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Hadrian then took my hand and we resumed walking. It took a while to reach his manor from the back, but the long, somewhat tiring walk (was this another menopausal symptom or did I just need to work out more?) was worth it.
The rainbow-colored pool sparkled before me, and I couldn't help but sigh at just how exquisite it looked. I bent down and dipped my fingers into the water. I pulled my hand out, and a delighted giggle escaped me as I watched various colors run down my fingers.
Rising to my feet, I told Hadrian teasingly, "You should've told me to bring more bikinis."
"No need. Amazon delivers to the Underworld," Hadrian deadpanned.
"But since you didn't..." I reached for the hem of my dress.
Hadrian's gaze narrowed. "Saoirse..."
My dress was already on the sand, along with my bra.
"Dammit, Saoirse—-"
And now I was naked.
"Race you to the water!"
But of course it wasn't a race at all. I was only waist-deep when I heard a powerful splash behind me, and the next thing I knew a naked Hadrian was already spinning me around to face him.
I locked my legs around his waist underwater and laughed upon seeing the chagrined look on his gorgeous face.
"At least give me a warning first," Hadrian said gruffly, "so I can make sure no one else sees you naked."
"So possessive," I teased. "You're lucky I think it's rather hot—-" I didn't get to say anything else, with Hadrian already kissing me.
Oh God.
My eyelids drifted close as his tongue pushed inside of my mouth and my tongue stroked inside of his. His erection began to throb against my belly, and I could only whimper as he finally slid inside of me. I felt full and aching all at once, and I bit his shoulder as he began to move.
Aaaaah.
It was so, so good.
He always felt so good.
This always felt so good.
But it wasn't perfect like before, and I found myself fighting back tears of frustration—-
Please. Please. Please.
Hadrian's breath had become harsh.
"Saoirse..."
And then he was coming...all on his own.
HADRIAN CARRIED ME out of the water and gently lowered me to my feet when we reached dry land. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"Yup." So I couldn't make myself come. Big deal. This was only temporary, right?
I tried to convince myself of this, but the moment I turned away and started dressing myself, tears rushed down my cheeks—-
Hadrian wrapped his arms around me from behind, and I found myself crying harder.
"I'm s-sorry," I choked out. "I know I'm b-being silly."
Hadrian turned me around to face him. "You seemed to have forgotten that all of this is happening because you fell in love with me." His voice was wonderfully calm and practical, and I so needed to hear him speak just like that. But more than anything else, the words itself were magic—-
A hiccup escaped me, and Hadrian's lips twitched.
"I just hate being like this," I muttered.
"It is the same for me, milady. If there was a way for me to bear this for you—-"
I shot him a horrified look. "Don't even think about it." Since magic existed in his world, I was pretty sure there was a way for us to swap places and all, but the price for such a spell probably wasn't worth it. I'd rather do as Dr. Ace recommended and let nature take its course.
Hadrian tipped my chin up. "Just promise me one thing. Don't try to hide anything from me. Don't pretend. If you're feeling silly, then be silly with me. If you want to pick a fight with me, go ahead. I just don't want you to ever feel or think you're alone in this. Because you're not."
I was crying again by the time he finished speaking. "You've been lying to me from the start, haven't you?" I sobbed out in accusation. "You can't possibly be the Lord of the Underworld! Not when you're so good at smooth-talking women like that!"
Hadrian started grinning, but I didn't give a damn. I knew the world's worst menopause was making me ramble like an idiot, but I didn't give a damn either.
"You're really Eros in disguise, aren't you?"
Hadrian threw his head back with a laugh.
"Admit it! Or maybe you're a womanizer like Zeus—-"
"Excuse me."
I stopped talking the moment I saw Mira standing at the foot of the steps leading up to the castle. She looked out of breath, her hair was a complete mess, and she had smudges of soot on her face.
Unfortunately, it did nothing to detract from her still-annoyingly-beautiful looks.
"I apologize for interrupting your lovers' quarrel," Mira began.
"We weren't quarreling," I countered sharply. And we weren't. Right?
"—-but I'm afraid we have a problem."
Chapter Five
Just like the rest of the Underworld, the inside of Hadrian's manor was bright and sunny (even without any actual sun shining down on us). We didn't even have a roof, but since I didn't think it ever rained here, I supposed that wasn't a problem.
