Chapter 239

I walk up to him and slide my hand into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet effortlessly, and flip it open. He narrows his eyes watching as I slide out his sexy black credit card without attempting to stop me and wave it in front of him.

“If I’m not allowed to pack or take anything to wear then I’ll just buy what I need and that’ll resolve that little issue.” I tease with a naughty smug smile. Jake takes hold of my wrist with one hand and yanks the card out of my hand with the other, throwing that behind him on top of the scattered case too. His expression completely serious and I can’t help but burst into giggles. He still has my wrist in his hand and it’s obvious he’s not about to let go.

“You’re impossible.” I poke him in the chest accusingly but can’t stop the giggling.

“That’s why you love me and that’s why I’ll cancel my fucking trip and stay right here if you keep this up.” He moves toward me menacingly, and I spring back, yanking my hand free and wave my hips at him playfully, goading him childishly. His mood is simmering but that twinkle in his eye hints at a desire to stop arguing and do something far more fun; that never-ending heat between us always is never far away nowadays.

There’s a small knock on the open bedroom door and Mathews appears, graciously clearing his throat to alert us of his presence.

“Mr. Carrero, Mr. Hunter is here to see you.” He nods and then waits for Jake’s response. Jake looks immediately irritated, and sighs, resigning himself to the fact that this is going nowhere.

“Show him to the lounge I’ll be there in a minute.” Jake smiles and Mathews turns and leaves us to it. Jake goes to walk forward, then stops and glances over his shoulder at the case on the floor, his eyes narrow suspiciously as he knows I’ll just pick it up and keep packing as soon as he leaves.

He stalks toward me in two easy strides and without warning bends down to flip me over his shoulder with a sharp smack to my ass and a squeal, as he marches both of us through to the next room with determination. He thinks that if I’m with him then I can’t disobey him.

Asshole.

“Jake put me down.” I protest, squirming on his wide shoulders helplessly in his vice-like grip, and he only sets me on my feet when we’re beside the long low white leather couch. Daniel is sitting far too rigidly on the far end not even looking our way but studying his own hands. Jake catches my wrists and pulls me onto his lap as he sits down, catching me so I don’t fall, nestling me into his embrace. It seems I’m to be his prisoner in case I go defy him and pack my case.

What am I going to do with him?

Seriously!

“What’s up, Danny? You look a little stressed.” Jake turns his steely face to Hunter. I struggle to get free but realize it’s futile, Jake’s grip is like that of a man on a mission to keep me here. I might as well give in for the time being and see what’s going on with Daniel Forlorn-Looking Hunter. I must admit I am a little nosey seeing as he looks rather … well sad.

I wrap my arms around Jake’s neck and curl my legs up on his lap. His arms are loose around me and I turn glancing at Daniel. Jake is right about him looking stressed, the boy is sitting straighter than a poker-set, and those blue eyes, normally so calm and cheeky, are a little red-rimmed. His usually slightly ruffled hair is too flat and unkempt.

“I need your words of wisdom.” He runs fingers through his hair in agitation and I notice his shirt is more than a little rumpled. His face isn’t its usual clean-shaven self either, he’s sporting Jake’s designer stubble and on Hunter it looks odd. He’s too blonde to pull it off.

“Leila?” Jake asks with his sharp instincts and I immediately zone all attention on Hunter again. I have learned from watching Jake that only woman issues could make a man go to hell like this.

“She’s dumped me.” He sits back, flopping dejectedly, and slides his feet out wide, sighing heavily, bringing his gaze to the ceiling as though he’s going to find some divine wisdom up there.

“Why?” I ask, slowly and deliberately, with a hint of edge in my tone. My body bristling in Jake’s embrace as he slides his hands down to my ass, pulling me in a little closer to get comfy.

I’ll kill him if he’s hurt her again.

“She’s bat shit crazy! That’s why! Jealous as fucking hell and nothing I said to her helped one bit. We had a fight over some stupid chick who came up to me in a club two nights ago, and Leila flipped the fuck out.” He sounds exhausted and all hints of smug Hunter are gone.

“Please tell me you haven’t done anything, Danny?” Jake slides me off his lap onto the couch next to him, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees toward Daniel. It seems I’m no longer a flight risk now that his friend is genuinely in need, but I stay put anyway.

“No. I’m not stupid, Jake. The girl was someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. She tried to get me to dance and I told her to beat it. Leila just saw red.” He sighs again. “I’m trying so fucking hard, Jake, trying to see her as often as I can, trying to show her that I’m not dating anyone else and seeing my shrink every week despite the undying urge to take off at a hundred miles an hour. It doesn’t mean I’m not struggling with all of this relationship shit but I’m doing it for her.” Daniel slides forward to mirror Jake’s pose so they’re closer together.

“But what exactly happened?” I pull a fluffy cushion onto my lap and start stroking it as I stare at the poor guy’s tight expression and tortured eyes. I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him. He truly looks miserable and I know only too well how that can feel.

“She threw her fucking drink at me, told me it was over, and to go fuck the whore; stormed off and went home. She won’t answer my calls.” A hint of anger in his tone seems to spark the same on his face.

“Have you thought about going around there and seeing her? Leila is obviously majorly insecure, Daniel.” I narrow my eyes on him and he just sighs again.

“And say what? No Leila, I’m not fucking you about, or touching other women publicly on a dance floor five feet away from you. She wouldn’t let me near her front door. I know Leila too well she won’t let me in if she’s not answering calls.” He sits up sharply. “What about some fucking trust? Some fucking benefit of the doubt?” He gets up and then immediately sits down again. “See this shit?” He throws a gesturing hand down the length of him “She’s got me so messed-up I don’t know if I’m coming or going … Fuck’s sake! Seriously. I’m all over the place. I don’t think I can handle this anymore.” He seems flummoxed, slowly unraveling, and I can’t help but wonder if this is how Jake was during our separation.

“What are you saying?” Jake doesn’t look happy at all; his body tenses a little too sexily for my liking. I can’t seem to get my head out of the gutter lately. All this rush of sexual longing has hit hard since getting our back intimacy and now I can’t seem to switch it off. I wonder if this is a pregnancy thing.

Damn these hormones, I’m so horny for him right now.

“Maybe I’m not able to do this … Maybe Leila and

I are better off not together because I can’t seem to keep

that chick happy.” Daniel looks defeated. He shifts position three times in a row, restlessly, and then resigns himself to going back to his first position, flopped on the couch with legs apart.

I go to snap at him in anger, but Jake stands, and I’m silenced by his sudden motion. I wait for his flash of anger, but nothing comes.

“Fine … Leave it this way then. Finished.” He shrugs and walks toward the kitchen rendering me utterly speechless. He sounds completely normal and, well, sort of accepting.

What the fuck?

I have no idea what he’s playing at but whatever it is I don’t like it at all. This isn’t the Jake who loves Leila to death and puts Hunter in his place when he’s being a moron. I’m not happy about his lack of care for her and start glaring at his back.

“You agree I should give up?” Daniel seems equally shocked at the lack of lecture.

“If you can’t do it, then don’t. Walk away. Let her go back to that Kurt preppy boy asshole and have a happy life with Mr. Squeaky Clean.” Jake’s level even tone is giving nothing away, but I know the manipulation tells in his sexy body, the way he’s casually in control, setting out mugs for coffee nonchalantly, unemotional about the topic. Everything a bit too precise and because I know him, I see a very calculated famous Carrero maneuver from miles off. I smile internally at the cleverness of my man.

Reverse psychology. Well done Mr. Carrero.

“Just walk away from her? And then what? That guy won’t make her happy …” Daniel can’t do anything but stare and question Jake’s mental state.

“Go back to being a man-whore with parties and whatever else, just forget about her.” Jake shrugs, holding up a mug waving it at me asking if I want one too. I smirk and shake my head adoringly. He is playing Hunter so well.

My devious asshole of a man.

Daniel sits for a moment and stares at his hands quietly.

“I can’t do that.” He says it more to himself than to either of us, sounding sadly defeated, looking up at Jake as he says, “I love her too much.”

“Well man up, Danny, and stop acting like you weren’t expecting any of this shit from her. Leila is acting out because she’s waiting for you to fuck things up. She’s pushing her damned hardest to make sure you do, because she’s expecting it and sooner is going to hurt far less than later.” Jake snaps at him and I know exactly what he is doing. His insight into Leila’s head warms me.

God, I love you.