My Despicable Ex - Book 2 (18 page)

He smiled and handed me a helmet. “Get on! I rented this from somebody for an hour.”

“
You’re kidding, right?”

“
Are you telling me you’d rather stay cooped up in the airport?”

I bit my lip. “But I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before.”

He winked. “Then you’re in for the most fantastic ride of your life.”

“
I didn’t know you were a motorcycle man.”

“
There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He reached out his hand. “I’m sure you’re dying to peel away all my mysterious layers.”

I met his gaze and smiled. “Hmm. Cocky much?”

He grinned. “You love it.”

I smirked.

“
Don’t worry. I’ve been riding for years. It’s just an escape. On this bike, with the wind whipping against me, I can forget all about my problems. I love the freedom of the open road…and it’s a lot cheaper than a shrink.”

“
A shrink, huh? Yeah, you definitely need one of those,” I kidded. “So, who’d you borrow this hog from? Another bartender?”

“
Let’s just say that money talks.” He revved the engine and shot one of his dazzling white smiles, melting my heart all over again.

No girl could have resisted that ride, and I wasn’t about to. I slid the helmet on my head, swung a leg up and over the chrome, then wrapped my arms around his middle.

“
You’d better hang on tighter than that,” he said.

I squeezed tighter.

“
Nothing compares to the adrenaline rush you get from riding a motorcycle.” He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes sparkling. “Ready?”

“
You bet!”

He revved the engine once more, then sped away, picking up speed smoothly. We went from riding to flying in no time. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue and not one cloud dotted the gorgeous sky. The wind blew against my face, melting all my stress away. Jake took the curves like a natural, then sped up again when the road straightened out. I realized we were going ten times faster than we were ever meant to go, and I was sure we were leaving a trail of flames in our wake. The feeling of flying along the roads, with the wind whooshing in under my visor, was the biggest thrill of my life, made all the more wonderful because I was clinging to Jake. We rode for close to an hour and knew we had to get back, or else we’d miss our next flight.

Jake slowed down and pulled back into the airport parking lot, then helped me off the bike.

“
That was awesome!” I said.

Jake kissed me on the lips.

A tall man in his fifties walked over. “How’d she ride?”

“
Fantastic,” Jake said, handing the keys back to him. “Thank you so much.”

“
No, thank you.” He walked over to me. “Your boyfriend is the most generous man I know. We were just casually talking, and I told him I was on the verge of being evicted today. He offered to pay my rent in exchange for letting him borrow my bike. I couldn’t believe a stranger would do that. I was sure I’d have to sell this baby to make ends meet, and it’s the only nice thing I have left.”

I gazed up at Jake as tears welled up in my eyes. It was the sweetest thing he could’ve ever done, again revealing his generous side and his big heart. I was smitten.

* * *

We boarded our plane, and before we knew it, we were at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. Indigenous trees, shrubs, and wildflowers reflected the natural beauty of this pristine place. We checked in and unpacked. The room was a little outdated, but I didn’t mind, because the scenery kept me pumped. The patio offered a gorgeous view of the towering rock walls and the meadow behind us.

“
Your lawyer made sure we always get one bed,” Jake said, making a bed on the floor.

I turned to meet his gaze. “You can sleep up here with me, as long as you’re on your best behavior.”

“
My back thanks you…and yes, I promise to be a perfect gentlemen.”

I chuckled. I was so tired from traveling that we decided to hang out at the lodge and relax. Around ten p.m. we headed out to the patio to do some stargazing. It was just beautiful as billions of stars twinkled in the black sky.

Jake brought out a blanket and laid it down.

“
Just like old times,” I said with a smile.

He grinned as I snuggled up to him.

“
Remember our Prom?” I asked.

“
You looked so hot in that white and gold dress.”

“
I knew you’d love strapless.”

“
I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you all night.”

I smiled. “That was the plan.”

“
Remember when Jimmy Hatcher put that wad of gum on Mrs. Tolar’s shoe?”

“
Yeah! And she walked around with it all day long.”

“
We shoulda told her.”

“
But she was so mean to me. Hey, remember when that hypnotist came to our school and you told him you didn’t believe in that crap, so he made you volunteer?”

“
I shouldn’t have butted in.”

“
You’re right. He made you think you were Arnold Schwarzenegger, and you kept saying, ‘I’ll be back.’”

He hid his face with his hands and chuckled. “I did it all day long. How embarrassing.”

We both laughed.

“
Remember our school trip to Washington DC?”

“
How could I forget? We almost got suspended when you talked me into sneaking out of our hotel room.”

“
It’s not like we left the hotel.”

“
No, we just sneaked a swim in the pool.”

“
If I remember correctly, we had one of our best make-out sessions there.”

I laughed and touched his arm lightly. “Hotter than when we made out under the bleachers during a football game?”

“
Can you believe all the crazy stuff we did?”

“
Hey, we graduated, right?”

“
Yeah, but I still feel bad about getting you in all that trouble. Your mom grounded you for a month and—”

“
Jake, that was a lifetime ago. Mom always said you were a bad influence, but I didn’t care. I loved you unconditionally.”

“
I don’t know what your mom had against me anyway. I think I turned out okay. I’ve never done any drugs or prison time or hung out with a street gang.”

“
It wasn’t you. She just always figured I’d date someone else, like a surgeon or the President or something.”

“
I think she really got pissed when I told her we were going to the movies and we instead went to that party that got way outta control.”

“
Yeah, it really freaked her out when I came home in a cop car. Worst of all, it tarnished her perfect reputation with our neighbors.”

“
I’ve grown up a lot since then. I don’t look for trouble anymore.”

A streak of light flashed across the sky. “Look! A shooting star. Quick…make a wish!”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I took in his perfect profile for a while before doing the same.

My eyes were still closed when his voice jolted me out of my thoughts. “What did you wish for?” he said.

I playfully slugged him. “If I tell you, it won’t come true!”

He smiled, his eyes glinting.

“
Maybe I should ask what you wished for,” I said.

“
I’ll never tell,” he chuckled.

Blue, white, yellow, orange, and red shooting stars streaked across the black velvet sky, leaving long, flaming tails in their wake, like a silent fireworks display.

I leaned back on both elbows. “We’re in the middle of some kind of meteor shower. Isn’t it awesome? I’ve gotta get some pictures.” I ran in and grabbed my camera and snapped as many shots as I could.

When I set the camera down, he stood. “Dance with me?”

He grabbed my hand and twirled me around quickly, causing me to giggle. A firestorm of shooting stars soared across the heavens, as if applauding our efforts on the makeshift dance floor. Jake’s arm wrapped around my waist, and he dipped me backward, until my long hair brushed against the patio floor. He pulled me out of the dip and back onto my feet. Again, he twirled me around. Then we laughed and danced—under the sparkling light of a million stars.

The meteor storm blazed; colors continued to swirl above us. Stars glittered like diamonds. Finally, we danced close and slow. My heart pounded as I realized how nice it was to be held by Jake. Our eyes connected, and silence filled the air. There was something more between us, something that sizzled as brightly as the stars on the horizon.

I felt a sudden, strong attraction to the person I’d known most of my life. His brilliant blue eyes echoed the illuminations of the cosmos in a most glorious way. I traced a fingertip across his lips, losing myself in those gorgeous eyes. To top it off, he had the most beautiful smile. Jake tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His soft touch made my heart flutter. Time stood still, as if there was only that moment. An overwhelming urge to kiss Jake struck me. As I leaned in, just a breath’s distance away from him, the entire world seemed to stop and hold its breath, waiting for the sparks. Shivering with emotion, I shut my eyes and pulled him closer. He cupped my face in his warm hands. His lips pressed against my mouth, and that familiar spark shot right through me; it felt so good, so natural, so right. All I’d ever wanted and needed was right there in my arms.

Jake stroked my cheek, and more soft, gentle kisses followed, melting our problems away. He was my friend, but there was more to him than that. I knew we were going to share something so wonderful, so beautiful.

He gazed into my eyes. “I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m so sorry things got screwed up between us, but maybe we can get back on track.” I knew Jake truly loved me with all his heart. I could see it in his eyes.

He lowered his mouth to mine and captured it again in a tender kiss. “I want to make love to you,” he purred in my ear. “I want to feel your body close to mine, like we used to.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his blatant flirtations, and the heat in my blushing cheeks scorched my skin. “I want you badly, Jake, but let’s not rush this.”

His gaze drifted to my lips, then back up to my eyes, and he smiled. “I can wait for you forever if I have to.”

I lingered for a moment before saying another word. When he looked into my eyes, I quickly averted my dumbfounded smile to the ground, and my legs began to shake. When it came to Jake, all those songs I’d heard about people going weak in the knees suddenly made sense.

We lay back down on the blanket Jake had spread out, and we talked for hours and stargazed some more. Talking about old times was actually very healing, and we laughed the night away before we headed off to bed. He wrapped his arms around me, and it felt so familiar and so right. He didn’t make any moves, which took some of the pressure off, and I fell asleep in his strong arms.

* * *

When morning came, Jake was still sleeping. He looked adorable, and I grabbed my camera and took a shot. Smiling, I glanced down at the digital screen; the photo was perfect. I got dressed and threw my hair into a long ponytail.

I kissed Jake on the cheek. “Ready for Mirror Lake?”

“
It’s morning already?” he groggily asked.

I opened the curtains as light flooded the room. “You shouldn’t have stayed up so late.”

“
Sorry. I was talking to this beautiful woman who has me completely mesmerized.”

I smiled and kissed his lips. “Well, I met this guy who swept me off my feet.”

We both grinned.