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Daniel contemplates this for a moment as I watch in absolute silence. Jake’s ability to read people and situations has always impressed me. His ability to sometimes understand the female mind must be a rare gift for a guy? I’m sure not many men have his level of understanding.
“Why did I have to fall for the one who drives me so fucking crazy?” Daniel sighs, returning to picking at his thumb nail absently, staring at his hand with a complete utter lost boy look on his handsome face.
Jake gazes at me intensely from the kitchen.
“It’s not love if she can’t get under your skin and make you a whole lot of crazy.” He smiles, winking at me, and I can’t help but smile back especially when he opens the fridge and starts fixing me a tropical alcohol-free cocktail that I’ve been craving like mad lately.
Now that’s the man I love right there.
“Leila has always got under my skin b
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I flicker down at my slightly extended stomach and sigh, its presence ignites a familiar tingling ache in my heart, running a hand over it soothingly. Shopping will be a good distraction.We’ve heard nothing from Marissa directly, but the lawyers have informed Jake she is fighting the DNA, tooth, and nail. I’m not surprised, since she seems to be hell bent on making this a battle every step of the way. All her recent outburst has done is convince me she really believes this baby is Jake’s, so it must be. She wouldn’t fight for it this hard and this much if it wasn’t.I turn my thoughts back to our plans, and Hunter, in a bid to push the Demon Bitch back off the cliffs of my mind where she belongs. We’re going to hit the club that we went to on Arrick’s birthday, if I can talk Sarah and Leila into it, and then Daniel will get his chance to talk Leila o
The Carrero Effect 240
I’m lying in the bath resting my aching bones after dragging Sarah around the city with Jefferson in tow. I did it, I abused Jake’s credit card shamelessly and bought a mountain of stuff for my growing tadpole and its swelling vessel, in the form of cute maternity clothes. I was a woman on a mission, pushed and encouraged by Sarah and her undying enthusiasm, gushing over the cutest baby items ever. I don’t have an ounce of guilt over it either.Okay so maybe this baby thing is finally real. I’m starting to feel … Dare I say it … Excited. It’s the bootee aisle in the baby shop that did it.I skim my hands over my stomach, that little inner tingle expanding some more, only this time I stop and analyze what this weird feeling is, the one that comes anytime I allow my thoughts to land on this little being suspended inside of me. The tingling, slight achy sensa
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“I’m sure I’ll manage like every other pregnant woman on the planet, baby.” I smile indulgently at his slightly cautious look before he goes back to snooping through my purchases. As soon as he knew I’d bought items for the baby he’d been all over the bags searching for new tiny and cute treasures. He really is odd for a guy. I try not to think of that bitch when I say pregnant women or while watching the mountain of baby things on the floor.Inner peace … Breathe. She will not ruin this.“You’re not just another pregnant woman though. You’re my pregnant woman and I must admit baby, now I’m thinking about this whole birth thing … I’m getting pretty fuck … goddamn scared.” Jake glances up suddenly, stopping mid swear to correct himself, completely ashen faced and white. I gulp in surprise praying to God he didn’t get his first flashes of doubt about being a
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“I changed your doctor,” he says it in such a deadpan way that I literally choke on disbelief. I guess that’s why I haven’t received any follow up appointments yet. Although to be fair I already knew this was coming because of his call straight after our appointment.“Why?” I pretend to sound stern. I’m really not though.He narrows his eyes at me and sighs, rolling off me onto his back, staring at the ceiling, looking guilty as hell, arms bent at the elbow, crossed over at his forehead.“Because I’m still a jealous dickhead. I got you a woman instead.” He throws an arm over his face and looks a bit remorseful, in a sexy ‘bossy little shit’ kind of way.I know I should be angry at him. I know I should be throwing all sorts of stroppy tantrums but right now I just want to kiss him, so I start to giggle. Giggling turns into laughter at the realization that I’m stuck with
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“He didn’t exactly push her off, the way Jake would for you. No beat it or fuck off, he just stood there watching her gyrating at him with her hands on his chest. Then it hit me, if I wasn’t there then he would’ve totally fucked her.” She brings a red-rimmed set of heartbroken eyes to me and I sigh. I know how soul destroying that kind of insecurity can be. Hunter probably wasn’t even aware of the affect his indifference to the girl had on Leila.“I know he wouldn’t have. You’re not giving him a chance, Leila. You’re so sure he’s going to disappoint you and hurt you that you’re looking for fault. Looking to push him away.” I take her hand in mine, trying for mature and direct. Sarah can be the soft one, I need Leila to see sense.“Did you confront him?” Sarah is watching her with the same expression as me, maybe she’s decided logical is the best route too.“Of c
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The DJ nods at Leila and seems to put on whatever request she has made as she moves back with a satisfied fake smile on that little face.The sound of Pink “So What!” starts flowing across the room and I know Leila is trying to convey to Daniel that she doesn’t care one iota about his presence. She’s in full defensive mode and the walls are up. Her song choice is one of attitude and I don’t need you.So definitively Leila She’s obviously found her spark again and Daniel better bring his backbone.She turns to saucily saunter away from the DJ booth and I’m drawn to the fact that Daniel is almost upon her, catching her arm mid-stride, she recoils and tries to haul it from him. But he just keeps a strong hold tugging her back with him by the wrist to the booth. His arm stretched out as she tries to go the opposite way, but he k
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“Come on, baby, let’s get you home.” He kisses me gently on the temple and for once I’m not arguing, I’m completely exhausted and happy to be going home to curl up with him. I can’t imagine anything more tempting in the world.He pulls me up with him and starts looking around for something.“I didn’t bring a coat if that’s what you’re looking for.” I yawn again, ignoring the look of irritation pass over his brow. He picks up his leather jacket and puts it on me instead. I smile, especially when he tugs me forward to zip me up like a child. I get a tiny vision in my head of Jake doing this for his child. He’s an absolute natural and I can’t help but notice the sheer envy on the two brunettes faces at the way he’s tending to me.“Danny? I’m taking Emma home.” Daniel lifts his bottle in acknowledgment over Leila’s head then goes back to saying something close
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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
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