Aphrodite's Secret by Julie Kenner Read Free Book Online Page B

in hand with Aaron beneath the intertwining branches of the magnificent trees that lined the UCLA campus, she knew with absolute certainty that there was no place else in the world she ever wanted to live.
    “Penny for your thoughts,” Aaron said, squeezing her hand.
    She turned to him and smiled, happy with how comfortable she felt. There had been a brief awkwardness when he’d kissed her at the restaurant, but that had faded. Surely it had just been nerves. “The trees,” she said, lifting their intertwined hands to point at the canopy of leaves shading them from the afternoon sun. “And the flowers.” With her free hand, she swept a circle in the air, a gesture encompassing the Birds of Paradise, bougainvillea and succulents that lined the cozy path that snaked through the campus.
    “Oh.”
    “And Davy,” she added, automatically glancing at her purse where her cell phone nestled. “I hope he’s having fun.”
    “I’m sure he’s having a blast,” Aaron said. “I only met Zoë once, but she seemed totally responsible. And it’s clear Davy adores her.”
    “Oh, he does,” Lane agreed. An image of Davy’s smiling face flashed through her mind.
    “They’re having a ball. I mean, come on—what’s not to like about Sea World?”
    Lane nodded. “He
was
pretty psyched about going,” she admitted. “Of course, the alternative was to stay home with me while I studied.” She glanced at her watch. “I really do need to get back. This was supposed to just be a lunch date. I’ve got over a hundred pages to read before tomorrow.”
    Aaron nodded, pointing down a side path. “I had a feeling you’d say that. I’ve been aiming us toward my car.”
    “Really?” She couldn’t help but grin. Not many men would keep track of the fact that she needed to be studying.
    “So, is that it?”
    She frowned, not understanding his question. “It?”
    “All that you were thinking about,” he explained.
    “Oh. Well... yeah.” Her forehead creased. “Am I forgetting something?”
    “No, of course not,” he answered. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
    She glanced up, surprised. And then she realized: he’d expected her to be thinking about him. And why not? They’d had a lovely afternoon; they were walking hand-in-hand down a charming path. The man scored a perfect ten on the boyfriend scale. Heck, she
should
have been thinking about him. Instead, she’d been thinking about plants. What the heck was wrong with her?
    “Sorry. I’ve been so distracted about Davy,” she said. It wasn’t as good as saying she’d been thinking about him, but maybe it would take a bit of the sting off his ego.
    “Well, it makes sense.” His smile reached his eyes. “Go on. Give her a call. What’s the point in torturing yourself?”
    “Really?” she asked. “You don’t think Zoë will think I’m an obsessive mom who can’t leave her sister-in-law alone with her kid for a trip without having a total meltdown?”
    “Probably. But I wouldn’t let that stop you.”
    They paused in front of his Lexus, and Lane started to rummage in her purse. Really, the man was perfect: great-looking, a wonderful job, a fabulous car—and he knew how to handle a neurotic mother. If she were smart, she’d drop right down on one knee and propose to
him
.
    Since that seemed a little extreme this early in their relationship, she just rummaged for her cell phone. It must have fallen to the bottom of her purse, and in a fit of frustration, she squatted down and dumped everything out. Her keys, the latest Nora Roberts book, Davy’s monthly mystery package, last month’s electric bill, an empty powder compact, a single piece of Dentyne and—
finally
—a cell phone: it all crashed onto the pavement.
    She picked up her phone and hit the speed dial; then she listened, tapping her foot impatiently, while it rang and rang until the voice mail picked up:
“Hi, this is Zoë. I can’t take your call right now, but please leave a