Aphrodite's Passion

APHRODITE’S GIRDLE

“So the belt makes the wearer irresistible to whomever he or she desires,” Zoë affirmed. She smiled, perhaps imagining the possibilities. “Is there more?”

Zephron nodded toward Hale. “Tell her.”

Oh, great. A pop quiz. But he smiled and turned in his chair to face his sister more directly. “You know that Aphrodite—”

“Our great-great-great-great et cetera grandmother.”

“—forged it centuries ago.” When Zoë nodded, he continued. “Well, it has all sorts of powers. On a mortal, it causes what you said: love and adoration by whomever the mortal desires. It’s sort of a sensual magnet. It also works even if there’s no romantic desire, although the effect is much weaker. In that case, the wearer can persuade people to do what he or she wants.” He paused. “On a Protector—”

“Let me guess,” Zoë said. “On a Protector, the effect is even more intense. Love and adoration by everyone, no matter whether or not the wearer desires them. Mind-control, basically. So if Hieronymous got a hold of the thing...”

“Even Zephron would bend to his will,” Hale finished. He and Zoë looked at each other, then turned to look at Zephron, who inclined his head in silent agreement.

“So where is it?” Zoë asked. “I mean, where in Los Angeles?”

“We don’t know.” Zephron’s image turned, focusing entirely on Hale. “It is your job to find out.”

Other
Love Spell
books by Julie Kenner:

A MOTHER’S WAY ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY
APHRODITE’S KISS
THE CAT’S FANCY

LOVE SPELL BOOKS NEW YORK CITY

ISBN 0-505-52474-0

Special thanks to Cherif Fortin for
helping with the cover model details.
All embellishments are my own!
Most of all, this book is dedicated to
Catherine Elizabeth
—
a super baby
.

VENERATE COUNCIL OF PROTECTORS
1-800-555-HERO
www.
superherocentral.com

Protecting Mortals Is Our Business!

URGENT COMMUNIQUE
FOR COUNCIL USE ONLY

Eyes Only

Hale
Protector First Class
California

Acknowledgment requested

Hale:

Council intelligence has detected an increase in Outcast activity, suggesting imminent adverse action by Hieronymous. In light thereof, Zephron, High Elder of the Venerate Council, requests your presence within the next twenty-four hours at the American Operations Center, Washington, D.C., for immediate briefing and assignment.

Form 89-C(2)(a), on file with the Mortal-Protector Liaison Office (MLO), indicates that you have already been issued the following council-controlled items (to the extent such list is incorrect, please immediately submit Form 29-B(2)(a) in triplicate with all necessary corrections) :

propulsion cloak, model E-10 (expert model);

and

standard issue cellular phone (speed dial included)

with full web access, direct communication to Council

headquarters, and projectile launch capability.

Upon your arrival at the Operations Center, you will be issued a Mission Essentials Kit, including all standard mission equipment. To the extent such equipment is utilized during the course of your mission, please file in triplicate (by no later than the fifteenth day of the first month after completion of your mission) Form 827A(4)(b) with the Mortal-Protector Liaison Office. Return all unused equipment to council headquarters.

We look forward to your prompt arrival at the Operations Center. Excuses for late arrivals will not be tolerated.

Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

Sincerely,

Phelonium Prigg

Phelonium Prigg

Assistant to Zephron, High Elder

PP:jbk

Hale propped himself up in the hotel bed and grimaced as the note from Prigg dissolved in a flurry of sparks and sputters.

Really.

Prigg’s overdeveloped sense of drama could be so tiresome. A simple phone call would have worked just as well. Either way, though, the result was the same: Hale’s long-awaited vacation was history. Which was especially frustrating as he had hotel reservations for two full weeks.

On the far side of the room, Elmer uncurled himself and stretched on the sofa cushion, his spiky fur standing on end as he yawned.
What’s with the fireworks
? he chittered.
We got a new assignment
?

Hale shot a scowl in the ferret’s direction. “
We
don’t have an assignment.
I
have an assignment. Which means I have to go to work while you lounge about at home watching daytime television.”

Elmer’s fur puffed out even more and he emitted a high-pitched squeak, which for a ferret could be either a laugh or an indignant groan. Hale assumed that he was going for indignant.

I do not “lounge about,” thank you very much
. Elmer raised his furry little chin.
I study the market
.

Hale stifled a chortle. Ever since they’d arrived at the Los Angeles Airport, Elmer had been chattering on about becoming the funny but loveable family pet in some Hollywood sitcom. “If you say so.” Hale turned away, ostensibly to check the clock, but mostly to hide his grin.

You just have no appreciation of artistic genius. All you appreciate are female br
—

“Ah-ah-ah.” Hale rolled over and held up a finger to silence his friend, who managed a tiny ferret shrug before snuggling back down to finish his nap. He and Elmer had been together for years, and he loved the mouthy little guy, but there were some things that just didn’t need to be spoken aloud.

Not that Elmer was actually speaking. If the maid walked in, she would hear only Elmer’s distinctive ferret squeak. But Hale was an animalinguist, which meant he could understand animal-speak—everything from the vague desires of most animals, to the more articulate thoughts of the more developed of their species. And, of course, he could understand with perfect clarity those animals, like Elmer, whose bloodline had been bred for generations to serve as companions to Protectors.

Some days he really regretted that particular talent.

With a groan, he slid out of bed then headed to the balcony that overlooked the secluded Southern California beach. He’d hoped to make it to Greece for some R & R. No such luck. Instead, he was stuck in a four-star hotel just north of Malibu. Not the vacation he’d dreamed of, but it did have a few advantages over his Manhattan apartment.

Like the dozen or so mortal women who frolicked and bounced on the sand below. Exactly the kind of amenities he looked for in a vacation location—plenty of extracurricular activities and a room with a view.

For more than a year, he’d been trying to get away from the daily grind. Being a superhero—especially a superhero with an undercover assignment as a romance cover model—took a lot out of a guy. He needed some serious down time, and now that he’d finally gotten some, Prigg was calling him back.

Life just wasn’t fair. Especially considering he was staring out from a hotel balcony at a smorgasbord of delicious women he’d come to sample. Nothing long-term, mind you. He was a Protector, after all. He’d never get permanently involved with a mortal.

Then again, he didn’t intend to get permanently involved with another Protector, either. Why would he? He was young, he was virile, and—if he believed his own press releases—he was one hot property. Why tie himself down? Why indeed? Especially when he could so easily find such delightful, fleeting diversions as the ones on the beach below.

He’d come on vacation with the hope of being well and truly diverted. Unfortunately, he’d been here for forty-eight hours already, and not one single blond, brunette, or redheaded diversion had graced his bed.

Pathetic.

Not that they’d turned him down, of course. That was one of the nice things about being him—women just didn’t say no. Actually, the problem was much more basic. He simply hadn’t yet gone outside and tried to lure any of the luscious ladies to his room.

Sighing, he drummed his fingers on the windowsill. Instead of playing beach volleyball with bronzed co-eds on Spring Break, he’d elected to stay in his hotel room for the last two days. Frowning, he felt his forehead with the back of his hand. No fever. Damn.

You‘re losing your touch
, Elmer said.

Great. The ferret was awake again. “Not hardly. Just pacing myself.”

Elmer didn’t look convinced.

“I don’t need a woman on my arm every minute. If I’d rather stay in the room and read”—he broke off, looking around the room to find the tattered paperback he’d found in the chest of drawers—“
Valley of the Dolls
, then that’s my prerogative.”

Not his usual reading fare, that’s for sure. But it didn’t much matter since he hadn’t actually read a word. He’d been too frustrated to concentrate.

Uh-huh
. Elmer shot him a look, then proceeded to scratch behind his ears.

“Just drop it,” Hale commanded.

Drop it? Drop what? I’m not saying anything. Not one word. No, sirree.

“Elmer...”

What? I mean
, I’m
sure as Cerberus not mentioning the fact that you haven’t done the wild thing with a single female since Zoë and Taylor got hooked up. Nope. I’m not saying that at all
.

“For someone who’s not talking, your mouth is sure moving a lot.”

Harrumph
! Elmer turned three circles on the cushion, then tucked his head under his paws to sulk. Subtle, he wasn’t.

Hale scowled in the ferret’s direction, then turned and scowled out the window. All in all, he was in a scowling kind of mood. Not that Elmer was right. He wasn’t avoiding anything. Not women, and certainly not sex. The thought was preposterous. Ridiculous. Absolutely not true.

So what if he’d been a little off-kilter since his half-sister Zoë had tied the knot with that mortal guy? It wasn’t as if Hale wanted the same thing. He shuddered. Certainly not.

More likely he was just distracted, that’s all. Worried. About Zoë. Right. That had to be it. He was worried about his baby sister marrying a mortal.

Of course, Hale had to admit that Taylor was an all-right guy—for a non-Protector, anyway. And he loved Zoë, so Hale figured they’d probably be okay. After all, Zoë was a halfling. Maybe being part mortal made it easier to be in a mixed marriage.

But Hale was full-blooded, and he knew better than most that mortal-Protector relationships almost never lasted. Mortals couldn’t handle the stress, and of the few Protectors who did get into such affairs, most went soft and abandoned their duties.

That wasn’t for him. No, sir.

Fleeting entanglements, however, were a whole different story. That was the beauty of mortals, after all. Get in, get out, have a good time, then be on your way. No strings. No commitments. No guilt.

Not at all like with Protectors, who knew where to find you. There was no chance for truly casual sex there—not with the likelihood that last Friday’s date might call up on your Council-sponsored cell phone at any time. No, Hale had learned the hard way that dating a Protector left open the possibility of a commitment, and that wasn’t a possibility Hale wanted on the table.

He peered down toward the beach again and spotted a particularly lovely blond mortal sunbathing on a dark green towel.
Her
. That was the one. He’d just march down there, turn on the charm, and escort her right back up here. Then he’d lock Elmer in the bathroom and have a torrid afternoon with a very hot woman. He’d shake off this funk and be his old self again before he had to rush back to D.C. and do the superhero gig.

Yes, indeed, that’s exactly what he’d do.

Flushed with purpose, he threw on some swimming trunks and headed out. In the breezy lobby, the cool tiles felt nice against his bare feet, and for a second he considered stopping in the bar, having an icy drink, and chatting with the owner about nothing in particular.

No
. No stalling. Plan. Girl.
Go
.

His resolve restored, he marched out of the hotel and across the warm sand toward the blond beauty. She looked up when he approached. A beautiful face highlighted by vivid green eyes. Long, sleek legs. Breasts that begged to be touched. In other words, exactly the type of woman he was used to sharing a few sensual hours with. She was perfect, and her coy glance suggested she was more than willing.

So why did he suddenly have an urge to rush back to his hotel room and spend time with Jacqueline Susann instead of with this bikinied babe?

“Hi there.” He pitched his voice low, using the tone that had never failed him.

The woman rolled over and propped herself up on one elbow. Her smile revealed flashing white teeth and infinite possibilities of the most decadent sort. “Well, hi yourself. I haven’t seen you around here before.”

“Maybe you haven’t been looking.”

“I guess not. Because believe me, I would have noticed you.”

“Then it’s a good thing I noticed you.” Mentally, Hale patted himself on the back. Smooth. He hadn’t lost his touch. No worries. No worries at all.