by Rachel Lacey
“Of course.”
“See you then.”
Jenn spent the next two hours on the beach with her Kindle. It was true what they said about the sun and the sand. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this relaxed. With a happy sigh, she leaned back in her chair, letting the warm rays of the sun kiss her face. Ahh. She could really get used to this.
“Feel like taking another dip together?”
Her eyes popped open at the unexpected—yet familiar—masculine voice. Cole stood before her, looking like, well…like a rock star in his low-slung board shorts and shades. She was awfully glad for her own sunglasses to hide any reaction she might have shown to his presence. Shaking her head, she held up her Kindle. “No, thanks.”
“Afraid another fish might touch your leg?” One corner of his mouth turned up in a smile.
Because she needed another reminder about that spectacular moment. “I’ve just had enough of the ocean for one day.” And yeah, she was a little bit afraid of another fish touching her leg. Or a shark. Or even Cole—although for completely different reasons. She’d been so jumpy lately, and it was so unlike her. She needed to snap out of it like yesterday.
“Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind.” With another lazy smile, he headed into the waves. He waded out until the water reached his waist and then dove into the surf.
And because she really wanted to sit there and watch him swim, she packed up and headed back to her room. After a quick shower, she sat down with her iPad to go over Kate’s schedule. With filming for the video wrapped, Kate was officially on vacation now. She and Josh had decided to stay on at Luca Cay for a “babymoon,” but Jenn would be returning to New York tomorrow, so she took this opportunity to call the resort and confirm all of Kate’s and Josh’s spa treatments, meals, and other appointments for the rest of the week.
With that taken care of, she changed into a flowy turquoise dress she’d brought to the island, hoping for a chance to wear it. It would be perfect for their post-wrap celebration tonight at the Tiki Bar. She pulled the sides of her hair back with matching barrettes and touched up her makeup. The best thing about tonight? Because the Tiki Bar was on the beach, she could go barefoot.
Luca Cay was officially the most beautiful place she’d ever visited, and she’d gotten to visit a lot of amazing places as Kate’s assistant. Someday, she wanted to come back for a real vacation. Maybe her honeymoon. She smiled at the thought.
She was one of the first members of the crew to arrive at the Tiki Bar—occupational hazard. She couldn’t help being early to make sure everything was running smoothly. She checked in with the manager to make sure all the details had been handled. Kate’s record label was picking up the tab tonight, which meant things were bound to get rowdy.
“Hi, Jennifer.”
She turned to see Jorja, Cole’s assistant, standing at the other end of the bar. Jorja was tall, blonde, and big boobed, and Jenn couldn’t help wondering if those were her only job qualifications. And then she mentally slapped herself, because what a ridiculous, sexist thing for her to assume! “Hi, Jorja.”
“Gotta scope things out and make sure the place isn’t filled with groupies,” Jorja said with a sly smile as she scanned the bar.
“They’re crazy for him, aren’t they?” Jenn slid her toes through the warm sand, watching as the sun set over the beach, casting the sky in various shades of pink and purple. Kate had plenty of overzealous fans, but there was something about the intensity of women lusting over their favorite rock star that eclipsed anything she’d ever been through with Kate. Cole’s groupies were a whole different beast.
“That would be an understatement,” Jorja agreed. “I had them close the bar to anyone outside our party.”
“I requested the same thing,” Jenn said, deciding she liked Jorja after all. They fist-bumped.
“House drink tonight,” the bartender said, holding out two glasses filled with a purplish liquid and garnished with a tropical flower. “Moonlight martini. Want to be the taste testers?”
“I sure do,” Jorja said, extending her hand. She and Jenn each accepted one of the glasses he held toward them.
Jenn sipped. Fizzy, fruity, and with the warm burn of liquor. “Delicious.”
The bartender tipped an imaginary hat in her direction with a friendly smile. Things started to pick up then as members of the crew filtered into the bar, eager to relax and unwind after a successful shoot. Jenn mingled, working her way through the growing crowd to make sure everyone was having a good time and thank them for their work on the video. A murmur of excitement went through the crowd when Kate arrived.
She wore a loosely fitted knee-length black dress that concealed the slight swell of her stomach. Josh was at her side in a green polo shirt and khaki shorts. Her bodyguard, Mick, followed in their wake. They were immediately surrounded, and Jenn worked her way through to Kate’s side to help run interference for them. This being a private party, things shouldn’t get out of hand, but all the same, Jenn planned to stay close.
She pulled a Sharpie from her purse when the inevitable first autograph request happened and then held the magazine steady for Kate while she signed it. They circulated the bar area together, and just as Jenn was about to guide Kate over to the table she’d reserved for her, Josh beat her to it.
“You should get off your feet for a while,” he murmured, steering Kate toward their table.
“If you insist.” Kate hooked her arm through her husband’s, following him through the sand to the furthermost—and therefore most private—table, lit by surrounding tiki torches.
“I’ll get you a Perrier.” He bent to give her a quick kiss once she was seated. “Jenn, do you want anything?”
“I’ll get drinks,” Jenn said. “That’s my job, Josh. You sit with your wife.”
But Josh was already heading through the crowd toward the bar. Mick stood nearby, chatting with a man from the resort’s security staff.
“Let him,” Kate said. “Have a seat, Jenn. I want to hear all about your shoot with Cole this afternoon.”
Jenn sat in the chair opposite Kate, digging her toes into the rapidly cooling sand. “Let’s just say I’m glad my job usually keeps me behind the cameras.”
Kate laughed. “I saw some of the footage. You guys looked good together out there.”
Jenn huffed, blowing a strand of hair away from her face. “He’s kind of arrogant, though, I have to say.”
“Of course he is. It comes with the job description.” Kate leaned back in her chair, waving to someone across the bar.
Jenn glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one could hear their conversation. “That’s a bullshit excuse. You’re not arrogant, and you’ve sold millions more albums than he has.”
“I think this business demands that we all have a certain amount of arrogance.”
“There’s not an arrogant bone in your body.” Josh walked up to his wife, handing her a glass of Perrier. He handed Jenn a moonlight martini and sat beside Kate with his beer.
“Thank you,” Jenn said as she sipped from her drink.
“We were just talking about Jenn’s moment in the spotlight this afternoon,” Kate said with a smile as she took a sip of her water.
“Suited me just fine,” Josh said with a scowl. “That was the most painful shoot I’ve ever had to watch.”
“Oh please.” Kate nudged him playfully. “Do you know how unsexy it is to have a crowd of people watching and telling you where to put your hands? Believe me, Cole didn’t enjoy touching me any more than you enjoyed watching it.”
Josh mumbled something under his breath, still looking disgruntled. Kate’s lips twitched as if she were fighting a grin. And Jenn felt herself laughing for the first time all day.
Kate leaned forward conspiratorially. “Just between us, my belly really freaked him out.”
“Did you see his face the first time he touched you?” Jenn said with a giggle-snort. “He looked like he
was touching a live grenade.”
Several members of the film crew came over to talk to Kate then—or suck up was more like it. Jenn caught Josh’s eye, and they exchanged an amused smile. Beyond the Tiki Bar, against the darkening sky, an arbor was lit on the beach with twinkling white lights.
“Do you think someone’s getting married here tonight?” she said when the film crew had finally moved on. In researching the island, Jenn had learned that Luca Cay had a reputation as the “it” place for the rich and famous to elope.
Kate turned in her seat and gasped. “Oh wow. That’s gorgeous. I did hear about a wedding happening today, but I didn’t know it was going to be at night.”
“A nighttime beach wedding,” Jenn said, feeling all kinds of warm and mushy inside. She leaned over and snapped a picture with her phone. “That’s going on my Pinterest inspiration board.”
“Did you know she has her wedding all planned out already?” Kate asked Josh.
His brow wrinkled. “But…”
“Yes, I’m still single,” Jenn said.
“Actually, she has several different wedding scenarios planned,” Kate explained. “And I think she just added a moonlit beach wedding to the list.”
Jenn nodded. “It’s true. I’m a planner.”
“Well, that’s…” Josh looked flummoxed. “I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s a little weird, I know,” she told him. “But when the time comes, I’ll be ahead of the game. I already know a lot about my husband too.”
Josh’s eyebrows rose. “Do tell.”
“He’ll be a few years older than me and have a steady job that brings in enough income to support us, but not crazy rich or anything and definitely not anyone in the business. He’ll be considerate and romantic, probably come from a big, loving family, and he’ll love adventure and traveling.”
“See?” Kate said with a smile.
“Wow.” Josh took a drink from his beer. “And how did you decide on all this?”
“I filled out an online dating questionnaire, and it told me what to look for.”
“I keep reminding her that sometimes we have to be open to the unexpected when it comes to love,” Kate said.
“I’m absolutely certain that if I’d filled out a questionnaire, it would not have paired me with a pop star,” Josh said.
Kate laughed. “I don’t know, though, it might have recommended someone like you for me. I needed someone to ground me.”
“I’m willing to reconsider the specifics as long as he looks at me the way you two look at each other,” Jenn said. “I won’t settle for anything less.”
“Aww.” Kate gazed adoringly at her husband. “You’ll find him. And probably when you least expect him.”
Jenn wasn’t ready to break the news yet that her search for a husband—and her own career aspirations—would probably mean giving up her current job. But getting older sometimes meant settling, and in this case, she needed to put down roots somewhere. She’d thought it would be LA, but after Kate had moved to New York, Jenn had gotten an apartment there too, and the city was definitely growing on her. It was busy and exciting enough to keep her fulfilled even if she gave up the jet-setting celebrity-assistant lifestyle.
“Well, look who’s here,” Kate said, tipping her head toward the Tiki Bar’s torch-lit entrance where Colton Nix stood, illuminated by the flames in a kind of golden glow. Already, a crowd of female admirers had gathered around him. “I guess we should say hello.”
“You go ahead,” Jenn said, annoyed at the rush of heat that had flooded her at the sight of him. “I’ll just wait here.”
Cole’s eyes met hers from across the bar. A wicked smile curled his lips, and then he was walking straight toward her.
2
Jenn sipped from her moonlight martini as Cole made his way toward their table. He had to stop a half-dozen times to greet people. Women fawned all over him. Men fell all over themselves trying to impress him. And this was a private party. What it would be like to go out with him in public?
Not that she had any intention of finding out. She tossed back the last of her martini and set the glass down on the table in front of her a bit more vigorously than she’d intended. Colton Nix was nothing but eye candy. Okay, ear candy too, because, let’s face it, the man could sing.
“Well, if it isn’t the lady of the hour.” His voice was rich and decadent and so damn sexy. But when she looked up, he was staring at her instead of Kate. And the world seemed to tilt on its axis.
“She sure is.” Kate’s voice seemed to filter in through some kind of haze, because Jenn could not look away from Cole’s midnight stare or hear past the out-of-control pounding of her heart.
He was the one who broke eye contact, stepping forward to greet Kate, who’d stood to give him a hug. “It’s been an absolute pleasure,” he told her.
“Likewise,” Kate said. “Believe it or not, you’re my first duet.”
“No shit?” A wide smile broke across his face.
“It’s true,” she confirmed. “And based on the buzz so far, it’s something I should do more often.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Jenn slipped away from the conversation to visit the ladies’ room, and whoa…now that she was on her feet, she could definitely feel the effects of those moonlight martinis. But actually, she kind of liked the feeling. She wasn’t technically on the clock tonight, and she so rarely got to cut loose. She knew herself well enough to know she was a quiet drunk. And maybe she deserved to live it up a little bit tonight.
Just not with Cole.
When she got back to the party, she made her way to the bar to grab another martini. “Who’s getting married tonight?” she asked the bartender, gesturing toward the garland twinkling on the beach beyond. The moon had risen now and hung in perfect silhouette behind the arch, with silvered waves crashing beyond. It was breathtaking.
“A couple’s eloping. They were supposed to arrive by helicopter about an hour ago,” the bartender told her as he set a fresh martini on the bar in front of her. His name tag identified him as Tony, and he had the most delightful Caribbean accent. “If you ask me, I think they’re going to no-show.”
“Really? That’s such a shame.”
“You’re telling me. We’ve got our justice of the peace here waiting and all the preparations already made.”
“That’s depressing,” she said, taking a sip of her new drink.
“What is?” a rich, masculine voice asked from behind her, and she felt Cole’s presence in the tingling sensation at the pit of her stomach. She’d been in the industry long enough that “starstruck” was not a condition that affected her. Nope, this was just plain old-fashioned lust.
“Not showing up to your own wedding,” she answered him.
“That will never happen to me.” He slid in beside her and nodded to Tony, who placed a shot of something in front of him.
“You sound awfully sure about that,” she said.
“I am, for two reasons. One is that I never make promises I don’t intend to keep. And two, I don’t ever plan on getting hitched, so it will be impossible for me to skip my own wedding.”
“Hmm.” She eyed him with interest this time. The attraction seemed two-sided. She wasn’t ordinarily a hookup kind of girl, but it had been a long time since she’d been with a man, and spending tonight with Cole would have no impact on her plans to settle down and find a husband once she got back to New York. He might be a rather interesting and fun way to relieve her sexual frustration, though.
“Why all the talk about weddings?” he asked, angling himself so that his thigh brushed hers. Oh yeah, he was definitely interested.
She nodded toward the lit arbor on the beach. “There was supposed to be one here tonight.”
“Supposed to be?”
“Looks like the happy couple might not show up.”
Something dark flickered in his expression. “Maybe they came to their senses.”
>
“Be careful, Cole,” she said, reaching for her martini glass, “or I might get the impression you’re not romantic.”
He leaned in until his lips were mere inches from hers and her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it might burst through her rib cage. “I’m romantic. If you’re in my bed, I’ll worship your body until you’re screaming my name. I’ll make you feel beautiful and treasured and just a little bit scandalous.”
A flush rose on her skin, hot and tingly. “I try to avoid anything scandalous.”
He smiled then, a genuine smile that lit up his face. “I appreciate that more than just about any man on the planet.”
She watched him as she polished off her martini, feeling the comfortable burn of rum in her belly. Cole was no stranger to scandal. Last year, a woman he’d slept with had posted a picture online, claiming it was Cole’s very tiny—and limp—penis. Naturally, other women had chimed in, looking for their five minutes of fame, and suddenly Cole, once nicknamed the King of Manhattan after one of his most successful songs, became known as the King of Tiny Dix. And unfortunately for him, the moniker just would not die.
Tony placed a fresh martini in front of her, and she thanked him with a smile.
“I’ve seen the dirty side of the business,” she told Cole. “I think what those women did to you—true or not—is absolutely disgusting.”
A strange look passed across his face before he gave her another wicked smile. “That is the sexiest thing I’ve heard a woman say in a long damn time.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “You have a strange definition of ‘sexy.’”
He leaned in closer, his expression gone serious. “I’ve already told you I don’t do relationships, and the only women trying to hook up with me these days just want to find out if the rumors are true.”
“Are you saying…?”
“That I haven’t had sex in damn close to a year?” His voice dropped to something close to a growl. “Fuck, yes, that’s what I’m saying.”