Chapter 226


    Maybe Jake’se to the realization too, that going back to how it was just isn’t going to be an option


    for me, for us. His taking over work and leaving me alone is almost a sign that really, deep down, he


    doesn’t want me to go back down that path either. Jake is a lot happier not bringing work between us,


    knowing the stress and arguments it could cause again.


    He’s taken a back seatpared to how he used to work, allowing Margo and her team do both our


    jobs. I know she now has six people under her control, all taking various positions and responsibilities,


    allowing Jake to be able to wander in and out freely and deal with only the most important things.


    Jake’s head is no longer embroiled in the Carrero Corporation. It’s here with me, most of the time, and


    our future family. He engineered his work routine to dissipate as it gets closer to the babying and I


    know he fully intends staying put and going nowhere in thest month of my pregnancy or the first six


    months of our baby’s life. That’s why he’s spending so much time now sorting and organizing things in


    Manhattan. There’s no real ce for me in that role anymore, even if he wanted there to be.


    “I want to do this on my own, Jake, whatever it is. I don’t want you throwing money at me in a bid to


    make it happen for me. I don’t need your money.” I gaze up at that expressive face and sense the


    protesting by the slight tension in his jawline. He shifts around to face me, bringing a knee


    between us on the bed, letting me go so he can sit full-on and lock eyes. Mr. Let’s talk business. mode.


    “Emma, you need to do something for me if I’m to ept this.” He holds up the letter and throws it onto


    the bed carelessly. He doesn’t even look as he does it, just eyes on me.


    “What?” I’m waiting for negotiator and maniptor to move in, but he sighs instead. He has a look on


    his face that shows no fight at all just my beautiful man and so much love shining back at me.


    “ept that the money is a part of who I am. It’s what I’ve always known, how I was raised. It


    influenced my lifestyle, my character, and my abilities, seeped into every part of the person you love. I


    never knew any different and I probably never will, so when you constantly push it away, you’re


    pushing away a part of me. I’ve always known the money was never something you pursued but you


    need to ept that it’s going to always be a part of our lives and our kids” lives too. I can ept every


    part of you, Emma, scars, and all, so you need to ept this part of me and maybe even enjoy it a


    little. I worked hard to make my own money away from my father. Not a penny I have hase from


    him since I was twenty-one years old. I wanted it that way and now I want for you to revel in it a little


    too.” He looks at me so very seriously that I find myself shifting closer to him, so I can feel our bodies


    touching forfort. I slide my hand into his on hisp, entangling our fingers.


    I regard him thoughtfully, absorbing everything he’s saying, and I myself sag a little with the realization


    that he’s right. I fell in love with that high-profile, rich CEO, with his expensive clothes and suave cocky


    attitude, and overbearing demeanor. Truth be told, a part of me always liked his lifestyle because it did


    make him so much more powerful and sexy and had women swooning at his feet. I’ve had some


    seriouslybusting panties for his car anyway and it all somehow collided together to make the man


    sitting in front of me. As much as I always knew I would have him without it all, I can’t deny he probably


    wouldn’t be the same person if he’d had a different path in life.


    Jake’s confidence and authorityes from this lifestyle, his public persona is molded from a life in the


    limelight, his attention to his body and attire has be second nature, looking hot all the time to meet


    the demands of the media.


    His heart and soul didn’t stem from wealth but everything else around his personality has been molded


    by it, even his spoiled child attitude and inability to back down. He grew up never wanting for anything


    and never having to wait or earn what he wanted in younger life. He has a spoiled little boy spark inside


    of him because of all that, which created his impulsive nature.


    I need to ept that turning down his money because of some stupid moral pride is ridiculous. I sigh,


    knowing that if he was just a man with a normal bank bnce then I would ept his financial support,


    so this is no different.


    I need to get off my moral high ground and ept that I want to marry a billionaire with a default setting


    of generous. I need to get used to it or leave him. If credit cards, overindulgent gifts, and trips are part


    of what Jake is offering me then I’d better suck it up and stop being so goddamn stupid.


    “I’ll try.” I smile knowing I’ve already backed down, but he doesn’t need to know that. Some fun is


    always to be had turning Jake down from time to time. I can’t really let him get away with thinking


    $10,000 dresses thrown my way should ever be normal. I tingle as his hands slide up my arms to rest


    on my shoulders.


    “Good. Because I brought you home a beautiful and slightly expensive dress to take you out to dinner


    tomorrow night and I would be really gutted if I had to take it back.”


    Really? A dress! After what I was just thinking? He never changes …


    “If you’re using the word expensive then I don’t even want to know how much it cost, Jake.” I sigh with


    complete detion. Jake is someone who considers a couple thousand dors as pocket change.


    Expensive to him makes my head ache.


    This is going to be so much harder to get used too than I thought. For a start, I already own way too


    many of Jake’s expensive dresses, I swear he has some sortpulsion in buying me one almost


    weekly.


    The dress is spectacr as are the shoes he bought with it. Like a good little girl, I don’t attempt any


    sort of rejection when he brings the boxes in from the car with the sweetest expression on his face. He


    looks almost boyish and a little excited.


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    I’m standing in a full-length, dark plum, figure hugging dress, studded with sheer Swarovski crystals


    across its full length and fuller skirt. My shoulders are exposed from its crisscross bodice style, ending


    in low cap sleeves off shoulder and my cleavage is almost bursting forth. Lately my bust has started to


    get a littlerger and I’m sure Jake won’t mind one bit. My feet are encased in low heeled satin plum


    shoes because since I found out I was pregnant he literally refused to let me wear my sexy heels,


    which is another argument still not done with, and then of course there’s the underwear. Jake’s gone all


    out bringing me home aplete outfit. Sexy underwear, I am d to see he at least thinks about sex


    even if he’s not giving me it.


    He’s been very evasive about the dinner ns all day


    and now trussed up like a red-carpet movie star I’m starting to wonder why we need to be so formal.


    Jake’s in a tux


    of all things but I don’t remember any mention of any


    sort of event or dance. Jake avoids tuxedos like the gue


    if he can help it.


    * * *


    The restaurant is gorgeous, as is the appearance of Sylvana on Giovanni’s arm and Arrick with Sophie


    in tow looking sweetly cute together; even Le is with us as we all walk to the pre-booked table near


    the back of the grand room. I assume this may be rted to the Carrero Corporation after all, but it’s


    just odd that Jake would be so elusive about the details.


    This ce exudes money, every table delicately set with lily center pieces and crisp white tablecloths


    under a ceiling of grand chandeliers and fairy lights. The color scheme is opulent reds and mauves


    and a lot of gold, with sparkling crystals everywhere. There are tables and tables of richly dressed


    diners with both an orchestra ying low music and a booth set up for a DJ in another corner. The floor


    in the middle is a dance floor and there must be some dancing or entertainment after dinner.


    The old me would’ve felt so out of her depth in a ce like this, even as Jake’s PA, but I walk with my


    head held high on the arm of the most gorgeous man in here, with the handsome Carrero family and I


    can’t help but feel proud. I feel like I belong with them and not out of ce in the dress Jake chose for


    me. It isn’t Donna’s style of dress to choose for me, so I’m sure Jake has chosen this himself, which is


    more than a little sweet. He always had good taste for a man.


    When we’re shown to our table, I realize there are more familiar faces from Carrero Corp dotted


    around. I spot Margo with her husband waving at me. I flush as an inner panic starts to creep up. I


    swear there’s a red head of hair behind her that could possibly be Wilma. Even if this is a Carrero thing,


    or some charity event, we’re so far outside of Manhattan that I wouldn’t expect to see them here.


    Why are we surrounded by people that shouldn’t be here in the Hamptons?


    I nce at Jake and spot veiled nervousness hinting across his face, that he’s so desperately trying to


    hide, and the way his sculpted body seems a little too rigid in his tux, even for him. Jake is never


    nervous at events and a sickening lurch connects the dots almost instantly. Out of the corner of my eye


    I catch a couple trying to usher their way out of sight through the shadows and realize it’s Sarah and


    Marcus. They’re trying to hide from me, and I freeze.


    Oh, my God. Sarah and Marcus? They wouldn’t be at a Carrero event.


    Oh shit … Oh shit!


    I know what he’s doing. It hits me like a lightning bolt out of the dark with rather painful ferocity. He’s


    bought me a pretty dress that he chose by himself and assembled everyone in one of the most


    beautiful restaurants in this town. He’s gathered together people that I know, people that matter to me


    and matter to him, regardless of the costs. He has my best friend trying to hide before she lets the cat


    out of the bag and I’m sure if I check the sea of faces, I’ll recognize more and more people.