My Despicable Ex (Book 1) by Sierra Rose Page A

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 neck line 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 jaw line. 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.
    A surge of guilt rolled over him once
again, and he actually winced. “I know you’re having a hard time
forgiving me,” he said. “I don’t blame you. What I did was selfish
and—”
    I met his gaze straight on and cut him
off. “Despicable. What you did was just despicable.” I crossed my
arms over my chest, the way I always had whenever I was upset with
him.
    The waiter returned and