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. She had been too alluring tonight, that dress had driven him crazy and dancing up close no longer felt safe anymore. He’d made them leave for her sake as much as his own. It was getting to the point he could no longer trust himself not to try kissing her again whenever he was drunk. He wished he had a memory of Chicago, the night she said they had kissed. He wanted to know what it felt like to kiss that sexy pouted mouth fully. Not just a second of brushed lips but a real, deep and meaningful, kiss. He already knew that was an awful idea, she had this much of an effect on him now, a kiss would seal his fate.

Picking up the remote from his coffee table he hit the stereo control and his iTunes playlist came to life, and he turned it up to consume the entire apartment before he headed for his shower; peeling off the bow tie and jacket as he walked into his room. Smiling as lyrics from a song Emma had sent him followed through and he couldn’t help thinking of those blue eyes and quick smile and feeling a hint of longing to have her here right now.

God, he missed her already.

The thought hit him in the stomach and he tried to ignore it. They had literally separated less than an hour ago to come home and he was being unbelievably pathetic. He knew he was becoming too attached to her in ways that would make working impossible; always wanting her around and it bothered him because he could tell she didn’t feel the same way. He had tried to convince himself a million times that it was because they were more than work colleagues, they were friends. Real friends, maybe even best friends. He was pretty sure he told her more than anyone he knew and that counted for something. He needed to realize what they had was already special. She was too special to him to fuck this up with sex or one-sided emotions.

That first kiss in the hotel had thrown him, had started all of this. He didn’t fully understand all the feelings related to it at the time but he sure as hell knew that it wasn’t as platonic as he tried to tell himself.

Emma had been shocked, non-responsive, and scared even, and as shit as it made him feel, he couldn’t get the feel of her mouth out of his head. For a moment, he had kissed her, and it felt like nothing he had ever known before. His stomach had tingled, his heart rate accelerated, and he had just become zoned-in on everything about her as though time had stood still. He had imprinted every single detail of that night to memory. Her smell, her hair, the way she felt, that goddamn nightdress that plagued him and how it clung to her perfect body. Underneath all her tailored suits and precise clothing was a body made for seduction and she had him with one look.

Since then things had only got worse, every touch, every look, every smile, only served to torture him. It was long past sex, even he could admit that to himself. Right now, just having a chance at another night wrapped up together in a bed would be enough. He never wanted to forget what sleeping beside her had felt like; he had done something he never did with a woman. He had wrapped her in his arms and kept her close all night, unable to set her free even if she wanted to. He had thought that fucker Vanquis had been the cause, but that was a lie. He would always hold her that way given the opportunity. She brought something out of him that he couldn’t explain, a need to shield her and keep her close.

He tried to shake her out of his head; something he was getting good at since employing her, but tonight she wouldn’t budge. He was falling hard, and he had no way to stop it. Emma was everything he needed, and he hadn’t even seen it coming. That perfect, angelic face and soft voice, the tiny, perfect body that made him want to protect her always. Everything he learned about her as time went by made him all the more fiercely protective of her. She wasn’t the girl she showed the world; she was so much more. A vulnerable, beautiful, perfection that men had tried to destroy, men he would kill with his bare hands given half a chance and wouldn’t regret doing it. She was strong in a quiet, gentle way but she was also vulnerable and made him feel a hundred feet tall.

He could still smell her perfume on his shirt from dancing with her tonight and still feel the way her body molded to his effortlessly. Looking down, he realized he still hadn’t pulled any of his clothes off despite turning the shower on. Suddenly unwilling to be parted from the smell of her.

Get a grip, man, you need to stop this shit.

He stalked back to his bedroom from the en suite and sat down on the bed, his hand automatically swiping his phone out before his brain connected the dots. He wanted to talk to her, despite only just leaving her, he needed to reach out. Maybe if he did, then this feeling would shift, and he could go back to enjoying time home. Go back to trying to accept that this was never going to happen and actually get his life back. He hated how little control he had anymore, how much she had changed him, and how much he had let her.

He didn’t even drink or party as much anymore. Each time he got drunk he would call her with some lame ass excuse for drunkenly waking her at stupid o’clock. Even before he knew what was happening to him, his drunk self had always wanted to speak to her at the most inappropriate times. He had calmed down so much of his lifestyle, just so he could be around her more, work more, no hangovers invading time spent around her. A part of him wanted to show her he was capable of being so much more than the reputation that hung over him. He liked being around her way more than he liked hanging out in a nightclub with Daniel nowadays.

Jake Carrero, playboy billionaire heart breaker was fast losing that title.

What are you doing? He texted her before sense stopped him.

He rubbed his face and once again tried to evaluate what the hell he was doing. He had tried to play off the lack of dates tonight, but the truth was he didn’t want to see anyone else right now. Women had stopped appealing to him the more he got to know her, and casual sex had lost its sparkle. He got more from spending a day with her at work than hours fucking some pointless girl, and it was messing his head up badly. He should go out, get drunk with Danny, and fuck someone. Get rid of all this tension building up in him, he knew a lot of it was the lack of sex.

Staring at a sea of pointless clothes and wondering how I’m going to wrestle Donna’s gold card away from those itchy fingers.

She replied quickly, a smile hitting him as soon as he saw her name on screen and that goofy sense of elation that made him snarl at himself. He sighed and frowned at the phone. All thoughts of sex with someone else dispersing.

Jesus, he had no handle on this at all.

Can I come stare with you?

He sent it before thinking and then cursed himself out for it. He was acting like some desperate teen with a crush. Breaking every rule known to mankind on the etiquette of “platonic” friendships but he just wanted to be back with her.

Jake, back off … Leave her be.

What’s the matter, Mr. Carrero? Are you lonely in your ivory tower without me?

Her face swam in his mind’s eye, that sexy little smile she gave when she was being playful. The innocent flirting, she probably wasn’t even aware she did, in fact, he guaranteed she didn’t. To her, he was just Jake, good old boss and friend, and everything between them was light-hearted and fun. Every warning alarm in his brain was going off, telling him that for his own sanity he needed to just leave well alone, but his fingers were replying without any permission from him.

Maybe.

He could hardly admit that he was missing her crazily, pining like some love-sick fool over being apart for an hour. He knew he should be putting down the phone, turning it off, and heading straight out that door to the nearest bar with any of the guys he hung out with. He should be concentrating on finding a woman. Fuck it—twins, and fucking Emma out of his head.

If you’re that bored, how can I deny you my sparkling company?

Fuck.

Walk away, Jake, stop!

He knew this was stupid, working beside her was one thing, sharing hotels borderline, but actually going to hers socially after hours like this? Completely fucking stupid. He was blurring the lines of what they were more and more, the holiday idea was even more stupid but part of him couldn’t let it go. He wanted to see her have fun, kick back with him around to look after her. He wanted to take her away, to the boat, to sun and sea, and he had to admit the thought of seeing her in a bikini had his blood pulsing.

Are you home alone?

If others were home, then it would be better, not just the two of them. He had never been into her apartment before, couldn’t believe he was even considering it, but he was sure they would be in a smaller space than a hotel suite and most likely near her bed. He was trying so hard to tell himself that this is what friends did—hung out after work—but he already knew it was a lame excuse. He wanted her.

Aren’t I always?

Fuck.

I’ll be there in 20 minutes.

Why, Jake, why?

He stared at his own reply for a moment and sighed. His mind and body always at war with how he was supposed to treat her nowadays. How could he be rational when his own head was acting like an idiot and throwing caution to the wind? He ran his hands through his hair, dropping his head between his knees and scratching his scalp slowly. He rolled his shoulders and tried to rationalize.

His feet pulled him to his wardrobe while his head was still telling him to cancel, not just this but the boat trip. Emma had never shown any hint of wanting more, not even a onetime fling. He wouldn’t have done it even if she had. The one-night thing that was, he would happily give her more even if it scared him shitless. She was a girl you gave it all to, nothing less, and one night would never be enough for him.

* * *

He floored the pedal to the metal as he hit Queens, getting closer to her apartment made him impatient and his car liked being opened up on the straights. The thrill of a car with this much power meant it demanded a little release every so often. He loved his car almost as much as he loved the girl he was driving toward.

Wait! What? Fuck … Did he just think that? Love?

Getting to the apartment he remembered from bringing her here a year ago, he raced up the internal stairs two at a time, heart a little erratic still, from the adrenaline of flooring his sports car and getting here in record time. Trying not to think too hard about the love thing, he just pushed it back down. It was dumb and impulsive, and he hadn’t really thought about that whole love thing; sure, he knew he had feelings for her, but love? He had no goddamn clue. He couldn’t love Emma, she had never asked that of him and he had been pretty sure he was incapable of feeling that way, given the number of women who had tried to get it from him.

The asshole boyfriend of her roommate let him in after a quick knock on the door and he couldn’t help himself glaring a little. He knew Emma didn’t rate him highly for whatever reason and that was enough reason for him to dislike him too. He didn’t say much, just a shrug and nodded toward a room down the hall which he assumed was Emma’s, they both sort of grunted instead of conversed. Returning to caveman behavior was fine with him; if this asshole ever laid a finger on his girl he would happily caveman-style smash his skull in.

Jake walked past him, towering over him by a few inches in height and most definitely out-muscling him. Jake was already sizing him up in his head for possible outcomes if he ever needed to get heavy-handed on this one; heading toward Emma’s room and keeping an eye on the retreating idiot.

The door was sitting open, all thoughts of her pushing away the asshole, and he slid into the space. Instantly assaulted by her enticing perfume and the girlishness of her bedroom. It was like suddenly stepping into Emma’s head, a secret part of her, and he couldn’t help but look around, a little overwhelmed.

All soft grays and silvers, a cozy stylish boudoir of sorts, cuddly bears on the bed and a million cushions. Pictures on the wall of scenery, mainly New York skyline and some more tranquil black and white stills. The room had a matureness to it, but the small soft touches, candles, trinkets, and sparkly things hinted at a girly-girl that she kept hidden from view. Jake felt like he was intruding suddenly, it was like seeing a part of her that even he hadn’t seen. The romance book on the night stand surprised him.

“Hey.” He smiled and threw a thumb over his shoulder, indicating asshole’s presence; he wanted to know if he had bothered her. She shook her head, but he could tell she wasn’t relaxed and it made him frown. If that dickhead had done or said anything he would literally kill him. Her face softening and that pretty smile calmed his aggression almost immediately, his eyes slid to the floor at the Everest of girls’ things in a bid to avoid the way he wanted to stare at her mouth. He had never really got control of the staring thing when it came to her face, he had to stop himself doing it a hundred times a day.

“You weren’t wrong … I think Donna has dressed you for a year.” He tried to turn his attention anywhere but Emma in jeans and a T-shirt. She looked like a college student and cuter than hell. He had seen her in various casual attire on long trips but being here, surrounded by her things, made it different somehow. Like she was letting him in on her completely unguarded and relaxed, seeing her in a new setting. She didn’t even seem to find it weird that he was here at all, another hint at the fact she thought all of this was harmless. Friends—that’s all she saw in this and that was a sobering thought.

He sat down on the floor in front of the huge mountain of clothes a little guiltily. Jake sighed under his breath.

He knew this, and he had to stop ignoring it.

“Whose fault is that? Mr. Oh, buy her an outfit for this, that, and the next thing, every time you see her.” Emma poked him playfully in the ribs and he curbed the urge to grab her hand and haul her into his lap. Lately, his hands-on approach was becoming a little too hands-on. He had practically molested her out jogging in Seattle, too much of a pull to always touch her. He leaned back in a bid to stop himself from initiating playful pushes, she brought it out in him, just by being near.

“Maybe I should tell her to ask you when you need something from now on.” He held his hands up, trying to appear apologetic but Emma didn’t need to know how many times a week he sent Donna pictures of dresses or clothes or even requests and told her Emma needed them. He had no idea what that was all about; women’s fashion didn’t interest him, but seeing Emma wearing expensive clothes made him happy. He didn’t care if she never wore half of them, he just liked making sure she always had what she needed, and she always looked too beautiful for words. It was worth abusing the company credit accounts.

“That would be an idea,” Emma smirked, and he couldn’t help but smile back, he loved when she tried to sass him. The girl who had once been so closed off and reserved had come out of her shell in the past few months, he had loved watching her bloom. He liked this version of her a lot more than the closed-off ice maiden of those first few weeks.

“Get rid of what you don’t want.” He shrugged; he didn’t care if she threw what she didn’t like away, it was only money. He pulled a pale-pink dress from the pile that caught his interest and held it up to admire it but something else caught his eye before he really examined it.

Lingerie. Much more interesting.

He leaned in for it and winked Emma’s way cheekily, damn sure he was getting an eyeful of that baby. He held up a corset type thing, all lace and structure, and really wanted to not be picturing it on her right now, but his mind was making a good go of it. She whipped it out of his hands almost immediately and threw it off behind him toward a tall glass set of drawers with a hint of a blush. Not that he minded; his thoughts had definitely gone down the gutter, and that wasn’t a good thing.

“Most of it still has tags, Jake, she should return them.” She sounded childlike and almost hopeless. Lifting clothes up in frustration at him. Jake raised an eyebrow her way at the cuteness of that statement. The money he had Donna spend on clothes for Emma was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

“Just give them away, Emma, they’re already paid for.” He shrugged nonchalantly, sometimes he forgot that she didn’t come from his world. She fitted in so effortlessly, so graceful, and never balked around grandeur. She really was fucking perfect.

“Jake, there’s thousands of dollars’ worth of stuff here.” She sounded frustrated with him, but it only made him smile. She had no idea how cute she could be; one second all seductive and irresistible and the next childish and endearingly sweet, so much so it gave him the urge to squish her. Adorable was the only word he could conjure up for her sometimes. He had never been one to think any girl was that, but Emma sure was.

“And?” He just shrugged, he honestly didn’t care. It was just money.

“So, I should just donate it? … What I don’t need?” She asked sardonically, eyeing him up in her haughty PA way. She tried this look on him a hundred times a day, but it had zero effect. He found it entertaining that she could close down anyone in the building with a glare, yet to him, it was just amusingly cute as fuck.

“They’re your clothes, mio amore.” He shifted on the floor picking up another dress, this time having a closer look at it and looking at her as he tried to picture her in it. She threw him a disdainful look and started throwing items to the door for donating, a look on her face that almost said it was painful for her. Emma would need to get used to money if she was going to stick with him, he had no intention of seeing her live a life without it, even if she never saw him as anything more than a friend. He would always take care of her.

“You’ve never worn this?” He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. It was pretty; somehow her. He wanted to see her wear it; red and floaty and short. Not too clingy yet romantic and something he had never seen her try.

“Nope.” Blunt and to the point, she barely looked its way, but he was determined now. She would look good in red, she had the fair hair and porcelain skin to pull it off. Her blue eyes would make it perfection.

“Why not? It’s nice, kind of cute, but sexy.” He held it up to get a better idea of the style and really tried to picture her in it.

“Where would I wear it?” She smiled his way a little unsure.

“Take it with us on our trip. Parade around on deck for me in it.” He put the dress on the bed to make sure it got kept with the clothes she was keeping, he wanted to see her in it more than anything. He wanted to see Emma dressed all girly and floaty and carefree. More than he wanted to see her in her underwear, which completely confused him.

Was Carrero losing his edge? Libido wavering? Turning into a fucking woman?

“Just the two of us?” she asked him nervously and it distracted him, he couldn’t help but feel the sunken weight at how nervous she seemed to be with that thought.

“Not if that makes you uncomfortable … I have friends we could invite; my father’s boat has six double cabins if you want a crowd.” He tried to focus on the clothes on the floor rather than let her see that it disappointed him—he wanted her alone. Just the two of them, but he knew how disastrous that would be.

“Who would you invite?” She looked his way with a furrowed brow, cuteness personified, and he had to fight the urge to smooth it out with his thumb.

“Daniel, a couple of the guys I sometimes take trips with, and whoever they want with them … I was thinking Leila Huntsberger, that way you could meet Sophie’s new sister.” He tried for nonchalant and seemed to pull it off, picking names right from the top of his head. Leila would like her, he could see them gelling and that made him happy. He wanted his friends to like her. Daniel had finally stopped leering her way whenever they crossed paths after more than a dozen death threats from him.

“So, they’re going to be couples?” She looked scared suddenly and that familiar gut kick hit him.

Fuck. Always a reminder of what they would never be.

“Really, Emma?” He sighed in irritation at the reality of this situation, annoyed and being an asshole. She hadn’t done anything wrong. “What do you think I’m going to do? Try to seduce my PA because we’re surrounded by couples and I’m incapable of abstaining from sex? I may always be trying to chat you up but I’m not an idiot. I know where the boundaries are, bambino.”

Yeah, sure he did … He just chose to fucking forget them frequently.

Asshole.

“No, it’s just … it will be awkward.” She looked at the clothes and started pulling through them, obviously avoiding his eye. He sighed at making her feel this way. Softening his tone and trying to stop being a dickhead.

“Why?” he said softly.

“They might think we’re …” She hesitated and caught his eye. Jake tried to relax back and look completely blank. More than anything in the world he wanted her trust, but that spike of irritation still lingered inside of him though, peeking out.

“Who cares what they think? I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks, Emma … I need a break and so do you. Stop overthinking and just agree. Besides, they’re my friends, they’ll know right away that we’re not screwing.” He slid his hands behind his head, frowning at his own snarkiness and tried to shrug it off. It wasn’t fair on her, his little mood swings because of his feelings for her. She never asked him to get hung up on her, and she sure as hell hadn’t encouraged it in any way. He needed to stop and take a step back. Be friends, because if that’s all she was offering then he wanted it. It was better than not knowing her at all. Life without Emma wasn’t a life worth knowing.

“Okay, for God’s sake.” She put her hands up in defeat, then looked shyly his way with the hint of a smile. “Don’t laugh, Jake, but I don’t own anything I could wear on a beach or a boat.”

He couldn’t help but smile back at her, at the irony.

She really was beautiful.

* * *

Jake had pulled out all the stops to get the trip together in record time; once he had the idea in his head and knew she wanted it to happen he was all over it. A few calls here and there and a few nudges and everything was set. He had steam- rolled over her doubts, refusing to let her back down, and they had got there without any more arguments. His mind was set to seeing her in a bikini, not that he would be able to do anything about it, but still. It was a sight he wasn’t passing up. That tense ache in his groin had only reminded him how badly he needed sex lately. He wasn’t a guy who had ever gone extended periods without and now here he was, starting to doubt his ability to relax. She would be walking around semi-naked and he was almost spring loaded like this.

Fuck, he should have gone out in a glory of drink and fucking before this trip.

* * *

She seemed completely in awe of his dad’s cruiser. Jake had seen it a million times, so to him, it was nothing special. A long yacht, white like every other and sat in an idyllic port surrounded by blue sea and white sands. Just being surrounded by sun, friends, and her was enough to lift his mood tenfold. If he could push the lustful thoughts aside, they could have a really good time here.

The crew was under orders to keep out of the way; he didn’t want her feeling intimidated by them. He knew she wasn’t someone who liked wealth being a showy thing, and he was damned if he was going to make her uncomfortable with anything while here. She had been forewarned that he was taking care of anything and everything, including shopping trips if she wanted them. He had felt like an ass as she had blinked at him, aching to argue but in this, his word was final. Date or not, he was old-fashioned, he paid for his girl. Even if he wasn’t sleeping with her.

His friends had all been forewarned to behave; no jokes about being his secretary or any of the men trying their luck. He would literally beat them to death with their own shoes if they tried. He hadn’t exactly been happy to see Marissa in tow with Vincent. He had no idea what her fucking game was being on this boat, but he sure as hell wasn’t being drawn into any little Marissa games. Vincent was an idiot, he should have known she would sucker one of the twins, they’d always trawled along after her in hopes of a date.

He hadn’t seen her since the night he had stupidly got drunk and fucked her, not that he could remember. He had no clue how he had even ended up with her that night, he must have been royally messed up and if she thought there would ever be a repeat, she was wrong. He would throw her overboard if she got in his way. He was happy to ignore her presence, knowing it would annoy her more than having her escorted off. Emma need never know anything about her or who she ever was to him. It was history and nothing he would ever rehash.

Daniel was keeping his distance, just like Jake had told him to. Emma wasn’t one of his playthings, and he knew better than to cross Jake.

There were six of them with Jake and Emma on the boat, he figured a crowd would give him more chance to get time alone with her than just another couple of people. With them were Daniel in all his tanned blond glory and the twins, Vincent and Richard, white-blond hair and gray eyes, all American good looks and square shoulders on all three.

Leila was wandering about on deck having some sort of bitchy glaring competition with Marissa and Miracle, Daniel’s porn star, and this was the last thing he needed. At least Leila wasn’t being viperous to Hunter for once. Seemed things had finally cooled down with them after months of frosty glares. Being in the same place again without toxic warfare was pretty great. He would have to warn her about starting anything with either girl, not that he worried Leila couldn’t handle them, the exact opposite in fact. If Leila flew off the handle, it would be an airlift to the coast ER for two females and Leila wouldn’t be one. He had bad memories of Leila taking on some of Daniel’s dates in the past and flying bottles.

Jake had already had to deflect advances from the leggy porn star who, while topless, had tried to grapple him alone in the lower hall. Hands going for his groin. He wasn’t immune; he was horny as hell, and she had managed to get her hand into his shorts while he had dodged her mouth. She was fuckable, but as soon as her hands had been on him all he could think about was Emma. He knew Daniel wouldn’t care if he fucked Miracle down here; they had shared in the past, and all he needed to do was open a door and bend her over a bed; she was obviously game. He had pushed her off and told her to stay the fuck away; she wasn’t what he wanted by a long shot.

* * *

Emma was up on deck when Jake came up from his room, he had been taking a shower in a bid to relax a little. His heart almost stopped when he saw her silhouetted against the railing in a coral bikini and some flimsy wrap around her hips that kept flapping open to reveal long sexy legs. Even for a small girl, her legs looked endless. She was the most perfect sight on and off this boat and everything else paled in comparison when she was around.

Jake was oblivious to Miracle and Marissa’s breasts lounging on deck, didn’t see anything except Emma and her completely intoxicating body, much more appealing even covered than either of the brunettes. Creamy skin and curves of perfection. He was definitely horny as hell now, just looking at her made his insides want to explode. He wasn’t one for self-pleasuring to get sexual gratification but right now, with her in mind, he would happily go back to his room for some release. It had only been a couple of days here and already his constant hard-on was painful. He had been taking cold showers a little too frequently.

Why he had ever thought he could handle Emma in bikinis was beyond him. He should’ve known it would be hell on earth to be around her and not want to fuck her badly.

“Here.” He handed her a bottle of cold, flavored water with a smile, his eyes shielded from view by his Ray-Bans and trying to control every ounce of his body like the expert he was. Years of self-control finally having a use. He was watching that makeup free face and wondering why she ever wore it, she never needed it. Emma was a natural beauty by all standards, flawless perfection.

“Thanks.” She opened the bottle with a smile and took a long drink. He had to look away from the way her lips cupped the rim. An internal groan in his head and trying not to picture that mouth doing anything else.

Breathe, Carrero … You’re like a horny fifteen-year-old virgin right now.

“You look nice.” He focused on her loose hair, his glasses shielding what he was really thinking and trying not to skim her body visually. He needed to disrupt this view somehow and get his head back in the game.

“Thanks.” She blushed, and he felt himself frowning, suddenly conscious of the fact she had glanced at his naked upper torso quickly. He was wearing shorts and nothing else and despite never having an issue stripping off in public he suddenly realized why this might be awkward for her. He was still her boss, and he had never been topless in front of her. Not that he was self-conscious in the slightest. He spent enough time in the gym to make sure he was underwear model ready at all times, and his tattoos were always placed in places that enhanced what he had. He was never uncomfortable being naked, especially not in front of women. He felt like an ass for not even thinking that this whole thing might make her uneasy, especially with her background and the way men had treated her. Jake felt like a complete dickhead all of a sudden for not realizing.

“We’re going to the shore tonight for dinner … You want to come?” He looked over her head across the water to try to reel in his thoughts, his mood plummeting a little. He had never wanted her to be nervous around him, especially not in this way. He had never thought that maybe Emma’s lack of dates this past year had something to do with sex making her uneasy, her childhood had scarred her. Of course, men made her uneasy. He made a mental note at wearing a shirt while walking about on deck, he would make all of them wear one if it made her feel better.

“Sure.” She smiled and shielded her eyes from the sun, and Jake swiped his shades from his head automatically and placed them on her dainty face.

“I really should carry a pair of these,” she laughed, that natural carefree laugh that lifted his mood back up a little, he just shrugged in response. Still mulling over the effect he was obviously having on her. It was like a punch in the stomach, a dull ache that wouldn’t shift.

“They look better on you than they do on me. Your cuteness just goes with my shades.” Truth be told he never ever thought about putting them on her face, from the first time it had been a natural movement, like breathing. She had shielded her eyes, and he had done it. Something he had done to his kid brother his whole life and somehow, she raised that same protective impulse.

“Where are we going for dinner?” Emma seemed to be looking anywhere but his body and he only frowned harder. He wanted her to be able to stand here with no effect. Well, he wanted him to affect her in a good way but not like this. He wanted to wrap his arms around her right now and tell her it was always going to be okay. He would never let another man touch her, hurt her. He would protect her for eternity. She didn’t need to be afraid ever again, it killed him knowing she still carried the burden of those memories.

“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.

* * *

Being away from them and in the water instantly lightened his mood, her being in here seemed to make her forget about being self-conscious or his naked torso and that made him happier. She smiled and relaxed as they swam and before long he started playfully splashing and pulling her with him. She tried to dunk him under, but he was faster and got her first every time. She seemed to be a pretty competent swimmer, so Jake decided to have a little fun with her before swimming ashore. He had pulled her under with him a few times, enjoying the fact that in the water he could touch her freely without feeling like he was doing something wrong.

“Stop … it.” She spluttered to the surface, pleading with him and pushing back her wet hair from her eyes. She looked too cute like this to listen.

“Only if you ask me nicely, tiny tots.” He wiped the water from his face, pleased to feel his hair wax was withstanding the sea test. The new lab improvements he had requested were obviously working and Carrero hair wax was now waterproof. He swam to her to close the gap, aware just how naked she really was when he was inches away from molding to her.

“Will you please stop trying to drown me, Mr. Carrero?” She begged, it only made him feel more playful. That adorable little soft voice asking so delicately—she had no chance.

“Seeing as you ask so sweetly, Miss Anderson.” He pushed her under again, this time catching her under the water and pulled her back up against him hard. Nose to nose and it didn’t seem so right anymore. It was closer than he intended, her body skimming against him in ways that got an immediate hard reaction and he released her quickly. He wasn’t sure which part of her body had just rubbed up his groin, but it didn’t matter, he was definitely battling down an erection with the efforts of a sumo wrestler right now. He hated that despite all his sexual prowess and years of being a man whore, he couldn’t control this shit around her. It was fucking embarrassing.

He swam away from her in an effort to get this under control and put distance between them. He hoped to God she could manage the half mile swim as holding onto her in any way right now would end in an impalement he didn’t want to explain.

The beach wasn’t that far but it would be exhausting for someone as tiny as her. Jake slowed his pace to make sure he stayed close in case she struggled. He would never let her drown even if he did have to ram a hard-on against her back while rescuing her.

He was glad to find that by the time they hit the beach he had it back under control and mentally chastised himself about getting that close to her again while she was wearing practically nothing. He wandered ahead to let the water drip off and the sun warm and dry his skin in hopes her bikini wasn’t showing more than he could handle right now.

God, he needed sex badly.

They wandered around on the beach for a while, the hot sand felt amazing and Jake couldn’t help but watch her and those legs strolling around as she picked up shells. So lost in her own head about something, and completely oblivious to him watching her intensely. She was breath-taking in every way, now that her nervousness about being in that pretty mind-blowing bikini seemed to be calming down, he just wanted to stand this way all day and see that little content look on her face. She made him feel all kinds of things right at that moment. Protective, warm, and happy, maybe even a little tug in his heart if he was being honest. He definitely felt horny but not in an overwhelming way like in the water, a more laid-back, gentle attraction. He could handle it this way; if only it would stay this constant.

She stopped and glanced his way, he could feel her eyes before he really saw them as he had taken a moment to wander the shore and breath in some of the surroundings to get his head straight. This was one of his favorite places to kick back after all. Jake loved anything to do with the ocean and being in the great outdoors.

He caught sight of her making her way toward him and turned to watch her walk, the way she moved had always captivated him, graceful, even, and swan-like. At first, she had seemed more stiffly in control over her motions, months ago, but over time she had relaxed. Especially with the ice queen postures and now she was just elegant. Her little nervous habits bugged him though, he hated thinking she ever felt that uneasy around him and whenever he saw her twirling her hair, he wanted to cut her hands off. As soon as he saw those fidgeting fingers, he could never stop the impulsive need to still them.

As soon as she was close enough, he laced her tiny hand in his and tugged her with him. So many times, he had told himself to stop with the touching and hand holding he had started, but he couldn’t. It was essential, like breathing and came so naturally with her now that it would be futile. He had started it to get her used to him, long ago when he had first taken her to meet Hunter, he hadn’t liked the flinch at his touch, or the fear in those big baby blues. He had made a conscious decision to get her used to his touch if only to relax her and somehow it just grew to this. Holding hands was something he did constantly, pulling her along, hell, even taking her to business meetings. So many times had he caught strange looks from other receptionists that he was pulling his PA along and he would glare back at them. He knew it wasn’t normal, but Emma just assumed he was this way with everyone. Margo maybe, not so much hands-on but definitely not everyone. Just people he cared about and always her. Holding her hand now felt right, a perfect fit in the palm of his hand, the familiar soft touch that made him want more from her.

“Here, Emma.” He could see her shielding her eyes as the noon sun lifted higher in the sky, so he handed his shades back to her, with her eye color she needed them more than him. He practically spent half his life in the sun and had never really felt any effects from sun glare. Letting her go, he moved along to pick up some pebbles, the sun warming his already brown skin.

“Thanks.” She smiled his way as he bent down and expertly skimmed his pebbles across the soft, lapping waves. Looking her way for a moment to gaze on how much more relaxed she seemed away from the others on the boat. Once again, he wished they had come here alone. He wanted nothing more right now.

“What is it?” She tilted her head questioningly at him.

“You seem a bit more relaxed now we’re over here.” He could definitely see it.

“I feel more relaxed.” She sighed and began looking around her feet, pushing the sand with her tiny toes, and looking a bit too squeezable. He took a slow breath and continued skimming stones to distract himself.

“You look it.” He skimmed another stone like an expert and was unable to stop the goofy smile hitting his face at watching her.

“I’m glad you made me come.” She was watching him more closely now, giving nothing away in that face. Like always.

“I’m glad I didn’t have to force you.” He grinned, knowing that forcing Emma was never that easy, she had a stubborn streak and was one of the few women he had ever met who stood up to him defiantly. Even when he was being an arsey dickhead. He loved that about her.

“Technically, you gave me no choice.” She pouted sassily at him, that tiny little spark that was always beneath the surface. He would love to see her fully let go of it and just turn into a tornado like Leila could. He got the sense she was more than capable but her reserved nature kept it locked down. He wanted to see her release that passion a little. Okay, maybe not to Leila’s extent but some of it, anyway. He often wondered if she did it deliberately, kept herself calm and even so she would never lose control.

“You always have a choice with me, Emma, you know that.” He looked her way once more, feeling relaxed too, wanting to memorize her standing that way, hands on hips and a body to die for. He shook that mental thought away, knowing that if he stuck with it, his mind would find the shortest route to the gutter again. Being around her minus a whole lot of clothing was trying to say the least, and his libido was starting to fight back.

“We should be getting back; the others will think we don’t like them.” He tensed and flexed his body, catching a quick glance of her eyes as he did so, and it immediately caught his attention. Definitely no fear that time or any sense of discomfort. That had most definitely been an eye wander of the appreciative female variety—maybe she wasn’t as immune as he thought? He would love to explore that possibility. About time his assets were winning her over, he knew he was built and had enough sex appeal. Hell, he knew he was a good-looking bastard, women had made that obvious his whole life.

“Sure, I’m kinda hungry too.” She pulled off the shades seemingly shaking it off and handed them back to him, he tried to do the same but that tiny flicker of hope in his chest wouldn’t recede back to where it came from. He felt like a girl with all the mushy crap going on inside of him right then and had to chastise himself.

He led the way back into the sea, staying close and making sure the swim back wasn’t an ordeal for her. He would have carried her the full way had she seemed tired, but she handled it well. No hint of fatigue, just long, graceful strokes that matched his, and he felt proud of her. She never ceased to impress him.

* * *

They spent lunch on deck with the rest of the party, eating chicken Caesar salad and drinking wine, lounging on the padded double loungers on the main deck. Jake was making sure he stayed by her side and warned his friends off visually. He wouldn’t put it past any one of them to make a play for her if he left her alone. Such was the nature of their trips. Each guy always brought dates and some unspoken agreement that all was fair game, and no one would get prissy about it after. The girls they normally brought were bed hoppers, no loyalty and definitely never anyone serious. Leila was the exception normally, she wasn’t much for it, and even though he could see she wasn’t really that into her date, he knew she wouldn’t sleep with any of the others. Emma was completely off limits to any of them, and he would damn well break the neck of any who tried.

Jake was leaning toward Daniel’s bed, Emma at his back and in conversation with Leila. Daniel was arguing about sports, one of his passions and Jake just loved to goad him on the matter anytime it came up. He was more into manual stuff, extreme sports he could do himself, but he wasn’t against watching the odd football or baseball game. Daniel was just too easy to wind up. He was only half listening though as he could most definitely hear the words “hair” “cut” and “short” going on behind him and he didn’t like it one bit.

Looking back at Emma, he caught Leila picking up a strand of that soft honey-blonde hair with the look of someone contemplating cutting it all off. He could feel the frown taking over his face and minor irritation as Leila said, “pixie cut” and he could only assume that was something very short like hers. Emma wouldn’t suit Leila’s hair, she needed soft and sweet around her face, not edgy and choppy like hers.

“I think you would suit maybe shoulder length.” Leila’s sweet, little voice was all too sultry, and he could tell she was trying to talk Emma into doing it. That persuasive eye fluttering she had suckered him with many a time in the past twenty years.

“Maybe.” Emma picked up a strand too and wound it around her finger, Jake was no longer listening to Daniel at all, he was fully integrated into defending Emma’s hair.

“What’s wrong with how it is?” He frowned, keeping his hands down and quelling the urge to run his fingers over the strand she was holding. She suited her wavy halo of soft hair, it was feminine and her. He didn’t like the idea of no longer having it hanging down her back and blowing gently in the breeze.

“Jake? Men have no clue. Women like a drastic change every so often.” Leila quipped at him with that sassy raised brow and he just wanted to sit on her right about now.

“If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it.” He bit back, he was used to these little head to heads with this short fiery devil. He would be damned if she was going to push his Emma around.

“Maybe it’s not broken but can definitely be revamped. Women do like to shake it up every so often. Try on a new look.” Leila was putting on her sarcastic tone, raising that brow and challenging him, yet again. This girl never ceased to push his buttons and sometimes he wondered why the hell he hadn’t just drowned her in the past.

“It’s my hair!” Emma cut in, raising hands between the two in a bid to distract them but she wasn’t swaying these two. This was a common thing, Leila and Jake head-on in subtle ways, always finding something to challenge one another over. It was just how they were.

“I like it how it is. If you want to change it then fine, it can always grow back.” Jake felt stupid as his tone came out, he sounded more like Emma’s boyfriend than her boss about now and Leila was smirking. The urge to push her face into the lounger was strong; if she still had pigtails he was sure he would tie them over her mouth right now.

“Worried your girlfriend won’t get you all hot and bothered with short hair, Jacob?” Leila leaned over Emma and prodded him in the shoulder. He just scowled back at her, she was pushing her luck today. He could easily pick her up and throw her overboard.

“Shut up, wench. Emma has more sense than to let me be her boyfriend.”

And didn’t he know it?

“Oh right, I forgot. You’re just friends.” The honey-like way she said it made him grimace a smile her way, clenched teeth and warning her off with his eyes. He could see that glint of cheeky amusement and really did wonder why Mrs. Huntsberger didn’t smack Leila more as a child. “I can see that,” she added sarcastically, and he wondered if spanking her now would make any difference.

“Really, we are.” Emma sounded quiet, flustered, and he tried to ignore the crazy going off inside of him, trying not to react badly to something he already knew. He should have been used to her subtle rejections by now.

“Well then, you won’t care if I take her to get it all shorn off then, will you?” Leila threw a defiant look his way and he bit his tongue in a bid to stop bickering, frowning, and glaring. As soon as he got her alone he was going to chew her head off.

Devilish little minx, she knew exactly what she was doing.

“Emma can do whatever she wants with her hair. She’ll always look beautiful.” He got up, walking away before he made good and sat on Leila and tried to pull her ears off or something equally immature.

Brat.

“Someone is not a happy little playboy today!” He heard her say, even though he was moving away to the buffet table and ignored her.

Witch!

No, he’s fucking not. Last thing he wants is Emma changing, she was perfect the goddamn way she already was!

* * *

After lunch, Jake took Leila and Emma ashore on the speedboat kept moored to the cruiser, any excuse to get that thing out on open waters and let rip. He hoped she wasn’t going to come back with some crazy short hair but what could he do? He had no right to say anything. He wasn’t her boyfriend, just her boss and as much as he invaded her life at times, he knew where the boundaries lay.

They met the car and driver he had waiting at the port and handed Emma his credit card. That immediate frown on her face and her mouth pouting to verbalize a refusal was shot down with his no-nonsense glare. She knew his looks all too well and seemed to think better than pushing her luck on this front. He had warned her enough times at work that this trip was being financed by him and if she argued about it, then there would be hell to pay. He had been raised that way, and it wasn’t just about taking care of her, it was about his ego too. Emma slid it into her bag gracefully, she had used this card for ordering things for him at work, so she was more than capable of using it now.

He pushed away the urge to kiss her on the cheek, with Leila hovering he knew that it would just raise more knowing eyebrows and he knew for a fact Leila was the type to point out to Emma that he had the major hots for her. He had kept his cool this far and thrown everyone off the scent, and he was sure as hell not letting Leila get her teeth into that little-known fact. Emma would run for the hills if she knew how he really felt about her.

He watched them go before putting the boat into reverse and backing away from the pier. She was in the red dress today and much as he tried not to look at her this way, he couldn’t help it. She was irresistible in every way and only so much more in floaty, girly clothes that had made an appearance on this trip. God, he would keep her this way all the time if he could. As much as he loved her office outfits, and he surely did, this much sexy was hotter than hell, he liked this far more. She looked like the kind of girl you married like this, perfect, angelic, soft, and he wanted nothing more than to walk around showing her off.

Back at the boat Jake headed to his room and pulled off his T-shirt. While Emma was on shore he was going to kick back, swim some, and spend some time with Danny and the twins, having a beer and catching up. He knew that Marissa and Miracle were afternoon nappers, unlike Emma and Leila, and wouldn’t show face for a while at this time of the day. He hated lazy women who partied late and then lounged all day with nothing else in their lives. Emma had more get up and go than that, even hungover she still dragged her ass to work and rarely complained. He could never imagine someone like her ever being happy with the lifestyle Marissa was effortless at. Spoiled rich bitch with nothing to do all day except work on a tan.

He made his way to the deck and found Daniel already on a lounger, topless with a beer in hand and the twins splashing around in the ocean trying to drown one another. Jake moved to the next lounger and sat down heavily, Hunter automatically grabbing a beer from the cooler beside him and tossing it to Jake. He opened it and downed half. Drinking in the sun was pretty dumb, but he had done it for years and it never affected him like it used to.

“So, the little women off to abuse your accounts?” Daniel smirked his way, and Jake just nodded his head at him.

“Probably.” He shrugged and sat back, easing his body onto the padded bed fully and lifting his legs, kicking his trainers off the side. Leila would definitely encourage Emma to abuse his credit card and he hoped she would.

“What’s the deal with you and her? Don’t give me that friends bullshit line again man … It’s pretty obvious she’s under your skin.” Daniel lifted his shades and looked at Jake pointedly, scrutinizing his face with that intense Hunter glare.

“I’ll be fucked if I know. As much as I tell myself I have a handle on this … I don’t.” He sighed. He had never lied to Danny, in all the years they had been friends, brutal honesty was always their thing, and he knew he could trust him to never breathe a word to anyone else. Hunter was a lot of things, but a loyal tried and tested best mate above all. Surprisingly wise when he saw fit and not against love despite his own aversion to it.

“Being honest here, mate … I’ve never seen you this way over any chick, what’s so goddamn special about this one?” Daniel frowned his way, genuine curiosity across his face.

“Everything … Nothing … Fuck knows. She’s her. I can’t pinpoint it—just from the minute she walked into my office I wasn’t me … No control, zero ability to function properly, and the longer I know her the worse it is.” Jake was stressed talking about this, he had never analyzed it, he tried not to.

“There must be something specific?” Daniel was maneuvering his position to stare at Jake more fully, going in for the shrink’s approach it appeared. He did seem genuinely curious.

“Which specific thing do I pick … How she looks? How she is? How she makes me feel? … She’s Emma, she’s not got anything about her that’s not great. Except maybe the not wanting me part.” Jake hunched his shoulders and scrubbed a hand down his face.

“Maybe that’s it … Maybe because she’s probably the first woman in the history of Carrero to actually not want to jump your bones?” Daniel said smugly, and Jake considered it for a moment.

“I genuinely used to tell myself that exact thing.” He sighed.

“You’re suffering from some sort of bruised ego, man, chick turned you down flat and doesn’t want the great Carrero boner. It’s reverse psychology or some shit. If she was all over you, then maybe you wouldn’t be interested.” Daniel grinned but Jake knew this was wrong, as much as he wanted to tell himself Daniel could have a point. Maybe in the beginning but not now. He knew that having her once wouldn’t take away this need. If he was right, he would want a one-night stand, and he didn’t. He wanted something meaningful with her.

“I wish you were right.” He grimaced, at least Daniel’s idea had some sort of resolution.

“It’s a crush, something you don’t ever get … You obviously think she’s beyond hot and your picky ass self doesn’t normally find that in a girl,” Daniel said.

“She’s beautiful. Perfect even.” Jake shrugged this time, he meant every word.

“Okay, bit strong on that front, she’s cute, I’ll give you that, but she’s not really like mind-blowingly beautiful.” Daniel waved an airy hand his way and Jake instantly growled back.

Daniel had to be kidding right now.

“Are you blind?” Jake was defensive, skin prickling with almost instant aggression at anyone tearing Emma down.

“Come on? I mean she’s hot, I get it … She’s … She’s not Leila hot. Leila is my idea of a beautiful girl.” Daniel averted his eyes to the rail of the boat, evasive anytime his own emotions came into play.

“Don’t even go there, you know that subject just pisses me off because you’re an asshole.” Jake frowned a warning and the hostile change of tone rendered them both silent for a moment. Daniel finally shifted uncomfortably. That topic was a long-done deal and history had proven they couldn’t talk about Leila without a heated fight soon after.

“You know, maybe you just need to get laid, this isn’t like you at all … How long has it been? I’m sure your balls are probably blue by now and it would account for the moody assed nature.” He laughed, and Jake just threw him an amused frown. Daniel was a dick.

“I lost count, it all became pretty mind-numbingly painful after a week and now it seems like years.” He sighed and drunk more beer, pulling his shades down to cover his eyes when facing the sun this way.

“Just fuck someone and at least release some tension. Marissa is giving you the all hot and ready signs and as much as I’m against you going down that route again, I am not against you abusing her body. It’s still fucking fit … Miracle wouldn’t say no either, and that chick takes it in every way. Her ass is pretty fine too.” Daniel laughed dirtily, and Jake only sighed again. He wasn’t in the mood for picturing sex right now, his body was barely holding on.

“I think not … On both accounts. I don’t need to complicate this shit more than I am.” He sat up agitated, a stirring in his groin at the sex talk and for a moment contemplated heading down to Miracle’s room and seeing what she could do with her mouth. Emma’s mouth came into his mind’s eye and he slumped back down in irritation, all urges of any other woman evaporating.

For the love of God, she was infiltrating every part of his head nowadays.

“So, fuck it, put the moves on her properly. This pussy shit you’re doing is not the Carrero I know and love. You’re wimping out big time over this chick. Just swoop in like you always do and get her naked and screaming in under five minutes.” Daniel hauled another beer out and threw a second to Jake, he caught it swiftly and propped it against his short-covered hip.

“I can’t … She’s not like that. She doesn’t do one-night stands and then what? I still have to work with her.” Jake was starting to feel agitated, the tight ache in his lower stomach growing and he couldn’t decide if it was irritation or something else. He had the horn, he needed to fuck someone. Daniel was right on that front. He was a hot-blooded guy with a high sex drive and he had never put himself into self-inflicted celibacy in his life.

“The way you’re acting, Jake, I don’t think one night would be your goal … You’re totally pussy whipped over this chick and you know it. Suck it up and just go all in for her.” Daniel was smirking his way again, and this time he needed a moment to just think. Daniel was right. He wouldn’t be happy with a onetime thing with her, he knew the second he had her he would want more. He knew it so painfully that it had stopped him ever trying. She didn’t want this and, to be honest, having her outright reject him would be agony.

He looked out over the water at the ripples on the surface from the twins and sighed.

“Unrequited … That’s a word I never thought I’d hear myself using … Especially in terms of it being me on the painful side.” He smarted and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb, avoiding Daniel’s eyes.

“Jesus, man, what girl could resist you? You’re a handsome fuck and way too sexy for most women to handle. Have you ever just asked her?” Daniel sprayed beer his way, and he snapped his face back, ready to beat him over the head with something in an instant anger spike.

“Fuck off, wanker.” He wiped the spray off his arm and contemplated chucking his unopened can at Hunter’s face as payback. Ruining that pretty smile would be entertaining.

“Seriously, though?” Daniel smirked at him, a bit too obnoxiously.

“No. There’s no point, I know her. She gives me nothing. No signals, no hints, no tiny mannerisms to even suggest she would be interested. Emma is completely immune to me in every way and it fucking sucks.” He put his can down and crossed his arms over his head to block out the light. He wasn’t enjoying this conversation at all and Daniel seemed to be enjoying it a little too much.

“Then why the fuck are you celibate? She has no hold over you, she’s not making you wait with any fly teasing or hints of more … Fuck someone and end this misery.” Daniel leaned out and pushed him aggressively.

He couldn’t explain it, he was already so messed up over this. He just knew that it was pointless. If he even got close to a woman that wasn’t her, he knew for a fact his dick would cease to cooperate, he had a mental block and until she got out of the way he was stuck this way.

“If I could I would!” he snapped back. “Look, man, can we just drop this shit, I’m seriously not in the mood for this and it’s ruining my calm.” He sulked, childish Carrero on play and he didn’t give a shit right now. Hunter was used to all versions of him.

“Right … as your best mate, I’m doing you a favor. Stay put.” Jake kept his eyes closed and arms over his face and just ignored him. Whatever plan he was hatching Jake wasn’t interested. He heard Daniel slide up and pace off toward the other end of the deck and sighed. Reaching over to Daniel’s lounger he picked up the iPod left there and stuck the headphones in. When Hunter came back he was killing this conversation, it was pointless and going nowhere fast. Rehashing his feelings wasn’t going to make a damn bit of difference. He switched on the playlist and was immediately blasted with Nickelback, Hunter’s favorite band right now, and went back to covering his face with his arms. He was tired from last night’s late one, maybe a nap would put him in a better mood while she was away.

* * *

It felt like only seconds later when in the darkness a warm, moist sensation ran down his abdomen toward his shorts’ waist making his muscles tense in a really good way, in his dream-like state he pictured Emma running her tongue down his body and smiled. He could picture her doing exactly that as it felt much like he would expect a small warm tongue to feel. Moving south, the sensation twirled around his waistband and he squirmed sleepily.

God, she was good with her tongue.

He could picture her soft blue eyes looking up at him sexily and he was definitely getting hard with it. His waistband was tugged slightly, and he felt himself heating up with the dream, fucking her in his sleep was common but this was a new turn, never had he dreamed about her blowing him off and he sure as hell wasn’t about to stop it. He was aware that his brain was trying to wake him up, but he fought it to hold on to the pictures in his head. He didn’t care if he had a wet dream lying here, she had given him plenty in the past months and Daniel sure as hell wouldn’t laugh. All guys did it.

That hot, warm mouth moved lower, pulling his shorts down enough to get the tip of him free and connected with a suction that almost made him come right then. Suddenly realizing this was all a little too un-Emma and feeling a little too real had him sitting up with a start and blinking at his surroundings harshly. He looked down at the still warm sensation encircling his dick and scowled at the brunette with her face in his lap, before shoving her away hard. He sent Miracle, who was fully naked, sliding across the deck aggressively and unceremoniously.

Fuck!

“What the fuck are you doing?” he barked at her, pulling himself right and jumping to his feet. He felt dirty … like he needed a shower all of a sudden. “And put some fucking clothes on.” He snapped again, lifting the towel from Hunter’s lounger and throwing it at her as he saw the tears in her eyes. A look of complete shock and humility, not that he could blame her. Old Carrero would have been more than open to this little scenario only a couple of months ago. Hell, he would have helped it along and taken his shorts off and pulled her onto his lap impatiently.

God damn, Daniel!

This was Hunter’s idea of helping him? Getting his porn star sidekick to blow him off while he was asleep and, judging by the nakedness, she had intended climbing on top when he was turned on. The thought made him feel sick. If he hadn’t woken up, he would have fucked her. God, if his sleep condition had kicked in he would definitely have done it and not exactly in a good way. Like that he was aggressive and fevered and had been known to screw like a caveman with zero control.

Did she even have a goddamn condom with her? Or did she just assume climbing onto him bareback was fucking acceptable because she was a porn star who obviously used birth control?

The thought made his skin crawl, porn stars had never been his type. He liked his women with fewer air miles, so to speak. He wanted to lash out right now, find Hunter and beat him. He was so unbelievably pissed off.

The girl just sat cowering at his temper, clutching the towel across her breasts pointlessly, still as much on show at his unexpected reaction, he felt guilty and held out a hand to help her up when she just continued to stare at him.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay. Just don’t do shit like that. If I wanted to fuck you, then you sure as hell would know about it. I don’t. I’m here with Emma.” She hesitated, then let him pull her to her feet, using the towel a little more successfully and sniffing back a tear. Big doe eyes on show and his temper calming. Girls were hard to be mad at when they did all that vulnerable shit.

“Daniel told me to surprise you, said once I started, you would blow my mind.” She bit on her lip and he felt the rest of the anger dissipate at the childish mannerism Emma had too.

“Daniel’s a prick. You can tell him I said so.” Jake clicked his neck to release the tension and waved her away. Hoping to God she would never try this crap again. He would need to sleep with one eye open or just sleep beside Emma anytime he needed a nap if Hunter was hell-bent on curing his celibacy.

Wanker.

“Go, leave me to cool down and don’t bring this up again, okay?” He would be having some fucking stern words with Hunter; this shit was not on at all. He noticed how the sneaky bastard had never reappeared. With his woman up here, he was probably screwing the other slut down below. Not that he cared. Marissa had had more men than hot dinners in the last decade and Daniel would use and abuse her in any way he saw fit.

The more degraded the better.

“Pussy.” Hunter’s voice carried from behind, and he saw him rising up the ladder from the sea, asshole was swimming not screwing. Rare for him. Mind you, despite all his leering at Marissa he knew Daniel hated her with a passion, maybe enough to bypass sex.

“Fuck off … What the hell was that?” Jake moved at him angrily, temper reigniting at his presence and Daniel feigned a submissive position. Flapping hands like a woman.

“Please don’t hit me, big boy.” He whimpered in a girly voice with fluttering lashes, kissy lips on top of it all.

Jesus, why was this moron his friend?

“Prick.” Jake dove in, grappling Hunter around the waist and pulling him into a wrestling hold on the deck floor. Hunter was quick to fight back and soon they were knocking lumps out of each other and rolling around like idiots. Jake got Hunter with an elbow to the jaw, a muffled grunt before the twins appeared.

“Get a room, pansies,” Vince smirked as he stalked by, dodging the leg that came out to kick him.

“Jealous much?” Daniel pouted from the headlock Jake had him in before Jake shoved him away and punched him in the shoulder a little forcefully. Asshole needed to learn some manners.

Daniel threw him a glare and tried to flick him in the face, Jake dodged easily with his lightning reflexes and jumped to his feet as Richard climbed the last rung onto the boat too.

“Lovebirds at it again?” Richard smirked at his twin and he nodded back. The two of them were like a double act, not a funny one though just a couple of assholes. Jake turned to Hunter with a frown.

“Don’t ever pull that shit again … If I wanted a blow job I would go down and demand one,” he fumed, but both twins just broke into huge grins.

“What have we missed here? Hunter, did you finally embrace your Jake love and try to give the man a BJ?” Vincent burst into hysterical laughter and Daniel only shook his head.

“Ha funny ha, fuck off … He turned down Miracle … Laugh it up, dickheads.” Daniel stuck his fingers up at the pair, lifting a towel from the bed and throwing it at them.

“Why would he want your cast-offs when he has that tight assed little thing looking all fuck-me-now wandering around? I would tap that ass over Miracle any day.” Vincent grinned but Jake’s temper flared.

“Knock it the fuck off … Don’t speak about her like that. Ever!” Jake was growling, full-on fierce protector and he didn’t want them talking about her like she was some piece of meat. He didn’t want them even breathing her way, let alone thinking of touching her.

“Ahhhhh … Jake’s in lurve.” Richie threw a beer toward him and he caught it mid-air. A grip that almost caused it to explode on impact.

“Jake’s not fucking impressed with this conversation so can we just drop it?” He glared at both of them, opening his can while Hunter had the sense to wander off and collapse on a lounger, getting the bed damp with the water still clinging to him.

Jake was not in love … Okay, maybe Jake could be in love, but he shouldn’t be because this was going nowhere and had heartbreak written all over it.

“What’s she like in the sack?” Vincent threw a look his way, but Jake only growled in response. All tension returned, body prickling and ready to start boxing for real.

“Leave him alone, can’t you see he has zero sense of humor when it comes to Emma?” Daniel cut in and the warning look he was throwing off matched Jake’s. He may be a twat and a half, but Daniel didn’t like anyone else giving his best mate a hard time. It was his job alone. Jake was relieved to see the twins take the warning, one thing about them was they respected Hunter’s word. Jake wasn’t with the twins often enough anymore to have the same hierarchy with them that Hunter did, he was losing his edge and getting soft according to them nowadays. He should beat the shit out of them and show them he was still as much Alpha as Hunter was. Beat them for even daring to mention Emma in a derogatory way.

“I think everyone should just chill the fuck out and crack open the beer.” Daniel lifted an eyebrow his way and Jake softened. Drinking was a sure-fire way to calm him down right now and he was game. Emma would be hours yet and if he slept before she came back he would be sober enough to withstand her.

* * *

Being sober at some point had been the plan but as the day had worn on the men had kept on drinking beers, they had swum, headed to the private beach he’d taken Emma to and played a little netball, ran around like kids for a while, and they had pretty much eaten nonstop most of the afternoon.

He had kept checking his watch, wondering what she was doing and hoping she was having a good time with Leila. Not that he should worry, Leila was a good time girl and sweet enough to make Emma feel right at home. He just wished she was here right now, he missed her.

He was too drunk to drive the speed boat ashore when the day drew on and had the ship’s crew taxi them instead, Emma had been gone all day and he had quelled the urge to call her and text her a dozen times. The merrier he had got the stronger the urge to just have her right here in his arms, beside him with that intoxicating little face and perfect smell.

Smell? Jesus, he really was in trouble … Knowing her smell was pretty much admitting in neon lights to himself that he was in love with her. What guy associated a girl with how she smelled and actually ached for it? Fuck.

He was in so much trouble with her.

Miracle kept her distance on the boat ride, but Marissa was borderline humping his leg much to the un-amusement of her date. Vincent was watching her with a face that just yelled “Tramp” at her. Poor guy should have realized this would happen, there was a reason all their trips had a “No Marissa” rule and he had stupidly broken it. She was like a dog on heat whenever she got within a fifty-mile radius of Jake, had been for years.

Apart from one drunken fuck-up that he had no memory of last month, he had never gone down that route and never would again. Even if she hadn’t broken his heart years ago, she was a coldhearted manipulative bitch that he would have seen through eventually. She was the exact opposite of Emma in every way. Not just in looks but in body and soul. Emma was pure and good in every way that Marissa was dark and nasty. He shrugged her away and moved forward enough in the hopes that they would get ashore before he let go and threw her overboard.

The restaurant was nice and private, it had a beach theme and little palm leaf roofs over each table that made it quirky and relaxed. The tables spilled out onto the sand near the shore and were strung with fairy lights now it was getting dull. Not that Jake cared, his mind was on one thing only. Jake couldn’t help but keep watching for Emma’s arrival, he’d text them when they were on the way here knowing a phone call would only have his so-called mates crooning in the background. He was missing her crazily, it felt like she had been gone for days already and a part of him was nervous that he would hate her new hair.

He swore, not one of them better say anything about the day’s conversation.

Marissa was making a hell of a play at trying to get him into some eye on eye action, he had no idea what was with this chick. No patience for the way she was trying to catch his attention when they all picked seats, so he decided to stay on his feet as far from her as he could manage. Last thing he needed was Emma arriving and seeing Marissa eye humping him when he really wanted to avoid all talk of her.

Daniel stayed upright too, coming to his side as the twins ordered in the first round of drinks at the bar. Miracle was sitting next to Marissa, avoiding him at all costs and obviously still embarrassed about earlier, it was obvious the two didn’t exactly get on but were making conversation out of boredom. Marissa was still watching him a little too hawkishly. He wished she would just fuck off.

The twins came back with trays and started dispersing glasses and bottles all over the table, Jake was handed a beer, Daniel already unsteady on his feet was a sign that maybe he should stop drinking. Daniel had the same tolerance as him, and they had pretty much stayed level in the amount they had drunk all day. If he could see signs of it in Hunter, then he was sure he was probably worse than he realized too, and drunk Jake would be no good at behaving himself around Emma. She was too much of a lure for wandering eyes, hands and mouths.

Jake pushed Hunter playfully as he swayed closer and banged into him for the third time.

“Jesus, man … stop trying to cuddle up to me.” He smirked at him and Daniel just shoved him back.

“You’re the one who’s trying it on with me, all this lack of playtime has you thinking bro sex is acceptable.” Hunter just smirked right back cheekily at him as the two twins decide to stay standing too, the four of them forming a little group on the side of the table and ostracizing both women.

“Never, ever would that be acceptable.” Richard cringed, and Jake just shook his head at him.

“Says the guy who slept naked in a womb with another bloke for nine months and most likely a bed for the first few more.” Jake pointed his bottle at him with a cheeky smile. Jake had no problem with gay men, he knew and liked a few of them but his immediate circle of friends right now was obviously not as comfortable with it.

“Yeah, I reckon Vince is the big spoon and Richie here takes it like a trooper … Brotherly love and all that.” Hunter laughed, amused by his own jokes. Jake smiled too, taking a swig of his mellow beer and watching them closely.

“Shut the fuck up … I am not that way inclined!” Richie made an effort at putting on a manly pose and grabbed at his package crudely. “I’m all horny male for tits and ass.”

“Notice he said ass … Not pussy?” Daniel frowned Jake’s way, they clinked beer bottles across the neck with nods of agreement. Riling your mates was the best amusement a guy could get.

“Busted, little brother, now bend over and take it like a good little bitch!” Vince tried to push him forward but was only met with a flustered and almost angry Richie slapping him away.

“Shut up or I’ll tell them about that tramp you let use a strap-on up your ass.” Richie spat at his brother and then laughed when Vincent turned crimson. Only reinforcing the fact he had done that. Both Jake and Daniel grimaced at the thought and looked at one another as if to say “Yeah … just NO.” As kinky as both of them were when it came to sex even they drew the line on some things. Anal on a guy was one of those things, although he was pretty sure if Emma was ever up for that sort of thing he would do it to her.

Mind out of the gutter, Carrero … She’s too pure for that shit.

Jake glanced in the direction of approaching blonde hair for a moment, some inner sense to turn that way, then did a double take when he realized that small blonder wavy-haired girl was in fact Emma. And she looked fucking amazing.

Holy hell.

Her hair had been cut to above shoulder length, somehow the waves had only gotten wilder and sexier being shorter, blonder highlights which lightened her honey-blonde and framed that perfect face in a way that just made every single nerve in his body react impulsively. She was beyond stunning.

Man, he wanted to fuck her right now. Badly.

He quelled the urge to groan, reeling back in the five thousand filthy thoughts running through his head right now and walked toward her. She was locked on him visually, smiling softly and completely inviting. For a second, he could have sworn she had missed him too if her expression was anything to go by. Without even thinking, he was drawn straight to touching that hair, pushing back a strand from her face and reveling in how soft it felt between his fingers.

How soft she looked, how she smelled.

God, he had missed her like crazy and right now she was like some perfect vision of angelic beauty captivating him and knocking everything else out of focus around them as she smiled up at him almost adoringly. The urge to kiss her was killing him. He ran his hand through that touchable hair and concentrated on staying in control as much as he could. Realizing just how close to her he had gotten and cooled his heavy breathing so she wouldn’t see how much he was unraveling. He really needed to sober up if he was going to stop himself.

“I like this. A lot!” He said softly, his eyes heavy with lust and intoxication and knowing being this drunk this close to her was a bad idea, he was fighting with every piece of his strength to not just lean down the rest of the way and kiss her. Her mouth was just calling to be kissed right now, soft, pouted and free of makeup and achingly inviting. He could almost reach her, taste her and he knew she would taste as good as she smelled.

“Thank you.” She smiled, sexy soft-voiced and pulled the hair from his hand, tucking it back with the rest of her short waves shyly. Eyes flooring him in that way she sometimes looked at him that almost convinced him he stood a chance with her. She looked so goddamn adorable when she was like this and he had zero control. He leaned down almost losing the battle to stop himself from kissing her and at the last moment caught it and redirected it to her cheek.

Close, Carrero … So, fucking close.

He needed to have more control than this, he needed to sober up a little if he was going to have to look at her all night in that dress and new very fuckable hair. He had been wrong about her cutting it, as much as he had loved it the way it was this somehow was more her. Made her a hundred times more appealing even though he had never been one for shorter hair. It was softer, sexier yet still angelic and he loved it.

Grasping her hand to ground himself back to reality he looked back at those perfect baby blue eyes which only somehow seemed bigger and softer with all the layers around her face. Jesus his girl was probably the most breathtaking woman he had ever known, and it was taking the strength of a hundred men not to lift her up around his waist right now and devour her. It was almost painful to just take her hand when every fiber of his body was aching for more.

“Come on.” He entwined her small delicate fingers in his, happier than hell to have her back with him again and led her proudly to the table. She was the most beautiful woman in the bistro and he would be damned sure no one else was going to get a look in at her. He wouldn’t be held liable for having to endure some other guy making a play for her, she would see a violence come out of him that would probably send her running for the hills. Emma followed obediently, tightening her hand in his snugly and making him feel like the only thing that mattered right now was that tiny little set of fingers wrapped in his. She felt like home.

* * *

They sat outside under palm frond umbrellas and the food was pretty good, it helped Jake to sober up enough to not want to haul Emma down the beach and molest her. They had all moved on to drinking cocktails thanks to Leila and her crazy huge knowledge on all things cocktail. The girl had once run a little bar somewhere exotic for fun a few years back and seemed to retain the recipe of every drink known to man. She was always handy in teaching Jake new drinks to impress the ladies and right now his knowledge of Emma’s preferences was helping him keep her in a steady supply of drinks she was happily downing. He liked seeing her relax this way, sitting beside him and fully leaning back in her chair without any hint of defensiveness.

He was more than aware of the way the three of his so-called friends were honing in on Emma with her new hair, warning glares at them had proven futile and Daniel smirking was a hint that he was heating up to start trying to goad Jake. The guy got a kick out of it. Jake shifted uneasily ready to defend her with his life if that’s what it took, he wouldn’t let any of them make even a tiny hint at trying for her.

“What motivated this?” Daniel reached past Jake, scooping a strand of Emma’s hair and Jake batted his hand away aggressively.

“No touching.” The scowl was somewhere between funny and serious and very impulsive. Daniel just raised an eyebrow and grinned at him knowingly, Jake wasn’t amused in the slightest at what Hunter was playing at.

“Sorrryyy, big man. You have to admit though, your girl does look extra hot with this new do.” He winked at Emma and Jake had to push down the urge to kick him in the face from this angle. If he thought he could flirt with her to get at him then he better back off. Jake’s years of mixed martial arts and boxing meant even from a seated position he could take his head off his shoulders. Best mate or not there was a line Daniel shouldn’t cross, for Jake it would always be her.

“Umm, thanks.” Emma cut in blandly, watching the way Jake frowned at Daniel then punched him lightly in the shoulder. He was trying to curb the aggression but still warn Daniel to back off.

“She’s not going to sleep with you, so you can cut out the compliments and the flirty crap.” Jake huffed Hunter’s way with a scowl.

“Oh, I don’t know. I reckon I could charm Miss Ander … OWWW.” Daniel squawked like an injured animal as Jake shoulder punched him a lot harder. Fist connecting with the bone under the muscle and most definitely warning him off. “Calm your pants, Jake. God! You’ll be pissing on me next.” He huffed and swiped his beer from the table.

“Don’t tempt me.” Jake wasn’t kidding, he wanted to send a clear message to all three men that YES, he had zero humor when it came to her and they all better learn that fast. Daniel and Jake threw angry looks at one another before taking what looked like precision planned swigs of their drinks.

“Jeez, testosterone flying much?” Leila laughed, pulling some of the tension away.

“Men!” Emma sighed in exasperation, glancing Jake’s way with amusement before joining Leila in an eyebrow raise. Jake felt his jets cooling at just watching her interact with Leila. He wanted her to have a friend in her, she was his best girl mate and they were well suited. It helped soothe his hot temper a little.

“Needless to say, I was right!” Leila grinned at Emma with some underlying message between the two girls and Jake found himself narrowing eyes on them.

What now?

“About what?” Marissa cut in with a pinched tone that made both women look her way with rather snooty expressions. She was sprawled at the table with full cleavage on show, right in Jake’s eye line and making it obvious it was intentional. He swigged on his beer and looked away. Miracle was picking her nails at the right of her in a similar pose, seemingly a new-found love of Jake all of a sudden and he felt himself eye roll and looked back to Emma.

Women!

“That Jake would be enamored with her new short do … That she would look sexy as hell!” Leila’s triumphant tone made Marissa eye roll and Jake had the urge to pour her cocktail over her head. Even for a girl with pretty features, a nice body and generally attractive, he found her repulsive. That black heart and snooty face just killed any looks she once had.

“Jake’s a man! He appreciates it when women try really hard to get a reaction from him.” Marissa said icily with a flick of her hair, Jake glared at her harshly, not liking her dig at Emma one bit. She glared back challenging him and he had to hold his tongue.

“You would know!” Leila’s scathing comment came with a new tone for her. Disdain. Jake couldn’t agree more though, if anyone needed a crown for trying to get Jake’s attention then it was Marissa. Emma didn’t need to try at all. Jake caught sight of the twins moving uneasily in their chairs and both men lift drinks to focus on that instead. Miracle lifted her head in interest, eyes gleaming with the possibility of drama. He sighed knowing the signs of trouble brewing and he wouldn’t let any of them ruin this for her.

“Emma doesn’t need to vie for my attention. She already has it, and her hair is a knockout. Much like her.” Jake cut in smoothly, his glare fixed on Marissa coldly, that sinister tone in his voice, devoid of emotion yet portraying a lot to the people who knew him, and everyone hushed up. He hoped to God his dangerous tone and angry scowl gave everyone the message to back off. He used to be the Alpha of this little circle and he sure as hell would be taking that title back if they kept this shit up.

“Man, did it just get cold in here?” Daniel jumped up from his perch on the edge of the table and slapped Jake on the back. “We need a new topic and way more booze, man.” Daniel was toeing the line, taking his place in the hierarchy and glances toward the twins saw them shuffling their feet too.

“Couldn’t agree more.” Jake relaxed back, happy with the sudden submissive atmosphere. Marissa and Miracle looking down at their fingernails. Jake feeling better, he leaned in and kissed the oblivious Emma on the cheek spontaneously, giving Marissa that back off signal as much as the rest of them. She maybe wasn’t his woman in the normal sense, but she was his queen while on this boat and they would damn well treat her that way.

* * *

It didn’t take much to get the happy jovial atmosphere back, and Jake relaxed into his usual sociable self. Happy that everyone was having a relatively good time and even Marissa seemed to be backing off and occasionally smiling.

Emma had never seen him surrounded by people he could relax with and even though the group was small he was kicking back as much as she was. He had tried to slow down his alcohol consumption and was not any drunker than he had been, although Emma was definitely getting tipsy. He had never laughed so much at her in the whole time he had known her. She was cute drunk, funny and less guarded. She giggled like a child and lost all the airs and graces she sometimes hid behind. Jake loved Emma like this. As though it was like getting a glimpse of who she could be if she ever really did feel comfortable enough to fully let her guard down around him and he wished she was like this more of the time.

She seemed to get on with Leila effortlessly, and he was glad that out of all the girls here she had chosen her. They gelled, and it was nice to see because he knew Leila was one of the few decent girls who was genuine in this lifestyle. She would stick up for her and defend her with honesty if the catty other two started that shit again.

Jake hauled her up to dance when the band came out and it was pretty obvious Emma had gone beyond tipsy. He had danced with her a million times at events and never had she been this useless. He couldn’t stop laughing and having to grab onto her to support her every two seconds as she kept falling off her shoes. She was all over the place and even when he pulled her against him suggestively she somehow ended up teetering all over the place unable to stop swaying. The temptation to wrap his arms around her fully and put her on top of his shoes so she could stay at peace was killing him. She was so much sexier like this, fully trusting in him to put hands on her wherever he saw fit, but he was trying to be a gentleman. So hard to do when the girl was grabbing his hands and pulling them to her body in a way too sexy dance, the drunker she got. Emma was outright flirting with him now she was drunk, and he wanted nothing more than to just stop caring and go with it.

“Your moves are terrible when you’re plastered, shorty.” He spun her around, catching her from the back and pulling her against him. Hips swaying in time and his arms firmly around her, he knew he had to get them off this dance floor before the gentleman in him fucked off completely.

“Shhhh. I’m doing just fine.” She slurred playfully. Giggling at him and just making him smile all the more.

God, he loved her.

“Sure, you are. The second I let go, you’ll facepalm the deck. I’m all that’s keeping you upright.” He joked with her, her hair was just under his chin and smelled like tropical fruit and her and just made him want to taste her all the more.

“I’m sure I wouldn’t … You’re exaggerating my drunkenness.” She purred demurely, turning in his arms and giving him a gentle chest shove. “Let me go and see.” She challenged him and that inner boy of his lifted his hands with a shrug and a smile and stepped back to leave her to it and prove a point. She attempted a step away sassily and stumbled over her own heels immediately, Jake’s quick reflexes catching her and pulling that delicate curvy body into his with a tug to save her. He had to steel the surge of lust at pulling every one of them damn curves against him so fully.

“You were saying?” He smiled at her and let her loose a little.

“Shut up.” Emma toppled, sliding in his embrace, swaying a finger under his nose in the most adorable fashion and looking every bit the cute drunk student with her short wispy hair. “Not another word, Carrero.” Finding her amusing, he motioned the locking of a key over his lips and pretended to throw it away before casting her a wink and pulling her back in for another slow groove. Another bout of Emma’s terrible balancing act but he didn’t care, it was an excuse to hold her a little closer and enjoy how she felt being against him. An excuse to wrap his arms a little tighter and pull her a little more closely than he ever dared when it was just work.

He finally gave up when it became obvious the only way she was going to manage dancing anymore was in his arms this way and he grinned her way. He could take advantage of it or he could do the decent thing and put her down. Grudgingly he chose the decent thing as she always made him feel like he wanted to be better.

Too freaking cute for words. Too goddamn intoxicating.

He tugged her by the hand, watching her unsteady wobble and the way her big eyes watched him adoringly, he had to give her that much. She knew exactly how to wind him around her little finger with just a look whether she meant it or not and he had no will to ever refuse that face. He slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to support her and possibly take advantage of holding her once more. He couldn’t help but listen to her drunken rambling with a smile, she was making very little sense, but he just liked the sound of her voice. It was something he never tired of hearing.

She wasn’t one of those girls who talked incessantly, in fact, she didn’t talk enough if he was being honest. Emma was reserved most of the time, even in conversation and he liked the version that appeared when drunk. That version of her let any damn thing out of her head as soon as it hit her brain and that was a girl he was crazy for, incredibly sweet, a little too adorable and a lot of sexy.

Back at the table, Jake had practically carried Emma with an arm around her waist to the others who were mid-story about a trip they had taken last summer. Jake could hear Hunter reminiscing over the Ibiza party they had thrown for his birthday, that one time they had ended up drunkenly stealing Jet skis and going on a middle of the night adventure while too drunk to be doing anything of the sort.

Jake guided Emma to the group of standing men this time, instead of the seats where Marissa had switched to one directly beside where he had been, sliding a casual arm around her shoulders and pulling her close so she would stay away from that vicious look Marissa had all over her face. Emma didn’t seem to notice his over-familiar handling of her, so he took that as encouragement that she was fine with being a little manhandled. He handed her a drink and leaned in to catch up with what his friends were talking about. Leila was on her feet too, standing between the twins, and he couldn’t help noticing that Daniel was avoiding looking her way. The boy was completely hopeless when it came to Leila, and he wished he would just sort his act out and tell the girl how he really felt about her.

“Yeah, so Jake’s like, I’m sure we can make it … and he goes speeding off on his fucking jet ski, right in … doesn’t give a fuck.” They all burst into laughter and looked toward Jake as Daniel patted his back. Jake was trying to remember the point in the story and mildly aware Marissa was trying to catch his eye again, he ignored her best he could but she was making him uncomfortable with the efforts she was applying and he cast his mind back to that midnight romp in which they managed to get stuck out at sea with a storm brewing and had ended up using a cave for shelter.

“What choice did I have?” Jake cut in, finishing Daniel’s memory. “Daniel would have had us sleep out there at that rate, not that he would have minded. Daniel’s always trying to get in the sack with me, the boy’s still trying to deny his feelings.” He joked, taking a swig of his beer and relaxing as he felt Emma’s eyes on his profile, looking adoring and kissable as ever. God the urge to just lay claim to her in front of everyone right now was killing him. He wanted her badly and cuddling up together was making things so much worse.

“It’s kind of heart-breaking to watch him suffer … Unrequited love.” Richard broke in, stifling a grimace as Daniel slapped his back a tad too aggressively.

“Fuck you. Both of you,” Daniel spat a little harshly.

“You know when you know … Right?” Vincent threw a wink at Daniel and three of the four men burst out laughing, Daniel rolled his eyes and gave them the finger.

“Tried so damn hard to let him down gently, he’s just too sensitive.” Jake ruffled Daniel’s hair.

“I’ve caught him sobbing into his Haagen-Dazs a few times, when you stood him up, Jakey.” Richard shoved Daniel in the ribs playfully and winked Jake’s way.

“He stole my Endless Love CD when you missed his birthday bash last year. Perfect crying anthems on there for dumped lovers.” Leila quipped in throwing a huge smile at Jake and he smiled back, Leila had been trying for months to be okay around Hunter and this trip was the first time in so long they had not tried to kill each another on sight. They had some serious history between them.

“I swear to God, you guys better stop with this shit. Even if I was that way inclined, I wouldn’t jump Carrero’s bones. I know where he’s been, I have standards.” All three men looked at Jake with eyebrow wiggles and he only sneered at them. By their standards, his whites were a hell of a lot cleaner, he had at least some morals when it came to the women he pursued in the past.

“Umm, I think I’ve way higher standards than any of you three.” He defended himself with a frown. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the topic while Emma was standing so close and almost scrutinizing his profile, he couldn’t look her way when talking about past conquests.

God, she had no clue he wasn’t even doing that anymore.

“Questionable.” Leila threw him a look. He didn’t need to see more to know she meant Marissa and almost grimaced at the memory. Everyone could make mistakes, even hellish ones like that. “But you’ve improved a lot.” She then smiled at him concealing nothing. A big hearty, winky type of smile and he felt that hint of warmth knowing she meant Emma. Leila wasn’t so dumb after all and maybe it was her he should offload to rather than Hunter. Get a female perspective.

“Leave her out of this,” Jake warned, squeezing Emma a little more tightly. He may have liked the way Leila was thinking, but he had to make sure none of them got the wrong idea for her sake. He also wasn’t exactly too enamored with the way Marissa seemed to be honed right in, staring at them both and giving him her best fuck-me-now eyes. He regretted picking a place in her line of sight to stand.

“You know when you know, right?” Vincent smirked Jake’s way knowingly, and in that second, he really wanted to throat punch him. Like a performing fucking circus, the other two men joined him in knowing looks and all three winked his way slyly. He glanced to see if Emma noticed anything untoward, but she was busy resting her head into him innocently.

Assholes.

“Daniel certainly seems to think so.” Jake made kissing noises at Hunter in a bid to cover the moment of complete awkwardness, letting go of Emma to haul Daniel into a headlock and plaster his cheek with wet, noisy kisses. Fucker could take that for initiating all this in the first place.

“Fuck off, you creep.” Daniel fought as everyone laughed. Everyone lightening up from the all too serious turn in conversation much to his relief and he could see even Emma was smiling. Jake came back to put his arm back around her possessively and ignored Marissa once again hitting him with a sexual pout.

Piss off, for the love of God.

“Admit it, you’ve been planning the Hunter-Carrero wedding since you were just a little girl. It’s kind of sweet, really.” Jake prodded Daniel with his beer bottle and received two fingers on one hand and one on the other as a response. It was an attempt to keep his focus off what Marissa was now doing with her tongue in the bottle she was holding, he had never had the urge to push it down her throat this badly before.

“You’re riding dangerously close to a Hunter free existence. Then we’ll see which dude is crying into his Haagen Dazs. We all know that Mr. Smooth Carrero has the biggest man crush on me.” Daniel picked up a beer, mock threw his hair back like a woman, and fluttered his eyelashes.

“In your dreams, pretty boy. I’m hoping for a threesome with the twins.” Jake winked at Vincent and Richard who threw on matching “EWWWW” faces. Everyone laughed, even Marissa this time which meant she had to stop blowing off the bottle and giving him orgasm looks. He felt that draw for a moment of a guy who definitely had not had enough sex of late and watched for a mere second as she bit on her lip suggestively, memory serving him right about what she used to do with that mouth before sense got the better of him. Emma laying her soft head against his heart almost made him feel guilty even pondering it for a second.

Jake adjusted his hold, so he could pull her closer and rest his arm further around her. She was the only girl who belonged near his heart, whether she wanted it or not. He switched his beer bottle to his left hand, so it hung in front of her and gently took her empty cocktail glass and laid it down, glancing at her happy face for a moment and being reassured that bringing her on this trip was the best thing. He had never seen her so chilled or smiley in all the time he’d known her and even being grossly manhandled by him tonight hadn’t brought out one PA telling off. Maybe she was warming to him after all.

Daniel started rehashing another trip last year, another summer vacation a group of them had gone on. There had been sixteen of them that time and of course Marissa, she had tried to get into his bed on more than one occasion, and he had even woken up with her writhing on top of him naked, trying to get him hard. He had considered it for all of ten seconds before shoving her ungracefully to the floor and then proceeded to fuck every girl she’d brought with her over that next couple of days just to piss her off.

Marissa looked his way devilishly, obviously remembering his little backlash, and he felt smug for a moment. He maybe had no feelings for the girl anymore but getting some sick payback for what she had done to him always got a reaction. They seemed to keep doing this; going around in circles year after year until he had met Emma … Now it no longer interested him at all and he had no intentions of trying to beat her at any more games of seduction ever again.

The waitress came with a tray and laid another round of drinks on the canopied table. Jake handed Emma a fresh cocktail with his free hand, his mouth lingering close to her temple a little longer than necessary as he smelled her, weird and probably a tad obsessive but she always smelled edible. Tropical fruits and slightly sexual in a way and he liked to just do it because he was fucking weird when it came to her. He had long ago stopped even questioning the shit he did around her.

Hunter started eyeing him oddly, waving his phone around and talking about some vague memory that Jake could barely remember. He was flicking his phone at Jake enough that he finally took the hint, letting go of Emma and leaning in to see. He was being strangely secretive by only showing it to Jake and then he saw why.

There was no picture only the start of a text which read.

Jake … She seems totally into you tonight … Fucking get in there … Look at her man, she’s all over you.

Jake looked at Daniel with a warning frown but couldn’t help but feel a little torn. Emma had been cuddling up to him as much as he was since standing here, all the flirting on the dance floor with him and now glaring Marissa down; he was starting to wonder if he should make a play for her or not.

He didn’t know if it was the alcohol or what, but Emma was different on this trip, had been since they arrived and maybe he should stop acting like a woman and just go for it. Daniel was obviously seeing something he wasn’t.

He caught Marissa once again giving him the bedroom eyes and sighed internally. Staring at her for a moment to give her the back-off warning, he felt Emma looking his way.

God, she looked beautiful with that hair.

He couldn’t help that same rush of lust whenever he looked at her and being drunk was certainly not helping at all, he pulled her in instinctively for a kiss, part of him saying DO IT and then chickened out and hit her on the cheek platonically instead. She was making him all kinds of nervous now that he was even considering trying to make a move on her tonight. He wasn’t sure whether to listen to Hunter or not, he had zero clues when it came to Emma. Still no way closer to ever reading her but Leila’s encouraging smiles his way and now Hunter giving him a green light had his palms getting clammy and his throat drying up.

Fuck … He was scared shitless.

“You’re very quiet … Want to go back to the boat?” he said to her softly, hoping that maybe if he got her alone he would relax and be able to read her signals a little better. Decide if she wanted this or not. Decide what to do instead of freaking out like an amateur over here.

“Yes, please, I’m so tired, it’s been a long day.” She smiled at him and his crotch most definitely stirred, Emma’s husky tone was a little too inviting for platonic thoughts.

Fuck, maybe Hunter was right, Emma was definitely looking at him in a way he had never seen her look.

“Ooh, party on the boat.” Leila chanted and jumped up, impressively bouncing her boobs, all male eyes immediately followed because that’s what men were designed to do, seek out impressive tits when jiggling. Even Leila’s, even though Jake realized how weird that was and felt a harsh dig to his ribs. Looking down he could see one very unimpressed look from Emma. He knew this look. Her haughty little PA glare which signaled she was not happy with him, a little hint of jealousy from his green-eyed princess. Feeling suddenly euphoric that she had just given him the green light he had been looking for, he gave her an apologetic shrug and wink.

Baby, tonight you’re going to be kissed senseless.

* * *

Going back to the boat Jake had been disappointed to find the entire party followed them, so they had no time alone. The boat ride back had been eye-opening though, with Emma standing between his legs as he had perched on the edge of the side and her arms around his neck. She had been about an inch from his face the whole time talking about nothing specific, her eyes had kept moving to Jake’s mouth longingly and he had to curb kissing her about a thousand times even though his hands were on her hips and she was pulled practically into his groin.

One little inch forward and a tiny head tilt was all it would have taken, she was already mirroring his pose and screaming “kiss me”. He didn’t know if she had any idea what signals she was giving him right now or if she was subtly telling him to go for it, she was obviously drunk and feeling more carefree and it just confused him as to what to do. She was giggling enough, touching him enough, and if she had been any other girl, he would have high-fived himself as all the cues were there that he had scored. But this was her, and she was innocent in all ways sexual, she trusted him, and he didn’t want to kiss her in front of these people, anyway. If and when he did make a move he wanted it private, so she could relax and decide without pressure if she wanted it. He didn’t want to ruin anything between them and that kiss so long ago in the hotel had made him wary of trying too haphazardly.

On the boat, he had left her to wander the deck with Leila and headed to the lounger, he was going to let her make the moves if that’s what she wanted. Let her relax, let her come to him and play it by ear. It was the only way he could think of playing this where she was concerned and that way he couldn’t screw this all up by assuming it’s what she wanted.

He kicked back and decided to let it go a little, drink more and get as merry as her if he was going to stop overthinking all of this. Maybe that was half his problem, he was trying to stay sober so he wouldn’t make moves on her when he should really be throwing caution to the wind and going with the flow. That’s what she seemed to be doing tonight and watching her dance, drink, and get in the party mood was definitely doing it for him.

“You’re in there, you know?” Daniel slid down on the lounger next to him and smiled his way, waving a bottle toward Emma and Leila on deck. “She’s been giving you the come on since she got to the restaurant, man, what are you waiting for?”

“You don’t know her like I do … She’s nothing like the women we normally chase, Danny, she requires a little gentle handling.” Jake frowned his way and then back at Emma. She was laughing with Leila and falling over one another while trying to change the song on the stereo. He smiled at just how adorable she was.

“Is this what love does to you? Makes you wimp out and over cautious. The normal Jake Carrero would have had that chick naked in less than three minutes, fucked, and back on deck to party within the first couple of hours on this boat. Man, by now you would have fucked her a dozen times in every position and moved onto someone else … You really are pussy whipped.” Daniel slumped back and shook his head at Jake, smirking uncontrollably.

“Shut up … I don’t want to be that guy anymore.” Jake mirrored Daniel’s pose and slid another beer from the table to cradle on his abdomen. Both staring up at the perfect starry sky contemplating things in general.

“No, you don’t want to be that way while your head is all invested in her. If she was out of the picture, you would revert to kind, mate.” Daniel prodded him in the shoulder and he flicked him away.

“Maybe she made me realize that doing all the shit I’ve done in my past isn’t enough, it was fun, but it was never fulfilling enough to make me happy. It’s why I hit it so hard and so constantly … Looking for more and never finding it … Until her.” Jake looked towards his best friend with a sigh. Daniel regarded him coolly.

“Look, she’s obviously hot for you tonight so go for it, do me a favor though. If she doesn’t want more when you’re both sober, Jake, then you need to move on, get back in the saddle and put this shit to bed. Bang her, spend the night making her fantasies come true but know if a line is drawn then all of this stops. You go back to who you were, and you let that chick do her job.” Daniel’s stern tone was not that of a guy being a dick, but a best mate offering wisdom.

Jake had to agree with what he was saying despite it not being what he wanted to hear. Tonight, was the turning point. If he made moves, and she wanted it, then he would go for it, but if she didn’t then he would stop it all. And by all, he meant all of this celibate shit and pining for her and accepting it was never going to happen. None of this was healthy, and he had no more energy for it.

“I should stop! I think I’ve had enough.” He could hear her protesting Leila’s advances with more alcohol. Voices coming their way and Daniel raised an eyebrow at him before sliding off to join the twins dancing badly on deck with Marissa and Miracle.

“Hush now, we’re on vacation … party, party, party!” Leila was loud and obnoxious like her normally drunken ass could be.

“End up comatose or throwing up in my own shoes, you mean?” Emma sighed as he watched her grabbing the rail for support. That perfect little body encased in that short floaty red dress and looking a little too divine.

“Your loss, sweet cheeks.” Leila pouted cheekily and turned toward the dancing group with a smile, swinging her hips and leaving Emma to either follow or not. Emma turned his way looking at him in a way he knew meant she wanted to be beside him right now.

She wants this … Take her cue, Jake.

“Come, bambino!” Jake’s eyes met hers, a look between them that he couldn’t mistake. Years of those same looks from women meant that, even on her, he could recognize it. Emma most definitely was finding him attractive enough tonight to want something more than just platonic touches and with a little beckoning finger wiggle, he patted the lounger beside him suggestively.

She wants you, she wants this! Relax and go with it.

His heart had upped its beat and his body was definitely feeling a little clammy, nerves kicking in and telling him he should drink a hell of a lot more. Jake never got nervous around women … Ever.

She pushed herself off the rail without hesitation and with a sultry look pasted on her face, chewing her lip, she made her way toward him on unsteady legs. She got within a foot of the bed and fell ungraciously on top of him. Luckily even drunk Jake had fighters’ reflexes and caught her soundly. Okay, maybe in some awkward places that his hands shouldn’t have strayed, but he pulled her to the side of him and wrapped an arm around her quickly to avoid drawing attention to the hand that had fully palmed her breast.

She has amazing tits.

“Crap.” She breathed through a giggle that made him only want to pull her closer, her skin was a little cool from standing up on the deck all night and he wrapped his warmer body around her to cocoon her in his own heat.

“Bit drunk there, Miss Anderson?” He laughed at her, enamored by that twinkling set of eyes and the precious smile stuck in place. Trying to erase the feel of her breast from his hand.

“Of course not,” she slurred and then looked immediately confused.

Jake just cuddled her more, too goddamn perfect for words. He had it bad, and he knew it. Everything she did had him weak for her and even something as simple as cute slurring of words had him wanting to squeeze the life out of her.

“Glad to see you letting go.” He smiled, almost nose to nose with her.

“I think falling on top of your boss is more than letting go.” She laughed, relaxing in his arms and regaining control of her vocabulary once more.

“I’m not your boss for the next two weeks.” He winked suggestively, plying on the hints thickly that he was completely on board with however she wanted to play this. Full flirt mode coming out but being played low.

“Okay, I shall rephrase … Falling on top of your temporary, not boss, is overdoing it.” She giggled again, the breeze blowing her hair up around her face suddenly, and he reached out to smooth it back so he could continue to stare into those cool blue pools of perfection. Her eyes had always drawn him, from that first time in his office those baby blues had captured him and haunted his mind, always. She could unravel him with one look.

“Do you need me to put you to bed?” he asked, hoping that if he got her away from watchful eyes and maybe alone they could further explore what this was tonight. He also hoped she was picking up the subtle hints in that question.

Gentle handling, Carrero. Listen to her, read her signs.

“Do I not need to put you to bed?” she slurred again, and he couldn’t help but laugh at that suggestion.

If only.

“I’m sure I can handle way more alcohol than you, tiny.” He joked, keeping a firm hold on that body and letting his hands trail down her back slowly toward her ass, she wasn’t stopping him, anyway. All signs that he wasn’t reading this wrong at all.

“I’m not so sure, I haven’t seen you walk yet.” She pointed at him in the universal drunk air jab. Too goddamn adorable for words and her mouth was most definitely getting closer to his, her body moving toward him so very slowly.

“I’m sure after seeing you make an attempt at that, it proves you’re worse than me.” He shifted to move his groin away from her a little, she was getting too close for comfort, and unlike most women who liked to feel the effect they

were having on him he knew Emma wouldn’t. She wasn’t like any girl he had ever known, and this game of seduction was nothing like any he played. The ball was in her court, and he was just playing along with whatever she was allowing. He wouldn’t scare her off by moving in all Carrero panther-like.

“I like your dimples when you smile.” She prodded his face. Focusing on his features a little too closely, distracted by them it seemed and licking her lips as her eyes moved to his mouth. He all but groaned.

She’s giving every prompt and signal unknowingly, innocently … Fuck.

“And there she is.” He grinned trying to deflect just how horny she was making him right now.

“There who is?” she asked in confusion, a frown creasing her forehead and eyes coming back to his.

“Drunk Emma … How are you doing? I missed you, baby.” He smiled, although truth be told she had been drunk since the restaurant.

“You missed drunken Emma?” she asked, blinking suspiciously.

“I did.” He smirked as that little jealous twinkle hit her eyes. All good signs for him.

“Why? … Do you like her more than me?” She pouted with sad eyes, not even smiling when he laughed at her and shook his head. Too sweet for words.

“You are drunken Emma …” He soothed, shifting his knee between them a little to keep that wriggling body of hers from getting back into his groin as that was the way she was heading. Aware of it or not she had inched herself right against his chest and abdomen and caught her feet in his, she was trying to get as close as possible and it was taking all his willpower not to flip her on her back and just stick his tongue in her mouth. He was almost certain she wouldn’t refuse it right about now but the voices of the others on deck were killing this. He wanted it a little more special than making out in front of them, especially Marissa and her wolfish eyes that had been undressing him all night.

“No. I’m not … I’m just Emma … Drunken Emma is …” She looked flustered and he could only laugh. “Why are you laughing? I’m being serious!” She pulled her hands across her chest between them defiantly, but it only made her more appealing, he prodded her nose playfully.

“Both Emmas are you, they just choose to come out at different times. You’re cute when you pout.” He prodded her in the face lightly again before pinching her nose. He could touch her all day and never tire of it.

“Why do you like her more?” She slapped his hand away sulkily, more pouting and the saddest eyes he had ever seen, it just made him want to laugh all the more.

God … adorable personified. Jesus.

“How can you not love this version of you?” He wrapped his arms tighter around her, now that she had taken them from her chest, back to her previous close position and planted a kiss on her cheek. He snuggled his head into the crook of her neck and maneuvered her body to mold into his a little better. If he wasn’t in direct line of that luscious mouth, then he would less likely pounce on her and down here he could at least inhale that sweet skin and perfume to his heart’s content.

Jeez, she felt good.

“Pffft … I don’t love her then.” She tried to wriggle free huffily, and he had to lift his head just to see that wounded expression which was all but killing him, she really had no clue how freaking awesome she was.

“Because I do?” He smiled at that adorable frown.

“Yes!”

“That makes no sense.” He jested, stopping the urge to poke her in the face. Playground flirting techniques were not normally his thing, but she seemed to bring it out in him.

“Yes, it does … If you like her so much, she must be a leggy bimbo.” She sulked and looked away from him, all hints of childish green-eyed monster on show.

Interesting.

“I already told you, I don’t actually like leggy bimbos, Emma.” He lifted his head more to stare at her fully nose to nose. He instantly thought about stopping that sad little face with a kiss, he was close enough, sure enough, that she wanted him to, and yet he didn’t want to do it this way. Not here. He inched close enough, eyes fully locked on the target and didn’t take the shot.

What the fuck is wrong with you?

“I don’t believe you.” She almost gulped at the slight reaction to his near kiss, another hint that she was into this. He just had to stop being a pansy and just do it. Stop worrying about fucking things up and kiss her. He had built this moment up in his head so much that now he had too many nerves to try. She couldn’t throw any more signals at him if she tried.

“Well, that’s your prerogative.” He smiled softly this time, willing himself to just go for it. Moving in slowly once more, pushing his crazy scared shitless self aside and just forcing himself to kiss her.

The scrapes and shifting noises on deck snapped his attention guiltily away as though his mom had just walked in and caught him trying to fuck someone in his room and he looked toward them. It was obvious by the way Daniel was maneuvering Miracle’s dress off that sexy time was about to get underway and Daniel wasn’t exactly shy about fucking in front of others or letting them join in.

Shit.

“Time for bed … I know what Daniel’s like. Show-time equals go time!” He didn’t like the fact that Hunter was doing this with Emma here, he would never expose her to that sort of degrading show. Emma wasn’t that kind of girl.

“What’s he like? What do you mean ‘show-time’?” She looked at him questioningly as he effortlessly pulled up with her in his arms, he was getting her below deck before she saw anything that made her uncomfortable.

“He likes kinky sex, he’s an exhibitionist, doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, he’ll try to pull you in, he has no qualms about fucking in front of an audience.” He frowned Daniel’s way knowing no way in hell would he ever let any of them touch his girl.

Jake caught sight of Leila getting up to leave too, she had never been into that whole scene and well, being Hunter, she didn’t want to hang around to see. Richard was following her.

“Will you join in?” Emma squeaked at him, a completely crestfallen look on her face thinking that he might want to. His heart warming a little at the obvious upset thinking he might. He had her.

Fuck no … She was far more alluring than that shit.

“No, it’s not my thing, Emma.” Not anymore, not in a long time and especially not when he had something better to be a different guy for.

“You said you did it on your dad’s boat when you were younger … group … stuff.” She accused him softly, obviously thinking back to old conversations from when he was stupid enough to think they would just stay friends. He regretted being so open about his past, wondering if it made her look at him in the way she was looking at Daniel right now. Disgusted.

Fuck.

“Who do you think was at the root of that?” He raised an eyebrow toward Daniel accusingly, not that it was fair, he had never forced him into all that just helped it along. He pulled Emma along by the hand and toward the stair to the lower deck trying to get her away from this quickly. The music was louder now and Miracle, already lying naked on a lounger, had started to touch herself. The girl seriously had no shame, and it made Jake grimace. Why he’d ever thought that lifestyle was better than this was beyond him. Looking at Emma he knew he would never go back to that shit even if he never got with her.

“So, you liked it then?” she asked looking back once more as Marissa got up and began a slow strip tease, her eyes following them. Jake ignored her and shrugged. Putting an arm around Emma to guide her and hold her up on those Bambi drunk legs of hers.

“I was young, it’s just sex. I was pretty much partying and pissing my dad off at every turn.” He tried to play it off casually, wishing he had never let her know what was going on and just whisked her off quickly. She was too inquisitive when drunk and this was not putting him in a good light at all. She stumbled on the carpeted floor and he righted her, pulling her close protectively. He could feel the effects of the alcohol more now that he was upright and the relaxed feeling moving over him fast. At least it was quelling his nerves.

“You don’t do group sex anymore?” She hiccupped, still chasing this goddamn infernal subject and he could only frown and sigh internally.

Jesus, Emma. Are you trying to ruin my chances with this?

He smiled at her in complete frustration with her line of questioning, looking skywards for a little help. She was like a dog with a bone on this and it was killing him.

“I like your smile.” She smiled, obviously instantly distracted in her drunken haze.

“No, I don’t, and I like that you like my smile, shorty.” He stopped and pushed her against the wall to steady her as he pulled his phone from his pocket as soon as he felt it vibrate, he swiped the screen seeing Daniel’s text on the front and had to hide a visual reaction.

Fuck her hard so she never wants to go back to being mates … Good luck!

He wanted to kill him about now, swiping the screen closed and shoving it back in his pocket.

“I like when you laugh like that.” He glanced up at her trying like hell to stop visualizing fucking her now, thanks to Hunter, and trying instead to focus on her sweet girly giggling instead.

Focus on her sweetness, not her cleavage, not her mouth, Carrero.

“Like what?” she asked innocently, still unable to stop grinning. He regarded her for a second then realized he had pretty much pinned her to the wall so every inch of her was against every inch of him, the hardness growing down between them in his pants was becoming a little too prominent and he shifted away.

“Unguarded … I like drunk Emma.” He pulled her off the wall and lead her to her room, he would take her there and give her one last attempt at turning him down before he would make a move. As long as all the signs were the same as the last hour then he was going to kiss her. More if she wanted but right now he just wanted to kiss her more than anything. Sex would be a bonus he wasn’t counting on.

“I like drunk Emma too,” she sighed, following him as he opened the hall door, his hand still grasping hers gently.

“I thought you said you didn’t?” He frowned at her with a confused smile. Her drunkenness was as polar opposite to PA Emma as she could get.

“I was jealous … You like her way too much.” She pouted and looked a little forlorn which made him laugh out loud. Leading her the short distance to the next door.

“You’re the same, Emma … No reason to be jealous, bambino.” He calmed his laughing, opening her bedroom door into the dark room and pulled her to the base of her bed, he had deliberately put her in a room next to his so he could be close if she needed him.

Letting her go, he sat her on the end of the bed and undid her high-heeled silver sandals, sliding warm hands over delicate feet on his knees and feeling her watching him. He knew he should switch the lights on, but he knew what he was doing in here. He was going to relax her, then he was going to move in without hesitation and go for it. No lights needed for that.

“Nooo, you like one more than the other.” She sighed. He smiled and shifted closer, so he was between her open naked legs with her dress sliding up high as she accommodated his body, nose to nose almost and practically the same height with her sat on the low bed and him on his knees. Not physically touching but he could feel that sizzle of electricity between them sparking in the darkness. He had been right about her giving off signals. He had no doubts anymore and this last little invited maneuver was sealing the deal. PA Emma would never have let him slide into her open legs so suggestively.

He reached out, touching her hair and running a hand through its silky softness, watching in the dim moonlit dark for her reactions. As expected she tilted her head toward his hand and parted her lips suggestively, her knees pressing to either side of his thighs as her body instinctively responded to him. All the things he had been watching for.

Maybe sex was an option after all.

“I like both versions of you in different ways, equally.” He sighed, trying to keep his libido under control as his blood started warming up at her obvious come-ons, keeping close.

“What do you mean ‘different ways’?” She blinked up at him innocently. He sighed, running a hand across her face lightly and moving her hair to tuck behind her ear, he chewed his lip as he tried to think of the most diplomatic way of answering her. Truth be told he was in love with every version of her, but drunk Emma let him in more than the others, he got a chance of more with her. That’s the only reason he wanted more of this version.

“PA Emma is cool and capable and she’s the best assistant I’ve ever had, she’s funny and sharp, and she’s good at what she does. I like PA Emma.” He nodded to himself, rattling off his mental tick list. Finished with her shoes, he kneeled up, so even though he was still on the floor his head was towering over Emma and his groin was not so pelvis to pelvis.

“You like her in an employee, employer way?” She reached up and toyed with his spiky hair childishly, instantly making him smile and raised eyebrows at this innocent un-Emma maneuver. Alcohol was definitely bringing out a whole new side to her and a flicker of guilt hit him in the stomach all of a sudden.

Kissing her like this would overstep the mark; she trusted him to take care of her when she was drunk, and all of this was just drunk Emma letting go a little. The flirting, the come-ons … She wouldn’t be like that sober and he was realizing how much of an abuse of her trust it would be to kiss her like this. It hit him suddenly and seemed to swamp his intentions with doubt at an alarming rate.

“Yes and no … I just like her, because she’s her.” His eyes came to rest on hers, an overwhelming feeling of disappointment hitting him in the gut.

He couldn’t hurt the relationship they had this way.

“And drunk Emma?”

“I’m a little infatuated with drunk Emma if I’m being honest.” He pulled her hand down and straightened up to leave, resigned to doing the decent thing and walk the fuck away. Taking every ounce of his inner strength to do this.

“You are? Why?” She sounded sulky, maybe sensing a change in him but he had to do this for her. She meant more than a one-night stand or awkward drunken kiss and the more he thought about it, the more he knew he couldn’t do this. Daniel was right, his head was fucked when it came to her and he over thought every single detail.

“Because she’s fun … she doesn’t guard what she says … or does.” He nodded toward her fingers, reinforcing what he was saying. Sober Emma would never have played with his hair. “She giggles and lets her hair down.”

And trusted him to not take advantage when she was vulnerable.

Shit.

“So do most of your leggy boobs.” She sulked at him again, big doe eyes that sucker punched him more, and a little petted mouth that was killing him right now. He couldn’t believe he was contemplating walking back to his room and stopping this.

“They’re not the same. Not even close, bella. They don’t have the other side to her … That’s what I mean by “I like you both”. One can’t exist without the other. I wouldn’t like there to be only one and not the other.” He shrugged being almost completely open about his feelings for her.

“So, you like my split personality? … A lover of the cray cray.” She grinned playfully motioning in circles at her temples and crossing her eyes. He smiled, that overwhelming affection for her cuteness hitting him hard and making his mind up for him. He wouldn’t abuse her trust when she was drunk. He loved her and that meant no breaking boundaries when she was vulnerable.

Fuck you, Carrero, wimp!

He moved another hair from her face taking a last longing look with the intention of saying goodnight. Every part of his body was yelling at him, but he didn’t care. He wanted her to be able to face him in the morning and deep down he knew this was not the way it should be between them.

“It’s not split though, there’re glimpses of both versions all the time, just one chooses to dominate … I see drunk Emma sometimes in PA Emma. When she occasionally relaxes too.” He had lost all his merriness, sobering up hard and lingering when he should have been walking out.

“Maybe she doesn’t know how to relax all the time,” she confessed with a conspiratorial wink. Emma couldn’t look anything but gorgeous to him.

“I think she’s scared,” he answered thoughtfully, not sure if it was her he was talking about anymore, or him.

Was he too scared to try to move things on? Was her being drunk an excuse?

“Why?” She watched him carefully, that sweet inquisitive expression on that flawless face. He stood up, his hands moving to cross across his chest and moved away from her. Putting distance between them deliberately.

“Because letting her guard down means she lets go a bit of control and she likes to hold it all together. Letting go makes her vulnerable, leaves her exposed, and that’s worse than death for her.” His voice was steady and low, betraying none of his emotion; it’s what he knew about her, but she didn’t know it was about him too. Moving in on Emma was letting his guard down fully, removing the final barrier which had kept him safe from complete devastation. Wimping out was about protecting him as much as her. Protecting his heart from being broken again.

“If I’m vulnerable, people can hurt me … Men can hurt me,” she whispered into the darkness of the room, sounding suddenly fearful, bringing him out of his own head and that fierce protective instinct for her coming out to play. Watching her he bent so his forehead met hers and pressed their noses together, an awkward position for him but as natural as breathing. He wanted to comfort her and make her feel safe. He would always keep her safe. It took precedence over everything.

“I’d never let anyone hurt you, Emma.” He breathed against her. His hands coming down to hold his weight on the mattress at either side of her thighs so he could stay leaning over her. Bringing them close enough to breathe the same air and smell her gentle tropical skin.

“What if you couldn’t stop them?” She suddenly sounded so young and vulnerable and he wanted to squeeze her badly. He would die to protect her, always.

“I’d always stop them.” He promised with conviction in his voice because he truly meant it. Emma sank toward him impulsively, looking like a lost child, reaching up so she could wrap her arms around his neck and brought their foreheads to touch. He wanted to close his eyes at the way she initiated this cuddle and imprint it to memory, she didn’t often initiate touch at all.

“You won’t always be around,” she said quietly.

“I’m always around if you haven’t noticed,” he said softly, bringing attention to the fact that since he had met her he had engineered almost a constant presence on purpose. Even before he knew what she was becoming to him, he had wanted her around him all the time.

He felt her lift her head and tug him a little closer, so their eyes could lock. The most intimate thing Emma had ever done, and he had to steel himself back in to stop the impulse to kiss her again. She looked so trusting which only calmed his fire.

“I guess,” she whispered at him.

“Let go, Emma … trust me to look after you … if not long-term, then for these two weeks at least. Trust me to protect you.” He was almost begging her. He wouldn’t do this drunk but if she was this way tomorrow, then maybe he would. Sober, he would kiss her if she let him.

“I’ll try,” she whispered, not loosening her hold on him at all.

“Good girl.” His arms came around her, pulling her up to him slightly for a gentle embrace to say goodnight and leave before he did anything stupid, lifting her from the bed for a full body embrace.

“Don’t say that to me.” She paused mid hold, causing him to halt. Her voice childish.

“Why?” He was suddenly confused at what he had said.

Good girl? What was wrong with that?

“Just don’t …” she said a little more firmly, he smiled in acknowledgment and slowly pulled her the rest of the way to cuddle her. Dismissing it for a conversation when she was more lucid. Emma snuggled into him a little too readily, making his body react in the worst kind of way for this given situation; he had to release his hold or impale her. The sudden release of her body made her stumble awkwardly and Jake cursed himself internally, reaching to catch her and losing his own footing as his toes hit the bed leg painfully.

Fuck. Graceful this was not.

He leaned forward too far to try to keep hold of her and somehow completely lost his balance, too drunk for these kinds of maneuvers and even though she weighed practically nothing he went down on top of her, nose to nose and laughing like fools at the awkwardness of their ungraceful collapse. His face was so close to hers and his body fully connected in such an intimate pose that for just a second, he couldn’t react, his mind a whirling mess of ‘kiss her … don’t kiss her’. He just stared instead like a dumb asshole and couldn’t foresee Emma lunging at him full force in a flash.

Her mouth connected with his so suddenly that she almost winded him and took a millisecond to realize that she was kissing him, Emma was kissing him!

Fuuuuuckkk.

His heart somersaulted to his abdomen and sent all manner of craziness inside of him. His mouth and hers entwined in seconds, moving into the one thing he had wanted for so long and being hit with an overwhelming onslaught of emotions and sensations all at once. Euphoric tingles and extreme hunger, losing himself in her taste.

Goddamn, she tasted like peaches and cream and her soft lips and softer tongue were made for devouring.

She kissed like an angel, a little unsure at first, obviously inexperienced which only made him want her more. He knew he should stop it, but he couldn’t. The second her lips had met his he was lost to her and no amount of willpower would drag them apart right now. He was adjusting his body to lean all over her without crushing her and losing himself into the kiss in ways he had never experienced.

This was love, he couldn’t deny it anymore. The way she felt, what kissing her made him feel. He was lost with no hope of a comeback after this.

His hands moved to her hair and around her throat impulsively, wanting to hold her to him and claim her. Softly holding her still so he could lead the kiss, showing her how to mold to him as she found her way. Her movements became more confident and meeting him flawlessly, he loved the fact that it was obvious she hadn’t done a whole lot of kissing this way, her inexperience was noticeable, but she was adjusting herself instinctively to him. She was his perfect pure angel.

God, she was made to kiss him.

He could feel her heart rate increasing under him, her body moving to accommodate him more comfortably and her breathing getting shallower as she got more turned on. Jake knew without a doubt this was heading for sex and he knew he might not have the willpower to stop it, lust consuming him and love driving him.

He caught her hands in his and pressed them against the mattress beside her head, pulling away to catch his breath momentarily, trying to slow things down and gain control. Trying to rationalize this, but he couldn’t, the way she was looking at him just pulled him back down. He had no control over this, she had opened a flood gate, and he wanted her so badly he had no say anymore. His head was blanking his thoughts out and just lost to the sensations.

He dropped back to that inviting mouth and gave himself all in, no regrets, no holding back, just kissing her more passionately and harder. Both breathing hard and fast, Emma responded with fervor, arms wriggling to be free to go to him. Legs moving up around his waist and inching herself against his abdomen even though he was trying to keep distance down there. She was moving against his body suggestively in time to the kissing and making him groan wildly. He knew Emma was no virgin, she had mentioned boyfriends from her teens, but she clearly had never been a casual sex kind of person which made this all the more intoxicating for him. Her movements were not skilled and honed, there was an innocence and almost awkwardness, holding onto him as though asking him to guide her. He had been with enough women in his lifetime to know this was almost as close to her being a virgin as he could get, and he fell in love with her all the harder.

She wouldn’t go all in for just a drunken night surely?

He pulled away and kissed her again, this time sucking her bottom lip seductively and testing how far she may want to go. She writhed under him, reaching up to try to kiss him again, her body fully molded to his and despite his obvious arousal she wasn’t backing down but pressing herself to him. Jake’s head was cloudy with lust and he could no longer think straight, nothing except getting her body naked and being inside her.

She was clinging to him and trying to pull him further into her, moaning at his touch, moaning as his tongue moved back into her mouth slowly and she began scrambling her hands free to haul him down by the shoulders greedily as though pinned together was not close enough. There was no denying she wanted this as much as him and he was beyond stopping it, his hands moving to skim the side of her breast and reveling in how fucking sexy her body was to him. Holding his weight up so he could shift against her harder. Bringing his groin to her pelvis and parting her legs further so there was no denying where he was pushing this, she just opened up and let them connect. Her body heat, scorching hot in the apex of her thighs, fueling his desire.

He groaned against her mouth, her body too perfect for words, hand moving down to trace her thigh and head toward her heat ready to take this a step further without hesitation. That point of no return.

There was a massive bang in the hall behind them, he had left the door wide open and the sudden noise made him jerk around quickly, shielding her to protect her from whatever it was. There was lots of hysterical screaming as the door filled with a dark looming figure of a man and Jake pulled away from her reluctantly to turn and look. Confusion clearing his foggy brain.

“What the f—?” Jake was shocked yet angry that he had finally got to this point with the girl of his dreams and some asshole was wading in to ruin it. He was still on top of her, braced on his arms but their bodies still entangled achingly.

“Jake? Jake?” The voice at the door sounded hysterical. He recognized Richard’s voice instantly.

“What is it?” he snapped, raging that this was his fucking life right about now.

“It’s Daniel, he fell off the boat … We can’t find him.”