Carrero Bonus Book: Jake's View

She was tightly closed and completely unreadable, with no hint of anything. No signs of interest. The complete opposite and her mannerisms and movements were so precisely graceful and swan-like that he felt he was the one being scrutinized for a job.

He figured this was the problem right here. She made him uncomfortable because he had no way of knowing how to play her at all. And playing women in all sorts of games was pretty much his forte.

“Thank you, Mr. … Jake.” She looked at him for a second, and again he got that stomach-jerk reaction he was seriously starting to dislike. He needed to distract himself, maybe stop acting like a complete moron and remember he was her boss.

He was versed in the art of conversation and just needed to get some professional relationship set in his mind and push this nonsense out. She sipped her drink, and he caught the slight hint of confusion about the fact it was loaded with alcohol. He could only look at the floor, completely baffled about that too. He had nothing.

“So, Emma? Margot tells me you’ve worked here for just over five years?” His mind gazed back to her file, coming completely clear in his head. He could focus on what he had read and quiz her a little. His photographic memory served some purpose anyway.

It was better than undressing her mentally. “Yes, I’ve worked on various floors, but mainly tenth.” She placed her glass on the table, and Jake immediately wondered if she disliked it, if maybe he should fix something else, and then stopped himself.

Seriously, what the fuck are you doing? ~This isn’t a date in which you need to please her … She’s here to impress you as your next goddamn assistant.~ He was seriously starting to get annoyed with himself.

“You were Jack Dawson’s assistant for a while?” He frowned, trying so hard to focus on what he was meant to be doing, the business head being screwed on firmly and the calming of hormones with a seriously stern hand.

“Yes, Mr. Dawson.” He watched her forced smile and got the strong impression she hated Dawson but was too polite to say it. He wondered what the guy had done to deserve that kind of dislike and hoped he avoided doing the same thing.

Maybe leering at her and thinking about bending her over his desk wasn’t exactly going about warming her to him in the right way. If Dawson, the creep, had been openly ogling her, he could assure he wouldn’t be caught doing the same. Dawson was known for making women feel uncomfortable.

He felt a sense of confusion at the irritation thinking of Dawson openly eye-raping her gave him. Girls like Emma were classier than the intentions of some sleazy man who thought he had a right to heavy breathe over them.

“It was Miss Keith who recommended you for this position, I believe?” He tried to bring his head back into the game, the sudden urge to find a reason to fire Dawson completely at odds with him today. He was cranky from lack of sleep and should wrap this up, let her go, and get down on that couch beside his annoyingly watchful brother until noon.

He was acting all kinds of crazy in here right now, and he was sure some shut-eye would sort him right out. “Yes. I loved working for her while her assistant was on leave, she was very easy to attend to, and I learned a lot.”

Jake felt the inability to breathe hit him hard when she smiled unexpectedly, a genuine warmth at the mention of Kay. He had been watching her and waiting without even realizing he was doing it, and it had been worth it. Her whole face lit up, and he was urged to smile back. He had been wrong about her smile being pretty. It was goddamn mesmerizing.

He could watch her smile that way all day and get lost in how soft it made her whole face or how her palest blue eyes turned a hint warmer. You’re being incredibly fucking female right now … Next, you’ll be spouting goddamn poetry, Carrero.

“She spoke highly of your efficiency and professionalism. It’s rare for Kay to make an internal recommendation for a position like this.” Good comeback. He almost patted himself on the back. He just had to pull this off and go to sleep. “Thank you.”

He couldn’t tear his eyes off the smile that came out at him again. “Don’t think it will take long to get her up to speed with her requirements,” Margo said, saving the odd silence with a very weird look thrown his way, even she was picking up on his bizarre behavior, and this was not going well.

Jake suddenly saw the funny side to this scenario: being the one panting and getting heated over a woman for a change instead of vice versa. This is why he was falling to bits. This never happened, and it was completely throwing him off kilter.

He was having the tables turned and had most likely met a female version of himself. It explained the indifference she was exuding, he just had to look at her to know men fell at her feet effortlessly, and she was probably as bored of it as he was.

They would get along just fine if he could notch down the need to screw her a little. “How has it been so far? Learning the ropes of life on the sixty-fifth floor?” He felt better at figuring this out, this weirdness, and suddenly all his good humor was back on form.

Relaxing back and feeling more than a little amused at seeing how it felt from the other side for once. Reassured that he wasn’t having some weird mental breakdown or had been put under some crazy female spell. “A breeze.”

He couldn’t help but admire her coolness and effortless grace. “Nothing I can’t handle so far. It’s not for the faint-hearted.” The thought of spending many an hour locked in hotel suites with her suddenly had him frowning at how hard that might prove to be.

He would have to lay off the booze on trips and reel back the charm a little to keep on top of this little debacle. “Yes, I’m aware that this is not a nine-to-five job, Mr. Carrero. I’m fully committed to my career, so it will not be an issue.”

That defiant little chin lift had him almost instantly snapping back to what she would look like bent over his desk with that skirt pulled up and those shoes … Enough!

“You’re young … What about a social life?” He frowned even harder, chastising himself and giving the inner third degree to his over-sexed, over-creative mind.

“I haven’t much interest in many social activities … I left my hometown to come to New York, and I don’t know many people outside work.” She seemed to hesitate with her answer, a flicker of something he couldn’t read. Damn, it annoyed him that he couldn’t read her at all.

This was probably another part of why he was feeling so frustrated. He was amazing at reading people and second-guessing them. It was one of his most used and highly gifted skills. But her? ~She was a complete enigma.~ “Career-oriented? Can be lonely.”

He felt stiff and uncomfortable and tried to release the tension in his body by moving his shoulders. His seat on the edge of his desk wasn’t as comfy as his laid-back posture suggested, and he was barely keeping himself still. Too much nervous energy running riot.

“I’m never lonely, Mr. Carrero … I’m an independent sort of person who doesn’t need assurances or company from other people to be happy.” He stopped and regarded her answer, momentarily quietened again.

He wondered if that meant no boyfriend was lurking in the background and felt slightly happy at that thought. “Oh, Emma, that’s not how a young girl like you should live her life,” Margo warmly said. “You’re so pretty … You should have young men romancing you around New York.”

Margo leaned out, touching the girl, and Jake could only frown. He didn’t like Margo’s suggestion at all. “Sounds like you’re trying to talk her out of stealing your job, Margo.” He laughed, mostly at himself for his stupid reactions or wherever his goddamn head was.

He sure as hell didn’t want to be romancing her around New York, either. He didn’t do romance—ever! He didn’t do any long-term thing and knew his capabilities were to fuck and forget.

That’s why he couldn’t go down this route with her, he needed a PA to replace Margo, and he needed one now. Margo was itching to let go of the reins, and as she had handpicked this one, it put all questions of anything else far out the window.

He would have to get used to the idea that Emma was out of bounds for eternity, and maybe he should start looking to small curvy blondish girls to distract him for a while. Ever since she’d walked through his door, his body certainly piqued an interest in that direction. “I think she’s a perfect fit.”

Margo turned to Emma, an obvious show of affection on her face that only strengthened Jake’s mindset. “Not too sure how much you’ll like it once Jake starts running you ragged, mind you.” She winked at her and placed a hand on him.

Jake knew Margo too well. It was a warning gesture … A Margo special. She’d been reading his body language, knowing Jake was normally far more relaxed than this—she was telling him no!

“I’m sure I can handle the demands,” Emma lifted that chin again, and he found himself sighing softly in defeat.

It was for the best if he just put this chick on the “No-go” list.

“Despite Jake’s public playboy reputation, Emma, I’m afraid he’s a bit of a workaholic. Surprising, I know, but you’ll get used to it. You’ll certainly rack up enough air miles in the next few months.”

Margo smiled Jake’s way, and with a knowing look and a forceful pat on his arm, he took his visual telling off graciously. Out of bounds, eyes off!

He damn well knows it without your insistence, Margo!

“You’ll soon get fed up with seeing the world,” he said, but couldn’t get that stupid frown off his face, the urge to glare at Margo for reading him a little too well.

“And the inside of hotel rooms.” Yeah, hell, he wanted to throw that in there just for the reaction.

See if she was completely immune to being in a bedroom with him for his own amusement. “I’ve seen enough of those to last a lifetime.”

Margo waved her hand and gave Jake that raised eyebrow look.

He was being told off again, and she wasn’t impressed with him right now; it seemed she was also ending this little introduction.

“Right, we have work to be getting on with. Emma, you’re with me for now.”

She gestured to the door behind Emma and waved her onward, with one more warning scowl his way, which only got her rewarded with a smirk.

The girl smiled back again, only not the beautiful, real one of earlier, more of a relief that it was over, and Jake felt that tug of disappointment that she’d been relieved to be getting away from him.

Definitely out of bounds.

“To our working relationship, Emma,” he said half-heartedly, trying to figure out how long it would take to get used to her in this place and stop having a serious dog-humping reaction to her.

He hoped it would be sooner rather than later, and he was already mentally going through his little black book for a look-alike to quell the frustration.

If he had a look-alike, he was pretty sure she wouldn’t be so damn appealing right now.

She turned to the door with Margo to leave, and Jake almost groaned out loud, catching himself quickly as his eyes connected with possibly the most perfect ass in a tight gray skirt he had ever seen.

His body most definitely reacted this time.

The door was swiftly shut after they left, and he exhaled fully, unaware he had been holding his breath for a moment.

That girl was going to be the death of him. He had always been an ass guy, and she got the first perfect ten score he had ever given.

Standing up quickly to adjust his trousers, which had suddenly gotten too tight, he caught Arrick grinning at him.

“The fuck you smiling at?” he said in an irritated tone, his mind still following that ass out mentally, not impressed with his stupid display for the last God knows how long she was in here.

“You! Never seen the great Carrero unravel quite so magnificently in the face of a little girl.”

Arrick got up and wandered to him casually, the same Carrero saunter as his. He shoved his brother’s shoulder playfully.

“Fuck off, that was definitely no little girl. That was a born siren if I ever saw one. Work is about to get a lot fucking harder for me.”

Jake slumped back down on the desk and pulled over her drink, smiling stupidly at the perfectly shaped mouth her lipstick had imprinted on the side, and turned the glass so he could down it from the same spot she had touched.

That’s weird, Jake, fucking weird.

“Not my type, but I see the appeal; she’s cute. I’d say marriage material, though, so definitely not worth your time.”

Arrick shrugged nonchalantly at him. He regarded his brother critically and frowned hard.

How the hell he had gotten that much from her without barely looking her way once, he would never know.

But Arrick did have his skills at reading people, too; maybe the foggy lust haze had clouded his temporarily, and Arrick seemed completely unaffected.

“Fuck no. Marriage is definitely not on the table at all.” Jake put her glass back down on the table with an arrogant neck crack.

Pushing all thoughts of that tiny little temptress out of his fuzzy brain.

“I need some goddamn sleep so I can get this head straight. Lock the door, the couch is mine, and I will fight you for it.”

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