Aphrodite's Passion by Julie Kenner Page A

that.” He lifted the hood of her car and propped it up, then turned back to face her, his eyes smoldering. “I bet you’re very, very good at everything.”
    Okay. He won. No way could she compete with this guy in a flirting contest. As she concentrated on standing up straight, her cheeks burned from what had to be a blush worthy of the record books. She’d better get this conversation back on business. “Um ... so, it is the battery, right?”
    As she nodded toward the engine, she thought she detected a glimmer of disappointment in his eyes, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared. “I’ll know in just a sec.”
    In about twelve efficient movements, he’d made it back to his Ferrari, climbed in, and pulled up in front of her car. A few more mechanical-guy-type actions and he had the jumper cables hooked up between the batteries. To Tracy’s delight, the macho-guy routine required him to bend over the hood, and she got quite a nice view.
    “All done,” he said, standing back up.
    “You’re speedy.”
    “Believe me, sweetheart, I can also go slow.” His dimple made a quick appearance, then he got serious again. “Now hop in and see if you can start her up.”
    She did, and the Nova hummed to life. Sticking her head out the open door, she flashed him her winningest smile. “You’re wonderful.”
    “Glad you think so. Drive it around for a bit so it can build a charge back up.”
    “I will.” A moment of awkward silence. “Thanks.”
    Their eyes met for a brief, heart-stopping, delightful second. Tracy said a silent prayer that he would ask her out for coffee, and then immediately took it back. Sometimes it was nicer to live with a fantasy. In a fantasy, they’d spend the evening together, then head down in his Ferrari to the beach, where they’d walk together in the surf as the sun set against the horizon. Perfect. In reality, she’d probably spill coffee all over herself and not have a single interesting thing to say.
    “I’ll be seeing you around, Tracy,” the man said, unhooking the cables and taking a step back toward his car.
    “Mmmm-hmmm...” As her fantasy dissolved, she caught herself nodding like an idiot, then jumped out of her car and rushed toward him. “Wait!”
    Curiosity and amusement reflected in his eyes as he turned back to her.
    “You don’t work for the show. What are you doing around here?”
    “Just my job.”
    “Your job?” As far as she could tell, he hadn’t done anything more than jump-start her car. “What job?”
    “Helping damsels in distress, of course.”
    “Oh.” For a second there, she even believed him. Then she saw his grin and rolled her eyes. “Sorry. Guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Never mind my question. Thank you. I really appreciate your help.”
    “Anytime.”
    And with that, he turned around and headed for his Ferrari. The view of him leaving proved to be just as enticing as the eyeful she’d gotten while he’d been under the hood. With some effort, Tracy managed to stifle a sigh.
    Maybe the cosmos was on her side after all. Certainly this anonymous hunk of a Good Samaritan had added a bit of joy to an otherwise rotten day. And who knew? If the rest of the evening went as well, she might actually recover from her little incident with Leon without being scarred for life.

Chapter Four

    Taylor looked at his wife—he still loved the sound of that,
wife
—and smiled. Zoë was always a bundle of energy, but right now he thought that if she let herself go, she’d literally bounce from one wall of their little kitchen to the other.
    “Thanks for helping,” she said, blowing him a kiss.
    “No problem.” He checked his watch as he leaned back in his chair. “I can always fit saving the world into my busy schedule.”
    From the living room his friend and partner, Hoop, guffawed. “Don’t tease her, Taylor. She can beat you up.”
    Hoop’s fiancée, Deena, scowled at the game board, then invaded Madagascar. “She can