Page 60 of Hell On Earth
“Jason, my love, please come to me,” Nicolette said.
The worry in her voice drew my attention from Hades. She caught my eye as Jason joined her.
“Humans often view a touch as nothing more than a touch,” she said. “But you know that is not true for many of our kind. I believe it holds even more meaning to Hades.”
I looked up at Hades again and found him watching me.
“I’ve lived my whole life worried that one wrong move would be the end of me. Let me have what little freedom I can, please.”
He made a silent snarl face before moodily mumbling, “As you will it.”
It took me a second to realize what was happening. Hades, the king of Hell, who’d repeatedly promised to lay the world at my feet, was doing his best to deliver even though he didn’t want to. And he was pouting about it.
I couldn’t stop my smile as I wrapped my arm through his.
The annoyance in his gaze shifted to tender affection at the contact.
“Thank you for understanding,” I said. “In return for your consideration, I’ll do this the whole time we’re shopping.”
“He’s not going like that, is he?” I heard Fenris ask in a not-so-quiet voice. “I mean, I know we’re going to do the whole Pretty Woman thing today, but I didn’t think we’d actually go for the kicked-out part.”
Oanen called Fenris an idiot under his breath and smacked the back of his head. Eliana’s eyes flickered black, but instead of aiming the gaze at Oanen, she gave Fenris a warning glance and offered me an apologetic smile.
“Where we’re going, a shirt and shoes are required. The nicer, the better if we want to blend in.”
I glanced at Hades’ bare chest, embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of it myself.
Hades’ heated gaze swept over my flushing cheeks, and Jason cleared his throat.
“Come on, Hades. I think we can find something of mine that will work,” he said.
Nicolette made a panicked sound and grabbed at Jason as he took a step away from her.
“Don’t worry,” he said, catching her hand and kissing it. “He loves a human just like you do. He knows how to be careful around us.”
I glanced up at Hades with a question in my gaze. He nodded slightly.
“I know how to take great care.”
The rest of us watched Jason lead Hades away, and Nicolette shot me a panicked look.
“I’ve never seen anything to lead me to believe Hades is cruel,” I said. “Not even a little. He won’t hurt Jason. He won’t hurt anyone.”
“Unless someone tries to hurt you,” Megan said.
“Or unless he’s angry,” Eliana said. “The earthquakes are no joke.”
“I know. And he knows too. He’s trying. The faster we find Thanatos, the sooner we can remove the reason for Hades to lose his temper.”
Hades and Jason reappeared a few moments later. Hades wore a white button-up paired with dress slacks and shining shoes. Collar open and sleeves rolled up, he didn’t look ridiculous. Far from it.
My lips parted as he prowled closer to me.
Lust hit me hard, and I struggled to breathe normally as he stopped in front of me. I glanced at Eliana, but her eyes weren’t black. This was all me then. I shifted my gaze back to Hades to look my fill.
“You like these clothes,” he said, that devilish smile making an appearance at my dumb nod.
He took my hand and guided it to his arm like I’d held it before.
