He really was a thing of beauty. Not in the sense a woman or a flower is, but in an ethereal way. His body. That chiseled face. And the wings, as menacing as they were, still managed to take my breath away. The wings flapped, the glowing parts striking orange sparks, and he curled them behind him. He grabbed each of my hips and began that slow rhythm again. I gazed up at the perfect view of him in all his King of the Underworld glory.
I sat up, grabbing onto one of his shoulders. Matching his movements, I rolled my hips against him. He pressed his cheek against the side of my head. I traced my fingers over the bits of black feathers in his wings that weren’t on fire or singed. He moaned. With our chests pressed together, the sound vibrated against me. He peeled back, blue flickers of flame igniting in his eyes. He pushed into me, and my head flew back from the furthered intrusion.
I gripped onto his arms as his hips bucked, picking up momentum. When the glorious ache pooled between my hips, I grabbed the back of his neck. My insides erupted, and this time I couldn’t hold back my cry of pleasure. He soon followed, his muscles tensing, and he groaned against my neck. The fireplace roared, the flames lashing out like an explosion before pulling back in. His wings wrapped around us like a cocoon. I caught one of the burnt feathers on my fingertip, but it turned into ash as soon as it touched my skin.
His finger curled under my chin, lifting my gaze to his. “Are you alright?”
“More than alright.” The heat from the fire on his wings warmed my face.
The dimple in his cheek deepened with a smirk, and his wings folded back until they disappeared completely. “I’ve never had anyone ask me to be me during the act.”
Our bodies pressed together, and I let locks of his white hair fall through my fingers. “No one? Not even Per—”
“She was frightened by it,” he interrupted. “Or so she said.”
I pinched my eyes shut. “I didn’t mean to bring it up.”
He cupped my face with his palm. “A very persistent brunette in glasses helped me flow that water right under the bridge.”
“Persistent, huh?” I smiled.
He traced his thumb over my cheek before laying down on his side. He rested his head on his hand, his eyes roaming over my naked satiated body. I too laid on my side, resting my head on my forearm.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I sucked on my lower lip.
He traced one of his black nails down the side of my breast, my ribs, and made lazy circles when he reached my hips. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still expecting to wake up tomorrow only to realize this was all a dream.”
I rolled onto my stomach, making our faces inches apart. Pressing my elbows into the silken sheets of the bed, I tilted my chin up and kissed him. “Did you feel that?”
His eyelashes fluttered against mine. “Yes.”
“Not a dream.” I smiled against his lips.
“I’m never going to forget you. Realize that. Thousands of years can pass, and I will never forget the mortal who brightened my heart.” He pressed his hand to my cheek.
The taste of salt coated my lips from several tears rolling down my cheeks. I pressed my hand over his. “I could never forget you.”
He glanced over his shoulder and kissed my forehead before slipping from the bed. His naked form moved across the room with grace, and I cocked my head from side to side, admiring his perfect backside. He grinned at me. The wings shot out. I traced my finger between my breasts, aching for him all over again.
“That has to be one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen,” I stammered.
He chuckled. Deep and gravelly. He removed a black box from one of the bookshelves and walked back over, the wings disappearing again. He sat on the edge of the bed and opened the box. Removing a necklace from it, he held it up to the light blazing from the fireplace.
“I want you to have this,” he said, resting the charm in my hand.
It was a shiny black charm with a serpent wrapped around a cypress tree.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, running my thumb over the branches’ detailed grooves.
“May I?” He motioned at the chain.
I nodded, turned my back to him, and lifted my hair from my neck. His fingertips grazed my shoulders as he positioned the necklace and secured its clasp.
“I may not be able to be on the surface, but it doesn’t mean we can’t at least talk from time to time.”
I let my hair fall and looked down at the charm before whipping around to face him. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“You can call on me through the charm. But please don’t use it as a paging service.” He smirked.
“Paging?” I laughed. “I haven’t heard anyone use that word in—no, scratch that. I’ve only heard it in movies.” I felt dizzy, and my eyes fell shut for a moment before I forced them back open.
He frowned. “I need to take you back.”
“I know.” A deep sigh escaped my lungs.
He touched a fingertip on the charm. “I can’t make promises of when, but I will be on the surface again.”
“I’m unsure which is worse…never seeing you again, or living with the hope I will, but never knowing when.”
“I hate putting that burden on you.” He stood up with a sigh and waved his hands over his body, his gothic, kingly robes, draping over his form.
“It’s not a burden. I’m glad I came here, Hades.”
He offered a weak grin and splayed his hand over my body. My clothes materialized, and I frowned before sliding off the bed.
“I have to admit, dressing and undressing was not a power I thought the god of the Underworld would possess.”
“I’m glad to hear you, too, can still be surprised.” He slipped his hand into mine and raised his other hand to the ceiling.
I grabbed his forearm, stopping him. “Before I go, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” He lowered his arm.
“Where in the world did you come up with the name Cerberus?” Random. Even for me. But I’d been dying to know.
He rubbed his chin. “Truth be told, it wasn’t his original name. Initially, I named him Spot.”
I did a slow blink. “Spot?”
“Yes. He has this white spot on the back of his left leg. Sticks out profusely, considering the rest of him is black.” He smirked.
“How in the world did it end up as Cerberus in all the stories?”
“Translations throughout the ages. One being Kerberos, which means spotted.”
“Huh. You learn something every day.”
“You’re stalling, Stephanie.” His face softened, and his lip twitched.
“I know,” I said with a sigh.
He waved his hand. A portal opened, revealing the green grass and maple trees in a park near my apartment building. I winced and tightened my grip on his hand.
“This isn’t goodbye,” he said, his tone solemn.
“It could be a decade before I see you again.”
He pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “I wish I could answer you, but know I appreciate all the time you’ve given me.”
My sinuses stung. I kissed him on the cheek before taking a step back. “I’m ready.”
Only I wasn’t ready. I wanted to be with him. Cure his loneliness. Who would have the power to make mortals into gods? Instinct told me my answer, but I didn’t want to believe it.