The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

I’ve endured being yelled at, hugged and cried on. Yelled at some more, by various members of my family, and I’m now standing in the last address on my tick list of people I owe apologies to. So far, I’ve stood up to it well, and in the end, most of them, minus Leila, have forgiven me for my disappearing act.

Leila is being Leila, and no doubt will come around after she calms down; luckily, her husband, Daniel, is good at restraining her and my apology was pretty much shouted from behind Arrick as Mr. Hunter. kept her lassoed in his arms across their lounge. I’m sure that even Arrick would have little to no chance of being any sort of interference if she actually flew for me. Leila’s an actual psycho.

Now I’m standing in Emma’s kitchen, while her housekeeper alerts her to our presence. Arrick checks his watch, standing beside me with an arm casually around my shoulder. I’ve literally given up trying to point out that maybe he shouldn’t keep touching me, knowing that it’s natural for him, it always has been. We were always this way, and he can’t break the habit of an entire friendship that easily. To him, touching me, being close to me this way, is like breathing, and would be more awkward if he stood feet apart with a gap between us.

As much as I like to think that Jake and he are not alike, I guess he does have that same touchy-feely thing going for him when it’s someone he is really close to anyway.

“Jake should be arriving home any minute, when he gets here, we’ll go out and give you two a little time.” He kisses my temple reassuringly, causing me to become a bundle of nerves I’m not sure it relates to seeing Emma at all. He knows how important Emma is to me and I want to be alone with her to talk properly.

“Sophie”. Emma’s voice rings out from behind us and she envelops me as soon as she walks in, that bump making an awkward obstacle, but it feels better than good and instantly I lose all the fear and tension in those loving little arms. Emma pulls back and regards me closely.

she pulls me back towards the low table to our familiar place to chat. Arrick lingers back as the housekeeper follows and prepares a tray of refreshments. It’s late, getting on into evening and we should

said you were really stressed. I’m sorry if I put you through that. I’m sorry I ran. I just didn’t know what else to do.” I sit down with her, opposite each other at the kitchen table, while the housekeeper lays out the

and pushes a glass of iced tea towards me. “Were’ just glad that Arrick came and got you. Best thing right now is being with him. Jake called and told me that you have big plans ... How about you tell me all about them.” Emma beams at me, smiles past me at Arry too, appreciatively. I’m feeling less uptight now I’m here with her and I can see

a sugar high that Jake has inflicted, and he tries to hide the empty ice cream wrappers as he walks in. Emma gives him that knowing look, the one that is a sort of telling off, mixed with a ‘what am I going to do with

by the kitchen door, slides past his brother and then me, straight through to lean in and plant a steamy kiss on Emma’s mouth, across the table between us. Ignoring our presence until he has stuck his tongue down his wife’s throat for a minute, and the only thing I can do is lean away to give his ass room

him again, this time a little less pornographically and runs a finger over his scruffy, stubbly chin with hugely adoring eyes locked on his. Close enough to make feel incredibly awkward, but Jake has never cared about making a scene when it comes to her. He has eaten her face at just about every family function there has been and makes no apologies for being

for later.” He winks suggestively, leans back in, and kisses her, with a smile, lingering a moment, rubbing noses, and grazing his thumb across her cheek in a cute sensual move before pulling back and suddenly noticing we are here. Meanwhile, Emma’s blush just adds to

what it would be like to be that way with someone who’s very close by. Arrick is focused on his cell, oblivious to

that expression telling me it’s Natasha, as he types a reply with an unreadable frown across his face, honed in and blanking us all out. I can’t help the jolt in my chest, or the way my eyes keep wandering to him, wondering what they are saying to each other and that gut-wrenching

my somber expression back to