The Carrero Series Bonus Book: Jake's View

Emma was up on deck when Jake came up from his room. He had been taking a shower to relax a little.

His heart almost stopped when he saw her silhouetted against the railing in a coral bikini and some flimsy wrap around her hips that kept flapping open to reveal long, sexy legs.

Even for a small girl, her legs looked endless.

She was the most perfect sight on and off this boat, and everything else paled in comparison when she was around.

Jake was oblivious to Miracle and Marissa’s breasts lounging on the deck and didn’t see anything except Emma and her completely intoxicating body, much more appealing, even covered, than either of the brunettes.

Creamy skin and curves of perfection. He was definitely horny now; just looking at her made his insides want to explode.

He wasn’t one for self-pleasuring to get sexual gratification, but with her in mind, he would happily return to his room for some release.

It had only been a couple of days here, and his constant hard-on was already painful. He had been taking cold showers a little too frequently.

Why he had ever thought he could handle Emma in bikinis was beyond him.

He should’ve known it would be hell on earth to be around her and not want to fuck her badly. “Here.”

He handed her a bottle of cold, flavored water with a smile, his eyes shielded from view by his Ray-Bans and trying to control every ounce of his body like the expert he was.

Years of self-control finally having a use. He was watching that makeup-free face and wondering why she ever wore it. She never needed it.

Emma was a natural beauty by all standards, flawless perfection. “Thanks.” She opened the bottle with a smile and took a long drink.

He had to look away from the way her lips cupped the rim. An internal groan in his head—trying not to picture that mouth doing anything else.

Breathe, Carrero … You’re like a horny fifteen-year-old virgin right now. “You look nice.”

He focused on her loose hair, his glasses shielding what he was thinking—trying not to skim her body visually.

He needed to disrupt this view somehow and get his head back in the game. “Thanks.”

She blushed, and he felt himself frowning, suddenly conscious that she had glanced at his naked upper torso quickly.

He was wearing shorts and nothing else, and despite never having an issue stripping off in public, he suddenly realized why this might be awkward for her.

He was still her boss and had never been topless in front of her—not that he was self-conscious in the slightest.

He spent enough time in the gym to make sure he was underwear model ready at all times, and his tattoos were always placed in places that enhanced what he had.

He was never uncomfortable being naked, especially not in front of women.

He felt like an ass for not even thinking that this whole thing might make her uneasy, especially with her background and the way men had treated her.

Jake suddenly felt like a complete dickhead for not realizing it.

“We’re going to the shore tonight for dinner… You want to come?” He looked over her head across the water to reel in his thoughts, his mood plummeting a little.

He had never wanted her to be nervous around him, especially not in this way.

He had never thought that maybe Emma’s lack of dates this past year had something to do with sex making her uneasy. Her childhood had scarred her.

Of course, men made her uncomfortable. He made a mental note to wear a shirt while walking about on deck.

He would make all of them wear one if it made her feel better. “Sure.”

She smiled and shielded her eyes from the sun, and Jake swiped his shades from his head automatically and placed them on her dainty face.

“I really should carry a pair of these,” she laughed, that genuine, carefree laugh that lifted his mood back up a little.

He just shrugged in response, still mulling over the effect he was having on her. It was like a punch in the stomach, a dull ache that wouldn’t shift.

“They look better on you than they do on me. Your cuteness just goes with my shades.”

Truth be told, he never thought about putting them on her face; from the first time, it had been a natural movement, like breathing.

She had shielded her eyes, and he had done it.

Something he had done to his kid brother his whole life, and somehow, she raised that same protective impulse.

“Where are we going for dinner?” Emma seemed to be looking anywhere but his body, and he only frowned harder.

He wanted her to be able to stand here with no effect. Well, he wanted to affect her in a good way, but not like this.

He wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her it would always be okay. He would never let another man touch her or hurt her.

He would protect her for eternity. She didn’t need to be afraid ever again. It killed him, knowing she still carried the burden of those memories.

“Some little seafood place Marissa knows.” He tried to keep his tone even at saying her name.

He usually avoided using the curse word, which felt like broken glass in his mouth.

“I want to get my haircut while we’re here… Do you think there are any hairdressers on the mainland?” Jake was immediately urged to tell her she didn’t need to change her hair.

He liked it the way it was, so he looked away toward Leila, hoping to hide the frown on his face.

He didn’t like the thought of her changing anything about how she was. You couldn’t improve on perfection. “Leila will know… She comes here a lot.”

Jake nodded toward his childhood friend, hoping to God Leila wouldn’t push Emma into some radical hairdo; he knew her only too well.

She was wandering around wearing a top, and for the first time, he noticed the other two were not—completely topless—and he suddenly felt pissed.

If topless men could make Emma uneasy, then that sure as hell would do it too. He wanted to throw towels over both of them.

“You know Marissa well?” Her voice broke into his thoughts, and he felt himself freeze.

He had never expected this question to come from her, and the last thing he wanted her to know was anything about his past with Marissa.

How the hell she had even picked up on anything was beyond him. He sure wasn’t putting out any signals where that harpy was concerned. “Once.”

He felt his pulse quicken and his head go into evasive mode.

He didn’t want to dredge up the past and admit he had been too blind to realize his teen girlfriend and best mate had been fucking behind his back and sent him into a few years of booze, drugs, idiotic behavior, and women.

He didn’t want Emma to know that part of him or tie him to the bitch on deck.

He wanted her to see him as he was now, the person he was with her anyway, the better version of himself.

He found himself scowling Marissa’s way with his back to Emma. Marissa caught his eye, and—licking her lips seductively—she squirmed toward him.

Even from here, he could pick up her fuck me signals, and he scowled back. ~Not a chance, princess.~

“Want to come for a swim with me?” he threw back at Emma. He wanted to get as far away from the slut eyeing him up and away from the topic about her.

He needed time alone to help his girl relax, away from all this naked skin.

He turned back to her open expression and had the instant urge to stroke her hair back from her face.

His sunglasses did look good on her, a little big but adorably cute. “Now?” she sounded apprehensive.

“Why not?” Jake smiled, hoping to make her feel more at ease.

He needed to get her to unwind a little, and he couldn’t do that here—tense with a pair of eyes on the back of his head trying to undress him mentally.

They needed to leave the past on the deck on her lounger and find a secluded beach to roam. “Sure.”

She smiled brightly, and he could hear Daniel kicking the tunes into a higher gear.

Looking back to the deck, he could see the telltale signs of cocaine coming out, and he growled internally.

He had fucking warned him against this shit while she was here. He didn’t do this crap anymore, and he wasn’t going to subject her to it either.

He was glad to see Leila wander off the deck, knowing she, too, was out of that whole scene.

They had had their young, wild, and reckless days and left them far behind. Daniel needed to catch up.

He noted that the twins and their dates seemed into it and put an arm around Emma’s shoulders.

Guiding her to the side, he waited until she undid her sarong and hung it up before diving in first to ensure he would be in the sea to help her if she needed him when she dove in.