The Carrero Effect Trilogy

Chapter 35

“Come on, dolcezza, we’re going to be late.” Jake is harassing me from outside the bathroom door. It’s been a day of lazing in bed, food, and movies, but now he’s rushing me to get dressed up to meet friends for his brother’s birthday. The plan is to meet up at a nightclub called Top of the Standard, apparently one of the most exclusive clubs in New York City. It didn’t take much for Jake to swing entry for two dozen of Arrick’s friends and closest family members.

“Well, since you gave me zero warning, I’m doing the best I can,” I pout, finally emerging in a black, strapless cocktail dress that is tight and short, gold high heels, and a gold clutch. I’ve made up my face with nude lips and a smoky dark eye shadow that Leila showed me when we were on the yacht. My hair is in its usual loose, tousled waves in a side parting.

“Wow, si è assolutamente sorprendente, Bambina,” he exclaims, the look on his face telling me that it’s most definitely a compliment. He swoops down to kiss me hard, taking my breath away. “Maybe being late will be worth it,” he smirks, tracing a finger down diagonally from shoulder to cleavage and moving a little too close.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” I slap his hand away sassily. “I did not rush this kind of perfection to have you mess it all up with a quickie.” I put my hands on my hips as he sighs off his lust and relents, his eyes still devouring me.

“Only because Arrick has texted me twenty times already.” He throws me his hot Casanova smile, and I get that annoyingly predictable heat flutter. “That’s the reason I’m not bending you over the bed right now.”

Really? After weeks together, I still cannot control the urge to jump his bones.

He’s in his trademark black shirt and leather jacket, only this time with black tailored trousers and black shoes. He looks every bit the billionaire playboy tonight, his hair spiked to the center and his designer stubble trimmed to perfection. He smells amazing.

“You look sexy.” I grin as he lifts my dark gray jacket from the bed and helps me ease into it. It’s made of expensive Merino wool, calf-length, with the most flattering, fitted silhouette. It’s a new acquisition from Donna at Jake’s urging because I needed a winter coat for formal events. New York is starting to get cooler already.

“You look far sexier than me, Bambina.” He leads me out of the apartment, nodding at the security staff in the outer hall.

* * *

The club is jumping when we finally arrive and find our party taking over an entire corner of tables by the wide windows overlooking New York. We’re on the top floor of a high-rise with the city lights glittering below like a sea of fairy sparkles and nearby buildings looking like neon shows in the dark. The club is glitzy and glamorous, with a central light sculpture reaching up from the floor and spreading across the ceiling like an upturned chandelier; the whole place is aglow with gold tones and a shimmering magical aura. It’s busy and bustling with people everywhere.

Jake has his fingers entwined with mine as he introduces me to the hordes of new faces that swarmed toward him as we arrived. I recognize Arrick right away. He kisses me on the cheek boldly and pats his brother on the back affectionately. I spy Leila, and she waves frantically at me, too caught up in her conversation with some tall blonde to come over, and as I’m glued to Jake’s hand, I can’t go to her.

Daniel appears from the background; he looks toward Leila on the sly and heads in the opposite direction without even the briefest acknowledgment of us. He’s too busy eye-stalking my friend, it seems. I turn back quickly and see a slight creep of color run up her delicate cheeks, then she goes back to laughing loudly with her friend; it’s obvious Hunter affects her more than she lets on. Her eyes never stray toward Daniel again, which is a huge tell-tale sign. I long to talk to her about it, but I’m soon pulled into the curve of Jake’s arms as he introduces me to many unnaturally handsome people in expensive outfits.

There’s a mix of male and female friends, too many to count, and Jake seems to be at ease with most of them. It makes me feel in awe. He’s effortless with people; he knows everyone, yet I’m the polar opposite. People in social situations make me uncomfortable. I prefer business deals and meetings where I can wear PA Emma’s face and demand respect. This happy social stuff is beyond my comfort zone; I’m a fish far out of water. Jake seems to sense my apprehension and pulls me against him with an arm around the shoulders, keeping me involved with the group he’s talking to and nudging me into the conversation at every opportunity. I sip the cocktail he’s bought me and listen, for the most part, smiling on cue, and eventually start to relax under his attentive and protective care.

The music is good, the place is thumping, and I start to loosen up as I drink more. Jake releases me from his hold so he can lift his beer with a casual arm about my shoulders. Leila winds her way toward me and drags me out of Jake’s arms to dance with her near one of the windows. I find it easier to be a little freer in her company; she has that effect on me, and her happy energy and bubbliness are infectious.

“Can I just say, wow! I mean, wow!” Leila giggles and then pulls me to a quiet table by a window. She throws herself down and clicks her fingers toward Jake, miming a drink when he looks her way. He sticks his fingers up at her, then turns and walks toward the bar, making me laugh.

“What are you wowing at?” I laugh and slide beside her, watching Jake’s sexy ass swagger across the club.

“Ummm, you and Jake! Like only the most loved-up couple I have ever seen, like, ever. He rarely lets you out of his grasp, and for him, that’s something, Ems.” She beams at me.

“Yeah, I guess we kinda like each other,” I giggle and look over at him; he’s propped his elbows on the bar as he waits for the bartender and is in full conversation with some guy. I notice Daniel move up behind him and throw a casual arm around Jake’s shoulder, motioning two fingers at the bartender over Jake’s head. The contrast between the two handsome men happens to be the most attractive sight in the bar, one blond, the other dark. I’m slowly warming to Daniel enough to no longer see him as a sleazy creep. He isn’t a patch on Jake’s looks, but he’s a close contender.

“Pity he has such shit taste in best friends.” Leila glares across at the two men, then looks down at her lap, suddenly fiddling with her nails.

“You want to talk about it? He kinda showed up a few days ago, and I got the brief outline.” I throw her a supportive smile as her eyes widen.

“He told you and Jake?” I don’t know if it’s a surprise or hurt. She is definitely shocked.

“He asked after you, and Jake almost beat it out of him. Jake was really pissed, too.” I move to the seat next to her and take her hand in mine, pulling it to my lap and entwining fingers. “I’m here if you want to vent; he’s not exactly my favorite person in the world.” I try for a laugh, but her lackluster look and down-turned mouth halt me. I think she’s going to cry.

I’m going to fucking kill him.

“No, there’s nothing to say. I fell for it again; I slept with him, and he never called me back. I’m so stupid when it comes to Daniel Hunter; I never learn.” Her eyes fill with moisture, but then she sniffs them back down, her inner strength forcing its way up. She lifts her chin defiantly and looks at me with extreme purpose. “I won’t let him get to me, you know. He doesn’t deserve the time it takes to talk or think about him, so let’s forget it.”

“I think he does care for you, Leila. The way he and Jake talked, it seems like he’s overanalyzing and has a huge case of cold feet.” I try and soothe my friend, but I catch the cold look that moves into her eyes.

“Guess that’s why he brought a date, right?”

The color drains from my face, and anger ignites. My eyes scan the room in a fury, and I glimpse the tall porn star-like waif standing near the bar where Daniel’s still hanging over Jake.

Asshole.

“What? He knew you would be here, though?” I’m beyond perplexed. It seems I have given him more credit than he deserves.

“Exactly! Fuck him. Fuck men.” As Jake approaches with two pink cocktails festooned with sparkly decorations, she sits up straighter. Leila reaches up and kisses him on the cheek as he hands one to her before putting mine on the table. He slides in beside me and drapes an arm around the back of my chair. Watching us, Leila then stands and downs half the drink in one go. I think she’s deliberately turning her back on the scene of Hunter and his date dancing nearby. It’s pretty obvious they’re hooking up tonight.

I could literally kick him in the face right now.

“I’ll be back in a bit.” She smiles and takes off toward the far side of the club with a drink in hand, and I sense Jake frowning at me.

“Is she okay?” I can tell by the look in his eyes he means, “How much has Daniel hurt her this time?”

“She will be. She’s a tough cookie who knows she’s worth far more,” I stick up for her gallantly. It’s all true. Leila is feisty and a fighter; it will take more than Daniel Hunter to break her. Jake gazes after her departing figure for a moment, lost in thought, then seems to shrug it off, the alcohol pushing aside whatever thoughts transpired. I can tell he’s pretty mellow right now.

“Want to make out? I’ve been missing you over there.” He smiles at me, and I can’t resist the tug toward his mouth as soon as he even hints at kissing. It doesn’t take long for us to end up wrapped in a clinch with mouths engaged in our second favorite physical pursuit. His tongue caresses mine softly, our lips moving in perfect unison. His arms surround me, with one hand holding me close on the back of my head. I could kiss him for an eternity.

“Will you two come up for air?” Daniel’s voice breaks in, accompanied by a sharp shove that transfers through Jake to me. “Seriously, man, I’ve been standing over there for like twenty minutes waiting for you to stop.”

“This jealousy thing, man, it’s killing me. I just don’t fancy you, Danny!” Jake smirks up at him, arms still draped around me, holding me close.

“Funny! Look, I need to talk to you … alone.” Daniel is serious, and some sort of secret look passes between them.

“Okay, keep your wig on.” Jake turns to me with a kiss and a smile, “I’ll not be long; I can see Leila coming anyway.” We both glance up and see her heading for us, her eyes deliberately zoned in on me and avoiding Hunter.

“Seriously, dude?” Daniel looks completely panicked and hurries Jake away with him just as she approaches. Neither acknowledges the other, and I catch Jake throwing him a glare as they both walk off.

“Asshole,” Leila mumbles under her breath as she moves back in beside me and grabs my hand. “Was powdering my nose and having some girly bathroom bonding. And now we’re dancing, sexy Ems. Come on.”

She hauls me up to where some other women from our party are already gyrating in time to music and pulls me to the inner circle. I get the distinct impression she doesn’t want to talk about this at all.

A couple of the girls pull me over in sheer delight, asking me loudly, over the thump-thump of music, how I bagged the Jake Carrero as an actual boyfriend, making me feel about twenty feet tall. Seems I’m the envy of most of the women in the group. I try to give the briefest and vaguest of replies, saying Jake couldn’t resist me, and I sense Leila start to relax back to that happy-go-lucky girl I’m used to.

By the fifth cocktail, I’m decidedly drunk, completely accepted into the group of giggling women, and stumbling on my shoes frequently. I’m glad when familiar strong arms come around my waist from behind, Jake’s husky voice in my hair as he searches out my neck with his mouth.

“I feel neglected over there, Bella.” He pulls me into his body, molding me against his. Catching the envious and swooning looks from the women I’ve been dancing with, I experience a warm inner glow that spreads through me. I like that Jake is as irresistible to other women as he is to me; it makes me feel smug and on top of the world.

“You should have come over to dance then,” I grin, sinking into the feel of him, stumbling on my shoes again as he braces me.

“I think I should have, instead of sending over more alcohol, Bambina. I think I see the return of drunk Emma; I’ve never gotten down and dirty with her,” he breathes hoarsely into my ear, sounding so sexy I turn and plant a kiss on his lips impulsively, the touch instantly searing into a hot kiss. He cups my face and pulls me back to his mouth more firmly. The second kiss is more scorching than the first, and my legs turn to mush as he holds me up. I hear the giggling and coos of the women behind me and ignore them, although the warmth of knowing he’s all mine seers through me instantly, amplifying the heat and the urge to rip his clothes off. When he lets me go, I’m panting with the effects of that kiss.

“You might get lucky, then.” I try my seductive look as he smiles in response, a perfect slow, smooth ‘Hollywood’s best’ smile.

“Maybe I should be looking for a cab about now.” He grins against my mouth as he moves in for a repeat. I don’t get a chance to respond before Leila cuts in.

“Stop pawing at her and go back to your menfolk,” Leila snorts, and we move apart slightly so we can both look at her. “Your obvious amore for your woman is making me green with envy, Jacob!” She pulls his arms off me and attempts to push him away, back to where he came from. I frown with disappointment. He grabs Leila in a headlock and plants a kiss on top of her head as she battles to get his muscular arm off her face.

“Laylay, if you’d stopped eating the men who tried to date you, then one would be around to romance you too.” She shoves him off, throwing her famous pout at him.

“Stop calling me that! We’re not eight years old anymore, Jacob,” she huffs, then breaks into a scowl when he pokes her in between the eyebrows.

I’ve always loved the almost sibling love between these two. I love Leila so much that she can be forgiven for teasing Jake as often as she does.

“And my name is Jake!” he points out haughtily. He hates his Christian name so badly; it’s adorable. I smile at the pair of them and shake my head.

“Children, please.”

They glare at one another before Jake reaches out and grabs me by the hand and, with a swift tug, has me back in his arms behind Leila. Raising his eyebrows at Leila in mock disdain, he kisses me slowly and deliberately. I catch her unamused snort and inwardly giggle; I can almost visualize her hand-on-hip posture and dramatic eye-rolling.

Leila suddenly yelps and Jake looks up and over my head, his body instantly tensing. The look in his eyes goes from light-hearted and relaxed to a sudden death glare. Dark and dangerous, his whole demeanor changes immediately to solid stone.

“What is it?” I ask, straining to look around, but he’s holding me against him so tightly I can’t move more than a couple of inches. His jaw moves, eyes darkening, teeth clenching—it can’t be good. I get a deep surge of anxiety and small ripples of apprehension in my stomach. I wonder what he sees that has fighter mode Carrero lifting his aggressive head from the fiery depths.

“Ummm, so, Emma …” Leila’s voice drifts over, sounding nervous. Jake doesn’t release his hold on me or even let me turn to see what she’s doing. “This is Ben, my older brother.”

“I know who he is.” Jake’s voice is venomous, his arms around me rigid. He won’t let me turn and be polite. He holds me like his prisoner; I can’t even turn to look at Leila. I look at him helplessly, my irritation rising at his behavior. I can only see Jake's strong, steady glare on this Ben. He’s practically emanating hate in a way I’ve never seen from him.

“Nice to see you again, Jake,” a male voice replies smoothly. He sounds flippant, unscathed by Jake’s obvious hostility; in fact, he sounds pleased about it. “And you … Emma,” he adds.

Behind me, I sense Ben walking away, and Jake finally releases me enough to turn. I see Leila move toward a group with a tall, dark man, a similar height to Jake, but his back to us. His build and posture are remarkably Jake-like, though, and that dark hair is a perfect color match.

“Are you going to tell me what that was all about?” I ask pointedly. Jake scowls at the back of the man and completely releases me, ignoring my question. Instead, he turns, grabs my hand, pulls me to the bar, and orders shots. Until now, he’s been going easy on the alcohol, staying mostly sober compared to me, but I guess he’s changed his mind. Not that I care; I like Jake drunk or sober and never understood his recent sobriety.

He drinks three shots to my one for a couple of rounds until I protest. He’s being evasive, and as much as I try to bring up the mysterious Ben, but he blanks me completely. I’m already drunk, and anymore I’ll be unable to walk at all. Jake switches to vodka on the rocks and hands me a fruity cocktail, which I leave on the bar for fear of passing out. He’s avoiding conversation, so I let the subject lie, but when Jake’s not looking at me, I try to get glimpses of Leila’s brother to figure out who the heck he is.

Daniel appears and swings an arm around Jake’s neck from behind, whispering something in his ear that makes Jake frown. He turns his back on me toward Daniel, and the two lower heads to one another, carrying on the conversation in hushed tones. They look strangely cute yet male in that hunched way, and even though he’s being uncharacteristically weird, I try to ignore them.

“Dance!” Leila demands, appearing with another girl in tow and grabbing my hand. Her eyes dart at the huddled pair, and I notice a flicker of pain for a moment. Then defiance brews up in its place, and the Leila smile is pasted back on.

You go, girl!

“Sure thing,” I beam. I tug the back of Jake’s shirt to alert him that I’m leaving. He turns and looks at me, and I point to the dance floor. He smiles, kisses me quickly on the cheek, and turns back to Daniel, who has doubles and shots lined up in front of them on the bar.

Oh boy, from sober to plastered in the shortest time ever. Looks like that’s what he intends to do.