The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 251

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 but dating her has made it so much worse.” Daniel admits, seemingly confused that finally loving his girl would intensify what she does to him.

“Is the therapy helping?” I nudge in with a lighter, warmer tone, and Daniel turns to me, expression a little young and tired and more than a little bewildered.

“Yes, I guess, and no … Well it’s bringing up a lot of shit I need to deal with, but Leila’s been with me twice and when she’s there I dunno, it doesn’t mess me up as bad.” He shrugs, as though just the thought of her brings him some peace and the sudden flicker of heartache that runs across his face is a give-away of the fact he’s just realized it as the words came out of his own mouth.

“You know she won’t always be this way, she just

doesn’t trust you not to run again.” I soothe, a little more sympathetic at the real pain I’m seeing in his tropical blue eyes.

“Thing is, for the most part, I don’t actually mind Leila’s kind of crazy. She’s feisty and wild and stroppy as shit. Man, she’s got a temper and a hell of a right hook. I kinda dig it though … It’s the silences and not letting me near her when we fight that’s killing me. Not knowing what’s going on in that head of hers and having her freeze me out of her life.” He sighs again and just looks tormented.

“She’s hiding.” Jake interjects. “She’s probably just as messed-up as you are right now.” His husky soft tone as he watches his best friend gives me all sort of horny thoughts, and I shift to a sitting position crossing my legs. I catch Jake’s smirk and realize he knows exactly what I’m thinking about.

Jerk.

Daniel frowns, staring emptily down at his hands; he has a fidgeting tell like Jake has, and he starts picking at his other thumb nail.

“I don’t know how to do this, Jake … but I don’t want to just walk away. I’ve spent years trying to run from how I felt about her, but I can’t outrun it anymore. I can’t do it … I need her … But I know her, she won’t see me or talk to me.”

Both men fall silent as they contemplate the best way to deal with Leila and an idea hits me, a self-serving, killing two birds with one stone kind of idea.

“Sarah and I could take her out. Then casually run into you both, that way she would have no choice but to see you and she wouldn’t suspect that I side with you and set her up.” I smile innocently and flutter my lashes Jake’s way with an innocent smile.

Jake frowns at me and I know what Mr. Protective-father-to-be is thinking, I focus on him intently, seeing that frown deepening and I don’t think this is going down well at all.

“You could run into us almost as soon as we arrive, and molly coddle the shit out of me, Jake, so don’t worry about my being out on the town in such a delicate condition.” I smirk at him and he has the nerve to smirk back only confirming what is running through that beautiful head.

What am I going to do with him?

“It could work, Leila wouldn’t suspect a set up at a club. If Jefferson drops you at the door, we could meet you at the other side.” His intense look boring into me, makes me sigh. He’s trying to make it very clear that I am not allowed out of his sight.

We’ll see.

“You’re only going to get worse the bigger this gets, aren’t you?” I point at my slightly fuller stomach, decidedly less flat these last couple days.

“Count on it.” Jake lifts his eyebrows at me as though challenging me on the subject before he turns back to Daniel.

“What do you say? You want to see her this way?” Jake gives up on making coffee and leans on the counter instead, those glorious biceps straining at the fabric on his arms.

Oh man. Hot flushes.

“Any way is better than no way man. I fucking miss her so much already.” Daniel sighs and drops his head into his palms between his knees and scratches his head, then sitting back up he looks at Jake, then at me with so much pain in his face.

“How soon can we do this? I can’t stand the agony of waiting.”