The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

I stay that way, cocooned in him, hiding myself from everyone until I sense the change of surroundings and the lack of moisture on my head. The ping of the elevator to signal he has opened the doors and we are safely closed inside away from prying eyes.

I lift my chin and glance at him from my angle, catching his eye as he smiles at me softly. He looks pale, wary and I realize he is still worrying about what I am thinking about. I’m too quiet, too introverted for his liking and he is thinking the worst. He hates when I close up and don’t tell him what I am feeling.

“I love you.” He says it so seriously, so pointedly as he looks deep into my eyes and I realize without a doubt that Arry would never hurt me this way. He hasn’t got it in him to look at me with such conviction and say he loves me in that way if he had guilt behind those perfect eyes. I nuzzle in close again and wrap myself around him tighter. Shivering from my soaked clothes and dying for some sleep to forget this. I was exhausted before, now I am utterly devoid of all life and energy. Remorse coursing through my veins and I just feel ashamed.

“Put me down.” I say it softly, as I unwrap myself, aware that getting back in there means facing that woman in the apartment and I want to arrive with a little more dignity than this. Arry hesitates then slides me to my own feet but pulls me close and wraps me in his embrace. Keeping me close and tight to him and says nothing to the fact I didn’t say I loved him back.

“I’m really happy you’re here… You just made everything so much better with appearing like that. Despite how things went down just now, and despite the fact I know I have a lot of groveling to do, baby. I’m crazy psyched that you’re here. I missed you so much. You just made my day… Obvious aside.” He kisses the top of my head and doesn’t let me go, trying to sound upbeat and being strange. He knows he’s in the shit house and he’s trying to break the tension.

“I’m still mad at you.” I mumble yet let him hold me, needing so much from him even when I’m feeling like this. I think I just had one of the worst shocks of my life and I’m still reeling a little in surreal disbelief. I need to know that he still loves me, he still wants me here. Even if I am pissed at him. My heart has had a huge knock and I am not feeling at my most secure.

“I know… I deserve it. I’m sorry, baby. I really am. I watched it online… Hated that I wasn’t there with you. I left you a ton of messages too and Christian said you never even opened what I sent you.” He glances down at me and I shrug. Detached, numb, and shivering already and not really interested in the present I left on the couch in Paris.

“I gave Janetta your flowers. I didn’t want gifts… Just your presence.” I sigh numbly, firing home that I’m still upset, even if I sound weird and quiet and distant. I watch the light on the elevator counter above the door climb to the P at the end of the row and lean against him more definitely, swaying to his touch and presence. I just want to get warm and lay down and forget all of this. Forget this whole shitty week.

“I know. I screwed up. I know I did. I’ll do whatever it takes, even sleep on the couch, repaint the apartment in pink and add glitter wherever you want it.” Arry is trying to soften the atmosphere and yet I can’t even muster a smile, let alone a response.

I feel weird when the doors slide open and find myself clinging on a little tighter than before as I brace myself to meet the pretty brunette once more. Only this time I’m tear-stained, rain-soaked, and probably have mascara all the way down to my chin. I fixed my face on the plane in readiness to face him, now I probably look like a drowned rat. I avoid looking in the chrome of the elevator doors to check as I know it will devastate me more.

I don’t respond to what he said, just let him haul me with him into the apartment, holding on to that lithe body. I catch brunette doing an appreciative sly once over as we enter and cannot help the scowl that hits my face. She is checking him out in see through molded clothes and she isn’t being that shy about it. Her eyes stray to me and she tries to conceal the hint of judgement before a fake smile crosses her face.

“Hey Amanda, let me formally introduce you to my girlfriend, Sophie.” Arrick walks us into the hallway and now I can see Miss. Cleavage. has on a tight skirt to her knees and a pair of stilettos, that blouse is not done any further up though and she is sliding on a jacket too. She looks like she slept in her clothes now that I really take her in, see the wrinkles and some tell-tale takeaway stains on the front, and her hair and makeup seem tired. I guess she really has been up all night pouring over files and not fucking my boyfriend. Arrick leaves me standing and walks off towards our bedroom for a moment.

“Hi, I have heard a lot about you, Miss. Huntsberger. Arrick mentions you a lot.” She smiles insincerely and comes forward with an outstretched hand that I obediently shake, despite feeling like I want to poke her in the eye with her own shoes. I hate how provocatively she is dressed, even if it is office wear and I hate she used my name formally, but not his… Her actual boss.

Since when did he allow staff to call him Arrick?

He is much like his father in that he prefers staff to call him Mr. Carrero.

I guess if anything weird had been going on, then this cozy greeting would be going down a whole lot differently right now, and it only confirms the fact that nothing about this is an affair. Arrick isn’t a liar, he isn’t sneaky or someone deceptive and despite his mistakes in the early days of us… he isn’t the type to do this to me.

Arrick comes back with a towel and starts rubbing my hair and face before he hands it to me and gets to work unbuttoning my jacket and peeling it off. Amanda watches quietly, seemingly engrossed that he would be taking care of me this way. All I can feel is judgmental eyes on me and I push him back gently, so he stops fussing over me.

“I need to go shower… Do whatever it is you need to do, Arry. Go to work. I’ll go to bed and sleep and we can talk later.” I get clear of him to move, but he catches me by the elbow, pulls me back to where I was and makes it clear I am going nowhere. He takes the towel once more and continues patting my exposed skin as he turns his head to her.

what he can. I need to be here right now.” He sounds like Jake…Bossy, Boss Carrero and Amanda nods and turns to collect a box of papers in the lounge, from among all the pizza boxes and glasses laying around. I can now see there are four plates, four glasses and four mugs amid all the wrappers and napkins and I glance

Stupid, Sophie.

is out of earshot and I cannot help but notice the way her eyes keep trying to stray to Arrick’s rather toned and sexy body in his damp attire. I really want to slap her, even though I know it’s near impossible not to ogle him like this. I mean she is female, and human I

Sophie has a few in the rack over there.” He nods behind us, towards the wall rack which

his attention back to me, nodding at me to slide my shoes off as he slides down

her departure and is trying to pull off my dress while standing here. Amanda gets in the elevator as he starts to slide it up and over my head, peeling it away from my goose bumped skin and starts rubbing me

doors

hot shower with him. I

***

he was a complete gentleman who stood behind me, washed my hair and my body, and cuddled me a lot. He didn’t even initiate anything and

head. We had the quickest shower ever and wrapped in towels I am now lying on the bed while he crawls up beside me wearing a towel around his waist and lays by my side

in to kiss me chastely on the lips. I don’t kiss him back, but I don’t reject him either. I want us to be okay, yet I have a

missed this place. Missed New York.” I answer tiredly, rolling onto my back to stare at the ceiling and feel the peace that being back here brings me. Completely different being here, as though

nudges me slightly and then leans close to pull a strand of my hair between his fingers and starts slowly wrapping it around his pointer finger.

haughtily

while this goes on. We’re inheriting a huge corporation who single handily rivalled our own for years, and now we will own both.

the day before the show… Go to work. I don’t want you to miss what you are meant to be doing.” I close my eyes as if to dismiss him, but his mouth on mine makes me flutter them

fact you seem to want me to go away when I just want to be here. I’ve missed you, whether you are mad at me or not. I’m not moving. I deserve to be

there right now.”

in front of you in the worst kind of way sort of puts everything in perspective. I need to be here with you

warmth flowing through my heart and soul and I cannot deny him this, especially when he says it

want to feel better and after the shock

the way he lifts his head suddenly, out of the corner of my eye.

and it pulls my head back to that creep in Paris and all the things I still have to tell him. I shudder inwardly, even more determined to only have his

at my face. He scrutinizes me for a moment and brushes a thumb

the way to fix things.” He smiles softly, reciting my own words to me and out of nowhere the emotions from the past week hit me like a thunderbolt. So wound up inside, low down and then boom. I burst into erratic tears and screw my eyes shut. I have no idea where it even comes from, it’s like he found the right trigger

me, because of what you think I did? Don’t do that. I swear we really are okay. I wouldn’t ever do that to you. If making love will make you feel more secure, then I will. I want to make

back.” I blurt it out amid gulps and

in the eye, that serious frown face that makes him look creepily like his father and brother, in one go. Enraged

offer me another year ... with strings attached.” I cry some