Chapter 53

Entering the sunny breakfast room so late in the morning feels like a huge giveaway as to what we’ve been doing, so I’m glad to see it’s deserted; no one else is even up yet. Jake’s walking behind me with his hands on my shoulders and is much more relaxed; he’s practically horizontal now, and his mood is mellow. I guess finally making me orgasm multiple times has him in a much better mood. All my inner thoughts and emotions were no longer a hurdle when he started making love to me again. His confessions had made me extra responsive to his touch and barely able to last minutes before the first waves overtook me.

He kisses me on the back of the head before taking my hand and leading me to a seat at the table already set with glasses and cutlery. Almost as soon as we sit, a maid comes in, bringing us hot plates of pancakes, eggs, sausages, and bacon and a bowl of fresh sliced fruit. He doesn’t even acknowledge the girl, but I smile warmly at her with thanks.

“That’s really rude, you know,” I chastise him lightly, watching him lift his mug as he scans the newspaper and picks up his phone.

“What is?” He looks up from the phone in his hand with a quizzical expression.

“Not thanking people for bringing you food.”

“It’s her job. She does it several times a day. If I thanked her every time she served us something, she would think I fancied her.” He grins at me cheekily but is met only with my unamused frown. I suppose I shouldn’t be testy about him being blind to the people who serve him; he hasn’t known any other life except one with money and servants.

“She’s still a person, Jake…an employee. No different from what I was to you,” I point out with a surge of irritation and that weird overreactive feeling again. I don’t know if it’s all that’s been going on lately that has me so touchy, but my emotions and moods have been erratic, to say the least.

“You know as well as I do that no one could ever compare to what you were to me…are to me.” His intense look floors me, yet this time when the girl brings a pitcher of fresh orange juice, he thanks her with a winning smile, which makes me smile too, satisfied I have that effect on him. The girl blushes and twirls off, almost skipping away.

“I bet I find her naked in my bed later,” he points out sardonically, but I glower at him and shake my head.

“Being a gentleman doesn’t automatically encourage sexual advances,” I scold, but then bite my tongue when our server returns with the day’s newest papers and lingers a little too long next to Jake with a very improper twinkle in her eye. I sigh and look away, resisting the urge to throw my plate at her head.

“Did you forget who you’re in love with, baby?” he says in front of her, staring at me directly with a raised know-it-all eyebrow, completely ignoring her. His reputation, even in this house, precedes him. As she moves away, a thought occurs to me, and I lean toward him in irritation.

“You never…you know? With her? Or the staff?” I wince at the jealousy in my voice and instantly hate myself.

~God, will I always be this insecure?~

Jake lifts a fork and digs into the fruit bowl with a smirk, dragging out the silence a moment before answering.

~Asshole, he’s enjoying this!~

“No, bambina. I never touched any of my staff. Never touched any employees until you.” He throws me a wink, then settles down to start stuffing his face heartily. His appetite, as always, is huge. If Jake didn’t work out religiously, then I am sure his muscular frame would carry much more weight.

“Beneath you, I assume?” I snort haughtily, annoyed with the fact he’s enjoying this. He laughs, and despite myself, I smile.

“No, my sweet little hellcat, not beneath me at all. I don’t care what a girl does as a job or what she earns. I don’t, however, like messy lawsuits over the misuse of my position or shocking headlines…anymore.” He throws me a boss-Carrero look, and I relax a little with a smirk. I pour syrup on my pancakes and then dig in. Ravenous isn’t even close to describing how hungry I am right now.

“I guess you better dig out my employment contract and make some amendments under the sexual harassment section.” I smirk, lifting an eyebrow in amusement.

“Dolcezza, I literally burned that thing the second I knew I was going to chase you to the ends of the earth. Technically you haven’t been an employee for a very long time,” he winks, and my jaw drops. I can’t tell if he is being serious or not, his face giving nothing away at all.

“You’re kidding, right?” I eye him warily. Surely Jake wouldn’t have done something so underhanded as to remove me as an employee of Carrero Corporation. He isn’t that kind of manipulative, is he?

“Am I?” He smirks between mouthfuls and carries on eating, turning over the paper to the business section and lowering his head to read.

“Of course, you’re kidding,” I add, shaking my head at my own stupidity. “I still got paid every month. I’m pretty sure Legal wouldn’t dish out cash to anyone not on the payroll.”

“Oh, but for a second there, you doubted me.” He grins without looking up. I throw a grape at him, which hits him on the shoulder before falling on his lap.

“With you, I can never tell!” I point out innocently.

“You think a contract would stop me from laying my hands on you?” He looks up, his eyes almost glittering, and I blush. I shake my head, knowing only too well it would never stop the tornado that is Jake Carrero. He smiles at me, tosses the grape onto the table, then leans over and spoons some fruit onto my plate before stealing a bit of my syrup-soaked pancake.

***

After breakfast, we wander the gardens in the sunshine, enjoying the quiet before the rush of people getting up. Most of the Carrero family apparently eat in bed on weekends and stay out of sight until the afternoon. They all work and have demanding careers, so they use this time when they are all together to be lazy and relax. This big house and its grounds are all but deserted. Only the staff are running around doing whatever they are paid to do.

Jefferson arrives a little after twelve with a black folder for Jake and several brown envelopes, taking his leave immediately to go wherever it is he goes when Jake does not require him. I guess it’s to go back to New York.

Pulling me with him through the wide patio doors into the kitchen, Jake opens the mail and smiles at me as he fumbles through papers.

“Here.” He holds out a gold card to me without looking up. I automatically take it and notice my name on the front. It’s a credit card.

“What’s this for?” I glance at him in confusion.

“For abusing, dolcezza.” He pulls out some papers and flips them over, practically ignoring me.

“Why do I need this?” I put it down on the counter and slide it back to him, but he only stops my hand mid-push and slides it back toward me with a frown.

“Because you’re my girlfriend, and I pay for the standard of living I’m trying to get you used to.” His tone is edgy; we glare at one another for a moment, and I bristle internally.

~This is not part of the deal, Carrero!~

“I’m fine with how things are. I don’t need you giving me this on top of everything you already paid for and bought me,” I retort, but I catch his full undivided angry glare this time.

“Well, you’re going to be pissed with this then.” He flops down the paperwork in front of me, almost challengingly. I take it, eyeing him warily, and notice it’s a contract. My contract, with my new position in his corporation, with a pay rise of almost ten times what I have been paid previously. I almost choke. I had always earned top dollar as a PA, but this amount tops some company executives’ salaries. My gaze snaps up at him in complete confusion.

“I don’t need this,” I gasp, but he only shrugs. So many conflicting emotions hit me at once.

“Regardless of whether you do or don’t, I told you we had reshuffled our job roles. This is just an informality required by Legal.” He leans down and kisses me on the temple before moving the rest of his papers to the table and sitting down. Picking up the credit card and the contract, I walk over and toss them down in front of him, folding my arms stubbornly.

~You will not buy me or control me this way!~

“I do not require any more money or a new title. This says I’m your VP…your second in command?”

“Well, you’re already that. Time you got paid for it and some recognition.” He’s already flicking through papers, trying to dismiss me.

~I don’t think so!~

“Jake, first, you don’t even let me go to work anymore, so I shouldn’t be getting paid anything at all!” I snap haughtily. “And second, everyone in the building will think you did this because you’re screwing me.” I balk, emotion rising inside me at an alarming speed.

~What the hell is with that?~

“Don’t turn this into a fight,” he sighs with a wave of his hand, domineering Carrero returning in full.

“Don’t make our relationship about money,” I snap again, tears brimming to the surface with this damn crazy sensitivity I have lately.

~What the hell is with that?~

“You’re the only one doing that,” he snaps back, equally riled, and slides his chair back in agitation. “Emma, get used to being rich because I’ll marry you, and, like it or not, I’ve no plans to go bankrupt in my lifetime. My money will be your money too and trust me, there is a lot more than either of us can spend in a lifetime.”

He gets up, pushes past me, stalks to the fridge, retrieves a water bottle, and takes a drink before turning back to me a little more calmly. I’m still glaring at him defiantly, with my arms crossed.

“Look, I get it,” he says with composure. “I’m not stupid. I know you. I know it’s hard for you to accept anything from anyone you don’t think you’ve earned…independence in case everything goes to shit. This…us…it’s not going to end, Emma, and you deserve everything I have to give. I happen to have shitloads of money, and I want you not to need to ask me to splurge on yourself. This way, you can have your own money and do what you want with it. The credit card is for when you get used to abusing my finances and letting me pay for things instead,” he sighs, watching me, my face still bathed in irritation.

Walking back to me, he reaches out and slides his hand up my arm to my jawline. I turn my face away. I don’t know how to feel about this right now, an internal war waging, independent, and fearless Emma showing her face.

“Baby, please…I know you’re not with me because of this. You don’t have anything to prove. It’s okay to enjoy having a filthy rich boyfriend; there’s no shame in it.” He kisses me gently and relaxes as I start to respond to it, always incapable of maintaining a mood when he touches me. His mouth opens to mine and soon engulfs me in a hot, searing kiss.

“I don’t want this,” I finally sigh, calmer, and push the contract back at him. “I don’t need it.” It’s true. Jake already pays for everything, leaving most of my monthly salary untouched. Only the regular bills toward the apartment with Sarah come out. Jake is generous to a fault: he has Donna bring me clothes and lingerie often, he feeds me almost ritually, and I never want for anything. I never have to spend anything. I don’t need a bank account filling up with money I won’t use, money I’m not even earning anymore. I’m not one to go shopping often or splurge on things for fun.

Since Jake has decided that work is out of the question, I don’t do anything to deserve any money at all. I’ve only been accepting my monthly paycheck on the understanding we will eventually go back to work, and I will do something to be paid for so that I can pay Sarah for my room.

“If you don’t sign the contract, I’ll stop sleeping with you until you do.” He smiles wickedly with that stubborn look in his eyes. He means it.

“You would cave before I did,” I retort, turning my back to him in defiance, folding my arms across my chest again, not too enamored with threats right now. His hand slides down my summer dress, across the curve of my ass gently, igniting a million sensations effortlessly.

“Baby, you held me at arm’s length for almost a year…I’m sure I can handle it.” I catch the amusement in his voice. He believes he has me over a barrel, which only spurs my determination. A battle of wills.