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I cradled the warm bowl in my hands. "If I can find somewhere to host it that won't end in disaster."

"Tell me more about these requirements?" She leaned forward, genuinely interested.

"Well, as you said, soundproofing is essential. And it needs to be neutral territory—no pack lands, no vampire holdings."

"Mm." Diana's eyes took on that stormy cast again. "Private enough to avoid curious mortals with smartphones, I assume? But still accessible enough for various species to feel comfortable attending?"

"Exactly. Plus..." I hesitated, twirling my spoon. "It needs to feel...special. Like somewhere magick could happen."

"Magick?" Her smile curved mysteriously. "Or perhaps...love?"

Something in her tone made me look up sharply. She was watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read, but there was definitely more going on here than simple curiosity.

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "I might have a solution. My garden..." She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. "It has certain...qualities that might suit your needs."

"Qualities?"

"Privacy wards, for one. Excellent soundproofing. And the ambiance...let’s just say it comes with the territory."

I sat my spoon down. "Are you suggesting hosting it here?"

"Why not? The space is perfect—private, secure, and definitely neutral territory. Plus," she added with a mischievous grin, "I could be persuaded to offer it for free, on one tiny condition."

"Which is?"

"Lust has to personally oversee the event." She helped herself to another grilled cheese from the basket. "Someone needs to handle security, after all. And watching him squirm through an evening of successful matchmaking would be..." She paused, considering. "Well, let's just say some talents run in the family."

"Family?"

"Mm. Great-great-whatever grandmother Aphrodite had excellent taste in gardens." Her grin widened at my obvious shock. "And matchmaking, of course. However, family reunions aren't nearly as dramatic as the myths suggest. Usually."

The spoonful of soup I'd been about to swallow went down wrong. While I was still coughing, Diana calmly took another bite of her grilled cheese, melted strands stretching between the sandwich and her mouth.

"I'm sorry," I managed, once I could breathe again. "Did you just say...?"

"Aphrodite?" She looked entirely too amused, dunking a corner of her sandwich into her soup. "Yes. Though really, the myths do tend to exaggerate. Except perhaps the parts about her matchmaking and garden design skills." She gestured toward the darkened window where moonlight caught on the deep red and green of the roses outside the window. "Those are from her original cuttings."

I looked from Diana to the roses and back again, my mind spun like an overloaded hard drive. The impossible soup. The way she moved. Those color-shifting eyes. "That's...that would make you..."

"Hungry, at the moment." She pushed the basket of remaining grilled cheese toward me. "You should eat more. The soup really is better warm, and we have planning to do."

I mechanically took half a sandwich, watching as she stirred her bowl of soup with the same casual grace she apparently inherited from an actual goddess. "Planning?"

"For the mixer, of course. I'm thinking of floating lights in the rose arbor, perhaps some enhancement spells to keep the flowers blooming." Her eyes lit up as she dunked more of her sandwich into her soup. "And wait until you see what the fountain does at midnight. Perfect for encouraging those 'chance' romantic encounters."

"You really want to help with this?" I asked, finally managing a proper bite of grilled cheese.

"Darling," she said, setting her spoon down with a conspiratorial smile, "playing matchmaker with supernatural clients while watching Lust squirm? That's better than ambrosia. He learned the hard way that you don't toy with a goddess's sister and walk away unscathed. Hmmm, I wonder if I could get in a batch of that for the event. Though, perhaps not. It's strong stuff, and we want everyone to keep their heads straight."

Chapter

Ten

LUST

Ididn’t have time for Gluttony’s little get-together, but I knew if I didn’t attend, it would cause far more problems in the long run.

Driving over to his place on the upper side of town, I wished yet again I had Pride’s demon ancestry to shift, or even Gluttony’s vampirism to just run where I needed to go in thirty seconds flat.