But Charon isn’t here right now.
The room is a true den of iniquity, all artfully designed to seduce the senses. The lights are always low when the club is open, but a cleverly hidden waterway around the edge of the room throws dizzying reflections onto the ceiling, giving the impression of us being underground. I’ve seen the furniture arranged in a dozen different ways, but tonight it’s the traditional layout with couches and chairs and cushions situated to allow plenty of space for conversation and, well, fucking.
I inhale the scent of sex and smooth my hands down my tight mini dress. My body thrums in response. It’s been…so long. I haven’t been with anyone since the events of last December, and somehow nine months have gone by. For a long time, I was focused on putting one foot in front of the other and not letting the pain of Orpheus’s betrayal break me.
But now?
I look around the room. Every other time I’ve come here has been with Charon babysitting me. I don’t know if Hades put him up to it, or if he’s taken it upon himself to be my guide to the lower city, but I was hardly going to indulge with him looking over my shoulder. He’s made comments more than once about how I could if I wanted to, but it felt too strange. I still haven’t decided if it was a good strange or a bad strange, though. Either way…he’s not here tonight.
“I’ve seen you around, always watching, never participating.”
I jolt and turn to find a man has taken up a spot against the wall next to me. He’s a very attractive South Asian man who’s about my height with a slim build and smiling eyes. He also looks incredibly familiar, and not just because I’m sure I’ve seen him a few times during my visits here.
He holds out a hand. “Thanatos.”
Recognition clicks as I slip my hand into his. “You’re Hypnos’s brother.” Now that I say it, I see the similarities between him and zir. Same medium-brown skin tone, thick dark hair, and refined features. They also both have incredibly sensual lips. Not that I’ve noticed. Except I have.
“Guilty as charged.” Instead of shaking my hand, he raises it to press a light kiss to my knuckles. It should be cheesy, but his dark eyes invite me to indulge him.
I find myself smiling as heat stirs to life low in my stomach. It’s been so long since I’ve even wanted to indulge… No, that’s a lie. But it’s been a very long time since I’ve encountered someone who was safe to indulge with. Someone who I could spend a fun night with and not worry about shattering a relationship I value in the process.
One-night stands aren’t usually the way I operate—I get attached very quickly once sex enters the picture—but perhaps it’s time to make an exception. “It’s nice to meet you.”
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.
I’ve learned the hard way what happens when you give your heart to a man who doesn’t cherish it. I refuse to do it again.
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 mentioned 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, 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 catch sight of the previously unoccupied chair across from us. It’s not unoccupied any longer. Now it’s been claimed by a large white man with intense blue eyes, shoulders that fill a doorway, and dark hair that reaches nearly to his shoulders. 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 had 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.
He doesn’t look like he’s laughing now.
In fact, he looks almost murderous.
Thanatos shifts away from me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she was yours.”
“She’s not.” He doesn’t move, doesn’t take his gaze from the other man. “But she’s not for the taking.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This series continues to evolve in the most delightful of ways, and I cannot thank my readers enough. None of this would be possible without you, and I am so incredibly humbled by your support.
Endless thanks to Mary Altman for always “Yes, and”ing my wild plans. This is my most ambitious book to date, and I would never have dared try it without your support. Can’t wait for the next one!