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

Felicity makes a beeline for his room with her overnight bag, eyeing us weirdly, but he makes no attempt to follow. As she disappears his expression changes back to full blown frown mode.

“Who was it?” serious, no-nonsense boss tone.

Ughhhh!

I should have known better … He’s hard to palm off even on a good day.

God dammit, Jake.

I turn away breezily, I know he won’t let up … he’ll cancel dinner and stay here if I say nothing. There’s no point being evasive when he has that look on his face, so I resign myself to caving.

“My sperm donor.” I wave an airy hand as though I’m saying something non-important, but I can already feel the tension in my face. I’m glad I’m looking toward the open door of my room away from him and pull out my cell to cradle in the charging dock on the table beside it.

“Your father?” he sounds surprised.

You and me both.

“Yep.” I look around quickly for a distraction, so I don’t need to turn and look at him. I spot his personal tablet on the table nearby and lift it to scroll iTunes, to turn on music. It’s the best I can muster when he’s moved so close.

“You’ve never mentioned a father.” His tone is serious and gentle, body a little too close for comfort.

“I don’t have need to. There’s nothing to mention … I don’t know him.”

“So, why is he calling? It didn’t sound like nothing, Emma. You definitely didn’t sound happy.” He’s moved closer to me, invaded by his body heat emanating against my spine. So close he is touching me.

shock okay … I’ve met him once in my life and it

once before, a brief meeting at fourteen when he thought my mother had struck gold. A simple picture in the paper about the “feed the homeless” charity she runs but he’d been disappointed to find that she was as penniless as the charity itself. Sadly sure, that she would be swathed in dollars, and able to help him out with

thinks I’m loaded and dating Prince

that I’m tickled by his breath against my hair. I move away quickly, tense, and jumpy; I need head space and solitude.

sweetly, moving further from him to give myself some much-needed distance, and finally managing to look at him. His look darkens, and he presses his lips together. I

as though the thoughts have floated away on the breeze.

and there it is, back in full swing, that cheeky Carrero grin

you for such

me again, fingers twitching at me as though making

them to leave. I hate feeling vulnerable in front

never

answer, just steps forward quickly and shoves me into my room so that I almost lose my balance and he laughs at my angry scowl. Turns on

a wave before walking across the suite to his own room and I’m relieved. I fooled

want to talk about this, not

the room with Felicity before I shut my door quickly. Leaning back against it for

he think he was, calling me

won’t succumb to tears over that scum bag, he deserves none of my tears, nor my

* * *

flushed and breathless and figure I maybe should have gone easy on the temperature gauge. My head’s swimming

left for dinner. It feels good to be able to chill out and have some alone time though. I mulled over the call enough in

a sucker for a goddamn sob story. She needs to

at various functions. I guess he figures I’ve hit a goldmine and wants to see what he can get out of me. I push the bile down in my throat bitterly as I think about the fact that

prick. A money