My Despicable Ex - Book 2 Read online

  “What did you expect from all this, Jake? Did you think I was just gonna run into your arms and beg you for another chance? You burned me, and it’s gonna take a lot more than a few apologies and some whirlwind trip for me to get over that.”

  “No, I didn’t expect that…but I thought we could still talk.”

  “With wine, flowers, candles, a gorgeous backdrop, and that romantic music playing? That was overkill for the state we were in. It was way too much romance, and I felt like I was suffocating.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m sorry too.”

  He ran his fingers gently over the back of my hand. “There’s no place I’d rather be than right here, staring into your beautiful eyes.”

  I smiled as he glided his hand up my bare forearm. He looked so hot with his shaggy, black hair falling to his shoulders.

  “You’re so flirty. What gives?”

  “I miss you, Ashly,” he said in that husky voice of his.

  I stiffened. “Why are you making this so hard on me? The deal was to get the pictures and get out,” I said.

  His hand trailed up my arm. I shivered underneath his touch, but the temperature had nothing to do with it.

  “Look, maybe you’re okay with stuffing your feelings in a trunk, but I’m not. I can’t pretend like there’s nothing between us when I know there is.”

  “Is that what you tell yourself?” I asked. “That there are feelings between us?”

  He brushed the hair away from my neck. “How can you possibly tell me that you can’t feel anything.”

  “I guess I do feel something,” I admitted, “but it’s complicated.”

  “You can have my heart, soul, and body anytime. All you have to do is ask.”

  I stared into his eyes for a long moment. He trailed a fingertip across my jaw, and my heart drummed inside my ears.

  “I know exactly how to settle this,” he said.

  “And how is that?”

  His eye pinned mine. “One long, passionate kiss.”

  I lifted my eyes and froze. His suggestion was quite intriguing. Although I would never admit it to him, I was impressed by the challenge he presented.

  “It’s the one true test to see if there’s chemistry left between us,” he said.

  I could feel the heat and passion from his gaze as his eyes swept over me. “It’s not a test. It’s foreplay, just a way to lure me into bed with you. I’m not in the mood for games. Last time I played with you, I lost.”

  “How could you say such a thing?”

  “For starters, we’re both lonely. I’m sure if we both knocked down our walls, we could have a wonderful fling visiting all these romantic places. I’m sure we’d make lots of pictures and lots of memories. But I don’t want a fling. I want the real deal.”

  He gently squeezed my hand. “I am the real deal.”

  When the waitress returned with our food, I was thankful for the distraction. I tried to change the subject by asking him about his job.

  “I work forty-eight-hour weeks, followed by ninety-six hours off,” he said. “I don’t mind, because I’m single and don’t have any kids or anything. We’re very busy during the day, and it’s not like we sit there playing chess or cards all day, just waiting to be called out.”

  “I’m sure you keep busy, checking the equipment and trucks, plus cooking, cleaning, and monitoring the radio.”

  “Yep. Then, after all the chores, we have to do in-service and hands-on training at the fire station. By dinnertime, most of the work at the station is complete, so we have a little downtime. They even let us slip out of our uniforms and wear civilian clothes. That’s when I work out.”

  “I can see you’ve been doing a lot of that,” I said, smiling. “You look fantastic.”

  “I’ve been trying to eat healthy—well, except for that fried chicken the other day and all the wine and fruity drinks—and lift weights, and do cardio. Staying in shape takes a balance of everything.”

  After dinner and unpacking and getting settled in our room, I turned on the TV to watch a movie. I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was eight p.m., still early, but I stretched out on the bed. “I have a cramp in my foot. It’s killing me,” I said.

  Jake cupped my calf muscles and rubbed his thumbs downward in a circular motion. “Where?”

  “Stop, Jake. You don’t have to do this. That’s not why I—”

  “It’s just a leg rub, completely innocent. Now where’s the cramp?”

  “Left ankle.” I held back a moan as his strong fingers massaged the pain away, gliding over my skin like he’d done it a million times before. It felt soothing and relaxing. I stared at his strong hands as they worked miracles on my feet. “Thanks.” I caught his gaze and smiled. “That feels wonderful. You’re hired.”

  He winked. “I give killer back rubs too.”

  My lips parted in a smile. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that some other time, Romeo.” I knew Jake too well; a back rub always led to more, and that was the last thing I wanted—even if it was from the hottest guy on the planet.

  When he was done with the massage, he still held my foot in his hands. My heart drummed, blood rushing through my veins and rushing to my cheeks. As he gently caressed my leg, my breathing stilted. For a moment, I thought I’d had one too many drinks, because I was enjoying his touch far too much.

  “Jake…” I whispered.

  He stopped, but his thumb continued to brush across my skin. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him, and my heart raced even faster. I imagined what it would be like to kiss him again, to let him hold me in his arms. I knew he was waiting for a sign that I wanted more. He sat next to me on the bed, cradling my hand ever so gently in his as our eyes locked. I was fixated by his piecing stare, and the heat from his hand felt like a thousand suns. In fact, my heart almost stopped.

  His gaze sizzled with challenge, as if he was daring me to go ahead and kiss him. I truly, desperately wanted to. Red-hot flames of arousal burned through me like a raging forest fire, and I didn’t know how I could possibly continue to resist such temptation. I tore my gaze away and stared at the wall trying, desperately to regain my composure. Everything was silent except for the whooshing of my heart. I wondered what he’d do if I got up and pulled him into my loving arms and engaged him in the deep kiss he so desperately wanted.

  “I’m pretty beat,” I said, breaking the silence between us. I then jumped off the bed and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

  * * *

  The next day, I got up early in the morning and took a tour of Puerto Rico. It was breathtaking, and I spent hours seeing the sights. I returned to the hotel at dinnertime.

  Inside, Jake was waiting for me. I loved his button-down, black and white Hawaiian shirt with a matching left breast pocket. He looked as if he was totally ready to sip on a fancy umbrella drink again.

  “Why didn’t you even tell me where you were going?” Jake asked. “I was so worried.”

  “Jake, you’re not my husband, my father, my boyfriend, or my bodyguard. I just went out and had a little fun. It’s a vacation, remember?”

  “Just when I start feeling like there’s something going on between us, you go and shut me out.”

  “There’s nothing going on between us.”

  He gazed into my eyes. “Nothing?”

  “Nothing.”

  His blue eyes were intense. “We have a spark, Ashly, a connection. I can feel it deep in my heart. If you don’t believe me, just give me one passionate kiss and tell me you don’t feel anything, and I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the trip.”

  I cocked a brow.

  He continued, “If you kiss me and feel nothing, as you swear you will, I’ll walk away when this is all over and never bother you again.”

  In slow motion, I saw his face lower onto mine, our lips barely touching. His hand wandered to the low of my back, drawing me closer, my chest pressing against his as his lips came down harder.
/>   It felt incredible. A flame spread through me, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. He wasn’t kidding about that spark! His mouth hovered over my lips, his hot breath giving me goosebumps.

  Jake’s eyes bore into mine. “I’ve been burning to touch you, to hold you, to kiss you since the moment I saw you in that lawyer’s office.”

  He slipped his hands behind the back of my head, pulling me even closer. He kissed me again, more deeply this time, pushing past my lips and plunging his tongue deep into my mouth, demanding surrender, and just like that, sweet and gentle was out the door.

  Is he trying to prove his dominance somehow? Prove he owns me? Maybe I should smack him, I pondered, but I couldn’t deny the unexpected invasion of passion that threatened to consume me. Letting out a soft moan, I felt a burst of heat race through my body as I snuggled against his hard muscles, shivering with pleasure. I wrapped my arms fiercely around his neck. I swirled my tongue over his, hot and fast. Somewhere inside my head, a voice yelled for me to come to my senses. Why am I not trying to fight him off?

  He broke away as I gasped for a breath of air. “Do you feel the chemistry?”

  I nodded as Jake ran his hands down my back while my fingers slid through his thick, gorgeous hair. Our tongues tangled and danced furiously in perfect unison. Nobody had kissed me like that before, and his lip-lock drove all thoughts of forgetting about him right out of my mind. In that moment, I was lucky I could still remember my name. It was time to go, but I couldn’t force myself to stop.

  I wasn’t expecting that kind of kiss at all: bold, hot, addictive, and devouring. I certainly wasn’t supposed to enjoy it. I knew if I kept it up, we’d be naked and writhing right there on the bed. I broke away, breathing hard, staring into his seductive blue eyes as my heart thundered inside me. I wanted him in the worst way, and I could easily imagine giving myself to him right then and there. I’d only meant to give him a peck on the lips to show him that he meant nothing to me. I didn’t understand how the passion had blossomed so quickly. My gaze focused on his lips again, and I wondered what it would be like to make wild, passionate love to Jake.

  Jake scooped me up and cradled me in his arms as my dress trailed to the ground. His disheveled hair made him look even hotter.

  I opened my mouth, but again, no words came out. Sure, he was the bad guy, the one who’d broken my heart, but he was still hotter than a blazing forest fire, and he’d given me the most passionate kiss of my life.

  Jake tightened his grip on my body. “Let me make it up to you…all night long.”

  I gasped as hot kisses inched down my neck and toward my cleavage. Nothing had ever felt better than that, but I had to focus and keep myself from getting distracted if I ever planned on getting my life back together after that cockamamie trip my mother had sent us on. I wriggled, trying to free myself of his vise-like grip. Jake slid down the sleeve of my dress and kissed my bare shoulder, sending tingling heat throughout my body.

  Enjoying his touch and kisses were a complication I couldn’t afford. I could have easily lost myself in that fantasy, but there would be at a lofty price to pay, and it was not worth losing my heart all over again. So, I broke from his embrace.

  He stared deeply into my eyes. “Don’t even tell me you didn’t feel it.”

  I gasped between breaths. I had felt it all right. “I can’t do this again. I can’t have my heart broken again. I just can’t, Jake—not ever again. When I agreed to this trip, I had no idea you wanted me back.”

  “I know you want me back just as badly.”

  “If you’re so convinced that we’re meant for each other,” I said, “why didn’t you fight for us all those years ago. Why’d you let our love slip away?”

  He didn’t answer.

  I shoved him back. “Why, Jake? Why didn’t you fight for us?”

  “It’s…complicated.”

  “Did you even love me?”

  “Yes, more than you’ll ever know.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes. “Then why’d you do that to me?” I cupped his face. “I gave you everything I had. I’ve never loved anyone the way I loved you. You were my life, Jake!” A tear dripped down my face. “You just walked out without an explanation. The one you gave me was some flimsy excuse that didn’t make sense.”

  “I was young and stupid.”

  “Maybe it’s too late,” I managed to squeak, my stomach in a tangled mess of knots.

  “Think of the wonderful life we can have together. I want that life with you, Ashly. I want to build the perfect home, and more than anything, I want to have children with you. Yes, things went wrong before, and I made some big mistakes, but I’ve learned from them, and we can fix things. We can have the life we always dreamt of.”

  “Five years later?”

  “I want to grow old with you. I can’t even think about another woman, let alone fall in love with one, because you’re always on my mind. Can’t you see? It’s always been about you. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  “This is just so overwhelming.” Sure, he was about as hot as a skillet in the Sahara, but I couldn’t risk falling for someone who I was sure wasn’t willing to catch me.

  “I can wait as long as you want. I’ll wait months, even years. I’ll sleep in the living room on the couch. Take some time to think.” He kissed my cheek.

  My emotions were all over the place, and I didn’t know what to think or what to do. He hadn’t been ready to get married all those years ago. What he’d done was awful, but he’d only done it because he wasn’t ready; like he said, he was too young, so he made a stupid mistake by proposing too soon. I only wished he’d told me all that before I made wedding plans, before I was about to walk down the aisle. But now, what was done was done. Jake had grown up, and he wasn’t the boy he once was. The trouble, was, I wasn’t sure how to deal with that.

  Chapter 9

  Jake opened the curtains, and sunlight poured in. When he opened the door that led to the balcony, I heard a symphony of singing birds and crashing waves.

  I caught a whiff of a salty, delicious aroma. “Something smells fantastic.”

  “Breakfast in bed, Your Highness,” he said, handing me a fancy silver tray. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I brought pancakes, bacon, toast, strawberries, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and coffee.”

  It all looked and smelled delicious. The pancakes were in the shape of hearts, served on real china, every plate placed elegantly on a delicately lace doily The cloth napkin was folded into the shape of a pyramid, and for an extra touch of class, there was a small vase holding a single red rose.

  “You’re absolutely fantastic,” I said. “I’ve never felt so…pampered.”

  He grinned, and I smiled back at him. He was wearing a colorful, breezy silk shirt with tropical flowers, in sun-washed shades of blue, along with white shorts and sandals. The thin fabric of his shirt stretched tightly across his broad chest. As I took in his island-themed ensemble, I decided I’d wear my aloha-style shirt in a lush print of tropical flowers. It was my favorite, and I couldn’t wait to put it on.

  “Jake…” I said.

  “I know. We’re just friends. I thought this would make up for me acting like an ass last night. I should’ve respected your wishes. You’re a great friend, and I don’t wanna lose you after this is all said and done.”

  “Jake, we’ll always be friends.” The devouring kiss flashed from the night before slinked through my mind, and I almost didn’t believe my own words.

  He kissed my cheek. “Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll be gone for the day.”

  “Where are you headed?” I asked.

  “Does it matter? I think I’m finally starting to get how this friend thing works.”

  I plastered on a fake smile. “Have a good day then.”

  He smiled at me one last time before the door clicked shut.

  After eating breakfast, I tapped away on my laptop, trying to finish the article I was working on. Hours passed, and I b
egan to feel lonely without Jake there. “Where is he anyway? He never takes off for this long,” I said to the empty hotel room. I walked out onto the patio and felt the breeze run across my face. I listened to the waves and waited for Jake, but he never returned.

  At four p.m., there was still no sign of him. I couldn’t believe how much I missed him and desperately wanted him to return. I thought about our kiss: Our sizzling hot, delicious, yummy kiss. I reenacted it over and over in my head. While part of me wanted to put the brakes on, another part of me wanted to let loose. I could spend hours imagining what another hot kiss from Jake would be like.

  I knew he had to be around somewhere, so I went to look for him. He didn’t seem to be anywhere on the hotel grounds, so I thought he might have decided to go snorkeling or something.

  “Hi,” I said to the desk clerk. “Do you know if the gentlemen I’m traveling with signed up for any excursions. His name is—”

  “No, Mr. Jake, didn’t sign up for anything.”

  “You know him?”

  She smiled. “I checked you in.”

  I realized then that Jake must’ve had some effect on her for her to remember him out of all the hotel guests she checked in every day. “Have you seen him?” I asked.

  “No,” she said, but her eyes flitted nervously, and I knew she was lying.

  “Please tell me.”

  “It’s a matter of privacy, miss,” she said. “I’m not allowed to disclose a guest’s whereabouts without—”

  I reached into my purse and handed her a $100 bill. “Does this help you remember?”

  She slipped the bill in her pocket. “I saw him at the pool with one of the models from the photo shoot for Cosmo,” she whispered, “but you didn’t hear that from me.”

  “Thanks,” I said, my cheeks burning with what I assumed to be embarrassment, though it might have been a bit of jealousy.

  When I walked back to the pool area, I found Jake talking to a hot blonde in a ridiculously skimpy bikini that looked like it was made out of a slingshot and two Band-aids. They were drinking tropical drinks with fancy umbrellas in them. I scooted behind a potted plant to sneak a peek. I wasn’t sure why I was spying on him, and I knew I should walk away, but for some reason I couldn’t quite understand, I was frozen, and my feet refused to budge. The blonde was giggling as she sipped her drink, her huge breasts spilling out of her five-sizes-too-small swimsuit.