Her Fake Island Wedding Page 2

  “We were wondering if you’d fake marry us,” Lucy blurted, and Bryce almost choked at the expression of complete shock on Luke’s face.

  Chapter Three

  “I’m sorry, what?” Luke said eventually, clearly finding himself unable to add up the pieces to make any sort of sensible explanation.

  Lucy rushed into a babbled explanation about her mother coming to visit and Lucy’s reasoning for producing a fake fiancé to get her mother off her back.

  “I’ve heard worse plans for dealing with impossible parents, but actually going through with a fake wedding?” Luke looked sceptical.

  “Well, that wasn’t part of the original plan, except then Bryce suggested it and Olivia sort of took over. She says she has a plan to redo the weddings section of the website, and if we’ll let you use the photos then you might be willing to go along and fake marry us.” Lucy looked at him hopefully. “Although I’d have thought you might want to hire models or something…”

  “You two are both good-looking enough to be models,” Luke waved off that suggestion. “You look good together, actually.” He tilted his head, considering them. “So… basically we stage it just like a real wedding, take a ton of photos we can use for publicity purposes, and this has the side effect of getting your mother off your case?”

  Lucy smiled hopefully and nodded, and Luke looked at Bryce.

  “And what’s in this for you?”

  “Helping out a friend… and pulling off a really epic hoax.” Bryce grinned, knowing that the latter comment would be enough to convince Luke he had no ulterior motives. Except, Luke was general manager for a reason, and part of that included great insight into people.

  “Hm,” Luke said, his eyes narrowed, but he didn’t ask Bryce any more questions.

  ***

  Lucy held her breath as Luke looked at them thoughtfully, his gaze moving from her to Bryce and back again. Leaning back in his chair, he steepled his fingers and said nothing for a long moment, obviously considering the plan for flaws. “You could fill in the actual legal paperwork required by law to get married in Australia, and show your mother a copy,” he suggested eventually. “It’s the Notice Of Intended Marriage form, which has to be filed a minimum of one month before a wedding and is then valid for eighteen months, but it’s not legally binding or anything.”

  “That works,” Lucy looked at the calendar on his desk, counting days. “That would mean we could have the ceremony on the date Olivia suggested, the twentieth, two days before my mother leaves.”

  “The only flaw in the plan is that I have to register an actual marriage within fourteen days, and if your mother happened to look up the records later she wouldn’t be able to find it. Though I presume you’ll have admitted to the prank by then?” Luke raised his eyebrows at her interrogatively.

  “Sure,” Lucy agreed, though she hadn’t really thought through when and how she might tell her mother. That was a problem for Future Lucy, and in the present she had a fake wedding to plan.

  “As long as you don’t sign the marriage register, it’s not legal, then.” Luke shrugged. “I can say all the usual words. I’m guessing you brought this to me rather than Mrs Heathers because you thought I’d be more amenable to the idea?”

  “I don’t know her,” Lucy disclaimed, but Bryce chirped up again.

  “It was my idea, and yes. She’s a dear, and she’s adapted really well to performing same-sex weddings now the law has changed, but I don’t see her being party to any deception. She’d do the marketing part of it but she wouldn’t agree to deceive Lucy’s mum, I think.”

  “You’re probably right. She hasn’t had a break for a while… I might encourage her to take that whole week off,” Luke said with a little glint in his eye. “Just to make sure there’s no risk of anything slipping our which shouldn’t.”

  He’d bought into the plan, Lucy thought with relief. “Thanks, Mr Collyer,” she said gratefully.

  “Call me Luke.” He smiled warmly at her. “Just a moment and I’ll print this form off… get it back to me before five today so I can scan and file it, please.”

  They waited while he clicked his mouse and tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and after a moment the printer whirred to life. Luke handed the still-warm pages over with a nod of dismissal, and they escaped his office with the papers clutched tightly in Lucy’s sweating hand.

  “God, that was nerve-wracking!” Lucy sagged against the wall once they’d retreated back to the staff quarters.

  “Luke’s very nice but I always get the feeling he can see right through me.” Bryce stuck his hands in his pockets and grinned ruefully. “Pity you don’t know him better. He’d probably be a lot more acceptable to your mum as a fiancé than I will be. Successful and all that, and I know girls think he’s handsome.”

  “I s’pose,” Lucy said doubtfully. “Can’t say I noticed. I was too worried he was going to boot me out of his office with a flea in my ear. And my mum would never believe he was into me anyway; guys like that are never attracted to me.”

  “Like that?” Bryce cocked his head curiously.

  “You know. Mature. Confident. Responsible.” She grinned impishly. “I wouldn’t last five minutes with a boyfriend like Luke. I’d be putting itching powder or something in his shorts, trying to get him to loosen up.”

  Bryce cracked up laughing.

  “See! Even you recognise I’d drive him round the bend. No way would Mum buy someone like Luke was in love with me. I’m too dippy.”

  “You’re not dippy.” He shook his head at her, still laughing. “You don’t get a doctorate in marine biology by being dippy. You just have a slightly eccentric sense of humour, that’s all. It’s adorable.”

  “And that’s why Mum will believe in you where she wouldn’t Luke. She’ll think being six years younger than me, you won’t care about my immature attitude.”

  “Hey, stop putting yourself down. You’re not immature. You like to have fun; that’s not a crime.”

  A little to her surprise, he held out a hand towards her. When she blinked uncertainly at it, he grinned. “Your mum definitely won’t believe we’re in a relationship if you can’t even hold my hand to take a walk.”

  Lucy laughed and put her hand in his, feeling his long, strong fingers close around hers. “You got me there. Okay. Where are we walking to?”

  “Don’t you have to get back to the bio centre? Figured I’d walk you back. Presumably you’ll need to let your colleagues there in on the prank as well so none of them let the cat out of the bag to your mother. I thought you might want me there to confirm that you’re not pulling their collective legs.”

  “That’s… really thoughtful of you. Thanks.” Lucy hadn’t really thought about telling her colleagues at the marine biology research centre about the plan, but she would certainly have to. “I guess I hadn’t really thought of telling them this afternoon.”

  “Like it or not, you started a ball rolling, Lucy.” Bryce’s eyes were serious as he looked down at her. He was a full head taller than her five foot five, Lucy noticed inconsequentially, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of green, almost emerald. “By dinnertime the rumours will be all over the resort. Or hadn’t you noticed the speed of gossip around here nearly approaches light speed?”

  “I had,” she admitted, “but somehow I hadn’t thought anyone would care, because it’s not like we’re in an actual relationship.”

  “Are you kidding me? We need literally everyone on board to pull this one off. Everyone gets a chance to play a part. I reckon that’s why Luke gave you the okay, actually; it’s a fun project which will have all the staff on board and be great for morale.”

  “Wow,” Lucy said when she caught her breath. “You… have thought this through way better than I have.”

  “Hey, you’re too close to it. It’s your mother you’re trying to get off your back. Believe me, I know how that goes.”

  “Which is a good point, what about your parents? Won’t it seem odd th
at they’re not here?”

  For the first time, she saw a shadow cross Bryce’s open, cheerful face. “Not to me, no.”

  It was obviously a sore subject, but she was immediately dying of curiosity. Biting down on her tongue, she determined not to ask.

  Bryce sighed and shook his head after a moment. “You should know, though. Because your mum is going to ask. I don’t really talk with my folks. I’m a huge disappointment, you see.”

  “Why? You’ve got a good job doing something you love.”

  “Now I do, yeah. But I flunked school so badly, at sixteen the teachers told my parents there was nothing more they could do for me. I’m extremely dyslexic. For a few years there I honestly had no clue whether I’d ever be able to hold down any sort of job at all beyond manual labour on the road crews or something like that.”

  Lucy’s mouth opened in a silent oh.

  “My father is a cruise ship captain and my mother is an award-winning travel writer and photographer. They’re both well-educated, erudite people who had no idea what to do with an idiot son.”

  “You’re not an idiot!” Lucy said immediately, jumping to his defence. “You’re a dive instructor, for God’s sake; I don’t even want to to think about how hard those exams must have been to pass with dyslexia!” A dive master herself, she knew the instructor’s examinations were a great deal tougher, with written exams including equations and comprehensive knowledge as well as the practical tests.

  Bryce grinned at her. “I studied for six months straight. Recorded everything onto an MP3 player and walked around like a zombie listening to my own voice reciting the nitrox tables until I was saying them in my sleep. Literally.”

  “You must have wanted it pretty badly.”

  “More than I’d ever wanted anything in my life,” Bryce said simply. “We were in Thailand when I had my first dive; Dad was between ships and Mum was writing another book. I’d just been told not to bother going back to school and spent most of my time on the beach sulking… and panicking, if I’m being completely honest. It was quiet one day and I struck up a conversation with a couple of German backpackers who asked me if I wanted to go diving with them. I said yes on impulse, and after one dive I was hooked.”

  “But your parents weren’t supportive?” Lucy queried.

  He shrugged. “I don’t think they saw a future in it. Not when they knew I’d eventually have to pass exams to reach a level where I could make a career out of it, anyway.”

  “And now?” She was honestly curious. Her mother might give her grief about her personal life, but she’d never been anything but supportive about Lucy’s career, and had celebrated her winning the coveted position on Sunfish Island by proudly announcing it on Facebook and throwing her a going-away party.

  “Eh, I think they’re just glad they don’t have to support me. We never had all that close a relationship. I spent school terms living with my grandmother mostly, because they were away so much, until I was old enough to go to boarding school. I was kind of a late-life accident for them anyway, I don’t think they actually planned to have kids and didn’t know what to do with me when I came along.”

  Lucy was pretty sure he didn’t want pity, so she just nodded. “Would they even be available for the wedding?” she asked.

  “Not on short notice. Dad’s ship is in the Mediterranean and Mum’s with him there. I suppose she could fly back, but… she’d probably find an excuse. All in all, better they just don’t know about it. If they see pictures on the Internet I’ll give them the truth… that they’re being used for marketing purposes.”

  “That works,” Lucy conceded. They’d arrived at the research centre now and she took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before realising she was still holding Bryce’s hand. It felt very natural, actually. Guiltily, she slipped her hand free and gave him a small smile. “Well. Better go recruit some more participants for the prank, then.”

  He laughed at her before opening the door and holding it gallantly for her to precede him inside. “Come on. I’ve got a beginner’s diving class in the main pool at two. Let’s get it over with.”

  Chapter Four

  Walking away from the bio centre twenty minutes later, Bryce whistled tunelessly to himself. His skin still tingled from the feel of Lucy’s small hand held in his. The scent of her apple shampoo still teased his nostrils from the unexpected hug she’d given him when he said he had to go. She was small and slight, but there was a surprising strength in her arms as she hugged on around his waist, and after a startled moment he’d folded his arms around her shoulders to hug her back.

  “Thanks for everything, Bryce,” she whispered. “You’re a good friend.”

  Stuck in the friend zone. He hated himself for resenting the unpalatable fact; it was Lucy’s absolute right to just want to be friends, and he really didn’t want to be a petulant man-child about it. She didn’t owe him anything, and he vowed to himself that he wasn’t going to use the opportunity she’d given him to be a creeper. Whatever she asked him for, he would do, but he wasn’t going to be pushy. Even asking her to hold his hand had felt as though he was coercing her into something she might not want, though she’d accepted willingly enough. He could still feel the soft warmth of her delicate fingers in his.

  “Bryce!” a voice called his name, and he turned to see Rosie, the staff manager, hurrying towards him. The grin on her face confirmed that the gossip had already reached her. “Is it true? Are you and Lucy faking a romance to put the wind up her mother?”

  “Not just a romance,” he confirmed. “We’re faking a full-on wedding.”

  “That’s what Nessa gabbled at me before she ran off to start her shift, but I didn’t quite believe it. Are you sure this is a good idea?” Rosie tilted her head and looked at him knowingly. “I wouldn’t want you to get your heart broken.”

  “Does everyone but Lucy know about my crush?” Bryce asked despairingly.

  “Hmm… I’d say yes, pretty much?” Rosie pretended to think before smirking at him. “You never know. She might realise for herself what a catch you are.”

  “In my dreams.”

  “Hey, that’s not like you. Where’s that positive attitude?” She nudged him lightly, and he smiled despite himself.

  “I’m just thinking that Lucy’s my friend, whether or not she ever wants anything more, and she needs this to feel better about herself and her relationship with her mum. That’s what friends do, right? Help when you need something?”

  “That’s a good way to look at it,” Rosie said encouragingly.

  “Plus, Lucy’s mother sounds like a bit of a bitch, and I know all about difficult, demanding parents. Maybe if mine come to visit, she’ll return the favour and pretend to be my girlfriend… they’d be super impressed to see me with such a beautiful, smart woman.” The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. His parents were probably due for a visit sometime this year; he was sure Lucy would happily help him out.

  “Okay. Just… if there’s anything you need a friendly ear for, I’m here, all right? And confidentiality applies. Lucy doesn’t work for the resort anyway, so she doesn’t fall under my authority. There’s no conflict of interest.”

  “Thanks, Rosie,” Bryce said, genuinely touched. Knowing how touchy-feel Rosie was, he stopped walking and extended his arms to invite a hug, which she happily dished out. “I promise I’ll come to you if I’m getting out of my depth.”

  “Good.” She patted his shoulder and let him go; with a quick glance at his dive watch, he broke into a jog. He’d need to hustle to get back to his cabin, get changed and get to the pool for the dive lesson on time. And he needed to start on time because when he finished, he’d have to hurry back to his cabin in order to have time to fill in the forms Luke had given him and Lucy to get back by the end of the business day at five. He should probably have asked Rosie for help with them, actually, she knew all about his dyslexia. Well, he’d just have to manage. He’d ask Luke to check it over anyway to ma
ke sure he hadn’t made any egregious errors.

  ***

  Throughout his beginners’ lesson,, Bryce couldn’t stop thinking about Lucy. Standing waist-deep in the pool explaining the proper usage of a regulator, he couldn’t help but think about the first time he’d met her. She’d been on the island a couple of days and, as was standard procedure for the incoming marine biologists, had to go out on a dive with Bryce in order for him to sign her off as competent to operate without supervision with the island’s equipment.

  She’d almost danced her way onto the dive boat, wearing a bright red bikini which wasn’t much more than a few triangles of cloth tied together with string. Bryce, turning to greet her, almost swallowed his tongue.

  “Hi!” Lucy said brightly. “You must be Bryce! Excuse me not showing up in my wet suit but it’s so damn hot I couldn’t bear to put it on yet.”

  Somehow, he managed to find his voice, though he was pretty sure it came out an octave or two higher than normal as he returned her greeting and told her it was fine, they’d be taking a twenty-minute boat ride out to the dive site anyway.

  Watching her wiggle and shimmy her way into the wet suit was one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen, though he was sure she wasn’t doing it to give him a show intentionally. She was just utterly unaware of how gorgeous she was, he thought, as she turned back to him with another of those wide, cheerful grins. With the skin-tight suit only half-zipped up, his eyes were inevitably drawn to her breasts, and the way the suit almost popped them right out of that tiny red bikini.

  Eyes on her eyes, Bryce told himself sternly, wondering why she affected him so strongly. He’d dived with plenty of beautiful women before, he lived on a tropical resort island where stunners in bikinis were pretty much everywhere, and yet somehow this small Englishwoman with the mouth that was slightly too wide, and a spatter of freckles across her nose that confirmed she wore not a scrap of makeup, had him completely off balance.

  Lucy spent the whole boat ride to the dive site chattering away about how excited she was to dive on the Great Barrier Reef for the first time. “And the fact that I’m actually getting paid to be here, I can’t believe I’m this lucky!” She turned shining eyes to Bryce who was just utterly enchanted. He didn’t think he’d ever met anyone with such zest, such passion for life, and couldn’t help wondering if she’d show a similar passion in bed.