“Thank you.” His voice sounded husky.
“Are you okay? Did I wake you?”
“No, ma’am.”
“I’ll bet I did. Your voice is a little froggy.”
“I’m just… very happy.” He cleared his throat. “Very happy indeed.”
He wasn’t sleepy. He’d sounded gruff because he was touched by what she’d said. That was sweet. And sexy. “I’m serious. You should take this to a major house.”
“I’d need an agent unless I want it buried in the slush pile for years.”
“Ask your mom’s agent to pitch it without mentioning you’re her son.”
“So a publisher buys it without knowing who I am, but they’ll find out soon enough. Besides, I don’t want to be a cog in a bigmachine. Even Mom doesn’t always get what she wants. I figure a small press gives me a better chance of having a say in the process.”
“You would. We pride ourselves on listening to the author’s ideas and implementing them whenever possible.”
“And you know me personally. I’m not just some guy off the street. But like I said on the sleigh ride, the main reason I gave it to you is?—”
“You wanted me to read the sexy scenes.”
“No! I mean, yeah, I did, but?—”
“I knew it! The book is part of your master plan to?—”
“I wanted an unbiased opinion.”
“Of the sex scenes?’
“Of the whole thing!”
“There’s no bias regarding the rest of it, but I can’t say that about the sex scenes.”
“Why not?”
“Because youkissed me,genius! You think that didn’t change how I read the sensual parts? That it didn’t make them twice as hot?”
He chuckled. “So they worked for you.”
“Of course, but I can’t pretend that my opinion of those scenes lacks bias. Not after you laid one on me.”
“Good to know.” Laughter rippled through his words. “Maybe I should limber up my lips before a signing and kiss every woman who buys the book. Interesting marketing strategy.”
Talking about his lips was not a good idea. She needed to hang up and calm down. “Anyway, you have my evaluation. Have a good night, what’s left of it.”
“Lani, wait.”
His low, urgent tone sent a surge of heat through her overstimulated body. “What?”
“What you said about my book, the confidence you have in it — that’s huge. I can’t let you hang up without letting you know how much it means. You’ve given me the best Christmas gift of my life. If you hadn’t liked it, I… well, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“It’s only one person’s opinion, Rance.”
“But yours is the one I trust. You may be the only one I fully trust to tell me the unvarnished truth.”
“You’re giving me too much power.”
