Blazing Bedtime Stories (22 page)

February 15

LB
KICKED
his feet up onto his desk, laced his fingers behind his head and happily puffed on a Cuban cigar. The first fingers of dawn rose in beautiful pink and amber hues over the Chicago skyline, and from his vantage point in the sleek downtown high-rise, the world was looking pretty damned good.

The preliminary numbers were in and they
rocked
.

His office space and his ass were both safe.

Another peek at the spreadsheet confirmed that Love, while technically not running neck and neck with Sex, was at least on the rise. Baby steps, LB, told himself. Steady growth. That’s what they needed. And if he had to put a more personal hand into things—he mentally patted himself on the back for bringing about Shay, Scarlett and Juliet’s changes of heart—then so be it. Hell it had been fun. He’d spent so much time stuck behind this damned desk, he’d forgotten how great it could be to be back in the trenches, so to speak.

Without bothering to knock—as if she’d ever need to—Venus strolled into his office. LB scrambled to put his feet on the floor and hurriedly extinguished the cigar. His mother didn’t approve of the habit.

“You need to e-mail those haters at that Web site and tell them to update their homepage,” his mother said. “I hope they’ll be as quick with the new information as they were with the old, unflattering variety.”

LB nodded. “Of course.”

“I’ve taken a look at the new numbers.” To his vast relief, she nodded approvingly and the faintest hint of a smile shaped her mouth. “Well done.”

Relief washed through him. “Thanks, I—”

“I liked your initiative, darling. I think you’re finally beginning to understand how significant love truly is. That’s what it’s all about.” She jerked her head toward the door. “Pack your things. You’re moving up. Corner unit, fourteenth floor.”

LB felt his eyes widen. The fourteenth floor? The Holy Grail of Office Space? Finally? “Seriously?”

Venus grinned. “Seriously.”

Hot damn,
LB thought. Love was on the rise. And it looked as if he was, too.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-2748-8

BLAZING BEDTIME STORIES
Copyright © 2009 by Harlequin Books S.A.

The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:

ONCE UPON A BITE
Copyright © 2009 by Kimberly Raye Groff.

MY, WHAT A BIG…YOU HAVE!
Copyright © 2009 by Leslie Kelly.

SEXILY EVER AFTER
Copyright © 2009 by Rhonda Nelson.

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