Page 57 of Leashed

“Must be why you were so pissed when you went slumming and still couldn’t leash a husband,” he mused. “Hope you weren’t aiming for another shot tonight, because vindictive bitches aren’t really my thing.”

With a laugh, she spun on her heel. “I was here to watch you lose, as you always do,” she called over her shoulder. “And I was not disappointed.”

Lifting his empty glass to her, he leaned back and smiled. “I aim to please, Lach.” Once she disappeared through the doors, he lolled his head toward Dionysus. “That right there is regret, personified.”

“I warned you the first time. And the second. And the third. You can’t tempt the Fates and win, boy.” He picked up an amphora. “I had expected you’d keep at least one of your options around for the day,” Dio murmured, topping their cups up. “You’re far too sober to be sleeping alone.”

With a shrug, he took a long drink and set his goblet to the side. “None held my attention.”

“It’s not your attention they’d be holding,” Dio laughed. “Strange thing, seeing you sit here without a woman on your lap. Perhaps you’re losing your touch.”

He nodded absently, scanning the room for Seph and nudging his empty glass away from Dio’s amphora. “I need to get topside again,” he muttered. “I’ve lost two days on a job now and there’s a good chance I’ve lost the gig.”

“A mind occupied by work woes,” Dionysus said, shaking his head. “Never thought I’d hear that from you, boy.” He crooked a finger toward a nymph as she passed, patting the space between them. “What you need is a few hours without your head in the human world.”

The red-haired nymph had been on Seph’s list of acceptable matches, her cat-like blue eyes and relation to Demeter placing her among the top favorites. According to Persephone.

According to him, though, she blended in with the others.

He arched his arm up off the chaise and tucked his hand behind his head as the nymph and Dio struck up a conversation, her fingers inching across his thigh until he gently eased them off and her blue eyes flashed.

“Seph!” he yelled across the room, jumping to his feet with a grin when his mistress fixed him with a displeased look at his crassness. “When can I head back up?”

Her lips pursed. “Why can you not stay here until Orion notifies us he’s tracked the last Pirithous? I miss having my pretty boy home.”

“I have to get back to work.”

“Work,” she scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “The filth of your job is unbecoming of your position.”

He bowed his head, ignoring the slight to the job he took pride in. “I need to be topside to stay in contact with Ryan and Alex.”

“Ryan will alert us when he makes progress and then you and Alex can join him, finish the final hunt, and return here permanently.”

Running his hand through his hair, he glanced around the room for Hades. “Staying in close proximity to you as nothing more than your pet is…difficult?”

Her chin tilted defiantly. “I’m vain, not stupid, dear. I’ve had my party, I’ve had enough drama to make for good conversation next time Hera visits. You’re off the marriage hook for now.”

He exhaled loudly and lolled his head back. “I have an overdue library book and I need to get it the fuck back.” There was a swift smack against his chest for his language and he muttered an apology to his mistress. “Seph, please. I need to go home.”

“This is home.”

He frowned. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I need to get topside.”

She examined him for a few moments, her hands dropping from her hips and crossing under her bosom. “Weekly check-ins from me.”

“Of course.”

“And if I feel the responsibility of living alone is too great for you, I reserve the right to bring you here indefinitely.”

He paused. “Okay.”

She reached up and tucked his hair back behind his ear. “Dio will accompany you topside within the hour.”

Bowing deeper, he strode off toward his rooms before she could change her mind.

He snatched up his regular clothes as he entered his bedroom, tossing his belt and chiton onto the bed and dressing quickly. If he made it above ground before dawn, he could easily swing by Sage’s place with the book and apologize before she left for her final. Head to the shop and bargain for the job he was certain he’d lost. Maybe stock up on a few groceries. Hunt down a few more clients. Vacuum. Maybe fire off a few of the memes he’d stored in his phone for Sage’s last exams.

His hand froze as he tugged a brush through his hair and he thunked into a chair, staring at the floor as a surge of adrenaline pulsed through him.

---