Snowbound Surprise for the Billionaire

Flynn had never thought too much about hotel rooms before beyond space and comfort. And most of the time he didn’t waste much thought on the second of those. Space mattered to him though. It probably had something to do with the wide open spaces of the cattle country he was used to. He didn’t like feeling hemmed in. It was strange, then, that he spent so much of his time in the cities of Sydney and Brisbane.

‘Oh, my! You have a walk-in closet. And a second bedroom!’ Addie came hurtling back into the living area. ‘You have all this—’ she spread her arms wide to encompass the lounge area, dining table and kitchenette ‘—plus all that.’ She pointed back the way she’d come from the bedrooms and bathroom.

The suite was generous.

She bounced on the sofa. She sat at the table. ‘And it’s all lovely light wood and blue and grey accents. It’s beautiful.’

He glanced around. She was right. It was.

She poked about the minibar and straightened with a frown. ‘There’s no price list.’

‘The minibar is included in the overall price. It’s the same for your room.’ When he travelled he wanted the best.

‘No-o-o.’ Her jaw dropped. ‘You mean, I can drink and eat whatever I want from it and it won’t cost you a penny more?’

Heck! Had he ever been that young? ‘Ja.’

‘Fantastisch!’

She sobered. ‘Thank you for my beautiful room.’

He rolled his shoulders. He hadn’t been thinking of her comfort or enjoyment, but his own convenience. ‘It’s nothing. Don’t think about it.’

‘Thank you for bringing me to Munich.’

‘It’s not a free ride, Adelaide.’

‘I know, and just you wait. I’m going to be the best PA you’ve ever had.’

Her sincerity pricked him. ‘Addie, go and unpack your bags.’

Without so much as a murmur, she turned and left. Flynn collapsed onto the sofa, shaking his head. He eased back a bit further. Addie was right. The sofa was comfortable. He’d be able to rest here and—

Out of the blue it hit him then that not once between the airport and now had he given thought to the reason he was in Munich. He straightened. He pushed to his feet. Twenty years in the planning all ousted because of Addie’s excitement? Jet lag. He grabbed his suitcase and strode into the master bedroom, started flinging clothes into the closet. Either that or he was going soft in the head.

He stowed the suitcase and raked both hands back through his hair. The important thing was that he was here now and that finally—after twenty years, twenty-two, to be precise—he had the means and opportunity to bring down the man who had destroyed his family. He would crush George Mueller the way George had laid waste to his father. And he intended to relish every moment of that with the same gusto Addie had so far shown for Munich.

With a grim smile, he made for the shower.

* * *

A knock sounded on the door and Flynn glanced up from his laptop. Housekeeping?

Or Addie?

He forced himself to his feet to open it. Addie stood on the other side, but it was a version of her he’d never seen before. What on earth? He blinked.

‘May I come in?’

He moved aside to let her enter, his voice trapped somewhere between chest and throat. She sauntered in with a pot of coffee in one hand and a briefcase in the other. She wore a black business suit.

Hell’s bells! Addie had legs that went on forever.

She set the briefcase on the table and the coffee pot on a trivet on the bench, before turning. He dragged his gaze from her legs. ‘Where did you get that?’ He pointed so she knew he meant the coffee, not the legs.

‘The breakfast room.’

She collected two mugs and leant down to grab the milk from the bar fridge. Her skirt was a perfectly respectable length, but... He rubbed the nape of his neck. Who’d have known that beneath her jeans she’d have legs like that?

He shook himself. ‘What are you doing?’ The words practically bellowed from him. ‘And why are you wearing that?’

Her face fell and he could’ve kicked himself. ‘Sorry,’ he ground out. ‘Jet lag. That didn’t come out right.’

She swallowed. ‘Flynn, I know this trip isn’t a free ride. So—’ she gestured down at herself ‘—like a good dainty personal assistant, I donned my work clothes, made sure to get the boss coffee and now I’m here to put in a day’s work.’

‘I don’t expect you to do any work today.’

She handed him a coffee. Strong and black. She must’ve remembered that from their meetings at Lorna Lee’s. ‘Why not?’

He took a sip. It wasn’t as hot as he’d have liked, but he kept his trap shut on that head. She’d gone to the trouble of fetching it for him. Besides, it was excellent—brewed to perfection.

‘I’m here to work,’ she reminded him.

‘Not on the day we fly in. You’re allowed some time to settle in.’

‘Oh.’ She bit her lip. ‘I didn’t realise. You didn’t say.’

‘Where did you get the suit?’ Had she bought it especially for the trip? He hadn’t meant to put her out of pocket.

‘I have a wardrobe full of suits. When I finished school I started an office administration course. I had plans to—’

She broke off and he realised that whatever plans she’d made, they hadn’t come to fruition.

‘But my mother became sick and I came home to help out and, well, the suits haven’t really seen the light of day since.’

Because she’d been stuck on the farm. Trapped on the farm. He recalled the way she’d pressed her face against the window of the taxi, the look on her face as she’d stared around the city street below. Why was she in his room ready to work when she should be out there exploring the streets of Munich?

‘Flynn, I don’t even know what it is we’re doing in Munich.’

That decided him. ‘Go change into your warmer clothes—jeans, a jumper and a coat—and I’ll show you why we’re here.’

Her eyes lit up. ‘And a scarf, gloves and boots. I swear I’ve never known cold like this.’

‘Wear two pairs of socks,’ he called after her. ‘I’ll meet you in the foyer in ten minutes.’

* * *

Addie made it down to the foyer in eight minutes to find Flynn already there. She waved to Bruno, who waved back.