My Despicable Ex - Book 2 (10 page)

“
Much better,” I said.

He smiled. “Meh, I aim to please.”

After doing one last search for our belongings, I gave Jake the thumbs-up. I went to reach for my suitcase when his fingers brushed against mine, and my heart took on a staccato rhythm again.

“
I got it,” he said.

Our eyes locked again, and again we were lost in each other’s gaze, oblivious to anything else. I couldn’t deny our shared connection. There was something so special about him, and I knew I couldn’t stay away from him, even if I had to. Some voice inside me reminded me that we had to just be friends, but a louder voice told me to grab him and never let go. My emotions were all over the place.

“
Um…okay,” I barely managed to get out.

His gaze drifted to my lips, then back up to my eyes, and he smiled.

I lingered for a moment before leaving. I wondered if he was going to try to kiss me. As much as I wanted him to, I wasn’t really ready for something so bold—at least not yet. When he looked into my eyes, I quickly averted my dumbfounded smile to the ground. Even as my legs began to shake, the best thing I could do was pretend like his touch had no effect on me.

* * *

In Puerto Rico, we checked into the Copamarina Beach Resort and Spa, and the bellhop took our luggage. The hotel was beautiful, and the lush landscaping was breathtaking against the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea.

As we walked up to our room, Jake put his hand on my lower back. I glanced up at him, and he smiled widely as his touch lingered. I grinned. His hand clasped around mine, making my skin tingle. His warm, soft fingers rubbed against the back of my hand lightly as he led me into Room 516.

Our accommodations were gorgeous, spacious, and elegant, with a big balcony that offered an ocean view. I could hear the crashing waves, and I couldn’t wait to take a walk on the white, sandy beach.

I felt grimy from traveling, and the room was hot, so I turned on the air, jumped in the shower, and put on a white lace and chiffon, spaghetti-strap dress. I felt so refreshed and cooled down.

After I unpacked, I spent an hour on my laptop writing a fashion article called, “Contemporary Woman: Fashion and Style Tips to Live By.” It was due in two weeks for my real job.

I walked out on the balcony and took in the incredible view. Jake wrapped his arms around me from behind and lifted the hair off my neck as he softly kissed the most sensitive spot on my neck. Goosebumps erupted all over me, and I gasped deeply. He lightly stroked and caressed my neck with his fingertips, then slid down the delicate strap of my dress and kissed my shoulder. He knew that was a big turn-on for me, a sexy move that worked every time.

“
You’re all work and no play,” he said.

“
Jake,” I said, shivering with pleasure, “what are you doing?”

He peppered my neck with open-mouthed kisses. “What do you think?” His hot breath softly blew against my skin between kisses, and it literally drove me crazy.

“
Mmm…that feels so good,” I said, wondering why I’d admitted that to him.

“
I want you to feel good,” he whispered in my ear as his fingers glided down my bare arm. “I just need you to focus on us and forget about your phone and your laptop. Nadia is handling everything.”

Shivers shot down my spine again as he found my sweet spot on my neck. He began kissing me there, driving me absolutely insane with a desire I could hardly stave off. I knew I only had to turn around to claim his mouth in a mind-blowing kiss. Jake started giving me slow, wet kisses all over my neck, then nibbled a bit on my ear. I knew if he didn’t stop soon, it would be all over. I spun around and turned to face him. He was wearing a sexy smile, staring at my lips. I’d never felt so desirable. I softly traced his lips, lips I could have spent all of eternity kissing.

“
I’m thirsty,” I blurted out. “I’m going to the bar.” I reached for my purse and rushed to get away from him.

“
Ashly! You forgot your wallet,” he called after me.

“
Thanks. I guess you have me all…discombobulated.”

“
Mind if I join you? Maybe we can talk.”

“
If you promise to behave. And I don’t wanna talk about whatever was going on in there.”

“
Why can’t you just admit what you’re feeling?”

I swallowed hard. “I can. I’m not feeling anything.”

He met my gaze straight on. “I don’t believe you.”

I snorted and reached for his hand. “C’mon.”

We relaxed at the bar, enjoying the balmy breeze and live guitar music.

“
What can I get you?” the bartender asked.

“
Two
piña coladas please
,” Jake said.

I turned to face him and touched his shoulder. “That’s my favorite tropical drink.”

“
Yup, followed by strawberry
daiquiris.”

I beamed. “Let’s have both.”

He shrugged. “The more the merrier, right?”

“
Right,” I said.

The bartender set the frosty drinks down.

Jake picked up the glass with the little umbrella in it and clinked my glass. “To old times,” he said.

“
To old times,” I echoed.

A well-dressed woman came up to me and smiled. “I have to ask, where did you get that dress? It’s to die for.”

I smiled and blushed a little. “Thank you. I designed it myself. It’s from my White Moon Collection.”

“
Really? Where can I get my hands on such a beautiful garment? I’ve never seen anything like it before, and I just love it.”

I smiled, reached in my purse, and pulled out a business card. “Here you go. There’s a website address on here for our online store.”

She took the card, thanked me, and walked away.

My eyes welled up with tears. I had worked so hard to create a distinctive style, and the fact that someone had noticed and wanted my creation made my heart spill over with joy.

“
What’s wrong?” Jake asked.

“
I’m just…flattered.”

“
Well, I’m not surprised. The dress is stunning, extreme creativity at its finest.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Jake.”

After a few drinks, we moved into the restaurant for a first-class meal.

“
It’s nice having dinner with you again,” Jake said.

“
I admit, when we started this trip, I was a little childish, but I was so furious with you that I couldn’t think straight.”

“
When you ran away from me in Australia at that sunset dinner on the beach, it hurt.”

“
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.