He paused again. “Bring some extra stuff to leave here this time.”
It was hard to remember what my life was like before Andrew because he was so wonderful. But there was one thing I missed about my previous life, and that was having Hades whenever I wanted.
When I walked through the door, he was shirtless and beautiful, with the scruff around his jaw that I liked. The fire in the fireplace was roaring, so he looked like a sexy man on the cover of a romance book. I wanted to push his sweatpants over his narrow hips and take him then and there.
But I had a baby now.
I set the car seat on the bed then kissed him on the lips. “Hey.”
He slid his hand into my hair then kissed me again, as if that first embrace wasn’t good enough. He kissed me harder and devoured my lips, leaving me breathless before he pulled away. “That’s how I expect you to greet me.”
My hands moved up his chest, and I rested my forehead against his chin. “I’d love to.”
He kissed my forehead before he turned his attention on Andrew. He picked him up out of the car seat and held him with a single arm. “Hey, boy.” He kissed him on the forehead then came back to me.
There was nothing sexier than watching him hold our son like that.
After we talked about Andrew for a little bit, we moved to the couch and sat down. Hades played with Andrew for a while until he got tired. Then he just held him. He seemed to be in a much better mood than he had been on the phone earlier.
“Tell me about your shitty day.”
His body tensed again. “Damien and I butted heads a bit…”
“You always butt heads. Was he upset when you told him you were leaving?”
He continued to watch Andrew. “He seemed to be fine with it. But then he confronted me about our friendship…and shit hit the fan. We ended on bad terms.”
It’d been so long since they’d stopped being friends that I’d given up on them a long time ago. “Hades, this is your last chance to bury the hatchet. I think it’s time you forgive and forget.”
He ignored me like he hadn’t heard what I said.
“You love him. He loves you. You know that.”
Still, no response.
“Something is going to happen one day, and it’ll be too late. I don’t want you to live with that kind of guilt.”
He turned to me, his eyes cold. “I’ve made my decision. Leave it alone.”
I’d tried to talk him out of it many times, but nothing ever stuck. It was time to move on. “Alright.”
He lay in bed beside me, on his back with his powerful chest directed at the ceiling. There was a gleam of sweat on his skin from the workout he’d just performed making love to me. Now, his chest rose and fell quickly as he recovered from his exertion.
I moved on top of him and kissed his chest everywhere, feeling his hard pecs against my soft lips before I felt the valleys between his abs over his stomach. My kisses continued because I couldn’t get enough of this man. I could have him every minute of the day, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
He moved his fingers through my hair as he watched me. “I thought I was doing a good job, but I guess not. You’re never satisfied.”
I looked up and met his gaze. “I’m not unsatisfied. I’m addicted.”
His eyes darkened like he enjoyed that response. “Move in with me.”
The request was so sudden, I didn’t react right away. “Yeah?”
“This is your home.”
I’d wondered if and when he would ask me to marry him again, but I should be grateful he was offering me this. As long as I got to live with him and see him every day, I was okay with never getting married again—even though I wanted it more than anything. “I want nothing more…”
“And bring your mother.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“She told you to give me that awesome blow job. So, I like her a little more.”
I smiled at his playfulness, loving the fact that he was himself again. “You know, you can have one of those every day.”
“I know…but I get distracted by that perfect pussy of yours.”
“Perfect?” I rubbed my palm across his chest. “I had a baby… I doubt it’s perfect anymore.”
“It’s even better now.” He stared at me with a loving gaze. “Knowing you gave me a son is the biggest turn-on ever.” He continued to run his fingers through my hair.
When I’d thought about the women who’d replaced me during our estrangement, it made me so sick. His admission that there had been others made it worse. But now that I had him back and he loved me, I had to force myself to let those thoughts go. None of them mattered…only I did. “You seem to love me, no matter what.”
His eyes grew intense before a slight smile moved across his lips. “You have no idea how true that is…”
29
Hades
Sofia moved back in to the house.
My closet was full of her clothes again. The top drawer of the dresser was full of her delicate panties and bras. On the bathroom counter were all her hair supplies, makeup, and her favorite perfume.
It felt the way it used to.
Her mother came as part of the deal and returned to her old bedroom downstairs. I could negotiate her removal, but since it was important to Sofia, I let it be. Besides, we always had a trusted babysitter on call.
Now when we had dinner together, we had true privacy. Sofia didn’t have to breastfeed during her meals so her food wouldn’t grow cold. And when we hit the sheets, we never had to be interrupted by a crying baby.
It was like a second honeymoon.
She sat across from me now on the terrace, wearing a long-sleeved sweater with her curled hair pinned back. She slowly ate her food and looked up at me from time to time, letting the silence linger because she didn’t feel the need to fill it with unnecessary conversation. She understood I was the strong and silent type and let me be.
She understood me better than anyone.
I set my fork down even though my food was only half eaten. “I want to ask you to marry me, but there’s something I have to tell you first.”
My statement was so unexpected that she jerked noticeably when she heard what I’d said. Her fork fell and clattered against the plate, making a loud tapping noise. Then she took a deep breath and rubbed her hand across her chest, disconcerted by the abrupt change in tone. “Okay…” She took another deep breath. “But there’s nothing you can say that would stop me from wanting to marry you, so there’s really no point in saying it at all.”
I appreciated her enthusiasm and commitment, but she’d made the wrong conclusion. I had no wrongs to confess, no secrets to expose. I just wanted her to know the truth about us, to understand the intensity we had experienced over these last few years. “You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you. I didn’t believe it myself until it became more blatantly obvious that it had to be true. But please trust me.”
She rested her elbows on the table and blinked a few times as she prepared.
“When I was twenty-one, I visited a gypsy in Marrakech who read me my fortune. I assumed it was silly and just a way to take my money. Her prophecy stated I would only love one woman, and she would never love me back.”