My Despicable Ex - Book 2 Read online

  My Despicable Ex (Book 2)

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  My Despicable Ex – Book 2

  By

  Sierra Rose

  Copyright 2013 by Sierra Rose

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  She thinks he’s despicable. He wants her back…with a vengeance.

  Ashly Roberts and Jake Connors are barely twenty when they decide to take the proverbial plunge and walk down the aisle to exchange vows in front of the dearly beloved. Basking in bridal bliss, Ashly feels she is living the perfect fairytale, until she’s faced with a runaway groom, dumped at the altar by bad-boy fiancé, Jake Connors.

  Five years later, Jake steps back into her life, realizing that being a no-show for their nuptials was the worst mistake of his life. A little older and slightly more mature, he is ready to fight for Ashly’s love once again. When Ashly sees him, she can’t deny the attraction she feels, but her hormones are overruled by the horror of what he did to her in the past. Nevertheless, Jake’s most potent weapon, those dazzling baby blues, ignites a spark in Ashly, no matter how angry she wants to be. She cannot deny the spark, and she only hopes the inferno it ignites will not consume her heart again.

  According to the terms of her mother’s will, Ashly cannot cash in on her inheritance until she and Jake travel to nearly a dozen locations around the globe. The thought of pairing up with her old flame makes her blood boil, but she has little choice other than to put up with her despicable ex.

  Can Ashly put up with Jake through her globe-hopping scavenger hunt to get her family fortune? Will she ever be able to forget or forgive being dumped on her wedding day? When wounds run so deep, is forgiveness even possible between old lovers? Or is it, “Goodbye!” all over again, after everything is said and done?

  I’d love to hear your comments or thoughts! Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Romance-Author-Sierra-Rose/638168736195548

  Chapter 1

  A few days later, I leaned back in my seat as the plane took off.

  “My heart’s still pounding from that croc,” Jake said.

  “Mine too.”

  While those gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, our safari, the snorting giraffe, and our elephant ride had been unforgettable, providing me with stories I would tell over and over again, I was glad to be heading to our next destination, which I was sure would be so much safer.

  Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia is located in the world’s oldest desert and the Naukluft mountain range. The dunes are the tallest in the world, rising up to 1,000 feet above the desert floor. I couldn’t have been more excited. Climbing sand dunes was definitely on my bucket list.

  We checked into Kulala Desert Lodge, a beautiful place out in the middle of the desert, surrounded by picturesque mountain vistas. We would be sleeping in one of fifteen canvas chalets. I was a bit worried about sleeping in the middle of the desert, but I was told each unit was specially designed to keep cool air in and hot air out. Each hut was built on a wooden platform and had a deck on the flat rooftop, where bedrolls could be placed if one wanted to sleep under the stars. There was a common area, a lounge, a bar, a dining area, a plunge pool, and a wrap-around veranda that overlooked a popular waterhole that was often visited by gemsboks, springboks, wild ostriches, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, hares, jackals, and spotted hyenas.

  After we unpacked, we ate dinner, and then I cooled off in the pool. Gazing around, I couldn’t fathom that I was in the middle of the desert. The beautiful views stretched for miles. I chatted with some of the other tourists who were also taking a dip, and they told me some incredible stories about the dunes.

  “Ashly!” Jake called.

  The blonde lady next to me grabbed my arm. “Oh my gosh! Is he with you?”

  “It’s…complicated,” I whispered back.

  Jake stared at me with those dazzling blue eyes. His strong, rugged looks accentuated his chiseled features, and he boasted a five-o’clock shadow, something I liked to call his “designer stubble”. Even when he didn’t shave for a day or two, I found it extremely masculine and sexy.

  “Mind if I join you for a swim?” he asked.

  I nodded, and my stomach quivered. His deep, husky voice always had that effect on me, but I dared not let it show. He was dressed in only red swim trunks, and I couldn’t help rolling my eyes over his gorgeous, muscular body. He flashed me his white smile as he jumped in. His hair was slicked back, and water dripped down his face. I couldn’t stop staring at his broad, wide, bare shoulders and muscular chest. For a quick moment, I imagined myself pressing my hands flat against his chest and kissing him, but I knew thoughts like that were going to send me right back to therapy, back to square one, only to be inevitably hurt by him again.

  I pasted on a fake smile. “I’m glad you came out here. You’ll really enjoy it. The water’s great.”

  He swam closer, his leg brushing against mine.

  I cleared my throat. “Uh, I’m gonna head back in now, but you’ll love it out here. It’s like a little oasis in the desert.”

  He eyed me up and down. “Yeah. It’s just gorgeous.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was talking about me or the beautiful scenery. I could feel his hot breath across my face as he inched closer. I knew it was best to push him away, but being so close to him, with only thin, wet fabric between us, brought all those old memories crashing back. I stared at his curved mouth, then looked into his eyes. For a moment, I felt that familiar connection we used to share. I remembered getting lost in his gaze; I could stare into those beautiful eyes forever. My breath quickened as I pictured his lips traveling down my jawline. My eyes were blazing with lust; I still remembered how good the sex was with Jake. I also knew that no one would ever live up to his powerful performance, that no one would ever make me feel or love or cry out in pleasure the way he had. He stared deeply into my eyes, until I had to look away. My stomach fluttered, and I couldn’t believe I was reacting like that. Part of me wanted to cup his cheeks and kiss him like he’d never been kissed before, but the other part knew better.

  “Um, I’ll see you back inside,” I finally said, breaking myself free from Jake’s trance. “Have a great swim.”

  He reached for my hand. “I’d enjoy it more if you’d stay out here.”

  I pulled away and wrapped the towel around me. “That’s really not a good idea.”

  “So I guess saving us from a croc doesn’t score me any Brownie points?”

  I laughed. “I’ll see you insid
e.”

  When I walked inside our hut, I was flabbergasted to discover that our bed was gone. I crossed my arms and waited for Jake to return thirty minutes later.

  “That swim felt good,” he said walking in shirtless.

  I met his gaze. “Where’s our mattress?”

  “While you were swimming, they gave me the option of taking the bed from the main bedroom of the hut and moving it upstairs to the area with the flat roof. I thought it would be wonderful to sleep under the stars, so I went for the roof option.”

  “That actually sounds really nice…but what makes you think I want you sleeping up there with me?”

  He winked. “It’s part of the rules, Ashly. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair if you were the only one.”

  I grabbed a blanket and spread it on the hut floor. “Fine. I’ll just sleep down here.”

  “C’mon! You know I’m not gonna let you sleep on the floor.”

  “I’m not some delicate daffodil.”

  “Fine. Have it your way. If the floor gets too hard, just call me, and I’ll gladly switch places.”

  He got ready for bed, then climbed upstairs to go to sleep.

  Getting comfortable on the floor was hard to do. I tossed and turned and couldn’t fall asleep, and I decided that sleeping out in the sand would be a much better option.

  “Ashly!” Jake’s voice called down.

  “Yeah?”

  “You’ve gotta come see this.”

  I had been dying to go up there and take a quick peek, so I swallowed my pride and walked up the stairs to the flat roof. Moonlight shone down softly as bright stars twinkled. I was mesmerized by the thousands of diamonds in the clear black sky.

  A breeze blew Jake’s untamed, dark hair into his face. He patted the mattress, beckoning me. “Lie down for a minute.”

  My gaze narrowed as I watched him with mistrust.

  “I’m not gonna try anything, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said. “I won’t bite…unless you want me to.”

  The light reflected in his eyes in a million facets, destroying every bit of my focus. The pull between us was so strong that it almost had me weak in the knees. I finally gave in to it and lay next to him, propping my head up on my right elbow. My eyes met his. “Sleeping out here with you isn’t such a good idea. We could end up getting hot and heavy right here in the middle of the desert.” I knew he might take it the wrong way and assume it to be an invitation, but I didn’t care. Even I wasn’t sure it wasn’t one.

  “I just thought we could look at the stars, like old times.” He gently stroked a strand of hair out of my eyes.

  We stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment. I knew there was no way we could be together, because I would never take that chance again. Remorse flooded my heart.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “If I could go back and do things differently, I would.”

  “I believe you. I even believe you’ve been suffering as much as I’ve been, only your suffering comes from guilt.”

  “I just wanna make it up to you, Ashly,” he said, brushing his fingers down my arm. “Can’t you try to let me?”

  “Are you trying to seduce me?”

  “I didn’t call you up here to ravage your body.”

  Something inside me was saddened by that remark; maybe I wanted him to. We were so close, shoulder to shoulder. He laid his arm under my neck so I could use it for a pillow, and a shiver shot down my spine. I longed to feel his touch on my skin, but I also knew I had to focus and get back on track. Stick to the plan, I told myself. I took a deep, cleansing breath. From that point on, I was careful not to touch him, because I didn’t want to lead him on in any way. I had to stay rational, because his gorgeous head was obviously in the clouds. He definitely wanted to take things to the next level; I could just tell by the way he was looking at me.

  I bit my lip hard. “Um…I can’t sleep. I’m gonna to go take a walk and—”

  “Running away again?” His gaze narrowed. “You’ll do anything to avoid me, won’t you?” When he reached for my hand, I felt those cursed butterflies. “Just stay with me for a few minutes. Please?”

  I pulled away, my hand still tingling where his finger had touched. “A few more minutes, but that’s it.”

  He grinned. “That’s all I’m asking for.”

  “Have you ever seen so many stars before?” I asked, staring up at the spectacular night vista.

  “I know. The sky’s just covered with them. I don’t think there’s a single patch of open sky.”

  “I’ve always dreamt of something like this,” I said.

  “I’ve always dreamt about seeing it with someone special, someone like you,” he softly said.

  “Gosh, Jake, you’re relentless. I gotta give you credit for that.”

  “When it comes to you, I have to be. I can’t breathe without you. My life just feels…incomplete.”

  A tingling sensation flooded over me at his declaration. We lay there for a long time, far longer than the few minutes he’d asked me for, talking and stargazing until I fell asleep.

  * * *

  The next thing I knew, it was morning, and the sun was shining in my face. I looked at Jake, who was still sleeping peacefully, like an angel. He looked so cute with his head on the pillow, all snuggled up in the covers. I couldn’t help but stare at his messy bed-head of hair.

  His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled. “Oh, hey. Good morning.”

  “Good morning.”

  He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “Guess we fell asleep.”

  “Guess so.”

  “Sleeping under the stars in the desert was on my bucket list.”

  I shot him a half-smile. “Well, I guess you can cross it off now.”

  “Will do.”

  “Me too.”

  “Last night was amazing,” he said.

  “Um, you mean sleeping next to each other all night under the stars or the spectacular view itself?”

  “Both,” he said, winking, “but mostly us.”

  His piercing stare made me feel weak in the knees all over again. “Let’s not make a habit of sleeping together like that,” I said.

  He cocked a brow. “It was entirely innocent.”

  “That’s how it always starts,” I said, walking down the stairs. “You’d better get ready. We have the sand dune tour in a couple hours.”

  “I was thinking…and no remarks about it hurting! Let’s do the hot air balloon ride tomorrow before we leave. They serve breakfast with champagne right there in the wilderness.”

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  “Why not? You scared of heights all the sudden?”

  “No. I’m scared of romance, which is definitely not on the itinerary.”

  “But imagine seeing the dunes from the air,” he argued. “We’ll see all kinds of wild animals too, and we can—”

  “It’s not happening, Jake,” I softly said. “It’s not mandatory, according to the Will, so no.”

  “But it’d be so special, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I thought we could—”

  “If you want to go so bad, go by yourself. Have fun and take a lot of pics. Or, you could always come back when you get your big inheritance. I’m sure a lot of women would die to come with you.”

  “How about we stay one more day and go rhino tracking then?” he asked.

  “You can come back and do that too. I only want to do what’s required of us.”

  He didn’t even respond and left as fast as he could, running away just like he had on our wedding day.

  Chapter 2

  It was 4:40 a.m. We were dressed in long sleeves, light pants, hats, and sunglasses to protect us from the sand that blew powerfully around us from everywhere. I was hesitant about wearing long sleeves in the desert, but our tour guide told us it would be wise; we could always peel off layers if we got too hot, but he assured us we’d be back before the boiling heat of the sun really kicked in. We started early for that
very reason, not to mention that the sunrise was one of the very best views. I put sunscreen on every exposed body part, and I pinned my hair up in a tight bun so it wouldn’t be blown around and filled with sand.

  Jake’s white shirt stretched across his muscular chest, and his blue jeans fit him just right. He looked so sexy, especially when the wind teased his bed-head hairdo around. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach whenever I caught a glimpse of him. I tried to play it cool, but I couldn’t stop staring.

  This time, we traveled with a group, six of us and a tour guide. The guide drove us through the main gates of the park in a four-by-four. After a few bumpy miles, I jumped out at the first dune, my heart beating in anticipation. We were in the oldest desert in the world, preparing to walk across the highest dunes known to man. I couldn’t wait to climb the endless mountains of sand.

  I stared upward at the giant mountain of sand towering above me. “Are we really gonna climb all the way to the top?”

  Jake smiled. “You bet.”

  Trudging uphill through the thick sand, I followed my guide and noticed that the only footsteps I saw were ours. I tried not to fall down in front of Jake, but the deep, loose sand challenged my balance. I noticed that our tour guide had a walking stick, and I wished I would have had as much foresight. The sandy trek was quite a workout, and I started to pant and wiped the droplets of sweat from my face as I took extra-long, deep strides. My calves began to burn as if I was on my Stairmaster. For a while, I felt as if I was on some kind of movie set, acting out a scene where we were stranded in the Sahara, under the hot, scorching sun, with no civilization anywhere in sight.

  While our climb to the top took some effort, we were rewarded with a stunning view. It felt like a tiny little person atop a huge sandcastle, or perhaps an astronaut walking on some other planet as I peered down at the otherworldly landscape. It was so quiet that I could hear the wind beating under the wings of blackbirds flying overhead. We trekked along for hundreds of feet, until we found the perfect spot to sit down and watch the sunrise. It felt so good to wiggle my toes in the soft sand.