EXTRACT FOR
Wedding Jitters (Jessica's Seduction #5)
(Darren G. Burton)

Chapter 1





It was now early May and they were still in Hawaii.

And they were buzzing.

"I still can't believe it," Jessica said, her eyes wide with excitement as she and Preston walked the streets of Honolulu. "That's a lot of money."

Preston shrugged and nodded. "But only about half of what it would have been worth if we'd sold it to a legitimate broker. Still, it's a hell of a windfall."

They had just sold the gold bars they'd found in the old Japanese submarine. Rather than taking the risk of being asked loads of awkward questions by going through official channels (and the risk of their stash being confiscated due to some bureaucratic law), the pair had decided to search out an underground black market dealer. The shady character they were eventually recommended to had agreed to give them roughly half the current market value to take the gold off their hands. Both Preston and Jessica had agreed, provided they witnessed the direct transfer of the funds into Preston's bank account.

"And we still have the diamonds," Jessica said happily. "Aren't we going to sell those too?"

Preston shook his head. "I'm thinking we take them back to Australia. Much easier to carry than thirteen gold bars would have been. I think we'll get a better price for them back home. Besides, I want to get them valued by someone I know and trust."

"And who would that be?"

"A friend."

Jessica laughed. "You have so many useful friends."

"They do come in handy sometimes," Preston agreed and took her hand. "Let's get something to eat."

There was only about an hour of daylight left and Jessica hadn't realised she was hungry until Preston had mentioned food just now. She remembered then that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast at their hotel that morning. They'd both been far too busy and focused on getting their gold sold. Thankfully they'd never run into Gary and Monica again.

"How about here?" Preston said, stopping outside an eatery.

"A burger bar?" Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly fine dining."

"Well, look at us," he pointed out. "We're not exactly dressed for fine dining. We look like two tourists heading home after a day at the beach."

"Fair enough. Burgers it is."

After a healthy fix of burgers and fries washed down with Coke, they strolled back to their hotel and rode the elevator up to the fifth floor. Out on the balcony overlooking the beach, Jessica saw that the sun had now set, leaving behind a deep blue in the clear sky.

"Would you like a glass of wine, Babe?" Preston called from within the room as he raided the mini bar.

"Sure. White wine thanks."

A minute later he emerged onto the balcony carrying two glasses of chilled white and handed one to her.

"Cheers," he said happily and they clinked glasses. "To our very good fortune."

Jessica grinned and sipped her drink. It tasted good. She admired her engagement ring as it sparkled on her finger, even in the gloomy outdoor light.

"We'll have to head home soon," she said. "We have a wedding to organise and invitations need to be sent out."

Preston nodded and put his arm around her shoulders. "We'll book some flights tonight. The expenses certainly won't be an issue. Not with all that money now in the bank."

"What if the tax man queries it?" Jessica suddenly had the thought.

"Then I'll just say I won an overseas lottery. It's tax free money in Australia."

"Good idea."

She kissed him on the cheek, sipped some more wine and gazed out over the darkening ocean. Right on the horizon line, silhouetted against the brighter backdrop, she could see a cruise ship heading off for some unknown exotic destination. Life had sure been interesting since Preston came along, and Jessica knew there would be more adventures to come.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she said.

"I'll join you," he decided and downed the rest of his wine.

Jessica shot him a dubious look. "It's only a little shower cubicle."

He grinned. "That'll make it all the more intimate then."