Winter's Heart (2 page)

“Just poodles,” he grinned, and she knew that he knew he had won this round. At her blank look, he laughed at her and shook his head, “Okay, no poodles. But she really wants this party to be special and I’m afraid of what another party planner….”

“Event coordinator,” she blurted, feeling the fire in her cheeks when she realized she had just interrupted Winter Mitchell, who was turning out to be just as amazing in real life as he was in her fantasies. No, more amazing because the man in front of her wasn't an illusion.

His grin widened and he nodded his head, conceding the point. “Event coordinator will allow. Dancing Chihuahuas or poodles or, really, any hyper active dog is just asking for trouble. I promise she’ll be good.”

How could she resist that plea, those eyes, those damn dimples? Unless they were just making fun of her?
Maybe the two of them got their kicks out of tormenting party planners… event coordinators? Narrowing her eyes at him, she nodded once, “Fine. But, I swear, if she wants elephants I’m walking.”

He threw his head back and laughed, a full body laugh that did strange things to her heart because she’d never seen this light-hearted side of him. And she had seen every side of him. “No circus animals either, I promise. And I can guarantee there will be no clowns. They're absolutely terrifying.”

Unintentionally, a smile slipped out and she grinned up at him. Holding out her hand, she nodded, “You’ve got a deal.”

He paused, his smile fading for a moment before it returned in full force and he took her hand in his. This time the jolt nearly fried her brains and her eyes flew to his. Clearing his throat as a slight flush colored his cheeks, he released her hand and stepped back. “Good, I’m glad we worked that out.”

He held his arm out to guide her back to the living area, “Follow me?”

Ducking her head to hide her smile, she followed him back to the crazy person, trying not to feel too disappointed that he didn’t take her arm again. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” he said, a teasing lilt in his voice. “But I’m sure Missy will.”

As she sat down on the couch once again, the knowledge that she was in way over her head punched her in the gut once again and she was going to be sick. Clearing her throat, glancing from the too-sexy-by-half Winter to the psychotic and perky Melissa, she admitted, “I need to be perfectly honest here. I’m not really a party planner….”

“An event coordinator,” Winter corrected in that teasing voice of his and she almost lost her resolve altogether.

Spearing him a glance before looking away, knowing that if she looked too long she would lose her brain completely. “I’m really just an assistant… no, that’s not true either. I’m just a glorified gopher.”

Winter’s rich chuckle washed over her and she had to pinch her thigh to keep from drooling all over him. “I’m sure you’re more than capable of handling this job.”

She shook her head no and slowly met his eyes. The twinkling blue eyes were too much and she wanted to look away but she forced herself to hold his gaze, “I really have no idea what I’m doing and I feel you would be much better served by having one of the other coordinators plan your son’s party.”

“You are too precious and exactly what I’m looking for,” Melissa gushed, confirming Flynn’s belief that she was crazy.

Flynn silently begged Winter for a little help, but he simply gave Melissa an indulgent smile and reclined further into the couch. With a disgruntled huff, she growled, “You’re supposed to back me up here.”

“I’m actually looking forward to working with you,” he grinned, the demon.

Her brows pulled together, “I don’t think I’m comfortable working with you, though.”

His lips quirked into that amused smile and he exchanged a glance with Melissa, making Flynn wonder how the two of them could be so in tune as to read one another’s thoughts. “I’m sure Miss and I are of one accord, Miss Rogers. You’re the one we want.”

Heaving a sigh, she dug out her notebook and pen once again since she doubted there was any way out of this, even if it meant working with Winter Mitchell and Melissa Irish. Of course, she probably wasn’t going to be working closely with them and most of the work could be done over the phone and through email. She probably wouldn’t see them until the day of the party and then it would only be for a few minutes to have them sign the checks. 

Feeling better, she looked at Melissa and smiled, “So, where do you want to begin?”

“I want something that a six-year-old boy will love,” Melissa said, the teasing light in her eyes gone, replaced by pure business woman. Leaning forward, she continued, “I want Storm to have the best birthday ever, the sky’s the limit.”

Flynn licked her lips, feeling the heat creeping up her neck as she blurted, “Um, he’ll be six. I’m pretty sure he’d be happy with an empty box and a chocolate cake.”

Melissa smiled condescendingly, her placid expression abruptly replaced by one of fierce intelligence and Flynn had the impression that the woman had hidden depths that few knew about. “Yes, I suppose that is true. Still, I want this party to be special.”

Flynn nodded, accepting the woman’s desire to make her son’s special day something wonderful. “Could I meet your son?”

Melissa’s smile became unbearably brilliant as she leaned forward and clasped Flynn’s hands between her own, “You are the first planner who has wanted to meet Storm.”

Bewildered, Flynn accidentally glanced at Winter and had to suck in a breath at the warm expression he gave her. Pulling her hands from Melissa’s, she asked, “Wouldn’t you think that is the most important part of planning a party? I mean, it
is
his party. Unless it’s a surprise party?”

“No, it’s not a surprise party but right now he is at his aunt’s house spending time with his cousins,” Winter explained before taking a breath and scrutinizing her until she was ready to squirm. His warm regard became practically arctic as his eyes narrowed, freezing her to the core. “We do expect you to sign a non-disclosure agreement, of course. We take Storm’s privacy and security very seriously and no one can sell his photo to the tabloid and that includes you, Miss Rogers.”

Taken aback, she felt the color drain from her face because it had never even occurred to her to do something like that. “Of course.”

The ice melted and he looked at her once more with warmth. “Excellent. Now, let’s hear some of your ideas.”

Flynn’s head was spinning from his mercurial mood changes and it took her a moment to remember that she didn’t have any ideas because she didn’t really expect to get the job. Plus, she assumed anyone hiring an event coordinator would have ideas and she’d be able to play off of those. She didn’t expect the ideas initially presented were actually examples of what they didn't want, like some sort of test. “Well, what are your expectations? And, um, how much do you want to spend?”

Melissa laughed as she waved her hand through the air, “Money is no object, Miss Rogers. I want this party to be whimsical and perfect for my son.”

“Just no poodles in tutus, though, right?” Flynn asked, just to be sure.

“Ah, you remember,” Winter grinned. When she looked at him, he winked at her before shaking his head, “Melissa’s allergic to dogs so that was never going to happen.”

“You guys suck,” Flynn said with a grin before slapping a hand over her mouth because the two people sitting in front of her weren’t old friends. They were celebrities and strangers and probably wouldn't get her sense of humor. “Sorry, that just sort of slipped out.”

Winter chuckled, “Trust me, I appreciate your candor.”

“You’re just nothing at all like I imagined,” she admitted, digging a deeper hole. Gathering up her notes and whatnot before she said or did anything else that would convince them she was an idiot, she cleared her throat, “So, are you sure you don’t want to go with a more experienced coordinator? I mean, you can afford the very best….”

“Who will insist poodles in tutus and clowns are absolutely perfect for a six-year-
old’s birthday,” Winter said with a deliberate shudder. “Do you have any idea how horrifying it is to have someone gush about a party using your worst fears as the basis for everything? Can you imagine clown cakes and poodle hats?”

“I suppose,” she muttered, still not convinced they should hire a neophyte who wasn’t even a coordinator. At least she had Diane and all of the resources at Gilded Dreams at her disposal. As she stood up, she was surprised when Winter stood up as well. “Um, when should we set up our next meeting?”

Winter glanced at his watch and pursed his lips, “Well, if you think you’re up for the challenge, come up with a few ideas tonight and return here tomorrow at the same time.”

Flynn gaped at him, wondering which part of not being an actual event coordinator he missed. “I’m sure I can come up with something but how do I know whether it will be appropriate for your, um, son?”

She hadn’t realized how awkward it would be to discuss Melissa’s child with Winter but the man didn’t seem fazed as he said, “Storm will be here tomorrow so you’ll be able to get a feel for what he’s like.”

Unbidden, a smile curved Flynn’s lips because she loved little kids. Back home, she was surrounded by all of her nieces and nephews and she missed having little rug rats underfoot. “Cool.”

As she headed out, he asked for her email address so he could send her the contract. “Read it over and if you agree, print it out, sign it and bring it back tomorrow.”

“Will do.”

♥~♥~♥

Flynn still wasn’t sure how she ended up being in charge of planning a child’s birthday. It wasn’t that she lacked experience planning small parties, not with a dozen nieces and nephews who insisted on having birthdays every year, but surely the rich and famous expected more than cake and balloons. What had she been thinking to agree to such an insane scheme?

After she got back to the office, Diane had been shocked and then wildly pleased when Flynn had told her the news. The other coordinators looked down their collective noses at her, sniffing that Melissa was just being eccentric and when she saw what a horrible job Flynn was doing she’d be more amenable to a professional. For the first time since Diane hired her, she was glad to get out of there when the clock chimed five.

Falling onto the couch, she was about to take a drink from her glass of wine when her sister burst into the room. Even though Fallon was ten months older, the two of them were nearly identical, even if Fallon had an air about her that made her so much bigger than life. Fallon’s light brown hair had artfully placed blond highlights and darker blond low lights and instead of boring brown eyes, she had vibrant green eyes. Fallon was also about ten pounds lighter, veering on the too skinny side, but that didn’t stop her from complaining about needing to lose five more pounds.

Judging by Fallon’s scowl, Flynn was fairly certain her sister had had a bad day. It was confirmed when Fallon flung herself onto the couch next to Flynn and stole the glass right out of her hand, drinking it down in one shot. “God, what a shitty day. I swear I stood in line for twelve hours only to be told to come back tomorrow. If I don’t get something soon I’m going to have to get a real job.”

Flynn smiled, “You said you’d give it a year before we go back home. It’s only been three months.”

“I know, but I didn’t think it’d actually take this long,” Fallon said with an exaggerated sigh. Her lips curled up into a wry smile, “It’s humbling to admit there are a lot of talented actresses out there and not a lot of work. How was your day?”

“Weird,” Flynn admitted, still in a state of disbelief. “I’m planning a party for Melissa Irish’s son.”

Fallon’s jaw dropped as her eyes went from Flynn’s face to the empty wine glass. Scrambling off the couch, she quickly poured another glass and hurried back. Handing it to Flynn, she apologized, “I didn’t realize you needed this more than me.”

Flynn chuckled, taking a sip of the wine. “It’s not that bad.”

Fallon’s look of surprise faded to be replaced by one of confusion. “Wait a minute. How did you get chosen to plan a party for anyone, let alone Melissa Irish?”

Flynn shook her head, “I have no idea.”

Sitting back down, Fallon grinned, “So, do you think you’ll meet the delicious Winter Mitchell?”

Color exploded across Flynn’s cheeks as she ducked her head, “I actually met him today. And yes, he is as gorgeous in real life as he is on the screen. No, that’s not true; he’s more gorgeous.”

“Ugh, I’m so jealous,” Fallon groaned, leaning back and going boneless. “You should put in a good word for me. You know, in case they suddenly discover a part in either of their movies that hasn’t already been cast.”

“Yes, because there are all sorts of spare roles just lying around waiting for you to come along and pick one up,” Flynn murmured wryly,
making both girls giggle. For a moment she was able to forget that she had to come up with several brilliant ideas before the morning.

“Welcome back, Miss Rogers,” Winter Mitchell said, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his mouth-watering chest. Normally, men wearing t-shirts that insanely tight didn’t appeal to her but, normally, men wearing t-shirts that tight weren’t Winter Mitchell. “Melissa and I had a bet going whether you were going to show up or not.”

“Who won?” she asked with a smile, walking up the steps and stopping directly in front of him.

“I did,” he said smugly, pushing the door open and holding it so she was forced to duck under his arm to enter. His heavenly scent prowled around her, daring her to breathe deeper. Oh, she was so tempted but she ignored the temptation.

“I signed the papers,” she offered instead, digging into her bag and pulling out the manila folder that held the agreement. Handing it to him, she watched as he took a quick glance at her signature. “I even came up with a few thoughts. However, it doesn’t make up for the nightmares that plagued me last night, little Chihuahuas and poodles dancing around in clown makeup. It was awful.”

He chuckled, putting a hand at the small of her back as he led her back to the living room. “I can imagine.”

She had to ignore the way her body reacted to the simple touch and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Melissa already sitting on the couch waiting for them. Melissa’s million dollar smile lit up the room as she stood up and embraced Flynn in a floral-scented hug. Usually Flynn reserved her hugs for friends and family and it felt weird hugging a near stranger, especially one who was so famous. Awkwardly, Flynn returned the hug, her eyes going to Winter for support but he just smiled as he sat down.

“I'm so glad you didn't chicken out,” Melissa bubbled, pulling Flynn to the couch until she was sandwiched between Melissa and Winter. “Winter was positive you were going to bail on us but I told him that if you did it was because he came on too strong. I’m glad you proved him wrong.”

Confused, Flynn looked at Winter, who shrugged his broad shoulders, “I won a different bet.”

As she thought before, celebrities were truly a different breed of human. “Um, okay. How many bets did you make?”

“At least a dozen,” he grinned.

He reached behind her to hand Melissa the folder and she was inundated with his warm, clean scent. The low hum of desire that pooled in her belly caught her completely unprepared. Pressing a hand over her stomach, she ignored it and murmured, “So, where do you want to start?”

“Do you want to meet Storm before we begin?” Winter asked casually, his eyes watching her with an intensity she found oddly compelling. 

Before getting sucked too deeply into those blue eyes, she blinked as a smile bloomed on her lips and she nodded, “Absolutely.”

Standing up, Winter surprised her by bending down and pressing a light kiss against her cheek. It took everything in her to keep her hands on her lap and not touch her cheek. As she stared at him, he murmured, “I’ll go get the little guy now.”

Unthinkingly, Flynn lost the battle and pressed her hand against her cheek, still feeling the imprint of his lips on her skin. Melissa’s tinkling laughter brought her back to reality and her head nearly exploded in mortification. Straightening her spine, she tried to pretend that his kiss hadn’t affected her at all but Melissa was having none of it.

“He has that effect on everyone,” Melissa teased, fanning herself with her hand. “I swear that boy was Romeo in a previous life.”

“Casanova,” Flynn muttered, unable to imagine the magnificent Winter Mitchell as anything less than a man who pleasured hundreds of women, not a boy who knew only one or two and died so young.

“Well, he’s too charming by half,” Melissa continued, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “And just the most delightful creature. I think the two of you will get along famously.”

“I’m really hoping that I won’t have to get along with him at all,” Flynn admitted, looking down the hall where Winter had disappeared. She couldn’t picture spending any more time than necessary with him because he really
was
too charming by half, to say nothing about his sheer hotness. She enjoyed her little fantasies about Winter Mitchell because he was just an illusion but if she got to know him, he’d become too real and she wouldn’t be able to fantasize about him anymore because he was
real
and, worse, he was another woman's fiancé. “I mean, won’t I be working with an assistant or something?”

“Not for this party,” Melissa demurred, her eyes lighting up as she looked past Flynn.

Turning in her seat, Flynn saw the most adorable little boy running towards them. With a mop of black hair and a pair of bright blue eyes, he was the spitting image of Winter, which was not what she expected. Striding behind the little moppet was the man himself, with his hands in his pockets as he watched the little boy with deep affection in his own pair of beautiful blue eyes. In that moment, Winter Mitchell was at his most gorgeous and her heart did a stupid little leap in her chest. Of course she ignored it because Winter was way out of her class and belonged to Melissa.

Storm paused when he saw her, never taking his eyes off her as he waited for Winter to catch up with him. The gorgeous man put a reassuring hand on the little boy’s head and murmured, “I’d like you to meet the lovely lady who is going to help plan your party.”

Storm’s eyes lit up and he smiled shyly at Flynn and she knew that he was a little heartbreaker in training. His small voice was soft and pure as he murmured, “Hello, I’m Storm.”

He had the sweetest little lisp and Flynn fell instantly in love. As the little boy left Winter’s side and flung himself onto the couch next to Melissa, Flynn couldn’t help but smile. “Hello, darling, I’m Flynn.”

“Like Huckleberry Flynn?” he asked curiously, his question oddly mature.

She grinned and shook her head, “Not
Fynn… Flynn.”

His eyes widened, “Like in the Rapunzel movie?”

“Yep.”

His brows drew together as he frowned, his eyes studying her in bafflement, “But you’re a girl.”

“I am,” she murmured, biting her tongue to keep from laughing.

The little boy’s lips curled up into a sweet smile before he giggled, “That’s so funny.”

Joining in his laughter, Flynn nodded, “I wish I had an awesome name like Storm.”

“My daddy named me that,” Storm said, his eyes going to Winter and looking at him with adoration. “He said it was storming like mad the day I came into the world and it was the best day of his life.”

With a soft smile, she turned her head and looked at Winter. Her smile froze when she saw his expression, uncomfortable with a hint of panic, and she started to ask, “What’s wro….”

“Tell us some of your ideas.” Winter suddenly blurted, his voice taut.

“Um,” she stammered, trying to remember a single thing she had come up with the night before. Nothing like being put on the spot to make a girl’s mind go completely blank. Her eyes went to Storm and her heart melted because he was simply too adorable with those humongous eyes and that shy smile. Her lips automatically curled into a smile as she asked, “How do you feel about pirates?”

Storm’s eyes lit up but he looked to Winter for approval before he spoke. At Winter’s nod, the light in his eyes transferred to the rest of his face when he smiled, “I love pirates. My daddy played a pirate in a movie but I’m not allowed to see it until I’m thirty-four.”

An unexpected chuckle slipped past Flynn’s lips and she forgot all about Melissa’s fame and beauty and Winter’s magnetism. Sliding off the couch, she sat on the floor and motioned for Storm to join her, which he did with eagerness. Once again in familiar territory, ideas began exploding in her brain and since Melissa did say the sky was the limit…. “I was thinking we could recreate one of the sunken pirate ships from the movie, but maybe transform it into a jungle gym with slides and monkey bars.”

Storm’s eyes grew wider and wider with each word she spoke, his grin splitting his face from ear to ear. “Will we have a hidden treasure?”

“Absolutely,” she agreed, her rational mind trying to punch her to keep her from promising him the moon. “We’ll even have a special nook for your own little treasures. And the best part is that afterwards, you’ll have an awesome jungle gym in the backyard.”

“Cool,” Storm breathed. “Do I get to wear a pirate costume?”

“Of course,” she assured him. “What’s a pirate party without the costumes? We’ll make sure everyone knows that they are to wear their very best pirate clothes.”

“And swords?”

“Maybe wooden ones,” she allowed. “I can’t imagine arming a bunch of six year olds would be particularly wise. But wooden swords and plastic hooks should be okay.”

The little boy pursed his lips in a manner very reminiscent of Winter in thought. Flynn waited for him to get his thoughts in order, knowing that he was figuring it all out in his head. After a few moments, he cocked his head to the side, “How many slides will the pirate ship have?”

“At least five,” she said solemnly, matching the seriousness of his question. “There can be an easy one for the little kids and a great big, swirly one for the more experienced sliders.”

Winter’s chuckle brought her back to the present and she looked up at him as he asked, “Are you sure you have no experience with planning parties?”

“I’m sure,” she said as Storm leaned back in her lap and she wrapped her arms around his chest in a hug. Grinning, she added, “However, I have lots of experience dreaming up adventures with my nieces and nephews. I figure it’d be kind of cool to combine the two, a party and an incredible playground for future quests.”

“Very practical,” he said with approval. “Do you have someone in mind who can build such a wonder?”

Lowering her lashes, she blushed, “Um, my dad.”

His lips slowly curved into a smile and then he was laughing. “And I’m sure you can back up your words with pictures?”

“Well, not right now,” she admitted. “Since I didn’t exactly plan on a pirate ship slash jungle gym. Oh! I can! Can I get on your computer?”

Sliding Storm off her lap, she stood up and took Storm’s hand in her own as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Winter’s eyes sparkled as he heaved a sigh and stood up as well, holding his arm out in front of him to show her where to go. As she started to walk with him, she looked over her shoulder and saw the peculiar smile on Melissa’s face as she watched the three of them. When the actress saw she was being observed, the expression immediately disappeared and she busied herself with picking up the manila envelope and reading through it.

Giving Melissa her privacy, Flynn held Storm’s hand as Winter led them through the huge mansion. Every area was filled with light, either from the skylights overhead or the massive windows that dominated most of the walls. And every window that she passed offered an incredible view of the immaculately landscaped backyard. Where in the world would they build a massive pirate ship? “Um, how big is your backyard?”

“You probably should have asked that before you started filling Storm’s head with talks of awesome pirate jungle gyms,” he said and she was about to die of mortification until she saw the laughter in his eyes. Shaking his head, he smiled, “Don’t worry, Miss Rogers, we can have the party at my place in the country where we have plenty of space. It'll actually work out better this way.”

“Whew,” she exhaled, relieved because
she
had been the one to promise the moon to the little boy.

“Here we go,” he said, going into an office and walking behind the desk. He held out the chair for her and when she sat, he leaned over her and typed in his password. Once again, his warm, clean scent filled her head and she had to stop herself from inhaling too deeply.

“Thank you,” she managed, pulling up the internet and typing in the social website. She had to smile when it came up and Winter was logged on, only he was using the name Mitch Winters. “Clever.”

“I can’t have my adoring public know I actually use this site, can I?” he joked.

“I am so sending you a friend request when I get home,” she teased, logging him off before logging on herself. Pretending to be unaffected by his warm chuckle, she went to her albums and clicked on the one that had all of the pictures of her dad's projects to show Winter and Storm her dad's  incredible work. The first couple of pictures were of a jungle gym that he built with all of his grandchildren in mind. And, if Flynn was honest, his children as well, since they were all a bunch of kids when they were home.