Lost Lyrics (Flintlocks #5)

Chapter 4

SUTTON

What the hell? Someone had parked in my spot. Couldn’t they read? What the fuck did the sign “RESERVED FOR SUTTON SUMMERS” mean? Damn it. It was April Fool’s Day, but this wasn’t funny. I was already late, thanks to Flint. He’d had a restless night, couldn’t find his favorite Green Day T-shirt to wear this morning, and had needed my help to find it. He’d then left in a hurry with Cole and Lewis to go to a meeting. I’d never seen Flint care so much about a T-shirt. Weird...but whatever.

I pulled into a spare parking spot, four rows away from the front of the studio. Flustered, I rushed through the rear entrance and headed for my dressing room. I swung the door open to find my fellow Angels in LA castmates, Mia and Peyton, dressed and ready for the day. Farrah, our hair and makeup artist, stood resting her butt against the counter, pulling the hair out of a brush, laughing with them. Mia sat in her chair with Peyton standing, wedged between her legs. They kissed, giggled, touched each other, and canoodled like love-struck teenagers. Clearly, they’d made up after their huge fight yesterday. Their third one this week. Ergh. I loved them, but they continually did my head in. I’d spent more than an hour yesterday after work consoling Mia. She’d sworn they were over. Today, it was as if nothing had happened.

I’d never survive in a turbulent relationship like that.

Mia and Peyton had been dating on and off since our show started two years ago. It was on at present, but who knew for how long? I was so glad Flint and I weren’t like that. We’d had our moments, but damn, we’d never had a walk-out-on-each-other, I-need-some-space fight like those two often did.

“Hi.” I dumped my purse on the counter. “Sorry I’m late. Someone parked in my spot. I had to walk a mile to get here.” Well...half a mile . I dashed behind the privacy screen and stripped down to my underwear. As I slipped into my fluffy robe and put on my soft slippers, I eyed the gorgeous red evening gown I’d wear for today’s shoot. Holy shit! Was that Valentino? It hung like liquid silk on the front of the clothes rack, loaded with outfits for this week’s shoot. Alice in wardrobe had excelled. Our budget for clothing was getting better and better with each season. Designers wanted us to wear their outfits, carry their bags, be adorned with their jewelry, and be seen in their shoes. I loved that. With a huge smile on my face, I sank into the swivel chair, ready for Farrah to perform her magic. I was having a bad hair day, so she’d have her work cut out for her.

I turned toward Mia and Peyton and circled my finger at them. “This is good to see. You girls make up?”

“Yeah.” Mia rested her head against Peyton’s belly. “Sorry for causing a commotion yesterday. I didn’t like her flirting with Austin Williams after she’d made out with him on set.”

I would’ve gladly taken her place, but no such luck. “I think everyone was envious.”

Peyton’s scene with Austin had been steamy and a load of laughs. With our show focusing on the disastrous, often funny, dating and working lives of our three career-oriented characters, we always had fun when popular actors made cameos .

Peyton swept her hand over Mia’s hair and tugged on a long strand. “Babe, I like it when you get crazy jealous. I can’t help it if the studio casts hot guests to play my next dating nightmare. He was funny and nice...and an awesome kisser.”

Mia rocked back in her chair and shot a fiery look at Peyton. “Okay. Don’t push it.”

“I won’t.” Peyton winked and blew Mia a kiss. “Love you.”

Farrah grabbed a makeup cape, draped it over the front of me, and fastened it behind my neck. “I could give you a recap of their make-up sex if you wish.”

“Ah, no thanks.” I slumped in my seat and swung to face the mirror. “I don’t need details.”

“Hey?” Mia reached over and rubbed my arm. “Are you okay?”

“Um...yeah. I’m fine.” I wriggled in my chair, struggling to get comfortable. I tugged and pulled at the neckline of my cape. It didn’t loosen. Okay, just strangle me. “I just hate being late. Flint was off this morning. He has been for a few days. Something is bothering him, and he hasn’t told me what it is yet.” The tension in my brow hadn’t eased all morning.

“Trouble in paradise?” Peyton raised a concerned eyebrow.

“No. God no. We’re good.” But are we?

The past few months, awards season had kept us busy, attending events for my show and for his band. Now it was over, he moped around the house. He cleaned. Gardened. Cooked. Watched endless hours of TV. He missed hanging out with the guys, playing music, and not having Slip nearby. He hated the uncertainty of The Flintlocks’ future. I didn’t want him to fall back into the depths of depression, hit the bottle, and laze around our home all day. He needed a new interest. A project to work on. Something to look forward to.

And I had a plan to give him that.

There was only one thing that would make our life better...marriage. We’d talked about it. He’d reassured me it was in our future. When the timing was right, he’d ask. For now, he just wanted to enjoy being together. But I had a deadline. I wanted a ring. To be his wife. If he hadn’t asked me by our third anniversary in June, I’d pop the question. Our wedding would give him something to focus on.

But the niggle in the back of my mind raised its ugly head.

What if he said no?

What would I do?

What if he still wanted to be with me and just wasn’t ready to tie the knot? Would I be okay with that? If he said ‘ No, I don’t see my forever with you anymore ,’ I’d be crushed. Inconsolable. Totally devastated. I was so in love with him, I didn’t want to...no, couldn’t... think about a life without him.

Crap. I couldn’t worry about proposing. I had a busy day filming ahead.

“Men are so much moodier than women.” Mia threw me a you-can-have-them smirk. “I don’t know how you put up with them. But I’m sure Flint is fine.”

“I’m sure he is,” I said, to reassure myself more than anyone else. But Mia shouldn’t talk. She had more mood swings than Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I loved her and Peyton. We’d become great friends. But damn, I missed Maddy. She’d been away, working in Vancouver, for years. Now she was on a break, spending time with Slip. I missed her coming home on weekends and catching up. That gave me more time with Flint, though. And I’d never complain about that. “I’ll take Flint out to dinner this weekend and get to the bottom of it.”

“You always do.” Peyton clutched and rubbed my shoulder. “But it’s time for you to get ready. Are you looking forward to your scenes with Ethan today? Roll out more of that sexy tension, you two do so well.”

“Absolutely.” My head bobbed as Farrah ripped her brush through the long strands. My character, Sienna, had a crush on her boss, Braxton. Ethan fit the role well. He played clueless perfectly. Fans adored him. He was handsome, tall, and had a Ryan Reynolds vibe about him. But...he was no Flint. “We’re filming the scene where I rush back to the office to work with him on an urgent client presentation first, then we’re doing the dinner function I bail on, right?” Many scenes weren’t filmed in order. Today was no different.

“Yep.” Mia grabbed her script off the counter and flicked through the pages. “We couldn’t make it through the table read on Monday without falling into fits of laughter.”

“I know.” Giggling, I glanced sideways at the girls. “Ethan makes it impossible to keep a straight face when he’s trying to be serious. He does this little lip twitch and eyebrow-archy thing.” I did my best to impersonate his look, and the ladies burst out laughing. “See? It’s so hard to stay in character.”

“Nah. You nail every scene.” Peyton giggled. “We need you two to keep that boss crush going on forever if it keeps our ratings skyrocketing.”

“I’ll do my best.” God, I loved my job. After nearly being destroyed financially by my father three years ago, and after struggling to find a new role when my previous show ended, I was back on top. I was in my element, being on a popular TV show about empowered, professional women. It continually challenged me and taught me new things, in front of and behind the camera. I was no longer stuck in a dead series or typecast as a high school sweetheart. Dating Flint had renewed and revamped my career, and I had revitalized his. Damn, we were good for each other.

“Sutt, we’ll go grab a coffee. You want one?” Mia eased herself from Peyton’s clutches, stood, and straightened her suit jacket.

“No, thanks. I had three at home.” Was that why I was on edge? Too much caffeine? Maybe I haven’t had enough? Three cups isn’t overdoing it. Is it?

“Okay. We’ll see you soon.” Mia took Peyton by the hand, led her out the door, and closed it behind them.

“Let’s get to work.” Farrah tied my hair into a high ponytail, then grabbed her set of hot rollers. “Ready for an updo?”

“Sure am.” I sank lower into my chair and closed my eyes. As Farrah set my hair, I ran through lines in my head. But my mind kept drifting to Flint. Something had distracted him for days. He’d left the room to take calls. He’d paced the garden. Kept emailing and texting madly. But last night, he’d been okay, like whatever had been bothering him had been resolved. A small smile curled across my lips. He’d cooked dinner. We’d made love on the sofa while watching TV. We’d cuddled in bed before falling asleep in each other’s arms...but around two, he’d tossed and turned until my alarm went off at seven.

I hated he was worried about something. We talked about everything. So this weekend we’d sort things out for sure.

An hour later, Peyton and Mia hadn’t returned. Where the hell were they? Maybe I didn’t want to know since they were still in making-up mode. Farrah had miraculously transformed my mass of long golden hair into a stylish bun on top of my head and had plastered it into place with a ton of hairspray. She’d done my makeup, giving me perfect smoky eyes and a smear of bright red lipstick across my lips. Very glam.

There was a loud knock on the door.

“Can I come in?” our production assistant, Jerome, hollered from the other side.

“Sure,” I called back as I admired Farrah’s work in the mirror. I pouted and pressed my lips together, smoothing out my lipstick. Damn . She is good .

The door swung open. Jerome’s large frame filled the doorway. His headphones hung around his neck like a foam medical brace as he greeted us with his big, warm smile. “Morning, ladies. Sutton, Frank wants you on set. He’s good to go. Are you ready?”

“I sure am.” I twinkled my fingers at him. “Give me five minutes to get dressed.”

“Great. Can you please come via the back? There are some boxes blocking the path to the main floor.”

“Sure.” There was always crap lying around the place—everything from tables and chairs to props to stage lights. That was nothing new.

“Alright. Let’s get you frocked up.” Farrah recapped the lipstick and put it on the counter. “I have no idea where Alice is. She must be still dressing the guys.”

“It’s okay. I can put on a dress and pair of shoes.” I eased out of the chair, shrugged off my robe, and draped it over the privacy screen. I ran my fingertips over the gorgeous, silky red gown. My skin tingled as I slipped on the strapless dress and buckled on the towering matching stilettos. Wow. This dress was more magnificent than anything I’d worn during awards season. How was I supposed to film a scene where I had to be annoyed at my boss in this spectacular gown? I felt amazing, beautiful, ready to bedazzle the night...at ten in the morning.

Shit.

I had to clear my mind. Focus. Get into character.

Easy, right?

I grabbed my script out of my purse and headed for the set, stepping over cables and meandering down the narrow corridor. The silky skirt swirled around my legs with each step, brushing my skin with the softest of touches. Note...go to Valentino for my next few gowns.

But as I passed the break room, my skin prickled. Half a dozen crew with coffees in hand stopped their chatter, filling the air with a disturbing quiet. Their eyes set on me, giving nothing away. What was that about? That had never happened before. I glided on by, ignoring the unease in my gut.

I rounded the corner of the set, and my breath shot out of my lungs.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

My mouth hit the floor.

Frank, our director, stood by a camera and monitors, chatting with the camera crew. That wasn’t unusual . Other technicians, assistants and operators hovered about, preparing for the day. As they should be . Mia and Peyton were perched on their chairs, flicking through their scripts. I was filming first, so that was fine too. But the set totally frazzled my mind. Braxton’s office was adorned with candles and bunches of huge roses. Ethan, dressed in a sleek black suit, leaned against the desk, reading through his pages, cool, calm, and collected.

I charged over to Frank and waved toward the set. “What the hell is this?”

“Sutton, get into position.” Frank put one hand on his hip and flicked the other at Ethan. “We don’t have all day.”

“Uh...no.” I stood my ground. Our scene was supposed to be full of flustered, stressful tension, not a candle-lit romance. “Can someone tell me what is going on? Has the script changed?” I glanced over at Shona, our producer, and Rhonda, one of the show’s writers, sitting at a desk, typing away on their laptops. “I didn’t get any update.”

“There was no need for an update. There is only one small change.” The constant presence of irritation in Frank’s voice didn’t alter. Deep down, he was a sweetheart. Most of the time. He stepped closer to me and folded his arms. “Rhonda and Shona want to see if a small shift in the dynamic between Sienna and Braxton works. If it does, great. If not, we’ll kill the idea. Ethan has a few new lines. Yours haven’t changed. If you feel the need...ad-lib. You’re good at that. ”

“Yes, butBraxton doesn’t know Sienna likes him. Romance isn’t their thing.”

Frank shrugged half-heartedly. “Time for him to not be so clueless.”

“But...that doesn’t fit the storyline.” Frustration coiled beneath my skin. “Doesn’t any change like this need to be approved by the entire team of writers? The studio?” I pleaded with Shona for an explanation but got nothing from her other than a blank poker face.

“Sutton?” Frank rubbed his brow. “It’s one test scene. Work with me. I have to make this happen. It is what the writers want to see for future planning. Are you able to do this or not?”

“Yes. Yes, of course. But...” Shit . “Are you sure my script hasn’t changed?” It would’ve been nice to have had some forewarning. But I could do this. I just had to focus. Get in the zone.

I tossed my script onto my chair, walked over to my entry spot stage-left behind the closed office door, and closed my eyes. As I smoothed my hands over my dress, I took a deep breath. I was Sienna. Marketing executive. Ready to be flustered... that is easy ...and have an evening full of slow burn tension in the office with my clueless boss. Yep. Here we go.

After lighting was adjusted, hair and makeup were checked, and boom mics were in position, the crew gave the thumbs up to Frank.

“Awesome. Alright, let’s go.” Frank took a seat behind his monitor, then called out, “Quiet on set. Action.”

I knocked on the door to Braxton’s office and rushed inside. “I’m here. I came as fast as I could.” I panted like I’d run a mile, then swallowed hard, halting in my tracks, and took in the office overflowing with beautiful candles and gorgeous pink roses. Crap. I have to ad-lib. It is called for. “Um...Braxton? I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something? Didn’t you call me back to work on tomorrow’s Hamptons presentation?”

“You’re not interrupting anything. I called you in.” Ethan, in his suave suit, slowly came around to the front of his office desk. Okay, I could see why the fans of the show raved about his good looks. He had sexy, short salt-and-pepper hair and a charming smile, but no one was hotter than Flint. Ethan took my hands in his and softened his voice. “There is something I wanted to talk to you about first.”

In character, I swallowed hard, delivered my line. “Is it about the promotion?”

“No.” Ethan shook his head, slowly.

What? He should’ve said yes. Damn it! Think. What would Sienna say? She didn’t take shit from anyone. “Well, this is a bit of an overkill to show me how much you appreciate my work in the office and the amount of overtime I do. Nice touch, but I would’ve been happy with takeout Chinese.”

“This is more than a show of appreciation, Sienna.” He took a tiny step closer. “Please tell me if I am crossing the line here. But you’re impossible not to notice. I’ve seen the way you look at me. I’m not blind. Tell me I’m not imagining things.”

“Braxton.” Shit, this is so off the script. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do. Every time I’m in the same room as you, I feel a connection. Tell me you feel the same way. That this is something.”

“Yes. But...fuck.” My blood pressure spiked. “Cut.” I stepped three feet away from Ethan and spun to Frank. I waved my palms in the air. “What the hell is this? None of this dialogue is what Braxton would say.”

“Sutton, that was fantastic.” Rhonda stepped in beside Frank. But was that a twisted, evil, yet humorous glint in her eye? She was having way too much fun with this. “Keep going. I wanna see if this works.”

“What am I working with, Rhonda?” I jammed my hands on my hips. “We’re supposed to be working on a client’s presentation, not wining and dining. Braxton is supposed to be oblivious to Sianna’s crush on him. This is changing everything. Why wasn’t I told?”

“I’m telling you now.” Rhonda shrugged, grinning with too much satisfaction. “Let’s have some fun with this scene, please?”

Fun? This isn’t fun. This is just ridiculous. “Fine,” I groaned. Did we have the budget to waste studio time? I didn’t think so. I turned on my heels and got back in to position. I wriggled my knees, my toes, then stretched my neck from side to side. “Sorry, Ethan. This is just weird.”

“Nah, we can do this.” Grinning, he wrinkled his nose. “You’re great at ad-libbing. I’ll give you all the cues you need. I got you.”

“Thanks.” I took a deep breath and smoothed my hands over my dress. That helped clear my head. “So, where are we picking up from?”

Ethan straightened his tie. “Tell me you feel the same way. That this is something.”

“Okay.” Crap. How could I make this scene work? I was supposed to be annoyed with Braxton. My lines hadn’t changed. I had to stay true to my character. Stick with the storyline. Sienna liked Braxton, but she wouldn’t fall into his arms even if things changed. There’d be no fucking on the desk. If Braxton was suddenly interested in her, she’d be flattered and remain professional. She’d play it cool, not willing to risk her chance at promotion or jeopardize her reputation in the office. That would be believable.

“Action,” Frank called out.

Ethan repeated his line. “Tell me you feel the same way. That this is something?”

A dull throb pummeled the back of my brain. But I ignored it and played along. “Braxton, you’re a great boss. Fun to work with. There might be something, but whatever it is, it can’t evolve into anything.”

“Why not?”

Because clearly Rhonda was on some weird, potentially drug-induced trip and is messing with the fucking storyline. I summoned a sweet smile, turning on the innocent charm. “I’m next in line for a promotion. I don’t want to be the talk of the office or for you to treat me differently.”

Ethan took my hands in his. Was that a tremble? Yeah, he didn’t like this change either. But he never broke character. “I can’t hide the way I feel about you anymore. I can’t wait to see you each morning. Your laugh and smile brighten my day. Your voice intoxicates me.” He swept a loose strand of my hair behind my ear and softened his voice. “Sienna, regardless of what people within these gossip-filled walls will say, I’d love to go out with you. Take you on a date. I see my future with you.”

What the fuck?

“Sienna, please. Be my girlfriend.”

“No.” I yanked my hand free and took a step toward Frank, but Ethan caught my arm. I yelled from the center of the set, “Frank, why are you going along with this crap? This is utter bullshit. Am I been pranked? It’s April Fool’s Day. Please tell me this is a joke.” There had to be some explanation for all this craziness.

“Sutton, it’s not a joke. You’re doing a great job.” Frank patted the air. “Your reactions are on point. Roll with it. Keep ad-libbing. Please?”

“Shit.” I shook my head to erase the frazzle. “No.”

“Yes.” Frank pointed at me. “Keep going. Action.”

Ethan stepped in behind me and placed his hands on my arms. “Sie, I like you.” His tone was serious. How could he stay so calm when this was so off the mark? I preferred things when he was clueless. “Sit down with me. Help me change this presentation while we have a drink or two. Then, let me take you out to dinner. Please?”

I dug deep. This was so freaking ludicrous. My blood had overheated. Frank had done nothing like this on set before. Why now? I spun to Ethan and glanced up at him. There was no lip twitch or sexy eye. Fuck, he was deep in character. Okay. I was a damn good actress; I could do this. I took a steady, lung-filling breath, let it out slowly, and found my inner calm. “We’ll see. Let’s get this presentation done first, okay?”

“Yes, we will. But Sienna, you’re all I’ve thought about for months.” Ethan never faltered in his delivery. “I want to be with you, grow old together.”

I jerked my chin back a fraction. “That’s being a little hasty, isn’t it?”

“No. I’ve heard the office gossip. You’re into me. I’m into you. So why not manifest the future I want? You’re ambitious. Beautiful. Run some of our biggest accounts. You’re funny. And sexy. And in line to become the next senior executive. I like strong women. I can definitely see us getting married.”

“Married?” I swayed on my feet and winced. “Brax, the problem is, I don’t believe in marriage.” My character was hellbent against settling down thanks to her parents’ ugly divorce.

He cupped the side of my face. “I’ll make it my mission in life to change your mind.”

This definitely wasn’t in the storyline. But fuck, this day was so weird. I didn’t know where to go with the dialogue.

There was a knock on the door. I spun around, but no one entered. I turned back to Ethan. “Braxton?...Are you expecting someone else?”

A sly glint flared in his eyes, but he ignored the knock. “Sie, everyone wants to get married. Everyone wants to spend their life with someone they’re in love with. I honestly believe that might be you.”

I shook my head and took a step back. “You don’t know me well enough to make that call.”

“Fuck, Sienna.” Ethan stormed past me and stopped by the door. “I’m trying here. I’ve told you how I feel.” The low, angry fire in his tone prickled my skin. Holy shit. He was on a roll. “But if you don’t want to be with me and don’t want to marry me...then what about this guy?” Ethan yanked open the door.

Oh. My. God.

My heart faltered. My knees buckled. Tears sprang into my eyes.

Flint stood there, dressed to the nines in a tuxedo, holding a huge bunch of pale pink roses.

I crushed my hands against my chest to hold my thundering heart in place and laugh-cried.

Flint, my handsome, tall, sexy man, stepped toward me. “I’m glad you didn’t say yes to Braxton. Because there is only one person you belong with, and I hope that is me.”

“She’s all yours.” Ethan slapped Flint on the shoulder, slipped to the side and left me alone on the set with Flint. I couldn’t see the cameras, the booms, the production crew...just the love of my life.

He handed me the flowers. “You look so beautiful.”

“Oh my God.” I took the bouquet, inhaled the sweet scent, then cradled the flowers in my arm. I trembled from head to toe. “You...you organized all this?”

“Yeah, I did.” He dipped his chin. “I’ve been planning this for months. Everyone was in on it. Especially Frank. Rhonda. Shona. The girls and Ethan.

“I knew this scene was bullshit.” My heart raced at a million miles an hour. Flint had gotten me good. We always stirred each other, but this was a winner, hands down .

“But this next bit isn’t.” A sexy glint flashed across his eyes. “Are you gonna give me a chance to say my lines?”

I hugged the roses against my somersaulting stomach and nodded.

His cheeks were flushed. He fidgeted with his bow tie.

I could hardly breathe.

It was happening. I’d been waiting for this moment for more than a year. It was finally here. And it was perfect.

He took my trembling hand and got down on one knee.

A blissed-out sob escaped me.

“Sutton.” He grinned, then cleared his throat. “The moment Blake and the guys suggested we date to save our careers, I thought it was a ludicrous joke. When I met you, I swore you were too innocent to be with someone like me. But you annihilated my preconceptions. I never expected you to be so strong. Determined. And desperate as I was in need of change. You broke down my walls. You opened my heart. You brought me out of my darkness into the light. You have calmed the chaos in my mind and grounded me. Somehow, you put up with my band and all of my shit and theirs too. I love your smile, your laugh, the home we’re making, and the life we have together. I love you with every ounce of my soul, with all of my being, every cell in my body. I want to spend the rest of my days making you happy, giving you everything you have ever dreamed of.” He dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. He opened it. The most gorgeous emerald-cut diamond sparkled in the light. “So, Sutton Summers, down on one knee, will you do me the biggest honor and marry me?”

“Yes. Oh my God, yes.”

He slid the rock set on a white-gold band onto my finger. It fitted perfectly. It glittered. It was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen.

Flint rose to his feet and kissed me. He dipped me backward, and I squealed. He smiled against my lips. “I fucking love you, Sutt.”

I cupped his cheek; warmth filled my chest and soared through my heart. Dizziness spun through my head, and tingles skipped across my skin. I was so happy I couldn’t stop crying. “I love you. So much.”

The cast and crew erupted with cheers, whistles, and woohoos. From the back of the crowd, our friends rushed forward with champagne and balloons and glasses.

“Oh, wow. Everyone is here.” Tears blurred my vision as I hugged Tia and Ava.

“We didn’t want to miss it.” Cole handed me a flute of champagne. “Congratulations.”

“I wanted the people who are a huge part of our lives to be here.” Flint snaked his arm around my waist. He drew me close and kissed my cheek.

Maddy weaved her way through the crowd, and I shrieked. I slipped out of Flint’s hold and flung my arms around her. “You’re here. I miss you so much.”

“Me too.” She held onto me like she didn’t want to let go. “Congratulations. Quick. Show me the ring.”

I held out my shaking hand. I couldn’t take my eyes off my diamond. It had to be at least eight carats. Wow!

“It’s stunning.” Maddy eyed my bling, then threw Flint a playful wink. “About time, hey?”

“Yes. It was time.” Flint grinned, a big, beautiful, relieved, thank-God-that’s-over-with grin.

“Where’s Slip?” I whispered to Maddy.

“He’s at home.” Concern flashed through her eyes before she gave me a warm smile. “He’s okay. You’ll see him tonight before we head back to the island tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait.” There were so many people hovering around us, cheering, drinking, and congratulating us. I was drawn into the celebrations. I’d love to catch up with Maddy, but now clearly wasn’t the time.

The past few minutes slammed into me.

Overwhelmed, I swayed on my feet. My heartbeat thundered against my ribs.

Oh. My. God . . . I’m engaged.

Flint edged in beside me, cradled the back of my neck, and gave it a gentle rub. “Sutt, I’ve stressed for months on how to blow your mind. You’re all Hollywood. I like the simple things in life, so I combined the two.” He patted Frank on the back. “Frank was in on the plan the moment I came up with the idea. We had to find a spot in the storyline where we could twist things around. Ethan was a true champ.” He raised his glass to my co-star, then turned to the gathered crowd. “A huge thank you to everyone who kept this a secret and played their part in organizing today.”

“It was fun.” Peyton stepped from the group and hugged Flint, then me. “Congratulations, Sutt.”

“I can’t believe it!” I shrieked, jumping up and down on the spot. “I’m engaged.” Holy shit. “I’m so freaking happy!” I wiped tears from my eyes, then curled my arm around Flint’s, steadying myself. “I think I’m still in shock.”

“I’m glad I surprised you.” He touched his lips to mine, then wriggled his sexy eyebrows. “But this day isn’t over yet. You’re wearing that gorgeous dress for a reason. It’s for the next part of the surprise. There is a helicopter waiting outside in the lot to take us to lunch. We’ll be home to have dinner and drinks with these guys.” He waved his hand at our friends. “So, if you are ready, I’m going to steal you away for the afternoon.”

He’d blown my mind. Stolen my heart. Owned my very soul. I’d follow him anywhere, to the ends of the universe, if needed.

I glanced at Frank for his okay. He chuckled and nodded. “Go. Get the hell out of here so Flint can stop fucking with my filming schedule and messing with my writers. We will re-shoot the original scripted scene with no weird-ass changes tomorrow.”

“Oh, thank God.” I tilted my head back and laughed, then pointed at Ethan. “I knew that scene was messed up.”

“No shit.” Ethan sashayed over and hugged me. “But it was fun. Congratulations.”

“Ditto.” Rhonda stepped forward to give us her well wishes and waved her champagne toward me. “I was stressing Ethan wouldn’t pull it off. But he did. The look on your face was worth it.”

“It was priceless.” Shona veered around her and embraced me. “I knew I loved working with you for a reason. You stay true to yourself and your character. Somehow Ethan pulled it off and Flint...well...anyone who goes to such extremes to propose, gets down on one knee, and confesses his love like that is definitely a keeper. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a warm hug, then slid back into Flint’s arms.

Grinning, he kissed me on the temple and murmured softly, “I love you.”

I couldn’t stop smiling. My love for him filled the whole sound stage. I leaned into him, never wanting to let him go. “I love you, forever. But first, where are we going for lunch?”

Sexiness blazed in his gorgeous eyes. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

I didn’t think this day could get any better, and as long as I was with Flint, I didn’t care where we went. “I’m all yours. Lead the way.”

He took hold of my hand and drew me down the corridor. After ducking into my dressing room to grab my purse, we dashed out the door.

I couldn’t wait for my next surprise.