Hades laid awake in his room replaying the events of the day, but mostly he thought about Lexi. She had faced every challenge wholeheartedly, and, when necessary, wrestled it to the ground. With wit and skill, she bantered with anyone fortunate enough to engage her, all while maintaining her graceful stature. She even imposed limits on her fiery temper.

He chuckled to himself, remembering her unintended confession in the living room, which led to her disappearance, which led to their kiss. Even as he brought these moments back as images, his adrenaline surged. He wanted to love her. To protect her. And his chest tightened each time he recalled the scene in the study. How she had cursed her family when they revealed their secret. Then, how she had clung to him when he carried her home. 

The next memory to surface was Lexi climbing into bed. As he tucked her in, he remembered her softly spoken questions as exhaustion pulled her under. Are you using your powers to seduce me? Is this your true form? Will I ever see you again? But the words that resonated most were the ones she spoke just before he closed the door. I don't want to hate you.

Hades couldn't begin to count the times mortals had vowed their hatred for him, and he had long ago built up defenses against their slings and arrows. In his life's work, there was no room for regret or remorse. Yet he knew if Lexi denounced him, the pain would stay with him until he found a way to resolve it.

Was it his need to possess every female he set his sights on that had him so tense, or had Lexi truly affected him in a way few had done before? Persephone was the first goddess to command his heart, and since the day she agreed to be his mate and follow him to the underworld, he had considered only two as worthy consorts, both of whom ultimately rebuffed him. But they were goddesses who knew what they were getting into.

A soft thud echoed from the hallway, distracting Hades from his thoughts. Had someone walked into a wall in their attempt to find the bathroom? He listened keenly in case his help was needed, and his heart stuttered when he heard the sigh of a female outside his door.

Knowing full well who had made the sound, Hades climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants. It would be improper to greet someone in the nude, although the thought had him chuckling. He loved to pull that trick on women.

Hades stowed his smirk as he tugged open the door and stuck his head out. He just caught a glimpse of a figure disappearing around the corner, and the scent of lemon verbena hung in the air. So, he followed the fragrance into the living room where he found Lexi standing in front of the glass door. When she noticed him, she offered a weary smile. Then her mouth fell open slightly as she took in his bare-chested condition.

"I didn't think I would see you again until breakfast," he said. "This is a pleasant surprise." He strolled up beside her and realized the glass did a splendid job of reflecting their faces. They looked quite nice together.

"After you left my room, my mind just wouldn't shut down," she offered. "That's not unusual for me, but this was different." Lexi teased the edge of her lip with her teeth as she turned to look at him. "I was worried if I fell asleep, I wouldn't see you again, and I didn't want you to think I hated you. I came downstairs to tell you that, but I couldn't bring myself to knock on your door."

"Well, I heard your frustrated sigh, and I'm glad I followed my instincts to investigate. I was having trouble sleeping myself, and for the very same reason. What brought you to that conclusion?"

Lexi swayed slightly as she blinked her exhaustion away, and he slipped his hand into hers for support. Without even trying, her touch had his heart racing. "You've given me no reason to hate you. In fact, I feel the opposite of hate when I'm around you. And I know why you couldn't tell me the truth about your identity. So, I don't hold that against you."

"I'm relieved to hear that."

"It's my family who will be facing the firing squad. Including my Uncle Z. I want them to know they've ruined my eighteenth birthday."

"Don't let them ruin it, Lexi. Only you have control over your happiness. Enjoy your birthday like the world is on fire." He paused when he saw her grinning at him. "I stole that quote from a monk and modified it a bit."

"It's an excellent quote." She exhaled deeply, which turned into a yawn. "Can we start fresh? I need you to fill me in on the stuff you had to leave out."

"You can ask me questions for as long as you can stay awake." Hades tugged her toward the couch, and she immediately curled into him, resting her cheek on his chest. Could she hear his rapid heartbeat? Did she know it was her closeness that made it beat that way? After a few minutes of listening to her soft respirations, he thought she might have drifted off.

"When I asked about your job..." she said, releasing her words in a whispered rush. "You said you help people make end of life decisions. How true is that?"

"I believe it to be true. It is my job to help mortals transition from the life they know to the afterlife. Many of them are confused, and some don't even realize they're dead. Each one requires a different approach to help them move on."

"What happens when you're not there to help them? Like now."

"There are other gods who assist. Hecate often takes up the post. Then there's Melinoe and Thanatos, although neither are gifted in compassion or subtlety. You're familiar with these gods, I'm sure." He pointed to a bookshelf crowded with various mortal renditions of his history. The stories were half-truths, at best. If only he could show Lexi the texts the gods kept. "Despite a few grievous exaggerations due to mortal ignorance, many gods and their duties are accurately represented."

Lexi giggled, which came out muffled against his chest. Had he said something funny? "Do you like your job?" she asked.

"It took some time, but I eventually realized the benefits of being a god greatly outweighed the sacrifices I make to uphold my post. The underworld is not the dark and gloomy place depicted by mortals. There are fields and rivers and wildlife, and I have made peace with it."

"So... besides your interest in skinny dipping in the ocean, why do you visit our world? Would you say it's because you enjoy interacting with humans who are still living?"

"Yes. That is exactly why I do it." Hades smiled at her brilliant insight. Then he leaned down and kissed her cheek without muddling the moment with forethought. She tasted of the sea.

"Is this your true form? I've read that gods can change forms." Lexi exhaled her question at his ear, and her voice came out breathy, like she was worried about the answer. 

"Yes. This is my true form. I will always maintain the health and vitality of a twenty-five-year old in mortal years, but I can assume the form of a dog as well. Which comes in handy during my visits to Tartarus."

"So, Tartarus is real too? I think I'll skip the pits of hell conversation." Lexi peered sheepishly up at him through her bangs. "That was completely insensitive of me. I'm sorry."

He swept a strand of hair off her face and gave her temple a swift peck. "I'm not offended. Everyone calls it hell. Even I do, sometimes. Do you have any other burning questions for me?"

"Yes... but it's..." She hesitated, delaying the promise of her inquiry and making it feel more urgent. "Are you using your powers to seduce me?"

Of course, Lexi needed to know if she was being taken advantage of. And Hades was not surprised by her reluctance to ask. "All gods share enhanced qualities that set them apart from mortals, like our ability to command attention just by being in the room, our heightened senses, and our natural inclination to excel at every task we undertake. These are traits of being a god. But I do not possess a specific power that can persuade you to do anything against your will. Whatever feelings you have toward me are purely your own."

Lexi exhaled as if she had been holding her breath all day. "I should have led with that question."

Hades stifled his laughter. "You are one of a kind, Lexi. And I don't say that to just anyone."

"Ditto." She lifted her head to grin at him. "If you promise not to disappear before breakfast, I think I might be able to sleep now."

"That will be an easy promise to keep."

Hades wished he could hold Lexi until the sun kissed the horizon, but he knew that was not to be. Not tonight, anyway. He stood from the couch before pulling Lexi to her feet, and she stepped into his arms. He held her close, drinking in her scent and absorbing her warmth where it touched his bare skin.

"I like to feel your heartbeat against my face," she said. "It makes you seem more human."

"You bring out the human in me, which is a precarious position for a god. But, with you, I don't mind."

Lexi gave no indication she wanted to leave his arms, and her body grew warmer the longer she lingered there. Or maybe that was him. "I wish we didn't have to sleep apart tonight."

She spoke her desire on a whisper, but Hades heard it loud and clear, and he squeezed his eyes shut, cursing his earlier promise to Lexi's family. His hunger for her was strong, and he felt her arousal in the firmness of her nipples beneath her cotton shirt. Of course, the fact that Lexi was seducing him rather than the other way around would not hold up in Z's court. And there would be no honor in taking Lexi now in her exhausted and vulnerable state.

"I wish that more than you can imagine," he told her. "But I promised your family I would simply watch over you tonight, and sleeping together would be far from simple. However, there is always tomorrow."

PLAYLIST SONG: There Goes My Baby by Usher

https://youtu.be/RpnuG5iAP34