Her Big Fat Dreamy Billionaire Ex

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Aiden rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched to hide a smile. “You’re not going to bring that up again, are you?”

  “It was so funny. You, afraid of a penguin.”

  “I thought it was going to peck me or something.”

  Felicity laughed, thinking of how Aiden had scrambled to get away from it, and had fallen off the rock he was sitting on. The poor penguin had been more startled than he was.

  “Go ahead, laugh,” he said, not trying to hide his smile anymore. “I have dirt on you too, if you remember.”

  “Me?” Felicity tried to remember anything embarrassing she’d done at the zoo. “I don’t think so.”

  “What about the time we went ice skating?” His face showed his delight as his eyes sparkled at her.

  Felicity’s cheeks heated involuntarily. “Oh, my gosh, I told you to never bring that up again.”

  He chuckled, the sound rumbling around his chest. “Sorry, it was just too cute.”

  Cute. Right. Only the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her. She’d been a senior in high school, and she and Aiden had just started dating. She’d thought ice skating would be fun. Turns out it was humiliating. She’d fallen down and her skates had caught on her jeans pocket, ripping a hole in the seat of her pants. “It was not cute! Those were my favorite jeans.”

  “I meant your pink underwear.” He gave her a devilish grin.

  Without thinking Felicity jumped up and swatted his shoulder. “You’re so bad.”

  Aiden turned the wheel, the boat rocked and Felicity lost her balance. Aiden’s arm shot out and caught her before she fell. She pressed her hand on his chest, her heart going a zillion miles a minute. “Thanks,” she said, her voice sounding breathless.

  Aiden didn’t speak. He looked down into her eyes. The moment seemed to stretch out, and she became hyper aware of her body pressed to his. He swallowed and let her go. “Sure.”

  Felicity stumbled back to her seat. She turned to look at the river, her fingers trembling. She focused her camera at the trees and snapped some pictures. They weren’t very good. She was shaking. And there really wasn’t anything to take pictures of. She just had to do something to take her mind off the feelings that were swelling in her chest.

  They’d had such good times together. She’d stuffed the memories away in her mind. Buried them and not allowed them to surface. But now they were coming back, and so were all the feelings she’d forced herself to forget as well.

  Aiden cut the engine. “If you look out the right side over here, you’ll see an egret.” Aiden’s voice was low and husky.

  Felicity moved to Aiden’s side of the boat and focused her camera. She took a few shots. “Thanks,” she said, forcing herself to sound nonchalant.

  Aiden looked like he wanted to say something, but he just nodded and clenched his teeth. He cranked the engines again, and they made their way down the river.

  “Monkey River Village is home to around two hundred people.” He continued his tour script, and Felicity tried to ignore all the crazy things her heart was doing in her chest.

  Aiden was a good man. He just threw himself into his work. His work always came first, and she hadn’t been able to accept that. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life as second fiddle. She deserved a man who could put her above everything.

  And that’s why she had to start putting up a wall between them. She couldn’t let the old feelings in again. She knew it wouldn’t take much for her to fall back in love with Aiden. He was handsome and charming. And they fit well together. She could already feel herself slipping back. But falling back in love with him would only create more heartache down the road. He was too used to treating her like a doormat.

  And she was not willing to spend the rest of her life allowing him to walk all over her.

  Chapter 6

  Aiden fastened the rope around the dock cleat and tried to get a hold of himself. He was not going to act like a stupid teenager with a crush. And he certainly wasn’t going to flirt with Felicity. He was a grown man now. He could handle being around a beautiful woman without losing his cool.

  Before he could help Felicity off the boat, she’d already climbed onto the dock. Probably for the best. Touching her sent his heart racing. If he could avoid being too close to her, he might be able to act like a grown man instead of a fool.

  Aiden walked with her up the dock to a dirt path that led to a pavilion. The ceiling was made of grass and wood. Simple tables and chairs were scattered through the area. A man stood at a grill, turning meat and shrimp. The smell made Aiden’s mouth water. “Order what you’d like. It’s included in the excursion.”

  Felicity pulled out a wooden chair and sat in it, laying her backpack on the cement floor beside her. Aiden took his seat on the opposite side of the table. A woman approached them with menus and wrote down their drink orders.

  Aiden stretched out his legs. The wind was picking up a little. From the look of the sky, there was a storm coming. Cell reception was terrible away from the resort, so when the waitress came back, he stopped her. “Is there a storm coming?”

  “Oh, yes. There’s a big one coming, a little north of us. Should hit tonight. The coastline will get the worst of it.”

  Great. Right where his resort was. “Thanks.”

  Felicity’s eyes held worry. “Should we go?”

  The waitress shook her head. “It won’t get bad until later this evening. You should be fine.”

  The boat had a canopy top. That should shelter them if it started raining, and they’d be back at the resort by four-thirty at the latest. Aiden gave Felicity a reassuring smile. “Enjoy your time here. I’ll get us back before the storm.”

  As they waited for their food, Felicity walked around the pavilion and took some photos. He watched as she brushed her long curls out of the way before crouching to get a good angle. He didn’t think it was possible, but Felicity had gotten more beautiful over these last few years.

  She sat back down across from him. “You’re a good tour guide.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Do you mind if I take some pictures of you?”

  “Here?”

  She glanced around the pavilion. “Maybe out back?”

  “There’s a hiking trail not too far from here. I can take you over there if you want some more good shots of the jungle.”

  “Perfect. I can get some with you, and some without.”

  He wasn’t sure what she wanted with photos of him. “You’re not going to put me on the website, are you?”

  “Why not? You’re the reason Belizean Paradise is so successful. It’s obvious you’ve put your heart and soul into it, like you had with your drone.”

  He picked up his napkin, trying to decide if Felicity was making a snide remark, or if she was complimenting him. He chose to go with the compliment. “Thanks. But I don’t think they want my ugly mug on the website.”

  Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Ugly? You? More like devilishly handsome. If our classmates could see you now...” She stopped.

  Devilishly handsome? He couldn’t hide his pleasure at hearing Felicity still thought he was good-looking. “If they could see me now, what?”

  Her cheeks turned pink. “Nothing.”

  “Oh, no, you can’t say something like that and then take it back.”

  The waitress brought them their food. Felicity had ordered shrimp kabobs, while he’d ordered the grilled conch. Everything smelled delicious. Felicity slid a shrimp off her stick.

  “So, what did you mean?”

  She shrugged. “Just that the girls would go all crazy over you.”

  He chuckled. “I’m that hot, huh?”

  She kicked him under the table and he bent over. “Ouch.”

  “I see you’re just as humble as ever too.” She picked up her water glass and smirked at him.

  “Meanie,” he said under his breath. It actually felt good to be joking around with Felicity again. It had been a long time. He
stabbed a piece of his conch. “Remember that senior bus tour we went on?”

  Felicity’s hands flew to her face. “Why do you want to remember all my embarrassing moments?”

  Aiden couldn’t help but smile. “Forget the picture Brittany took. I wasn’t talking about that. I just thought it was a nice day.” Memories of sitting next to Felicity on the bus filled his mind. Her leg had pressed against his the entire way. The smell of her hair had made his heart pound.

  She broke his gaze. “Yes. It was nice.”

  He’d made her uncomfortable again. Why couldn’t he shut up? Aiden went back to eating. Being with Felicity was stirring up feelings he would rather suppress. They’d already been down that road, and it led to heartache.

  When they got done eating, he stood and motioned. “I’ll show you the hiking trail.”

  “Great.” She slung her backpack over her shoulder. “I’m ready.”

  He led her out past the mulched area a few yards away where a trail started. Felicity followed him onto the path. “Just watch out for snakes.”

  Felicity let out a little squeal and jumped. “Snakes?” Her gaze darted around on the ground.

  He held in a chuckle. Admittedly, he’d hoped for that kind of a reaction. “Don’t worry. Most of them aren’t poisonous.”

  “You’re joking, right?”

  “Not really. There are snakes here.”

  She squinted at him, like she wasn’t sure what to think. “Okay, we’re going in. But if I get bit by a snake, you’re carrying me to safety.”

  The last thing Aiden needed was to think about holding Felicty. He swallowed and tried to force a laugh. “You got it.”

  They walked along the path until they came to a fallen log. “Sit there.”

  Aiden did as he was told and Felicity squatted down to take some pictures of him. He tried not to feel too self-conscious. She had him sit in a few different positions before she called it good. Then they walked farther in, Felicity taking more pictures of the lush green vegetation.

  “My father would love it here.”

  “He always liked the outdoors. Like you.” Aiden flinched. Why was he so awkward around her?

  She nodded. “Okay, I have everything I need.” She glanced up at the sky. “I think we should head back. It’s looking more ominous.”

  Aiden agreed; the dark clouds were gathering. “Good idea.”

  By the time they got back to the boat, it was sprinkling. Aiden untied the ropes and climbed in. Felicity put her camera in her backpack to protect it from getting wet. Aiden started up the engines as the rain started in earnest.

  “Hang on. I’m going to go faster than we did on the way here.”

  Felicity grabbed onto a pole. As he steered the boat, the rain grew heavier, forcing him to slow down. He grew anxious as drops of water pelted the canopy. He didn’t think the storm was supposed to hit this soon.

  She turned to him. “Are you worried?”

  Aiden tried to smooth his features. “No.”

  “You look worried.”

  He gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s just a little rain.”

  “You can’t fool me.” A frown pulled her mouth down.

  “All right. It’s more rain than I was expecting, but we should be fine.”

  She pulled out her cell phone and messed with it a second. “I don’t have any bars.”

  “You won’t. Not here.”

  The rain pelted harder. She unzipped her backpack and slid the phone inside. After a moment, she turned to him. “Have you dated at all since we broke up?”

  Where had that question come from? Aiden took in a breath and tried to act like the question didn’t bother him. “No.”

  She played with the zipper on her backpack. “Why not?”

  He didn’t want to talk about his lack of dates. What would he say? I was so upset about you leaving that I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else? He’d rather get out and swim than tell her that. “Just haven’t had the time.”

  Her expression hardened. “I see.”

  He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He didn’t want to know. Shouldn’t even be thinking about asking, yet the words came out anyway. “And you?”

  She looked down at her lap. “I dated a man for a while. It didn’t work out.”

  Right. And that’s why he should have kept his mouth shut. Now all he could think about was Felicity with another man. He suddenly wanted to punch something. The boat sped up and he made a conscious effort to slow it down. “How long did you date him?” And another stupid question flew out of his mouth. What was wrong with him?

  “About a year.”

  Dang. Now he really wanted to know who this guy was. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from asking more about him. The last thing he needed was the image of another man kissing Felicity stuck in his head. He couldn’t handle that. He maneuvered the boat around a bend. “How’s your father?”

  “He’s doing well. I try to get back there to see him a few times a year. It’s been harder lately.”

  Aiden studied her. “Why?”

  “Jobs haven’t exactly been all that steady. I’ve sold some prints to a gallery, but I don’t have as much time to take fine art shots when I’m pounding the pavement, looking for the jobs that pay the rent.”

  “Oh.” Her mentioning her fine art prints made him a bit self-conscious. He’d purchased some of her prints online and had them hidden away in his attic. He hadn’t even shown Grams. He wasn’t even sure why he’d done it. Maybe because having them made him feel like a part of Felicity was still with him. But that was stupid, so they still sat in his attic, untouched.

  Aiden stared out at the rain pelting the river. It was an odd feeling, knowing Felicity had walked away from being a billionaire’s wife and was now struggling financially. He’d worked so hard for them...for her. And she’d left just hours before the fruits of his labors were realized. Did she resent him for it? Even as the words came to mind, he knew that she didn’t. She wasn’t like that.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll survive.” She flashed him a smile, but it seemed forced.

  “I know you will.” Felicity was a strong person. He knew she’d reach her goals.

  Lightning streaked across the sky, and a second later, thunder boomed. Felicity jumped. “Wow, that was close.”

  Aiden didn’t want to alarm her, but he was getting very worried about the storm. “We’ll be fine,” he said, although his voice sounded weak to his own ears.

  “What made you choose Belize?”

  Aiden was glad she was changing the subject, but it caught him off guard. “What?”

  Felicity shifted in her seat. “Why did you decide to move to Belize and start up a resort?”

  Aiden turned his attention back to the water. That was a complicated question, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to talk to her about it. But, if he didn’t answer, she was going to keep asking. “After I sold my technology, I kind of fell into a depression.” He swallowed. Admitting that was difficult, but Felicity just sat there, politely waiting for him to go on. “Grams tried everything to get me to snap out of it. One of the things was a vacation in Belize. We stayed at a resort.”

  “And you fell in love with it.”

  He gave her a sideways glance. “Actually, Grams fell in love with it. I was...not as enamored with it at first. I was still not seeing past my own pain.”

  When he said the word pain, Felicity flinched. He kept going. “But Grams adored Belize. So, after I started feeling better, I decided it was time for a change of scenery. Chicago held too many memories. I found a resort for sale in Belize and Grams was all too happy to move to the resort with me.”

  More thunder rumbled and Felicity gripped the seat. “Why not retire? You don’t need the money. Why are you running the resort?”

  “I don’t actually run it. I could leave it to Derrick. He’s the manager, and he does a great job. I just like being involved. I’m not the kind of per
son who can sit there and do nothing, you know?”

  Felicity nodded and looked down to her feet. “I know,” she said quietly.

  Aiden sped the boat up a little. Felicity was never going to see him as anything but a workaholic. He knew this. She’d constantly complained about how much time he was spending on his guidance system. She was shortsighted, though. And nothing he could say would make her understand.

  Chapter 7

  Felicity tried to remain calm as another streak of lightning shot across the sky and reflected in the water. She hated storms. Just perfect. The heavens were trying to humiliate her in front of Aiden again.

  Aiden glanced over at her. “We’re almost to the dock.”

  Nice. Was her concern that apparent? Why couldn’t she just get over it like every other adult? Instead, she had to look like a fool in front of Aiden. “Okay,” she said, forcing her voice to sound light. She put her arms through her backpack which made her feel like a third-grader, but she didn’t care. She wanted both arms free to grab onto the boat if something happened and they capsized.

  Aiden hadn’t been lying. She let out a breath of relief when she saw the dock ahead. Aiden steered the boat alongside it and cut the engine. He hopped out into the torrential rain and secured the ropes. Then he held his hand out for her. She grabbed it like her life depended on it and hopped out into the rain.

  Aiden kept a hold of her hand as they ran toward his car. It chirped as they neared and he opened her door for her. She slid into the seat, her hair dripping down her face. After he got into his seat, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  “Hey, it’s okay. We made it.” He took her hand in his and warmth spread up her arm. “No need to worry.”

  “Sorry,” she said, her voice sounding strained. “I’m just not fond of storms.”

  He gave her a funny look. “I didn’t know you were scared of storms.”

  “I said I’m not fond of them. That’s different than being scared.”

  He stared at her, then his gaze dropped to her hands. “You’re trembling.”