Lexi's Fate (Book 2 of A Goddess Unraveled)

~71~

Hades felt the ungentlemanly urge to spill his guts into the fireplace, but he had already made a mess of the hearth, and he managed to keep his stomach in check while Lexi appeared on the verge of tears. Certainly, she was battling the shame and sorrow of Poseidon's treachery. Hades wanted to promise her that everything would work out for the best, that she could tell the council to fuck-off and the two of them would find happiness trapped in the underworld as long as they were trapped together. But that was simply not a realistic approach, and she was clever enough to see it for herself.

"I know you do not need my blessing or my approval to do anything," he said, reaching for Lexi's hand to stop it from trembling. "Whatever choice you make, we will learn to live with it. However, I feel compelled to tell you that the thought of you enjoying the intimate company of another man causes me the kind of pain only found in the depths of Tartarus. Monogamy is not a subject that is broached often by the gods, but I have thought about it a great deal since meeting you. Of course, it would be a moot point if Persephone were still involved, but she is not. In fact, it may be some time before she visits again, perhaps next winter."

"Really? So, you officially broke up with her?"

"It was a mutual separation, and we are happy with the decision. It was a long time in the making, so please do not feel guilty. I can see it in your face. You want to blame yourself, but your arrival here has been a gift to both of us."

Lexi smiled but he could tell by her downturned eyes that his words had triggered something, some doubt that would not leave her. Although he dreaded hearing more unpleasant news, he had to know.

"Talk to me, Lexi. I want to hear everything that troubles you."

"I know I shouldn't be worried," she said, glancing up to look at him. "I have never felt anything but love and affection from you, but when I spoke with Demeter at the palace I got the impression she had been anxiously waiting for someone like me to come along and distract you from Persephone. That way, she could have Persephone in Olympus all year, you could have a year round lover, and everyone would be happy. It makes me feel less like a gift and more like a convenience."

At that moment, Hades felt very foolish. Of course, Lexi would question his motives. Their romance had just begun. Even mortals did not rush in so quickly. Well, some did, but it usually did not end well. He must sound terribly crass, asking her to accept his undying devotion when his relationship with Persephone had just ended.

"Oh, Lexi. It seems as though you have been put into my path to show me what a lout I am, and it was very presumptuous of me to assume you would take my word as truth and never question it. All I can do is tell you that I have fallen madly and hopelessly in love with you, and it is my most ardent wish that, in time, you will believe this to be true. You are not a convenience, my sweet, you are truly a gift."

Lexi brought his hand to her mouth, kissing each knuckle before turning it over and kissing his palm. When she noticed the unhealed wound, she spent a few moments bringing him relief from the sting, her tongue making circles over it then slipping between his fingers, igniting a flood of chills. These traveled up his arm and continued across his chest. Before he knew it, the sensation had roused his manhood, and like a lightning strike to the head, he realized they were alone with the whole night ahead of them.

A tapping came from the direction of the door, and Hades nearly growled an obscenity at whoever stood on the other side. He threw a glance at Lexi before looking at his lap, where his manhood stood at the ready, waiting for instructions. Lexi grinned as she abandoned her chair and answered the door. A few garbled words were exchanged and Lexi turned to speak to Hades.

"Are you hungry, my lord?"

"Very, so dinner will have to wait."

Lexi spoke softly to whichever nymph had been sent to disturb them, and when the door closed, Hades stood to meet Lexi in the center of the room. He commanded a song to serenade them, a trick he had perfected after years of practice, and he slipped his hand around her back, pulling her close. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes, you may, and every dance hereafter."

They swayed to the melody as Hades pressed his face to her temple. Her hair smelled vaguely of ambrosia, and he wondered how much she had imbibed during the orgy. Perhaps her inebriated state had contributed to her susceptibility to Poseidon's trickery. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he rested his lips on her forehead, savoring the moment while anticipating the moments yet to come. His erection stood firmly against her stomach, and she brought her hand down to touch him, provoking a groan that was waiting to be summoned.

"I want you, Hades," she whispered. "I want to be possessed by you, to be teased by you, to be tasted by you. I want to feel your fire."

Her seductive request made him weak, but he found the strength to sweep her into his arms and carry her to the bed, their bed. As she lay beneath him, he reveled in her beauty. Her hair tumbled over the velvet bedspread, making her look feral and untamed, her eyes searching, beckoning him under heavy lids. He straddled her legs, pulling her dress up to her belly to reveal the treasure that awaited him. He leaned over her mouth, kissing her as he dipped his hand between her thighs. Her wet heat coated his fingers, telling him how much she wanted him.

Although he could think of a thousand ways to pleasure her, her need burned him like a brushfire. He lowered himself to her center, his erection throbbing in his hand as it met her flesh. How long could he last under the strain of such hunger? With his first thrust, she moaned, grabbing him by his buttocks and driving him deeper until he felt her walls tighten around him. She was nearly gasping as he rode her, bone against bone, thumping and writhing like two beasts in the wild.

"Take me, Hades. Take me to hell and back."

Her cries of passion had him swelling, eager to fulfill her request and to satisfy the lust she evoked from him. With fingertips digging into his back, she climaxed, and he matched her excitement, releasing himself like a tidal wave. After the last shiver had left him, he lay his body over hers, the sweat on his chest staining her dress. He wanted to reach inside her, to be the air she breathed and the sustenance she craved. His longing took such a firm hold of him, his breath caught as he whispered in her ear.

"Not even ambrosia can match your sweetness. I am not living when we are apart, my dearest Lexi."

"And I would surely die without you, my prince. Let us never leave this bed."

She kissed him, sweeping her tongue over his teeth then sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. An insatiable fire burned within her, fueling his desire with every word she spoke to him and every pleasure she took in him. It was all he wanted, to bring her to the heights of ecstasy, to have her begging him to fill her, to be the only god she desired. But her powers were growing stronger every day, and he feared her abilities would soon eclipse his. He had already experienced eternity and the restlessness that accompanied it. It was inevitable she would feel the same. Then where would that leave him?