Chapter 256

“I haven’t given you anything but me, and you've given me all of this.” I wave my arms around at the
five-star hotel room, the ring on my finger and then run a hand down my stomach, finding his hand
there and I entangle our fingers. “You gave me the fairy tale, the perfect sexy man, the crazy opulent
lifestyle and the happy ever after, Jake, all I gave you was some scared girl so afraid to love.” Tears fill
my eyes.

“That is the most amazing gift you can give anyone. Having you is more than all this combined. You
saved me from myself, from an empty life of parties, fame, women, and booze and driving myself into
the ground with work. You gave my life meaning and feeling. You gave me a purpose and completion,
Emma. I know it took a while for me to stop and realize that I had it all, but we’re here now and I
promise that this is only the beginning, this will only get better. We have so much more to look forward
to and this baby will change everything.”

I’m bowled over with the intensity of Jake’s gaze and every word he’s saying to me. His voice is husky
with emotion and I can’t breathe with how much I need him in this moment. “Miele, I didn’t save you,
you saved me and yourself in the process, I only showed you the way.”

Tears prick in my eyes over the way Jake views what we are, but he couldn’t be anymore wrong. He
saved me from myself, from emptiness and loneliness and from fear. He has given me the strength I
pretended I always had, unlocking the doors to let me deal with my past. He gave me love in so many
ways and in return it enabled me to love myself and heal. He truly is my world, and in this room, I have
everything that I could ever need or hope for.

“I love you so much, so very much. I never want to

hide or run or lose you again. I swear I’ll always try

my hardest to tell you everything that I’m thinking and feeling, to never shut you out or make you think I
don’t



need you. I can’t breathe without you.” I sigh tearfully,

and Jake’s eyes mist up too, holding me close. My words tumbling out in a way that I can’t control, and
I can’t

help but smile about it. I think back to PA Emma, she would have been verbally frozen, unable to say a
word, but here I am, letting every single thought in my head pour out uncensored for him.

“I can’t wait to marry you, to have you as my wife … I want you. I want the world to know you’re mine
and see how proud I am of you. I worship the ground you walk on, Emma, you’re my everything.” Jake
kisses me hard, passion spiking between us. I can’t say anymore, my throat full of tears, bursting with
intense emotion, my heart is cracking under the pressure of so much love. I wrap myself around him
greedily, holding tight and committing this moment to memory.

This moment is too precious for sex or more talking, so we hold each other tenderly, stroking hands
and kissing; erotic but in a slow and sensual way, heightening our feelings for one another.

“Home sweet home.” Jake walks past me through the open doorway, carrying the cases into our new
multi-bedroom two story Hamptons mansion, excitement bubbling over me.

There are sheets and tools everywhere, amid the chaos and noise of power tools, sawing and a lot of
banging, there are workmen wandering around doing seemingly important jobs.

“I thought they were decorating? Sounds like construction.” I point out, with a raised eyebrow, looking
to Jake suspiciously.

“I kinda okayed some minor changes in various places.” Jake smirks at me and my eyebrow raises
higher. He doesn’t even try to feign guilt over his admission.



“What happened to the agreement that I would choose the décor? And oversee any refurb!” I narrow
my eyes as he ducks under a low hanging cable to avoid my scrutiny and I catch a tell-tale mischievous
grin pasted on his face. He is shameless.

“Baby … Bambino, I was never going to be easy to live with. I don’t get why you’re so surprised.” He
walks off fast with a backward wink and I shake my head after him, a little exasperated.

No, I wouldn’t expect anything else. This is who he is, and for the most part I like this side of my Cocky
Carrero.

Two workmen wander past and I catch them looking me over, eyes skimming my legs as they carry a
large sheet of wood; leering at me and passing smirks to one another in quiet agreement. I lift my chin
defiantly and glare right back.

“I suggest you keep your eyes on your work or you’ll be finding them scanning the classifieds for
another job,” I snap, and both men immediately look away, moving off quickly, acting sheepish. There is
no way I am putting up with wandering, sleazy eyes in my own goddamn home. I have realized,
through Jake, that men do not have the right to objectify me anymore.

“Saved me the job of doing that.” I’m hit with Jake’s low growl and realize he’s leaning in the doorway
watching me. His hand sexily on the jam above his head, stretching out his sculpted torso, a hint of skin
peeking from under his lifted shirt and smirking at me with those sexy devouring eyes.

“Maybe it’s about time I started doing it for myself.” I point out and smile as I slowly cross the marble
hall and slide into his waiting arms; nuzzling my face into a chest that screams of home.

“I might allow that occasionally, not every time though. I get a kick out of growling for a fight and
claiming what’s mine.” He buries his face in my neck and kisses it slowly, teasing me into submission.
The noise all around us completely kills the mood.



“Maybe we should take a tour and see what has been done.” I look to the ceiling as he slides me loose,
taking my hand and leading the way across to the marble stairs, equally curious to get an eyeful of our
new home.

“Our bedroom should be done and our en suite … Lounge and kitchen were on the list of completed
rooms too, so all of this is everything else. I’ve been told that they’ll

only be here 9-5 until it’s done and not weekends.” He

points out and I’m glad to know this invasion of sweaty

men and decorators will be gone soon. I don’t relish the thought of being stuck here with a bunch of
men I neither know nor trust.

“What are you having redone that needs all these carpenters and … Is that a crowbar?” I ask, shocked
to see the large metal pole lying dangerously mid-way up the stairs. Jake scoops down and picks it up
with an angry frown to his handsome face, hanging it on the banister to the side.

“Those idiots need to be more damned careful; you could have fallen over that! … I’m having a couple
of the extra rooms switched from bedrooms to something we’ll have more use for; and the library and
office knocked out into one space for us to have a place to work together.” He’s still glaring at the metal
bar hanging between the rails as he guides me past a pile of sawdust on the next step. The workmen
are carelessly untidy, something that really bothers me. If they’re going to be here from 9-5 for five days
of the week, in my home, they could have the decency to sweep up every now and again. Or at least
move a goddamn crowbar so I don’t fall over it!

“So … Exactly how long do we have to endure all this mess and noise for?” I squint at the men below,
walking around carrying what looks like a granite worktop into a small side room.

Tell me again, why we moved in so quickly?



“It looks worse than it is, this crew should be done by Friday, neonata. The house mostly needs paint
and paper

and our choice of a shit load of furniture, these are all temporary contractors.” Jake waves a hand
across the milling workers and continues leading me slowly and carefully up the minefield of the stairs.
One hand on my back and the other holding my hand in front of me as though I’m elderly and fragile.
He sometimes makes me feel like both when he’s in protector mode.

“Mr. Carrero, Miss. Anderson!” The gushing friendly voice of Monica Briggs, the interior designer,
comes at us from the top of the stairs and she starts floating toward us in a puff of Chanel number five
and a red shift dress. I choke as she gets close, trying to ignore the cheek kissing thing she does to
Jake, leaving nasty rouge lip tar across his chiseled cheek bone, whorishly marking my man yet air
kissing me from a distance.

Hmmmmm.

I reach up and immediately start wiping her mark off his face with my thumb and throw a rather snippy
glare in her direction.

Only bitch marking him will be me!

She seems un-phased by it and I resist the urge to elbow Jake when I catch that half smirk on the
corner of his mouth as he watches me having a little green-eyed moment; amused by my
possessiveness over him.

Yeah, Mr. Carrero, you think that’s funny? I know you wouldn’t like it if some guy was giving me marks
all over my face!



“Miss. Briggs, we’re finally home and eager to see what’s been done.” Jake’s in charming mode, all
Carrero suave and sultry voiced with his smile reserved for clients and shoulder rubbing rich folks.

“You must let me show you then.” She gushes, leaning down to slide her arm through his but I step up
beside him quickly, so she’s met with my rather close cleavage; at least she has the decorum to look
mildly uncomfortable. She smiles tightly and moves back awkwardly, a small rise of red creeping up her
neck.

Yeah, I’m the woman of this house … Back off.

Jake slides an arm around my shoulder, swooping in to kiss my temple in a show of adoration. His way
of telling her to move away, so fluently she probably doesn’t realize it. He’s doing what needs to be
done to get her to understand he’s not interested. It must work as she seems to have remembered her
place and smiles, stepping back further to let us continue, gesturing up the stairs towards a lot more
noise, raising an eyebrow at Jake. I let him lead the way, pulling me along at a casual pace.

Upstairs, the sound is far worse than the mess and I can see, despite the tools and sheets all over, a
lot has been done. The long, wide hall has plastic covering the thick carpet and an array of glossy white
doors stand open to let light fill the area from each room. It’s like a corridor of doors.

She leads us across the walkway, dodging plugs, and wires, to our master bedroom which is close to
the start of the main landing and I’m met with the vision we created on design boards and high-tech
computer software. My breath catching, dreamily, at the vision of perfection before us. The reality much
more breath-taking than the view from a computer screen.

Neutrals, softness, and a cozy large leather bed with a million cushions artfully placed in the center of a
huge suede covered wall. Plush carpeting in a soft mink, fur rugs, and a chaise longue at the bed stead
with a lot of beautiful furniture and seating dotted around. It’s a complete haven, a room fit for reading
in, lying around, and relaxing in, or long romantic nights of passion by candlelight. I can already



envision lazy Sunday mornings with Jake in this room, wandering around half dressed or even just
nakedly christening every surface I can see.


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