The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO) novel Chapter 289

“Some little seafood place Marissa knows.” He tried to keep his tone even at saying her name. He usually avoided any use of the curse word and it felt like broken glass in his mouth.

“I want to get my haircut while we’re here … Do you think there are any hairdressers on the mainland?” Jake had the instant urge to tell her she didn’t need to change her hair, he liked it the way it was so he looked away toward Leila in hopes of hiding the frown on his face. He didn’t like the thought of her changing anything about how she was. You couldn’t improve on perfection.

“Leila will know … She comes here a lot.” Jake nodded toward his childhood friend, hoping to God Leila wouldn’t push Emma into some radical hairdo; he knew her only too well. She was wandering around wearing a top, and for the first time he noticed the other two were not. Completely topless and he suddenly felt pissed. If topless men could make Emma uneasy, then that sure as hell would do it too, he wanted to throw towels over both of them.

“You know Marissa well?” Her voice broke into his thoughts and he felt himself freeze. He had never expected this question to come from her and the last thing he wanted her to know was anything about his past with Marissa. How the hell she had even picked up on anything was beyond him, he sure as hell wasn’t putting out any signals where that harpy was concerned.

“Once.” He felt his pulse quicken and his head going into evasive mode. He didn’t want to dredge up the past and admit he had been too blind to realize his teen girlfriend and best mate had been fucking behind his back and sent him into a few years of booze, drugs, idiotic behavior, and woman. He didn’t want Emma knowing that part of him, or tying him to the bitch on deck. He wanted her to see him as he was now, the person he was with her anyway, the better version of himself. He found himself scowling Marissa’s way with his back to Emma, Marissa caught his eye and, licking her lips seductively, she squirmed toward him. Even from here he could pick up her fuck me signals and he just scowled back.

Not a chance, princess.

“Want to come for a swim with me?” He threw back at Emma. He wanted to get as far away from the slut eyeing him up and away from the topic about her. He needed time alone to help his girl relax. Away from all this naked skin. He turned back to her open expression and had the instant urge to stroke her hair back from her face. His sunglasses did look good on her, a little big but adorably cute.

“Now?” She sounded apprehensive.

“Why not?” Jake smiled, hoping to make her feel more at ease. He needed to get her to unwind a little and he couldn’t do that here, tense with a pair of eyes on the back of his head trying to undress him mentally. They needed to leave the past on the deck on her lounger and go find a secluded beach to roam.

“Sure.” She smiled brightly, and he could hear Daniel kicking the tunes into a higher gear, looking back to the deck he could see the tell-tale signs of cocaine coming out, and he growled internally. He had fucking warned him against this shit while she was here. He didn’t do this crap anymore, and he wasn’t going to subject her to it either. He was glad to see Leila wander off deck, knowing she too was out of that whole scene. They had had their young, wild, and reckless days and left them far behind. Daniel needed to catch up. He noted that the twins and their dates seemed into it and put an arm around Emma’s shoulders. Guiding her to the side, he waited until she undid her sarong and hung it up before diving in first to make sure he would be in the sea to help her if she needed him when she dove in.

* * *