Chapter 169

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

He kisses me on the back of the head before letting go and taking my hand to lead me to a sunny breakfast room laid with bowls and cereal. Almost as soon as we sit a maid comes in bringing us hot plates of pancakes, eggs, sausages, and bacon and a fresh bowl of 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, sitting opposite him and 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 for 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 shouldn’t be testy about a lifetime of being blind to the people who serve him. He hasn’t known any other life except the one with money and servants.

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

“You know as well as I do 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 the 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 fully with a raised know-it-all eyebrow and ignoring her completely. His reputation even in this house preceding him. She moves away and then a thought occurs to me and I lean forward 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, a smirk on his face. Dragging out the silence a moment before answering.

Asshole, he’s enjoying this!

“No, bambino. 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. That appetite as always is huge. If Jake didn’t work out religiously then I am sure that huge muscular frame would carry a lot 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 hell cat; 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 dig into my food, stopping to pour syrup on it first. Ravenous isn’t close to 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.

“Miele, 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 face drops. I’m not sure if he is being serious or not, his face giving nothing away at all.

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

“Am I?” He smirks, between mouthfuls and carries on digging in, turning over the paper to the business section and dipping his head.

“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 pick up a grape and toss it at him, hitting him in his shoulder.

“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 and tosses the grape, which had rolled to his lap, on to the table, leaning over to dump some fruit on my plate and steals 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. It seems most of the Carrero family eat in bed on weekends and stay out of sight until afternoon. All of them 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 meandering staff 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 be wherever he goes when Jake does not require him. I guess it’s to go back to New York.

Pulling me with him to the kitchen through the wide patio doors Jake sets about opening the mail and smiling at me as he fumbles through papers.

“Here.” He holds out a gold card to me without looking up, automatically I 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, miele.” 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 too.” 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 pay for and buy me.” I retort, but this time I catch his full undivided angry glare.

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

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