The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 237

Maybe Jake’s come to the realization too, that going back to how it was just isn’t going to be an option for me, for us. His taking over work and leaving me alone is almost a sign that really, deep down, he doesn’t want me to go back down that path either. Jake is a lot happier not bringing work between us, knowing the stress and arguments it could cause again.

He’s taken a back seat compared to how he used to work, allowing Margo and her team do both our jobs. I know she now has six people under her control, all taking various positions and responsibilities, allowing Jake to be able to wander in and out freely and deal with only the most important things. Jake’s head is no longer embroiled in the Carrero Corporation. It’s here with me, most of the time, and our future family. He engineered his work routine to dissipate as it gets closer to the baby coming and I know he fully intends staying put and going nowhere in the last month of my pregnancy or the first six months of our baby’s life. That’s why he’s spending so much time now sorting and organizing things in Manhattan. There’s no real place for me in that role anymore, even if he wanted there to be.

“I want to do this on my own, Jake, whatever it is. I don’t want you throwing money at me in a bid to make it happen for me. I don’t need your money.” I gaze up at that expressive face and sense the protest coming by the slight tension in his jawline. He shifts around to face me, bringing a knee between us on the bed, letting me go so he can sit full-on and lock eyes. Mr. Let’s talk business. mode.

“Emma, you need to do something for me if I’m to accept this.” He holds up the letter and throws it onto the bed carelessly. He doesn’t even look as he does it, just eyes on me.

“What?” I’m waiting for negotiator and manipulator to move in, but he sighs instead. He has a look on his face that shows no fight at all just my beautiful man and so much love shining back at me.

“Accept that the money is a part of who I am. It’s what I’ve always known, how I was raised. It influenced my lifestyle, my character, and my abilities, seeped into every part of the person you love. I never knew any different and I probably never will, so when you constantly push it away, you’re pushing away a part of me. I’ve always known the money was never something you pursued but you need to accept that it’s going to always be a part of our lives and our kids” lives too. I can accept every part of you, Emma, scars, and all, so you need to accept this part of me and maybe even enjoy it a little. I worked hard to make my own money away from my father. Not a penny I have has come from him since I was twenty-one years old. I wanted it that way and now I want for you to revel in it a little too.” He looks at me so very seriously that I find myself shifting closer to him, so I can feel our bodies touching for comfort. I slide my hand into his on his lap, entangling our fingers.

I regard him thoughtfully, absorbing everything he’s saying, and I myself sag a little with the realization that he’s right. I fell in love with that high-profile, rich CEO, with his expensive clothes and suave cocky attitude, and overbearing demeanor. Truth be told, a part of me always liked his lifestyle because it did make him so much more powerful and sexy and had women swooning at his feet. I’ve had some seriously combusting panties for his car anyway and it all somehow collided together to make the man sitting in front of me. As much as I always knew I would have him without it all, I can’t deny he probably wouldn’t be the same person if he’d had a different path in life.

Jake’s confidence and authority comes from this lifestyle, his public persona is molded from a life in the limelight, his attention to his body and attire has become second nature, looking hot all the time to meet the demands of the media.

His heart and soul didn’t stem from wealth but everything else around his personality has been molded by it, even his spoiled child attitude and inability to back down. He grew up never wanting for anything and never having to wait or earn what he wanted in younger life. He has a spoiled little boy spark inside of him because of all that, which created his impulsive nature.

I need to accept that turning down his money because of some stupid moral pride is ridiculous. I sigh, knowing that if he was just a man with a normal bank balance then I would accept his financial support, so this is no different.

I need to get off my moral high ground and accept that I want to marry a billionaire with a default setting of generous. I need to get used to it or leave him. If credit cards, overindulgent gifts, and trips are part of what Jake is offering me then I’d better suck it up and stop being so goddamn stupid.

“I’ll try.” I smile knowing I’ve already backed down, but he doesn’t need to know that. Some fun is always to be had turning Jake down from time to time. I can’t really let him get away with thinking $10,000 dresses thrown my way should ever be normal. I tingle as his hands slide up my arms to rest on my shoulders.

“Good. Because I brought you home a beautiful and slightly expensive dress to take you out to dinner tomorrow night and I would be really gutted if I had to take it back.”

Really? A dress! After what I was just thinking? He never changes …

“If you’re using the word expensive then I don’t even want to know how much it cost, Jake.” I sigh with complete deflation. Jake is someone who considers a couple thousand dollars as pocket change. Expensive to him makes my head ache.

This is going to be so much harder to get used too than I thought. For a start, I already own way too many of Jake’s expensive dresses, I swear he has some sort compulsion in buying me one almost weekly.

The dress is spectacular as are the shoes he bought with it. Like a good little girl, I don’t attempt any sort of rejection when he brings the boxes in from the car with the sweetest expression on his face. He looks almost boyish and a little excited.