Page 46 of The Games Gods Play
“Yes, but only for…”
He pauses long enough that I glance up, meeting his glittering gaze directly for the first time this morning. Something I’ve been avoiding until now. “For?”
“Pleasure.”
Good grief, the slide of that word on his tongue. The wicked, teasing light in his eyes is too much to handle this early in the day. Not to mention I’ve been doing everything I can to not think about his gift since it happened.
Only now, all I can think about is that kiss. About the way his tongue felt brushing against mine. And if the swirling in his eyes is any indication, he’s thinking about the exact same thing.
23
Breakfast Of Champions
“Must be nice,” I offer, then go back to keeping my head down and eating my breakfast.
A minute later, he sits next to me at the island, his own plate piled high. “How do you know how to cook?” he asks.
“In the den, we take turns manning the kitchen and eat buffet style. First come, first served.” During very specific hours, and then all the food is locked away. You snooze, you starve.
“Even the bosses cook?”
“You’re quite chatty this morning,” I grouse.
“It’s worth getting to know my champion’s skills, strengths, and weaknesses, don’t you think?”
I’d honestly rather he not. “The bosses are pledges who paid off their debts and earned the right not to do anything they don’t want to.”
“I see. Do you plan to earn that privilege?”
My stomach twists, my palms suddenly sweaty. I really don’t want to explain that I’ve already paid off my debt—I just have nowhere else to go. I stare at the eggs on my fork and hope he doesn’t catch the slight tremble in my voice. “I enjoy cooking.”
An awkward silence settles between us as I try my damnedest to ignore him. Until he hooks a foot in my stool and tugs me around to face him, his legs bracketing my knees, and he’s close enough that instead of breakfast I smell…him. Bitter dark chocolate.
I’ve always had a thing for chocolate.
Hades doesn’t speak, just stares.
I stare back, fork miraculously still piled with my bite of eggs suspended in the air. With a glare, I stuff the bite in my mouth and rebelliously chew, then swallow. “Is there a reason for making me gaze adoringly upon your magnificence while I eat?”
Horrible choice of words. I wait for some sort of comment about how adoring him was bound to happen sooner or later, or how nice it is that I finally recognize his magnificence.
It’s a good thing I finished that bite of eggs, though, because I definitely would have choked on it when he says, “I may take you up on that veiled challenge to make you do exactly that.”
Could he? I mean with his powers, not just the raw-magnetism thing he has going? “You don’t fool me.” I brave it out. “You’re not Aphrodite.”
After another tension-pulsing pause, his lips quirk. “Thank the Titans for that much, at least.”
I let out a silent breath and immediately suck it right back in as he continues to keep me here, only now his gaze changes, turns more intense, his eyes a pure, radiant silver in the sunlight. “And to answer your earlier question…maybe I enjoy gazing at you, my star.”
Holy hellhounds. This is more than a poor mortal should have to deal with. I keep forgetting who and what he is—I really should just keep my mouth shut and my head down around this god.
But if I lower my gaze now, he wins. So instead, I crook an eyebrow. “I mean, I know I’m cute and all, but falling for me is probably a bad idea.”
Not that he could. This might be the first time I’ve forgotten that. Even for a second.
“We don’t want things to get awkward,” I add, tone nonchalant.
He smiles—a real one—and the impact is like a strike to the chest. Those hidden dimples appear as a laugh escapes him.
