The Carrero Solution (Carrero Book 3)

“Here.” Jake hands me the small cooler bag Nora packed for me, crammed with food and snacks since I’m still eating like a starved animal, and he only encourages it with a constant food supply.

“Thank you, gorgeous.” I wink at him, and I’m rewarded with a smack on the ass as he walks past me with our cases. I grin at him. He is still the sexiest man alive, possessing the ability to turn me to mush with one look.

“Grab my sunglasses,” he calls, and I obediently pick them up, my beloved Jake’s defining symbol, and slide them onto my head, smiling at myself as I do. He doesn’t need them as much when he’s driving now since the weather is getting colder and the sun is disappearing earlier from the sky. But I still carry them around whenever I get the chance, holding them close, reminding me of him in many ways, a constant item in our relationship of trials and tribulations. He’s driving us to Chicago, and I’m in surprisingly high spirits, despite knowing what this journey is for. Since finding out Marissa never slept with Jake, I’ve felt on top of the world, and nothing can ruin my buzz. That high feeling and relaxed smile are ingrained on me, and Jake is in the same amazingly good mood. Our black cloud is gone.

When he told everyone about Marissa, there were mixed reactions; anger and outrage and even tears from Sylvana, shocked that Marissa could be that manipulative, but for the most part, everyone sighed with relief. Even Giovanni seemed pleased in his own way since he promptly sent a bottle of champagne and some fruit punch to our apartment, tied together in a blue and pink ribbon. Jake glowered at them and left them on the counter. I don’t know what he imagines the symbolic value of the gift is, but I doubt it’s the same one I interpreted it to be.

To me, the gift from Giovanni symbolizes his congratulations to us on the removal of Marissa and the building of a family between Jake and me. He’s not so hard to figure out when you realize a good heart beats beneath his cool, tightened demeanor. It’s that simple.

Leila told me she and Hunter are off to a remote island destination for a week, despite still being an emotional enigma, to start putting the past behind them. Daniel is holding in there, treating her tenderly now that she’s not putting up such a fight. She sounds happier, less hostile, and not as angry bitchy, especially with his voice in the background cooing and telling her to come back to bed. It was noon when she called, so I take it things are still going well since they were still in bed, and I could hear him dotingly calling her his “princess” in the background.

“Baby, are you ready?” Jake’s voice echoes through the apartment, and I look around for my handbag. This place seems decidedly less polished nowadays that Jake’s favorite art and furniture have been sent to the Hamptons, along with many of our personal belongings. We’ve decided when we come home from Chicago, we’re going straight up to follow our personal effects up there, then Jake is having this place redecorated and revamped as his pad to stay in when he comes over for work. He plans minor changes to the room layouts, making this apartment child friendly and moving our bedroom down to the hall with the guestrooms, bringing us closer to the nursery he wants to put there.

Nora is staying here as a housemaid since Jake’s going to be here at least once a week, and Mathews is training the new security to be positioned here since we’ll be taking him to the new house; their choice, of course, always so loyal to Jake.

Jefferson will be driving Jake around when he’s here, and Mathews will be spending time chauffeuring and protecting me in the Hamptons and training the new security staff at the house. Jake has kept on the previous owner’s house staff, and once we’re moved in, they’re all returning to work as they did before. Jake has this all effortlessly organized and everything smoothly in place.

I admit the thought of cooks, cleaners, and chauffeurs is no longer something I balk at; a life looking after my child without the stress that most mothers endure sounds like heaven to me. I know how lucky I am not to worry about mundane house tasks or troubles with money. I am finally accepting it all, seeing it as a perk of loving the most amazing man in the world, another gift he’s effortlessly given me in this fairy-tale life.

I’ll have the Carrero family nearby to support me, including Sylvana and her amazing cooking skills, Sophie, and Leila when she comes home to visit. Giovanni, in his own little way. Daniel … and Arrick when he’s around too. All people as important to me as Jake infiltrated into my life. Not to mention all the staff bending to help me at every beck and call. This move is the best way to start a new life with the perfect man of my dreams. I finally convinced myself daily that this isn’t a dream I’ll one day wake up from.

The one person I’ll miss more than most when I leave is Sarah, but she’s promised to head our way at least once a month for God-motherly visits and girly catch-ups, so I’m sure everything will work out perfectly.

Jake appears at the door and visually scans me. He comes over and smooths his hands down me appreciatively, my little bump barely on show, yet somehow the dress draws attention to it because of how the high waistline kicks out as it reaches the top of my bump.

“You changed your mind?” He rubs his nose against mine affectionally, and I shake my head.

“No, just thinking about how much I’ll miss this place when we leave.” I look around the open sitting room and stark modern décor, realizing that it’s everything Jake used to be the epitome of a bachelor pad. Jake looks around and shrugs.

“I guess. Been here a while, Bambina.” He pulls me into his arms, turning me to spoon him, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, and resting his head on mine as he looks at the four walls around us. “If these walls could talk.” that dirty laugh pulls a frown from me, and I elbow him in the stomach, my green-eyed monster peeking through. “They would only say I’ve had some seriously amazing sex with one feisty little PA.” He quickly replies and chuckles when I shove him again. There’s no way I’m letting him ruin my beautiful moment of reflection and sentiment with his prissy wild ways and past seductions of other women.

“That’s all they need to say,” I warn with a half-smile, bursting into full-on giggles when he spins me around under his arm, planting a big sloppy kiss on me.

“That’s all that matters, sexy.” He smacks my butt again, pulling me with him and tugging me playfully. “Come on. This is a long ass painful drive, so we’d better get going.”

I follow and grin widely at his sexy ass and broad shoulders.