“When do we leave?” I roll onto my stomach to watch him. He yanks on sweatpants and throws a T-
shirt over his head, covering up that gorgeous expanse of tattooed lusciousness. He’s obviously
changed his mind about having the shower right now.
“After you eat baby. I’ll have the housekeeper pack up food for the trip, still can’t have you flying so it’s
a long drive back. Jefferson is coming with the Lexus so I can sit with you in the back.” He picks up a
gray bathrobe and throws it beside me with a raised and suggestive eyebrow.
Hmmmm sexy back seat time. I like this idea.
“You’re very bossy this morning Mr. Carrero. I like seeing some of the old you kicking in.” I giggle as he
comes crawling quickly across the bed to haul me onto my back, kissing me passionately. Caging me
in with those glorious muscles assaulting me with his very sexy essence, like a strong aftershave
folding in around me.
“Amazing what a lot of sex with the woman I’m crazy about can do.” He grins and takes a shot at
devouring my neck playfully.
Amazing what a lot of sex with Jake Carrero can do.
“No more guilt and crazy thoughts about hurting the baby?” I push him up so I can see his face, smiling
at how lust filled those eyes are again already.
“Still lingering a little but no longer crippling me into celibacy. I needed yesterday more than you could
ever know, Emma. I needed to get back to this, to us. I love you so much.” He runs a finger over my
mouth before scooping to replace it with his lips. I moan at the contact, so ready for more and he sits
back up looking at me adoringly.
“I love you too, although yesterday I was contemplating triggering your sleeping disorder if my plan
didn’t work. I even googled it.” I laugh as he shakes his head at me.
“I would’ve probably liked it.” He laughs, biting my neck playfully again, sending me into squirming
giggles. He slides up and flips me over to my front, smacking my butt a little hard, but I like it. I’ve
missed all forms of Casanova Carrero. It’s like he’s reappeared from being away for a long time, our
honeymoon period in full force once again.
“Get up, we have shit to do today.” He jumps to his feet over my body on the bed, and balances
walking over me carefully then drops down to the floor before stalking to the bathroom. I sigh
obediently and slide out of bed to retrieve the fluffy robe he’s left there and haul it on.
I’ve got so used to living in this house that breakfast is normally eaten dressed this way, curled up in
the cozy main room on the couch in a fluffy robe. Sylvana comes to breakfast dressed the same way
and always with a huge grin on her happy morning face.
I’ve seen Giovanni, briefly, he’s always impeccably dressed; never caught him wearing anything less
than a shirt, waistcoat, pants, and shoes. The man must rise at dawn and always that same cool
controlled demeanor, never a hint of relaxed softness or harshness either; just being Giovanni.
I can see why Jake and he collide. Giovanni is never demonstrative or outwardly emotional. He’s not
touchy or affectionate. Arrick has more of Giovanni’s traits than Jake does, that same cool mature
manner and even when girlfriends are here Arrick doesn’t overly pander to them. The odd hand
holding, but no real public displays of affection that Jake is always happy to throw around, and no open
flirting or cuddly feelings.
Even with his mother, Arrick, is more reserved than
Jake. Jake kisses her on the cheek, hugs her in passing
or walks with her arm in arm. Arrick is like his father, hands in pockets as he stands in a domineering
manner
among people, those eyes never missing a beat. Arrick understands his father a lot more than Jake,
that much is obvious, and I believe it’s because he’s far more like Giovanni than Jake is.
Giovanni works in the city, so he flies back and forth a lot to be home every night just as he promised
his wife, another display of respect and love for Sylvana that Jake doesn’t notice either.
Arrick’s still in education. I’m not sure if that means college or some high-priced university or business
school but he seems to come home sporadically, always with a new girl in tow much like the Jake of
old. Carrero blood has a lot to answer for and I’ll be damned if this little Carrero gets up to such things
… if he’s a boy that is.
Sylvana splits her days between here and her charity, so sometimes she’s home for days and
sometimes gone for
days depending on her commitments.
She has gushed at me on occasion at how much she’s looking forward to having little feet running
around again and a little face to spoil with kisses. I can imagine her as a grandmother, giving so much
love to a new generation of little Carreros. She’s a woman built to love and to keep on loving every
child who comes her way and I know she’ll love both mine and Marissa’s child equally.
I have tried to ignore the pain in that statement. Once again realizing that everyone will bond with
Marissa’s baby months before mine comes. Ours won’t be the first tiny feet, the first grandchild or even
Jake’s first child and that still hurts me to the core. My baby will be second in everything, second to
arrive, second to be loved, second to be pampered, but in Jake’s eyes my baby will always be first. My
baby will be first to him in every way and I should use that thought to be okay with this. That’s all that
matters to me. He will love his other child, but I know his bond with me and living with this child will
make a difference to the relationship. Something Marissa hasn’t thought of.
“Come on sexy.” Jake reappears from the bathroom and catches my hand in his, dragging me with him
off the bed and through the door in that infuriating bossy manner of his.
* * *
For once we’re sitting at the table eating breakfast together. I’m on toast and fruit salad with fresh
orange juice, Jake’s got a mountain of pancakes and bacon and Sylvana is on some healthy granola
stuff, piled high in a bowl with yogurt and fruit. The two of them have been amusing to watch.
They have the same mannerisms as they read the morning paper and then switch pages, both shifting
in their chairs, rounding their shoulders, and tilting heads to one side. Both talking with full mouths
when they point out something interesting in the paper. The same way they cradle their mugs, not
using the handles, and the way they hold their cutlery when eating; propping a fork in the air when
engrossed in reading a column or news story. It’s beyond adorable and they are like mirror images.
The housekeeper wanders around picking up used dishes, replenishing the coffee mugs and I can’t
help but feel completely relaxed sitting here this way. Smiling at the two bowed dark heads noticing
from this angle they have the same exact nose profile and eyebrows and it makes me giggle
impulsively.
Jake looks up at me with a cute smiling frown.
“Something funny?”
“You two are like book ends … Just wondering if this one will have the same Carrero good looks and
quirks as you two do.” I tip my head to one side and smile at him, his face breaking into a grin.
“With my genes, bambino … more than likely.” He sits back in his chair and appreciatively looks me
over.
“Oh no. I hope this little one looks like Emma.” Sylvana chirps in with a dreamy expression. “Can you
imagine a little curly blonde-haired cherub with soft blue eyes and little pouty lips just like his mother?
Face of an angel but of course the little devil child that you were, Jacob.” Sylvana is beaming and Jake
gazes at me intensely.
“When you put it that way, I’d love nothing more than a mini Emma … Would be the most beautiful
baby on the planet.” He sighs, and his look grows intense, eyes locking onto mine in a devastatingly
gorgeous way.
He knows exactly what to say. Gold star to you Carrero.
“I want a mini Carrero.” I sigh, loving the way Jake is looking at me, a focused warm caress, because
before today I haven’t really expressed much about our baby other than not being sure of how I felt. I
guess part of me is starting to get used to what this is, what we have coming, and I can feel the joy
radiating from him at this sudden change in me. I guess I should tell him more often that I’m not entirely
unhappy about a little Jake growing inside of me. He looks like he needs the reassurance.
“Either way it’ll be a mini Carrero, in looks or charm; there’s enough of my genes in there to make sure
of it, not like we haven’t had enough attempts.” He winks naughtily, and I blush. Sylvana throws a piece
of fruit at him and it bounces off his head.
“Your mother is sitting right here, young man.” She lifts an eyebrow to him. “Don’t make me put you
over my knee.” The warning tone is deathly but the insincere way she’s smirking ruins the whole effect.
“Mamma …” He raises his hands at her in shrugging defense, but she only shakes her head.
“I wish I could blame that high sex drive and naughtiness on his father alone, sadly I think Italian blood
is naturally rich with it, I’m just as bad.” Sylvana winks my way and its Jake’s turn to cringe at her.
“Jesus, Mamma, what the hell? I swear I need to poke my ears out with something sharp now.” He
glares at her with an utter look of disgust on his face. I can’t help but giggle at them, Jake catches my
hand and leans in to pull it up to his mouth and kisses my palm. He lets me go and continues with his
coffee.
“Well since we’re talking about libido, you should know, that kid has no chance of boyfriends if it’s a girl.
I’m buying a shotgun and a really big dog for the dating age.” He frowns, and the hunch of his
shoulders gives me the impression he’s not kidding.
“You’re going to be a nightmare as a father. I can see it already.” I sigh and watch him studiously.
“Yeah, well, guess you better just keep me in steady supply of kids, so I get lots of practice at getting
better.” He winks at me and laughs when my face drops to a stone cold blank dead pan. My heart doing
a sudden drop of sheer panic.
“Oh Emma.” Sylvana bursts out laughing as she clocks my expression. “You’re marrying a Carrero
honey, if Giovanni had his way, we would’ve had fifty kids, sadly my body wasn’t too happy about that.”
She croons at me.
“I’m not that bad, fifty is maybe a bit much … maybe five or six?” Jake winks at me with a mischievous
smile and I scowl at him. I hope to God he’s kidding right now, for a reaction from me.
“When you start popping them out you can have five or six, until then I’m not making any promises
beyond this one.” I pout at him, huffily, only to be met with a look I know all too well. The one that says,
‘you know I’ll have it my way by any means.’ I stick my chin up and raise my eyebrows at him.
“Baby, you wait until this little one comes out and melts what’s left of PA Emma’s heart.” He grins at me
with wickedness and the urge to throw my fork at him is not lost on me. “You’ll be begging me to keep
you bare foot and pregnant.”
“I think not.” I stare at him steadily. “I have decided that when this baby comes, I want to study.” I divert
down at the table suddenly losing courage. I’ve thought about this a lot, considered it when Jake’s been
gone long hours, and even though I’m not sure how I’m going to form a future with what I have planned
I know it’s what I want to do.
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