Aphrodite kept Gideon ensnared in the kiss, her embrace something that he could not, would not deny, until the gut-wrenching trip from Under to Above was complete, the ground beneath their feet solid and warm from the blazing sun that cut through the smog to light her garden. The sun was the same shared by those sweltering fools throwing their money away in Sin City, but under their feet lay a lush carpet of freshly cut grass, and lush plantings filled out the spaces not occupied by fountains and waterfalls, the glittering gem of the swimming pool like something found in an imagined paradise.
Hand on Gideon's chest, Aphrodite broke the kiss only when the dead heart under her palm thundered to life, and when dazed blue eyes opened, it was to her smile. "Welcome back, Gideon, darling."