Blazing Midsummer Nights

Blazing Midsummer Nights
Leslie Kelly

Marketing director/workaholic Mimi Burdette has The Plan – work for her father and date his right-hand man. Problem is, there’s no heat in her relationship. Worse still, Mimi’s having some seriously sexy dreams about Xander McKinley, the hunky firefighter next door! Whether it’s magic or just old-fashioned fireworks, Mimi is about to break all of her rules…

Look what people are saying

about Leslie Kelly

“Kelly is a top writer, and this is another

excellent book.”

—RT Book Reviews on Play with Me

“A hip contemporary romance packed with

great one-liners!”

—RT Book Reviews on Terms of Surrender

“One Wild Wedding Night features sexy and fun stories with likable characters, only to end with a sexy story that floors me with how well it resonates with me. Oh, this one is definitely wild, but even better, it also aims for the heart.” —Mrs. Giggles

“Whoa baby, Overexposed is hot stuff! Ms Kelly employs a great deal of heart and humor to achieve balance with the incendiary romance. Great characters, many of whom fans will recognize, and a vibrant narrative kept this reader glued to each and every word. Overexposed is without a doubt one of the better Blaze

books I have read to date.” —The Romance Reader’s Connection

“Filled with humor and heart, Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly, is a complete delight … The cross-purpose conversations and situations that result are laugh-out-loud funny. The romantic entanglements are highly emotional, and the large cast is expertly handled. 4½ stars!” —RT Book Reviews

Dear Reader,

Believe it or not, although I’m a big fan of many of Shakespeare’s plays, I had never, until very recently, read A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Nor had I ever seen one of the movie adaptations. But when I started talking about ideas for a Blazing-hot summer read with my fabulous editor, that story just leaped into my mind. Once I’d read it, I knew I had to tackle the basic premise in Blaze. Add in a few twisted, sexy fortunes in a fortune cookie, and I had a perfect setup for lots of spicy dreams.

I love writing my books with little “Easter Eggs” for readers to find and grin over. So there are some Midsummer references in this book, beyond the overall storyline and characters. I hope you have fun finding them—and that you enjoy reading about Mimi and Xander’s sexy midsummer-night adventures!

Happy reading!

Leslie Kelly

About the Author

LESLIE KELLY has written dozens of books and novellas for Blaze, Temptation and HQN.Known for her sparkling dialogue, fun characters and depth of emotion, her books have been honored with numerous awards, including a National Readers’ Choice Award, an RT Book Reviews Award and three nominations for the highest award in romance, the RWA RITA

Award. Leslie lives in Maryland with her own romantic hero, Bruce, and their three daughters. Visit her online at www.lesliekelly.com.

Blazing

Midsummer

Nights

Leslie Kelly

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

To Brit Lit teachers everywhere…

you make Shakespeare fun!

1

SOMEONE ONCE SAID that the course of true love never did run smooth. As Mimi Burdette watched two of her good friends sway together in a romantic dance, however, she had to disagree. Because the true love between this couple had been obvious to everyone who knew them, almost from the moment they’d met.

“They look like a prince and princess,” murmured Anna, her neighbor, friend, landlady and tonight’s hostess.

“Considering the setting, maybe a fairy king and queen.”

She wasn’t kidding. The woods surrounding the backyard of the old plantation house just outside of Athens had been turned into a mythical forest. As dusk fell and a thousand twinkle lights began to gleam in the night, everyone at the engagement party slowed to appreciate the beauty all around them.

A trio of musicians softly strummed their instruments, the lyrical notes riding a warm, summer breeze. The Spanish moss hanging from the live oaks gleamed silver under the evening dew and the firefly-soft lighting. Magnolias the size of dinner plates dotted the trees, looking like a thousand full moons, filling the air with their evocative scent. Lanterns hung from the lowest branches of the graceful pines, and the arches of a dozen arbors were draped with writhing, sweet-smelling jasmine and heavily laden grapevines.

Okay, the vines and fruit were fake. But what an effect!

“You really outdid yourself,” Mimi said to Anna, who stood watching the proceedings, wearing a smile.

The older woman, dressed as always in colorful, flowing robes, merely shrugged. “Setting the stage for romance is easy when the people involved are meant for each other like Duke and Lyssa.” She chuckled. “Of course, it didn’t hurt that I’m helping with the costumes and props for the downtown theater group’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

With her filmy, billowing clothes, and her long ash-gray hair, loose and wavy and entwined with flowers, Anna looked more like a hippie than a retiree. So maybe it wasn’t so surprising that she could take a normal backyard, ringed by normal Georgia woods, and turn it into something out of a storybook.

“Anyway, it was just a few lights, some fabric—easy.”

“Maybe for you, but other than advertising, the creative wiring was left out of my genetic code. To me, this looks like pure sorcery and magic.”

The soon-to-be bride and groom deserved a magical wedding. They were wonderful people, and she already missed having them as neighbors. They’d already moved into their new house, but until a week ago, had lived right across the hall from her own first-floor apartment in this grand old estate home.

Anna and her husband, Ralph—dubbed Obi-Wan because of his love for all things Star Wars and his sage, all-knowing demeanor—had bought the place decades ago and raised their family here. Once the kids were gone, they’d divided the three-story mansion into six small apartments, figuring the rental income would keep them nicely provided for in their retirement.

With the unit across from Mimi’s vacant, and another unrented one on the second floor, the big house was feeling empty. Plus, Anna and Obi-Wan’s volatile marriage was on the rocks again. Obi-Wan’s one fault was his jealous streak. He was always accusing other men of being after his wife. His latest accusation had angered Anna enough that she had moved into one of the vacant units to teach him a lesson.

In this economy, three rentals not bringing in any money was not a good thing. She had to wonder where Anna had come up with the funds to throw this engagement party for her former tenants. Mimi had offered to help pay—she could certainly afford it and would have loved to help—but Anna’s pride wouldn’t allow her to accept. The most she would allow was the use of Mimi’s nice discount on much of the food.

Sometimes it really paid to be the daughter of the owner of a chain of grocery stores. Not to mention being the head of marketing for said grocery store chain, with an express ticket to the executive offices of her family’s business.

Some people wondered why she lived here, in a small apartment in an old house, when she could afford to buy her own home, or sponge off her parents at their estate. But Mimi loved this place, loved the history of it. More importantly, she loved the sense of community she found here, where she was free to be herself and didn’t have to wear the socialite hat, or the business executive one. She could just be Mimi.

“Oh,” Anna said, snapping her fingers as she remembered something. “You’re going to have new neighbors. My daughter, Helen, and her little boy are moving from Atlanta next weekend, taking the vacant unit on two. And I rented the apartment across from yours today.”

“Really? That’s wonderful,” Mimi said, surprised.

“I invited the new tenant to come tonight, but he didn’t want to intrude—he moved in this afternoon.”