Free Aphrodite's Flame by Julie Kenner

you,” she said. “I’m so glad you stopped to say hi.”
    And then he was gone and she was the first in line. And, damn it all to Hades, the lemon poppy-seed muffin was gone.

Chapter Six

    Elder Armistand had a stern face and an even sterner voice. Didn’t matter. Even faced with the threat of Armistand’s disapproval, Mordi was completely unable to concentrate on the elder’s words. His attention was too taken by the woman sitting next to him.
    It had been a long time since he’d been attracted to a woman. The complications in his life had left little time for romance, and Mordi had learned to simply quit looking. Why risk that tender tug at his heart if there was no way he could follow through?
    And how could he? Even now that he was a full Protector, he still carried the stigma of his blood. He wasn’t exactly eligible bachelor material, that was for sure.
    This woman, though...
    From the moment they’d been introduced, he’d been intrigued. Something about her manner, about the way she held herself. Something suggested to Mordi there was more to Isole Frost than she was letting him—or anyone—see.
    Armistand had introduced her as Zoë‘s replacement. And now she sat beside him, looking prim and proper in a white linen suit, her blond hair pulled up into a perfectly coiffed knot. Her face was angular, all shadows and lights, and her piercing blue eyes reflected strength and an innate professionalism.
    In sum, she was starkly beautiful and utterly distant. She’d given Mordi a quick glance when she entered, nodded briefly, then taken her own seat across from Armistand. Now she was taking copious notes, showing not the slightest bit of interest in him.
    For the best, he supposed. She’d got his attention, that was for sure. But unless she was the world’s best actress, she wasn’t nearly as fascinated as him. Besides, getting involved with any woman would be a mistake. And considering this woman was showing absolutely no interest in him, he supposed that he was in no danger of having to extricate himself from a romantic entanglement.
    Too bad.
    He must have sighed, because suddenly both Armistand and Isole turned to look at him.
    “Are we boring you?” the elder asked from behind the broad expanse of his oak desk.
    “Sorry, sir. Something in my throat.” He brushed his neck for effect, and Armistand grunted, then focused again on his notes. In the upholstered guest chair next to Mordi, Isole lifted an eyebrow, her expression suggesting that she saw right through him.
    Armistand flipped two pages, grunted again, then looked back up, his gaze landing first on Isole, then moving quickly to Mordi. “So we are clear, then? You understand the role you’re to play?”
    Mordi’s stomach twisted, and he had the sudden sensation of being back in boarding school, thrust to the front of the room to work a quadratic equation when he’d spent the entire class trying to surreptitiously levitate a pencil on the schoolmaster’s desk.
    “Mr. Black?”
    Mordi swallowed. “Of course, sir. The Council—”
    “—wants to reassure the mortal representatives that Protectors can be assimilated into mortal culture and that we are no threat,” Isole said, sitting forward slightly and not looking at Mordi. “Because of our heritage as Halflings, Mordichai and I are already somewhat integrated into mortal society. We can provide a good face, if you will, for the Council and, hopefully, smooth the negotiations.”
    She sat back then and recrossed her legs. He tried to catch her eye, wanting to signal his thanks, but she studiously avoided him.
    Armistand’s eyes narrowed. “Thank you, Ms. Frost. However, I had meant to inquire of Mr. Black.”
    Her eyes widened, and she lifted her hand, pressing her fingers lightly over her mouth. “Oh, I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t even think. I was just so excited about being a part of this endeavor that I—”
    Armistand cut her off with a wave of a hand, his expression