The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 144

He opens it once he pulls the pants on and stops to talk to whoever is on the outside, keeping it closed enough to conceal the bedroom, conceal me in stages of undress. I can only hear mumbles. I wait with my towel around me, unsure if I should dress, unsure if he’ll come back to what we were doing. My body feels like liquid, I’m sure if I look in the mirror I’ll be glowing and flushed and showing signs of having been ravaged. I’m breathless as hell and overheated.

He laughs, and it catches my attention. I love his laugh, it’s so deep and carefree and male, yet there’s a hint of boyishness to his normally husky tone when he laughs. I could close my eyes and listen to it forever.

He shuts the door and turns around to see where I’ve gone, his gaze returning to lust when he catches me still draped in my skimpy covering. I’m surveying my clothes in the open cupboard in a bid to decide if I’m to get dressed or get back on the bed. He inhales deeply as though trying to calm his inner libido with a hint of disappointment on his face.

“We need to continue this later … I forgot Daniel was here.” He grins, and I flush with embarrassment.

Oh, my god, how loud was I? Did he hear that?

I’m beyond mortified.

“He’s coming to LA with me, bella … Seeing as you won’t.” He throws me a wary look but I only nod. Trying to ignore that remark. I don’t like Daniel much right now, I don’t like his influence over Jake, well the influence he had in the past, before us, and I don’t like the fact he’s just royally hurt my friend. We still have to talk about that.

I need to show Jake that I’m capable of trusting him; up until now it’s been easy, we’ve been together every second, there hasn’t been a need to test the limits of my trust. Going to LA with Daniel is going to be a test and it terrifies me. I don’t want my inner doubts and anxiety to affect my relationship with him, my mind acting as my own worst enemy and obsessing over the man-whore he used to be, especially when he’s going to see her.

“When will you get back?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation to neutral territory, to avoid any subject that may let jealous Emma rear her head and show her full ugliness.

“I’m leaving around four, it’s about a six-hour flight, so if I leave LA same time tomorrow, I should get home between eleven and midnight.” He walks over to me pulling out a red dress from my wardrobe, one he chose for me to wear the first time we ever went to his father’s boat as friends. “Here … I like this on you.” He hands it to me and kisses me on the cheek with a look that says ‘please’. He knows better than to make demands on my choices, but I don’t mind a gentle nudge if it makes him happy. It’s a knee length summer dress with a floaty over skirt, a bit formal for lounging around the apartment. He chose this long before I was even more than just his PA and I glance at him quizzically.

“We’re all going out for breakfast,” he answers. “Seems this apartment echoes a little too much, amante, and Daniel is threatening to come in and hose us down if we keep at it. What can I say? He’s a little jealous that you get to have all of this.” He gestures down his naked torso with a wink and I just roll my eyes in response. He bends down, fishing out the silver sandal wedges I wore with this dress on the boat, I’m awed at his memory and smile as he hands them to me. The fact he remembered makes me all warm and gooey inside.

He really was enamored back then to remember every detail of my outfit.

I reach in and pull out a soft gray cardigan for over the top of the dress, it’s short and fitted and feels like cashmere; another Donna Moore purchase on Jake’s expense account, his personal shopper for all things Emma-related, it seems. It’ll take some of the formal out of the look and ward against the slight chill in the air.

He walks off to the other wardrobe door and yanks out his trademark black shirt and jeans, a leather jacket I haven’t seen before, with racing logo badges on one sleeve and a pair of black laced boots. I love him as sexy casual Carrero more than I like him in suits, it goes more with his bad boy look and youth, makes him less intimidating and more approachable. He walks off with his clothes into the bathroom leaving the door open and the buzz of his shaver goes on. He never fully shaves, just keeps his stubble trimmed for that sexy, designer look. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without a five o’clock shadow since the day I met him. Margo, my old mentor and now his PA once more, told me that he feels like he looks like a kid when he shaves it all off, that clean-shaven baby-faced look is just so not him anyway. It also doesn’t last as his dark hair and Italian roots means it grows in fast through the day and never fully looks gone, even if he were to have a wet shave.

I dress quickly, brushing out my damp hair and blow drying it fast, the one good thing about my shorter wavy hair is it requires no maintenance, it styles itself. I throw on the most basic of make-up and a spritz of perfume and am ready by the time he walks out of the bathroom, fully clothed and smelling divine. He looks me up and down appreciatively.

“Beautiful, as always, mia cara.” He takes my hand and brings it to his mouth, gently kissing my knuckles in a very gentlemanly fashion. “Have you got everything?” His eyes focus on mine, today they look hazy, softer green with hints of silver flecks, relaxed and happy. I nod, lifting my handbag from the floor with my free hand and follow him out of the room into the sitting room.