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“She’s here, isn’t she? I got her back. I’m not going to be that dumb again, I swear.” He huffs and squeezes me a little tighter. Sylvana scowls at him, then her face drops, and she heaves a sudden sigh, remembering her dilemma.
“This is what the so much worse is.” She flaps her hands with a dramatic sigh. “Marissa is here. In the sitting room.” She grimaces and both Jake and I tense up instantly. My breath catches painfully, but Jake is the first to speak.
“What the hell for?” He sounds angry, no, he sounds pissed as hell. Meanwhile I just feel sick, and emotional, and about ready to cry and storm away. This is turning into the day from hell for me.
“She’s staying with her family for the weekend and just showed up asking to see me and talk about things … She’s carrying my grandchild r
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The Carrero Effect 213
“You’re all adults, Jake. Let the past stay in the past. Emma is here with you. You have all got to get it together, for the sake of these babies, they will be siblings after all.”Her comment hits me this time and I swallow hard, tears threatening. She’s right, as much as this is killing me she’s so very right; my baby has a sibling already and as much as I hate the girl in the next room I can’t hate the part growing inside of her that belongs to Jake. His eyes on me as I stare at my stomach and a tear rolls down my cheek involuntarily.“Go see her, Jake. I’ll be upstairs.” I pull out of his arms and head away, but he catches me and hauls me back against him, lifting my face to his with that no-nonsense expression set in.“Hell. No.” He kisses me gently on the nose and wipes my face with his thumb, keeping me close, reassuring me with his hold. “I’m sorry, Mamma, but I’m not cha
The Carrero Effect 214
As much as I try to prepare myself by pulling on my most efficient PA Emma face none of it truly prepares me for the blast of sickening pain when I am finally faced with one Marissa Hartley.Walking down the stairs and into the dining room I don’t take in the beautiful room, elegant settings, or wonderful smells of food. I just see the girl with the long, curled, brown, highlighted hair. The seductive, Latino looking face with sensual lips, wearing an overly tight floor length animal print dress, fully emphasizing her bust, curvy figure, and undeniably compact baby bump protruding at her front. I also can’t ignore the way her eyes devour Jake hungrily as he walks in behind me with a guiding hand.She exudes pure sexual energy, every movement calculated for maximum impact, hips swinging and cleavage swaying. Her pouting and hair flicking mannerisms all made for pure seduction.
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“Actually … I was talking about Emma’s baby.” Giovanni leans back with a wolfish grin and satisfied glint in his eye. The clatter of cutlery as Marissa drops her fork and gapes at me with open-mouthed shock. I realize she’s not the only one, Arrick’s girlfriend is practically bug-eyed gawping my way and no one is holding cutlery now except me.“Fuck’s sake…” Jake snaps, raising a hand to pinch his brow, his elbow hitting the table to hold his arm up. He knows the shit is about to hit the fan and he’s waiting on it.“Dad, you’re an asshole.” Arrick cuts in, instantly, and Marissa erupts.“What the actual fuck?! Since fucking when?!” She throws her napkin down on top of her food, glaring at him then me, focusing on one after the other with sheer fury across her pouted mouth. She does
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“That’s not what fucking happened, and you know it.” He yells at her and I cringe in fright pulling myself back in my seat, my heart rate going crazy, my mind a swirl of emotions of images of him and her. I don’t even know what to believe in. She seems to find pleasure in sitting up straighter, meeting his fire head on and I seriously start to wonder if there was more between them that night. My doubts and insecurities filtering in as I try to get a handle on the pain in my chest.“I’m surprised you can even remember, Jake darling, seeing as you were obviously high on God knows what and probably can’t remember exactly what happened. You were an absolute mess if I remember rightly.” She purrs and flutters at him. I feel sick to my stomach, my head a mass of confusion, I look to him and her and back again in painful panic. I don’t want to believe her, I shouldn’t.I can trust him. He’s been proving tha
The Carrero Effect 217
Jake, Sylvana, and Giovanni are locked in the sitting room with a lot of yelling and banging as I sit in the kitchen with Arrick and try not to self-implode. It’s been only minutes since we left the dining room and my nerves are completely done in. Sitting so tensely my body aches with the effort and I’m on high alert.“Here.” He hands me a mug of cocoa and slides into the chair beside me at the kitchen table with a supportive smile.“Thanks.” I accept it gratefully, still picking at the plate of food he warmed for me, trying to ignore the noise echoing down the hall. All the house staff have retired for the night and the place is eerily empty. Arrick’s girlfriend is either in his room or gone, so here he is, babysitting me at his brother’s request, because Jake didn’t want me left alone to ponder everything.“I guess I sh
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Jake climbs into bed minutes after I do. I’m lying awake staring at the semi-dark ceiling lost in thought when he comes in. He strips off, without looking over, and climbs into bed sliding up against me, pulling me into his arm. I can’t help but smile that he did come swiftly along when Arrick intervened on the drama with his father.“I’m awake,” I utter quietly, turning toward him so I can face him, melting into his body heat and feeling glorious against him. Its dull in here but not pitch dark so I can see him.“You okay?” He leans in and kisses me soundly, mouth molding to mine, hand running up my spine delicately. I can’t help the tingles he ignites or the way my inner thighs tense deliciously at his touch.“Surprisingly fine,” I say when we finally break apart. My desire aching to strip off the rest of his clothes and start licking every inch of that taut smooth tattooed skin. I’m starting to
The Carrero Effect 219
We’re walking hand in hand, fingers entangled, along the sunny pavement in the crisp morning air toward the house Jake wants to buy. It’s almost a replica of the Carrero family home, yet instead of warm sandy brown roughing on the outside it’s brilliant white with palm trees gracing the front of the manicured lawn in an arc, it’s beyond gorgeous and postcard picture perfect.Two storeys high with modern clean lines and large windows under a sloped tiled roof. It looks so much bigger than the Carrero family home because of the bright colors and straight manicured lines of the surrounding lawns. It’s neat and modern looking in contrast to the flower beds and bushes of Sylvana’s gardens.It reminds me of Jake’s apartment in small ways. His neat masculine style and bold edgy taste but somehow this has a much homelier quality and a long sweeping drive up to a very beautif
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“So, when do you move in?” Leila lounges across the bed in Jake’s old bedroom and takes a grape from the platter of food between us; snacks and sandwiches including lots of fruit, courtesy of Mamma Carrero and her constant care.Sylvana is the perfect host and she’s been doting over me when the house is empty during the week, when the men are at work or doing whatever the Carrero men do when not glued to their women folk. She enjoys my company and Leila has flown to see me when I finally drummed up the courage to tell her about the baby.To say she was ecstatic is an understatement and the five-foot teddy bear suspended on helium balloons, in the middle of the bedroom floor over the massive hamper of baby products, was her arriving gift, humped in by two very good-looking men.It’s been four days since the house viewing and Jake had to go into the city to oversee some business details and deal with the house sale. He’s been go
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