Page 60 of Going to Hell
The urge to touch more, take more, pushed at me.
Eagerly, I slid my hands another inch up then out, feeling his skin and the corded muscle beneath. He trembled under my touch, feeding my hunger for him.
The need to taste him consumed me. I parted my lips and breathed him in, wanting to sample him so badly that I ached. My heart stuttered with my desire, a fluttering beat that demanded my attention.
One-two-three.
The rapid count reminded me of my purpose, and I tore my lips from his before he could deepen the kiss.
Panting, I stared up at him, uncertain how much of that had been me and how much had been his will.
“More,” he whispered, his hands hovering just above my arms.
Gods, what would I have done if he’d actually touched me while I kissed him?
“That was more,” I said, still breathless. “Wasn’t it?”
I hadn’t been counting, but considering the way my heart was racing, that kiss had to have lasted longer than ten beats.
“It was. I will keep my word, and find this soul for you, but know that a kiss will never be enough. It is only enough for now.” His hands covered mine where they still rested on his chest. “I would give anything, even my life, to relive what I once had. But then, you already know that.”
A haunted look flickered in his gaze, hinting at a vulnerability that defied his very being, and my heart gave another fluttering lurch.
Holding my gaze, he brought my hands to his mouth and brushed his lips over one palm before releasing it and kissing the other. A shiver stole through me, which he noted with a slight narrowing of his gaze and a great deal of suspicion.
Did he still think it was revulsion? For my sake, I hoped so.
“Come, Goddess. Let us find this uncle of yours.”
I let him keep possession of my hand until we reached the hallway then slipped free of his hold to give my poor heart a break. It still raced far too hard after that kiss.
We walked in silence for a bit, passing doors I hadn’t yet explored. When my breathing returned to normal and my heart felt steady, I risked a glance at him. Resolution etched his set jawline.
“Am I allowed to ask questions?” I asked.
Some of the firmness left his face.
“I prefer questions to silence.”
Well, that was an obviously vague non-answer to a yes or no question. Rather than speculate why, I went with a simple question to test the waters.
“How many rooms are in this place?”
“We have the capacity for an infinite number.”
“Okay, but how many right now?” I pressed.
“Currently there are…” He frowned for a moment. “Why does it matter?”
I really hoped the gods were capable of direct answers. If not, getting home would be a lot harder. I changed the topic to something he might be more interested in and tried again.
“Why ten seconds?”
He glanced at me. “You know why.”
“I’m not Persephone, remember? I don’t know why.”
“Ten heart beats is the longest you’ve managed to kiss me without revulsion since…it doesn’t matter. Next time, I will know to ask for twenty-five.”
