The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 181

Just great!

I like Arrick’s girlfriend, I guess, she’s sweet and shy and despite being maybe five years younger than me it’s striking how similar we look. Both with tawny hair, highlighted to blonde in waves, both small and busty with soft gray blue eyes. I guess the Carrero brothers have a type. The only obvious difference I can see is she seems incredibly shy and mousy whereas I’m more of a silent, outwardly confident type by manufacture. She shadows me to the loungers and seems relieved to get a seat right beside me on the double bed.

Jake and Arrick strip off across the other side of the pool, so different in build. Arrick is athletic and young with a lot of lean muscle to his frame whereas Jake is all hard ridges, muscle, and manliness. There is a lot more of him next to his smaller sibling. He throws me a look and a smile that screams ‘game on’ and then dives expertly into the water, closely followed by his equally stunning younger brother.

“Wow, Jake has a lot of tattoos.” Cara exclaims, watching the men in wonder. I glance over at her and get that familiar hint of jealousy starting to rise from my stomach. Her eyes are wide with appreciation and her mouth parted; I can see she’s starting to pant.

For god’s sake.

“Yeah, I guess … He got them all in his later teens I think.” We have never really talked about the tribal ink across his upper torso and scattered down his arms. I know he also has one on his upper back spreading across his shoulder blades, all black and no color.

“It’s kind of hot, I wonder if Arrick would get some?” she whispers dreamily watching the two swimming easily across the pool before splashing water at each other. I can hear Jake’s laugh echo my way and it makes my insides clench.

Is it now? Want to put your eyes back in your head sweetie?

“I’m sure his parents wouldn’t be impressed,” I respond flatly. “I know they both hate Jake’s.” Which isn’t entirely dishonest. I know they had both given him a lot of grief about them at first, but no one seemed to notice the additions in later years. Jake mentioned wanting a new tattoo briefly only recently.

“What’s to hate? I mean on that body they only accentuate things.” She grins, then immediately drops it when she catches my look, inner green-eyed me scowling unnecessarily. I know it’s normal to check out Jake, everyone does it, but I don’t need someone sitting beside me verbalizing it. Especially not someone so young and beautiful with an obvious resemblance to me. A younger less fucked-up model.

That’s called severe insecurity, Emma!

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” She adds hastily. “How long have you been dating?” She asks quietly, obviously trying to make amends for the eye ogling, her eyes still on the water and the now swimming men.

“A while,” I answer, contemplating poking her in the eyeballs. In truth not long at all but as Jake always tells me this relationship started long before it did and I’m happy to let her believe it.

Marking your territory?

“Wow, so like as in real dating, not just sex?” She looks impressed. Her eyes once again flicking to him as he pulls out of the water at the far side. A vision of slick muscle and gorgeousness.

Maybe you need a poke in the brain, followed by a sharp poke in the throat!

“If you’re asking if we’re serious then yes, I live with him. He loves me.” I point out flatly and turn to the magazines on the low table, picking the first on the pile. Trying to act indifferent to her and succeeding. Something I was always good at.

“How did you manage that? I heard Jake was a hopeless womanizer, more chance of getting blood from a stone.” She looks me up and down and I can tell she’s comparing us as she pushes her bust out and rearranges her legs on the lounger.

I swear, honey, you’re going to meet the water in a second and I’m sure swimming will be hard with my foot on your head.

“I didn’t do anything; Jake is the one who pursued me … Relentlessly.” I smile to myself, even though our relationship is far more complex, it sounds good to summarize it that way. I glance over at him and see his smile turned our way, that same inner heat hitting me with the contact and distracting my crazy jealousy for a second. I still my response and just raise an eyebrow at him instead.

He’s the one keeping his distance, he doesn’t get a smile for it.