Her Big Fat Dreamy Billionaire Ex
Victorine E. Lieske
Victorine E. Lieske
Scottsbluff, NE
Copyright © 2018 by Victorine E. Lieske
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
Victorine E. Lieske
P.O.Box 493
Scottsbluff, NE 69363-0493
www.victorinelieske.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Book Layout © 2017 BookDesignTemplates.com
Her Big Fat Dreamy Billionaire Ex/ Victorine E. Lieske—1st ed.
This book is dedicated to all those who love.
contents
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
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Thank You
Chapter 1
Felicity tugged her suitcases through the door as she entered the lobby of Belizean Paradise. Why had she brought so many clothes? She was here to work, not to sunbathe by the ocean or go dancing every night. She silently chastised herself. When she’d gotten the email about the fancy resort in Belize needing professional photos, she was hesitant. It sounded like a scam. But she’d checked it out and it was a legitimate job. She could barely believe it. A whole week in a villa by the beach, all expenses paid. All she had to do was take some pictures. She’d never be able to afford a trip like this one, so she jumped at the chance.
The wheels of her suitcases rolled on the expensive marble flooring. A large chandelier hung from above, and a fountain quietly bubbled as water spilled down rocks into a pool. She was going to have fun taking photos of this place.
She walked up to the man behind the desk. He had a shirt with the Belizean Paradise logo embroidered on his chest and a name tag that read George. He smiled at her. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m Felicity Thomas. I was hired to take some pictures.” She brushed a strand of her hair back. Having full, curly blonde hair had made her the envy of all the girls in high school, but some days it was just a pain. She could already tell the humidity here was going to make it frizz out like a Brillo pad.
George clicked on the computer keyboard. “Ah, yes. I see. Right here. You’re in villa 28. You’ll love it. Very secluded.” He handed her a map of the resort and a key card. “Just leave your luggage here by the desk. I’ll tag it and someone will deliver it to your doorstep by five tonight.”
Apprehension arose, and Felicity shook her head. “I’d rather not. I have all my photography equipment in my luggage. I’d better keep them with me.”
George walked around and rested his hand on the large suitcase. “I assure you, we’ll take good care of them.”
Felicity gathered her luggage to her, suddenly feeling possessive. “No, thank you.”
He frowned. “It’s my job, miss.”
She took a step back. “I’m sorry. I’m taking them with me.”
He looked at her like she was a crazy person then raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, ma’am. Whatever you want.”
Felicity felt dumb as she walked away, hauling her suitcases with her. They were a set she’d found at Goodwill. Only fifteen dollars, and they looked brand new. Too bad they had hot pink flowers all over them. Oh, well. They were easy to find on the luggage conveyer belt.
As she struggled with the map and her suitcases, she wondered why she hadn’t just let the man take them. Her villa was going to be the farthest walk. She’d let her stubborn streak fail her again.
She made her way through the building. Delicious smells wafted from the restaurant, making her look forward to dinner. She went out a set of glass doors. A patio with tables and chairs stretched off to the left, and a cement path snaked its way between villas to the right. After a glance at the map, she started down the sidewalk.
A man rounded a bend and walked toward her, his head down. He was scanning something written on a piece of paper and didn’t notice her. As he neared, she stopped cold. He was a dead ringer for her ex-fiancé, Aiden. He had the same sandy hair, the same little cowlick, and he was even walking with the same gait. And then he looked up, and her heart skidded to a stop.
It was Aiden. Unwanted memories rushed at her as she stared at him, everything she’d tried to forget over the past five years. Their first date when they were still in high school. Senior Prom. The way his soft lips felt against hers. How he’d gotten down on one knee when he’d proposed. Her throat closed and she had a hard time taking in a breath as her heart pounded.
Aiden’s gaze connected with hers and his lips parted. He stared at her as he continued to walk. The sidewalk turned, but he didn’t notice. He ran smack into a signpost. The metal sign made a loud sound as it vibrated and Aiden bounced back, his mouth still open. His eyes widened. “Felicity?”
Watching him walk into a sign would have been funny if she hadn’t been so shocked to see him. “Aiden? What are you doing here?”
“I own this resort.” He looked her up and down. Several emotions played across his face, but they left so quickly she couldn’t pin any down. “What are you doing here?”
Felicity’s brain worked to process what he’d said. He was the owner? And he didn’t even know she was hired? Her breath caught in her throat. “I’m here to take pictures.”
He blinked. “Why?”
“I was contacted by your marketing department. They said you needed a whole new website.”
He didn’t look happy as he squinted at her. “We don’t have a marketing department.”
Panic struck her as she pulled out the printed email from her pocket. “I was hired by...” She scanned the page, looking for the name of the person who had sent it. It was signed P. Clarke, Marketing Director.
Aiden snatched the paper from her hand. “What is this?” His eyes widened as he read. He scowled and handed it back to her. “Grams. This had to be her doing.”
Phoebe? Oh, how she missed seeing Grams. She missed their late-night talks and midnight cookie baking. Felicity swallowed a sudden urge to cry. “She’s here?”
Aiden’s expression softened. “Yes.”
It was then that Felicity noticed the cut on Aiden’s forehead. She reached out to touch it but changed her mind when she realized what she was doing. She swallowed. “You’re bleeding.”
Aiden took a step away from her and touched his head. His fingers came back red. He frowned. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
Felicity wanted to say he was right and walk away, but something held her there. She hated seeing him hurt, even if it was something so minor. She inwardly sighed. “Do you have a first aid kit? I’ll take a look at it and clean it.”
“No need.”
“You don’t want it to get infected, do you?” Why was she still talking? She should get out of there.
A
iden seemed to assess the situation for a moment before nodding. “All right. There’s a first aid kit in my villa.”
He looked down at her hideous suitcases. “George is supposed to take all luggage to your door.”
“I want them with me,” she said, feeling foolish as heat crept up her neck. She was sure her face would be red in a second.
“Okay.” He took the handle of the big one and pulled it along with him.
Felicity fell into step beside him. It was odd, seeing him again. So many times, she’d thought about what she’d say if she came face to face with him, but all of those words vanished. She’d been so angry with him. She’d imagined slapping his face a million times, but her anger had cooled over the last five years. She’d accepted the fact that she’d never see him again. And now, here he was, and she didn’t know how to react.
They approached a large villa nestled between the palm trees by the ocean. He opened the door and they entered. The tile flooring looked expensive. High archways and tall windows brought in light. Everything in the house screamed money. He’d always said he was working on his drone system so he could provide for them. He must have done very well for himself.
A white Maltese dog came running up to Aiden, its little tongue hanging out. “Hey, Mabel.”
The dog barked and ran around his legs until he leaned over and gave her shaggy hair a thorough rub.
“What a sweet dog.”
Aiden gave her one of his smiles, the kind that used to melt her heart. She had to admit there was still a little bit of melting going on. Traitorous body.
“She’s the light of my life.”
The words struck Felicity like a shovel to her chest. He used to say that about her. Aiden must have realized what he’d said because he sobered and brushed past her.
He entered a bathroom and pulled out a plastic box from under the sink. Felicity opened it and took out a Band-Aid and the antibiotic ointment. She neared him to clean his cut. and her heart went all rapid fire in her chest. His smell, the way his hair fell on his forehead, the way he breathed, it all brought back so many memories. And then the painful ones surfaced. The phone calls, saying he’d be late meeting her. The lonely weekends when he couldn’t tear himself away from work. The broken dates.
She quickly stuck a cloth under the faucet and washed the gash then put the ointment on. It didn’t look bad. Her fingers had a hard time opening the stupid Band-Aid. Why did they make them impossible to tear open? Finally, she got it, peeled off the adhesive strips and stuck it on his head while trying to remember to breathe in and out.
“Okay, you’re all set.”
He swallowed like she wasn’t the only one affected by their close proximity. “Thanks.”
She began cleaning up the kit, unable to look at him any longer.
“Listen, Felicity, I don’t want to dredge up the past. I just—”
“Then don’t,” she said, cutting him off.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Would you let me finish?”
“I already know what you’re going to say.” She snapped the first aid kit closed and handed it to him.
“Really? That is so typical.” He opened the cupboard and shoved the kit inside.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Here you are, jumping to conclusions again.” His voice rose.
She tried to remain calm, but he was making it difficult. “I should go,” she said, under her breath. She exited the bathroom and he followed her out into the large foyer.
“Ah, Felicity! You’re here.” Grams came into the room, her outfit billowing as she glided across the floor. The look suited her. Grams always had style. She wore a bright smile and didn’t look like she’d aged a day. All the anger Felicity was feeling dissipated as she hugged Phoebe.
“Grams,” Aiden said, his voice sharp. “What did you do? Why is Felicity here?”
Grams shot Aiden a frown. “Don’t be rude. I hired Felicity to come, and I will not stand for you treating her badly.” Grams turned to Felicity. “Did you have a nice flight?”
“Yes, it was fine.”
Aiden blinked and raised his eyebrows. “I wasn’t treating her badly.”
“I heard your blustering from all the way down the hall. Is that any way to treat a woman?” Grams put her hand on her hip and gave him one of her looks.
She always had a way of getting Aiden to cower, and today was no exception. Aiden’s shoulders fell. “I’m sorry.”
Before Felicity had a chance to say anything, Grams interjected. “That’s better. Now, we need to make some plans.” She looped her arm around Felicity’s.
Aiden took a step back. “I’ll let you two discuss this marketing plan,” he said, stressing the words and tossing a meaningful look at Grams. “I’ve got some other things to do.” With that, he left, his little dog trailing after him.
Typical. Aiden always had other things to do. Felicity tried not to scowl.
Grams pulled on her arm. “Come, dear, let me show you a few things.”
Felicity followed her through Aiden’s villa to a room in the back. Grams sat at the desk and pulled out a laptop. She opened it and clicked a few times after it came to life. A website came up. “This is our current site. Notice anything?”
The site looked well designed, but it was almost all text. The page was stark and boring. “You need more photos.”
“Precisely.” Grams clicked over to another site. “This is the theme I want to use.” It was bright and relied on many photos which interacted well with each other. As she clicked, overlays opened explaining different things.
Felicity was amazed. “Since when did you become so computer literate?”
Grams chuckled and closed the laptop. “I didn’t design the website. I just tell the company what we want, and they do it. I showed them this new theme, and they said they needed a lot of photos to make it work. That’s when I thought of you, dear.” Grams beamed at her and patted her hand. “I’ve seen your photographs. They are stunning. I know you can make this place look amazing.”
“It already is amazing.”
“That’s Aiden. He’s poured his heart into it.” Grams frowned a little.
Felicity didn’t want to talk about Aiden, but curiosity got the better of her. “What happened to his drone thing he was working on for so long? Did he ever sell it?”
Grams pulled her hand back. “That’s probably a story he should tell you, sweetie.”
What did that mean? She brushed it off. She didn’t plan on spending much time with Aiden if she could possibly help it. She didn’t need any more painful reminders. She stood. “Thanks for showing me your vision for the website. It will help me as I take the necessary photos.”
Grams got up and hugged her once again. “Thank you for coming, Felicity.”
Something in the way Grams said it tugged at her heart. “It’s so good to see you again, Grams. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, sweetheart.” Grams pulled back and smiled at her. “You’re just as lovely as the last time we were together.”
Felicity shoved the memory out of her head. She didn’t want to think about that day. The way Grams had helped her into her wedding dress. Waiting for Aiden to see her. And the way he’d stood her up at her own wedding. She swallowed down the bitterness. “Thanks.”
“Now you run along,” Grams said, waving her hand. “I’ve got lots planned for you, starting with tomorrow. Our resort offers several excursion packages, and I want you to go on them and take lots of photos for me.”
“Sounds fun.”
Grams smiled, a little gleam in her eye. “It will be.”
Felicity left Aiden’s villa feeling like she’d just walked into a trap.
Chapter 2
Aiden stalked down the sidewalk to the beach, Mabel yipping at his heels. How could Grams do this to him? He’d finally gotten to a place where he wasn’t thinking about Felicity all the time, and Grams had to go behind his back and hire her.
His strides grew longer as he walked toward the shore. He did not need this in his life. Reminders of what happened five years ago. Reminders of what Felicity threw away so carelessly. They’d had something good together. Loved each other. She was the one who had walked away from it all, without even a glance back.
Mabel ran on top of the wet sand, her little feet going so fast they became a blur. “Watch it,” he said as a wave came in. Mabel barked at the water and ran from the foamy wave. He couldn’t help but smile at his dog.
Grams had rescued her from the pound before Aiden bought the resort. It had been a bad time in his life, and Grams had been trying to help. Much to his surprise, it had worked. Mabel was such a loveable dog, her good nature and lively spirit helped him get through it. And now Felicity was here, bringing all those horrible memories back with her.
Didn’t Grams realize what seeing Felicity would do? Anger tensed his shoulders and he leaned over, grabbed a large stick and threw it. Mabel ran and tried to pick it up but one end was too heavy. She tugged on it, dragging it, leaving a line in the wet sand. She wagged her whole body after she managed to get it back to him.
He rubbed her head and scratched under her chin. “Good girl.” He plopped down on the sandy beach, the sun warming his skin. This resort had been good for him. He needed to get away from the city. Away from everything that reminded him of Felicity. And now Grams had ruined it.
The thing was, he didn’t even know why she would do such a thing. He thought he’d been better lately. Sure, in the past, he’d been depressed. But he was starting to get his life back. He was happier. Still not ready to date again, but he had accepted that. He liked his life. There was nothing wrong with throwing yourself into your work. Plenty of men did it. Even married men.
He lay back, closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the water. Mabel barked at him for a moment to get up, but when he didn’t, she hopped on his chest and curled up. He stroked her fur and tried to get his emotions under control.
A shadow crossed over him and he peeked at who had disturbed him. Grams. She sat cross-legged beside him. “How are you doing?”
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