The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 283

Jake walked to the minibar and found himself mixing up one of Leila’s cocktails as he looked down at what he was doing, stupefied for a moment. Literally no idea how getting her a glass of water had turned to this in his head. The only thing he could think was that he was subconsciously trying to impress her, or on some deeper level had decided she simply wasn’t a girl you gave water to. She was somehow much classier than ice water. Maybe it had been that heady, fruity, slightly sweet perfume clinging around her that had made him move to start fixing one of Leila’s girly combos for her. He literally had no idea what he was doing anymore.

Downing a quick gin to get his head straight, he took back the drink to the awaiting distraction. Margo was regarding him with a really odd expression, probably wondering why the hell he was trying to get his new PA drunk if the clinking of bottles was anything to go by.

Be damned if he had a fucking clue. He was acting all kinds of crazy.

“Here you go.” She looked completely lost in thought, and he felt completely out of his depth. He was a guy who had no problems with being in the company of the fairer sex, yet he was acting like an idiot. He decided to perch on his desk, put some distance between them and put all of this down to still being half drunk and crazily horny from last night. He dated women twice her height; confident, boring models, and women with their own money. Women who knew what causal sex and having a good time was all about and he knew how to read women effortlessly—until this one.

She was tightly closed and completely unreadable, no hint of anything at all. No signs of interest, in fact, the complete opposite and her mannerisms and movements were so precisely graceful and swan-like, he felt he was the one being scrutinized for a job. He figured this was the problem right here. She made him uncomfortable because he had no way of knowing how to play her at all. And playing woman in all sorts of games was pretty much his forte.

“Thank you, Mr. … Jake.” She looked at him for a second and again he got that stomach jerk reaction he was seriously starting to dislike. He needed to distract himself, maybe stop acting like a complete moron and remember he was her boss. He was versed in the art of conversation, and he just needed to get some sort of professional relationship set in his mind and push this nonsense out. She sipped her drink, and he caught the slight hint of confusion about the fact it was loaded with alcohol. He could only look at the floor, completely nonplussed about that too.

He had nothing.

“So, Emma? Margot tells me you’ve worked here for just over five years?” His mind gazed back to her file, coming completely clear in his head. He could focus on what he had read and quiz her a little. His photographic memory served some purpose anyway. It was better than undressing her mentally.

“Yes, I’ve worked on various floors, but mainly tenth.” She placed her glass on the table and Jake immediately wondered if she disliked it, if maybe he should fix her something else, and then stopped himself.

Seriously, what the fuck are you doing? This isn’t a date in which you need to please her … She’s here to impress you as your next goddamn assistant.

He was seriously starting to get annoyed with himself.

“You were Jack Dawson’s assistant for a while?” He frowned trying so hard to focus on what he was meant to be doing, business head being screwed on firmly and the calming of hormones with a seriously stern hand.

“Yes, Mr. Dawson.” He watched her forced smile and got the strong impression she hated Dawson but was too polite to say it. He wondered what the guy had done to deserve that kind of dislike and hoped to hell he avoided doing the same thing. Maybe leering at her and thinking about bending her over his desk wasn’t exactly going about warming her to him in the right way. If Dawson, the creep, had been openly ogling her then he could pretty much assure he wouldn’t be caught doing the same, Dawson was known for making women feel uncomfortable.

He felt a sense of confusion at the irritation thinking of Dawson openly eye raping her gave him. Girls like Emma were classier than the intentions of some sleazy fuck who thought he had a given right to heavy breathe over them.