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1 " Letty, it's just a business. Don't get emotional about it.”She grinned. “You're a fine one to talk. You're the most emotional man I know.”“The hell I am,” he muttered. “I have a lot more self-control than you do, Madam President.”“Let's not argue about that,” Letty said "
― Jayne Ann Krentz , Perfect Partners
2 " He leaned back against the Jeep and smiled. “More orders for your CEO, Madam President?”Her eyes were huge and solemn with concern. “I want you to be very careful tonight.”“I will,” he promised.“Joel, I love you. You know that, don't you?”For an instant he was stunned at the admission. Then elation soared in him. For the moment, at least, it blotted out all the other things he had beenfeeling since he'd walked into his apartment and seen the evidence of Victor Copeland's ungovernable rage. He reached for Letty.“Damn, Letty,” he muttered thickly, “you've picked a fine time to tell me.” He pulled her into his arms, fumbling for the feel of her through the plumplayers of her Thornquist Gear down coat. “You know I love you, too, don't you?”“Well, you hadn't actually said so,” she reminded him. The comment was tart, but her eyes were brimming with delight. “However, I have beenextremely optimistic.”“Don't ever forget it.” He kissed her mouth, the only part of her that was not swallowed up by her voluminous jacket. Her lips were warm in spite ofthe cold air. Joel groaned and pulled her closer. "
3 " Joel looked at her. “I think I started to let go of the past the day I met you.”Letty smiled tremulously. “Fair enough. I did the same with a lot of my own past when I met you.”“In any event,” Joel continued softly, “I don't have much choice but to put it all behind me, do I? I'm going to be too busy with my future to worry aboutmy past. Speaking of which, you looked very interesting with a baby in your arms, Madam President.”“Interesting?”“Yeah. Interesting. I liked it. "
4 " What about all the passion and pizzazz?” Letty smiled up at him, her hands moving on his shoulders. “I'm really enjoying that part, Joel.”Joel laughed softly in the shadows. “Passion and pizzazz are our middle names, Letty my love. We've got enough to last us for the rest of our lives. "
5 " Two months later Joel loped down the stairs to the third floor and strode along the hall to the conference room. He walked through the door andstopped short at the sight of Letty held high in the arms of a huge blond Adonis. "
6 " Well,” Joel said, “I guess maybe we'd better get started right away.” He rolled over on top of her, covering her body with his own and crushing herdeep into the thick mattress.“Hold it,” Letty said, already breathless. “Where I come from, we don't start planning babies until we've planned the wedding.”“Don't worry about it, one way or another there's going to be a wedding before next spring.” Joel kissed her throat.“You're sure?”“I'm sure.” He kissed her mouth. "
7 " I don't know, Joel,” Letty said with a tiny considering frown. “I was just starting to get used to the idea of an affair.”“I told you, you're not really cut out for an affair, Letty.”“I thought I was handling it very well,” she said.“You're not the type. "
8 " One of her black pumps had fallen to the floor, and Joel wasoutraged at the sight of her pretty little bare foot being exposed to all and sundry.“Would you mind putting the president of Thornquist Gear back on her feet?” J "
9 " Good afternoon, Mrs. Blackstone. Who the hell is this and what does he think he's doing carting you around like a sack of potatoes?”“This is Mark,” Letty said. “He's going to be the model for our new ad campaign. You know, the one aimed at the experienced high-countrybackpacker and rock climber.”“I trust he's not going to try to pack you into the high country?”“Heavens, no. He was just proving to me that he could lift a hundred and twenty pounds of camping and climbing gear, weren't you, Mark? "
10 " Yes, that. Would you care to explain where the money is going, Madam President?”Letty laughed up at him with warm, loving eyes. “Certainly, Mr. Blackstone. Do you want to hear the explanation before or after I tell you that I haveevery reason to believe I'm pregnant?”That very morning Joel had decided that it was probably not possible for him to be any happier than he was already. Now he realized he waswrong. He forgot about the little matter of a fifty thousand dollar cost overrun and started to grin like an idiot.“You're pregnant?” Joel ignored the embarrassed expression on the face of the blond Adonis. “You're going to have our baby?”“It would appear so.” Letty pushed her glasses up onto her nose and smiled demurely. “What do you say to that, Mr. Blackstone?”Joel tossed the file over his left shoulder. The data on the ad budget was sent flying into the air.Eyes gleaming, he walked over to Letty and lifted her carefully into his arms. “I say the hell with the fifty thousand dollars. What's a few bucksbetween a president and her CEO?”“I knew you'd be reasonable about it, Joel.”Joel carried her out the door and down the hall. “Let's go back to my office, Mrs. Blackstone, and discuss something far more important than adbudget overruns.”“Yes, of course, Mr. Blackstone.” Letty glowed up at him. “And this time we must remember to lock the door before we start our discussions.”Joel's laughter echoed down the halls of Thornquist Gear. Life was very good. "
11 " Since the days of ancient Alexandria libraries had stood for all the best that mankind could achieve. The very existence of libraries held out hope for the future of the human race, as far as Letty was concerned. If people had enough sense to collect and store information and make it available to everyone, perhaps they would someday have enough sense to use that wisdom to stop wars and find a cure for cancer. "