My body tensed. Hades nudged the side of my thigh with his knuckle. I looked over at him, and he winked.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the beach, and the driver dropped us off near the canal entrance. He told us it was a decent walk to reach it, but worth it. We made our way over a bridge leading to a dusty road framed with foliage. The sun beamed down on us, the blue of the sky matching the Ionian Sea water, not a cloud to be seen.
“You have to be sweltering in all that black. How do you do it?” Sara asked as we made our way down the path.
“I’m hot-natured. It doesn’t bother me at all,” Hades replied, staying near me while Sara led the pack.
It was so strange hearing his answers now and knowing there were subtle truths to it all.
“Hades and I are entering that dance contest,” I blurted.
“Really?” She whipped around to face us, walking backward. “You can dance like that, Hades?”
He shrugged. “Admittedly, I’ve never seen the movie, but I reckon I can pick it up pretty easily. I wanted Stephanie to have the chance to do it.”
“Huh. That’s pretty nice of you,” she said with a smile before turning back around.
At the end of the path, the famous canal came into view. A rock formation withered away by erosion and time, a slit down the center creating the canal itself. There were several tourists scattered across the rocks. Some were at the very top, others climbed down and sat on the rocks. It was a quaint, quiet cove with gentle lapping waves at the opening.
“Legend or not. This is gorgeous,” I said, staring at one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces.
“Yes, it is,” Hades said, his gaze piercing the side of my face.
I looked at him and gulped.
Sara stepped up to us, grabbing each of our hands. “Come on, that water is calling my name.”
“I certainly don’t hear the same callin’,” Hades said, allowing Sara to lead him to the edge of the rocks.
Sara wasted no time, whipping off her shirt and shorts, down to her bikini. “You can either jump off from here.” She leaned over the edge, staring down at the water. “Or there’s a rope over there. Pretty sure you know what I’m doing.” She gave a wicked grin, ran forward, and leaped off the rock.
I gasped, running to the edge just in time to see her splash into the water. “She’s fearless. I’ll give her that.”
“I take it you’d rather use the rope?” Hades asked.
“You’re coming with me, right?”
Hades leaned over the edge, sneering at the water. “Would you…like me to?”
“I certainly don’t want to climb down there by myself.” I bit my lip to keep from smiling.
He cleared his throat and dragged a hand over his beard. “Alright.”
Was it wrong I felt some kind of deep-rooted satisfaction in watching the god of the Underworld squirm?
“I’m getting pretty lonely down here,” Sara shouted.
We made our way to the rope. I paused with my thumbs in the tops of my shorts, feeling Hades’ presence behind me. Taking a deep breath, I whisked the shorts and shirt off before I could talk myself out of it. I turned to face him in my bikini. As his eyes roamed my body, he gave a subtle lick of his lip. I didn’t feel compelled to cross my arms over my chest. It was…liberating.
“So, are you going to hop in there fully clothed?”
“Well, since someone didn’t tell me I’d need swim attire, guess I’m improvisin’.” He slipped off the short-sleeved shirt, and my heart thudded.
He squinted, watching me watching him as he slid his hands under his tank top and pulled it over his head. I sucked my bottom lip and let it snap back out. Hades, shirtless, standing on a rock in the middle of Greece. And he most certainly had the ‘V.’ Muscular, tanned, and carved like a fleshy marble sculpture.
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he slid down his pants, standing now in only a pair of black silk boxers. As he walked past me, he held his hand up, and a quick surge of smoke wafted through my hair, tossing it over my shoulder.
I gasped. “Did you do that?”
“You tell me.” His eyes brightened before he swung his leg over the edge. “I’ll go first.”
I waited until he was at the bottom before starting my descent. My coordination wasn’t the best and trying to find rocks to rest my feet on was more difficult than I’d imagined.
“How much further do I have?” I asked.
“You’re almost there. Put your right foot directly beneath ya, darlin’.”
I moved my right foot but to the right and down instead of directly below as instructed. My foot slipped, and I let go in a bout of panic. Hades caught me, and I lay draped in his arms.
“Have I told you before you’re clumsy?” He arched a brow.
I nodded, not saying a word, and ignoring the goosebumps sprouting all over my skin from his touch.
“The water feels amazing,” Sara said, beckoning us with her hands.
Hades set me down, and I smoothed out a skirt I wasn’t wearing.
Once in the water, I let out a contented sigh. “It’s the perfect temperature.”
“Little cold for my taste,” Hades said, grimacing as he moved into the water inch by inch.
Sara looked between us with a warm smile before focusing on Hades, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me since we were at the top of the rock.
“You two should take a little dip through the canal. I’ve already done it,” Sara said, swirling her arms through the water.
“A dip together? What about the legend?” I laughed nervously.
Hades chuckled. “Darlin’ I promise you won’t want to inexplicably marry me after some stupid swim in ‘magical’ water.”
“I don’t know…”
He moved further into the water, wincing when it touched his chest. “I’ll prove it to you. Come on. Swim with me.”
Sara swam backward, canting her head back and forth as she continued to watch Hades. I knew exactly what she was doing, profiling him. When she told me she wanted another chance to talk to him, I knew what she really meant.
“Fine. But if you get all lovey-dovey on me after this, I’ll have to get a restraining order.” I grinned.
“Not even Aphrodite herself could force this black heart into love. It’s gotta get there all on its own.”
My throat constricted at his words, and I sidled up beside him as we began our swim.
“So, does Poseidon lurk in the water here?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “He hasn’t been in Greece for some time. I have no idea where he is now. I’ve been otherwise occupied, remember?”
“Right.” I snickered. “I keep forgetting, sorry. Though I’m not sure how I could forget, given what I’ve seen.”
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s a whole new world for you.”
And there were undoubtedly a hundred thousand things to see.
We reached the end of the canal, where the rocks narrowed into a gap not big enough to squeeze through.
“There. We swam the canal together. Should I propose now?” He smirked, gazing at me through the wet strands of his hair.
I laughed. “Alright. Alright. So, it’s just a legend. Gotta admit it’s a pretty romantic one though. And in a setting like this?”