Aphrodite's Passion by Julie Kenner Page B

beat us
all
up,” Deena announced. She aimed a grin Zoë’s way, and Taylor had to smile. The blonde and Zoë had become fast friends when Zoë was an elementary school librarian. And Taylor had Deena to thank in part for his first date with Zoë. “Of course, she can’t beat us at Risk,” Deena added. She nodded toward the board. “Hoop and I are creaming all of you.”
    “Who can beat who up?” Lane asked, appearing in the living room after putting her son Davy down for the night. Since her landlord had decided to convert her apartment complex to condos, Taylor’s foster sister and her child were temporarily camping out in the guest room. Lane and Davy had played their own parts when Zoë had saved the world recently. Taylor shuddered, remembering how close both his foster sister and her son had come to danger. Fortunately, Zoë had been there on each occasion and had saved them. It had taken some getting used to, but loving a superhero had certain benefits.
    Lane held up a hand. “Wait, I know.” She flashed a grin Taylor’s way. “
Zoë
can beat
you
up.”
    “It’s not being beat up I’m worried about.” Taylor laughed. “She might decide I have to sleep on the couch.”
    “Speaking of...” Lane aimed for the huge living room couch and dropped, clearly exhausted, onto one of its cushions. She motioned toward the game board. “Is it my turn yet?”
    From his perch on the couch’s armrest, Hale mumbled something.
    “What?” Taylor asked, even though he could guess what his brother-in-law was saying. The man was always making wisecracks at the expense of mortals—even his sister’s friends. It drove all of them nuts, especially because they all knew that, deep down, he was a good guy.
    “Nothing,” Hale said, all innocence. He let loose a rip-roaring sneeze and immediately disappeared.
    Deena looked up for a second before looking back at the game board, unimpressed with Hale’s vanishing act.
    “Stupid allergies.” Hale’s disembodied voice floated out of thin air.
    Zoë rolled her eyes and, before Taylor even had time to blink, his wife had leaped across the room and nestled into his lap. It had taken him a while to get used to how quickly she could move, especially now that her skills were developed, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
    “You’re not sleeping anywhere but my bed, mister. Those are the rules.” She planted a light kiss on his cheek.
    He tightened his grip around her waist. “Wouldn’t want to break the rules.” Their eyes caught, and he remembered all over again why he loved her.
    “Uh, people?” Hale’s voice broke through Taylor’s Zoë-induced haze. “I came here to find out what you learned while I was watching Tracy. Can we get to work and desist with the public displays of affection?”
    “It’s our house,” Zoë murmured. “It’s not public at all.”
    “Then desist with the private displays, too,” Hale said, shimmering as he materialized again. “Call me crazy, but I thought that since you folks called yourselves private investigators, you might have done a little investigating.”
    “We call ourselves investigators?” Hoop asked, to no one in particular. “Damn. And here I thought we called ourselves psychic crime fighters.”
    Deena groaned and threw a gamepiece at him. He just laughed as it bounced harmlessly off his head.
    “My brother’s getting surly,” Zoë said, her voice dreamy against Taylor’s ear. “And Hoop’s getting goofy.”
    “Tell me something I don’t know,” Taylor murmured back.
    Hale’s exasperated sigh echoed through the room, and Taylor and Zoë laughed.
    “Guess it’s time to give him the full report,” Taylor said.

    Finally
. Whenever Zoë and Taylor got lost in that mush-zone, Hale wondered if he would ever manage to yank them out of it. Part of him even envied them, but that wasn’t something he particularly wanted to think about.
    Especially since Tracy Tannin’s face kept popping into his