Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
He narrows his eyes. “Remember that.”
“She’ll need the full treatment.”
“I expected no less.” He waves that away. “Hercules will take care of it.”
“And no doubt spend the entire time attempting to change her course.”
His lips curve the tiniest amount. “If she’s as set on her path as you claim, you have nothing to fear.”
“Regardless of her choices, I have nothing to fear.” I tap my nails on the shiny wood bar. “I would like a private playroom to keep me occupied while Zurielle wades through the paperwork.”
“Your usual?”
“Of course.”
He nods slowly. “Aurora will take you back when it’s ready.”
“You’re a gem, Hades.” I sip my drink and watch him walk away. He’s gone soft in the last year, but not soft enough to cross. It’s just as well. I have no interest in ruling the Underworld. Neutral territory is useful, but being the one to enforce it would be tedious in the extreme. Hades might irritate me, but he’s good at what he does.
I’ve barely finished my drink when Aurora appears. She’s been in the Underworld for years now, a pretty Black girl who started as a virginal plaything and who now has stepped into the role as Megaera’s second-in-command. Today, Aurora’s wearing a blue dress that flounces around her upper thighs. It practically begs someone to bend her over their knee, flip it up, and spank her. Her hair is nearly the same deep blue, having now fully transitioned from the pink it was last season. “Aurora.”
“Ursa.” She dips into a cute little curtsy. “You’re here early.”
“You know how it is, darling. Business waits for no one.”
She gives an impish smile. “Should I be hurt that you don’t want to play with me tonight?”
“Aurora, I always want to play with you.” I tap her under the chin. “But tonight I have other pursuits.”
She arches a brow. “And here I thought it was because Malone’s warned you off.”
That surprises a laugh out of me. There was a time when this girl wouldn’t dare mouth off like this. She’s not entirely wrong, though. For all that Malone hasn’t touched her since that first time, my friend gets tight around the mouth whenever I play with Aurora. Which means I do it often enough to irritate her, but not so often as to damage our friendship irreparably. We’re complicated like that.
I lightly drag my nails down Aurora’s neck, enjoying the way she shivers in response. “Another time.”
“Promise?” She’s breathy just from this touch. Gods, I don’t know what game Malone is playing with this girl, but she should get off her ass and do stop wasting time. Aurora is a gift of a submissive and Malone’s too smart to let something so priceless escape her.
“Promise.” I squeeze her shoulder. “But not tonight.”
Aurora pouts a little, but it’s mostly for show. When push comes to shove, she can have anyone she wants in Carver City—with the exception of Malone. She leads me through the lounge to the door into the public playroom. The escort is purely for show. I know my way around the Underworld as well as any of the regulars. At this time of evening, the public playroom is empty and dim.
Aurora opens a door and stands back. “Enjoy yourself.”
“I always do.”
I step into the room and close the door softly behind me. It’s designed to look like a bedroom that could be found in any high-end penthouse in the city. A thick rug beneath my feet, tastefully dark colors, a dresser with a large mirror positioned to see the bed and two nightstands on either side of the bedframe. A fireplace is already lit, combating the customary chill of the room.
Alaric kneels in the middle of the space, his head bowed.
I take my time walking toward him, allowing the anticipation to build. We’ve played this game before, time and time again. He’s wearing a pair of slacks and nothing else, and his lean muscles tense as I move to his back. His skin is paler than normal, a testament to his need to get out in the sun more. Another day, I’d play this out until he shakes with the need to look up, to be touched. I don’t have the patience for it at the moment. Not with the heady feelings of being so close to getting my revenge on Triton.
I sift my fingers through his dark hair and give a light tug, lifting his head until he can meet my gaze. Even after years of fucking him, his beauty leaves me a little breathless. It’s more than just pleasing features, though. He’s got a magnetism that draws people to him without effort. And when he smiles and turns on the charm? No one can resist.
Not even me.
I give his hair another light tug. “Tell me your safe word.”
“Mermaid.”
“Good boy.” I release him and move back to sit on the edge of the mattress. Alaric watches me warily, a hunger in his blue eyes. I often wonder how others in the Underworld miss that hunger. Maybe they mistake it for lust—an easy mistake to make when he’s smiling and playing the part of Prince Charming. Still, it’s not like Hades to miss an opportunity to use a person’s ambition to further his own goals.