Chapter 221


    We’re walking hand in hand, fingers entangled, along the sunny pavement in the crisp morning air


    toward the house Jake wants to buy. It’s almost a replica of the Carrero family home, yet instead of


    warm sandy brown roughing on the outside it’s brilliant white with palm trees gracing the front of the


    manicuredwn in an arc, it’s beyond gorgeous and postcard picture perfect.


    Two storeys high with modern clean lines andrge windows under a sloped tiled roof. It looks so much


    bigger than the Carrero family home because of the bright colors and straight manicured lines of the


    surroundingwns. It’s neat and modern looking in contrast to the flower beds and bushes of Sylvana’s


    gardens.


    It reminds me of Jake’s apartment in small ways. His neat masculine style and bold edgy taste but


    somehow this has a much homelier quality and a long sweeping drive up to a very beautiful, dark


    wood, grand front door.


    The agent meets us at the open door, a man in histe 30s sporting a side parting, with smoothed back


    hair and expensive suit. He ushers us inside proficiently with a huge grin. He has a tall slim frame and


    very cheesy smile with wandering eyes as I approach behind Jake, still being pulled by that possessive


    hand.


    “It’s a nk canvas to put your stamp on.” The man beams at us, leading the way through the white


    marble, neutrally painted hall, identical to Sylvana’s, to a modern ck granite kitchen with white units


    and steel appliances. He sweeps an arm around the expanse as though encouraging us to look


    around.


    “That’s what we want ideally, a ce to mold into our own.” Jake’s eyes flick to me with a smile then


    walks forward to properly look around the kitchen, letting me go so I can stand and admire it all. He


    likes to cook, asionally, and I can imagine him in here making pancakes on a Sunday morning for


    me like he normally does.


    The thought warms me through my stomach, and it rises to my cheeks. I can see Jake happy in this


    room,


    it’s his kind of taste, enough modern and high-tech to


    satisfy him yet still warm and weing into the heart of the home. I can imagine small chubby legged


    children sitting around the long low table near the huge wall of patio doors looking out into a massive


    manicured garden with an outdoor pool.


    In the distance, there is an outdoor garage in the same gleaming white and a row of steel doors,


    suggesting he could fit a lot of cars in there. I have no idea how many cars Jake owns seeing as he


    keeps them all over the ce; his apartmentplex, the Carrero business buildings, parking under


    the apartment, and I know he has a car here as well at his mother’s home.


    “Any chance we can do a walk around alone first?” Jake throws back to the agent who is standing


    close to me, smiling a little too charmingly. The normal urge to recoil at his attention has been reced


    with an empty ignorance and lifted chin. I find his interest in me more of an irritation that an outright


    sense of repulsion.


    You have no chance; you don’tpare to Jake in any way.


    I catch Jake frowning in that I’ll beat you re now that he’s spotted where Mr. Agent’s attention is


    ced, and I smile at my jealous boy with adoration.


    Some things never change.


    “Yes of course. I’ll wait right here if you want to wander. The owners are away for a few days and all the


    staff are non-residential. The ce ispletely empty so feel free.” He beams and steps away when


    Jakees back to my side, slipping his fingers into mine, leading the way with another unfriendly


    re in the man’s direction as heys his im to me deliberately.


    “Asshole,” he mutters under his breath as we move back out into the hall away from the agent and I


    stifle the urge to giggle.


    “Really, Jake? Are you always going to be brow beating other men just for looking at me?” I slide my


    other hand around his arm and pull myself against him as we walk.


    “Yes.” He replies non-apologetically and I shake my head at him.


    At least he’s honest. I guess never having to deal with jealousy in his life means he has no clue how to


    notch it down.


    I sigh affectionately as he leads me through the downstairs rooms. Theyout is almost identical to


    next door. Large spacious lounge, big open formal lounge, both with huge windows and great fireces


    dominating one wall, both decorated in neutrals and wooden flooring.


    Downstairs holds a couple of offices or study rooms depending on what use you have for them and a


    separate utility room; tucked far along the long corridor through the long corridor. There are a couple of


    small bedrooms possibly for house staff and each has their own en suite.


    He pulls me back along therge hall and upstairs we find more of the sameyout as the Carrero


    house; more than half a dozenrge bedrooms with en suites and equally fabulous neutral décor. The


    house is grand and airy. It’s more than big enough to house a veryrge family, there’s so much space,


    rooms with walk-in closets and little nooks here and there. It’s everything you would ever need even if


    you nned on adopting a football team.


    “What do you think?” Jake asks, turning to me in thest room of the house, another vast bedroom.


    This one housing an en suite withrge jacuzzi and gorgeous view of the distant ocean. Through full-


    length ss doors, I can see there is a little private balcony.


    “The house is huge, Jake. I mean I knew your parents’ house was big, but I’ve never actually had the


    tour. This is more rooms than we’ll ever need.” I blink around at the sheer size of this one room.


    Sarah’s whole apartment in Queens could fit into this one room and it’s a little overwhelming, if not


    slightly intimidating, to say the least.


    “I’m sure we could upy most of them.” He smirks and runs a hand over my abdomen with his t


    palm and I gape at him inplete horror. He giggles at my reaction, giggles, yet I’m still standing


    open-mouthed in shock that he might intend on having an army of kids. Right now, I’m on one and one


    is almost just bearable for now.


    “It’s a house to grow into, Emma, and enough rooms for people toe stay over. I’m sure moving out


    here would mean Sarah and Marcus would want toe and see you asionally. Plus, Le lives in


    the city and even though her folks are nearby I’m sure she’d want to kick back here when she visits.


    Daniel too. I’d rather buy a house that has space to expand than up and move again down the line


    when we decide on more kids.”


    He’s let me go, walking around the room, looking at the space pulling open a door onto a full walk-in


    closet as part of me jumps up and down inside with a happy dance which urges my feet toward the


    walk-in. I quell the urge to be swayed over by a momentous wardrobe.


    Oh, my God it has a built-in vanity and make-up lighting. So weak, Emma … But look at how many


    shoes I could fit in here.


    “More kids? Let me get my head around this one Jake … One right now!” I frown at him sternly, trying


    very hard to pull my head out of the vast space for lots of clothes and shoes and wonderful


    essories. He turns and walks back to me, cing his hands on my shoulders and looks me directly


    in the eye.


    “Do you want this house, Emma?” He’s deadly serious, his intense focus doesn’t falter.


    I bite on my lip and look past his numbing gaze, around the room we’re standing in, at the huge four


    poster bed and modern sleek furniture, plush carpets and heavy drapes framing the most magnificent


    view I have ever seen. It’s more than a little tempting if I can get my head around how much a house


    like this would cost.


    “I could see you living here, it’s totally your style.” I sigh, trying not to think about the price tag attached


    to this vast amount of space.


    “Could you see you living here?” He nudges me gently with a small half-smile on the corner of his


    mouth. His face utterly devastating with that twinkle in his eye. He’s going all ‘Charming Carrero’ on me


    and my knees are already weakening.


    God don’t do irresistibly cute right now.


    “If it was made a little homelier? Maybe less modern and harsh? I love the view.” I know I’m being


    evasive, part of me is thumping about like a maniac getting ready to jump into full panic mode.


    This is the forever house. The big leap. The ‘letting myself go and fully trusting Jake to take care of


    things’ house. Letting him go ahead and spend ridiculous amounts of money on ‘our’ house.


    I take a slow heavy inhale. He still hasn’t uttered a word. He’s just watching me with his intense green


    gaze, boring deep down into my soul. My mind whirring and clicking, trying to stay sane; life with Jake


    is always going to include money. Life with Jake is always going to include trusting him to take control


    because he doesn’t know who else or how else to be. I just need to learn to give in a little and enjoy


    that about him. I need to just trust him to always do what is right for us and let him make me happy. I


    need to relinquish that part of me scared of a new life and just have faith.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    “On one condition.” I finally blink at him and resign myself to the fact that I need to be brave for once.


    “What’s that?” He smiles softly, eyes glued to my face with a little smug hint of triumph that I’m trying to


    ignore.


    “I choose the décor,” I respond boldly, and he throws me the widest happy grin I’ve ever seen, nting


    a kiss fully on my mouth in an over eager fashion before picking me up into a crazy round swing.


    “Wouldn’t have it any other way, baby.”