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

“Hey.” He sounded husky as she began to rouse with the sun fully hitting her face, adorably sleepy and those perfect soft blues that he loved so much flickering open to melt his heart some more.

I love you, bambino.

“Hey.” She half smiled, half blinked up at him sleepily, his heart aching a little too much.

“You shouldn’t sleep in the sun,” he scolded gently, watching her trying to focus on him. Even though he’d put himself in between the sun and her to shield her, she seemed to be having a hard time looking at him properly, squinting at the brightness.

“I didn’t intend to.” She blinked some more as Jake slid his sunglasses onto her face, smiling back when she smiled at him in that endearing way she had. He knew they had to talk about last night and set things straight, not just brush it aside as she seemed to want to do. He didn’t want to do it here either.

“Want to go somewhere?” Jake looked off to the ocean, away from her face. A deep sense of trepidation that this was not going to go how he wanted it to but that doing it was unavoidable.

“Such as?” She sounded inquisitive, mellower than before he had gone to bed and less PA toned.

He shrugged in reply, he just wanted them away from here, away from the others who would start questioning him about Hunter, tilting his head up to watch the sea crashing on the distant shore to give him some sense of calm.

“Anywhere but here.” He sighed dejectedly. He had told Hunter that deep down he knew Emma didn’t want a relationship with him, but he had always held a tiny spark of hope that he was wrong. Being here now with her after last night and how normal she seemed had killed all his chances. He knew undeniably that Emma was never going to see him as anything other than a boss and a friend.

“How’s Hunter?” she asked gently, watching his face a little too closely.

… he will be. They just need to monitor him. Secondary drowning is a risk when you swallow as much as he did.” He answered on autopilot, his head

she asked looking

still.” He tensed, remembering Blake Carlisle, his childhood friend who’d drowned after a

smile plastered on her face, but it did nothing for his

and done with. He had formulated a plan at the hospital last night with Hunter. A way out of this emotional mess he was in if things were looking

unsure of his mood. “Shall I get

head, looking over her floaty dress and sandals, she was always gorgeous no matter what she chose to wear

He watched her walk away elegantly and felt his stomach drop heavily. He had

who held all the keys to his heart and every bit the destroyer of it. He smiled, despite feeling like absolute hell, and gestured for her to follow him to the stairs again

* * *

to think things through, look for ways to fix this, other outcomes and

he tried to lighten his mood, smiling her way softly, remembering a little too well what she had felt like in his arms. That soft mouth and smooth skin, that tongue of hers meeting with his, that body molded so seamlessly to his own. If anything, he could imprint all of it to memory for a lifetime

driving then?” she asked brightly, breaking the silence between them and looking

he replied unemotionally and just kept his gaze fixed on the crazy road

She tried again with another look his way, a

like talking just yet, he had

in her. Emma was obviously still hungover and easily irritated but it only grated on his already fragile