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2024-10-29 19:42:56The song choice from me to Jake is playing across the floor surrounding us as we sway. We’re still wrapped up in each other our eyes focused intently. The swell of happiness between us is infectious and I don’t think either of us has stopped smiling since his dance-floor proposal an hour ago. I truly know happiness beyond all bounds. I wanted to reply to his song, after all it was our tradition, and in a grand fashion to match his, the DJ was more than happy to oblige when the orchestra finally took their leave.
Ella Henderson “Yours” plays beautifully across the room, telling him everything I want to say right now.
He sways me around the dance floor for the hundredth time, wrapped in his arms and smiling like crazy. Feeling like I could die from contentment. People were congratulating us the whole way through the meal and neither of us has managed to stop touching the other; smiling
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The Carrero Effect 228
“I’m not there yet, Leila. Okay? I’ve only just started getting my fucking head together but I’m doing this for you. Can’t you see that? I’m trying to sort my shit out, so I can be that guy who gives you love and commitment. I asked you to give me time and I fucking meant it. I wanted you to just give me a chance and wait for me. I fucking love you!” Daniel sounds ravaged and Leila’s stance crumbles a little. I open my mouth in shock at what he’s just said but Leila turns on him, accusingly, sheer anger in her little body as she tries to bring her height up to his by stretching.“So, I’m supposed to just hold my fucking breath and wait? For how long? Put my life on hold while you figure out if you really can give a shit about one woman? In the meantime, we do what, exactly? You still fucking around and me twiddling my thumbs?” She starts to cry as her words tumble o
The Carrero Effect 229
I stare at the cell in my hands for the hundredth time and sigh. My mother’s name is on the screen staring at me and I’ve contemplated pressing dial a million times. I should tell her about the baby and our engagement. She’s my mother and yet something inside of me is holding back. It’s been days since the restaurant and here I am sitting in the huge, empty garden of Sylvana’s home agonizing over what to do.Jake comes strolling out to me, carrying a blanket and a hot drink, coming level to my face with a look of adoration in his eyes. He drapes the blanket around my shoulders carefully and slides the mug in front of me kissing me on the temple.“Still undecided?” he asks gently, slipping onto the bench beside me and sits with it between his legs so he can face me and pull me close in between them, nuzzling me against him, cradling my head with his palm. His fingers thread themselves into my hair in the way he always does. I cl
The Carrero Effect 230
Jake holds the keys out in front of me, swinging his hand just out of reach like a torturous plaything and I lean up to swipe them. He lifts them higher and hits my mouth with a kiss when I try for a second time. He has a happy playful smirk on his face and his sexy stubbly jaw looks very delicious this morning to match his very good mood.“Stop tormenting me and open the damn door.” I giggle, and step back, folding my arms across my chest in a no-nonsense Carrero pose. I try to appear authoritative, but he just frowns and tweaks my nose in the most annoying way.“Ask me nicely.” He grins and lifts them higher above his head with a wicked look in his eye. He’s been like this since he got up and I’m enjoying the return of playful Jake. It’s been almost non-existent lately and I can only sigh at him.“Please, Jake … loving, gorge
The Carrero Effect 231
Jake groans against my neck as my hand closes around him inside his boxers. I almost jerk out of his hands with pleasure as his fingers find what I’ve wanted from him for weeks. Lack of touch down there has me at my most sensitive and I can tell already that I’ll cum the second he really is inside of me and not just those wickedly good fingers. Jake’s mouth captures mine again as he slides his hand in a rhythmic motion and I start the familiar internal building of hot waves and clenching pleasure. It’s happening too fast, weeks of not being touched is making my body long to climax. I’m over-sensitive and at this rate it’s going to be over before it’s started. I don’t want it that way. I want to savor this and enjoy it. I have him back, in his entirety, and I want it to be everything I’ve been dreaming of.“Jake wait.” I pant, as my legs start trembling. I don’t want it this way, I want us to get past this
The Carrero Effect 232
“I told you I needed to learn to forgive myself too and that’s what’s stopping me. I haven’t forgiven myself for hurting you. It doesn’t matter that you seem to be able to forgive me and love me. I still feel like a complete shitty asshole for what I did to you. I don’t deserve every part of you back, Emma. When I look at you it kills me that I hurt you, this perfect, angelic, trusting face, that looks at me like I’m her everything. Don’t you see how much it hurts to know the sadness you carried in these beautiful eyes for the past few months is because of me? Not some bastard from your past but me … That I hurt you, baby. I never wanted to be that guy to you. When you told me what happened to you, I swore to myself, right there and then, that I’d never do that to you. That I’d never do anything to put that look of devastation there again, but I did, and I saw it, and no matter how hard I’ve
The Carrero Effect 233
He gazes at me with the slow change of his eyes, from darkest green to pale as every doubt and thought starts consuming him. I push my head up and kiss him slowly and gently to stop the onslaught. He opens his mouth enough so I can slide my tongue in, and he follows me back down to the floor, so I can lie my head back. His touch raises the heat inside me once more to a soaring temperature, effortlessly and I start to let my hands roam him sexily. My kiss devouring him in the way he always consumes me, and he starts to respond. His body hardening against mine as his hands move down over my exposed breasts.I slide a hand between us and find him, urging him with strokes and caresses as he groans into my mouth, and I know I’m winning. I’m pushing away his doubts and indecisiveness, bringing him back to me again. I slide my legs apart, so he comes to nestle between them and wrap my thighs around his hips suggestively, securely,
The Carrero Effect 234
Jake is nibbling my neck and his hands are all over my breasts as we walk back to the Carrero family home. He’s walking behind me, making it impossible to get on at a decent pace while he’s groping the life out of me. I can’t stop giggling with every suck and nibble, and when his mouth finds my ear lobe, I sink back against him halting us in the street again. The pleasure overtaking me at being back in a world where Jake can’t keep his hands off me.We spent an alarmingly long time making up for wasted hormones by christening every room and almost every cupboard in our new home and now I’m tingling from every pore with the biggest radiant grin on my face. Jake has well and truly found his long-lost libido and by the last two rooms he was over his previous concerns about hurting babies or feeling guilty. The sex in those two rooms was hard and hot and taken from behind. I’m sure my skin is marked fro
The Carrero Effect 235
“When do we leave?” I roll onto my stomach to watch him. He yanks on sweatpants and throws a T-shirt over his head, covering up that gorgeous expanse of tattooed lusciousness. He’s obviously changed his mind about having the shower right now.“After you eat baby. I’ll have the housekeeper pack up food for the trip, still can’t have you flying so it’s a long drive back. Jefferson is coming with the Lexus so I can sit with you in the back.” He picks up a gray bathrobe and throws it beside me with a raised and suggestive eyebrow.Hmmmm sexy back seat time. I like this idea.“You’re very bossy this morning Mr. Carrero. I like seeing some of the old you kicking in.” I giggle as he comes crawling quickly across the bed to haul me onto my back, kissing me passionately. Caging me in with those glorious muscles assault
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The Carrero Effect 271
The Carrero Influence ~ The Dance ~ Jake shifted in his seat for the millionth time and tried once more to get his brain to focus on the laptop on the highly polished walnut surface. He just couldn’t keep himself on track lately. The sound of a female clearing her throat startled him to look up and the impatient stance of Margo waving a piece of paper with a raised eyebrow suggested she had been talking to him while he was zoned out. “Sorry. What?” He frowned and sighed heavily, pushing himself back into his molded leather chair and rolled up his shirt sleeves in agitation. “For God’s sake, Jacob. I’ve been here for three minutes talking at you. You need to just bloody well call her.” Margo’s stern tone did nothing to help his current mood, and he just shifted forward again to try to ignore that intent, chastising glare. He went to his laptop, ducking his head in an attempt to dodge her blue eyes and typed something aimlessly. “Don’t k
The Carrero Effect 270
The Carrero Influence~ The Elevator Scene ~Jake walked out of the boardroom meeting without any clue as to what he had just sat and endured for the last hour. Margo had been glaring his way and nudging him with her foot under the table every few minutes and making him all the more aware of how ‘out of it’ he was. He had been this way ever since his father’s email had come in, informing him that Emma was back in his building; Back within reach and he had no idea how to handle it. He didn’t know if he should be happy or panicked that he could just see her around his building again, he wasn’t sure how the hell to feel about it but couldn’t deny the slight feeling of hope in his chest that he could bump into her.If he was being honest, he hadn’t had his head in the game for weeks, not since he had sent her away and today was just another prime example of how ‘not well’ he was doing without her in his life.
The Carrero Effect 269
The Carrero Effect~ The Holiday: Part 2 ~Jake was searching under the water, too dark to see anything and scrambling with his hands at anything that felt like it could be Daniel. Panic gripping his stomach as he frantically surfaced for air and dove again. He had hit the water without a thought the second he knew Danny was in here. No cares that he was maybe too drunk for this and just endlessly searching despite his muscles aching and being so heavy he could barely move anymore. It felt like it had been hours instead of minutes and he still hadn’t found him. He wouldn’t give up on him, he wouldn’t lose his best friend this way.Surfacing for air quicker this time he took a moment to drag more into his burning lungs and wipe the water from his eyes. He could hear yelling from the deck, crying from Leila and other voices but he was fully zoned-in on the surface of the water looking for any signs of him.“He’s here, Mr. Carre
The Carrero Effect 268
The Carrero Effect~ The Holiday: Part 1 ~Jake strolled into his apartment and threw his bag down on the couch. It had been a long trip and an even longer week, but he suddenly felt restless at being back. Normally, getting home brought him all kinds of joy, but this time it felt slightly empty, and he actually wished they’d stayed at that damn dance just so he could still be with her right now. Pacing to the window and looking out across the New York skyline he ran his hand through his hair and cracked his neck in a bid to release some of the tension building up his spine. Flexing his arms over his head and straining the jacket holding him tight. He needed to get out of this monkey suit they called a tux and get comfy, maybe he just needed to feel less business-like and properly relax. Maybe he needed a drink.He needed to stop fixating on Emma; it wasn’t healthy, and the constant stream of thoughts he had about her was getting harder to control. S
The Carrero Effect 267 - Bonus Chapters
The Carrero Effect~ The First Meeting ~Jacob Carrero stood in his room in front of the large mirror over the vanity and warmed hair wax between his fingers, smirking at the familiar black and gold branded product on the wooden surface. His father was still lording over the decision to start a male grooming line with Jake’s face all over the advertising campaign; not that he cared. He was used to being publicly owned, always on show, and every woman’s idea of a fantasy male.Which guy wouldn’t? Women falling at your feet every day. Hell yeah.He rubbed it through his hair expertly and spiked it up toward the center and forward in its trademark style. He was never really one for much fussing over his hair, this kept it sorted and then he never had to care for the rest of the day or mess with it unless he ran his hands through and mussed it up. If he had his way, he would shave it all off, but he had done that in his teens and he
The Carrero Effect 266
I catch sight of some of my favorite women on the right-hand side of the aisle. Margo is wiping a tear from her eye and nudging Wilma in her side as both woman wave to me. They’re blowing their noses and crying as Donna throws tissues their way. My crazy trio of motherly hens. Donna’s mascara is pouring down her normally flawless face and I spot Rosalie wave from behind a very handsome man, grinning wildly and looping arms with him, a look of radiant happiness on her pretty face. I beam back at them with a tiny wave before moving on in time to the music, slow steps, with Giovanni leading the way.I catch sight of the Huntsbergers, my new extended family sitting close by and smile warmly at them. The row of adopted children and Huntsberger father looking so proud of his family. Ben and his baby son are near the end of the row. He’s is cuddling him proudly and looking every bit the doting dad. He is now the soul parent o
The Carrero Effect 265
“My son was in pain and hiding from what he wanted most,” he says so factually, looking down at me, “I put you back in his path, so he would stop being a coward.” Giovanni grins and all words leave my brain in an open-mouthed silent gawp; realization dawning on me so suddenly that I am literally rendered speechless.He sent me back to Carrero House? Making me believe that he was going to fire me if I didn’t … an ultimatum that led us to where we are now.Giovanni is admitting to maneuvering me back into Jake’s building, so we would end up back in each other’s arms, crafty jerk that he is. He giggles like a schoolboy at my obviously shocked expression and pats my hand tenderly over his inner elbow. That self-confident effortless look on a man who always sees all and knows everything.“No need to thank me, Emma.” He
The Carrero Effect 264
I smooth my hands down my ivory wedding dress. It’s classy elegance and understated top is lined with a simple sleeveless fitted bodice and tiny pearl detailing. It has a full wispy floating skirt, and layers and layers of chiffon puffing out to a full-length cloud of loveliness. It’s a fairy-tale princess dress and matches beautifully with the elegant engagement ring twinkling on my hand, sparkling in all its shining glory.I admire my flawless natural make-up in the mirror, touching up my nude lipstick. My tawny hair is wild and curled in its loose romantic style, tiny tendrils hang around my face and I appraise my reflection with pride.I look beautiful! I feel beautiful and serene. There is no fear whatsoever.I look like a woman hopelessly in love, about to marry the man of her dreams.I am that woman.I slide on my satin ivory stilettos that almost mirror the shoes I used to adore so much. It feels weird to be ba
The Carrero Effect 263
I am getting so frustrated at myself, my inner anger rears up. I’m surrounded by the song that gave me two of the happiest moments of my life, when he gave me his all, and yet here I am lying here, my sub-conscious holding me back from what I deserve. It’s like the beginning of our relationship all over again. I’m back to the defiant, closed-off Emma who never let him in, always holding back when he needed me most.No! I am not doing this to you, Jake. Not anymore, I won’t!The song is a reminder that he doesn’t always need to be my strength, but a prompt to show me that sometimes I need to be his too. I need to build my own force to find my way back. I need to hold him up and face whatever reality comes when my body wakes up. Maybe that’s why my mind doesn’t want me to wake up. It’s afraid that what Ray did to me will make me hide in the shadows again, that I won’t be able to love Jake and le
