The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

I tie the robe around me when I’m dry, the shower having made me feel a hundred times better, and I throw everything I was wearing in the bathroom trash can. Underwear, shoes, and all. I never want to lay eyes on any of it again, and if I didn’t think it would set off all Arry’s fire detectors and cause a huge scene, then I would burn it all. The thought of that creep all over it makes me want to gag.

I venture out into the lounge slowly, on Bambi legs. I need a glass of water and then I’m going to bed to forget this night ever happened, and I’ll deal with the emotional fallout tomorrow. I stop short when I spot Arrick still sitting on the couch, nursing a coffee, still dressed, seemingly a lot more normal and sober, but in complete torment. I figured he would have gone to bed by now and not to still be sat out here in the low lights. He looks wrecked, more with it, and just emotional for once.

“You feel any better?” His eyes meet mine, so dark and so very green too. It’s weird, a combo I have never seen in this way and I guess he’s been out here thinking this over and sobering himself up, while I removed all traces of that creep from my body.

“I’m okay. You can stop worrying about me.... Did you call Natasha?” I frown at him pointedly, standing awkwardly in the space beside the coffee table, aware that I’m naked under this robe and really should go get a drink, and go to bed.

I really am fine. I don’t feel any worse over this than any of the millions of creeps who have tried it on before. No lasting damage, just a bruise to my ego now that I’ve calmed down and let it sink in. It just made me realize how dangerous the world can be for someone like me, and from now on I’m going to be a lot more responsible for my life. A lot safer.

“I’ve lost my phone, somewhere between smashing some asshole, and running out of a club after you.” Arrick shrugs, completely exhausted suddenly. “I’m hoping she has it and has sense to realize I followed you.” He leans forward, putting his mug on the table, obviously finally feeling remorse at ditching her now that he’s a lot less drunk. Back to my more considerate Arry, finally.

He glances up at me; from this angle he’s young boy cute, adorably endearing, and I notice the bruises on his knuckles, spanning both hands. Evidence, of just how hard he was hitting that perverted creep, and I frown. It’s not an uncommon sight on him, even during training, he sometimes has them, even with gloves and padding, but I stare at them and his eyes follow. He looks at them too, gazing at the marks for a long moment and then stands up suddenly.

“I wanted to kill him.” He states it so seriously, our eyes collide as we stand feet apart and then he frowns hard.

“I saw.” I frown too, tears in the back of my eyes threatening as he reminds me of what happened tonight. Weirdly seeing his hands this way, hearing him talk like this makes it more real. I don’t want to talk about this. I want to forget it and move on in my life, something I’m good at doing.

“I would have killed him, Sophs, if you hadn’t gotten in the way, if you hadn’t stood between us. I’ve never wanted to hurt someone so badly in my life and I didn’t care about the outcome at all.” He stares at his knuckles again, makes fists and then shakes them away, as though trying to shift the memory from his head. “What’s happening to us?” He locks on me forlornly, questioning me and it takes me by surprise.

Tears bite me this time and I just stare at him, not sure what he wants me to say or what any of this means. Why he’s even asking me that now as though it has

tears and I break. This unexpected confession from him that is so heart-gnawingly painful, knowing he hates this and what we’ve become. A silent tear rolls down my cheek, and all I can do is shake my head. Unable to talk. “I thought I knew what you were to me.... Always. Then this. All of this has me back to front and so crazy fucked up. I see you, and I see her, and I honestly don’t

He looks down at the floor, kicks at nothing and then back at me. “Before he even put his hands on your throat, I was making my way to you, to talk, to explain. Seeing another guy touching you, Sophs... Kissing you. I didn’t know if it was wanted, or not at first.” He swallows hard and walks towards me slowly, reaching out until his fingers trace the tears running down my face. “It didn’t feel the

was hurting you. I hit him because he was touching you, because he dared to kiss you. And that’s fucked up. How can I be that way with you, after everything? And still tell her that I want to make this work?” His voice breaks, so much confusion even now, after all this time to get used to this. It just wrecks what’s left of my

fingers gently trace my cheek, slowly down to my jaw, and then traces the marks that have started to show on my throat from being choked and bitten. I open my eyes when his breath intensifies against my face, realizing he’s moved in closer. Catching his eyes on mine, both hands coming to softly trace the bruises on my

to you does to me.” He sighs, moving in so our noses are a hair width apart, leaning into my height and bridging the gap between us. I hold my breath, tears stopping with the sheer intensity of this moment and my body begins to tremble. All of this feels so vastly different to any other time we have gotten close to talking this way. Nerves evaporate and instead, a sheer heartfelt ache consumes me. “Then I get this close to you, and all I think about is how good you feel, and what it’s like to kiss you. How many times I’ve wanted to and never allowed.” His eyes move to my mouth as his thumb traces my bottom lip tenderly, his focus narrowing, pupils dilating, and I pause. His

what he wants from me. Softly, with purpose

caressing of lips and mouths, probing of tongue. His hands move to my hair and sweep it back out of his way; obvious that he has no intention of pulling back this time. He angles in so his nose brushes mine and then grazes my cheek as he tilts more. His mouth parts my lips and his tongue softly caresses mine. Our faces pushed together so we can stay locked in a passionate embrace, as close as is humanly possible. My insides explode with a million sensations, from

around me and pulls me against him. Every part of his body molding to mine, height not an issue as he scoots

as his hand grazes my collar bone and pushes it from my shoulder, exposing more than just upper neck. I gasp, not even fazed that he’s stripping my, nakedly on show, urging

beautiful in every way. So fucking perfect.” He breathes against me, only parting enough to speak into my mouth and then he captures my lips again, sucking and kissing me like he has no control. The robe slides further down my back, down my arms to my elbows as one of his hands moves behind my neck, under my hair at the back, to pull me in harder to his probing mouth. His fingers gently graze downwards across my naked skin

me, and not stop one bit of it. I want him,

me deeply, passionately, with a lot more intensity as he probes my mouth with his tongue confidently and I groan. He feels better than good, tastes like heaven and he peels apart the rest of my robe, skimming my body hungrily as he does so. Singing a path of eruptions so divine my toes start curling. His inhibitions gone from still being slightly

in the same way mine is, hardening where his groin meets mine, I can’t ignore his growing erection. It’s clear he wants me too, the way his hands run over my back and shoulders and slide around my waist to pull me into him, tilting me back as though he just can’t get close enough. Pressed inhumanely, inch to inch as though he wants to absorb my body and soul. There’s

my breast. Cupping it firmly before leaning in to capture it with his mouth instead. I groan, lost in complete sensual euphoria, tingles exploding in my toes at what he’s doing to

quickly, spinning to catch sight of the girl standing in the open elevator in wide-eyed heartbreak. A pale shocked pallor as she stands rooted to the spot, igniting the same effect as a massive