The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

I throw the pasta and salad in my refrigerator, bending in to move over the vast amount of junk food and movie snacks that I went a bit overboard with, and pushing Arry’s favorite bottle of dressing in the door. Counting down the hours to him getting home. The last thing he text was he would call when he got to the airport, and I haven’t heard from him since. I know the day after a big fight is usually hectic for him with reporters, paparazzi and media vying for his attention, especially after a big win, and I hate this wall of silence. I have no clue when he’s even getting here. I lean in further to fish out a bottle of water and straighten up to close the door.

“Miss me?”

The voice startles me, spinning to see him casually closing my door behind him and cannot control the squeal that erupts from me. Charging across the floor and launching myself into his arms, lassoing him around the neck and hitting him with a week’s” worth of pent up passion. I have been waiting a full seven days to give him this kiss and I go all in. Arrick smiles, mid kiss, lifts my butt up so he can nestle my legs around his waist and kisses me even harder, completely molded as tongues caressing shamelessly. I break away, showering his face with kisses and nuzzles, being hugged tight and kissed back with equal fervor.

“God, I missed you so much, baby, this has been all I could think about the whole time I was gone.” Arry lifts one hand to catch my face and pulls me to kiss me properly, parting lips, tongues caressing some more as he moves a frantic happy kiss into a sensual ‘I want you badly’ kiss.

I am more than happy to comply, letting my legs loose and sliding down in his embrace, every inch of me in a short dress skimming his button down and jeans; he feels so good. His mouth never leaves mine, hands entangling in my hair and I get lost in him. His smell, his taste, his body, it really feels like the empty ache I have had all week has just been filled in one brief touch. He breaks away and rests his forehead on mine, gazing at me adoringly and rubs his nose against mine with a gentle smile, moving in to kiss me again and grinning. Clearly overjoyed to be back with me too.

“What happened to stripping me naked and proving how much you missed me.” I poke at his chest boldly, smiling back when he only grins harder. His eyes roaming my face as though he needs to take in every single inch of me.

“You don’t want your gifts first? You know, jumping straight in without a massive welcome home kiss isn’t really my style… But if you insist.” Arrick slides his hands under my dress so he cups my butt in a lacy thong, lifts me up to him and starts carrying me to the couch, kissing me again as I cling around his neck and angle to get more from him, pushing my mouth against his so he can devour me with that delectable tongue, making my toes curl. I keep my eyes closed to his every sensation, only aware that he’s lowering me to the couch when I feel it underneath me and then he is on top of me, pushing up my dress as his crotch connects with mine. His mouth is all over me, mouth to mouth, jaw, neck, cleavage as he pulls my neckline down. Hands roaming me crazily as I return the favor.

Heat and need overtake me in searing levels, I suck on his exposed neck, pull his shirt open a little and then roam my hands down to start unbuttoning his jeans. We’re grinding against one another, heavy breathing, lost in a lust fueled craze to just have sex immediately and I can almost feel my body gearing up to react quickly. Crazily hot for him and almost throbbing myself inside out with need.

Arry helps push his jeans down a little, his hands tracing my panties and me, so I moan and gasp at his touch before he tugs them aside, giving him access and starts delivering teasing circles and subtle probing fingers that make me arch under him. I am more than ready for him and his hard bulge pushing through the gap in his jeans, shielded by boxers telling me he’s more than ready to give. He comes back to my mouth, his fingers slide into me slowly, kissing me as I moan out and comes back to teasing me with his tongue.

The buzzer makes us both jump guiltily, arching my back to look towards my front door in upside down confusion, Arry looks up in the same direction, still very much joined to me and breathing hard.

“You expecting someone?” He smiles, scoops down to kiss my jawline and teases me into submission, my eyes closing at his touch as I try to think who the hell it could be.

“Hmmmmm. No.” I moan out, getting lost in what he’s doing to me. Groaning as his finger slides inside me and makes me fall to pieces. That far too expert touch of his.

Like a kick in the head a sudden thought flies through my brain at superhuman speed, my eyes snapping open and I react in complete shock.

“Shit!” I shove Arrick off me so hard, so impulsively, he has no way to counteract, flailing and falling off with a massive thump onto the floor on his back, arms out and elbow hitting the coffee table with a massive thud that sends everything rattling. He groans on the floor as I dash up in panic and somehow manage to stand on his abdomen.

“Jesus Sophie.” He groans through the ‘ooffft’ noise as I recoil my legs.

“It’s my parents… I forgot they said they would drop by when they were done in the city, I’m sorry.” I pant, face heating in complete panic, pulling my clothes back to rights as Arrick gets up into a sitting posture and rubs his elbow and then his abdomen with a wounded look on his face. I haven’t got time to feel guilty right now, I’m just panicking.

“Calm down. Stop freaking out.” He groans again, back to rubbing his arm and gets up, casually fixing his trousers and throwing me that cool look that is supposed to get me back in line, that has never worked as long as I have ever known him. I widen my eyes right back at him.

God, oh, my God.” I ramble, flustered and on my feet, pacing in a tiny circle and thinking of all the

He smiles confidently, guiding me past the couch, but I start pushing him towards my room by those crazily solid abs, knocking him backwards so he catches my upper arms to steady himself, panic

they don’t know about us…Oh, my God …What if they can tell what we were doing?” I blanche at him with sheer devastation and he starts laughing at me. Stopping the progression of my pushing as the buzzer goes again impatiently and I start to feel like

and go wash

to do, but he’s forcing me to the bedroom now and smoothing my hair out from the back. He leans in and kisses me on the side of the face, pushes me the last inch into my room and pulls the door closed behind me so I am left standing staring at my door with him on the other side. I seem to shake myself, turn and

about to have sex…Literally, probably seconds away from it. My face heats with even the thought of it and catch myself in the

look when he gets me turned on then no wonder he likes it, I look wild. Flushed, pupils dilated crazily, and my blue eyes are so much more tropical. My hair Is a little flyaway, but my lips look crazily kiss swollen.

or take me out somewhere. He’s right, they won’t think anything of his being with me. I’m being stupid and panicking because I feel guilty. They won’t connect the dots and I am not sure if I am

trust him again. I also don’t know how they will react. All his fears and reasons from before really do make sense to me now. They might see this

what it would feel like and I am suddenly terrified. My heart drops and my stomach turns over in complete heartbreak. Knowing I can never give him up and go back to before, knowing it would destroy me. I swallow hard, take a deep breath and fluff out my appearance a little. Smoothing, primping, and preening until I look as close to

door that leads me to my parents. They are all walking to the couch, obviously having had pleasantries in the foyer and my mother smiles

her, wondering why she would think my coral lipstick was odd as she bought it for me, and then realize she’s rubbing a thumb on Arrick’s neck and I die a little. Heart stopping mid beat. He’s wiped my mess from his

kind of my thing.”

a hint of dubious and probably wondering why I never am open with them. Why still, after all these years I still never tell them anything of importance or share myself with them the way I do

impulsively when caught like a deer in the headlights; small and scared and my eyes fill with moisture. So scared about the back lash I am about to get and terrified they may make him leave. My dad frowns at me and then

dad grins and Arrick breaks into a smile too, he seems to visibly exhale with relief. My mother’s eyes are still trained on me, giving

slowly walks to me, runs a gentle hand over my cheek and tucks hair

hope when he got with Natasha…… Sophie, why would we be mad?” She smiles at me gently, her

would have thought it was weird or wrong.” My voice trembles and I feel Arrick looking at me, his calm hazel eyes on mine with a supportive smile, as my dad pats him on the shoulder again, all manly like and then pulls him into a hug that knocks him off balance.

long that you two would move past from a sort of sibling bond to more. We have always known he was exactly what you needed.”

her nurturing fingers brush away my tears and then I throw myself around her in a tight

then pushes my face back so she can kiss my cheek. She looks at me as though I

my baby. My little

that.” My dad chimes in and it’s now I realize he’s beside us, pushing my mom away gently so he can lean in and kiss me on the head. Arrick is standing back, giving them space and seems at a loss as to what

you two get back to…. your

winks knowingly, and I inwardly cringe, wishing the ground would open and swallow me whole. It’s clear that they know we were not just playing scrabble or something equally innocent before

know?” My mom turns to Arrick and blinks

huh?” Arrick gives my mom his Hollywood smile, the one reserved for special occasions when

a

say she will be happy to get out for a new hat. She’s been praying for this day as long as I have.” My mom is beaming,