Page 47 of Raising Hell
There was a moment of silence before he answered. “No.”
I tossed the damp hand towel to the side and stuck my hand back in the hot water while I considered our current situation.
The creatures in Hell didn’t have a problem with nudity. The prior day proved that. Living a lifetime with the children of the gods proved that. My nudity was only an issue because I knew what he wanted from me.
For my safety and peace of mind, I needed boundaries. For the world’s safety, Hades needed less of them. We needed compromise, and I wasn’t sure how to manage that without upsetting him in the process.
Not true. I knew exactly how to keep him calm, but I wasn’t sure I had the willpower to see it through without losing myself.
“If I invited you to shower with me, could you—
He stepped around the screen before I finished my thought. His hair looked like he’d been running his hands through it in frustration again. But the second he saw me, any hint of anguish disappeared. His gaze swept over me from head to toe, missing no detail.
“I will do anything to bathe with you.”
“Shower,” I corrected. “And you’ll need to lose your pants.” They immediately disappeared. “And promise not to turn this into a bid for sex.”
He strode toward me, his gaze heavy.
“Can I wash you?” he asked.
“I’d rather wash you if that’s okay.”
He nodded and ducked under the water, wetting his hair. I stared. I couldn’t help it. Gods, he was sexy, and I itched to explore every inch of him.
When he turned toward me, I grabbed a cloth and some soap, hoping the barrier would keep me focused on the whole point of what I was trying to do.
“Do you understand why waking up naked scared me?” I asked, scrubbing the cloth over his chest.
“I do.”
“I get that you like touching me because I look like her. But I’m not her. In some ways, I think that works in your favor. I’m not selfish and cruel like she was. I don’t want to do things just to make you suffer. If touching me gives you comfort, I don’t mind as long as you remember that I’m not her and don’t make it about sex.
“Obviously, that doesn’t mean I’m going to be comfortable with everything. Nudity? This right now? This isn’t easy. I’m trying, though, because I know it means a lot to you.”
I stopped staring at his throat and looked up at him. The need in his gaze made my next breath a little harder, but I stayed focused.
“In return for trying, can you please try not to make things shake anymore? Megan said something when you made everything shake while she was here. She said people were dying. People from my home.”
“People who seek to use you against your will.”
I shrugged slightly and moved the cloth to the other side of his chest.
“Some, but not all. I don’t want to be the kind of person who would hurt people just because they hurt me. I’d rather be the kind of person who has compassion when someone else is hurting.”
He considered me as I ran the cloth over his muscled shoulder.
“I prefer you compassionate.”
“Good. Then will you try if I try? I’ll try to be more comfortable with casual touches and private nudity, and you’ll try not to make the earth shake. No contract. No punishments for slip-ups. Just trying.”
“Yes.” The husky words sent a shiver through me.
“You’re thinking about sex right now, aren’t you?”
He made a pained sound, and when I looked up at him, his eyes were closed, and his head tipped back.
“It is impossible to think of anything else when you touch me like this,” he said.
