The Carrero Effect Trilogy

Chapter 16

The song choice from me to Jake plays across the floor, surrounding us as we sway. We're still wrapped up in each other, our eyes focused intently. The swell of happiness between us is infectious, and I don't think either of us has stopped smiling since his dance-floor proposal an hour ago. I truly know joy beyond all bounds. I wanted to reply to his song. After all, it was our tradition, and in a grand fashion to match his, the DJ was more than happy to oblige when the orchestra finally took their leave.

Ella Henderson's "Yours" plays beautifully across the room, telling him everything I want to say right now.

He sways me around the dance floor for the hundredth time, wrapped in his arms and smiling like crazy. Feeling like I could die from contentment. People congratulated us the whole way through the meal, and neither of us has managed to stop touching the other, smiling brightly with only eyes for each other. I can't stop glancing at my hand over his wide shoulder to the understated, delicate diamond ring, showing me he'd thought about what I would like. Non-showy, vintage, and perfectly me. He chose something I would've chosen for myself, elegant and meaningful, rather than a display of wealth. Jake knows me better than I think he gives himself credit for.

Sarah appeared and enveloped me in kisses and tears as soon as I had that ring on my finger. She's now swaying with Marcus, feet away on the floor, looking merry, drunk, and very much like a girl in love. Marcus looks quite groomed and a little different, eyes aglow with infatuation for Sarah, evident on the face of a man I've never warmed to. Maybe I've always been too harsh on him, seeing them together with new eyes, the love evident between them, and the way they seem to fit so effortlessly together, like Jake and I do, but in their own way.

I can't help but look back at the man of my dreams and take in every part of that face. Someone has his attention to the left of me, and he's smiling and answering with an amused, furrowed brow. His low sultry voice always makes my blood pump faster. His arms around my waist tightly, mine around his neck, bow tie now undone and hanging loose at each side of his collar. The jacket is gone, and his shirt is open at the top. He looks exactly like he should, sexually casual and a little rough around the edges, yet confidently tailored to perfection even when his tie is discarded. The boyish bad boy Carrero always dominates every part of him, and it's exactly who I always want him to be.

The night is a blur of smiles, giddiness, and floaty memories of people I know hugging me and lots of kissing. Jake has kissed my lipstick off until my cheeks are permanently blushed and my mouth puffy. Yet that doesn't seem to stave off the craving to kiss me more, not that I'm complaining. Kissing Jake is my all-time favorite thing in the world. That seductive mouth locked onto mine, bringing our hearts together as one. No one makes me feel like he does with something so simple as a gentle brush of lips. Just his proximity to me, eyes locked and noses touching, makes every part of me surrender to his will.

Jake stops talking to whoever has his attention and turns back to give it all to me; another kiss and soft grazing of noses make my body tingle for him. He knows no bounds when it comes to being tender and gentle with me, and I love that it's a part of him reserved only for our unborn child and me. The side of him that the world never sees and probably couldn't associate with the 'Playboy Carrero Casanova' public figure that women still drool over. He was never that way with his endless meaningless women, never so touchy and adoring with them at all, and it only highlights what I mean to him.

"You thought I was going to say no, didn't you? Even though we were technically engaged." I sway with him, now completely relaxed, with so much heart swelling love. Moving to the music emphasizes his powerful body, and he positions my feet to stand on the shoes of his toes so he can dance me around, reaching my lips a little better. I feel a child, but with his arms encircling me tightly, I don't want to be anywhere else. He always has a way of making me feel protected and cared for, even if it's just propping sunglasses on my face in bright light or taking off my shoes in the car home after a dance, or swirling me around on his feet so I can stand and relax as he takes control of my movements.

"The thought crossed my mind about a million times once we got here. I'm not going to lie; I started to panic that I was going about this the wrong way, Bambina." He grimaces at the memory and scoops down to kiss me again. His face is one of confidence, showing no hint of doubt now. Cameras flash nearby, but Jake is oblivious to the paparazzi's attention. I, on the other hand, am still adjusting.

"I love you, Mr. Carrero. This was beyond perfect." I smile lovingly.

The fireworks display lasted forty-five minutes and were beyond spectacular. After the emotion of the moment calmed down, we crowded outside in droves and saw the last half of the most magnificent fireworks display ever. Jake draped his jacket around me and held me in his arms for warmth while we watched in awed silence. He certainly supplied, as promised, 'Fireworks and a floor show,' and in true Jake Carrero style, it was go big or go home.

He smiles back.

"Mrs. Carrero … Emma Carrero. God, I love how that sounds." He moves his forehead to mine and continues to drive our feet in time to the ballad. "I can't imagine anything more perfect than this." He brings a hand to my face and trails his fingertips across my bottom lip, oblivious to the flashes of cameras nearby going off repeatedly. Unfortunately, the press appeared at some point. I'm not sure if they caught the moment he proposed, but they were here for the fireworks and seem to like the tender moments we were having a little too much.

We're moving around, lost in each other's eyes, when we become aware of a commotion behind us; raised voices and glass smashing. I turn to see what's going on, and I'm completely unsurprised to see it coming from Daniel and Leila off to one side of the floor amid a group of gaping bystanders …

"Why are you here with him?" Daniel has Leila by the wrist, and she's struggling to wrench it free; fiery fury latched onto fiery fury. Daniel looks poised and ready to beat someone with a death glare across that handsome face. His grip on Leila only accentuates how muscular he is.

I never really notice it when he's with Jake since Jake is much broader. He is equally tall, with sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, and right now, he's terrifying; aggression rippling through him the same way it seems to ignite Jake. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of them as a pair.

"Shit," Jake mutters and lets me go, lifting me from his shoes and pulling me with him. He heads their way in a rather brisk fashion.

"It's nothing to do with you who I date." Leila spits back, eyes flaring at him from her much smaller height, arm wrenching and attempting to kick him with her killer pointed heels, just as Jake intervenes.

"Daniel, take this outside. Come on. It's too public here, and the press is lurking because of my engagement." Jake nods toward the men mulling around with cameras, aiming this way. Jake keeps my hand in his and draws me closer to shield the pair from probing lenses. Daniel looks around as though realizing where we are, his face softens a little, and I can't help but feel a twinge of heartache at the utter devastation on his face. Kurt is lurking nearby, but even I can tell he knows he's no match for Daniel Hunter, not in the slightest; that dominant alpha male thing that Jake exudes is a Hunter trait too.

Leila snatches her hand away and turns to Jake imploringly, raising her hands in complete frustration.

"There's nothing to take outside … I'm. Not. Interested!" She throws her hands on her hips in defiance, but Daniel scoops her up in his arms in a flash, ignoring any attempts from her to refuse him, and turns on his heel to march out toward the pitch-black gardens with a look of sheer rage. There's a flash of cameras, and Jake grimaces and grabs my hand a little more firmly, pulling me to follow the bickering pair into the night air.

We stop a few times to thank well-wishers in passing as if it's the most surreal thing ever. I can see Hunter's back with a struggling pair of legs sticking out to one side. They disappear behind a swaying velvet curtain, and I am urged to follow them in a hurry.

"Put me down … NOW!" there's an unmistakable yell as we get into the cooler night air and dim lights. Jake pulls the doors behind us, and a waiter inside instinctively draws the curtains. I blink back at the movement and catch a tight look on Jake's face. It makes me wonder if he issued the command for privacy. Or maybe the staff of this establishment is used to safeguarding its high-profile clientele from the media. I don't think I'll ever get used to their intruding presence.

Jake pulls me in front of him, wrapping his arms around my shoulders now we're about seven feet away from the pair.

Leila sits as stiff and as straight as she can in his hold. Her legs taught and knees together, arms folded across her chest, staring straight ahead to avoid his glare. It would be almost comical if it weren't for that hopeless look on Hunter's face as he gazes at the rigid little woman in his arms. I can see his love for her pouring out like a waterfall.

"Not until you tell me you're going to break up with that asshole, Leila." Daniel is beyond livid, speaking through gritted teeth and sounding like the jealous boyfriend. I glance at Jake, aware of another similarity, and catch him smirking back at me.

At least he knows it.

Daniel has an air of aggression that Jake usually emanates, and for a moment, I think he might chuck Leila on the ground. The way he's taking in her stubborn face and closed-off posture, I wouldn't blame him right now. The girl is more stubborn than me and has less ability to give any leeway.

"He wants to marry me. Why would I dump a guy who actually wants love and commitment from me?" She spits at him sarcastically, wriggling instead, realizing neither of them will back down with this odd standoff.

Daniel drops Leila down onto her feet and yanks her around to face him with too much fury. He's holding her by the upper arms, so they are inches apart, ducking his head to try to bridge their height difference.

I tense up, ready to wade in at his volatile behavior, Jake's arms on me tighten. He knows Daniel would never physically hurt her, or I would be behind him.

"I'm not there yet, Leila. Okay? I've only just started getting my fucking head together, but I'm doing this for you. Can't you see that? I'm trying to sort my shit out, so I can be that guy who gives you love and commitment. I asked you to give me time, and I fucking meant it. I wanted you just to give me a chance and wait for me. I fucking love you!" Daniel sounds ravaged, and Leila's stance crumbles a little. I open my mouth in shock at what he's just said, but Leila turns on him accusingly, sheer anger in her little body as she tries to bring her height up to his by stretching.

"So, I'm supposed to hold my fucking breath and wait? For how long? Put my life on hold while you figure out if you really can give a shit about one woman? In the meantime, we do what, exactly? You still fucking around and me twiddling my thumbs?" She starts to cry as her words tumble out of her mouth, her body sagging in defeat, and Daniel softens too, his grasp on her arms loosening, and he slides both hands down to bring her palms to his chest.

"I don't know how to navigate this. You know I've never been here before! I've never wanted to fix this or go down this route, Leila. All I know is that when we get close to something real, I freak out and run. I'm terrified that I will do it again if I try to date you right now. I don't want to keep hurting you that way." There's sheer fear in his eyes, pleading, and his body is almost all but curled around her.

At least he's honest. Another Jake trait.

"You don't know if you don't try." Jake cuts in flatly from his position behind me. His arms are around my shoulders, and his back is to the closed patio door. "Just saying." He shrugs, and I can feel his smirk as Daniel eyes him up, and Leila stays intensely focused on Daniel's profile. I can feel her willing him to make a choice-a real one.

"I don't want to keep hurting you." He looks at Leila, and even from his tall, over six-foot height, to her tiny, five-foot odd, they still manage to lock eyes. No one can deny the electrical surge sparking all around them, an ever-present hum whenever these two get close. I wonder if Jake and I exude the same thing, and he instinctively pulls his arms up around me a little more firmly.

"You're hurting me now. By doing this. This nothing. This waiting thing." She cries quietly, and he slowly lifts a hand to tenderly brush away the tears on her cheeks. She slaps it away, and he raises his hand back up to try again, ignoring the furious little wildness in the girl he loves. His lack of reaction shows how used to Leila's outbursts Hunter really is and how tolerant he is.

I wonder if the other man could so easily brush off her violent tendencies and true passionate self quite so effortlessly. Daniel seems to be taking moments to think, and his eyes never leave that little blonde head as she stares at their feet on the ground between them. Her body is emanating all kinds of aggressive self-defense, but he holds tight.

"Tell Kurt it's over and give me a chance Leila. I'm willing to swallow my fear and try if that's what you want. I can't promise I'm not going to fuck things up and make mistakes, but I can't stand the thought of you being with anyone else anymore. Too many years we've done this and come around in circles. I just want you and no one else. It's never been anyone else." It's barely a whisper, but we all hear it loud and clear, oozing complete sincerity.

"By trying, you mean stop fucking around with other women and me? Stop acting like some man-whore on a mission to bed everyone in the northern hemisphere?!" Leila lifts her chin and glares at him fully. She's not for backing down; I wouldn't expect anything less of her. She is a spitting little fireball, even with love declarations and promises of more, still not quite ready to trust him.

"I mean by dating you, Leila, exclusively and seeing where this goes. No fucking other women if you swear you'll stop fucking other men. Stop seeing other men altogether." Now he sounds deadly serious. That jealous tone is back in full fury, his intense gaze boring into her eyes. He tilts his head, so she can't escape it.

They are obviously more alike than I thought.

"What? You didn't bring a date?" Leila is still holding out, still being a defiant little pest, and still meeting his eyes with a huge amount of attitude. I sigh at her. Jake's soft chuckle under his breath from behind shows me he's thinking the same thing.

Leila is a fighter until the very end, but you've got to admire that about her, and I'm sure by his patient demeanor, it's one of the many things Hunter loves about her. Daniel isn't even remotely intimidated by the wild little hellcat before him or the hateful tone she's throwing his way. He smooths her hair behind her ear, not flinching when another slap comes his way, and the sound echoes around us.

I knew you two were a match.

"No dates and no women. None since the night we picked you up from that bar, and you told me you hated me. That hit me more than any slap in the face. You have to believe me on this, Leila." He's leaning in, trying to get her to look back at him, but she's intent on looking elsewhere. I notice when she flashes her eyes our way that she's crying. Leila doesn't do vulnerable very often, and she doesn't want him to see the effect he's having on her. She's fighting him to the last.

Leila looks this way again and chews her lip, swallowing hard, as she tries to gain control of her emotions. She catches Jake's eye over my head, and I've no idea what look he returns, but she pulls her head down to face her feet in complete defeat. She thinks long and hard, leaning into long agonizing moments of silence.

"You must be suffering a lot right now, then? It's not like you to go five minutes without a woman and sex." She glances our way, a look on her face I don't understand, as Jake chuckles under his breath. I don't know what I'm missing, but something seems funny.

"I don't want anyone else, Leila. Sex is great, yeah, but with you, it's mind-blowing, and nothing compares. Why would I want anything else?" Daniel uses his fingers to tip her chin back to his; this time, she doesn't resist. His eyes find hers, drawing her close with an arm around her waist. He begs, "Give me a chance, Leila. Please."

"Maybe I need a reminder." Leila sniffs quietly, that little defiant chin stuck up, a glare on her face too cute to be intimidating. Daniel smiles as Jake shifts behind me and leans closer to my ear.

"Come on. They don't need us here for what's going to happen next." I look dumbfounded at the two, still standing feet apart in some quiet standoff, silently regarding one another, but Jake pulls me with him.

We shouldn't leave those two to self-implode.

I'm slow on the uptake because I don't know what he thinks will happen. He turns me away, guiding us toward the glass doors, and opens them into the overly bright room. I squint my eyes as they adjust, and I glance at him as confused as I can be.

"What do you think they're going to do?" I blink, trying to adjust to the brightness; his arm loops casually around my neck, and he draws me against him with a kiss on the temple.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jake winks down at me. But I still can't gain any sense from how we left the two of them out there. He forgets I'm not as wise in the acts of sex, love, and relationships as the rest of the population. I didn't see any foregone conclusion to that little scene we just abandoned. I shake my head in complete blank-mind mode.

"Something I seriously wish I could do right now," he sighs and frowns at me with a spark of sheer regret, a flicker of pain, replying, "Much-needed reunion sex, Emma."

Oh. That …