Page 58 of Brutal Mercy

“I like your sister. She convinced me to order a bunch of things. I hope that’s all right.”

He removes his tie, tossing it on top of the sport coat he lay over the end of the bed. “She told me you’ll need more. I’ll have some credit cards for you soon. With everything, I haven’t had a chance to run by the bank.”

I put the book on the nightstand. “You don’t have to buy stuff for me. Once the store is back up and running, I’ll have my own money.”

“About that.” He removes his dress shirt, and I soak in his gorgeous body.

He drops his pants and lets them fall to the floor. He climbs into bed and prowls my way until he’s leaning over me. A seductive shiver rushes through me. One of his fingers trails over the spaghetti strap and down my torso. “I like this.”

“I was hoping you would.”

“How’s the ankle?”

“Healing. Did your meeting go well?”

“Yes. And I would like you at my sister’s wedding tomorrow morning.”

“Wait. Athena is getting married? Tomorrow?”

“Yes. We need an alliance with the Russians if I’m going to save your sister. She’s being held in a very difficult place to reach.”

“She doesn’t have to do that for me.” But the news about my sister, that he’s doing all this for me, fills me with hope. That one day soon, I will see her again. And it makes me trust Hades even more.

He presses a finger over my lips. “It’s part of her duty as a member of this family. And she’s on board. No one is forcing her.”

No, but I’ll be losing another friend. “Oh, well, that sucks.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I like hanging out with her. She said we were going to have a girl’s night and everything. I thought it could be fun.” And I’ve never had a grown-up girls' night out with alcohol and stuff.

“You can still have that once this stuff with the cartel is over. I promise.”

“Okay.” I smile and can’t hold back anymore. My hands trail over his broad shoulders while I stare into his eyes. “Are you going to kiss me, husband?”

“I’m going to do a lot more than that,” he growls, and his lips crush mine.

I moan deep in my throat.

Hades’s kisses are a thing of wicked beauty. They erase any resistance and dominate my existence. Everything else slips away until it’s just us and his naughty mouth. He shifts and pulls me down beneath him. He wedges his big body between my thighs.

I love the feel of him on top of me. Needing to touch him, I caress his back, trailing my fingers over the hard muscles, reveling in the way they flex beneath my fingertips. I like that I affect him as much as he affects me.

One of his hands reaches between us and cups my pussy. He growls and tears his mouth away. “Your pussy is soaking wet.”

“I’ve been thinking about you ever since I put this on for you,” I admit, grinding against his hand.

“Oh yeah, and what were you fantasizing about?”

I stare into his eyes, a blush spreading across my cheeks. But I refuse to hide from him. Not when I want him to share himself with me. “The way you go all dominant gets me hot.”

“Anything else?” His voice is rough, thick with lust.

“I imagined you peeling my panties off.”

He goes to his knees and tugs them down my legs, tossing them in the direction of his suit. “Like this.”

I nod, biting my bottom lip.

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