The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 159

He drinks three shots to my one for a couple of rounds until I protest, a lot. He’s being evasive and as much as I try to bring up the mysterious Ben, he just blanks it completely. I’m already drunk and anymore I’ll be unable to walk at all. Jake switches to vodka on the rocks and hands me a fruity cocktail which I leave on the bar for fear of passing out. He’s avoiding conversation, so I let the subject lie, trying to get glimpses of Leila’s brother when Jake’s not looking at me to figure out who the heck he is.

Daniel appears and swings an arm around Jake’s neck from behind, whispering something close to his ear that makes Jake frown. He turns his back on me in Daniel’s hold and the two of them lower heads to one another and carry on the conversation in hushed tones. They look strangely cute yet totally male in that hunched way and even though he’s being uncharacteristically weird, I try to ignore it.

“Dance!” Leila demands appearing with another girl in tow and grabbing my hand, her eyes dart at the huddled pair and for a moment, I note a flicker of pain. Then defiant Leila brews up in its place and the smile is pasted back on.

You go, girl!

“Sure thing.” I beam, I turn, tugging the back of Jake’s shirt to alert him to the fact I’m leaving. He turns as I’m motioning the dance floor and he smiles, kisses me quickly on the cheek and turns back to Daniel, who has the bar filling up with doubles and shots in front of them.

Oh boy, from sober to plastered in the shortest time ever. Looks like that’s what he intends to do.

* * *

“Wow.” I scream as Leila spins me for the third time sending me wheeling across the narrow area we have chosen as a dance space; the place is jam packed and bumping into random strangers is inevitable. I catch Jake looking over from the group of men he’s encompassed within and smile at him. He smiles back but there’s a tension about him that wasn’t there before. I’m pulled back by Leila minutes later, before being thrust out in a twirl and colliding with someone hard.

“Ouch” I yelp as strong hands come up to steady me. I pull myself from the person, apologizing profusely and stand on my own two feet. Hard to do when you’re extremely drunk and I’m sure I’m slurring. I look up into the face of the tall dark wall of collision and I’m surprised by the resemblance to Jake, it’s almost eerie, although, where Jake is casual sexy with designer stubble and green eyes this one has a clean-shaven face and blue eyes and more of a James Bond thing going for him. He smiles at me and extends a hand.

“A proper introduction … I’m Ben Huntsberger … Leila’s brother.” He smiles and I’m glad to see that he doesn’t have Jake’s heart-wrenching ‘I’m too hot’ smile, he doesn’t compare at all and his smile seems somehow all too white and all too engineered in that fake tan glow on his skin. Jake’s tan is at least real, even without the sun, he has that Italian olive skin coloring anyway.

“Emma Anderson.” I shake his hand and quickly pull away, not liking the feel of his skin on mine, somehow it feels wrong to be touched by him and sends a weird unease through me. Jake aside, I still cringe at men touching me.

“She’s told me a lot about you.” He grins at me and I get the distinct impression he’s trying to flirt. I lower my brows, narrow my eyes suspiciously and move back, feeling a little uncomfortable. There’s that same thing with him that I get with most men, most men except Jake. I never ever felt it with him, not even from the start. An off feeling of mistrust.

“Most of it’s probably not true … She likes to embellish.” I smile tightly, making sure I don’t encourage him in any way, I know his type.

“I’m sure it’s all true.” His eyes wander up my legs and over my body before taking a second too long on my cleavage. “She tells me you’re Jake’s girlfriend?” there’s that inner wave of bile and unease. He’s making my skin crawl, but I don’t get a chance to answer when I’m tugged back harshly into a hard chest and a very irate Jake, holding my upper arm almost painfully.