My Despicable Ex - Book 2 (3 page)

“
You can take your hands off me now,” I said as politely as possible.

His eyes twinkled. “It’s okay. Friends are allowed to help each other out when they almost fall in the sand.”

“
Thanks,” I said, continuing to look at his hands that were still wrapped around my waist.

“
I was hoping you wouldn’t hit me, especially since our photographer is still snapping pictures,” Jake said, smiling and waving at the tour guide.

I laughed, and we started climbing back down.

“
So…who won?” I asked.

Jake winked. “How about we call it a tie?”

I smirked.

It only took us less than five minutes to climb down the mighty mountain of sand, far less time than it had taken us to climb up. The deep red colors of the majestic sand dunes would be embedded in my memory forever.

Chapter 3

We checked out of our lodge and were ready for our next destination. It would take two days to get to Paris, and on the way, Jake and I were pretty distant. I knew most of that tension was my fault, but I just decided to throw myself into work as a distraction. During the flight and later, at the hotel, I worked on one of my articles. Three were due, and I was hoping I could meet the deadlines. Of course I started with the most pressing one first. I was eager to send it off to my editor, and once I committed to any project, I always finished it.

Morning came, and my heart was racing. I felt refreshed and energized for our next stop, in France. After a two-hour delay, our plane sped off, and we were heading to France. Paris was the fashion capital of the world, so to fit in, I wore a short skirt with a fashionable top and scarf, dark tights, and flat boots.
One of my model friends had told me that Paris was all about knee-high boots, so I created my own interpretation of the trend. My makeup was natural, and I wore my hair long and straight.

We’d be staying in a five-star hotel where I could catch up on some much-needed sleep. I looked out the plane window and stared at the white clouds in various shapes and fluffy forms. Coming to Paris made my heart beat fast. It was like a dream coming true. Jake leaned back in his chair. “Your mother spared no expense. She booked us at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Says here it’s
on prestigious Avenue Montaigne, a luxury place featuring a Dior Institute spa, five restaurants, and a cocktail bar. Elegant rooms with marble bathrooms, and it’s only a five-minute walk from Avenue Champs Elysées
and—”

“
I really don’t wanna talk about how wonderful it is, Jake. It breaks my heart to know we’re not coming here as lovers.”

Our eyes locked, and we stared deeply at each other.

“
That can be easily changed,” he whispered.

All I had to do was give him the okay, and we would have the Paris we’d dreamt about, the one we’d talked about, the one we’d hope to kiss in. But that was never going to happen. I didn’t want a fling; I was sure that would only end in more depression when he left me. Then again, I could have just used the opportunity to enjoy his company, but I refused to be used that way.

He looked up and met my gaze once again.

“
What we have is so broken that it can never be fixed,” I said. “I’m sorry, but we’ll be nothing more than friends.”

“
Ashly, why must you always put up this brick wall?”

“
Do you mind if we don’t talk for a little while? That was part of the agreement before we went on this trip, wasn’t it? That you wouldn’t even talk to me if I didn’t want you to?” I said, the bitter and rejected side of me doing all the talking.

“
Just trying to politely make conversation.”

“
Don’t,” I snapped, in full-blown rejection mode. I had sworn to myself that I’d be civil, but the anger I still felt was only fueled by the sound of his voice. I began to wonder why I wasn’t over all of it, as if the therapy hadn’t done me any good at all.

He let out a huff. “Fine. I won’t talk to you this entire trip.”

“
It’s just that I’m so tired. I just want to take a nap.”

“
Right.”

“
Seriously, Jake.”

“
All right, but I’ve got one question. What made you change your mind anyway?” he asked. “You were so dead set against this trip.”

“
I thought you were going to let me sleep.”

“
Humor me for just a quick moment. What made you change your mind?”

“
Your good looks and charm,” I said with exaggerated sarcasm.

He cocked a brow. “Really?”

“
If you must know, Nadia and I don’t have the rent for our boutique. We’ll be evicted next month if we can’t come up with it. The only reason I’m telling you this is because I want you to know how desperate I am and what extremes I’ll go to to save my business.”

“
So you’re forced to put up with me?”

“
I’m done talking, Jake. We’ve made enough useless small talk already. Let’s just get through this vacation from hell and get it over with, then cash our checks and go our separate ways. I can save my business, and you can have a happy life with your friends and family and keep New York from burning to the ground.”

Hurt spread across his face. “I really hurt you, didn’t I?”

I slipped a sleeping mask over my face and ignored him. “Wake me up when we get in Paris,” I said dryly.

“
You know, Paris is The City of Love, supposedly the most romantic city in the world.”

“
Not on this trip—at least not with me,” I snapped.

“
You’re impossible,” he said.

“
And lucky you! You get to spend the next month with me. Maybe I’ll make you as miserable now as you made me then.”

His silence made it clear that I had ticked him off, but I didn’t care. It was not the fun vacation he seemed to think it was. For me, it was pure torture. I even considered using my own money to get a separate hotel room, but the rules clearly stated that we had to share one. The one thing I’d never do was share my bed with him, money or not. No one could pay me enough to sleep with a man I loathed.

* * *

The doorman greeted us with a big smile, welcoming us to the deluxe hotel. The lobby was sophisticated and full of charm. I was swept away by the elegant décor, ornate French antiques, breathtaking flower arrangements, and the entire atmosphere. Everything was beautifully decorated, with crystal chandeliers, beautiful carpets, and intricate tapestries.

“
The brochure didn’t say the place was a palace,” Jake joked.

He wasn’t kidding, and for a moment, I felt like a princess.

Jake had never set foot in a hotel like that, and the expression on his face was priceless. When he met my gaze, I couldn’t help but shoot him a tiny smile. We’d spent years talking about coming to Paris when we were teenagers, and now, there we were. He was so excited, like a little boy with a Christmas-morning giddy smile on his face.

The second I entered our suite, I fell in love with the warm, rich interior and stylish fabrics. Everything was done in classical French style, rich reds and pale yellows, with fancy glass chandeliers and stunning portraits. Beyond amazed, I couldn’t stop staring at the living room, with its beautiful, ornate furniture and heavy silk draperies. Champagne and cake awaited us on a fancy table. I’d never been in such a beautiful place. My parents owned a luxurious penthouse in New York City, but we seldom traveled, so it was just as amazing to me as it was to Jake.

I opened the glorious French doors that led to the balcony. A breeze softly blew across me as the music from a harpist below drifted up from the Gallerie. The windowboxes boasted dozens of bright red geraniums. Scarlet awnings shaded me from the sun. Off to my right, I could see the Eiffel Tower, and my heart fluttered at the sight of it, right there before my eyes. I was absolutely blown away by its stunning beauty, and it left me speechless.

Jake joined me outside and poured a glass of champagne for each of us. “How about a toast to finally making it to Paris?”

I reached for my glass and clinked it against his, and he shot me that beautiful, gleaming smile I loved so much.

I went inside to unpack a few things.

Jake ran his finger across the icing of the cake, and held it up to my mouth. “Wanna taste?”

It was a simple gesture but a nostalgic one, something I always used to do to him when we were teenagers. I couldn’t help it, because I was a sucker for frosting and always had a sweet tooth. “I can cut my own piece, but thank you.”

“
Suit yourself.” He smiled as he sucked the frosting off his finger.

I reached for my purse. “Listen, I’ll see you in a bit. I’m gonna go get dinner.”

He flashed me his pearly whites. “We could watch a movie and snuggle, order some room service.”

“
You remember that?” I asked in disbelief, for it was something I’d told him I wanted to do with him in Paris. “We can sightsee all week,” I’d said, “but one day has to be reserved for snuggling.”

“
How could I forget?” he said, his face beaming.

“
Uh…that’s not happening now—not ever, in fact.” I turned to leave, and he followed me. “There are no rules that say you have to eat dinner with me.”

“
If you don’t mind, I’d love to join you.”

Holding my purse tightly, I kept walking. “Suit yourself.”

He walked beside me and shot me a side glance. “I don’t wanna sit up there by myself.”

“
So go sit in that fancy Jacuzzi and order yourself a pizza. Watch some steamy movie on HBO. I don’t really care.”

“
Please, Ashly,” he begged.

I stopped midstride. “Fine. Have dinner with me. I really don’t care one way or the other. I’m just trying to keep this thing amicable.”

We ate at Alain Ducasse, and I barely talked through dinner. I just concentrated on my delicious meal and the 10,000 pieces of crystal hanging from the ceiling, surrounded by crystal chandeliers. It was the most gorgeous room I’d ever eaten in. After we ate our awkwardly quiet meal, I stopped in the gift shop to check out the latest Paris fashions and picked up a gorgeous, orange, stylish dress for the next day. The woman at the boutique told me orange was the in thing, from bright poppy to tangerine to subdued apricot. I had to remain fashion forward on the trip, especially since I was trying to get a fashion business off the ground.

Back in our sweet, I tapped away on the computer.

“
What are you doing?” Jake asked.

“
Working on our campaign for our fall lineup. Summer’s going strong, but I have to stay a step ahead.”

“
We’re in Paris…and you’re working,” he sighed.

“
Let me just check out these reports and—”

“
And nothing. Like it or not, Ashly, this is a vacation. Put the laptop away.”

My phone rang, but Jake shook his head.

“
Don’t answer it.”

I glanced at him. “This thing between you and me is not a vacation. It’s a business proposition.”

He rolled his eyes as I answered the phone.

I gripped the phone tightly. “Yes, I’ll need those swatches in the exact colors I told you.”

“
We’ll have to substitute the gold ones,” the woman said.

“
That’s not what I paid for.”

After countless phone calls, everything was straightened out. I called down to hotel staff for extra blankets and pillows, and when the bellhop delivered them, I smiled and tipped him generously.

“
Why did you have him bring up extra blankets?” Jake asked. “You always throw your blankets off because you get too hot.”

My gaze narrowed. “They’re not for me.”