Page 236 of Trick or Stalk

I don't even look. I just fucking run.

My lungs burn as I weave between trees, laughter bubbling out of me despite the adrenaline.

Then I hear footsteps, fast and heavy, getting closer.

They’re directly behind me.

“Oh, shit.”

I push harder.

A hand catches the back of my jacket.

I scream.

I’m spun around, my back hitting a tree. His hand immediately moves behind my head, cushioning it before it can strike the trunk.

His body cages mine.

It’s Hades.

He’s breathing hard. His eyes are dark and wild.

It shouldn’t be so hot.

But it is.

For several seconds, neither of us speaks.

I stare up at him. This isn't the man who sat beside me last night rubbing Penny's belly.

Except it is. That's what makes my stomach twist deliciously.

Hades's hand is still behind my head. The other rests against my hip.

“Scared?” His voice is rough.

“A little.”

His eyes darken further.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No.”

As if that’s all he needed to hear, his mouth crashes into mine. I grab his sweatshirt and drag him closer.

The kiss is nothing like the ones I've imagined. It's rougher. Hungrier. Like he's been holding something back since the moment we met and finally decided he's done pretending.

His hand tightens on my hip.

I moan against his mouth.

Hades pulls back just enough to look at me. “Still good?”

“Yes.”

He kisses me again. My fingers slide into his hair. He makes a low sound in his throat that sends heat straight between my legs.