Even thinking that feels like a disservice to him. Being with him was hardly a chore. I loved—love—him. But there’s always been a secret part of me that felt stifled by what we had. I’ll never admit as much aloud, and certainly never to him, but it’s the truth.
I finish Pandora’s dress and can’t stop myself from touching the bare spot just above it. “There.”
She releases a shaky breath and turns to face me. “I’m not some club you can beat Theseus with. He’s my best friend, and I won’t hurt him.”
“Of course not,” I agree easily. “I would never ask that of you.” I don’t need her to agree to hurt him when her presence will serve the same purpose.
That’s not the full truth, though. I am curious about this sparkling woman who lives among the snakes of Minos’s household. She caught my eye at the disastrous house party a few weeks ago, a bloom that stands apart. I doubt she knows much about Minos’s plan, but that’s fine. I want to know about her.
Best our information can tell, she was raised in the same orphanage as Hephaestus. Apollo couldn’t find much info about it, other than that it was named after some historical figure from Aeaea, and it was shut down abruptly a few years ago.
When Minos brought Hephaestus into his household, Pandora came with him. I had thought maybe something insidious was going on there, but Minos appears to mostly ignore her and no one has found evidence to contradict that. Which means she’s there for Hephaestus.
And that is just as interesting as the fact that my husband seems to genuinely value her above all others.
I give her my most charming smile. “I would like to get to know you. Show you around.”
She laughs and starts for the door. “Don’t lie to me. You want to parade me around and stir up trouble for him.”
Well, yeah. I can appreciate that she sees right through me, even if it’s inconvenient. I follow her down the hall. This will be my only chance. If I don’t hook her here…
What?
There are other people I can leverage in Olympus. The important part is humiliating Hephaestus and undermining his power. I don’t need Pandora, specifically, to do that. Yes, she’s the most likely to drive my dear husband into a blackout rage, which is personally entertaining for me, but as far as the public is concerned, the identity of my lovers matters less than the fact they exist.
None of that makes any difference right now. I want her. I’m not willing to let her walk away just yet.
“There are no cameras in Hades’s little playground.” I’m speaking too fast, but she’s almost to the front door. “We’ll arrive separately and leave separately. No one talks about what goes on in there unless they want to run the risk of never being invited back.” The exception, of course, is when Hades or Persephone wants to spread information about a certain pairing or activity, but they use that power sparingly.
Pandora slows. “Why are you so invested in this?” There’s something there, a thread of curiosity in her voice.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I wait for her to twist to look at me. That same curiosity is there on her face, and it’s the only motivation I need to take one step after another, closing the distance between us. I don’t stop until her back hits the door and one deep breath will press her breasts against me. “I want you.”
Her jaw drops, but she recovers quickly. “I told you not to lie to me.”
“I never lie when pleasure is involved.” I twist a strand of her hair around my finger and laugh a little at her disbelief. “Okay, that was a lie, but I know you felt that little zing when we kissed at Minos’s party.” I lean down, gratified when she tilts her head back, almost as if she can’t help herself. I lower my voice. “I bet if I kissed you right now, we’d feel that zing again.”
She shakes her head, but her response is slower this time, her gaze lingering on my mouth. “I appreciate the offer, but—”
“Do they have kink clubs in Aeaea?”
“They have kink clubs everywhere, Aphrodite. They’re not mythical places.”
The fact that she’s still here, arguing with me, is promising. She knows she shouldn’t say yes, but there’s something in her that wants to. I force myself to slow down, to look at the angles.
I want her. I think she wants me, too. But she’s too stubborn to say yes for something as simple as lust. Even if it’s clear she’s fighting not to reach for me right now. Yes, she felt that connection. I’m sure of it.