Page 132 of Igniting Sparks

Mina gives me a hip check and a quick kiss as she grabs her phone off the counter. “I’ll always make it worth your while. I’ve always wanted to make love in Central Park.”

“Now you’re talking.”

I did not expect my lady to be such a freak in the sheets… but I’m absolutely here for it.

Mina answers the call, balancing the phone between her shoulder and chin as she takes a tray of cupcakes from the oven. “Hi, Leo. What’s new?”

A strange look passes over her face as she sets the tray down, her eyes fixed on a distant point. “You didwhat?”

I pause, piping bag in hand, and catch her gaze, mouthing,What’s wrong?

Please don’t tell me Bitsy is up to her old tricks again.

“Yeah, I’ll let him know and call you back.”

I rest my hands on the counter, fixing her with an inquisitive stare. “Everything okay?”

Mina grabs my wrist, her lips a thin line. “Don’t be mad.”

“Last time you said that you kissed me. Is that going to happen again, because I’m all for it.”

“It’s about Leo.”

“I definitely don’t want to kiss Leo.”

The uncertainty slides from Mina’s face as she laughs. “He’d better not try. You’re mine.”

“So, what does Leo need?”

“He took the comic you created and showed it to a few of his friends in LA. They love your style and think you’d be a great fit for a new comic they’re designing.”

Talk about opportunity knocking. I shake my head as if to clear it, certain I couldn’t have heard correctly. “How did they know about it?”

“Leo loved it and wanted to show it to some people, so I told him he could so long as I got it back.” She dips her finger in the frosting, stealing a taste. “I hated giving it up, even for a minute, but he saw the truth about you. Just like I did.”

“Which is what?”

“That you’re brilliant, and this is a chance to showcase your brilliance on a world stage.”

“Way to throw dance lingo in there.”

Mina shrugs, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I’m a dancer. It’s what I do. And you are an extraordinary artist, and I think you should take the meeting.”

I nod, hardly believing the news. I finally understand why London didn’t work out for me. It was so Los Angeles could. A bigger opportunity with the woman I adore by my side.

If I’d gone to London, who knows how my life would have turned out?

“I’ll talk to them, but I’m not moving to LA.”

Mina snorts. “No shit. I hate letting you out of my sight.No way I’m sending you across the country. We tried that once. Do. Not. Recommend.”

“No reason I couldn’t work remotely.”

“See? That’s the spirit. Give Leo a call back and hash out the details.”

But before I can,myphone rings.

“It’s Grand Central Station in here,” I mutter as I answer my phone. “Hey Ash, what’s up?”