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A whimper escaped her. “And… are you going to feast?”

“Oh yes,” he told her in a husky voice and then descended to give her a slow, thorough lick.

A gasp shot from her throat, her legs bucking around his ears. “Oh, Hades!”

He licked at her clit, swirling his tongue around the little bud, then flicking at it the way he had her nipple. She was so slick here, her folds dark pink with need. He grazed a finger at the entrance of her core even as he continued to lick and suck at her clit, nuzzling her flesh.

She was wild underneath him, delirious with pleasure. Her words became a moaning cry of his name and something that sounded a bit like “Please” or “More” and was somehow neither.

Even as he sucked on her clit, he stroked a finger deep inside her. She was as hot and tight as he remembered, and he wanted to get her ready for his cock. She was incredibly wet, though, her flesh giving to his invasion. He was a big man, however, and he added a second finger, gently fucking her with it.

“Hades,” she keened when he pressed his tongue to her clit. “Oh gods, please, I…”

He sucked again, hard, even as he gave another sharp, driving thrust of his fingers. Her pussy rippled around his fingers and she gave a little scream as she came, her orgasm rocking through her, pussy milking his fingers tight. Gods, she was incredible.

Hades licked her for a moment longer, prolonging her orgasm until she was panting and weak under him, her gaze dazed. He moved back up to her and kissed her lightly, letting her taste her own juices on his lips. “You are beautiful, my love.”

“That was incredible,” she said in a dreamy voice. “Your technique is much better than the man in the field’s.”

He laughed at her saucy words. “We’re not done yet, my love.” He nestled his cock against her damp sex and rocked against her. The head of his cock was covered in pre-cum, he was so hard and ready for her, but he wanted to make sure she knew what was coming next.

She brushed her body against his, the movement languid. Her hands ran over his chest, scratching her nails against his skin. “My beautiful lord of the underworld.”

Hades groaned. She was going to cause him to spend before he could bring her to pleasure again. “This will hurt the first time, love.”

“I know,” she said softly. “I’m ready.”

She was—she was wet and willing, her thighs spread for him, her pussy slick from desire.

But Olympians were not small men, and he knew she would have to adjust to his girth. He shifted, placing the crown of his cock against her damp opening. His gaze moved back to her face, but she was looking up at him with trust and affection. She wanted this as much as he did.

He sank into her. Just the tip of his cock—she was squeezing him so tightly that he had to go slow. The sensation felt so incredible that it drew the breath from his lungs—and she gasped as well.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked through gritted teeth, even though he only had the head sank into her tight sheath.

“No,” she told him in a breathy voice. “Don’t stop until you’re deep inside me.”

He wouldn’t, then. His gaze locked to her green-eyed one, he pushed in, intense inch by intense inch. She bit her lip but said nothing, even as he continued to push into her warmth. She was like a glove over his cock, hugging him so tightly that it was exquisite. His entire body was tense with need—he wanted to pound into her, but that would hurt her.

And then her skin met his thighs, and he had sunk all the way into her, so deep that her breath was coming in shallow little gasps, her skin stretched tight around his cock. He looked down at their joined bodies and was unable to stop his hips from surging forward.

She gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders.

“Do you hurt?”

“Hurts a little,” she told him, then bit her lip again.

He remained still, sweat trickling down his brow as he remained in place, determined to give her time to adjust to him. The tight squeeze of her pussy was driving him mad, but he had to ignore it until she was ready for more.

After a few moments, she gave her hips a tentative flex and then gazed back up at him. “Will you kiss me again?”

He leaned in and kissed her, stroking his tongue deep into her welcoming mouth. She kissed him back, her tongue twining with his, and they lay like that for long moments. Then he stroked his tongue deep into her mouth again and repeated the motion with a flex of his hips, driving his cock deeper inside her.

She gave a little gasp against his mouth.

“Did you like that?”

She nodded, her eyes wide. Her tongue licked against his again, encouraging him. He flicked his tongue into her mouth once more, pumping into her with his hips. She moaned against his lips. “You’re so deep inside me.”

“I am,” he rasped. “Inside my beautiful love.”

She quivered at that, her breasts bouncing, and he withdrew slowly, then sank back into her again. This time there was no flinch of pain, and he began to slowly, deliciously make love to his goddess. His strokes were sure and even, his pace steady as his mind focused solely on her and giving her pleasure.

Persephone was tentative at first, then began to raise her hips in time with his, until she was rising to meet him with each one, their skin slapping with the impact of every motion. Her breasts bounced with the rough fucking, but she seemed to love it, small whimpers of need rising from her throat with every hard thrust of his cock. Her fingers went to her breasts and she began to stroke her nipples in time with his movements.

She needed more. He’d give her more.

He grabbed one of the pillows next to her head and lifted her hips, then stuffed the pillow under their joined bodies. She looked at him curiously as her hips tilted up. When he thrust the next time, though, her eyes widened, her mouth forming a silent O of surprise.

“Did that feel good?” There was a spot inside a woman that if he stroked against it when he fucked her, it would make her wild. Normally he didn’t care enough about his partners to find it.

With Persephone, though, it was different.

“I…I don’t know.”

So he thrust again, and all the breath whooshed out of her lungs. He’d take that as a yes. He began to slam into her again, hard and rocking their joined bodies backward, and he felt the change in Persephone. There was a tension in her legs now, her fingers gripping him tight, and her motions as she clung to him jerky, as if she were on the verge again already.

And she was making soft, wild little noises in her throat at each thrust, her eyes squeezed tight with pleasure.

He thrust harder, and faster, determined to make her come. It didn’t take long. She dragged one hand from his back and tugged at her nipple again, and her mouth opened in another O. But this time she screamed, her pussy clenching tight around him in hard, heavy spasms. She was coming, and she was coming hard.

Hades thrust harder, teeth gritted as he struggled to maintain control. He could not; he was lost. “Persephone!” he cried out as he sank deep into her again and came, spurting his seed deep inside her. His entire body stiffened and then he fell on top of her, spent.

Her arms trembled and then slowly wrapped around his neck again. He was sweaty, he

noticed. She was sweaty, too. And smiling. There was a dazed, content expression on her face, and she leaned in to lightly lick one of the beads of sweat off his nose.

“How long before we can do that again?” she asked, her voice a low, pleased purr.

She’d make an amazing queen, indeed. He chuckled and kissed her skin everywhere he could reach. Just before he was drifting off to sleep with her body curled against his, she sighed and whispered something into his ear.

“My name is Rose.”

~*~

Hours later, Rose woke up, the large, muscular body of Hades draped over hers. The sheets on the bed had long ago been tossed to the ground. She slid out of the bed inch by inch, careful not to awaken him from his slumber. Then, when she’d crept out of the bed, she glanced back to look at him.

He was beautiful in his sleep, as handsome and sculpted as a marble statue. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight and she crossed her fingers.
Please, please let him understand.

Then, she turned to her duty, her heart heavy.

The helmet lay on a dais at the far end of the room, surrounded by runes of power to guard it.

She stepped forward, biting her lip. She had accepted Hades and he said she would be queen of the underworld. Would the runes of protection work against her? Hesitantly, she reached a hand for the helmet…

And grasped cool metal. She exhaled in relief. It was hers. He’d been true to his word. He’d trusted her with everything in his kingdom.

And she would betray him.

With a glance back at the sleeping god, Rose put the helmet on over her head. She held a hand in front of her face and watched it slowly disappear.

It wasn’t difficult to find the hidden garden or the flowers. She’d found a secret panel in the wall covered by a magic-enshrouded drapery, but it had ignored her presence. She was the queen, after all. The panel led to a secret garden full of lush, dark blooms. They were exactly like the one that had lured her to the underworld previously. Dark purplish-black, velvety petals and a sinful scent. Rose picked one and closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her decision upon her shoulders.

She’d come this far. She could not go back now.

She turned and then paused. The flowers were the essence of the underworld. Taking one would strip him of that much power, would it not?

She was the goddess of spring, though. Her meager gifts should be good for something. With a brush of her hand over the flowers, she sent a surge of her magic through them. They shivered in response, the magic scent heavy in the air. As she watched, they shuddered and continued to grow until the flowers themselves were the size of dinner plates and she was weak with exhaustion.

Hopefully he would see her message and understand. She’d used her powers as both augment and apology.

Turning from the garden, she headed out of the room with one last look at Hades.

I love you
, she thought, but didn’t say it aloud. It was too late for that. She was betraying the god of the underworld in the hopes that she would be able to stay with him.

And she crossed her fingers again as she left, carrying the requested flower out of the underworld and into the waiting hands of her fairy godmother.

Rose clasped her hands in her lap. If she got any more nervous, she’d be twisting them or biting her nails. She glanced over at Hermes, but he remained stone-faced at her side. Chewing on her lip, she stared at the closed doors where three important players were closeted: Demeter, Zeus, and Hades.

They’d been in there for an hour, and Demeter had screamed the entire time.

She’d only been able to catch hints of the conversation, and all of it seemed to be coming from Demeter. She’d caught “six pomegranate seeds is not enough” and “I’ll starve this plane if you don’t give me my assistant” and “I will not be reasonable” and other things along those lines, which just made her stomach tie in knots.

She couldn’t hear Hades at all. Either his voice was too low to be heard, or he didn’t care enough to protest like Demeter was. And her heart hurt at the thought.

Rose hadn’t spoken to him since she’d returned to the surface, helmet and flower in hand.

She’d delivered the flower to Muffin, who had anchored her permanently to this plane. Not to worry, Muffin had told her. The other Persephone was now going by “Stephanie” and studying law. She was quite happy to stay in the other plane.

That just left Rose, of course. Rose, who’d made a bold decision and wasn’t sure yet if she was going to regret it.

Hades hadn’t spoken to her when he’d entered Olympus. He’d simply glared at all, arms crossed over his chest. He’d come to retrieve what was stolen, he’d told the others.

Rose didn’t know if he was referring to his helmet or to her.

Demeter’s voice rose on the far side of the doors again, and for the jillionth time, Rose wished that the other gods wouldn’t treat her like a child and would actually allow her into the room while they were deciding her fate. She glanced at Hermes. “Can you hear what they’re saying?”

Hermes moved to the door in a blink, put his ear to it, and then blinked back to her side.

“Demeter is threatening to withhold her powers. Mankind will starve.”

“Drama queen,” Rose muttered. “Is anyone else saying anything?”

He zipped back to the door and listened for a long moment, then zipped back to her. “Zeus offers Demeter and Hades a concession. Persephone… er, you, may spend six months of the year in the underworld and six months with Demeter.”

“Tell him we accept,” Rose said immediately.

Hermes tilted his head at her quizzically, reminding her of a hummingbird. Then he dashed off again, the heavy doors swinging slightly to mark his exit.

Nothing happened for a long moment and then Demeter gave an outraged screech. Oh, she didn’t like that much.

Hades stormed out of the double doors a moment later, pacing toward her. “You’re coming with me.”

She jumped to her feet, his helmet still tucked under her arm, and skittered after him. “I am?”

“For the next six months,” he said coldly, and her heart sank. He sounded furious. That wasn’t good. He was mad at her for stealing his helmet and taking a piece of his power. He’d never forgive her, would he? Tears threatened and she bit her lip, utterly frustrated.

They moved to his chariot parked just outside the hall. Before she could ask him what was wrong, he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and dragged her against him. They moved into the chariot and he grabbed the reins, whipping the horses into a frenzy. As she watched, the ground split before them and they sank into the earth, horses rearing.

Hades did not speak as they descended back into the underworld. Rose didn’t speak either.

She felt like she needed to know what he was thinking so she could formulate an excuse… or an apology.

It was only when they were back in his palace that he turned to her and spoke.