The Carrero Solution (Carrero Book 3)

Daniel has an air of aggression that Jake usually emanates, and for a moment, I think he might chuck Leila on the ground. The way he’s taking in her stubborn face and closed-off posture, I wouldn’t blame him right now. The girl is more stubborn than me and has less ability to give any leeway.

“He wants to marry me. Why would I dump a guy who actually wants love and commitment from me?” She spits at him sarcastically, wriggling instead, realizing neither of them will back down with this odd standoff.

Daniel drops Leila down onto her feet and yanks her around to face him with too much fury. He’s holding her by the upper arms, so they are inches apart, ducking his head to try to bridge their height difference.

I tense up, ready to wade in at his volatile behavior,

but Jake’s arms on me tighten. He knows Daniel would never physically hurt her, or I would be behind him right now.

“I’m not there yet, Leila. Okay? I’ve only just started getting my fucking head together, but I’m doing this for you. Can’t you see that? I’m trying to sort my shit out, so I can be that guy who gives you love and commitment. I asked you to give me time, and I fucking meant it. I wanted you just to give me a chance and wait for me. I fucking love you!” Daniel sounds ravaged, and Leila’s stance crumbles a little. I open my mouth in shock at what he’s just said, but Leila turns on him accusingly, sheer anger in her little body as she tries to bring her height up to his by stretching.

“So, I’m supposed to hold my fucking breath and wait? For how long? Put my life on hold while you figure out if you really can give a shit about one woman? In the meantime, we do what, exactly? You still fucking around and me twiddling my thumbs?” She starts to cry as her words tumble out of her mouth, her body sagging in defeat, and Daniel softens too, his grasp on her arms loosening, and he slides both hands down to bring her palms to his chest.

“I don’t know how to navigate this. You know I’ve never been here before! I’ve never wanted to fix this or go down this route, Leila. All I know is that when we get close to something real, I freak out and run. I’m terrified that I will do it again if I try to date you right now. I don’t want to keep hurting you that way.” There’s sheer fear in his eyes, pleading, and his body is almost all but curled around her.

At least he’s honest. Another Jake trait.

“You don’t know if you don’t try.” Jake cuts in flatly from his position behind me. His arms are around my shoulders and his back to the closed patio door. “Just saying.” He shrugs, and I can feel his smirk as Daniel eyes him up, and Leila stays intensely focused on Daniel’s profile. I can feel her willing him to make a choice—a real one.

“I don’t want to keep hurting you.” He looks at Leila, and even from his tall, over six-foot height, to her tiny, five-foot odd, they still manage to lock eyes. No one can deny the electrical surge sparking all around them, an ever-present hum whenever these two get close. I wonder if Jake and I exude the same thing, and he instinctively pulls his arms up around me a little more firmly.

“You’re hurting me now. By doing this. This nothing. This waiting thing.” She cries quietly, and he slowly lifts a hand to brush away the tears on her cheeks tenderly. She slaps it away, and he raises his hand back up to try again, ignoring the furious little wildness in the girl he loves. His lack of reaction shows how used to Leila’s outbursts Hunter really is and how tolerant he is.

I wonder if the other man could so easily brush off

her violent tendencies and true passionate self quite so effortlessly. Daniel seems to be taking moments to think, and his eyes never leave that little blonde head as she stares

at their feet on the ground between them. Her body

is emanating all kinds of aggressive self-defense, but he

holds tight.

“Tell Kurt it’s over and give me a chance Leila. I’m willing to swallow my fear and try if that’s what you want. I can’t promise I’m not going to fuck things up and make mistakes, but I can’t stand the thought of you being with anyone else anymore. Too many years we’ve done this and come around in circles. I just want you and no one else. It’s never been anyone else.” It’s barely above a whisper, but we all hear it loud and clear, oozing in complete sincerity.

“By trying, you mean stop fucking around with other women and me? Stop acting like some man-whore on a mission to bed everyone in the northern hemisphere?!” Leila lifts her chin and glares at him fully. She’s not for backing down just yet, and I wouldn’t expect anything less of her. She is a spitting little fireball, even with love declarations and promises of more, still not quite ready to trust him.

“I mean by dating you, Leila, exclusively and seeing where this goes. No fucking other women, if you swear you’ll stop fucking other men. Stop seeing other men altogether.” Now he sounds deadly serious. That jealous tone is back in full fury, his intense gaze boring into her eyes. He tilts his head, so she can’t escape it.

They are obviously more alike than I thought.

“What? You didn’t bring a date?” Leila is still holding out, still being a defiant little pest, and still meeting his eyes with a huge amount of attitude. I sigh at her. Jake’s soft chuckle under his breath from behind shows me he’s thinking the same thing.

Leila is a fighter until the very end, but you’ve got to admire that about her, and I’m sure by his patient demeanor, it’s one of the many things Hunter loves about her. Daniel isn’t even remotely intimidated by the wild little hellcat before him or the hateful tone she’s throwing his way. He just smooths her hair behind her ear, not flinching when another slap comes his way, and the sound echoes around us.

I knew you two were a match.

“No dates and no women. None since the night we picked you up from that bar, and you told me you hated me. That hit me more than any slap in the face. You have to believe me on this, Leila.” He’s leaning in, trying to get her to look back at him, but she’s intent on looking elsewhere. I notice when she flashes her eyes our way that she’s crying. Leila doesn’t do vulnerable very often, and she doesn’t want him to see the effect he’s having on her. She’s fighting him to the last.

Leila looks this way again and chews her lip, swallowing hard, as she tries to gain control of her emotions. She catches Jake’s eye over my head, and I’ve no idea what look he returns, but she pulls her head down to face her feet in complete defeat. She thinks long and hard, leaning into long agonizing moments of silence.

“You must be suffering a lot right now, then? It’s not like you to go five minutes without a woman and sex.” She glances our way, a look on her face I don’t understand, as Jake chuckles under his breath. I don’t know what I’m missing, but something seems funny.

“I don’t want anyone else, Leila. Sex is great, yeah, but with you, it’s mind-blowing, and nothing else compares. Why would I want anything else?” Daniel uses his fingers to tip her chin back to his; this time, she doesn’t resist. His eyes find hers, drawing her close with an arm around her waist. He begs, “Give me a chance, Leila. Please.”

“Maybe I need a reminder.” Leila sniffs quietly, that little defiant chin stuck up, a glare on her face too cute to be intimidating. Daniel smiles as Jake shifts behind me and leans closer to my ear.

“Come on. They don’t need us here for what’s going to happen next.” I look dumbfounded at the two, still standing feet apart in some quiet standoff, silently regarding one another, but Jake pulls me with him.

We shouldn’t leave those two to self-implode.

I’m obviously slow on the uptake because I have no clue what he thinks will happen. He turns me away, guiding us toward the glass doors, and opens them into the overly bright room. I squint my eyes as they adjust, and I glance at him as confused as I can be.

“What do you think they’re going to do?” I blink, trying to adjust to the brightness; his arm loops casually around my neck, and he draws me against him with a kiss on the temple.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jake winks down at me. But I still can’t gain any sense from how we left the two of them out there. He forgets I’m not as wise in the acts of sex, love, and relationships as the rest of the population. I didn’t see any foregone conclusion to that little scene we just abandoned. I shake my head in complete blank-mind mode.

“Something I seriously wish I could do right now,” he sighs and frowns at me with a spark of sheer regret, a flicker of pain, replying, “Much-needed reunion sex, Emma.”

Oh. That …