Never Date Your Ex

by Genevieve Goodwin

  He let his fingertips glide up and down her arm in a calming gesture. "You need to rest. Whatever you need to do, I'll take care of it for you."

  "That's very kind of you, but there are some things even you can't do for me," she said, breaking away from his tempting caresses. She couldn't get used to his affections. Not now, not ever. She headed into the bathroom and shut the door.

  She looked in the mirror. The bump on her forehead looked ghastly, and her head was throbbing painfully. She swallowed a couple of aspirin, splashed some water on her face and returned with determined vigor to face Aidan.

  "I need to take care of some business," she said as she returned to the bedroom. She felt dizzy and stumbled slightly.

  Aidan popped off the mattress and guided her back to bed. "You aren't in any condition to drive. You could have a concussion. You need to go to the ER."

  She let out a sigh. "Don't be ridiculous." She sat back on the down comforter and stretched out. Thorn rose and nudged her hand. She patted him on the head absently.

  "You can't live here until the renovations are done. It's not safe," Aidan stated.

  Jamie couldn't help but smile at his protectiveness. "Perhaps you're right. I need to return to Palm Beach. I've been away from the office too long."

  She looked down at Thorn with concern. "I can't take Thorn, though. They don't allow pets in my condo, and Kerrie can't take him either. I'd hate to leave him in a kennel," she said sadly. "I don't want him to think I've abandoned him." She knew all too well what that felt like.

  "I can keep him while you are gone. Ross would be ecstatic." He paused warily. "When are you planning to leave?"

  "Today, I guess. I have the Cancer Society Gala on Saturday night anyway."

  "Do you have a date?" His voice sounded guarded.

  "No. I hadn't thought of it."

  Aidan sat down on the bed next to her. "I'd like to go with you," he said.

  "I don't think that you would like it. It's full of pretentious, artificial, society people. And Conrad will most likely be there."

  "Is that why you don't want me there? Are you planning to see him again?" There was no mistaking the anger in Aidan's tone.

  Jamie let out a huff. "Are you kidding? I'm going to tell him off!"

  "Then I definitely want to be there," he said.

  "It's a black-tie event."

  "Jamie, I'm not a backcountry ogre," he said laughing. "I've been to more formal parties than you can imagine. I'm on the Board of more organizations than you'd ever believe. I won't embarrass you," he said with slight annoyance.

  Jamie grinned, loving the way his eyes lit up as she stared at him. "I never thought you'd embarrass me. I'm afraid you would create quite a stir with all the rich, bored housewives. They're always looking for a new play toy to amuse them."

  He grimaced. "I don't find that appealing."

  Neither did she.

  "It's a week before then. Why don't you stay at my place until then?" he said casually.

  Jamie tensed. Live with Aidan? Her mind was saying, no, no, no. But her heart had its own ideas.

  He lifted his hand up to her face and brushed her hair away from the welt that was forming on her forehead. "Well?"

  "Will Ross be there?"

  "Of course. You'll have the guest room."

  Jamie wavered. Moments ago, she had made up her mind to disentangle herself from Aidan and return to her old life. A life, once so enthralling that now held no appeal to her. Could she be his houseguest for a week? It couldn't hurt, she reasoned. She preferred to be nearby during the remodeling of her home, in case unexpected decisions came up. Besides, Ross would be home, which would keep their relationship on a completely platonic level.

  She had to admit, the chance of seeing firsthand what family life was like intrigued her. Afterwards, she would go to the Gala, then she would go to Paris and by the time she returned, Aidan Brice would be out of her system. Once she saw how ordinary family life is, the fantasies she'd harbored for far too long would cease. The subsequent excitement of world travel would make her realize how fortunate she was to live the life she had created.

  She looked up at Aidan and couldn't help the way her mouth curved into a smile. "Okay. I'll be your guest for a week. I'll enjoy seeing a family in action."

  Aidan chuckled. "I doubt it. Life with kids is unpredictable and downright crazy at times."

  Within an hour Jamie had packed enough clothes and toiletries for a week while Aidan hefted Thorn's thirty-pound bag of dog food to his house.

  ~

  Jamie settled into Aidan's home life with surprising ease. They awoke early each morning, had breakfast together with Ross and Thorn, then each of them disappeared into their separate work lives, ironically, he to her home and she to his. She directed contractors and painters from Aidan's living room via her cell phone and lap top while the nights belonged to Ross and Aidan.

  Occasionally, she would drive two hours to Palm Beach to check over the work in progress of her various design projects. But she made it a point to be back by the time Ross was out of school. Jamie enjoyed helping Ross with his homework and watching him tumble in the grass with Thorn in the backyard. She was even putting those expensive cooking classes to use and had happily cooked dinner every night this week. It was the least she could do, she justified. After all, she was a guest in Aidan's home.

  There was no doubt that the chemistry between she and Aidan was still in full swing, however, the presence of Ross precluded any action on that subject. Of course, as she lay in bed at night only four steps and a doorway from where Aidan lay sleeping, she couldn't help but feel a bit excited. It was only natural.

  It had been four joy filled days when Jamie picked up a gleeful Ross from school.

  "Tommy Palmer is having a sleep over tonight. We have to tell Daddy right away," Ross said excitedly as he greeted Thorn in the back seat with a pat on the head.

  "Okay. Put your seatbelt on back there." Jamie was surprised how easily she fell into the role of a mother. "We'll drive by my house and see if he's there," she said.

  While Thorn yapped playfully at Ross, Jamie thought about the fact that she might be alone with Aidan tonight. Butterflies danced in her stomach.

  She pulled into her driveway behind Aidan's pick-up truck. Aidan was busy in the front yard talking to some of his crew who were busy replacing her worn roof with brand new shingles. She stepped out of the car and let Ross out of the back seat. He bounded toward his father while Thorn followed at his heels.

  Aidan didn't hesitate to interrupt the conversation with his workers and drew Ross up into his arms. Jamie approached with less outward enthusiasm, her stomach doing summersaults, while Ross informed his father of the importance of attending Tommy's slumber party.

  Aidan looked over at Jamie. "What do you think?"

  He was asking for her approval? She supposed he was concerned about spending the night alone together. She could handle it. Plus, there was no way on earth she could disappoint the sweet child.

  Ross stared at Jamie with a pleading expression. "Of course, you should go," she said.

  Ross screeched with delight. He grabbed Jamie's hand and began to swing it back and forth. "I'll be home tomorrow. Okay?"

  "Sure, sweetie. You go have fun with your friends tonight."

  "You and Daddy can have a date," Ross said, and then giggled, covering his mouth. But at once, he was brave again. "Jo says Daddy needs a wife and I need a mama, so maybe you can stay with us, Jamie. You cook better than Daddy. And you're good at helping me with my homework."

  Jamie and Aidan exchanged a curious glance.

  "Speaking of homework, buddy. You need to finish your lessons with Jamie and clean up before going to Tommy's. Deal?" Aidan said, setting Ross on the ground.

  "Deal!" Ross said, giving his father a high five.

  "I'll see you at dinner." She bolted for the car. She didn't want him to notice her nervous energy, her shaky hands and flushed face. Alone. With
Aidan. Tonight.

  "Oh, Jamie," Aidan called out.

  She turned slightly as Ross and Thorn tumbled into the car.

  "Yes?"

  "No need to cook tonight," he said. "A surprise. I'll be by to take Ross around six thirty."

  She couldn't wipe off the silly grin plastered across her face. "Okay," she said.

  Aidan watched Ross, Thorn and Jamie pile into her highly impractical sports car. She waved, bestowing him with a smile as she drove away, while Thorn's nose protruded enthusiastically out the small crack in the back window. He couldn't help be amused at the sight, amused and happy. It seemed that in the few short days Jamie had been with them, they had become a family.

  He'd been wrong about Jamie. She was wonderful with Ross. She was a natural with children. She was loving, understanding and encouraging. And she wasn't afraid of getting dirty. He loved watching her play ball with Ross and Thorn in the backyard while dinner cooked on the grill. He loved watching her read to Ross, her voice animated to enliven the stories and bring the child-like characters to life. He loved the way she could whip up a gourmet meal in thirty minutes flat, but at the same time he'd hear her on the phone making business deals that would put a top CEO to shame.

  Aidan turned his attentions back to the work being done on her house. If he continued down this path, letting his thoughts drift to being alone with Jamie tonight, he would never get any more work done today. And he had other matters to settle.

  He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "Haley?"

  Haley greeted him with a friendly reply.

  "Any word on Villa Milagros yet?" Aidan asked.

  "Naw. Seems like that city slicker is pulling out every legal stop to take the property off the market without actually having to buy it. He's some sort of big shot city lawyer from what I hear. Bandits, the whole lot of them."

  "So, he doesn't want the property? Just wants to tie it up?" Jamie was right. Conrad was using Villa Milagros as a means of manipulating her.

  "So, it would seem," Haley said. "How's the little lady?"

  "Fine. She's with Ross right now, helping him with his homework."

  "Took my advice, did you?" Haley said proudly. "Women loved to be needed and there isn't anywhere a woman is needed more than with a motherless child. That was a wise move, son. Killing two birds with one stone."

  "Actually, I didn't plan-"

  A shrill buzz filled Aidan's phone.

  "My other line is buzzing like crazy. See you at the Octoberfest fish fry. Bring the little lady. Used to be her mother's favorite party of the year," Haley said.

  "How did you know Jamie's mother?" Aidan pressed.

  "In my days as a contractor, I did some work at the old house. Shame it's in ruins now. Guess that's why her daughter wants to buy it back."

  A sick feeling welled up in Aidan's stomach. "You mean Villa Milagros?"

  "The same. The Cancer got Rose when the little Misses was just a teen. She had to sell the house to pay for her mother's hospital bills and funeral. Reckon that's why she wants it back. She's done alright from what I hear. I'm glad. Hard times she went through so young."

  The ringing continued, insistent in the background. "I'd better get this one," Haley said.

  Aidan hung up and stared at the phone in silence. A shocked curse escaped his lips.

  He'd never imagined Jamie's connection to the house was sentimental. Not in a million years. He wanted Villa Milagros gone, obliterated into rubble until there was no reminder of the gruesome tragedy that had changed his and Ross's lives forever. It was the only way he would ever find peace. The only way that Ross could grow up in Seabrook without a cloud of cruel gossip trailing him. As long as that house stood, Aidan would never be free of the guilt, the sorrow. The anger.

  To save Ross, to save himself, Villa Milagros would have to be destroyed. In the process, he'd destroy Jamie's cherished memories, destroy her dream of reclaiming her childhood home.

  And he'd destroy one of the best things that had ever happened to him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jamie was upstairs helping Ross pack when she heard the front door slam shut.

  "It's Daddy! He's here to take me to Tommy's house. Hurry, Jamie, hurry!"

  "Okay, okay. Do you have your toothbrush?"

  "Yes, don't you remember? You packed it!" Ross said, impatiently.

  "Of course," Jamie said calmly. But she hadn't felt calm since the minute she walked in the door and realized tonight she was going to be alone with Aidan in this house. Alone to be tempted into another night of kissing and snuggling. Another night to draw her closer to Aidan, closer to a broken heart.

  She'd struggled with concentrating on Ross's reading lessons and had distractedly helped his pack for his slumber party. It didn't help she had to shower and dress in record time. She didn't like to leave Ross unsupervised. No wonder mothers were so harried. Yet somehow, she didn't mind. Ross was a sweet child and she'd really grown to love him. She didn't know how she was going to handle it when she left next week.

  "I've got everything," Ross said, standing anxiously at the bedroom door.

  "Okay sweetie. Let's go meet your father."

  Ross scurried down the stairs with Thorn at his heels. Jamie moved at a slower, less enthusiastic pace. She felt like running straight out the front door rather than face a night alone with temptation, better known as Aidan Brice. Courage, she chided herself. You are a grown woman who is completely in charge of yourself. If only she could believe it.

  Jamie looked down to see an incredibly handsome man looking newly scrubbed and completely irresistible in a crisp white shirt and snug, black jeans, gripping a bouquet of pink roses. Her heart beat just a little faster. Oh no. The tables were turning.

  "As you can see, we're ready to go," she said padded down the steps. He handed her the flowers when she reached the bottom.

  "They're lovely. Thanks. What's the occasion?"

  A devilish grin played on his lips. "Date night. I'm trying to impress."

  She felt her resolve slipping away. She wanted to throw her arms around him and give him a great, big hug and kiss for his thoughtfulness. But instead she turned away from him and his intense stare that seem to hold more than simple appreciation. There was a sizzling chemistry flowing beneath the calm exterior that stood so composed in front of her. Meanwhile, her legs were turning to jelly.

  He grasped her hand as she began to walk away, and she looked up at him with confusion.

  "Don't you want to come with me to drop off Ross?" he asked.

  "Of course. I was going to put these flowers in some water."

  "I'd like to take you to dinner. I know this terrific little place on the beach."

  "Can we go now?" Ross's voice, anxious and demanding shrilled through the foyer.

  Jamie and Aidan both turned to see Ross come pounding toward them with Thorn trailing closely behind. His formerly tidy appearance had disappeared; grass and leaves stuck to his clothes. His shirt was dusted with dirt while his hair stood up on its ends. He'd disappeared to the yard unnoticed and had made a mess of Jamie's grooming handiwork.

  She handed the flowers back to Aidan and went to Ross, brushed the leaves and grass off his clothes as best as she could and helped clean him up. She smoothed his hair and fussed over his appearance while he stood impatiently for her to finish.

  "Now we can go," she said, studying his appearance with satisfaction.

  Aidan returned and set a vase filled with the roses on a table in the foyer.

  "I'm sure you are better at arranging them," he said with a shrug.

  "They look great." She looked over at Ross who was about to burst with eagerness. "Let's go," she said with a chuckle.

  Twenty minutes later after kissing Ross goodbye, she was sitting in Aidan's truck without her pint size chaperone.

  "Do I get one?" Aidan asked with a devilish grin.

  The subtly playful tone of his voice left no mistake where this was going. "One what?" Sh
e tried to sound casual.

  His mouth curved into a devastatingly handsome expression, setting off the dimple in his chin. "A kiss."

  "I thought that came at the end of a date," she said.

  He was grinning at her. "I thought if we kissed now, we could enjoy dinner without any nervous energy about what's to come. You seem a bit nervous."

  She ignored the last comment. "And what is to come?" she asked.

  "I think we both know the answer to that," he said.

  She could not conceal the laughter in her voice. "And what if I say no more kisses?"

  "I don't think you can." There was no mistaking the challenge in his voice.

  "Try me."

  He reached for her then, pulling her across the seat and into his arms. He brushed his lips against hers, lightly, teasing her. It didn't take more than three seconds for Jamie to let him kiss her as she had wanted him to do all week. He tasted warm and sweet. Electricity rushed her veins and she could feel it all the way down to her toes. She couldn't deny it. She absolutely loved kissing Aidan. It took all of her strength to pull back.

  "We're parked in front of Tommy's house. Maybe this isn't the best idea right now," she said, flustered.

  Aidan nodded. "Right. I forgot. I don't need them gossiping about me anymore than they already do," he mumbled as he put the truck in gear.

  "What do you mean?" Jamie asked with surprise.

  "Nothing," he said curtly. He glanced over at Jamie and grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Sorry. I don't want anything to spoil the night. I've made reservations at Pier Seventeen. I hope you are okay with sitting outside. Since it's on the beach, I thought it would be nice."

  "Pier Seventeen? How nice! Kerrie raves about that restaurant. Outside sounds great," she said.

  Twenty minutes later Jamie was sitting across from Aidan under the moonlight at a private table overlooking the ocean, feeling like a teenage girl on Prom night. If that kiss was any indication, Aidan certainly left no doubt that he had feelings for her.

  "What is going on in that mind of yours? Looks like it's going a mile a minute."

  Heat flushed her cheeks. "I was thinking how much I have enjoyed this week. Spending time with Ross, having dinner at home with a family rather than alone with takeout; it's been great. You are so lucky to have a family. I don't have any family at all."