The Carrero Solution (Carrero Book 3)

“Why? You think because fucking you once had been so unmemorable that I wouldn’t remember four weeks ago? I remember every single moment, Marissa, right down to the second you launched yourself at me, and I rejected you because I realized the only girl I ever wanted was Emma.” Jake is seething. I know him. I watch him and read his body language. He’s not lying.

He’s angry that she would imply there was more. He’s enraged that she has the gall to try to do this to me, to hurt us, and I’m not going to let her do it to him or me. I have

one hundred percent faith that what Jake told me was

the truth, and this manipulative bitch is just trying to make me leave him again. Making a pathway for her to try to

get her claws into him, and I sure as hell will never let

that happen.

“You have no clue. I saw the state of you. There’s no way you remember accurately what you did with me, and I can assure you that you definitely remember how to finger fuck me to an orgasm, Jake.” She smiles and evilly licks her lips, looking directly at his crotch now that he’s on his feet, and I flinch. The urge to use one of these steak knives has never been so appealing.

“You’re a liar.” I lift my chin, eyes pouring tears that I wasn’t even aware were falling, and face her full-on. “You’re a disgusting, pathetic tramp and a liar. Do you really think I would believe you? Over him?!” I stand and slowly start folding my napkin neatly, lying it on the table, old PA Emma taking control, pushing my erratic emotions down.

“Then you’re a fucking idiot because once a cheat, always a cheat, whether he kissed me or fucked me, he still cheated! Believe me. He will again!” Everyone is standing and glaring at one another. Well, Jake and I at her, and her at both of us.

“You would know.” Jake cuts in with a snide comment and a snarl. “You are the queen of fucking cheating, Marissa, right?!” I catch that spark of fury, bracing myself for another onslaught of nastiness, but she cackles, laughing like a crazy witch.

“All these years, Jacob. You’re still so sore about all that because you’re in denial. You feel like you do about me because it still hurts, baby. You still love me. You never forget your first love, and you never get over them. Do you remember telling me you loved me, Bambina? When you used to fuck me over and over. You could never get enough of me, could you? Seems you still can’t.” She’s purring at him, using his pet name, which makes me pale, my fists clenching, and my nails biting into my palms. Jake shakes his head at her and snarls again. My fury is building to epic proportions at the thought of the two of them, back then and now when they made a baby. It’s all one giant mess of visions and agony, making me want to rip her head off.

“I don’t want you. I have everything standing right next to me that I could ever want. You’re just that irritating nail in my shoe that I can’t get rid of.” Jake delivers it with a sneer, but she doesn’t falter, just more bedroom eyes and lip licking.

“He did more than kiss me, Emma. He was unzipped and ready to go if only I’d stopped resisting. Pushed up against the wall in a dark smoky club. I bet you were the last thing on his mind, baby cakes.” She meets his eyes full-on, challenging him defiantly, a glimmer of calculation in that face, and I know without a doubt she’s lying. Jake may be all about kinky sex and hot-blooded even when drunk, but I know he wouldn’t screw someone in a public bar, especially not her.

I don’t even have to think about it. Jake’s whole posture, anger at what she’s trying to do, and the tension in the room tell me that I know the truth. I know he wouldn’t have done that to me. She kissed him, pushed herself onto him, and he didn’t stop her immediately. He let it happen for seconds, and then his head snapped into place; his brain came around, pushing her away. I know him better. I know that he didn’t do this to us. I know without question because every part of this unfolding scene tells me so. I don’t know Marissa, but even I can see she’s lying, pure, bare-faced manipulation.

“You know who else was there, Marissa? … Daniel … and Daniel’s version will undoubtedly match what Jake remembers, so don’t try to split us up with your rancid bullshit because yes! I am pregnant, and we’re not only buying a house right next door but Jake’s asked me to marry him more than once. So, please, a guy who is so quick to run off to his ex will surely not ask me to marry him and mean it.” I rant at her.

Enough is enough. It’s time I made a stand. I need to show her exactly how this is going to go. Jake and I are untouchable; some manipulative little bitch full of lies will not come between us in this way. I trust him, know what he’s done, and am ready to forgive him completely. I’m not going to let some narcissistic tramp come between us. All the pain and anger and the weeks of going without sex, not only because of my broken heart but also his guilt, and this slut is at the center of it. Enough is enough. I throw aside my napkin and hoist myself to my feet in sheer fury.

“And I say yes … Yes, fucking yes!” I turn to Jake and grab his hand, pulling it to my stomach, ready to fight for what is rightfully mine, not about to let some cheap-ass fake tramp take it from me. Jake and I have a future to look forward to and a child but holding back and being afraid made all this happen in the first place. I rejected the world he wanted to give me and hurt him, and now I have him back. I’m not going to let some asshole woman come between us and get in the way of that.

Jake is mine, always mine. Now. Then and forever!

“Will you marry me, Jake?” I fixate on him with pure sincerity, my heart pounding crazily, every part of me thumping out of my chest with sheer adrenaline, meaning every freakin single word. Jake’s dumbfounded and stalls for a moment before yanking me to him, so I’m facing him full-on, his eyes searching my face in sheer confusion.

“I told you I would give you fireworks and a floor show, Emma, but if this is what you want, you know I’d marry you right now. Just say the word, and I’ll marry you in a heartbeat.” He can’t conceal the sudden soft emotion in his eyes, which fuels what I’m doing, making my decision concrete. I love him. I need him, and I never want anything or anyone ever to pull us apart again.

“I just want you.” I lean up and softly kiss him on the mouth, my eyes filling with emotions and tears, sniffing back the sudden surge of happiness.

“You’re pathetic. Both of you. Screw you both!” Marissa throws her glass at the wall and storms toward the closed door, spitting venom at us, sheer hatred and disgust over her face. “You’ll wake up one day and look at that miserable icy little bitch you married and think of me, Jake. I was your first love, and despite this bullshit show, you kissed me, still want me, and you’re just too hung up on the past to see that.” She turns to me with pure malice. “Good luck trying to trust him, Emma. I can assure you he will crawl into my bed repeatedly in years to come because we fit, him and I, we’re the same, and it’s only a matter of time before I get him back.”

“Marissa, just get the fuck out.” Jake throws her a look that screams leave before I make you leave and turns back to me, pulling me into his body a little forcefully.

The door slams, but neither of us looks her way, too locked in on one another, and I just gave myself to him completely and wholeheartedly. We both exhale almost in unison at the sudden silence of her exiting. The immediate calmness and serenity that washes over the whole room so quickly now she’s not in it.

“I’m sorry, baby. None of what she said is true. I swear, Emma. That’s not what happened.” He pushes his forehead to mine and focuses on my mouth, my heart ripping into shreds at the look of devastation on his face. Despite my show of unity, he’s worried that I still doubt him, but I shake my head.

“I believe you, Jake. I know you wouldn’t do that to me.” I cry again as I reach up and slowly kiss him on the mouth, tears of relief and maybe even joy. Possibly hormonal, seeing as crying has become second nature since he impregnated me. Jake closes his eyes and kisses me back, deepening it slightly, tongue flicking against mine deliciously, aiding the wounds from the confrontation from hell. He pulls back and runs his fingers through my hair, scooping it behind my ear, focusing those beautiful green calm eyes on me.

“I love you more than life, Bambina … I know you said the stuff about marrying me in anger, Emma, to hurt her—”

“I didn’t!” I cut in and cover his mouth with my fingers. My heart is soaring at the peace I feel right now. “I mean it, Jake … You’re my life, and I’m done with all this bullshit. I want our baby to be born a Carrero. I’m done being scared … I love you so much, and I forgive you.”