The Moonlight Wedding
The Moonlight Wedding
Married in Malibu
Book 4
Lucy Kevin
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Book
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
Bella Andre / Lucy Kevin Booklist
About the Author
THE MOONLIGHT WEDDING
Married in Malibu, Book 4
© 2019 Lucy Kevin
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Meg Ashworth has always lived her life by the book, until she finally breaks away from her family’s strict rules to be a wedding designer at Married in Malibu. But she never expected that part of her job description would mean working day—and night—with one of the biggest rock stars on the planet.
Lucas Crosby desperately needs Meg’s help to create a music video for his new single. She is so brilliant and beautiful that instead of hiring a model or actress to play the part of his true love in the video…he wants Meg! When their deep spark of connection grows far beyond their pretend relationship onscreen, can he convince her to take a chance on loving him in real life?
Chapter One
Meg Ashworth had been raised to be elegant and tidy, no matter the circumstances.
Yet here she was, running across the Married in Malibu parking lot, her silk dress, heels, hair, and makeup all destroyed by the rain pouring down. She hated being late to work, but it had taken her far longer than she’d anticipated to leave her mother’s charity breakfast.
During the event, she had caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror and had been shocked by how much she looked like her mother, with her fussy hairstyle and the string of pearls around her neck. She certainly hadn’t felt like Meg, as she was known to everyone at Married in Malibu, where she was in charge of designing celebrity weddings. No, this morning she had most definitely been Margaret.
Travis must have seen her on the security cameras, because the front door was wide open by the time she reached it. Meg was happy to see him smiling so often these days, thanks to his newly rekindled relationship with Amy, their on-staff portrait painter. Today, however, there seemed to be an extra quirk to his expression.
“Good morning, Meg. Rough traffic out there?”
“I had some things to take care of for my mother before coming in this morning.” It sounded like she had been running errands for a doddering old woman who couldn’t look after herself, rather than a society maven in peak health with an extensive staff. Meg looked down at her wet clothes in dismay. “If I’d known I was going to get caught in a downpour, I would have brought a change of clothes—or at least taken an umbrella with me. Sometimes it feels more like we live in Seattle than Malibu, doesn’t it?”
“It sure does.” He handed her one of the towels they kept on hand by the door to deal with unexpected showers. “But don’t worry. Once you see who is in Liz’s office, you’re going to forget all about being dripping wet. I knew he was coming, of course, and yet I still can’t believe it myself.”
Travis had worked as a bodyguard to the A-list before taking this job, so he wasn’t normally impressed by celebrities. What’s more, this year they had already hosted weddings for several supermodels, world-renowned actors, and billionaires. Through all of it, Travis hadn’t batted an eyelid. For him to be this impressed, the person waiting in their boss’s office must really be special.
“Who is it?” There were several client meetings on the schedule for later in the week, but Meg couldn’t remember seeing one on the calendar for today.
“You’ll have to see for yourself,” Travis replied, clearly relishing her anticipation. “Go on up as soon as you’re ready. I believe they’re waiting for you.”
Meg did her best to towel off, then fix her hair and wipe away the mascara smudges under her eyes before making her way upstairs. She knocked on the half-open door.
“Come in.”
The first thing she noticed was the star-struck expressions on her friends’ faces. What celebrity could possibly have everyone who worked here so over the moon?
“Ah, here she is now, Lucas,” Liz said. “The woman I’m positive will be the answer to your prayers.”
Most celebrities looked less imposing and impressive in real life. Lucas Crosby, however, was utterly spellbinding. In well-worn jeans and a plaid long-sleeved shirt open over a Harley T-shirt, it was as though he’d just stepped off the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. He was tall and muscular, and his shoulder-length dark hair and dark stubble across his chin and jaw only served to highlight his masculinity. And his eyes were so starkly blue that she wondered if he wore tinted contact lenses.
Meg’s feet started forward without any input from her brain. The next thing she knew, they were facing each other in the middle of the crowded office.
“Hello.” He leaned in close to shake her hand. “I’m Lucas Crosby.”
Meg couldn’t keep from laughing out loud at the thought that someone might not know who he was. How many of his albums had gone platinum? How many stadiums had he sold out in minutes? How many magazine covers had he been on? “Of course I know who you are.”
She froze as soon as the words left her mouth. It wasn’t the kind of thing she would normally say to a client. Thankfully, by the way his lips curved up slightly at the corners, he didn’t seem to mind.
Hoping to give a more professional second impression, she held out her hand and said, “I’m Margaret Ashworth.”
His hand over hers was strong and warm. “It’s nice to meet you, Margaret.” He was still holding on to her hand as he tilted his head slightly to one side and said, “I thought I heard Liz and the others refer to you as Meg, but I must have been mistaken.”
“No, you weren’t. My friends call me Meg.”
“Can I call you Meg too?”
It was a simple question, and yet there was an intimacy behind his words that made her feel warm all over. “I’d like that.”
She had never cared whether their clients used her nickname or not. But instinctively, she didn’t want to be stuffy, fussy-haired, overly polite Margaret with Lucas Crosby. Just as she didn’t want to let go of his hand when he smelled so good and his grip was so strong, yet comforting.
It wasn’t until Liz cleared her throat that Meg finally remembered she and Lucas weren’t alone. She jumped back as though he were fire and she polyester.
“Lucas, Meg is our brilliant designer I told you about. If anyone can design the perfect video shoot for you, it’s Meg.” Liz smiled at her. “Why don’t you take Lucas through to your office so that you can talk over the details?”
Meg’s legs felt like spaghetti as she led the way down the hall. Opening her office door, she winced at the fabric samples and drawings strewn everywhere.
“My studio looks a lot like this when I’m bringing a song to life,” he said before she could apologize for the mess. “Just with more instruments and less fabric.”
Relieved that he wasn’t judging her, she gestured for him to take a seat before moving behind her desk. Her dress was still a little damp, but at least it wasn’t sticking to her skin the way it had been when she’d first entered the building. “Liz told us a few weeks ago that you wanted to film a few scenes for your video here, but I didn’t think it was on the calendar qu
ite yet.”
“My director, Seb, and I have spent the past two weeks working on this video for my new single. But nothing we’ve tried has worked. And then yesterday, the label called and said they want to move up the release date for the song.” He ran a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated. “Since we were already planning to shoot a couple of scenes here next month, I called Liz last night and asked if we could shoot the whole thing here, instead. She was nice enough to slot me in immediately. And,” he added with a smile so potent it nearly knocked the breath out of her lungs, “Liz has told me repeatedly how great your ideas are, so I can’t wait to get started.”
It was wonderful that Liz had so much faith in her. Her boss, and friend, had taken a chance on her when no one else would, and Meg couldn’t stand the thought of letting her down.
Unfortunately, working on a music video wasn’t close to anything she had done before. Sure, the idea sounded amazing, especially if it meant getting to spend time with Lucas Crosby. But she felt so far in over her head that she simply wasn’t sure how it would work.
“I’m glad Liz was able to rearrange things for you. But…” She wanted to put this in the most diplomatic way possible. “Aren’t most rock videos shot in dark alleys, or on mountain peaks, or in stadiums? I want to help you with it, but do you really think that I can transform a wedding venue into something suitable for your music?”
“I really do.” Again, his smile was so gorgeous it nearly blew her heels right off her feet. “My song is called ‘Perfect Moments.’ It’s about finding true love—and then doing whatever it takes to make sure that love lasts forever. Just like you guessed, our first attempts at the video were of me and my guitar on an empty stadium stage, and then in the desert lip-syncing the song as the sun rose behind me. This time around, I want to keep it simple and on point with a montage of a couple falling in love. The first time they lock eyes. Their first date. Their first kiss. And then saying I do.”
Just that quickly, Meg’s brain began to whir with the possibilities…even as it took more effort than it should have to stop imagining what it would be like to share a first kiss with Lucas.
“I love everything you’ve come up with,” she said, “but what if, instead of the video ending at I do, we also show their first dance, and then cutting the cake together?” Before he could respond, another idea hit her. “And what if, for the very last scene, they head off into the sunset together in a convertible, with the bride’s dress and hair flowing behind her as she tosses the bouquet? It could be the very last image on the screen—her beautiful wedding flowers flying up high into the sky.”
“You’re a genius.” She could see the excitement on his face. “It will mean so much more if we show that they’re going to keep making these perfect moments together, even after the wedding.” But then he frowned. “Honestly, at this point the only thing I’m worried about is finding the right person to play my bride. In order for this to work, there’s got to be a connection between us on screen.”
“How much time do we have to find locations, design and build sets—and find the perfect bride for you?” Honestly, Meg never thought she’d be offering to find the perfect bride for a client…
“After the issues I’ve had with making this video, and with the label pulling in the release date, we’re down to a week.”
“A week?” Trying to put together a wedding in such a short time was nearly impossible. But orchestrating her first-ever music video…?
It was downright nuts.
“What happens if you miss the deadline?”
“My record label is threatening to use the footage we already have.” Lucas didn’t look at all happy at the prospect.
“Okay.” It was clear that she needed to make this happen for both Lucas and Married in Malibu. “In that case, it would be really helpful if you could play the song for me, so I know exactly what it is we’re creating the backdrop for.”
“I don’t keep new songs on my phone anymore, since so many musicians have had their new music hacked off the cloud. But if you can find me a guitar, I’ll play it for you live.”
“We keep one of almost every instrument on hand just in case our wedding bands ever need a backup. Give me a minute, and I’ll rustle one up.”
She ran down the stairs, found a guitar in the storeroom, and was about to dash back up to her office when Jenn appeared holding two cupcakes.
“I was thinking you two might appreciate a sugar boost.”
“This is great, Jenn.” Meg had been so busy looking after her mother’s guests at the charity breakfast that she hadn’t had a chance to eat a bite herself. “Thank you.”
But instead of simply handing her the cupcakes and heading back to the kitchen, Jenn looked down at the guitar in her hand. “Is he going to play for you?”
Meg nodded. “Hopefully, once I hear his new song, I’ll be able to jump right into designing the scenes and sets for his video.”
“On the one hand, I envy you for getting to work so closely with Lucas.” Jenn gave a dreamy little sigh. “But on the other hand, none of us thought we’d ever be working on a music video. Are you okay with it? Because I know I’d be super nervous.”
Even after working at Married in Malibu for several months, Meg wasn’t used to friendly concern. Her mother had always assumed any problem that didn’t directly affect her wasn’t worth concentrating on. And Meg’s society acquaintances pounced on weakness, so it was best never to show any.
Well-brought-up young women didn’t complain. They certainly didn’t make things difficult for others.
“I can handle it,” she assured Jenn with a smile. “Thanks again for the cupcakes. You’re the best.”
As she headed up the stairs to the office, she silently vowed that no matter the challenges she had to hurdle this week, somehow, some way, she would find it in herself to rise above them all.
Chapter Two
“Perfect Moments” didn’t have the straight-ahead rock feel that the record label’s marketing people insisted Lucas’s fans wanted—and they weren’t particularly happy about his going in a different direction with the video. Despite all that, however, Lucas felt excitement coursing through him.
He’d had a good feeling about Married in Malibu since his friend Jason Lomax had recommended the venue a while back. That feeling had only intensified once he’d met Meg. Lucas had always been one to trust his gut. His music was about speaking from the heart, and you couldn’t do that if you ignored your instincts.
When Lucas’s gaze had met Meg’s for the first time, their connection had been intense. She’d seemed shy, even a little awkward around him. It was a nice change from the way women so often threw themselves at him, assuming he would be interested in a one-night stand simply because of what he did for a living. He’d long ago perfected the art of gently saying no.
Now, he couldn’t escape the sense that he’d been waiting all this time for bright, beautiful Meg to come into his life and turn it right side up.
“Found one.” She came back into the room with a beat-up acoustic guitar in one hand and a plate with two cupcakes in the other. “I hope it’s okay that the guitar is a little rough looking. I tried to find a newer one, but this was the best I could come up with.”
“This is my favorite kind of instrument—one that has obviously been played a lot and is a little rough around the edges, like me.” There had been those in his career who had wanted him to clean up his look, to appear slicker than he was. He’d resisted. After all, if it was good enough for Springsteen…
“You don’t look rough around the edges to me,” Meg said, then seemed to catch herself. “That is, you’re obviously hugely successful.”
“I am now, but I wasn’t exactly born to it.”
She went still. “Do you think it’s a bad thing when someone is?”
“Honestly, I think people should just be who they are and not worry about what anyone else thinks.”
Meg stared at him for a few m
oments before finally nodding, then holding out the guitar. He was surprised to feel the burst of nerves as he checked the tuning. He didn’t normally get nervous about playing a song for someone. He had literally millions of fans. He’d played stadiums around the globe. Singing one song for Meg so that she could help him plan the video shouldn’t have felt like a big deal.
But it was. Because he really wanted Meg to like it.
He closed his eyes as he began to play. If he watched Meg watching him, he had a feeling he would never be able to get beyond the end of the first verse.
He gave the song his all, singing it with more emotion than he ever had before. Finally, with the last notes ringing out, he dared to open his eyes.
“It’s beautiful,” Meg whispered, looking incredibly moved. “I’m even sorrier now that I haven’t listened to your songs before. I’m going to buy all of your albums tonight so that I don’t mess this video up by not understanding exactly what you do.”
“First of all, I’m not at all worried that you’re going to mess something up,” Lucas assured her. “And you should know that it actually means more to me that you like this song when you don’t normally listen to my music.”
“It’s not that I’ve singled out your songs,” she was quick to clarify. “I really haven’t ever heard any rock music.”
“What do you normally listen to?”
“Mostly classical. Baroque, pastoral, and opera, of course.”
Lucas suspected that in the world Meg had grown up in, opera probably merited that of course. Whereas he hadn’t seen an opera until he was an adult, and even then, it had taken him years to understand it.
“Although,” she added, “I’ve secretly always liked jazz. There are some jazzy influences in your song, aren’t there?”
He was pleased that she had caught them. “Lately, I’ve been listening to Martin Taylor, Larry Carlton, Miles Davis.”