Chapter 53

Too much money and not enough sense.

“That would be an idea.” I smirk, raising a brow.

“Get rid of what you don’t want.” He pulls a dress from the pile and holds it up to admire it, thrusting it down to pick up lingerie instead, with a smile and a dirty wink.

“Most of it still has tags, Jake, she should return them.” I snatch the bustier from him and throw it toward my dresser where my lingerie lives. His raised eyebrow is not lost on me and yet, I ignore it, not really wanting Jake to ogle my lingerie.

“Just give them away, Emma, they’re already paid for.” He shrugs.

“Jake, there’s thousands of dollars worth of stuff here.” I implore him in frustration, he has no concept of money sometimes.

“And?” he says as if to prove my point. I forget that he probably spends more than that on one piece of jewelry for a passing date. He’s always been generous in that way.

“So, I should just donate it? What I don’t need?” I ask sardonically. Really not amused with his lack of care.

“They’re your clothes, Mio Amore.” He shifts on the floor, picking up another dress, this time having a closer look at it and looking at me. He’s trying to remember if I’ve ever worn it. I throw him a disdainful look and start throwing items to the door for donating; this feels so wasteful. I don’t even want to tally up the costs of half of this and, apart from Sarah, I don’t know anyone I can give them too.

“You’ve never worn this?” he raises an eyebrow at me so that I look over at what he’s holding.

“Nope.”

“Why not? It’s nice, kind of cute, yet sexy.” He’s still admiring it and I frown to survey it properly.

“Where would I wear it?” it’s not exactly formal, but it’s not exactly casual. It’s a sort of romantic floaty dress, in a short, flirty style, and a lovely deep red shade.

“Take it with us on our trip. Parade around on deck for me in it.” He puts the dress on the bed as though he’s decided it’s coming on the trip, regardless of my view on the matter; sometimes Jake can be exasperating. I can’t argue though, it’s a lovely dress and perfect for a holiday.

“Just the two of us?” I ask warily, I’ve been wondering about this since I agreed, churning it over nervously.

“Not if that makes you uncomfortable … I have friends we could invite; my father’s boat has six double cabins if you want a crowd.” He’s still looking through the clothes on the floor, with a little too much dedication.

“Who would you invite?” Maybe it’s the thought of just the two of us alone for two weeks on a beach, that’s bothering me. No work to converse over, nothing to distract me from my own mind. I think he’s hit the nail on the head; no boundaries and rules to keep things in check.

“Daniel, a couple of the guys I sometimes take trips with, and whoever they want with them … I was thinking Leila Huntsberger, that way you could meet Sophie’s new sister.” He cocks his head at me, and I smile gratefully. I would really like that a lot.

“So, they’re going to be couples?” I press warily, not sure how this will work.

What if Jake wants to hook up while we’re there?

“Really, Emma?” he sighs. “What do you think I’m going to do? Try and seduce my PA, because we’re surrounded by couples and I’m incapable of abstaining from sex? I may always be trying to chat you up, but I’m not an idiot. I know where the boundaries are, Bambino.” He seems exasperated for a moment.

I’m not sure that would be a reason to refuse, if I am being completely honest. I’m just anxious about all the possible outcomes, not having the control or planning.

“No, it’s just … It will be awkward.” I don’t look at him, just keep sorting random clothes from the pile. Jake has stopped and is leaning against my bed watching me.

“Why?”

“They might think we’re …” I hesitate and catch his eye. His relaxed pose accentuates that upper body mass and I glance away quickly. Always caught off guard by my own hormones.

“Who cares what they think? I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks, Emma … I need a break and so do you. Stop overthinking and just agree; besides, they’re my friends, they’ll know right away that we’re not screwing.” He slides his hands behind his head, frowning at me and shrugs, a little angrily.

“Okay, for god’s sake.” I put my hands up in defeat, he’s so grouchy tonight and I throw him an apologetic look.

“Don’t laugh, Jake, but I don’t own anything I could wear on a beach, or a boat.” His face breaks into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.

***

In great Jake fashion, the trip is organized in lightning speed. A matter of days at most, which pass in a flurry of a busy schedule, and before long, we’re heading to the sunny deck of Jake’s father’s boat.

The boat is huge, we’re anchored a half a mile from the shore of the most luscious, secluded beach I’ve ever seen. I’m completely overwhelmed at the beauty of this place; the sun’s beating down, a gentle breeze and sweet salty air. It’s truly a paradise haven, complete with palms and white sandy shores.

The crew is formal and walks around in white uniforms, the captain even wears a hat and everything we desire is brought to us by these magical servants who stay out of sight until needed. It’s beyond my wildest dreams, and for a minute I wonder what it would be like to be married to someone like Jake, having this life all the time.

He seems so much more chilled out and carefree, a smile never far from that handsome face and somehow different. Jake’s friends seem okay. Daniel is keeping his distance and I wonder if Jake has warned him off.

There are six of them with us. Daniel and two other men - Vincent and Richard, twins with white blonde hair, gray eyes, all American good looks, and square shoulders. Jake has an alarming number of good-looking friends. They have brought hot, leggy women on board who are completely topless, bar the one called Leila, and wandering about on deck having some sort of bitchy glaring competition with one another.

Marissa, Vincent’s date, is small and tawny haired like me, although hers is browner with highlights; she’s curvy, and has an almost exotic look to her, a bit like Jennifer Lopez, only sulkier and with a lot more curve. There’s something I really dislike about her immediately; she’s superior and icy toward me, from the second Jake arrived hand in hand with me at the airport.

Leila, Richard’s date, is amazing; she’s small and blonde and like a little hurricane in a teapot. I fell in love with her spirit and hyper energy as soon as she blew on deck, always smiling and the center of fun and hilarity. She introduced herself with a hug and a giggle and then poked fun at Jake mercilessly, highlighting a real friendship there.

The other girl, obviously Daniel’s lady of the moment, is a mirror image to most of the women Daniel has dated in the past; her name is Miracle. I assume it’s a porn name, as she’s hanging over Daniel’s arm, practically licking him. She’s tall, slim, and seems to be all brown hair, boobs, and legs.

It has not been lost on me that two of the women swoon and pout whenever Jake appears. Leila seems oblivious to his charm, and spends her time crooning over Richard, adoringly.

Jake’s looking as handsome as always, he’s wearing long shorts to just above his knees, he’s topless, showcasing desirable physique, bad boy tattoos and tanned skin, his usual sleek shades and ruffled hair. I admit that not staring at him half-naked has been hard, awkward at first, considering he’s my boss and I have never actually seen him minus T-shirts before, except on Internet pictures. He is a lot sexier in the flesh.

He’s been swimming with Daniel in the ocean, topping up that Italian tan and he is looking jaw-droppingly yummy. Despite that, we’ve been here almost two days and I’ve managed to relax a lot and start on my tan.

I was met by Donna before our trip, laden with bags of clothes suitable for a tropical getaway and threw Jake an accusatory glare. He’s since promised to limit Donna’s gold card to a budget, under my direction, and promised to stop reaching for her number anytime he has an obsession to dress me up like a Barbie doll. Wasn’t hard to figure out that he was behind the non-stop purchasing.

I’m wearing a bikini that’s a nice shade of coral and a matching sarong around my waist in a pale print. I’m not really a bikini wearer, but I don’t feel so self-conscious, now two women’s breasts are jaunting around on deck before me. The men must be used to the spectacle as none of them seem to pay any attention to the naked boobs. This surprises me, in fact, Jake seems to avoid looking that way at all. Totally un-Carrero of him.