoriented, she felt him lift her, and her head fell to his shoulder as he held her in his arms. When she felt the game room swirl around them, she knew Hades was transporting them.

He covered her mouth with his own before she could raise her head to see where they were. Then, when his tongue entered her mouth, she no longer cared, giving in to his skillful kiss. She stood no chance against Hades’ deliberate seduction.

The feel of a soft mattress beneath her, with his chest bearing down on her, surrounded her in a molten fire. She was afraid he had transported them to the fire pit instead of her bedroom.

She lifted her lashes to make sure, seeing an unfamiliar room.

“Where are we?” Stretching out under him, she tried to look around, but Hades turned her face back to his.

“My bedroom.”

She stared up at him dreamily, seeing his muscles gleam in the light from the fireplace in front of his bed. Enthralled by his masculine perfection, she couldn’t resist kissing the firm chin above her. His tortured look aroused her sultry instincts, her desire giving her the courage she would normally repress.

“I want to make love with you,” she confessed, seeing the pain-filled expression that mirrored her own need.

“I’ve wanted to fuck you since Grimm carried you into my office.”

That he used the word ‘fuck’ showed they weren’t playing the same game. Each of them had their own idea of what winning the game would result in.

She wanted Hades’ love. She wanted him to feel breathless anticipation while meeting her needs, not only physically but mentally. As they made love, she wanted him to open his heart to her. The only thing Hades wanted to open was her thighs.

She told herself to leave and not look back until he was willing to offer her more. She didn’t want to risk her heart to a god who didn’t have a heart anymore.

She raised her hand to his chest.

“I have a heart,” he said.

“Are you reading my mind?”

“No, I promised you I wouldn’t. I don’t need to read your mind; it’s in your eyes.”

Her blue, luminous eyes didn’t shy away.

Hades’ rigid body went stiffer as smoldering desire bound them together.

Zerina went pliant, surrendering to him. Just because he didn’t want an emotional attachment right this second, didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future.

She generously opened her heart as she rubbed one of her thighs against his.

“You want me?” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

“Isn’t it obvious?” She lifted her leg higher, wrapping it around him. That was when she realized he was naked, and her movement had placed his cock at her opening.

Hades waved his hand, making her gown disappear. Then he covered one of her pink nipples with his mouth, sucking it while she felt him adjust himself to enter her wet sheath.

The sensation of his mouth on her nipple spiraled her need out of control. Add in the heat of his spreading warmth as he entered her, it felt as if a branding iron had been taken to her, not in her core, but in her heart, leaving a brand so she would always know who she belonged to.

He might not love her, but every kiss, touch, and breath she took as he gently made small thrusts showed her she was his.

“Relax, Zerina. It will get easier.”

Zerina winced, tightening her legs around him. Between the burn of Hades pushing deeper inside of her and his teeth nipping her nipple, the fire was intensifying.

At first, her moans were those of desire, but the discomfort between her thighs had them turning to those of pain.

Hades released her nipple after giving it a final lick before going to the other one. The bedroom filled with the sounds of her gasps and Hades’ groans.

Pushing her breast up, he teased her nipple as he stopped moving over her. Then he waved his hand before settling his chest back on top of her.

“What did you do?”

“Making it easier for you.” With a long stroke, he buried himself in her body.

“I didn’t mind.” Her discomfort had disappeared. Inexperienced and uncoordinated, she was embarrassed that he had taken her virginity with a wave of his hand.

“You’re only going to find pleasure in my bed.” He drove his cock back and forth inside of her; each rocking motion had her rocking back against him.

“I was …” She could barely get words out from the tightness in her throat. She tried to reason with herself that she was being silly. She had told herself before that her virginity hadn’t meant anything to her, but apparently, it had.

She moaned, turning her mind away from her hurt feelings to the determined strokes that had her urgently responding, wanting more of him.

“You’re tight as a fist.” His groan pacified her hurt feelings.

Hades accelerated his thrusts, pounding into her as the pressure built inside of her. She didn’t want it to end, fighting off the release she had been striving for. However, a small sting on her clit had her convulsing over Hades’ cock as she reached a climax that had Hades straining as he found his own.

She pushed back a stray tendril from her face. “Next time we make love, I’m going to tie your hands.”

Zerina giggled when he buried his face in her neck.

“It won’t work. I can do the same thing with a simple thought.”

She brushed his damp hair back from his face, so she could appreciate his relaxed expression. His arrogance gone, he appeared younger and more carefree. “You mean …?”

“I can smack your clit with a single thought. It won’t be easy to distract me when I’m fucking you.”

The air grew cooler when Hades moved away after pressing a kiss to her forehead. Lying back on the bed, he lifted her until their positions were reversed and she was laying on his shoulder.

Zerina yawned sleepily, worn out from swimming most of the afternoon and then making love.

Her eyes were starting to close when she felt a cold object placed on her chest between her breasts. Raising her head, she stared at the necklace. The pink jewel matched the colors of her nipples.

Hades fastened the necklace behind her neck before covering them. “I thought it was a perfect match. I’m glad I was right.”

“Hades … it’s beautiful.” She didn’t know what to say. She curled her fingers over the stone, infusing its coldness with her warmth. She wished she could do the same to Hades.

Seeing he was going to sleep, she wearily closed her eyes, slipping into a wishful dream where Hades was chasing after her with one of her shoes gripped in his hand, unaware that, with a flick of Hades’ wrist, he could send her back to her own bed.