Free My Despicable Ex - Book 2 by Sierra Rose Page B

apologies and some whirlwind trip for me to get over that.”
    “ No, I didn’t expect that…but I thought we could still talk.”
    “ With wine, flowers, candles, a gorgeous backdrop, and that romantic music playing? That was overkill for the state we were in. It was way too much romance, and I felt like I was suffocating.”
    “ I’m sorry.”
    “ It’s okay. I’m sorry too.”
    He ran his fingers gently over the back of my hand. “There’s no place I’d rather be than right here, staring into your beautiful eyes.”
    I smiled as he glided his hand up my bare forearm. He looked so hot with his shaggy, black hair falling to his shoulders.
    “ You’re so flirty. What gives?”
    “ I miss you, Ashly,” he said in that husky voice of his.
    I stiffened. “Why are you making this so hard on me? The deal was to get the pictures and get out,” I said.
    His hand trailed up my arm. I shivered underneath his touch, but the temperature had nothing to do with it.
    “ Look, maybe you’re okay with stuffing your feelings in a trunk, but I’m not. I can’t pretend like there’s nothing between us when I know there is.”
    “ Is that what you tell yourself?” I asked. “That there are feelings between us?”
    He brushed the hair away from my neck. “How can you possibly tell me that you can’t feel anything.”
    “ I guess I do feel something,” I admitted, “but it’s complicated.”
    “ You can have my heart, soul, and body anytime. All you have to do is ask.”
    I stared into his eyes for a long moment. He trailed a fingertip across my jaw, and my heart drummed inside my ears.
    “ I know exactly how to settle this,” he said.
    “ And how is that?”
    His eye pinned mine. “One long, passionate kiss.”
    I lifted my eyes and froze. His suggestion was quite intriguing. Although I would never admit it to him, I was impressed by the challenge he presented.
    “ It’s the one true test to see if there’s chemistry left between us,” he said.
    I could feel the heat and passion from his gaze as his eyes swept over me. “It’s not a test. It’s foreplay, just a way to lure me into bed with you. I’m not in the mood for games. Last time I played with you, I lost.”
    “ How could you say such a thing?”
    “ For starters, we’re both lonely. I’m sure if we both knocked down our walls, we could have a wonderful fling visiting all these romantic places. I’m sure we’d make lots of pictures and lots of memories. But I don’t want a fling. I want the real deal.”
    He gently squeezed my hand. “I am the real deal.”
    When the waitress returned with our food, I was thankful for the distraction. I tried to change the subject by asking him about his job.
    “ I work forty-eight-hour weeks, followed by ninety-six hours off,” he said. “I don’t mind, because I’m single and don’t have any kids or anything. We’re very busy during the day, and it’s not like we sit there playing chess or cards all day, just waiting to be called out.”
    “ I’m sure you keep busy, checking the equipment and trucks, plus cooking, cleaning, and monitoring the radio.”
    “ Yep. Then, after all the chores, we have to do in-service and hands-on training at the fire station. By dinnertime, most of the work at the station is complete, so we have a little downtime. They even let us slip out of our uniforms and wear civilian clothes. That’s when I work out.”
    “ I can see you’ve been doing a lot of that,” I said, smiling. “You look fantastic.”
    “ I’ve been trying to eat healthy—well, except for that fried chicken the other day and all the wine and fruity drinks—and lift weights, and do cardio. Staying in shape takes a balance of everything.”
    After dinner and unpacking and getting settled in our room, I turned on the TV to watch a movie. I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was eight p.m., still early, but I stretched out on the bed. “I have a cramp in my foot. It’s killing me,”