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

“Some little seafood place Marissa knows.” He tried to keep his tone even at saying her name. He usually avoided any use of the curse word and it felt like broken glass in his mouth.

“I want to get my haircut while we’re here … Do you think there are any hairdressers on the mainland?” Jake had the instant urge to tell her she didn’t need to change her hair, he liked it the way it was so he looked away toward Leila in hopes of hiding the frown on his face. He didn’t like the thought of her changing anything about how she was. You couldn’t improve on perfection.

“Leila will know … She comes here a lot.” Jake nodded toward his childhood friend, hoping to God Leila wouldn’t push Emma into some radical hairdo; he knew her only too well. She was wandering around wearing a top, and for the first time he noticed the other two were not. Completely topless and he suddenly felt pissed. If topless men could make Emma uneasy, then that sure as hell would do it too, he wanted to throw towels over both of them.

“You know Marissa well?” Her voice broke into his thoughts and he felt himself freeze. He had never expected this question to come from her and the last thing he wanted her to know was anything about his past with Marissa. How the hell she had even picked up on anything was beyond him, he sure as hell wasn’t putting out any signals where that harpy was concerned.

“Once.” He felt his pulse quicken and his head going into evasive mode. He didn’t want to dredge up the past and admit he had been too blind to realize his teen girlfriend and best mate had been fucking behind his back and sent him into a few years of booze, drugs, idiotic behavior, and woman. He didn’t want Emma knowing that part of him, or tying him to the bitch on deck. He wanted her to see him as he was now, the person he was with her anyway, the better version of himself. He found himself scowling Marissa’s way with his back to Emma, Marissa caught his eye and, licking her lips seductively, she squirmed toward him. Even from here he could pick up her fuck me signals and he just scowled back.

Not a chance, princess.

girl relax. Away from all this naked skin. He turned back to her open expression and had the instant urge to stroke her hair back from

“Now?” She sounded apprehensive.

needed to get her to unwind a little and he couldn’t do that here, tense with a pair of eyes on the back of his head trying to undress him mentally. They needed to leave the past on the deck

and he growled internally. He had fucking warned him against this shit while she was here. He didn’t do this crap anymore, and he wasn’t going to subject her to it either. He was glad to see Leila wander off deck, knowing she too was out of that whole scene. They had had

* * *

tried to dunk him under, but he was faster and

pushing back her wet hair from her eyes. She looked too cute like this to

wax was withstanding the sea test. The new lab improvements he had requested were obviously working and Carrero hair wax was now waterproof. He swam to her to close the gap, aware just how

drown me, Mr. Carrero?” She begged, it only made him feel more playful. That adorable little soft voice asking so delicately—she

sweetly, Miss Anderson.” He pushed her under again, this time catching her under the water and pulled her back up against him hard. Nose to nose and it didn’t seem so right anymore. It was closer than he intended, her body skimming against him in ways that got an immediate hard reaction and he released her quickly. He wasn’t sure which part of her

an effort to get this under control and put distance between them. He hoped to God she could manage the half mile swim as holding onto her in any way right now would end