“Do you think that’s fair?” Zerina lazily swam across the cool water, putting even more distance between herself and Hades’ tempting body.

He had appeared when she had begun her swim, unselfconsciously showing his nudity.

“I didn’t want to get my suit wet.”

Zerina snorted in frustration. That he was beautiful standing on the rock with the sunlight gleaming down on him was an understatement. The light caught his bronze skin, showing every plane and angle of muscles under his skin.

His semi-hard cock had her swallowing hard, remembering when he had thrust himself inside of her. The memory of what had happened with Ixcuina had begun to fade in the last couple of moons she had spent with him. Their friendship had grown until she now spent most of the afternoons and evenings with him. Sometimes he would sit quietly, reading beside her, her legs propped on his as they spent the time silently.

He dived cleanly into the water, coming up within several inches of the waterfall and shaking his wet hair back. She watched as he swam to the waterfall, hoisting himself onto the ledge to stand underneath it.

Mesmerized, she watched him take the full beating of the water’s force from the cliff overhead. He stood, lost in thought, as if he had forgotten she was there.

A fierce tide of longing struck her as he lowered his guard in his thoughts, giving a clearer image of the man whom the rushing water couldn’t hide. He was giving her an insight into the stark loneliness he lived with every second of his day.

She had gotten to know the true Hades. Some parts she was sure were inspired to take their relationship to the next level. Other times, she was just as sure were the moments he didn’t mean for her to see.

He jealously guarded his emotions while he continuously searched for hers. She was used to him reading her mind, just as she had grown used to the knowledge of the concubines being in the rooms next to hers. She never asked if he was visiting them. Somehow, she knew he hadn’t. However, she had been fooled by him once before, so she never took it for granted that he didn’t. A woman could only stand so much hurt before she would block it all off. She had blocked it off once, too cowardly to want the truth if it meant losing the closeness that grew every day.

Even though she was there, just a few feet away, she could sense how isolated he felt. Her heart ached for him, surrounding himself with fake sunlight and beautiful women to ease the desolate monotony of his days and nights.

“Have you ever asked Mother to return home?”

“No.”

“Why? I know you miss it.”

“For two reasons. Who else could control those held here?”

Zerina couldn’t think of any god who would be able to bear being here for a single day, much less centuries. They would become just as dark as the souls they held.

“What is the other reason?”

“It has become home to me.”

“You hate it here.”

Hades moved to sit on the ledge, letting the water hit him on his back. He raised his hand to push his hair back sleekly. “Not anymore.” The seductive nuance of his voice had her nipples tightening below the water. “You make it bearable.”

She felt a lump in her throat. Swallowing it down, she swam nearer toward him.

Her throat bubbled with laughter. “You’re basically keeping me for company?”

His hooded eyes became slumberous with sexuality. “That’s not all.”

“At least you’re honest.”

His face turned serious. “I’m not. I lied about Zora.”

The fate of the woman churned her stomach. Deep down, she had known he had lied to spare her feelings.

“Did her punishment suit the crime she committed, or was it decreed because you were angry at me?”

“I have only let my anger affect one person’s fate.”

“Whose was that?”

“Teicu’s.”

“Did you give her the same punishment you gave Zora?”

“Yes. I threw them into the pit. No other men will fall under their spell again.”

“Then I understand.”

“You’re not angry?”

“No. Many times I have been forced to watch a soul I have given become dark, feeding off their own greed and pretending a passion they can never feel.”

“You’re wrong there. A dark soul can feel lust.”

“I wasn’t talking about lust. A dark soul may pretend a passion for another, but they are incapable of pretending to love someone.”

“You’re wrong. Some men and women are experts at it.”

“You’re still talking about lust,” she murmured, swimming forward to place her hand on his knees.

“I remember my mother coming home from court and describing who she had seen there. They became my bedtime stories. She told of how Zeus and Odin would compete to catch the goddesses’ attentions. She talked about you, too, but in a different way than she did the others.

“She said you were always joking around with your brothers and the other gods. She said you used to drive Chronos crazy by hiding his weapons, and Mother furious when you would sneak up behind her to scare her. My mother said you had more friends at court than anyone else, both men and women. Where is the man my mother admired and I grew up wanting to know?”

“He’s dead.”

She tightened her hand on his knee. “He’s not dead. You’re sitting here, right before me.”

“What you see is what is left.”

“I don’t believe that. I think those parts of you are still there. That’s why every game imaginable is in your game room. That’s why you have so many concubines to keep you company. You may not be in Mother’s court anymore, but you have your own servants seeking to please you in every way. They might not be cupids, gods, or goddesses, but the wraiths fill your home when you can easily have them removed from your sight.”

Hades reached down, lifting her by her upper arms. “What do you want from me?”

Her bottom lip trembled at his fury. “I don’t want anything. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I love you. I don’t care about your concubines. I don’t care that you don’t return my feelings. I don’t even care that there isn’t a part of your heart that can understand what I’m trying to show you.”

She gazed at him, surrendering her mind to him, letting him know that she accepted the parts of him that he believed were dead and the man he was now. Not only as a god that was his birthright, but the man he had become since becoming King of the Underworld.

Mother had gifted Zeus the beauty of the heavens, and Poseidon with the beauty of the cool blue oceans. Hades’ gift had been the Underworld, where darkness ruled. And miraculously, he hadn’t become the monster or the demon she had believed him to be. Instead, he was intrinsically kind, mischievous, and loyal, which were the same qualities he held the souls that entered his domain accountable for.

He tightened his hands on her arms. “I haven’t changed my mind. I’m not in love with you.”

“I know,” she admitted sadly, though it didn’t stop her from what she had been aching to do.

Branching her hands on his thighs, she leaned forward, pressing her mouth to his.

Zerina didn’t just kiss Hades; she gave him her heart.

When he parted his lips, the desire that was never far from the surface fused their mouths together in a passion that neither took or gave, both greedily taking what the other was willing to give.

Zerina tore her mouth away to take deep breaths. “You always taste of cinnamon and orange.”

Hades licked her bottom lip. “Come and get more.” He raised her until she was straddling his legs as he captured her lips, driving his tongue forcefully inside. Then he gripped her thighs, pulling her up until her pussy was over his cock.

She didn’t expect foreplay, nor did she want it. The last few weeks had strained her resistance until she had none left.

Her head fell back when she felt his thrust. There was no pain this time, just a fullness that hit a chord in her heart. Each movement he made was like a symphony, with her sighs of pleasure and Hades’ low groans.

He leaned back on his elbows, his eyes going to her pink-tipped nipples. The sheet of the water was between them as she rocked her hips up and down. All she could see was his silhouette.

Wanting his lips, she leaned forward, taking the force of the waterfall on her back.

“Do you know how much I want you?” He brought his hand to the nape of her neck, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as he thrust upward, driving higher inside her.

Zerina shuddered from the sensation of the frigid water and Hades’ body, a living flame underneath her fingertips. He had scorched her heart, branding it the first time they had sex. Now he was marking every line and crevice of her body to make sure she wouldn’t be able to deny him again.

“How can I blame your concubines for wanting you when just your cock inside has me wanting more?” Zerina raked her fingers through his wet hair, forcing his head back so she could lick the spray of the water that fell from his chin to his throat.

She moved her hips faster, feeling a million needles of sensations creating an inferno inside with each stroke.

She jutted her hips upward, then slammed down.

“Slow down; you’re going to hurt yourself.”

Zerina took his bottom lip between her sharp teeth. “Maybe I want you to hurt me.” She repeated the same move, nearly screaming when he responded by taking her hips and slamming her down harder.

“Like that?”

“Yes,” she moaned.

She didn’t need to read his mind to know that he considered this just another sexual encounter that he would forget about as soon it was over. He had said he didn’t love her, and the gleam of triumph and desire in his dark eyes proved it. She could see he was already planning the days and nights of her willing submission. That was where her power would lie. That was where Hades’ lust was clouding his judgement. Their desire for each other made them equal. Not god and captive, but man and woman, both striving for the same pleasure that she was determined would blow his detachment to smithereens.

She sweetly placed kisses along his jaw to prevent herself from speaking the words he didn’t want to hear, forgetting that he was able to read them in her mind. Her silent outpouring of love had her clenching her sheath around his cock, not wanting the brief interlude to end.

She tightened her hands in his hair. “I will never be your concubine,” she whispered against his jaw. “What I give to you, I’m giving to you because I want to. If you give me a necklace, I’ll throw it into the fire pit.” She meant her words as a warning, but they came out with lingering traces of hurt. “You think you can use me for your pleasure? Be careful, Hades, or you’re going to step into your own trap.”

“I’ll take my chances.” His hands on her hips became more forceful, grinding her down on his cock. The sensations inside of her intensified until she had to rise to look down at him. The sexual gleam in his eyes showed that his movements weren’t the cause.

“That’s not being fair.”

The charm he had shown over the last few weeks was gone. His sexual arrogance was now plain to see as the molten tide swept through her body, starting to become more than she could take.

He calculated every sway of her breasts to every rise of her hips to maximize the pleasure that was contingent to his whims and desires.

“Hades … it’s too much.”

“I’m only giving you what you wanted. A little pain will make your release so much sweeter.”

“I take it back …” she whimpered. So far, she had been able to retain a semblance of control, while trying to steal his. She should have known Hades wouldn’t accept anything but complete submission.

When the throes of her climax began spiraling and twisting inside her muscles, signaling its approach, she moved faster, trying to find the elusive note in their symphony that would send her over the precipice.

Her climax stuttered and stalled as Hades cupped her ass, his fingertips digging into her ass cheeks to slow her movements until she was slickly sliding up and down over his cock.

When she felt a wet caress on her nipples, she stared at his smug grin. He was using his abilities to manipulate her breasts with his mind.

Her moans reached a higher pitch, as she finally climaxed, thinking she had at last found relief. She was soon disillusioned when her orgasm didn’t taper off, but began building again with a greater ferocity.

Zerina closed her eyes, concentrating on trying to repress the sensations Hades was provoking. Shaking when the imaginary mouth bit down on her nipples, she couldn’t hold her screams of ecstasy back.

It was like being run over by a herd of wild horses, and you had to run your hands down your body to see if you were in one piece. But before you could thank Mother for surviving, the horses would turn around and run over you again.

It became a process she lived repeatedly as he devoured her breasts and fucked her senseless. Each climax was so hard she was afraid there would be nothing left for her when he was finished with her.

“I can’t take another one. Hades, stop.”

“You can make me stop at any time.”

Disoriented, she shook her wet head.

He dug his hands deeper into her flesh, causing another climax to crash over her.

“I can’t!”

“You can.”

The climax that was building anew frightened her. She was sure it would split her body apart.

“I haven’t killed anyone yet by fucking them,” he taunted.

His gloating over other women was what broke her restraint.

She started fighting him, trying to throw herself off him. The wrestling match had him rolling over so she was the one on the bottom, lying in the swallow water.

With his broad shoulders, he pinned her down as he thrust higher inside of her. Arching her back, she took his thrusts with a mind-bending pleasure that had her looking up at the starry ceiling. With each thrust he pounded into her, she imagined she was nearly touching the stars.

He covered her lips with his. “Come for me, Zerina.” His lust-filled voice had her going limp, letting go of the last of her restraint that kept her mind tethered to him, sending herself to a dark void where he was waiting, conceding victory to him. He had won their battle of wills, just as he had every game they had played.

Not only was he fucking her body, he was fucking her mind until no part of her could escape him. He was enforcing his ownership over her. She was a pawn to his desires, and as king, he took the spoils of their brief battle. Her mind and body were his to do with as he pleased.

She wanted to cry out in grief at the loss of her pride, but then she recognized the gentle movement of his body within hers. He wasn’t making love to her but, as victor, he could be generous.

The earthshaking orgasm he built inside of her had her afraid the cavern would crumble down onto them. It didn’t make it easier after giving so much of herself, but it did make her eager for their next battle, if that was the result.

When she tried to turn her eyes away from him, she realized there was a silky sheet under her cheek. She hadn’t even known that he had transported them to his bed.

Hades tried to pull her down to his chest, but she scooted off the bed, taking the top sheet to wind around her naked body.

“Where are you going?” his low voice called her back to his side.

“To my room.”

“I want you to spend the night.”

A thrill went up her spine.

Tucking the corner of the sheet between her breasts, she picked up the bottom of the sheet so she wouldn’t trip on it. “The best part of being your lover is, I don’t have to follow your orders. My wishes count, too.”

“Zerina …”

“Good night, Hades. Sweet dreams.”