Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Thanatos lifts his head but doesn’t release my hand. He holds me in a light grip I could break at any moment, heat licking into his dark eyes. “It strikes me that you haven’t had a proper introduction to the delights of the club.”
He’s flirting with me. I don’t know why that surprises me so much. I suppose I’ve become so used to blending into the background that I expect it to be the default. It certainly is with Charon. The man treats me kindly, but it’s clear he’s never felt the same flicker of desire that plagues me in his presence. Not just desire. You care about him. If you weren’t so broken, you’d let yourself love him.
It might have been nine months since Orpheus took part in the events that led to the night that’s caused scars on my soul, but I’m nowhere near ready enough to jump into a relationship again. Even if Charon was interested, which he’s never given any indication that he is. But if he was, it wouldn’t be casual. He doesn’t do casual any more than I do.
Thanatos isn’t asking for my heart. He’s not asking for anything at all right now. I take a slow breath, inhaling the evocative scent of his cologne. He’s still holding my hand. I find myself smiling. “By all means. Introduce me.”
His grin is bright and charming. “It would be my pleasure.”
I ignore the guilt that clings to me as he leads me to an empty couch near the wall farthest from the door. I’m not certain if it’s intentional or not, but I appreciate the sliver of privacy the location offers. There’s an unspoken rule that what goes on here isn’t shared outside these walls unless my sister and her husband wish it to be so, but that doesn’t mean I want to risk the gossip getting back to them.
They wouldn’t understand. Oh, maybe Hades would, but Persephone? Never. To her, I’m her baby sister to be protected at all costs. She never stops to think that maybe the blanket of protection she and our other sisters provide is suffocating me slowly. If she knew I was here alone, she would sweep in with all the rage of a vengeful goddess to strike down anyone who dared look at me.
And should they touch me?
Unthinkable.
Except Thanatos is touching me now. He sits close enough that we’re pressed together and turns over my hand to trace the fine veins of my wrist with the tips of his fingers. “You’ve been here many times in the last few months.”
I lift my brows. “Have you been watching me?”
He shrugs, completely unselfconscious. “Everyone watches you, Eurydice, and not just because you’re beautiful.” His fingers trail up to the inside of my elbow. “You’re absolutely captivating.”
I’m aware that he’s trying to seduce me. He might not be the one I want if I’m being truly honest with myself, but what’s the harm in allowing myself to be seduced? He has kind eyes. Maybe what I need to get over Orpheus once and for all isn’t a great love to sweep away everything that came before. Maybe what I need is a string of kind lovers who don’t stir my heart but are more than capable of stirring my body.
Thanatos certainly is doing a good job of it. His touch isn’t anything that would be inappropriate in another public setting, but I find myself holding my breath as he continues to trace light patterns over my skin, each sending a zing of desire through me.
I relax slowly against the back of the couch and look up at him. “You’re quite captivating yourself.”
His smile takes on a self-deprecating tone. “I’m not too shabby.” His fingers trail slightly up my bicep, the backs of his knuckles brushing against my breast. He holds my gaze. “May I?”
I can’t quite catch my breath. I don’t know what he’s asking, but I want it all the same. “Yes.”
Thanatos leans in, closing the last little bit of distance between us, and kisses me. It’s a good kiss. It’s light and intentional, a test and a seduction, all wrapped into one. It makes me shift in my seat, but my heart stays unfeeling in my chest.
Perfect.
At least until Thanatos leans back and I realize we’re no longer alone. A familiar shadow has fallen over us, blocking out the low light of the rest of the club. A shadow belonging to… My heart gives a horrible thump in my chest.
Charon.
Thanatos goes still in response to my tension. He turns to follow my gaze and seems to stop breathing. “Charon.”
“Thanatos. You’re overstepping.” His voice is calm. It’s always calm. I once overheard Hades speaking with my sister, expressing concern that Charon had lost his customary humor in the last year. Persephone responded that he’d grown up a lot because of the events that continue to destabilize Olympus. I think they’re both wrong. He’s still got humor, but it’s become a dry thing that flies right over my head at times.