My Despicable Ex - Book 2 (2 page)

“
I didn’t call you up here to ravage your body.”

Something inside me was saddened by that remark; maybe I wanted him to. We were so close, shoulder to shoulder. He laid his arm under my neck so I could use it for a pillow, and a shiver shot down my spine. I longed to feel his touch on my skin, but I also knew I had to focus and get back on track.
Stick to the plan,
I told myself. I took a deep, cleansing breath. From that point on, I was careful not to touch him, because I didn’t want to lead him on in any way. I had to stay rational, because his gorgeous head was obviously in the clouds. He definitely wanted to take things to the next level; I could just tell by the way he was looking at me.

I bit my lip hard. “Um…I can’t sleep. I’m gonna to go take a walk and—”

“
Running away again?” His gaze narrowed. “You’ll do anything to avoid me, won’t you?” When he reached for my hand, I felt those cursed butterflies. “Just stay with me for a few minutes. Please?”

I pulled away, my hand still tingling where his finger had touched. “A few more minutes, but that’s it.”

He grinned. “That’s all I’m asking for.”

“
Have you ever seen so many stars before?” I asked, staring up at the spectacular night vista.

“
I know. The sky’s just covered with them. I don’t think there’s a single patch of open sky.”

“
I’ve always dreamt of something like this,” I said.

“
I’ve always dreamt about seeing it with someone special, someone like you,” he softly said.

“
Gosh, Jake, you’re relentless. I gotta give you credit for that.”

“
When it comes to you, I have to be. I can’t breathe without you. My life just feels…incomplete.”

A tingling sensation flooded over me at his declaration. We lay there for a long time, far longer than the few minutes he’d asked me for, talking and stargazing until I fell asleep.

* * *

The next thing I knew, it was morning, and the sun was shining in my face. I looked at Jake, who was still sleeping peacefully, like an angel. He looked so cute with his head on the pillow, all snuggled up in the covers. I couldn’t help but stare at his messy bed-head of hair.

His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled. “Oh, hey. Good morning.”

“
Good morning.”

He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “Guess we fell asleep.”

“
Guess so.”

“
Sleeping under the stars in the desert was on my bucket list.”

I shot him a half-smile. “Well, I guess you can cross it off now.”

“
Will do.”

“
Me too.”

“
Last night was amazing,” he said.

“
Um, you mean sleeping next to each other all night under the stars or the spectacular view itself?”

“
Both,” he said, winking, “but mostly us.”

His piercing stare made me feel weak in the knees all over again. “Let’s not make a habit of sleeping together like that,” I said.

He cocked a brow. “It was entirely innocent.”

“
That’s how it always starts,” I said, walking down the stairs. “You’d better get ready. We have the sand dune tour in a couple hours.”

“
I was thinking…and no remarks about it hurting! Let’s do the hot air balloon ride tomorrow before we leave. They serve breakfast with champagne right there in the wilderness.”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

“
Why not? You scared of heights all the sudden?”

“
No. I’m scared of romance, which is definitely not on the itinerary.”

“
But imagine seeing the dunes from the air,” he argued. “We’ll see all kinds of wild animals too, and we can—”

“
It’s not happening, Jake,” I softly said. “It’s not mandatory, according to the Will, so no.”

“
But it’d be so special, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I thought we could—”

“
If you want to go so bad, go by yourself. Have fun and take a lot of pics. Or, you could always come back when you get your big inheritance. I’m sure a lot of women would die to come with you.”

“
How about we stay one more day and go rhino tracking then?” he asked.

“
You can come back and do that too. I only want to do what’s required of us.”

He didn’t even respond and left as fast as he could, running away just like he had on our wedding day.

Chapter 2

It was 4:40 a.m. We were dressed in long sleeves, light pants, hats, and sunglasses to protect us from the sand that blew powerfully around us from everywhere. I was hesitant about wearing long sleeves in the desert, but our tour guide told us it would be wise; we could always peel off layers if we got too hot, but he assured us we’d be back before the boiling heat of the sun really kicked in. We started early for that very reason, not to mention that the sunrise was one of the very best views. I put sunscreen on every exposed body part, and I pinned my hair up in a tight bun so it wouldn’t be blown around and filled with sand.

Jake’s white shirt stretched across his muscular chest, and his blue jeans fit him just right. He looked so sexy, especially when the wind teased his bed-head hairdo around. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach whenever I caught a glimpse of him. I tried to play it cool, but I couldn’t stop staring.

This time, we traveled with a group, six of us and a tour guide. The guide drove us through the main gates of the park in a four-by-four. After a few bumpy miles, I jumped out at the first dune, my heart beating in anticipation. We were in the oldest desert in the world, preparing to walk across the highest dunes known to man. I couldn’t wait to climb the endless mountains of sand.

I stared upward at the giant mountain of sand towering above me. “Are we really gonna climb all the way to the top?”

Jake smiled. “You bet.”

Trudging uphill through the thick sand, I followed my guide and noticed that the only footsteps I saw were ours. I tried not to fall down in front of Jake, but the deep, loose sand challenged my balance. I noticed that our tour guide had a walking stick, and I wished I would have had as much foresight. The sandy trek was quite a workout, and I started to pant and wiped the droplets of sweat from my face as I took extra-long, deep strides. My calves began to burn as if I was on my Stairmaster. For a while, I felt as if I was on some kind of movie set, acting out a scene where we were stranded in the Sahara, under the hot, scorching sun, with no civilization anywhere in sight.

While our climb to the top took some effort, we were rewarded with a stunning view. It felt like a tiny little person atop a huge sandcastle, or perhaps an astronaut walking on some other planet as I peered down at the otherworldly landscape. It was so quiet that I could hear the wind beating under the wings of blackbirds flying overhead. We trekked along for hundreds of feet, until we found the perfect spot to sit down and watch the sunrise. It felt so good to wiggle my toes in the soft sand.

At first, it looked somewhat dull, and I wondered if we were, in fact, in the same place I’d seen in so many pictures, but as soon as the sun peaked, a major transformation took place. As I watched sunlight dance on the sand dunes, something amazing happened: The dull sand turned into glorious and vivid colors that took my breath away. I stared at the backdrop of unparalleled beauty, nature at her finest. It was hard to imagine I was standing in the world’s oldest desert. The sea of sand was so barren, as smooth as silk. Under the bright glow of the sun, the tawny dunes morphed from orange and red to apricot and mauve. I peered across the ocean of sand waves that stretched into infinity. The giant orange orb in the sky only added to the beauty, making the whole thing seem surreal. Staring out at the stretches of sand, I took a minute to reflect as the wind whipped my bun into a ponytail.

I hiked through the red, windblown sand, agape at the waves of dunes twisting across the basin. My shoes dangled from my hand; I figured there was no use putting them back on since they just filled up with sand with every step anyway. I reached down to scoop some of it up and let it slip through my fingers. There was not one rock or tiny pebble; it was as fine and soft as baby powder. I peered around in awe. There were no trees, plants, or vegetation anywhere in sight. I expected that, but what really threw me for a loop were the occasional small patches of green grass.

“
The Namib is known as the ‘living desert’ because of the diversity of life that exists in this hostile, harsh, and most inhospitable place in the world,” our knowledgeable tour guide said. “Strong animals, tough plants, and innovative insects have adjusted. Moisture comes from a fog that condenses into a thick dew from the Atlantic Ocean. That’s what makes this place so unique. Imagine a hot, scorching desert touching a cool, icy sea.”

“
Amazing…and I still can’t get over how soft this sand is,” I said.

“
It’s been crushed by years of weather and water,” he explained as he led us up the crest of the dune.

I glanced down at the steep slopes on both sides. The way the sun shone on the glowing orange sand was just spectacular.

A couple of adrenaline junkies hurtled down the slopes on an object that our tour guide referred to as a sand board. I decided it might be worth my time to come back someday for a dune-boarding or dune-skiing lesson. Others in our group wandered through the sand in an attempt to get to the bottom.

I whipped out my camera and took as many shots as I could, capturing memories of that stunning landscape. I was living a photographer’s dream because it certainly was a photographer’s paradise. When I saw a real, live ostrich and her chicks climbing down the steep slope, I couldn’t stop snapping. “How adorable was that?” I said.

“
About the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jake responded, wearing a big grin.

I called the tour guide over, and he took a bunch of pictures of the two of us with the sand dunes in the background. I then thanked him and took some more photos of my own. As the sun changed positions in the sky, the shadows shifted, offering me even more different views. I couldn’t believe how strong the colors were, and they seemed to change for every shot, like a model switching her wardrobe. The deep blue of the sky perfectly contrasted with the red-orange sand, inspiring me right to my core.

My tour guide touched my shoulder. “I was paid extra to get lots of photos of you.”

“
And you did your job efficiently,” I said politely. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “Please have some fun like the other tourists. Run down the slopes! I’ll take a few pictures at the bottom.”

Before I could even answer, he took off with my camera, and started to walk down the slope.

Jake glanced down the giant slope of doom. “Come on, Ashly. Let’s have a little fun like he said,” he coaxed, taking off his shoes.

I gazed at him, and he smiled. I had to agree that it did sound like fun, the way rolling down a grassy hill was when I was a little girl. I held my shoes tightly and started making my way down the steep, sandy slope. I ran in slow motion as the sand seemed to swallow my feet. It was quite warm but not intolerably hot, and the sand felt so soft as it oozed over the top of my bare feet. I couldn’t stop the grin from forming on my face. Even though I had sand and grit in all the wrong places, I’d never had so much fun climbing down a hill.

Jake pushed his thick hair away from his eyes and smiled at me. “Wanna race to the bottom?” he challenged with a twinkle in his eye.

“
Hmm. Feeling competitive?”

“
Always.”

“
Okay. You’re on!” Then, without waiting for a response, I ran fast and furious, having an absolute blast all the way.

It was so exhilarating to spring down to the bottom, kicking up loose, dry sand behind me. I glanced over my shoulder at Jake, who was gaining on me fast. When I stumbled, I had to flail my arms out to stop myself from falling. My body began to wobble, and my foot began to slide. I tried to regain my balance, but I fell backward just as Jake slipped his arms around my waist to steady me. I stared up into his blue eyes, which were glinting with amusement. He smelled so good, and I wanted to breathe in his scent, but my breath halted as my gaze drifted to the curve of his lips. I looked away, hoping he hadn’t noticed the flush of heat rushing to my cheeks.