When Dreams Cross Read Online Free PDF Page B

facedown. “I have to work tonight. It’s good that you woke me.”
    He offered Andi a seat on the couch with a wave of his hand, then lowered himself back down, rubbing his eyes.
    “When’s the last time you slept?” she asked.
    He thought a moment, glancing askance at the guarded concern in her eyes, his head leaning indolently against the cushions. “Uh, yesterday morning, I think. Yeah, I got about three hours.” His gaze settled on her hands, clamped so tightly that white marks cut through her tan. “What brings you here?” he asked in a voice without that familiar trace of sarcasm. “I thought you decided my cartoons weren’t worth the trouble.”
    She sighed. “You know they’re worth it. So my board of directors has been working all day to come up with a compromisean offer that even you can’t refuse.”
    “A compromise?” A crooked smile played across his face. “Yes,” she said wearily, “I’m willing to compromise in this case. Are you?”
    Justin looked down at his knees and rubbed his face again. “That depends on what I have to give up.”
    “I don’t see either of us giving up anything if we can put our past behind us and work together instead of against each other,” she said.
    He nodded, wishing flashes of the Andi he once knew wouldn’t keep surfacing in her eyes, bringing back old feelings despite the chilling aura surrounding her. “I’m listening.”
    Andi glanced through the door leading further into the house. “Could we talk over coffee? You look like you could use a cup.”
    “Good idea,” he said, standing up. “I can’t believe I fell asleep.”
    “It happens to the best of us, Justin. You should try it on a more regular basis, though.”
    Brushing past her, he caught her pleasant scent—the long-forgotten scent of a cool breeze across a flowered meadow—as he led her toward the kitchen. The fragrance was familiar … too familiar.
    He forced himself to block that scent from his mind and led her into the cluttered kitchen. Andi leaned against the kitchen door and watched him spoon the coffee into the pot. Justin plugged in the coffeepot and turned to the table. He pulled out a chair for her. Dropping her gaze, she sat down. He sat across from her and leaned his elbows on the table, hands covering his face.
    The coffeepot finished perking, and Justin got up and filled two cups, absently fixing hers the way she had once liked it. He caught himself, then handed her the cup. “Do you still take two spoonsful of sugar?”
    She nodded.
    Little slips, little slips, he thought. That was how he would lose himself again. He sipped his coffee, watched the steam curling out of it. Bringing his eyes back to hers, he cleared his throat. “So, what’s your proposal?”
    Andi leaned her elbows on the table and looked into his blue eyes. “I’d like to buy Pierce Productions.”
    Justin laughed suddenly. “Is that all? Where do I sign?”
    Bristling at the sarcasm, Andi tried again. “I expected that reaction, but Justin, give it a chance. For once, just listen.”
    Attempting to control his amusement, Justin pursed his lips. “For what it’s worth,” he said in mock acquiescence, “you have my undivided attention.”
    Andi wet her lips and blew out a frustrated sigh. “I want to make Pierce Productions a part of Promised Land,” she said. “You could keep some of the stock and still run the company.”
    “Under your supervision,” he tacked on for her, his eyes still sparkling with amused disbelief.
    “Only technically,” she said. “You’d have the backing of Promised Land no matter what you did with your cartoons. And nothing would conflict with our interests because we would be …”
    “In control,” he provided. “Reaping the profits.”
    “Profits much higher than you would ever come close to ‘reaping’ without us,” she pointed out. “Promised Land could give you a reputation and credibility. Being under our umbrella could give you infinite