The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 258

“Come on, baby, let’s get you home.” He kisses me gently on the temple and for once I’m not arguing, I’m completely exhausted and happy to be going home to curl up with him. I can’t imagine anything more tempting in the world.

He pulls me up with him and starts looking around for something.

“I didn’t bring a coat if that’s what you’re looking for.” I yawn again, ignoring the look of irritation pass over his brow. He picks up his leather jacket and puts it on me instead. I smile, especially when he tugs me forward to zip me up like a child. I get a tiny vision in my head of Jake doing this for his child. He’s an absolute natural and I can’t help but notice the sheer envy on the two brunettes faces at the way he’s tending to me.

“Danny? I’m taking Emma home.” Daniel lifts his bottle in acknowledgment over Leila’s head then goes back to saying something close to her mouth that makes her smile and she kisses him gently. Completely enamored, all signs of feisty Leila dissipated, this tame snugly version far more her somehow. Hunter has one hand on her ass, the other on his bottle but his eyes are all for her.

Maybe they have a chance this time.

“Sarah, you can come now, or you can let Jefferson come for you when you want to go? Danny has his number.” Jake nods toward her and she grins back at him, shamelessly drunk.

So much for going easy on the booze.

“This here is Delilah; she’s taking me home as we’re both from Queens.” She beams a little too drunkenly and Jake doesn’t smile back. He takes his caretaking role very seriously.

“Then you won’t mind if Jefferson takes both of you, it’s non-negotiable.” He’s obviously in no-nonsense mode, thinking practically, looking after my friend, and dismissing her wishes.

I love him!

“Okay, okay, keep your hair on.” Sarah laughs, good humoredly, and I Jake relaxes. “I don’t know how you put up with him being so bossy.” Sarah smirks at me but I just curl myself around him and snuggle in.

“Because I like it for the most part,” I mumble, as his arm tightens around me appreciatively and he lovingly kisses the top of my head.

Jake leads me out through the milling people, and we head toward the main entrance of the bar. His hand is entangled with mine and his jacket warm around me smells of him, in a very sexy manner that has my tiredness giving way to something naughtier.

Thoughts of Jake in the back of the car are sweeping through my head at a hundred miles an hour and I’m suddenly so eager to get him alone. Drunk Jake is usually a lot of kinky fun and far less cautious of being gentle.

“Jake?” A male voice cuts into my thoughts, the instant aggressive stiffening of Jake’s entire body alerts me to him as we stop in the foyer. He turns and looks over his shoulder at the direction of the voice and scowls with a deathly glare I’ve only seen on him once before. I gulp and turn as I see who invokes that reaction. My stomach hitting the floor and instant apprehension prickling my skin.

Ben Huntsberger. Oh shit.

He’s making his way toward us from across the room and he looks anything but friendly. Jake tugs me behind him in a heartbeat and seems to grow about two feet as he rounds in front of me, putting himself between me and Ben like he’s posturing for a fight and the waves of sheer terror move in.

“What the fuck do you want?” Jake growls and snarls; it’s the most unnerving sound in the world. His body bristling with sheer aggressive tension and I start to feel afraid. Last time Ben appeared, Jake shoved me out of the way, not once but twice.

Am I in danger of being roughly handled again?

The coldness sweeps through me at the thought of what harm an innocent push could do to the child inside of me, my hand instantly comes up to cover my stomach protectively. I start to try to free my hand from his grip in panic, wriggling my fingers to be released and pulling back.

Jake, feeling my attempts to disentangle, seems to sense my unease and looks back at me with a slight softening to the look he’s throwing Ben’s way. His eyes go to the hand on my belly and back to my face with an intense gaze.

“Emma, no! You know … I’d never …” He utters softly to me, a moment of tenderness in his eyes, reassurance during the cyclone rearing its ugly head.

Still. I’m scared.

“I need to talk to you.” Ben finally comes level, seemingly more agitated than aggressive, despite Jake’s posturing and bristling like an alpha male. He has none of the scowling smug behavior of last time we saw him and looks directly into Jake’s eyes confidently. They are matched in height and being stuck in a corridor behind them is not exactly my idea of a good night at all.

“What the fuck would I have to say to you?” Jake’s being charmingly Carrero. No fake politeness or friendliness, just direct and to the point.

“Look I know we have a history but right now I need you to put that aside, because we have one big fucking thing in common and I need to talk to you.” Ben raises defensive palms raking his hand through overly neat hair, weirdly Jake-like. It’s crazy how much more they resemble one another, especially now that Ben’s hair is a little messier. I wonder how the hell that happens with two men who are completely unrelated.

“Oh … Congratulations, Emma.” Ben frowns and gazes at his glass again, both men mulling things over, trying to decide if Marissa’s pregnancy was planned or accidental.

“Thanks, Ben,” I reply shyly, noticing Jake’s unapproving glare toward Ben. I interrupt to break up whatever that look meant. “I think she got with you to ensure she would get pregnant and lied about the pill. She was making sure there would be a baby no matter what and she probably has no idea which of you it belongs too, hence the resemblance.” I carry on, instead of silently listening. My brain is whirring in chaos, trying to figure out if one woman could really be this cold and calculated.

Ben is as close to Jake in looks as earthly possible, so it would make sense to ensure that when she got pregnant, she would pick someone to resemble Jake. That way, when the baby came, he wouldn’t question paternity and possibly drop the DNA request just on looks alone.

Was she that desperate to link herself to him for a lifetime that she would do this?

How could any woman have so very little morals or self-decency?

“She’s turned down the DNA request enough times.” Jake cuts in before Ben can answer, his mind slowly turning over my theory. I can see it in his face, the same one used to churn over business proposals that I thought might be of benefit to his company.

Both men regard one another for a second, some strange look transpiring before them, and Ben sighs heavily. The atmosphere is weirdly calm considering these two are at the same table and the topic is Marissa.

“I’m sorry, Jake … Not for this shit, but for the past, for letting her get inside my head making me believe she meant more to me than our friendship did.” Ben looks defeated and remorseful sitting with a bowed head and sad expression.

My breath catches in my throat as a hit of emotion inside of me flashes, at this sudden apology right out of the blue.

Jake pauses and stiffens, exhaling loudly, before sitting back in his seat.

“You were in love with her … I thought I was too.” He shrugs quietly looking at Ben with absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

Thought? Meaning he never really was?