Rock Star's Email Order Bride Page 11

  Phuong's heart sang. "Yes. Tell him I'll be right down. As soon as I get changed. Right down." She ended the call and crossed the room to her bag. Thankfully, she hadn't gotten much dust into it, so her crumpled clothes were mostly unharmed. She dug out a dress she'd worn a million times in her fantasies about their first meeting, but still had the tags on it from the shop where she'd bought it in Singapore. She'd planned on wearing it for Chinese New Year, but Norman had scoffed at the thought of celebrating something so stupid, so she'd put it away instead of arguing. Funny. She'd started the new year without him, but now would be the perfect time to wear her celebration dress as she stepped into a future with good fortune instead of bad.

  She brushed her hair, pinned it up, then let it down again, not sure what do. In the end, she brushed it back into a ponytail. Her hands shook as she applied her makeup, so she kept it minimal for fear of making a mistake. It wouldn't do to show up with panda eyes and so much lipstick that he wouldn't kiss her.

  Would he be a good kisser?

  Her cheeks reddened, forcing her to drop the blush back into her makeup bag. No, she didn't need any more colour. This would be enough. It wouldn't do to keep Jason waiting.

  Phuong buckled on her favourite heels, hoping to enhance her height by an extra couple of inches to place her lips within easy reach. She didn't want him to hesitate. Or, worse, reject her.

  Hair down. Definitely down. She ripped out the ponytail holder and left it on the counter.

  So much rested on their first meeting.

  Please don't let me stuff this up! Phuong begged the universe, knowing it didn't care, but hoping luck would run her way for once. Just this once...

  Phuong forced herself to step out of the hotel room and made her way down to the foyer to ask for directions to Villa Penguin. The receptionist pointed to the path outside, insisting that it was impossible to miss – all she had to do was follow the path around the lagoon until it ended at the last villa.

  She nodded and thanked him. All too soon, she found herself on the butter-coloured paving that led to her destiny.

  Straightening her shoulders, she set off. One step after the other, on legs that threatened to give out under her in sheer exhaustion, but determination drove her on. She glimpsed aquamarine waters between the trees, until the path opened up a little and ran beside a tiny, white sand beach. On the other side, an ornate sign informed her that she'd reached the Pearl Villas. Her heart beat faster – she was close.

  Phuong read the sign on the first house: VILLA MAXIMA. Then Villas Pinctada, Albina and Margaritifera, making her wonder how many more she'd have to walk past to reach her destination. Oh, how about this next one? No, it was Villa Akoya. Phuong never thought she'd be sick of pearls, but right now, all she wanted was a penguin.

  The path ended abruptly in a patch of red dust that reminded her of last night's tortuous trek. Another, narrower path led off between the palm trees bearing the welcome message: VILLA PENGUIN.

  Phuong's breath caught in her throat. Here it was. Jason's house. Just through those trees...

  She had to force herself to breathe – deeply in, out, in, out several times before she could take another step. What if he didn't like her?

  What if he decided she wasn't worth his time because she'd taken so long to get here?

  Fear pushed her forward when nothing else did. She had to see him.

  The villa overlooked the ocean. It even had its own private jetty, a copy of the loading dock on the other side of the island. And a front door, which now stood only inches in front of her. Close enough to reach out and touch, or knock on to announce her arrival.

  Nervousness overwhelmed Phuong. What-ifs swirled through her head and made her lightheaded. Tears welled up, threatening to spill. She couldn't cry until after she'd met him, or her scant makeup would wash off. She had to be brave or all was lost.

  Lifting her strangely numb hand, she touched her knuckles to the glass. No sound. She took a deep breath and rapped smartly on the frosted glass door.

  "Knock, knock, who's there?" called a deep voice that made her stomach churn. She hadn't counted on him having a sexy voice to go with the ripped body. It sounded better than she'd imagined.

  "It's Phuong," she squeaked, then cursed herself and repeated her name, desperately trying to sound less like a cartoon character, but she wasn't sure if she succeeded.

  "Ah, the mysterious Phuong," came the voice from the other side of the door, where she could see a hulking shadow. The man was huge – surely he couldn't really be that big. A trick of the light, maybe. The door whooshed open.

  Phuong found herself face to face with the man who featured in her wildest fantasies. His laughing eyes were the colour of honey. The dark, red-brown honey from flowering gum trees that cost way more than the sugary, cheap stuff they'd served in the college dining room. The sort promising sweetness but also so much more. The eyes of the man she'd crossed the state for, welcoming her home.

  "Jay Felix, your very own frog, at your service." He gestured down the length of his body before he held out his arms. "Now, how about that kiss?"

  Phuong looked. Arms strong enough to hold her, to protect her from anything.

  And looked. The abs were real, so real she could reach out and touch them.

  And looked again. The treasure trail was real, too, guiding her eyes down to...

  The only sound that came out of her throat was the squeak of a dying mouse. No, not a dying mouse. One faced with an enormous snake. But she liked living.

  She opened her mouth and released a second squeak.

  So she did the only thing that made sense at the time: she bolted.

  THIRTY-TWO

  She wasn't eavesdropping. Not even a little bit. Just because she'd accidentally overheard Toby talking to Jay and then decided to stretch her legs in the corridor behind Reception as Toby conveyed Jay's message to Phuong, requesting a meeting at Villa Penguin, wherever that was...no, it still wasn't eavesdropping. Where was Villa Penguin, anyway? Presumably near the jetty named after the same bird.

  Xan hadn't been hiding behind the potted palms, waiting for Phuong to appear. They'd just sort of screened her from sight, like they were supposed to screen the whole service corridor. She'd only moved them a little bit. Hardly at all. So when Phuong finally appeared in an elegant red dress with matching heels, of course Xan had felt the need to go outside for some air.

  The best scenic path led around the lagoon to the Pearl Villas, so it was only natural that she'd choose to walk that way. It had nothing to do with the clacking red shoes she could hear just around the bend. She'd just passed Villa Pinctada when she heard a voice calling her name.

  Damn the man.

  "Ms Lane," huffed Lee the maintenance man. "Just need to inform you about the shark. Seems we've got a tiger shark in the lagoon. It's just within the legal size for fishing. A few more inches and he'd be too big. The chefs want it caught so they can serve fresh shark fin soup, but the occupational health and safety manager insists it should be chased out of the lagoon at the next high tide. What do you want me to do?"

  Xan stared blankly at him for a moment. Since when did her job include deciding the fate of sharks?

  Since she became the manager of this living aquarium, she reminded herself.

  "What did you do to the last tiger shark that got into the lagoon?"

  Lee grinned. "Fish and chips in the staff dining room."

  Xan felt sick. She had no problems swimming with sharks, but when it came to catching them... "Do you have all the gear you need to catch it?"

  "Sure do, Ms Lane. There'll be fresh fish for lunch tomorrow, you'll see."

  She swallowed, nodded and walked away, hurrying in her hope of catching up to Phuong in time to witness the fangirl's first meeting with the dickhead of her dreams.

  Xan could just read the sign on Villa Akoya when she heard the slap of running feet. No, not just running; fleeing in terror, judging by Phuong's expression. The girl didn't
even see her. She just kept running until she vanished around the bend. Xan called after her, but received no response.

  Now, should she follow the girl and make sure she was okay, or find out what had frightened her? Maybe she'd seen the tiger shark. Phuong had looked terrified on the boat ride over, even though the Sound had been flat as a millpond the whole way. Ooh, what if she'd seen the sea monster? Xan wouldn't give up a chance at seeing if there really was one.

  There. Decision made.

  Xan strode confidently forward until she found...a shoe. One of Phuong's shiny, red heels, lying on the path that led to the Penguin jetty. Xan sighed, picked it up, and headed for the jetty. Around the next bend, she found the second shoe. Now she had a matching pair, though they were far too tiny for her size nine feet. Well-loved, too, judging by how worn the soles were. Hardly something a girl would leave behind unless she was running for her life. But from what? No sharks or sea monsters at the villa. Just...Jay.

  Xan marched up the veranda and pounded on his door, making it shake in its frame. "Jay Felix, what did you do to that girl?"

  Silence.

  "If you did anything to harm her, don't think I won't call the police! I know every officer in the station. No amount of money will make this go away. I'll make sure of it!" she continued, pounding on the door some more.

  "Fuck off. I didn't touch her. She just ran away," Jay shouted from inside.

  "She was terrified. I saw her face. You must have been a right bastard to make Cinderella forget her favourite shoes!" Xan waved the footwear, hoping he could see the heels through the frosted glass.

  The door hissed open and Xan pulled her hand back before she knocked on his chest. "Yeah? You think I'm a bastard for offering her everything? For letting her know exactly what she's getting when she marries me?" He ripped the shoes out of her hands. "You go manage my hotel, Xan. Stay out of my love life. That's way above your pay grade."

  "You answered the door like that?" Xan waved at his body, but her eyes were stuck on his midsection. One particular part of his midsection, standing to attention and saluting her, for God's sake. He looked like a Greek statue come to life. A naked statue, and she'd honestly thought no man could really look like that. The ancients had used plenty of artistic licence, she'd been certain, but the man in front of her put paid to all that.

  His voice turned dark and sexy. "Yes, I did. Like I said, I offered her everything and gave her a good look at the goods. What's wrong, Xan? Jealous?"

  No. Appalled that such a waste of space was allowed such a gorgeous body.

  Xan raised her head and looked him in the eye. No, not that eye...the ones on his face. "Jay," she said coolly, "Put some damn pants on, will you? No wonder that girl fled like the devil was after her. You're a bloody wanker. I hope she calls the papers when she gets back to her room and tells them every damn detail."

  She turned her back on the rock star and marched back to her office.

  So much for distracting Jay with female company. A media shit-storm would have to do; one that kept Jay on the mainland for a long time.

  As she walked, she wondered: what would she have done in Phuong's place, faced with her idol in all his naked glory? Xan wouldn't have run. She'd have taken what she wanted and...and...

  Lost it, just like Jerome.

  Bugger. Bugger, bugger, double-bloody-buggered bastard.

  Xan's shoulders slumped. Her pace slowed until she was almost dragging her feet back to the office. The office, that's right. She had work to do. Planning for the future of this paradise.

  Now she'd found the snake. A sizeable one, to be sure, but it was firmly attached to the hotel's owner. It wouldn't be escaping to bother her again any time soon, Xan swore.

  THIRTY-THREE

  By the time she'd run out of breath, Phuong already regretted running, and she couldn't even see the main hotel building yet. He'd asked for a kiss. Just a kiss. She should have just given it to him. Instead, she'd ruined everything.

  Jason wasn't Norman; the two men were worlds apart. Jason had a body even she admitted she admired; a sexy voice she hadn't expected and...it had to be a joke, surely. Candid cameras must have captured her shocked reaction when she discovered the man who wanted her to be his mail-order bride was none other than Jay Felix, Chaya frontman and hot rock star. All the things he'd said in his messages fell into place. Wanting more than just one-night stands and holiday romances; needing something more. Even she knew the man's reputation, though she wasn't a huge fan of the band. She probably had one of their albums at home somewhere.

  How could she have been so stupid? Men with six-packs didn't need online dating sites to find a bride. Her escape from Norman, the nightmarish road trip, all of it was because of a prank for some reality TV show that would show her as the fool she was, because she'd been desperate enough to believe that she could have a future where fairy tales did come true.

  Tears blurred her vision by the time she shoved through the foyer doors. Desperate to reach her room before a single salty droplet fell, she broke into a run again, before she was forced to halt in front of her hotel room door. Where was her key?

  She reached for the scanner pad, which beeped. A moment later, the door hissed open. She stumbled through the portal to...oblivion, she hoped. Didn't really care any more.

  Running footsteps in the corridor outside stopped just as the door slid shut. "Miss, are you all right? Do you need assistance?"

  Phuong rested her head against the cool glass as the dam burst, gushing tears down her face. No. She was a stupid, gullible idiot for falling in love with a fantasy. The only way anyone could help her was by ripping out her traitorous brain and heart, then replacing them with new ones that worked properly.

  "Miss, I'll get the manager."

  She mumbled something about being fine, though she was anything but fine right now.

  Footsteps squeaked away.

  Before she could exhale in relief, the phone rang. Should she answer it?

  No. She didn't want to see or speak to anyone. She just wanted to sleep and forget all this had ever happened.

  Was there a way to lock the door?

  Yes, there was. A tiny sign where the doorknob should be said to tap her wristband three times, then hold it beside the scanner until the screen told her the lock was activated. Her arm felt like it was weighted with lead as she lifted it to the scanner that was surely not made with short people in mind. The moment stretched forever before text flashed up on the screen:

  DO NOT DISTURB. ENJOY YOUR EVENING.

  She wouldn't.

  Dragging off her dress, Phuong crawled into bed and surrendered, sobbing, to sleep.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  He didn't need pants. He needed his phone. He needed to talk to her, to hear that soft voice again. Better than he'd imagined. Prettier than he'd imagined. He needed to find out how he'd fucked up because he was certain he'd done everything right.

  That's how it happened in books. All the books. They'd meet online, message and stuff, then meet in person so his irresistible body could seal the deal. Wham, bam, marry me, ma'am and they lived happily ever after.

  He'd thought about pants, but he knew he was just as hot below the waist as he was above it, so of course he hadn't worn them. He looked stupid in just a shirt, plus it hid his abs, so a shirt was absolutely out.

  Underwear. Maybe he should've worn underwear.

  Or was it because he hadn't been wearing thongs, when that's what she'd asked for? Fuck, how could he have forgotten? His and hers, for walking on the beach.

  Now he had her shoes, but not the damn girl.

  He punched the number for Reception and demanded to be put through to her room. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered.

  Was she in her room? Not there yet? On the boat back to the mainland? On a helicopter headed home? Fuck, he didn't even know where she lived. If she left the island, he might never find her again.

  Jason slammed the phone back in the cradle. He dia
lled Reception again.

  "Did she leave on the carrier boat? Have there been any helicopter flights this afternoon?" he demanded.

  "She arrived on the last carrier boat of the day, and no, Mr Felix, there are no flights scheduled today."

  He demanded to know her room number so he could dial direct.

  The phone rang until it rang out, so he dialled again. And again.

  This was not fucking happening to him.

  He called Reception and demanded that they track down her ID.

  "Yes, sir. Initiating a search now..." Several very long seconds passed. "She's still on the island, in – "

  The phone in Jason's hand let out a warning beep as its battery gave up the ghost. He threw it, not caring where it landed.

  He'd have to fucking find her himself, then.

  Jason snatched up the shoes and strode out into the sunset. Cinderella was getting her fucking fairy tale ending if it was the last thing he did.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  Norman was chasing her. He'd never stop, never give up, until he caught her and drained her dry. Relentlessly pursuing her across land and sea and rivers that weren't sure which they were, and tried to make up for it by being extra fierce and sweeping away everything in their path. They wouldn't stop him, though. She'd barely made it across, but he stood on the other side of the torrent, laughing and urging it on as the water licked at her, snapped at her with sharks' teeth and tried to drag her back to his suffocating embrace.

  Norman just stood there, sporting fangs of his own, and shouted that she'd die for daring to disobey him.

  His voice grew fainter as she turned her back on him. Now, she faced the future. A man whose face she couldn't see. But as she kept running, his features came into focus in the blazing daylight that surrounded him. Jason. Hope had kept her going all this time because she knew if she just reached him, she'd be safe. It didn't matter that he wasn't wearing a scrap of clothing. Where he stood was safe. His arms opened, and she dove into them. Home.