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.

and prepares a tray of refreshments. It’s late, getting on into evening and we should head home soon, give her space to rest and

at the kitchen table, while the housekeeper lays out the glasses and cakes in front of us, freshly

being with him. Jake called and told me that you have big

him and chasing off after the nanny in a fit of screaming giggles; obviously on 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

nearest trash can 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

enough to make feel incredibly awkward, but Jake has never cared about making a scene when it comes to her. He has

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 how pretty

completely unfazed about that little moment. I’m still trying not to watch the way he always heats his wife up with minimum effort, wondering what it would be like to be that way with someone who’s very close by. Arrick is focused on his cell, oblivious to it all. He never seems to react to his brother’s over amorous behavior, I guess because he too is used to

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 bite of jealousy. I swallow it

affectionately, dragging my somber expression back to