Page 14 of Hades

Simon clucked his tongue.

“That’s too bad.”

I flicked an irritated glance at him as I put the cake into the oven and set the timer.

“You don’t sound the least bit disappointed.”

Simon shrugged.

“I’m not looking forward to meeting this guy, but I’m sorry he didn’t show up. For your sake.”

I raised my eyebrows with surprise.

“That’s generous of you to say.”

He shrugged and looked away.

“I might have gagged a little bit. Made me nauseous, but I powered through.”

I laughed.

“As a reward for your bravery, you can lick the spoon.”

I passed the batter-covered wooden spoon to Simon and leaned back against the counter next to him. We stood together side by side, shoulders nearly touching.

“What about you?” I asked. “Are you bringing a plus-one to the wedding?”

Simon shook his head.

“Nope. Unless you want to go with me.”

I sighed.

“You’re the most stubborn man I’ve ever met.”

Simon mumbled a noise of agreement. My gaze followed the slick length of his tongue, slowly dragging along the spoon, curling over the edge to get every last crumb of remaining batter.

When he noticed I was watching him, he arched an eyebrow.

“Is something wrong?”

I cleared my throat and shook my head, turning to the sink. A mountain of dirty dishes waited for me.

A brief pause lingered in the air. Then Simon edged closer. I could feel the heat of him at my back. He placed a hand on the counter next to me, leaning in. His breath fanned over the exposed curve of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Do you really think I can’t read you like a book by now, mi amor?” Simon whispered. “If I had to take a wild guess, I’d say sweet, saintly Jenny wants me to take her apart with my fingers and my tongue and my cock—”

A strangled, flustered noise rose in my throat. I hated how easily my body reacted to him when he purred those pet names in my ear. The divorce was supposed to put a stop to these feelings, but they kept creeping in with every flirty comment and lingering glance.

Desperate to cover my ass, I reached over and snatched the wooden spoon from Simon’s grip, shoving it into the sink.

“If you could actually read me like a book, Simon, you would see it written all over my face that you better feed our children a real healthy meal for dinner instead of popcorn and ice-cream.”

He huffed a laugh and brushed a fleeting kiss to my shoulder. My stomach flip-flopped with anticipation, but it was just a brief gesture of familiarity and nothing more.

“Good luck with the cake, honey,” Simon said. “If you need anything else, call me, and I’ll be here as soon as I can.”

I watched as Simon herded Mia and Casey out the door while they babbled with excitement. Casey darted ahead and Mia held Simon’s hand, taking hurried steps to match his long-legged strides.