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

After lunch, Jake takes us ashore on the speedboat which is moored to the back of the yacht. He doesn’t say anything again about my hair, whether I should cut it or not, and I don’t bring it up. He has a car and driver waiting on land to take us anywhere we desire, and leaves us with a goodbye at the port, and orders to call him when we’re returning.

He hands me a credit card which I try to push back at him but meet his death glare. I know better than to argue with that look. I slide it in my bag, knowing better than to push when he made it clear before we came here that this was all on him. That if I even mentioned paying for a single thing, he would tie me up and dump me in the ocean. Jake’s funny about very few things, but women paying is a strong dislike. He likes to be the traditional, chivalrous gentleman. Some may think it chauvinist, and maybe it is, but it’s a Jake characteristic. Brought up in an old-fashioned Italian family paying for everything when a girl is with him is natural to him. There’s no arguing with it.

I’m excited and apprehensive about a shopping spree, spending time alone with this girl I just met. I don’t really hang out with women, apart from Sarah, and even then, it’s been so long since we did. I don’t do social outings and girly shopping days. I never did. Sarah was always more of a tomboy type, with movies and baseball games.

Leila soon puts me at ease with her never-ending chatter. She catches my heart with talk of Sophie almost immediately even though she only met her briefly, but I can tell that Leila will be a good, protective, older sister.

Her mother sounds amazing. A woman who adopted five children from varying backgrounds, loves and raises them all like her own, and is the most maternal woman you will ever meet, according to Leila. It is obvious she adores her.

She drags me into a couple of boutiques, swanning over rails of high price tag dresses. I don’t need any more clothes; Donna has made sure of that and I already know most of the items she bought me carry tags higher in price than anything here. Jake is rather indulgent on that front.

I wonder what he’ll be like as a husband, should he ever find the inclination to marry. I can see him as a spoiler of his wife, money no object and the inability to say, “No” to what she wants. The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I don’t like the idea of Jake marrying some woman and doting on her with gifts and clothes.

“Here we are.” Leila announces proudly as we stand in front of a classy looking building with tinted windows and potted bushes at either side of the door. It’s a bit Mediterranean-twee yet somehow not.

“Where?” I ask, confused, looking around.

“Best salon in the Caribbean … come and meet Andre.” She beams, a huge bright flash of white, neat teeth and charm, and drags me inside the cool, air-conditioned building.

a Hawaiian shirt and a bald, shaved head as he waves his arms around energetically at the sight of her, before they embrace excitedly amid air kisses. It’s obvious they have met before. Many times. The cooing and crooning

* * *

Leila and Andre gush over my new hair. It’s cut to shoulder length, but the natural wave of my hair has pulled it up by a couple of inches, the weight which had kept it straighter now gone. It’s lying in natural beachy waves, framing my face and he has lightened my tawny color with some sheer highlights, so I am transformed.

is a huge step; cutting away my security, so that it hangs loose around me at all times, too short to really tie up in the way I always did. I wonder how often I’ll have Jake pull my hands out of my hair now,

such a

eyes and pouty

in agreement. I grimace but

for a bright tone with a smile. Completely torn about what I really think as I stare back at the stranger

will go pie-eyed for it, trust me. You look so hot!” Leila giggles connecting with my eye in the mirror, catches my blush

beautiful hair. You look so very sassy.” Andre cuts in with his two pennies worth and

and sexy!” Leila

sassy, and sexy!” Andre quips in, not

they’ve started and slide out of the chair. I stand and let him remove the cape, now seeing it with my floaty beach dress and tanned skin, it doesn’t look so bad. I can see why she thinks it’s cute, I mean

new. The girl staring back at me is nothing like the manicured PA that graces Carrero Tower. This girl with short, wild hair and floaty dresses looks romantic and soft, and a little bit flirty. She looks like a girl I never have the courage to let anyone see. I don’t know if I like it at all and my stomach is in knots with what Jake

walk out into the sunshine, Leila fusses with my hair, fluffing it out with her fingers as

love your natural curl, it’s to die for.” She gushes

weird,” I utter tensely and look away

me lower my defenses and relax. Maybe it’s not her, maybe this is