Read Lesson in Love (Olympians, 2) for Free Online Page A

*
    Iris had skipped lunch and was walking
around the park trying to collect her thoughts. She stopped short
and considered going back to the restaurant when she saw Hera and
Aphrodite appear on a bench right in her path. Instead, she walked
over and sat down between them. “Waiting for a progress report,
ladies?”
    “ I don’t need one,”
Aphrodite said. “You’re doing great! My son is wandering around
aimlessly. He doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
    “ How is that
good?”
    “ You’ve gotten through to
him in a way we’ve never managed to,” Hera explained. “He doesn’t
fully understand yet, but at least he’s thinking about what you
said to him.”
    Aphrodite nodded. “Which was
wonderful, by the way. He refuses to take me seriously unless I’m
angry with him. He’s cocky. He doesn’t listen to anyone because he
thinks he knows best in every situation. If he realizes he doesn’t,
he gets defensive.”
    Iris shook her head. “So what if I can
change him for the better? That doesn’t mean he’s going to love
me.”
    “ He’s already on his way,”
Aphrodite said with a grin. “Why else do you think he listened to
you? You have impressed him more than any other woman ever has. He
thought you were hot, and then you turned out to be a goddess. You
stood up to him for the sake of making your point and showing him
where he’d gone wrong. You didn’t do it for your own pride or for
personal gain. I think he’s fascinated.”
    Iris raised her eyebrows. “I’m not so
sure about that. He seems determined to make a point for the sake
of his own pride.”
    “ He likes you and can’t
stand that you don’t like him,” Hera said. “We’ve been watching him
very carefully. Deep down, he knows you’re right about him, but
he’s tricking himself.”
    “ What?”
    “ He’s telling himself he
needs to prove you wrong. Admitting his own failings is too much to
expect from him just yet. He’s also telling himself he’s only
following you around to achieve this goal.”
    “ But that won’t actually
change him or do any good.”
    Aphrodite winked at a man passing by,
and then returned her attention to the conversation. “The effects
will be permanent, though, because he’s going to be in love with
you before all this is over.”
    “ I still don’t believe
you.”
    “ You don’t have to. Why
not just enjoy it? You can’t exactly get rid of him now. It would
give our whole plan away.”
    “ Maybe that’s just what I
should do. I don’t want this, not this way.”
    Hera sighed. “You don’t really want to
do that, do you? Don’t you trust us?”
    “ I don’t want him to be
tricked into loving me.”
    Aphrodite objected. “We’re only
tricking him into paying attention to you. After he accidentally
fell for Psyche, I made him immune to love spells. He cannot be
made to love anyone or anything.”
    “ Like you?”
    Aphrodite narrowed her eyes, and Iris
wondered if she should have said anything. She didn’t want the
goddess angry with her at a time like this.
    “ If a spell were strong
enough, even I would fall under it. Or if any god or man were
worthy enough.”
    Hera stood. “We’re just stressing her.
Let’s go.”
    “ Oh, I suppose,” Aphrodite
said. She hesitated, but then finally stood up. “Do call us if you
need to.”
    “ I think I’ll be
fine.”
    “ Suit yourself,” the love
goddess said before she and Hera disappeared.
    Iris watched two children playing by
the slide. She sighed and started to stand up so she could head
back to work, but then she saw someone watching her. It looked like
Ares, but she couldn’t be sure.
    A man kissed her on the cheek. “Hello,
kitten.”
    She turned to see Ares sitting beside
her.
    “ Shouldn’t you be chasing
your ladylove? She just left.”
    He chuckled and his dark eyes
sparkled. “She can wait. I wanted to see you.”
    “ I’m getting so much
attention lately. I just don’t know what to do.” She liked Ares,
but