Winter's Heart (29 page)

“Not a bit of fluff at all,” Winter agreed, holding back his laughter.

“It’s almost time to reveal the pirate ship,” she murmured, the world narrowing until all that there was, was Winter.

“I think he’s more excited about that ship than the birthday cake.”

“But Harry really outdid himself,” she murmured. “He gave me some of the frosting and I swear I saw angels.”

“Did you have him put some aside for later?”

Her belly warmed and she lowered her lashes as he continued to gaze at her with naked hunger. An unfamiliar laugh interrupted their private interlude and she remembered that she was not there as Winter’s date but as his employee.

“I should go and make sure everything is going smoothly.” Standing up, she put a hand on Winter’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze but as she almost bent down to kiss his cheek, she stopped herself in time. Stumbling over her feet before she caught her balance, she offered the two men a smile before returning to her official job as party… event coordinator.

Fifteen minutes later, once everyone had gathered in the main tent, the emcee took the stage and commanded everyone’s attention, letting them know that it was time for the unveiling of Storm’s birthday present from Winter Mitchell. As the crowd dutifully stood and followed the man, Flynn lagged behind to make sure everyone knew where to go, pleased with how everything was progressing. Once the pirate ship was unveiled, the party would be officially underway. The kids were going to be allowed to play on the ship slash jungle gym while the parents could choose to either socialize with their peers or play on the ship with their kids. She knew which option she’d choose and the choice wasn’t even close. Pirate ship all the way.

In thirty minutes, food would be rolled out, the amazing food from Harry’s and the grown up food from Xai’s. Trying to be an adult, she had tasted the truffles when she was doing a last minute check on the food but she wasn’t sure she liked the earthy taste. It had been difficult trying the sushi, especially the squid because she thought it was looking at her, but she managed to choke some down and if it weren’t for the flavor or the weird texture, it might have been okay. Same with the caviar. It didn’t really matter, though, because she wouldn’t be eating with the guests. When she found the time to grab a bite, she fully planned on enjoying her burger later on and in peace where she wouldn’t have to pretend to have a cultivated palate.

“You look awfully familiar,” a voice she knew all-too-well spoke next to her. Turning her head, she had to keep from inhaling too sharply when she met Nolan Mars’s slate gray eyes. He was studying her too closely and if she wasn’t careful, she was going to vomit all over his pirate shirt. “Have we met?”

Pasting a blinding smile on her numb face, she shook her head no, “Nope. I just have one of those faces.”

“But I’m sure I know you,” he persisted. “Are you an actress?”

If she got out of this without embarrassing herself or Winter, she vowed she would never have kinky sex in public again. “You might have seen my sister. She was a dandelion in an allergy commercial?”

His brows drew together in a frown but it was obvious he couldn’t think of a likelier excuse. But then he shook his head, “
Nooo, I’m sure I’ve seen
you
.”

“My sister and I could pass for twins,” she asserted. “We get confused for one another all of the time.”

His eyes narrowed as he held up his hand and hid the top half of her face. He split his fingers and looked at her as if she were wearing a mask. Keeping her expression as neutral as possible, she smiled blandly, “Well?”

“Have you ever been to
Velvet Smoke
?”

“What’s that?” she asked guilelessly, keeping her eyes large and inquisitive instead of looking away in guilt.

“Never mind,” he said, shaking his head in frustration. “I just thought you might have been her.”

“Her?” she squeaked. Clearing her throat, she kept her bland smile and tried again, “Her?”

“Nobody,” he answered with a wry smile. “In fact, I’m beginning to think I dreamed the entire encounter because no one can be that gorgeous and that uninhibited, can they?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, having seen some pretty wild things involving beautiful girls and scandalous situations.

“But taking two men at once?” he asked dubiously and she realized he truly did recognize her. He was trying to bait her and get her to bite to confirm his suspicion.

With a wince that wasn’t entirely feigned, she shook her head, “That sounds painful, and kind of awkward for the guys. When you were fucking this girl, did you get a little turned on when your dick touched the other guy’s? Or was the girl just an excuse to taste the forbidden fruit?”

Color flared in his cheeks as he sputtered. Without giving him a chance to speak, she leaned in and went for the kill, “I mean, you’re this famous actor and if it got out that you have some, shall we say, curiosity about how the other side lives, it might be a deal breaker. Or not. It really depends, doesn’t it?”

“Who the fuck are you?” he managed to say in a rough voice.

“Who, me?” she asked with her brilliant smile back in place. “I’m just the party planner.”

With that, she flounced off as her heart threatened to beat so fast it could explode. Figuring the rest of the guests could find their own way, she headed towards the back of the mansion where the pirate ship was located, desperate to get away from Nolan before he could say anything else or she gave herself away.

“Flynn,” Winter whispered loudly, catching her off guard as he wrapped his fingers around her arm and pulled her into a hidden alcove. “Are you all right? I was worried when we got to the pirate ship and you weren’t there. I know how badly you wanted to see Storm’s face.”

Wounded, she softly wailed, “I missed it?”

He tried to comfort her but she stumbled away from him. Concern glowed in his blue eyes as he asked, “What’s wrong, Flynn?”

Tears smarted in her eyes and her body began to shake as the adrenalin
e hit her bloodstream. Irrationally, she seethed, “How could you invite Nolan Mars to the party? He recognized me, Winter. He held his hands up and recognized me.”

She knew she wasn’t making any sense but she was a little distraught. Pulling her into his arms, ignoring her flailing arms, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead as he assured her in a steady voice, “I didn’t invite him, Flynn, I would never have invited him. Melissa must have done it after I looked at the final list and I am so sorry you had to suffer through that.”

Taking a few breaths to get her emotions and anger and fear under control, she pressed her cheek against his chest. The steady thump of his heart, the gentle strokes of his fingers, brought her back down from her torment and she wanted to smack herself. Of course he hadn’t invited Nolan Mars and now she felt stupid for believing, if only for a moment, that he would. Pushing out of his arms, unable to look at him, she muttered, “Okay. I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” He drew her back and looked down at her with tender concern. “I can send everyone home if you need me all to yourself.”

She laughed because in that moment she wanted nothing more than to be alone with Winter, even though she knew it was impossible. When he cupped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes, she couldn’t hide her troubles. At his frown, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him as tight as she could, “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

His hands smoothed over her back as he suddenly stilled. It took her a moment to understand why until she felt the thick ridge of his erection behind the leather pants and her lips parted in surprise. She looked up at him, her mind suddenly blank as she realized he was incredibly aroused. “Really?”

“Always when you’re around or when I remember that night at the club or in the limo or really anytime I think about you,” he muttered through clenched teeth, trying to control his body. The fact that he was still getting wood because of her pleased her more than it should and she hoped it never ended. Curving her hand around the erection, she stroked him through the supple leather, wondering how long it would take him to come if they were to, say, have a quickie. Could he be fast enough not to be caught?

Jesus, what the hell was she thinking? Hadn’t she just promised not to have kinky sex in public if she survived the encounter with Nolan?

But who’s to say it had to be kinky?

Tearing her hand away from her lover’s penis and thrusting it behind her back, she took a step away from Winter and tried not to blush. “We should get back to the party. I’m sure you’ll be missed.”

“I told Miss I had to take a piss,” he whispered, closing the distance between them and sliding his fingers into her hair. Technically, they had enough time, if he was fast enough. Looking down at her with heavy lids, he purred, “Are you wearing panties, Flynn?”

“You asked me not to.” Her words came out in a breathless whisper and when he hoisted her up and pinned her against the wall behind her, she barely had any breath to steal when he kissed her.

“Don’t you think it’s time I took my pirating duties more seriously?” he asked, grabbing the hem of her skirts and pushing them up her legs, exposing her skin to the warm afternoon air.

“What duties are those?” Her hands were working furiously between them, unlacing his pants and freeing his straining erection. Touching him skin to skin was a thousand times better than touching him through leather.

“Plundering virgins,” he growled, impaling her in one, long thrust.

“I’m not a virgin,” she managed, arching her back to take him deeper and rolling her eyes back  in pleasure as he accepted the offer.

“And thank God for that.” His hips jackhammered back and forth as he fucked her fast and hard and all she could do was hold on for the ride. “Storm loved the ship, by the way.”

“How can you still be talking?”

“Let me remedy that.” Using his teeth, he tugged down her bodice, her shirt, and captured a hard nipple between his teeth. After a not-so-gentle bite, he pulled sharply, sucking the sensitive flesh into his mouth and making her body quicken.

“I’m so close,” she panted.

“Come for me,” he demanded against her breast, slamming into her and breaking her apart. As her muscles contracted, he grunted and pushed deeper and deeper until he came. With a few involuntary twitches and jerks, he finished. Spent, he rested his head against the curve of her neck, “Will I ever get enough of you?”

“I hope not,” she managed, lovingly stroking her fingers through his hair. Closing her eyes, feeling perfectly at peace, she murmured, “You once told me that you didn’t know if a person fell in love with you or one of the characters you’ve played but, Winter, you put so much of who you are into your characters that to love them
is
to love you.”

“Oh, Flynn.”

“I love you, Winter.”

♥~♥~♥

Melissa watched Winter nail that little party planner again. She had really hoped he would have moved past the girl by now but apparently that was not meant to be. Oh, well, there wasn’t much she could do about it because after tomorrow he was no longer going to be her fake fiancé. Letting him go was definitely the right thing to do, she just hadn’t expected to feel sad about it.

She hadn’t really expected to feel anything. Maybe a part of her had genuinely loved the boy but it no longer mattered.

Finding the man who hadn’t been invited but she knew was going to be there, she pushed thoughts of Winter and the little planner from her mind. The uninvited guest was waiting right where she told him to meet her and with an extra brilliant smile and an added sway to her hips, she strolled over to him. “I’m glad you made it.”

“I hope it’s worth my time,” he sneered, unaffected by her womanly charms.

“Trust me,” she assured him, handing him the large, beige envelope. “This will change your life. I just have one teensy, tiny favor to ask of you.”

He started to open the envelope but she stopped him and handed him a second, much smaller envelope. “Not here, my dear. Now, if you would be so kind as to take this to the party planner?”

Cocking his head to the side, he frowned, “What is it?”

“Her payment, silly.” She let out a delicate giggle, flirtatiously putting her hand on the man’s chest and trying not to cringe. “And make sure you have an audience, preferably Winter.”

“Fine.”

♥~♥~♥

Flynn smoothed the front of her dress and sighed in relief. The party had gone smashingly and everyone was having a blast even as the festivities drew to an end. It had pleased her to no end because she knew that too often the rich and famous could suffer from debilitating jadedness. They either genuinely enjoyed the food, the company, the music, or they were all really good actors.

Three hours after coming apart in Winter’s arms, she was feeling really good about life. Of course, she had to avoid him otherwise she’d give herself away the moment she looked at him. She just had to get through the next few hours and then it would no longer matter who knew she was madly, passionately, desperately in love with the man. He had freed her from her fears of  losing herself if she ever let herself go and she had shown him that he was absolutely worthy of love.