Dionysus (Hades Series #1.5)

Chapter Twenty-Five - Dionysus

"Why, were the last two days hard for you?"

"Yes dollface." I groan, tipping her chin up with my finger until she's looking at me. "Having you angry enough to ignore me was some fresh form of torture. I don't plan on repeating that experience any time soon."

"I know. Staying angry at you was the hardest thing I've ever done too. Because..." She bites her lip. "I think I'm falling in love with you too Spencer, and pretending like I didn't care, or that I didn't want you in my life was agony."

"Then let's promise to never do that again." I declare with a wide grin. "Including all the times in the future I screw up."

She raises her eyebrows at me. "Are you trying to reassure me? Because you're not doing a very good job."

"I'm not trying to reassure you Kenzie. Trust me, telling you that I'm going to screw up in the future is not a reassurance." I chuckle. "Because that's just it. I will screw up. I'm the god of fricking wine, wilderness and partying; if I wasn't a compulsive screw up then I'm doing something wrong."

"Everyone screws up Spencer; we wouldn't be human if we did." She replies quietly.

"True." I agree, pulling her to her feet as I stand up. "But I need the reassurance that you won't just jump to conclusions without letting me explain first. Because dollface, I can promise you right now that I will screw up; but never on purpose. I don't ever want to hurt you. I meant what I said. I love you Kenzie Merron, and I'll be damned if I ever stop loving you."

A great big stunning smile breaks out on her face. "And you're sure that big, important manly ego of yours is still intact after that big, sappy speech?"

"You know, I think it'll be okay as long as you do one thing for me." I smirk.

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

"What?" She furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

"Just close your goddamn eyes Kenzie." I huff in frustration, rolling my eyes at her. "God, way to ruin a precious moment."

She peers me suspiciously for a few seconds with a small smile on her face, but obediently closes her eyes anyway. As soon as her eyelids flutter shut I grin and cup her cheeks, bringing her lips up to meet mine.

Kenzie melts into the kiss, taking a step closer to me. My hands slowly skim down her arms to rest on her hips, and she shivers slightly. I pull her flush up against me. She wraps her arms tight around my neck and she kisses me back with a fevered frenzy, pouring every bit of frustration and anger into that kiss. The passion between us in that moment is as fiery as an erupting volcano, and suddenly takes over everything as destructively fast as red-hot lava.

It's a completely different pace to last time, and I think it makes me fall in love with her a little bit more right then and there.

Evie wolf-whistles loudly from where I'd left her down the beach, letting out a loud hoot. Kenzie and I reluctantly break apart, looking at each other and bursting out into laughter.

"Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is what humans commonly call a passionate speech." Evie says with a wide grin, skipping over to us. Persephone follows closely behind, strikingly a lot more silent. Evie claps me on the back. "I gotta say Spence, I didn't think you had that in you. Who knew that Spencer the stoic was a closet romantic poet?"

"Yeah, I lied to you before dollface." I sigh dramatically, slinking my arms around Kenzie's middle and pulling her back flush up against my chest. "My manly ego may never recover from this."

"Maybe I should leave then, let you repair your oh-so-precious ego." She says seriously, leaning into my chest.

"Ha. Hilarious."