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

I catch the way he’s looking at me and I get it. He thought he knew love until he found it with the right person and my stomach somersault, a little jump of happiness, probably mildly inappropriate right now.

“I know, but I should’ve seen her what she was, the way she always twisted things, so she was the victim. For years, she had me hating you, believing that you broke her heart and she could never trust me because of it. Too stupid to realize it was all her and you were just as much a part of the fall out as I was.” He looks genuinely sorry. There’s something decent coming through about Ben, despite what I know of him and the past, underneath all that anger and rivalry is a guy that once meant a lot to Jake.

“And now? … Your obviously still in love her if you wanted to try again?” Jake watches Ben intensely and Ben shrugs.

“I was … Maybe I still am. I don’t know. I never could understand why no matter what I did she wanted you. But now I realize, Marissa doesn’t know love, she only does possession. She thinks you owe her; she hates that you walked away and won’t accept that she can’t have you. To her I’m a sure bet she can pick up whenever she feels like it so to her, I’m not any fun anymore.” He sighs, knocking his glass against the table, emotions running across his face in a flash.

“She’s cold and calculated so none of this surprises me.” Jake laces his fingers in mine and pulls my hand to his mouth, rubbing my knuckles across his lips. A gentle gesture to reassure me because of the topic, always caring about how I feel. Right now, with him and all this mess, I’m strangely detached and emotionally tired; Marissa and her antics exhaust me.

“So, what do we do now? … How do we find out who the father is?” Ben is watching us a little closely, hints of envy glimmering in his pretty face.

“We can’t find out for definite until it’s here, but I’m not one to sit back and wait while she calls all the shots. We go see her, now, and let her know her little fucking game is up.” Jake’s tone has tightened considerably, and I think the anger is beginning to settle in. The fact that she’s been deceiving us all for months has obviously dawned on him. My chest tightens and I turn to Jake with wide worried eyes.

“You want to confront her?” I sound childlike and vulnerable suddenly, every instinct telling me he shouldn’t do this tonight.

“Why not?” Jake has the look of a man severely pissed and not about to drop it. He’s also more than a little drunk and impulsive spontaneity is his worst trait when he’s under the influence.

“Because it’s stupid o’clock in the morning and you’re both drunk.” I try for sense, not getting any, with a wolf like snarl they both nod in agreeance at Jake’s plan.

a better time.” Ben quips in and both men raise an eyebrow in solidarity. It’s not hard to see that these two used to get along. They are annoyingly similar

Oh crap, crap, shit.

all over it and a part of me wants Jake to take

points out as Jake lifts his full glass from the table and downs it in

a good sign. Oh

with rage. His no-nonsense posture and tense

out she was

Casanova men and random hook

then? Asked her before you saw Jake?” I wish he had, we could’ve avoided all of this, saved it for a time when Jake is sober, and this isn’t so fresh. I can feel anger

think. Then when I saw you two at the club earlier, I figured some confirmation was a good idea. For all I knew Amy was lying.” Ben is seemingly more accepting of this situation than Jake, but it’s most likely because he hasn’t had months

in Ben … old Jake. It’s in his mannerisms and alarmingly similar face, something disconcerting about his presence and authority too. Only, Ben is less fiery, calmer, in the way that Hunter appears to be. Jake always seems like he has something hot brimming under his surface, a sense that you know he’s capable of pouncing. Changing from laid back to crazy aggressive in an instant, but Ben doesn’t. He seems to

the present.” Jake’s already on his feet, pulling me with him, that spark simmering, highlighting what I was thinking.

Uh oh.

and a wash of fatigue. I don’t want to get into an all-out screaming match with Marissa again, as much

stay long. I’m sure Ben will want some time alone with her to talk when we’re done, then I’ll take you home. I want you to witness this too.” Jake leans in, kissing me tenderly, his hand grazing my face softly and I catch Ben’s eyes on me. Jake doesn’t want to be with Marissa without

much you love her; it was never obvious with Marissa.” He drops his chin

Ouch.

out into the crisp dawn air on a mission I want to be no part of. Jefferson appears as though by magic, and I wonder where