My Despicable Ex - Book 2

• Title Page
  
• Chapter 1
  
• Chapter 2
  
• Chapter 3
  
• Chapter 4
  
• Chapter 5
  
• Chapter 6
  
• Chapter 7
  
• Chapter 8
  
• Chapter 9
  
• Chapter 10
  
• Chapter 11
  
• Chapter 12
  
• Chapter 13
  
• Chapter 14
  
• Chapter 15
  
• Chapter 16
  
• Chapter 17
  
• Chapter 18
  
• Chapter 19
  
• Chapter 20
  
• Chapter 21
  

My Despicable Ex – Book 2

By

Sierra Rose

Copyright 2013 by Sierra Rose

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

She thinks he’s despicable. He wants her back…with a vengeance.

Ashly Roberts and Jake Connors are barely twenty when they decide to take the proverbial plunge and walk down the aisle to exchange vows in front of the dearly beloved. Basking in bridal bliss, Ashly feels she is living the perfect fairytale, until she’s faced with a runaway groom, dumped at the altar by bad-boy fiancé, Jake Connors.

Five years later, Jake steps back into her life, realizing that being a no-show for their nuptials was the worst mistake of his life. A little older and slightly more mature, he is ready to fight for Ashly’s love once again. When Ashly sees him, she can’t deny the attraction she feels, but her hormones are overruled by the horror of what he did to her in the past. Nevertheless, Jake’s most potent weapon, those dazzling baby blues, ignites a spark in Ashly, no matter how angry she wants to be. She cannot deny the spark, and she only hopes the inferno it ignites will not consume her heart again.

According to the terms of her mother’s will, Ashly cannot cash in on her inheritance until she and Jake travel to nearly a dozen locations around the globe. The thought of pairing up with her old flame makes her blood boil, but she has little choice other than to put up with her despicable ex.

Can Ashly put up with Jake through her globe-hopping scavenger hunt to get her family fortune? Will she ever be able to forget or forgive being dumped on her wedding day? When wounds run so deep, is forgiveness even possible between old lovers? Or is it, “Goodbye!” all over again, after everything is said and done?

I’d love to hear your comments or thoughts! Facebook Fan Page:
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Chapter 1

A few days later, I leaned back in my seat as the plane took off.

“
My heart’s still pounding from that croc,” Jake said.

“
Mine too.”

While those gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, our safari, the snorting giraffe, and our elephant ride had been unforgettable, providing me with stories I would tell over and over again, I was glad to be heading to our next destination, which I was sure would be so much safer.

Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia is located in the world’s oldest desert and the Naukluft mountain range. The dunes are the tallest in the world, rising up to 1,000 feet above the desert floor. I couldn’t have been more excited. Climbing sand dunes was definitely on my bucket list.

We checked into Kulala Desert Lodge, a beautiful place out in the middle of the desert, surrounded by picturesque mountain vistas. We would be sleeping in one of fifteen canvas chalets. I was a bit worried about sleeping in the middle of the desert, but I was told each unit was specially designed to keep cool air in and hot air out. Each hut was built on a wooden platform and had a deck on the flat rooftop, where bedrolls could be placed if one wanted to sleep under the stars. There was a common area, a lounge, a bar, a dining area, a plunge pool, and a wrap-around veranda that overlooked a popular waterhole that was often visited by gemsboks, springboks, wild ostriches, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, hares, jackals, and spotted hyenas. 

After we unpacked, we ate dinner, and then I cooled off in the pool. Gazing around, I couldn’t fathom that I was in the middle of the desert. The beautiful views stretched for miles. I chatted with some of the other tourists who were also taking a dip, and they told me some incredible stories about the dunes.

“
Ashly!” Jake called.

The blonde lady next to me grabbed my arm. “Oh my gosh! Is
he
with you?”

“
It’s…complicated,” I whispered back.

Jake stared at me with those dazzling blue eyes. His strong, rugged looks accentuated his chiseled features, and he boasted a five-o’clock shadow, something I liked to call his “designer stubble”. Even when he didn’t shave for a day or two, I found it extremely masculine and sexy.

“
Mind if I join you for a swim?” he asked.

I nodded, and my stomach quivered. His deep, husky voice always had that effect on me, but I dared not let it show. He was dressed in only red swim trunks, and I couldn’t help rolling my eyes over his gorgeous, muscular body. He flashed me his white smile as he jumped in. His hair was slicked back, and water dripped down his face. I couldn’t stop staring at his broad, wide, bare shoulders and muscular chest. For a quick moment, I imagined myself pressing my hands flat against his chest and kissing him, but I knew thoughts like that were going to send me right back to therapy, back to square one, only to be inevitably hurt by him again.

I pasted on a fake smile. “I’m glad you came out here. You’ll really enjoy it. The water’s great.”

He swam closer, his leg brushing against mine.

I cleared my throat. “Uh, I’m gonna head back in now, but you’ll love it out here. It’s like a little oasis in the desert.”

He eyed me up and down. “Yeah. It’s just gorgeous.”

I wasn’t sure if he was talking about me or the beautiful scenery. I could feel his hot breath across my face as he inched closer. I knew it was best to push him away, but being so close to him, with only thin, wet fabric between us, brought all those old memories crashing back. I stared at his curved mouth, then looked into his eyes. For a moment, I felt that familiar connection we used to share. I remembered getting lost in his gaze; I could stare into those beautiful eyes forever. My breath quickened as I pictured his lips traveling down my jawline. My eyes were blazing with lust; I still remembered how good the sex was with Jake. I also knew that no one would ever live up to his powerful performance, that no one would ever make me feel or love or cry out in pleasure the way he had. He stared deeply into my eyes, until I had to look away. My stomach fluttered, and I couldn’t believe I was reacting like that. Part of me wanted to cup his cheeks and kiss him like he’d never been kissed before, but the other part knew better.

“
Um, I’ll see you back inside,” I finally said, breaking myself free from Jake’s trance. “Have a great swim.”

He reached for my hand. “I’d enjoy it more if you’d stay out here.”

I pulled away and wrapped the towel around me. “That’s really not a good idea.”

“
So I guess saving us from a croc doesn’t score me any Brownie points?”

I laughed. “I’ll see you inside.”

When I walked inside our hut, I was flabbergasted to discover that our bed was gone. I crossed my arms and waited for Jake to return thirty minutes later.

“
That swim felt good,” he said walking in shirtless.

I met his gaze. “Where’s our mattress?”

“
While you were swimming, they gave me the option of taking the bed from the main bedroom of the hut and moving it upstairs to the area with the flat roof. I thought it would be wonderful to sleep under the stars, so I went for the roof option.”

“
That actually sounds really nice…but what makes you think I want you sleeping up there with me?”

He winked. “It’s part of the rules, Ashly. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair if you were the only one.”

I grabbed a blanket and spread it on the hut floor. “Fine. I’ll just sleep down here.”

“
C’mon! You know I’m not gonna let you sleep on the floor.”

“
I’m not some delicate daffodil.”

“
Fine. Have it your way. If the floor gets too hard, just call me, and I’ll gladly switch places.”

He got ready for bed, then climbed upstairs to go to sleep.

Getting comfortable on the floor was hard to do. I tossed and turned and couldn’t fall asleep, and I decided that sleeping out in the sand would be a much better option.

“
Ashly!” Jake’s voice called down.

“
Yeah?”

“
You’ve gotta come see this.”

I had been dying to go up there and take a quick peek, so I swallowed my pride and walked up the stairs to the flat roof. Moonlight shone down softly as bright stars twinkled. I was mesmerized by the thousands of diamonds in the clear black sky.

A breeze blew Jake’s untamed, dark hair into his face. He patted the mattress, beckoning me. “Lie down for a minute.”

My gaze narrowed as I watched him with mistrust.

“
I’m not gonna try anything, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said. “I won’t bite…unless you want me to.”

The light reflected in his eyes in a million facets, destroying every bit of my focus. The pull between us was so strong that it almost had me weak in the knees. I finally gave in to it and lay next to him, propping my head up on my right elbow. My eyes met his. “Sleeping out here with you isn’t such a good idea. We could end up getting hot and heavy right here in the middle of the desert.” I knew he might take it the wrong way and assume it to be an invitation, but I didn’t care. Even I wasn’t sure it wasn’t one.

“
I just thought we could look at the stars, like old times.” He gently stroked a strand of hair out of my eyes.

We stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment. I knew there was no way we could be together, because I would never take that chance again. Remorse flooded my heart.

“
I’m so sorry,” he said. “If I could go back and do things differently, I would.”

“
I believe you. I even believe you’ve been suffering as much as I’ve been, only your suffering comes from guilt.”

“
I just wanna make it up to you, Ashly,” he said, brushing his fingers down my arm. “Can’t you try to let me?”

“
Are you trying to seduce me?”