The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 256

“He didn’t exactly push her off, the way Jake would for you. No beat it or fuck off, he just stood there watching her gyrating at him with her hands on his chest. Then it hit me, if I wasn’t there then he would’ve totally fucked her.” She brings a red-rimmed set of heartbroken eyes to me and I sigh. I know how soul destroying that kind of insecurity can be. Hunter probably wasn’t even aware of the affect his indifference to the girl had on Leila.

“I know he wouldn’t have. You’re not giving him a chance, Leila. You’re so sure he’s going to disappoint you and hurt you that you’re looking for fault. Looking to push him away.” I take her hand in mine, trying for mature and direct. Sarah can be the soft one, I need Leila to see sense.

“Did you confront him?” Sarah is watching her with the same expression as me, maybe she’s decided logical is the best route too.

“Of course, in grand crazy bitch fashion, the stupid me who has been giving him hell for weeks.” she sighs and sinks even lower in her seat. “I told him to fuck off, we were done, and I threw my drink at him. Told him to take the whore if that’s what he wanted.” A blush of red surges over her delicate features as she cringes at the memory; at least she has the sense to realize she acted like an insane woman.

“Jealousy is a killer.” I point out, knowing fine well I probably would’ve kicked Jake’s ass if it’d been me. Jealousy makes us irrational, seeing red no matter how innocent the situation.

“Well, aren’t we little angelic bundles of insecurity?” Sarah chirps in with a smile, patting Leila’s hand. “I once threw an entire plate of pasta at Marcus in a restaurant because some ex-girlfriend kissed him on the cheek when she came by to say hi.” She shrugs as a matter of fact.

“I tried to convince Jake I was climbing into another guy’s bed because I heard a girl in the background when he was on the phone to me.” I also shrug. The three of us regard each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. Even Leila laughs and wipes her smudgy eyes.

“None of that is healthy at all.” Leila looks deflated. “But it makes me feel less insane. I know I flew off the handle, but honestly, this is so hard. Daniel has made an art out of fucking my head up for the last ten years and now he’s doing it again. I’m so scared that one of these days he’s going to turn around and be like … “This ain’t for me, kitten.” She does a very good Hunter impression, alarmingly so, even the way she tilts her head and raises a palm.

“Have you ever thought about not being so hostile and giving him a genuine chance? Letting him in a little so that maybe he won’t want to turn and run?” Now it’s my turn to pat Leila’s hand and she sighs as the bar tender nudges in with a round of drinks, leaving his card in full view in front of Leila, cockily and a little too smoothly. A move Jake would’ve pulled off a hundred times more seductively.

“Call me.” He winks at her, before wandering back off back to the bar, with a smile. All three of us watch him go with equally unamused expressions. He’s tall like Hunter, overly muscular and blonde, but way less appealing. He has an I’m in love with myself, so I bet you are too aura about him, making him unattractive instantly.

“Arse,” Leila retorts, dumping the card over her shoulder toward the floor, no care to the fact that he can still see her.

“So, if sexy barmen dropping their card on your lap are not going to cut it then what next?” Sarah is the one trying to decipher Leila’s thoughts now, appraising her intensely.

“Guess you better tell the assholes they can come in

then and at least try to pretend to look surprised at seeing

us here.” She mumbles, sitting up straight, and taking

a steadying breath. Fingers in her hair, tidying it up, self-consciously.

* * *

As soon as Leila knew they were coming she lost courage and high tailed it to the ladies’ room alone, telling us she needed a minute to breathe and fix her face. I know the men won’t take long to get here, knowing Jake they are probably camped out on the bar doorstep. He’s probably wearing out a hole in the pavement from frantic pacing.

Sarah and I sip our drinks watching the scenery, chatting non-descriptively, in the few minutes it takes that sexy six-foot two Adonis to come swaggering in, making my insides liquefy. He has the same effect on me every time I see him. He makes everyone else disappear, with just an appearance, like watching him course through the crowds at the Charity Ball all over again and my heart soars.

He spots us with his eagle-eyed observation and immediately turns our way with Hunter behind him. Some little brunette appears, stopping their progress, waving her hands and hips at him and a frown crosses Jake’s face as he looks down at whatever she’s saying. He gently and firmly puts a hand on her shoulder, pushing her aside without another glance, and he just keeps coming toward me.

Suddenly, I get what Leila meant. She wanted some sort of sign that Daniel was hers, not just weird angry dating and sex. She wanted to see him show loving possession in subtle ways like Jake just did. The girl was a test in Leila’s messed-up head, and he failed where Jake just succeeded.