Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Free books
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
Part 22
Part 23
Part 24
Part 25
Part 26
Part 27
Part 28
Part 29
Part 30
Part 31
Part 32
Part 33
Part 34
Part 35
Part 36
Part 37
Part 38
Part 39
Part 40
Part 41
Part 42
Part 43
Part 44
Part 45
Part 46
Part 47
Part 48
Part 49
Part 50
Part 51
Part 52
Part 53
Part 54
Part 55
Part 56
Part 57
Part 58
Part 59
Author's Note
Sneak Peek
Free books
About the Author
The Rock Star's Wedding
Demelza Carlton
Book 6 in the Romance Island Resort series
DEDICATION
This one is for the January Girls.
For keeping me (marginally) sane, no matter what Jay Felix chose to do.
Without you, he might not have lived to find his happy ending.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Demelza Carlton
Lost Plot Press
All rights reserved.
Click here to get started – www.demelzacarlton.com
ONE
Funeral bells sounded far more cheerful than the trill of Xan's phone. At least, Xan thought they would. Not that she really wanted Jerome to die. She wanted him to live a long, lonely and hopefully painful life. No, she wasn't that cruel. She had loved him once. Before he'd slept with a girl almost ten years younger than him and broken off his engagement with Xan to marry the pregnant girl. Now...
Now, she had to answer the damn phone.
"This is Xan," she bit out.
"Ms Lane, I have a doctor on the line, asking for our events coordinator. Specifically, weddings. Do we even have one of those?" Philly giggled. "Getting married in paradise would be so romantic!"
Xan made a mental note to hire someone for the role. Once Jay's wedding was broadcast on TV, everyone would want to book a wedding at the resort, and she'd have to handle them all. It would definitely make her job easier if she could hand them over to someone else. In the meantime, though... "Put him through to me."
"Yes, Ms Lane."
The phone beeped and Philly was gone.
"Xan Lane, manager of Romance Island Resort. How can I help?" Xan intoned, wondering why Jay wanted a doctor at his and Penelope's televised wedding.
The woman's voice surprised her. "Hello, Xan. I need to book a wedding. When's your earliest available date?"
Xan recovered quickly. "Ah, we haven't really started taking bookings yet. You see – "
The woman laughed. "That's not what I heard. If you're planning to host an event for Jason Felix, you can handle pretty much anything."
Jason, not Jay, Xan noted. "Where did you hear that?" Xan asked.
"My sources don't matter. I trust them, so I know my information is correct. I had booked a venue for a wedding in a few weeks' time, but that venue is no longer sufficient for my needs. Your resort should meet my requirements. So what's the earliest date I can book?"
This woman sounded like Gaia's sister, if the billionaire had such a thing. Xan knew how to deal with her sort. To start with, she had to up the stakes, then double the price. "For weddings, if you intend to have a photographer, you'll need to book the entire resort for the two nights on either side of the day of your event. You are welcome to use this to accommodate your guests, of course. And the wet season's just started, so with the weather as wild and unpredictable as it usually is, we couldn't host a big event until the start of the dry season, in May next year, or more likely June. In rough weather, the island is completely isolated, as the swell is too high for jet boats to reach us, and if the wind's too strong, a helicopter can't land, either." Xan grinned and sat back, waiting to hear the woman's response.
The woman's voice was calm. "The first Saturday in May, then?"
Xan choked. "But that's when Jay's booked – "
The woman laughed again. "You seriously think Jason will marry one of those reality TV show girls? You're dreaming, Xan. I suggest you speak to Jason about it during the week. I'll fly up to the resort in a week or so to inspect the place, to make sure it'll meet my needs, and we can confirm a date then. Oh, and so we're clear, I'll want the entire island for a week before the wedding, and a week afterwards."
Who had the kind of money to book an entire island for a fortnight? Gaia, or one of her billionaire friends. Jay was going to be pissed off. Xan's grin widened. Oh, she was definitely going to talk to Jay about this one. Hopefully he could handle her, so Xan wouldn't have to. "All right," Xan said. "Let me just get your name and details."
"Sure." The woman rattled off answers to Xan's rapid-fire questions, then said a curt goodbye and ended the call.
Xan glanced at the hotel registry entry on her screen. Doctor Alana Miller wanted a wedding at the island. Well, she'd have to get through Jay Felix first. And if there was one thing Xan knew about Jay, it was that he hated spoiled, rich bitches.
TWO
Jay visibly paled. "She's coming here? She wants to have her wedding here?"
Not the reaction Xan had expected. This was the first time she'd seen Jay scared of anyone or anything. "So she says. I said I'd have to talk to you first. I'll ring her back and say we're booked out for the next decade, if you like."
Jay grasped Xan's arm. "NO! Don't do that! Give her...give her whatever she wants. Did she say when?"
Xan shook him off. "I told her she'd have to wait until the dry season. May or June."
Jay relaxed a little. "That gives me six months."
"Six months? It's only September." Xan frowned. "Who on earth is Doctor Alana Miller? I've never heard of her."
Jay smiled wanly. "You might know her as Angel Black. The lead guitarist and songwriter of Chaya, my band. Or she was, before she up and quit and forced me into retirement."
This was news to Xan. "So you know her pretty well, I take it?"
"Sure."
"Why didn't she ask for you, then?" Xan pressed.
Jay swallowed. "Oh, I haven't talked to her in a while." The decking beneath his feet suddenly seemed mesmerising. At least, it was to Jay.
"What did you do?"
"I...it doesn't matter, okay?" When Jay raised his head, his eyes looked haunted. "Let's just say the last time I spoke to her, she told me to leave the country or she'd cut bits off me without any anaesthetic. Bits I'm attached to."
"Some doctor," Xan remarked. "Are you
sure she's not a serial killer instead? Maybe a reincarnation of Jack the Ripper, out to kill blokes who sleep around instead of hookers?"
Jay's lips smiled, but his eyes didn't. "She is a doctor. But she might be a killer, too, so don't do anything to get on her bad side, Xan. Don't even touch her. If you don't believe me, ask Jo. She'll tell you the same. Fuck, she's probably her maid of honour. Even if I said no, Jo would insist on having the wedding here. Take the booking and do what she says."
Xan pressed her lips together. "Even if she wants to turn the lagoon pink to match her bridesmaids?"
Jay laughed. A little hysterically, but it was definitely laughter. "Angel Black won't want pink. If she even wears white, I'll be surprised." He sobered. "Cost it up and give her a quote. Whatever she asks."
"And double the price so she decides it's not worth it?"
Jay shook his head. "Fuck, no. It's not that she can't afford whatever she wants. It's...if she wanted to, she could buy both Jo and I out and own this resort without having to borrow a cent. I spent money on a lot of rock star shit over the years, but she invested every dollar and...she has money from her family, too, I think. Some sort of inheritance. Just...get used to the idea of hosting a rock star's wedding. Because you will be."
Xan raised her eyebrows. "Two of them. Yours first, remember?"
"Yeah." Jay's eyes returned to the deck. "Yeah, mine first." He didn't sound particularly eager about it.
Perhaps Penelope was turning into a regular bridezilla, Xan thought. She chose not to push the issue.
"Right. Two rock star weddings next May. Good thing I have nine months to prepare!" she said, heading back to her office.
Just nine months. She'd need it. One televised celebrity wedding would be trouble enough, but two? Shit, having twins would be easier.
THREE
Xan stood by the helipad, biting her nails. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd considered calling Philly and telling her to cancel the meeting she'd asked the girl to set up. But every time, she hadn't cancelled, because she needed to get this mess sorted. She was the manager of a multi-million-dollar resort. She shouldn't want to hide under the desk every time the phone rang. What was she afraid of, after all?
Not Jerome. Not that lying, cheating, smarmy schoolteacher-in-training who'd broken off their engagement because he couldn't keep it in his pants while she was away. He should be afraid of her. After all, she kept rock star Jay Felix in check on a daily basis.
Well, mostly in check. She hadn't managed to stop him from swimming nude in the lagoon this morning, like every other morning. She'd pretty much given up on that. This morning, she'd just raised her coffee in salute to the daft bugger, watching to make sure the sharks didn't get him until he swam out of sight. Just another morning at Romance Island Resort.
And today would be just another lunch at the brewery. There'd be plenty of people she knew. The food would be wonderful, as always, and the beer would be brewed to perfection. She could only have one and still be able to drive, but she didn't want to be drunk for this meeting. Sober would be best, or nearly so. She could get drunk afterwards, if she had to. Hours afterward, when she returned to the resort, in the privacy of her unit. Or on the Penguin jetty. She'd gotten accustomed to walking out there of an evening while Jay was filming that reality TV show, and he hadn't asked her to stop when he'd returned. If anything, he seemed to welcome her company. He needed to spend more time with Penelope, his bride-to-be, or a gaggle of fans in town, like the first time she saw him. She'd still been the manager of the backpackers then, driving a vanload of guests into town for the day. How things had changed, she mused, waving to Shou as he circled his helicopter in to land.
It wasn't until he touched down on the helipad that Xan realised he had a co-pilot today. A co-pilot who jumped down from the helicopter and marched past Xan without a word, though she did wave to Shou before she disappeared through the gate.
For a moment, Xan considered chasing the girl down so she could introduce herself and demand to know her business at the resort, but she didn't have time. If she didn't fly off now, she'd miss the meeting...and she'd have to reschedule. No. She couldn't endure another day of this dread. This ends now, she told herself as she climbed into the seat behind Shou.
FOUR
Jerome's first mistake was to try and hug Xan the moment he saw her. His second was to attempt to kiss her.
Xan tried to feel bad about accidentally elbowing him in the gut and headbutting him in the face, but his nose had made such a satisfying crunch that she knew she'd be lying to herself.
His third mistake was for the first words out of his mouth to be, "She said she was going to get rid of the baby."
She should have walked out of the brewery right there and then. Gods knew she wanted to. But all the weeks of frustration had built up too much not to burst under this pressure.
"Oh, so cheating on your fiancée and getting some kid pregnant isn't a problem if the girl gets an abortion?" Xan hissed, keeping her voice low so the whole room wouldn't know her business. Gossip travelled fast in a small town, after all.
"But the baby wasn't mine!" Jerome said.
Xan failed to see how that improved matters. "You mean while you were cheating on me, she was cheating on you?"
"No, I never cheated on you. I wouldn't, Xan, you know that."
She'd dealt with enough dodgy backpackers to know a liar when she met one. "Oh yeah? She was all over you in those pictures on your social media account. Even my mum said you two were together."
"That was for her parents' benefit," Jerome said. "See, Kelly had too much to drink at one of the school dances. Smuggled alcohol in, just like we used to. I was a student teacher at her school, helping supervise the kids at the dance, so I spotted her and took her aside before her teachers caught her drinking. I called her parents and said she was sick, so I'd drive her home. We weren't in the car more'n five minutes before she was spilling her guts about some boy she went to school with getting her pregnant. She begged me to help her by saying I was the baby's dad, not the boy from school, until she got the money together to have an abortion.
"She was your friend, and she said you'd want me to help her. Said you'd understand. So we took a bunch of pictures and put them on her social media accounts and mine. Told everybody we were in love and going to have a kid."
Xan forced herself to stay calm. "And no one minded that you'd slept with a girl ten years younger than you? A student at the school where you worked?"
Jerome scratched his head. "Well, her parents were a bit surprised at first. So I hung out at her place a lot with her, making them believe we were in love."
"What did you have to do to make them believe that?" Xan asked, keeping her voice level even while she wanted to scream at him.
"Well, just a bit of a kiss and a cuddle at first, but when they still didn't believe it, we sort of arranged for them to catch us in bed together. Once or twice. Or maybe a few more times." Jerome raised his hands in surrender. "Just to sell the story, honest! There wasn't any other way."
"You slept with one of your sixteen-year-old students while you were engaged to marry me. Not just once, but a few times. In my world, no, in most people's worlds, that's cheating, Jerome." Xan wet her lips. "Not to mention it makes you a paedophile, too. She's barely legal – and still at school!"
"Barely legal's still legal, and it wasn't cheating. I didn't love her – I only love you! I'm sorry if you see it differently. Maybe I made a mistake, but I'm sorry. We belong together and you know it. I'm sorry. You weren't around to ask, but I figured you'd want me to help your friend. You were never supposed to know!"
If the man dug his hole any deeper, he'd bury himself in it. If he hadn't already.
"Jerome, like I said before on the phone, it's over. I won't marry a man who can't stay faithful." She rose and headed for the bar. She could have one drink, and she intended to have it. The hard bit would be not pouring it over Jerome's stupid head.
Xan smiled at Steve, the manager of the Mangrove Hotel. They'd been nodding acquaintances when she ran the backpackers, but they'd become colleagues when she started working at Romance Island Resort. In fact, she'd negotiated a range of tour and day trip packages with him, where tourists could stay at his hotel in town and spend a day or three sampling the island's delights while they were in Broome. Together with the day trippers from the construction camp at Lorikeet, all the new tourist traffic had meant that the Resort had experienced its best earning season since it opened.
"Yeah, it's the platypires. There were so many new ones born this year, their mothers couldn't keep up, so we've had to bottle feed them." Xan tried to keep a straight face.
"Platypires? I haven't heard of those," Steve said, sipping his beer. Mango, by the smell of it.
"Oh, you don't get them on the mainland. They've been hunted almost to extinction over here. Kind of like drop bears on the east coast, or Nannup tigers down south. But on the islands, they're really flourishing." Xan's ginger beer arrived and she took a deep gulp to hide her laugh.
"What do they look like?"
"Oh, like a cross between a platypus and a vampire bat. You know, a duck bill with the tail, but sort of leathery wings with a furry body. They use their echolocation to find their prey in the dark."
"Oh yeah?" Steve raised his eyebrows. "What do they eat?"
"They don't. They're blood drinkers, like giant mosquitoes. See, on either side of their beak, they have fangs, and – "
A heavy hand landed on Xan's shoulder. "Who's your friend, babe?" Jerome asked, bristling at Steve.
Steve wiped his hand on his shorts, then held it out for a shake. "Steve. I manage the Mangrove Hotel. Not as luxurious as Xan's resort, but we've been refurbishing it. Got a new restaurant opening soon. Oh, that reminds me. We're planning a big party to celebrate when it opens. Next Staircase, it'll be. I'd love you to come."
"We'll be there, won't we, Xan?" Jerome said.
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