Page 36 of Raising Hell
“Yes. I wish to free them all,” he said angrily. “They have paid for their sins against you many times over.”
“Against Persephone, not me. If they’ve been punished for whatever they did, then why not free them?”
His skin glowed in several spots in answer.
“Okay,” I said, looking at the contracts. “Let’s get rid of those then.” Without reading any of them, I stepped forward and ran my fingers over the first set of words.
He shivered under my touch and closed his eyes as the words rose from his skin as real gold strands, twining together to form a long rope. I lifted my other hand to dissolve another nearby contract. He groaned as I stroked his skin, adding more gold to what was floating and shifting around him.
When the ones on his chest were gone, I moved to his back. Contract after contract disappeared from his skin. Just when I thought we were done, he dropped his pants.
I stared at the script riding high on his right cheek. Face flushing, I traced that one too.
“One more,” he rasped, capturing my hand and bringing it around to his front.
He set my fingers on that muscled patch of skin just above the crease of his leg. We both jumped a little. He hissed out a breath while I fought to inhale normally.
Rather than moving around him to see what I was doing, I rested my forehead on his shoulder and let him guide my touch. I shivered and resisted the urge to wrap my arms around him. Each breath filled my senses with his scent. That hint of campfire fires on a starlit night mixed with spice and spring. The need to taste his skin raced through me until I couldn’t control my shaking.
“It is done,” he said roughly, removing my touch from his skin and releasing me.
I almost lost my balance when he stepped away. Thankfully, he was too busy tying his pants to notice. Zotera did, though. When I glanced her way, she was watching me with a thoughtful frown. I smoothed a hand over my hair and tried smiling. It wobbled a bit. Her frown deepened.
A fine twist of gold dropped in front of my eyes, and I glanced at Hades as he settled the weight of the necklace around my neck.
“You must wear this for a month,” he said, sounding surly again. “Do not remove it.”
I fingered the elaborate multi-strand weave that grew more complex over my collarbones. Discs intertwined within the strands depicted nature scenes.
“Can I remove it when I shower? It’s too pretty to bend any of it accidentally.”
His fingers stilled on my cheek.
“If you allow me to watch.”
“I think it’s safer if I risk the necklace. It’s never ended well for you when you see me naked.”
“Perhaps I only need more practice.”
I scoffed, and his fingers stroked over my neck.
“Perhaps I could help bathe you like you helped bathe me,” he added.
The heat that had been slowly fading flared up again at the suggestion, and I quickly stepped away from him.
“I wonder how much longer that fury is going to be,” I said, desperately changing the subject.
Hades’ hand slid around me, heating my stomach and molding my backside to his front.
“Don’t flee, Ashlyn. Stay and consider all that I offer. My hands on your flesh, worshipping you. I vow I can show you untold joys.”
CHAPTERSEVEN
I couldn’t breathe.I couldn’t think. All I could do was feel him and see the picture he painted. Us together in a bath. Touching. Tasting. Writhing.
“Father, Mother looks unwell. Perhaps she was asking about the fury because she is too hungry,” Zotera said, breaking the spell.
Hades immediately released me and stepped around me to look at my face.
