Wash (7 page)

“
So you can talk me out of
it?”

“
Absolutely!” She let out a
breath. “Listen, if it hurts that bad, don’t put yourself through
it. We’ll find another way. We’ll survive. We always
do.”

“
No, I’m gonna do it, even
if it means losing half to Jake. I can’t give up all of my mother’s
money, and if I don’t do this, everything will go to the lawyer,
who’s already filthy rich. I like the guy, but the thought of that
just makes me cringe.”

“
It’s your money now,
girlfriend. Go get it.”

I smiled. “I will, Jake or no
Jake.”

“
And listen,” she said,
“you gotta promise me you’ll jump in the blue water and kiss a
dolphin. No thinking about work, because I swear that’s all you
live for. Don’t be designing clothes in your head while you’re ride
a horse seaside or snorkeling.”

I laughed.

“
I’m serious. All work and
no play makes Ashly a dull girl. While you’re gone, I’ll handle
everything. No worries. And I still have that extra key, so I’ll be
happy to stop by and feed Tiger.”

“
Thanks, Nadia.”

“
You can even take one of
the bikinis from the Reflection Collection.”

“
They’re so
gorgeous.”

She laughed. “Of course they are. I
designed them. You’ll look fantastic. We’ve been going to that
workout class for a long time, and you have the flattest abs. Just
flaunt that bod in Jake’s face and show him what he missed out
on.”

“
Thanks, Nadia.”

“
I’m serious,
girlfriend.”

After we said our goodbyes,
I hung up and pondered,
Can I really put
up with Jake without killing him on this vacation?
The truth was, I wasn’t so sure.

Chapter 5

Three weeks
later…

On the way to Australia, our first
stop, I sat back and folded my hands across my lap. I knew I needed
to keep myself busy so Jake wouldn’t try to talk to me. I picked up
a magazine and started thumbing through it, pretending to be
totally engrossed.

Next to me, Jake buckled
his seatbelt. He leafed through the literature given to him by my
lawyer, then started Googling the resort. “I got their website,” he
said, then went on to read it to me. “
Green
Island Resort,
 on the Great Barrier
Reef, is one of the most unique and memorable destinations in
Tropical North Queensland. A coral cay, a luxury resort, a natural
wonderland unlike any other…Indulgence, romance, and adventure
await on this tropical island paradise.”

“
Sounds wonderful, except
for the romance part.”

Utterly silenced, he swallowed hard
and looked away.

My gaze drifted over to a young woman
who was babbling away about her upcoming wedding, flipping through
the pages of a popular bridal magazine. As all the painful memories
of my own destroyed nuptial bliss flooded back, I glanced down at
the floor and let out a long breath. The first Thanksgiving, the
first Christmas, the first New Year’s, and the first birthday
without him had been absolutely unbearable. I couldn’t help but let
out another huff as the girl kept chatting away.

“
Again, Ashly, I’m sorry,”
Jake said, “but I swear I’m a different person now.”

“
Don’t you remember our
deal? You’re not supposed to talk to me.”

“
If that’s what you want,
have it your way.”

The girl next to us went on and on
about her designer wedding dress. My temples pounded, and I tried
to rub them with my fingers, desperately trying to tune her
out.

“
Maybe this is exactly what
we need for closure, to spend lots of time together
and—”

Lots of time together?
Whoa, boy! I think not!
I motioned for him
to stop talking, and then I flagged down the flight attendant.
“Excuse me, miss, but I’m gonna need alcohol, and lots of it, if
I’m gonna make it through this flight.”

Jake turned and met my gaze straight
on. “Is this how it’s going to be the entire trip?”

“
This is just the tip of
the iceberg. When this plane lands, I suggest you get off of it as
quick as you can. Hell hath no fury—”

“
Yeah, yeah,” he said,
cutting me off. “So you’re a woman scorned. Look, I know you’re
still mad, but can’t you be at least civil to me?”

Civil? To you? Hell
no!
I’d wallowed in grief for so long that
he deserved none of my pity, politeness, or manners. I stared down
and swallowed hard again. “I’ll try,” I muttered.

“
Good,” he said, “because I
want us to be friends. I really do, Ashly.”

I felt uncomfortable and
trapped onboard that plane. Sitting next to my ex only forced me to
dwell on him more, and the memories weren’t pleasant ones.
“I just can’t do it,”
I
heard over and over again, his words that had haunted me for so
long. I’d gone through therapy, lots of life-changing therapy, and
I’d even dated some pretty wonderful guys since my groom ran away,
but none of those relationships had ever worked out, if they could
even be called relationships at all. I hated Jake. I was angry and
bitter, and I couldn’t stop wondering where he was on the
anniversary of the day we met, our first date, and what would have
been our wedding anniversary. There was no top tier for me to pull
out of the freezer and enjoy because my wedding cake, like
everything else about that day, had gone to waste.

I glanced over the itinerary and once
again hated the fact that I had little to no control over the
vacation. My lawyer, under the instruction of my departed mother,
had set everything up. I was a stickler for detail and enjoyed
carefully planning the agendas for every trip I went on, right down
to the minute. Now, I had no involvement in how we would spend our
time, and that bothered me.

To make matters worse, I was worried
about the boutique and what would become of mine and Nadia’s grand
plans. I had a new business I was trying to get off the ground, and
I wondered if it would even be possible for me to relax.

As I tapped away on my laptop, Jake
looked over at me. “Mind if I ask what you’re doing?” he
asked.

“
It’s none of your
concern,” I said as politely as possible.

He gazed over and stared at the
computer screen.

I let out a huff. “If you must know,
I’m writing a long-overdue post on my fashion blog.”

“
What’s the post
about?”

“
Um…knowing more than just
fashion. It’s about how anyone in fashion design also needs to be
aware of all the aspects of marketing, product design, and
production. It also requires a good head for business and a good
label to market a fashion line.”

“
Interesting.”

“
If you don’t mind, I need
to get back to work.”

He nodded, put his earbuds in, and
started watching some kind of adventure movie starring a
swashbuckling, fedora-wearing hero who would never have left his
lady abandoned at an altar.

When the plane finally set down, we
took a boat over to the island, where we checked into our lodging.
Covered walkways connected the guestrooms to the reception area and
private guest facilities. There was an elegant restaurant and bar,
and a lounge area overlooked the shimmering pool. The little island
was beautiful, just like the brochure promised, and when I walked
out on the balcony and gazed around at the lush tropical
rainforest, I had to be thankful for the opportunity to see it.
According to the brochure, most visitors to the island would leave
by three, so those of us staying at the resort would have the
entire island to ourselves.

I quickly unpacked and hurried out the
door to explore the spectacular isle. At one-thirty, I attended a
show at Marineland. I watched in awe as a crocodile was fed; I
couldn’t believe that half-ton, seventeen-foot reptile was so
agile, able to launch itself completely out of the water to gobble
up an unsuspecting chicken. I even held a baby crocodile named
Cuddles and had my portrait taken with the scaly, toothy little
creature. The park was home to at least forty crocodiles, from
giants to newly hatched babies.

The aquarium boasted 100 species of
sea life, from stonefish and cute clownfish to epaulette sharks,
turtles, lionfish, and giant painted crayfish. I loved the bright
and colorful tropical fish and the coral. At a fish-feeding, I saw
even more tropical fish in an even more brilliant rainbow of
fluorescent and neon colors.

After I marveled at George J. Craig’s
amazing private collection of primitive ancestral artifacts and
maritime relics, I took the nighttime nature walk and saw turtles
resting near the shore. It was simply remarkable, an unforgettable
tour. Before heading back to the resort, I stopped in the gift shop
and bought some coral and gemstone jewelry, as well as a genuine
shark tooth, hanging from a black cord and fashioned into a
necklace.

When I returned, Jake met my gaze, and
I couldn’t stop my heart from thudding hard inside my chest. He was
as amazing as any animal I’d seen that day, as strong as the
crocodiles, as cute as the babies, and as beautiful as the colorful
fish and coral. As much as I loathed him, there was no denying how
hot he was in his ivory button-down shirt, khaki shorts, and
sandals. He’d left a few buttons open, and the peek-a-boo view of
his chest was mesmerizing. On top of that, he smelled so good. His
hair was damp, so I assumed he was fresh out of the
shower.

A smile slowly curved across his
mouth. “You’ve been gone all day.”

“
So? I’m trying to make the
most of this vacation. This place is so peaceful, so tranquil. It’s
a lot different than New York.”

“
Yeah,” he said, sounding
unimpressed. “Where did you go?” he asked.

“
I spent some time with a
dangerous fella I met on the island. We even took pictures. Care to
see?”

He shook his head. “So now you’re
gonna flaunt other men in my face?”

I handed him the picture. “Meet my new
friend. His name is Cuddles.”

He glanced down and smiled. “Oh. Cute.
Sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

I rolled my eyes and snatched the
photo away from him.

“
In the future, it’d be
nice if you’d let me know where you’re going so I don’t
worry.”

“
Should I let you know when
I go to the bathroom, too?” I asked with a smirk. “No one’s paying
you to be my bodyguard, Jake…and I’m a big girl. I’ll go wherever I
want, whenever I want, with whomever I want.”

He shook his head and fought a smile.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“
Ravenous.”

“
Your attorney made dinner
reservations for us on the beach,” he said.

I plopped down on the bed. “Funny. I
don’t remember any rules stating I have to eat with
you.”

“
True.”

“
Then if you don’t mind,
I’m just gonna—”

“
You don’t have to eat with
me, but everything is closed now. You should’ve said your goodbyes
to Cuddles a little sooner.”

I bit my lip hard as my stomach
growled. I was starving and hadn’t eaten anything all
day.

“
So…will you do me the
honor of accompanying me to dinner, Ashly Roberts?” he asked,
grinning.

I slipped my shoes on. “I’ll go with
you, but only to get my dinner to go so I can bring it back to the
room.”

He shook his head “You can’t avoid me
forever, Ashly.”

“
Well, I aim to give it my
best effort,” I said. “Let’s go, though. I’m starving.”

* * *

My long dress swirled around my ankles
with the warm tropical breeze. I’d always found something so soft
and romantic about white cotton, even with a high neckline that
didn’t reveal any cleavage. I walked through the sand to the small,
circular table that was already set up for us, covered with a
pretty satin tablecloth and a vase full of tropical flowers in
vibrant purples, oranges, and aquamarines. The chirping of birds
intensified, overshadowing the rhythmical lapping of waves against
the shore. I inhaled the salty scent of the ocean, with its hint of
coconut. As if mirroring the bouquet centerpiece, purple, pink, and
orange swirled in the glorious sky.

Jake shot me a leisurely glance. “You
look beautiful,” he said. “You’re just…a vision.”

“
Thank you.”

He was so handsome and smelled so damn
good. Dark stubble speckled his strong jawline. His hair was wavy
and thick, and the way it flew around in the wind made him look so
sexy. With those dimples and that white, gleaming smile, he nearly
had me breathless.

“
Isn’t this the most
romantic place on the planet?” he asked.

“
I’d love to be here with
anyone but you,” I muttered. Sure, he was gorgeous, but that didn’t
give him permission to stomp all over my heart. Handsome or not, he
wasn’t about to get the time of day from me. I refused to look at
him and take in his reaction. At that point, I didn’t even care
what he thought about me. I ordered a salad because I was sure it’d
be easy to take it back to my hotel room.