Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Kenner Page A

but Zoë just shook her head.
    “X-ray vision, then?”
    Zoë smiled. “Only if I don’t wear the glasses.”
    A wide grin spread across Deena’s face. “Oh, wow. That is unbelievable. Superhearing?”
    Zoë nodded, just slightly, and Deena whooped.
    “I knew it,” Deena said. “So tell me everything.”
    “You’ll get your explanation. I promise. But I’ve got Mom issues right now. I need a date for tomorrow.”
    “Mom issues, huh? Well, that takes precedence over explaining how you managed to jump off a thirty-story building ... and survive.”
    Zoë frowned, in no mood for sarcasm, but Deena held up her hands.
    “I’m serious,” she said. “Mom issues come first. It’s like a cardinal friendship rule. Right up there with ‘Thou shalt return all borrowed clothing’ and ‘Thou shalt not flirt with thy best friend’s boyfriend.’ There’s also ‘Thou shalt not keep secrets about jumping off tall buildings,’ but we’ve already been over that. Anyway, your explanation can wait.”
    Zoë grinned, realizing she was truly glad she’d decided to let Deena in on her secret.
    Her friend picked up the cloak and ran it through her fingers. “I’m not gonna wait long, though. And I gotta say, you’re making lousy progress on the date front. For one thing, Billy’s gay, so you’re fishing in the wrong pond.”
    “I know he is,” Zoë said. “That’s why I asked him.” She needed someone temporary and attractive. No strings, no commitments, no attraction. Someone safe. As much as part of her wished Buster was her date, the rest of her knew that would be a bad thing.
    “Sweetie,” Deena said, crossing to the coffeepot. “I don’t think you completely grasp my full meaning when I say you need sex.” She poured herself a cup, then turned around, leaning against the counter and eyeing Zoë.
    “Sex is totally out of the question,” Zoë responded. Sad, but true. At least until she could manage better control.
    Deena’s eyebrows raised. “You
are
an alien. And this is just a disguise. You’re really just a glowing mass of energy, and for you, sex is sort of like cell division.”
    “What?” Zoë shook her head, blinking. “No. Ick. Where do you come up with this stuff?”
    Deena shrugged. “Seems perfectly reasonable. I mean, why else would you avoid sex?”
    Zoë felt her cheeks blush, and she stared at the ceiling.
    “What?”
    “My senses,” she said, mumbling. “I can only control them when I concentrate.”
    “Your
senses
? I’m not following you.”
    Zoë sighed and looked at Deena, feeling a little foolish. “My hearing, my vision. Remember? Well, all the rest of my senses are like that, too. Hearing, sight, smell, taste.” She caught Deena’s eye. “Chocolate pretty much sends me on a trip wilder than what I expect was going on at Woodstock.”
    “Wow,” said Deena. “But what does that have to do with—” Zoë knew the moment realization struck. “Oh.
Touch
.”

    Deena nibbled on her lower lip. All her life she’d known she was a magnet for odd things. She’d talked with fairies, made wishes on stars, and had a sister-in-law who had a truly amazing secret of her own—so Zoë’s little demonstration of superpowers hadn’t rocked her world. But Deena was dying to hear the details. The concept of supersex blew her away. Flying through the air was one thing, but superhero sex sounded pretty damn cool.
    “But, Zo,” she said, “that’s
great
. I mean, everyone wants to feel the earth move during sex. You really can.”
    Zoë frowned. “Trust me. This is not a good thing.”
    Not a good thing? Deena would be willing to debate that point. She was no stranger to sex, and hyperaware sex sounded, well... super. “Are you sure you’ve thought this through?”
    “Deena ...” Zoë raised an eyebrow. “Think about it.”
    Deena did... and came to exactly the same conclusion. “I wouldn’t mind borrowing those supersenses of yours for a night with Hoop. It sounds a