The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO)

I swallow it down in agitation and walk to the kitchen, to fix myself something to eat. I’ve found that I have a love of cooking now since I have all the time in the world to leisurely stand around in this beautiful chef’s dream. Sarah would love it. I’m sure she’d be proud of how domesticated I’ve become, knowing my way around a kitchen. I’m liking not having a cook until she returns at the end of the week, it’s somehow enjoyable making meals with love and caring precision for Jake and me to enjoy.

Maybe I’ll follow in Sylvana’s footsteps and cook for my own family once or twice a week like she does.

Soon the noise of drilling and male chatter and laughter annoys me enough to send me to my room for refuge, at least in here I can turn on the TV or run a bath and lock them all out. The large hall echoes around downstairs and amplifies it to incredibly ridiculous proportions. Somehow so much louder today. The bed still smells of Jake and has retained some of his body heat locked between the sheets, so I go and curl into his side and wrap the blankets around me to drown out the chaos and take a nap.

I am exhausted enough to try to get some sleep. I’m too tired to exchange pleasantries with the workman today and even Monica isn’t around for me to roll my eyes at.

Thank God.

Her overly eager eye fluttering and sexy smiles at Jake every five minutes are slowly bringing out inner violent Emma lately. The woman simply has no scruples at all. She reminds me of the bored rich bitches Jake and I would meet at every event; those who hung on him and his every word despite their husbands standing close by.

The downside to a popular hot man!

The noise is too much, even in here, and I give up. I haul my restless body out of bed and resign myself to getting dressed; every intention of spending today in the solace of Sylvana’s kitchen, hoping for some inner calm and serenity … if not for me then at least for the baby. If I have the possibility of avoiding the last day of banging and hammering, surrounded by strange men, then I will. I’m uneasy here without Jake so going to see his mamma with her gorgeous welcoming heart will be a comfortable break.

I swear maxi dresses were made for the comfort of pregnant women; in one fell swoop I’m dressed and ready

to get on with the day since I am begrudgingly forced out

I have lying by the entrance to the living area. I can’t seem to go anywhere downstairs without a layer of dust settling on my feet; at least after today that

of the burly men calls to me as I’m

I turn sharply, Jake normally deals directly with the workmen while Monica and I focus on the décor, blissfully ignorant to the construction

wondering what you’d like us to do with the keys if you’re not back?” He regards me with a relaxed business-like expression

next door if I’m out. I’ll either be there or close by. Sylvana

at me and lets me on my way, walking out into the warm day and I chew my lip a little. I didn’t know this whole time they’d been gaining access with their own key. I assumed Mathews or someone at Sylvana’s had been letting them in and out; and it bothers me, a lot. Those random men have keys and access codes to my house and it’s grating on my inner calm, old Emma showing face and trying like hell to point out the dangers in it, in a rather disturbing way, through visions of what those men could do to

when he’s home, that’ll make me feel better. How could he have forgotten to

my second home; a huge smile on my face and a rumbling stomach despite having eaten.

a morning curled

away. This new way

* * *

and let myself into the house,

Jake and his gadgets.

crowbar, from here you can just spot it between the rails. The workman who left it on the stairs in the first place obviously hadn’t realized that Jake moved

it’s easy to miss a crowbar hanging dejectedly beside them; similar in color, it would be easy to slip from eye sight at every other angle in the house but this

mamma’s before I came home so it’s probably him; making sure I managed to walk the fifty yards back home without injury or getting lost. I walk