Page 141 of The Gods Forbid

Sebastian stalked toward me, and I had nowhere to go. “A little dramatic, don’t you think?”

I shook my head, breaking eye contact and looking at the floor. “I don’t want to talk to you right now.” I needed time.

Time I wouldn’t get, apparently, because Sebastian’s warm palms cradled my face and forced me to look at him. “Persy, love.”

“No, Sebastian,” I said, wrenching out of his grip and jumping around him, fully intending to head for the door. “I have to take care of myself right now.”

“I thought I did a fine job of it last night,” Sebastian said with a scoff.

I whipped around to face him. “That was a one time thing.”

Sebastian’s nostrils flared, and he looked seconds away from lunging at me. “Look me in the eye and say that shit again.”

I forced myself to hold his eyes, though I was tempted to get lost in the watercolor there. “That was a one time thing.” Sebastian gaped, his head tilting as a ragged exhale left him. “Because you’re leaving,” I continued. “It would be stupid for us to start anything knowing it has an expiration date.”

“Who said it does?” Sebastian shot back, his own voice rising to a near yell. His words made my heart stutter with hope, but I had to get my body in check.

“You’re smarter than that and we both know it,” I countered. Having to verbalize this to him was ripping my heart in half. “You can’t stay here. Six months and you’re done. Unless you’re going to try and convince me you’d be okay staying this far away from the sun? From your power?”

He’d never lied to me. No matter how much his words would hurt, I braced for them.

I didn’t expect him to laugh. I didn’t expect him to stalk towards me, backing me into the wall. “Don’t you see, love? I already solved that problem. I simply brought the sun here.”

My breath seized in my lungs. “Why would you do that?”

Sebastian leaned down, speaking the words against my lips. “Why do you think, Persephone?”

I released a shaky gasp against his mouth, pressing my lips to his for just a second, helpless. “So, you could stay?”

“I’m going to stay,” he said, his hands coming up to grip my face roughly. “And you’re going to learn how to delegate some responsibility so I can take you home with me to Delphi.”

“I think I could do that,” I said, honestly quite confused how I was still standing. This was everything I’d dreamed he’d say. Everything I foolishly hoped for. “I liked Delphi a lot.”

Sebastian pressed a firm kiss to my mouth. “I know you did, love.”

Suddenly, my eyes started to feel a bit misty, not fully understanding the entire force of what was happening. “You made the sun come here?”

“I think it happened subconsciously, but yes,” Sebastian said. My knees buckled under the full weight of that gesture. “I have a feeling you’ll be going from a few hours of daylight to a few hours of moonlight, I’m afraid.”

“I don’t mind,” I said, unable to do anything but smile against his mouth. “It’s just more of you.”

That statement exposed more than I wanted, damn near confessing I was in love with him. Sebastian didn’t seem to care all that much, because his mouth came down on mine hard, melting me into the door.

“I wasn’t done with you this morning,” Sebastian said in between kisses, his hands skating over my limbs.

“I was scared,” I confessed against his mouth. “It felt too intense.”

“It is intense,” Sebastian returned, sounding actually pleased about that. His hands threaded in my hair, and he pulled back slightly to look at it. “You realize what this is, right?” he said, twisting my hair and yanking me closer to him.

“What?” I said, clinging onto him. I didn’t want to guess and embarrass myself.

Sebastian grinned wickedly, his other hand cradling my jaw. “Sunlight incarnate, love. Your hair might as well be an extension of my power.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” I breathed, collapsing against his body and pressing my lips against him.

“You’re relieved?” Sebastian asked, voice somewhat thick.

I nodded, smiling against his lips. “I really didn’t like the thought that the painting was someone else.” Even saying the words, I couldn’t quite believe it was me.