7th Circle (Hades Book 1)

by Tate James

  His lips curled in a grin. "I might have done some studying this morning. Seemed like a smart thing to do when I'm about to start working for the infamous, terrifying Hades herself."

  I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling. "You're not," I corrected. "You're working for Copper Wolf Enterprises. I just happen to be the sole director of that company."

  He nodded slowly, actually taking note of this information. It was public knowledge, though, so I wasn't risking anything by filling him in.

  "And the Timberwolves?" he asked, vaguely confused.

  "Are mine too. But Copper Wolf will be your employer because you're front of house staff." I tilted my head to the side, letting that information soak in.

  Understanding dawned. "Ah, and Timberwolves run things back of house, then?"

  I smiled. Copper Wolf owned and ran all the legitimate businesses—like my vodka brand and the bars and the strippers within them—while the Timberwolves ran everything else, taking a cut of all drug sales within Copper Wolf venues and running what were easily the most high-class and exclusive escort services in the country—among other, less glamorous aspects of gang life. I liked to keep my fingers in every pie possible, with the exception of those I'd traded to Archer D'Ath for his help five years ago.

  Yes, both entities were run by me, but keeping them separated on paper was what had let my wolves fly under the radar for so long. For the better part of five years, people have thought the Timberwolves were extinct, but I’ve always known that can't last forever.

  Silence extended between us, but for some reason it wasn't uncomfortable. Neither one of us felt the urge to fill the gap with idle chatter, and he seemed just as content as me to soak in the building sexual tension.

  Lucas pushed off the counter where he'd been leaning and took just one step closer, eliminating almost all of the space separating us. "Well, whoever he is, he's a fucking idiot."

  It took me a second to follow his train of thought back to the Reaper-owned bar and the man I was supposed to be making jealous by fucking Lucas in the back room.

  He wasn't wrong, though. That had definitely been a motivating factor.

  "How so?" I murmured, gripping the counter behind me and tilting my head back to look up at him. Damn, he was tall or I was small or... both. Even with my stilettos on, I was craning my neck with him so close.

  He brushed his fingertips over my décolletage then gently gripped my chin as he bent closer. "Because only an idiot would say no to you, Hayden. But I'm glad he did."

  My breath caught as he touched his lips to mine. It was a gentle kiss, like he was asking permission, yet the way he still held my chin in his grip said he wasn't actually asking. And I was more than okay with that.

  The second my lips parted, he deepened the kiss. His fingers released my chin, but only so his hand could cup my face, holding me captive as he kissed the breath out of me and left me trembling with need.

  "Sorry," he murmured in a husky voice, his huge palm still cupping my face and his lips only an inch from mine. "I needed to do that."

  I let out a small laugh. My hands were still gripping the edge of the marble at my back, but my whole damn body was pressed up against him like a magnet. "Needed to?"

  He nodded. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the moment you walked out of your office last night. Just now, standing here and talking to you, I thought I was going to die if I didn't kiss you soon."

  "Well fuck," I teased on a low chuckle. "I've killed men plenty of different ways, Lucas, but that'd be a first."

  His lips curved in a wide grin, and his eyes seemed to take in every millimeter of my face. "Don't joke; I'm serious. The need to touch you is..." He trailed off, sobering as he shook his head. "Sorry, I'm probably freaking you out now." He dropped his hand from my face and took one tiny step backward, creating a vacuum of air between our bodies.

  Weirdly, though, he wasn't freaking me out in the least because that was exactly how I was feeling, too.

  My red lipstick was faintly smeared over his mouth, and it only seemed to make him even sexier. I had only invited him over for one thing, and it sure as fuck wasn't conversation. So I reached out and started unbuttoning his shirt, slowly, holding his heated gaze as I worked.

  "I wouldn't want to risk you dying on me," I informed him with a tiny smirk. "It'd be way too hard to explain to my cleanup crew, and I'd rather not have them inside my personal space."

  His shirt was a soft linen thing, rolled up casually at the sleeves and not tucked into his jeans. So when I finished the buttons, it was easy enough to push it off his shoulders and leave his whole upper body bare.

  Lucas caught my hand as I trailed my fingers over his chest, tugging me closer once more and bringing his lips back to mine.

  "You're something else, Hayden," he murmured against my mouth some moments later when we were both breathing heavily and his jeans strained tight between us.

  I let out a low chuckle. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Lucas.”

  “It’s definitely intended as one,” he replied before kissing me again hungrily. His hands ran down my body, tugging at my clothes, then stripping my red silk camisole off in a smooth motion that barely even paused our kiss a second.

  As badly as I was tempted to fuck him right there in my kitchen, I really didn’t want to run the risk of Seph coming home early and walking in on us. So I pried myself away with monumental effort and shot him a wild grin.

  “Come on; I’ll show you my room.” It was such a teenager thing to say, but it amused me. I’d been largely robbed of my teenage years. My father had sent me to a training camp for killers before I even hit puberty, then I foolishly ended up engaged to my first boyfriend before I was even fifteen. I grew up way too fast, but something about Lucas made me feel young again. Carefree and impulsive. I loved it.

  He followed eagerly as I led the way through my huge apartment. With a flourish, I pushed open the double doors to my suite and indicated for him to enter. He didn’t hesitate, heading directly across to my Alaskan king bed—easily as large as two normal king-size beds—while I closed and locked my bedroom doors. There was no way I was letting my little sister mess with my afternoon fuck date.

  “Is this why you wanted me to come over this afternoon?” Lucas asked with a lopsided smile. He sat on the foot of my bed, leaning back on his strong, tanned arms as I unzipped my skirt and let it pool at my feet.

  I tilted my head to the side, admiring the sight of him on my bed. Zed was the only guy who’d ever been in this room, and that had been purely platonic.

  “Would you be offended if I said yes?” I stepped out of my skirt, walking towards him in just my matching black lace underwear and shiny Louboutin heels.

  He watched me like a starving animal, and his breath sped up as I stopped between his spread legs. “No,” he answered in a hoarse voice. “Not at all. I hate that some other guy is under your skin, but I’m happy to reap the rewards.”

  I barked a sharp laugh, shaking my head. “This level of honesty is refreshing, Lucas.” I threaded my fingers into his brunet hair, quietly loving that it was just long enough to tug. “But while we’re being honest, we’ve got to be clear on something.”

  “I know.” He gave a resigned groan. “This can’t be a regular thing because you don’t fuck employees.”

  I nodded, firm on that. Or… firmish, considering the position we were currently in. But he hadn’t technically started work for 7th yet, so…

  Lucas gave a small shrug. “Tuesday is two days away, Hayden. Maybe I’ll get a nice barista job at the new Starbucks across town instead.”

  I couldn’t fight my grin. “And waste all your god-given talent for a fraction of the pay? Wash your mouth out, Lucas.”

  He sighed but sat forward to clasp my hips in his hands. “Fine, then I’d better make this an afternoon you’ll never forget so every time you see me dancing on one of your stages, you’ll know I’m really thinking about all the things I wanna
do to you… but can’t.”

  I groaned at that thought. Fuck. I could never go back to 7th Circle while Lucas was working. My willpower was strong, but Jesus fuck, not that strong. No one’s was.

  His fingers hooked under the band of my panties as his lips caressed my breast, and I shoved all those worries aside. No doubt this was a terrible idea, one that I’d regret later. But I might as well regret it after a few orgasms, not before.

  The soft lace of my thong slid down my legs, and I reached around to unhook my bra. When I was totally naked, I kicked my shoes off and pushed Lucas flat onto my bed. His jeans were straining so tight around his huge erection it took me a bit of effort to unbutton the fly, but it was effort well spent. He was even bigger than I remembered from the back room of Murphy’s, and I sucked in a sharp breath as I took him in my hand.

  “Holy fuck, Hayden,” he hissed as I tightened my grip, marveling at the fact that my fingers and thumb didn’t even connect around his girth.

  “I’m sure I told you not to call me that,” I murmured, stroking his shaft slowly.

  His hips surged, pushing into my hand harder as his breath hitched. “Yeah, but you didn’t mean it.” His lips held a lazy, teasing smile. Fuck, he had a great mouth. Totally kissable.

  So I did just that. Placing one knee to either side of his hips, I leaned down and claimed his mouth in a lingering kiss. His hands found my face, then threaded into my hair in a possessive, slightly controlling way that lit my whole body up with arousal.

  His hard length ground against my core, and I gasped into his kiss. All my plans to take my time and toy with him flew out the window. If I didn’t get his thick dick inside me immediately, I was likely to explode.

  “Fuck,” I muttered, placing my hands on his muscular chest to push up a scarce inch. “Condom. Don’t fucking move.”

  Even though we hadn’t bothered with protection last night, it seemed like a supremely bad idea to simply continue in kind. Not even IUDs were one hundred percent effective, and pregnancy was most definitely not in my plans.

  I climbed off Lucas and left him lying there looking like an angel as I grabbed a condom from my dresser. Just because I never brought guys home didn’t mean I didn’t have them ready to throw in my handbag when I went out. Okay, so my casual hook-ups were rare, but they happened occasionally.

  Lucas watched me with heavy-lidded bedroom eyes as I returned to him and ripped the packet open with my teeth. He tucked his arms behind his head, his gaze following my every movement as I straddled his thighs and smoothly rolled the condom down his impressive length.

  “Holy shit,” I muttered with a laugh, “I need to get some bigger condoms.”

  His brows hitched, and a smile danced over his lips. “Oh yeah?”

  I cringed, then shook my head. “Nope. No, I don’t because this is not going to be a recurring thing.”

  His grin just spread wider, and he grabbed my hips. “We’ll see.”

  In a swift movement he rolled us, taking charge and settling between my spread thighs. His lips moved over my throat as he reached down to position his tip at my cunt and pushed inside ever so slightly.

  “Is this okay?” he asked in a breathless whisper, pausing for… consent? Fuck, he was adorable.

  I nodded quickly. “Yes, fuck yes.” I parted my legs wider and pushed against him, begging for more.

  With that permission, Lucas gave me what I wanted. He didn’t force his way inside with one swift motion; instead, he rocked in with small thrusts, getting deeper with each push until I was panting and thrashing under his body.

  “Hayden,” he whispered with all the reverence of a prayer. “Holy shit.” He buried his face in the crook of my neck, kissing my skin and shifting his position to carry his weight on his bent elbows.

  I just moaned and writhed under him, hooking my ankles together behind him to pull us closer together. I was so full, so stretched, but it was the most insanely exquisite feeling. So, so much better without the haze of drunkenness dulling my senses.

  “Lucas,” I groaned on a sigh, “please…”

  He bit my neck gently, his hips moving in shallow thrusts—enough to drive me wild with anticipation but not give me the rough, hard fuck I wanted.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he confessed, his lips capturing my earlobe.

  I let out a low chuckle, digging my fingers into the flexed muscles of his back. “Trust me, Lucas, you can’t hurt me.”

  He pulled away just far enough to give me a skeptical look, but I held his gaze steady. He had no clue what I’d been through, the shit that had shaped me into the cold, merciless killer I was now. Pain barely even registered on my radar these days, and even if it did, this kind of pain would still be welcomed.

  “I feel like there’s so much more to that statement,” he murmured with a small frown, “but if you’re sure—”

  “I’m sure.” Just to prove my point, I bucked my hips against him and tightened my legs around his waist. “Please, Lucas? Fuck me like you mean it. Break my bed.”

  He let out a bark of laughter, but a challenge flashed in his gorgeous green eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Oh man, this guy was hitting all my buttons. When his mouth met mine again, I knew he was taking me at my word. His tongue tangled with mine, demanding and forceful. A fraction of a second later, his dick slammed into me just the same way. Forceful as fuck.

  I screamed into his kiss but tightened my fingernails against his back before he could panic over hurting me. I wanted everything he had to give, even if it did mean I’d be walking funny tomorrow. Especially if that’s what it meant.

  It didn’t take long for him to work into it, and soon my headboard was banging against the wall loud enough to annoy the neighbors—if I had any. There was no way he’d actually break my bed—it was a seriously solid build—but goddamn, he was giving it a good try.

  Sweat glistened on his body over me, and I couldn’t stop touching him. It was like an addiction, and with every second that passed, every thrust of his perfect cock inside me, I knew it was going to be a rough withdrawal to quit him.

  My orgasm built steadily, not even needing any extra attention on my clit—practically unheard of—and I clung tighter to his body. “Lucas,” I gasped as his teeth found my neck again. “Fuck, I’m gonna come already.”

  “Good,” he whispered back, his voice dark desire in my ear.

  A hard shudder rippled through me. Somehow, hearing his deep voice was all it took to push me over the edge, and my every muscle stiffened. My climax rolled through my whole body, making my back arch, my muscles clench, and my fingers flex on his tight butt. I moaned, long and low, as the ecstasy shuddered through me, making my head spin and my heart race.

  “Holy fuck,” Lucas breathed, his neck and shoulder muscles bunched tight with tension like he was desperately holding off his own climax. “Shit, Hayden, you’re a goddess.”

  I laughed, my body turning to liquid in the wake of my orgasm. But still, I didn’t want to be done yet because when I let Lucas walk out of my apartment, I would have to stand by my word. Nope, I wasn’t ready for that yet. So I rocked under him, wordlessly showing I wanted him to keep going.

  He groaned, then found my lips again and kissed me breathless as he started fucking me hard once more. Then he broke away, breathing hard, and bit his lip.

  “Turn over,” he told me, his chest and biceps flexing as he pushed up.

  Internally, I screamed a protest when his dick withdrew from my aching core, but I quickly did as he wanted, flipping onto my belly, then pushing up on my hands and knees. Excitement fluttered through me at the idea of taking his massive cock from a different position. I was already soaking from my orgasm, so I doubted it would be a problem.

  “Shit,” he cursed as he shuffled to his knees behind me. “Uh, that condom broke.”

  I snorted a laugh, totally unsurprised. “Told you I needed bigger ones.”

  He coughed a chuckle in response, stroking his
hand over my butt cheek, then sliding a finger into my pussy. “I’ll grab another one.”

  “Don’t bother,” I said quickly, then gasped as he slid a second finger into me. His thumb reached forward, finding my swollen clit and teasing it. “I’ve got an IUD and I’m assuming you’d have said something last night if you had a known STI.”

  He didn’t immediately respond, fucking me with his hand for a couple of moments, and I got the feeling he was undecided.

  “Just come on my back,” I told him, “or grab another condom from my dresser. But decide quick, babe.”

  He let out another soft laugh, taking his fingers from my cunt and gripping my hips. “Yes, ma’am.” His decision was clear when he thrust into me, filling me up with one smooth motion and making me moan.

  “Thank fuck,” I whispered, my hands tightening in the bedclothes as he gripped my hips and pulled me harder onto his dick. The new angle was doing incredible things for me, lighting me up in ways I’d never even known were possible, and within no time at all, I could feel sweat trickle down my spine as another climax built.

  My bedroom was filled with the sounds of our rough breathing, small groans and grunts, and the delicious slap of flesh on flesh. When Lucas released one of my hips and reached around to rub my clit, I exploded. I came harder than I could ever remember, and my arms shook, threatening to dump me on my face.

  “Holy crap, Hayden,” Lucas exclaimed as I moaned and writhed, my whole body quaking with wave after wave of pleasure. “Shit, I’m—” He swiftly pulled out, and a split second later his hot load spilled all over my lower back.

  I let my shaking arms give out then, and the two of us collapsed onto my mattress in a tangle of sweaty, sticky limbs. For a moment, neither one of us spoke or even moved. Then Lucas shifted us around until I was cuddled in his arms, totally impervious to the fact that I was slick with his cum.

  Fuck it. If it didn’t bother him, it didn’t bother me. We could shower when we got up.

  “Sorry,” he murmured against my hair after we’d lain there for the longest time.

  I tilted my head back to look up at him. “For what?”