Page 69 of Hades

I nodded. “Yeah.”

His chuckle was deep, and when he pulled me close and pressed his lips to my hand, the sound pulsed through my body. “I’ll be right here.”

I snuggled closer to his chest and inhaled his earthy scent. “I like having you right here.”

“No place else I wanna be.” He leaned forward, pressing his tantalizing lips to mine with a groan. “Let’s do this.”

I inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, nodding. “Let’s.”

Hades nodded to the prospect handling the music and suddenly the party was plunged into silence. “Raven and I have an announcement to make.”

“Too late,” Gio called out. “We already know you guys are together, because we, you know, have eyes.”

I laughed to myself and Hades glared at him.

“We’re not just together,” he said with that smile that was just for me. “We’re having a baby.”

There was a beat of silence and then thunderous applause, loud cheers and back smacking hugs that stole my breath. It was a relief, knowing everyone was happy for us. But as my brother approached, I held my breath.

“Pregnant.” He let the word hang in the air for a long beat, his gaze bouncing between me and Hades, and then his face split into a grin. “I’m gonna be an uncle!” The smile that lit his face was so big I couldn’t help but lunge forward and hug him tight.

“You’re gonna be an uncle.” I squeezed tight. “You’re gonna be the best uncle, even with your mouth.”

He laughed and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “I’m happy for you, sis. If you have to be with someone, at least I know he’s a good dude and I won’t have to smash his face in if he steps out of line.” Falcon hugged me the way he used to when I was a little girl. It always made me squirm and squeal with delight, even as I tried to get away. “But if he talks to me about your sex life, I will maim him.”

“Don’t worry,” Hades added with a huff of laughter.

I buried my face in his chest and let out a loud, body shaking laugh. “Does that mean you don’t want to know about this thing he does with his—”

“I’m not listening to that shit, Raven. Not ever. Please, fuck!”

I laughed again and shoved at his chest. “I was just gonna say he’s handy with his hands. Like around the house. He put a crib together last weekend.”

“What can I say? I’m a man of many talents,” Hades said, giving his eyebrows a wiggle.

Falcon rolled his eyes at that, then they clinked their beer bottles together and shared a long gaze that said so many things, none of which I could decipher before they broke apart, and Falcon joined Viv at the bar.

Hades finished off his beer and handed it to a passing prospect before wrapping his arms around me. “Are you happy, Raven? Really and truly happy?”

I didn’t even need to think about that answer. “Absolutely! Happier than I ever thought I would be.”

“Good, because I am deliriously fucking happy with you. It’s kinda fucked, to be this happy. Right?”

I laughed. “I know, right!” I shook my head and ran my fingers through his hair. “I thought it was just me.”

“Nope.” He pressed a kiss to my lips that was soft at first but grew more heated with every swipe of his tongue.

It was crazy, just how quickly he made me lose my mind and forget myself. When my man pulled back with a grunt, I was dizzy and smiling. “I am disgustingly happy with you.”

He laughed, holding me close to whisper in my ear. “You sure you don’t want to be out in the world, now that you’re free to go anywhere you want?”

I shook my head. “I’m beyond sure. Right here with you is exactly where I want to be.” I hooked my fingertips into his waistband and stared deep into his eyes. “All my life, all I wanted is this. Someone who saw all of my ugly parts and my crazy parts, and who still wants to be here at my side.”

He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and kissed my forehead. “Babe, trust me when I tell you that you don’t have any ugly parts. I’ll have a word with anyone who disagrees with me. Just point them out.”

“My own personal bodyguard, huh?”

“Damn straight, darlin’.” He hugged me tight before pulling back to kiss the tip of my nose. “I’m fond as fuck of this body and I will guard it with my life for as long as I have breath in my fucking lungs.”