The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

In heels as high as these, it makes me the perfect height to snuggle up close; my head just past his shoulder and his eyes move to my mouth. I frown away the urge to lock mine on him, as it’s the third time I’ve gotten the vibe he wants to kiss me and get overly frustrated.

What’s stopping you already?

“Asshole.” I spit back, nestling closer to him in his embrace, encouraging more, but also so I don’t need to face him and see exactly how he’s looking at me if he isn’t going to do anything about it. If he wants it, then he has to make some moves. The elevator pings and the door slides open.

“What happened to Massive Douchebag? I like that one, it has a sexy ring to it.” He nudges me suggestively with his hip, so I’m moved but not knocked over, his face sliding close to mine again as he gazes at me with humor. He bites on his bottom lip, very ‘dude’, sexy, playful yet that hint of flirt again and the sudden heart hammering ups a gear, making me unable to remove my eyes from that crazily kissable mouth of his.

I’m really not imagining there’s something subtly different since I walked out wearing this dress. I don’t know if I should ignore it or act upon it; he seems to be testing some sort of internal boundary and I want him to stop holding back. He has my stomach fluttering, and my body all goosebumps, arousing parts of me that I never knew could even get aroused. It’s making me unsure of myself, more than a little nervous and definitely antsy around him.

“You are all of the above and much, much, more.” I frown petulantly, yelping when he slaps my ass to propel me out of the elevator and this time, I know for a fact this is not how he normally behaves. Arrick slaps asses when carrying on, usually with a little intent, just to piss me off, but this feels more sexual.

Where the hell did this come from?

He lets me go as I half run, half skip out in front of him, onto the shiny marble floor of the foyer to his building, purely with the force of that butt slap that about knocked me off balance. I can still feel where his palm landed, and it’s lower than where he normally smacks me. I liked it too, which opens up a whole other can of brain worms, considering my father used to beat me.

He comes up behind me, catches my hand again, something sizzling between us as he leads me out into the guarded main entrance in front of huge glass doors onto New York’s busy streets. He nods at the security man sat behind a marble desk., I recognize the little old man and beam at him, because he’s my favorite of the desk clerks and usually only on at night, so I don’t see him very often anymore. He’s been here for years, the whole two years Arry has lived here anyway, and I always love to chat to him.

so I can collect my familiar offering from just about the best security guard in the whole of the city. Completely elated

giggle sweetly and unwrap my candy, dropping the paper in the trash can he holds out to me and give him

now.” He beams back at me and Arrick

Arrick’s eyes go to my mouth as I do so, and the uncomfortable frown he gives off before looking away, confirms his head is definitely on sex at this moment. He clears his throat softly and carries on regardless. I, however, grin to myself. A little smug that the guy who could only ever see me as platonic, just got an

High five.

for these things, and Frank’s been plying me with them since Arrick moved here. I’m a hundred times happier with candy in my mouth, a hint

the door for us, motions to the yellow cab sitting patiently on the sidewalk. Arrick leads me to it and opens the door for me. As I go to slide in, he whips the lollipop out of my mouth in

at his sneaky maneuver, but he closes my door before I can grab it back, skirts the back of the cab and gets in the other side with it in his mouth. Smirking at me with that devilish look in his eye and I just gawp at him in open-mouthed shock. I snatch it right back, yanking it out of his mouth and stick it back in mine without hesitation. He looks amused, like

be classed as kissing in a very vague

shut; the cab driver nods and utters the address he’s been told by the

ever-growing list of weird stuff Arrick Carrero has given me over the years” I

sit and suck on my candy and ignore him for the ten-minute journey, to try to calm these damn hormonal flushes. No one comes between me and candy, it’s like a major weakness on the ever-growing list, and I don’t care if it ruins

skin, in a gesture that I wouldn’t expect from him, more something I would expect to see Jake do to Emma and glance his way. He’s looking out the window, completely oblivious, and I don’t know whether to relax and accept this as innocent or enjoy the tingles and heat his possessive hold is giving me. Torn that this might be deliberate, and disappointed he didn’t aim higher. It’s another little clue that his head

Thank you, purple dress!