The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

I keep my thoughts to myself, beam at Jake with a smile as he stands to walk us out, and try not to react in any way to the hand holding, even when Arrick’s grip tightens and he moves so close to me that his arm rests against mine.

“We’ll drive rather than fly. I think she needs the time to think things through before we face Leila.” Arrick pulls me with him as we turn to leave the office, lifting my black cardigan from the chair for me and guiding me to the door.

“I’ve never understood your aversion to the jet; it cuts travel time by three hours. Why do you hate flying so much?” Jake grins at his brother and is met with a shrug.

“I guess I’m just not as flashy as you. I prefer the simpler things in life. Cars that don’t require neck braces to drive them, and keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground, taking things more slowly with less possibility of death.” Arrick smiles at his brother, leaning in for a male shoulder to shoulder hug from Jake, and a solid pat on the back. Jake leans in and throws a kiss on my cheek, slides a hand over my head like he’s stroking a cat and waves us both away.

“Wuss.” Jake goads him, but Arrick just shrugs and pulls me out through his assistants’ connected office. She is no longer sitting there but the doors are all open.

“Call ahead and tell them we will leave later today. We will probably get there late evening and stop somewhere to eat first. I have some things to deal with before we go.” Arrick turns to face his brother at the door and Jake leans into the frame casually.

chipped.” He

***

lost in his own head. Nothing unusual there; he’s always been a thinker, someone who went quiet and just sorted shit out while he drove us anywhere. I find it strangely reassuring to watch that focused frown, the gears turning in his head and taking the quiet time to be still with everything. He hasn’t said anything for at least the last half hour. The silence isn’t exactly

eyes on his profile for the tenth time. I’m trying my hardest to evaluate how long I’ve been in love with his face, or if it was just always something I ignored. Taking in every detail and trying to assess if he always gave me these butterflies and urges to

the intense way I am staring at him, yet again. “Can you also stop doing that.”? He

I ask petulantly. “What goes on in my head while

the answers to either question, so maybe not right now. It is a little uncomfortable having you give me these intense glares while I am trying not to kill us in a road wreck, Sophs. Rains’ pelting it down, the roads slippery, and yet I am only aware of a set of beautiful baby blues trying to bore into my skull.” He slides forward in his seat to squint between the wipers as the rain seems to break into a hurricane-style downpour and almost obscures the view instantly. I too squint out at the sudden dramatic weather change and know for a fact he will make us stop now. His

soon off the main road and following the signs to the

my way, pulling his jacket from the back seat of the car and looking around for something to use as a shelter. “Stay there until I come around and

into him, so I’m molded to his body, an arm tight around

automatic doors across the car park. I squeal as rain and puddles splash up around me and my naked legs, in shoes that let everything in. Hiding