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“Oh, you had someone read to you? Who?”
Hades swallowed. “It’s not—”
“Something you like to talk about?” Eloise smiled. “There’s not much one can talk to you about, is there?”
“No. Generally, I do not like talking at all.” Eloise stepped closer, curious to know more about this enigmatic man. “And people do not like talking to me either,” he added, his voice hoarse.
“Hm, I wonder why,” she said in a breathy voice.
The memory of last night’s kiss invaded her mind. Why had he come here? After running off last night as if bitten, she hadn’t expected him to just brazenly walk back in as if nothing had happened.
He cleared his throat. “I finished early in the hell today and was walking to my room when I heard the noise coming from the library. Couldn’t walk past. And when I started listening, I couldn’t leave without hearing the end. You have quite a talent.”
Eloise’s cheeks heated. This was the first compliment she’d received since being here. “Do I? I just enjoy reading.”
“Well, that is the talent, isn’t it?” He asked, sounding nonchalant. “Enjoying to read and conveying that enjoyment to others.”
Eloise shrugged. “I like to escape to other worlds through books. I get to live a hundred lives through them.”
Hades grunted. “People here seem to like you.”
“I like them too.” Eloise smiled.
“Do you? Because it seemed like you were having trouble with them the first night.”
He casually undid his cuffs while speaking and put them on a coffee table beside the fireplace. Then he slowly started rolling the sleeves on his forearms.
Eloise swallowed as the dark, tanned skin appeared beneath the sleeves, then the muscular forearms, beautiful hard lines covered with a dusting of dark hair. Why was it so intriguing for her to watch him uncover a bit of skin? Had she always found men’s forearms arousing? She didn’t think so.
Hades rolled up one sleeve and started uncovering the next one. Eloise couldn’t take her eyes off him. She forced her mind to concentrate on the conversation.
“Well, I did. It certainly takes time to get to know them. And there are bad apples everywhere. But nobody has bothered me since you threatened them.”
She tried for a smile again, but she felt self-conscious in a room alone with him. Why was he here? Would he try to kiss her again? Would she allow him that liberty?
He hadn’t exactly forced his kiss on her the other night. She had been wantonly participating in it, demanding his touch. He was the one who pulled away.
Eloise shook her head. Her thoughts were getting away from her again.
“So, dare I say you are softening to our way of life?”
Am I?Eloise frowned. “I-I do like them as people. I still think what you do here is wrong.”
“And what exactly is it that we do?” Hades briefly raised his brow before returning to his task of rolling up his sleeves.
“You gamble, you whore, you cheat.”
“And is it wrong?” Hades finally finished his task and crossed his arms over his chest.
His muscles now glistened in the light of the fire, and Eloise had trouble concentrating. His long fingers beckoned her to come near and have him touch her, hold her tightly.
“It is very wrong,” Eloise said, although she wasn’t certain if she was answering him or her own wanton thoughts. “Verity showed me a glimpse into the hell, and what I saw, I have to be honest, I did not like. And I am certain there is more that I do not know of.”
“Just because we are criminals doesn’t mean we are in the wrong.”
“Aren’t you?” Eloise cocked her head to the side.
Hades tsked. “And here I thought you were more open-minded than that. You’re talking like a thief-taker’s sister. Black or white, right or wrong. No salvation.”
