The Carrero Heart_The Journey_Arrick and Sophie

by L. T. Marshall

  ‘We will be off… Come for dinner soon, I think telling your mom face to face will be nicer. We won’t tell a soul until you both come home.’ She smiles at me adoringly and my dad nods in happy agreement.

  ‘No, actually…Mom. Maybe you could tell Leila and Ben, and the rest of them for me. I can’t face either of those two having the older sibling, birds and bees chat. Leila would just traumatise me for life.’ I follow them to the door, Arrick close on my heels as he runs a finger down my spine, stopping mid was down one of my ass cheeks with a pinch. I try to slap him away without making it obvious, he knows what he’s doing, and I turn and give him a little scowl that is only met with a grin.

  Sometimes he’s like a child.

  ‘If that’s what you want, I’m sure everyone will be fine…. Some of us predicted this a long time ago.’ My mother has come over all misty eyed and weird suddenly, and now I really just want them to leave, before this gets anymore awkward for me.

  ‘A heads up would have been nice.’ Arrick jokes, coming beside me as we get to my main door, my dad opens it and steps out to the foyer with a last kiss on my head. My mom follows suit and joins him outside.

  ‘You were always a very clever boy, why would you need us to point out that Sophie was clearly meant for you? See, you got here in the end.’ She pats him on the cheek then wiggles a little come here finger at him, so that he bends to get her motherly peck on the cheek.

  ‘See you for dinner soon, call your mother and we will set it up. A proper family dinner.’ My dad smiles, and I just feel that moment of horror, imagining them all sitting around a big huge Carrero, Huntsberger, table and staring at us adoringly. I go to say something in complete knee jerk reaction, but Arry cuts in, placing a hand on my butt and squeezing so that I am shocked into silence.

  ‘We will… I’ll need to go home and see my folks anyway. Have a good trip home.’ He seems too cool and chilled out for someone who almost got caught banging a girl by her parents.

  My parents gush at him, say their last goodbyes and saunter down the hall, waving back every few steps until they are out of sight. Arrick pulls me back and shuts the door, sliding his arm around me fully.

  ‘They totally knew we were fucking.’ He winks at me and then dodges fast when I make a slap for him.

  ‘I told you to stop calling it that! And no, they didn’t… They don’t think I do that stuff.’ I point at him, right in the face with a scowl, my head caving with mortification in case they really did know what we were doing; shame coursing through me that my parents know what I let him do to me.

  Oh god no.

  ‘They know I do that stuff, your mum caught me once………’ Arrick sops mid-sentence as though suddenly realising what he is saying and looks completely sheepish, that cute half smile and ‘oh shit’ expression that crosses his face. I eyeroll at him.

  ‘Relax Casanova… You were never shy about your sexual antics. I am more than aware you are well used goods.’ I pat him on the arm and walk past to go retrieve my water, still sitting in the kitchen and needing it to unperch my throat, knowing fine I am only drinking water nowadays because of him and he hasn’t even noticed.

  ‘Hey! I’m not well used… Refined, honed skills.’ He follows me, grabbing me by the hips and stops me mid step, nuzzling my neck from behind and slowly kissing his way up my jaw. Moving my hair out of the way with soft fingers. I close my eyes and surrender to him, my body sagging into his as the heat from before the intrusion resurfaces quickly. Forgetting everything except his touch.

  ‘Want to experience the skills I acquired; on the couch?’ He says softly, huskily against my skin and it makes every single wanton urge stir in a Nano second.

  ‘I wasn’t complaining… I happen to appreciate you took time to master a craft.’ I whisper breathily, tuning back into the previous state of ‘take me now.’ He is way too good at this; making me surrender with such simple motions and soft words. His tongue traces my ear and I bite on my lip to curb the urge to moan, pressing my knees together. I feel him smile against me, knowing fine he has me exactly where he wants me. Reading my body language and subtle tells and acting accordingly.

  ‘Let’s christen it… Think it’s time I showed you how many ways I can make you feel good and prove I can still rock the Casanova crown.’ He breathes in my ear, bending in behind me to scoop me up and carries me backwards with a kiss on my mouth.

  Chapter 22

  Arrick slides down from his position behind me at the couch and slumps on the floor, using it as a back rest as I flop sideways and stretch out on the full length of the sofa, feeling his head and hair nearby and pushing my fingers into the spiky hair on top. He leans into my hand and sighs heavily, both of us equally worn out and breathless. Neither of us have a stitch of clothing on, yet my body heat is through the roof and generally feel like I could just sleep right now. Heart pounding from exertion and every single part of my skin and inner body is tingling all over.

  ‘Jesus baby… My little porn star. Who knew I would find a girl who matched my stamina? I almost bailed because I thought I was going to have a heart attack mid-way through. Now that…. Was worth missing you for a week!’ He turns and looks at me with a smile, catching my eye from his angle as I can only try and regain my breath, calm my racing pulse and seriously luxuriate in the marathon of positions he just introduced me too.

  It wasn’t like any other time he’s made love to me; this time was all sex. Primal, unleashed, pushed by having been apart, and the first time I can tell that he has really let go and showed me what he’s got. I was right about the unbridled passionate side to him, he’s a demon when he lets go and my body hasn’t an inch left that didn’t meet some part of his. I didn’t know sex in acrobatic positions could feel so good and found my favourite is when he gets behind me and we both stay upright.

  Somehow intimate yet also so goooood!

  He has left my skin pink and sizzling, and taught me a thing or two in the last two hours. It only makes me love him more now, seeing that every other time has been gentle and controlled and has been fully aware of my every noise and mood throughout. This time he gave his all, like I was any other girl with no seedy past or fragile scars to worry about. I needed him to be that way, more than I knew I did.

  I giggle at him, running my fingers through that sandy, sexy as sin hair style, all short back and sides but long enough on top to grab onto, which I did, several times. He’s a lot less scratched up since I had my nails rounded out, but he still bears my marks on various places of that tanned body.

  ‘You have been holding back on me.’ I tug his hair and he gets up, sliding on top of me on the couch and nestling comfortably into my body, propping his elbow at either side of my chest so he can rest his chin on his hands over me, eyes skimming my breasts.

  ‘I haven’t wanted to scare you. Didn’t want a repeat of the first time we ever tried. Finally figuring out what triggers your reactions means I can relax a little. I can read you better than you think sometimes. Learning the little tells that I never used to notice when it comes to this.’ He leans down and plants a kiss on my left breast with a cheeky smile. His touch can still make me burn, even if he did just satisfy me in all kinds of ways. Our bodies just fit so perfectly together.

  ‘I trust you… I know that no matter what, I can always stop you… That no means something.’ I look away, sudden emotion catching my throat when on this topic and gaze at the wall of books and memorabilia I have been filling my shelves with lately. A mini fluffy Unicorn Arrick brought home for me is sitting on the coffee table watching us.

  ‘Tell me how your week was.’ Arrick changes the subject, sensing my uneasiness and I turn back to him with an adoring smile. His eyes trained on my face, committing me to memory and looking at me as though I am the most perfect girl he has ever laid eyes on. My heart does that gooey melt thing that he causes, and I can only sigh back at him, with complete devotion.

  ‘You know how my week was, you text and called me e
ndlessly.’ I giggle, pulling his face forward with two flat palms and straining up to kiss him on the mouth. Meeting those soft lips perfectly.

  ‘You know maybe I missed something.’ He kisses me again before I flop back down and stare up at him lazily.

  ‘Me… You missed me.’ I point out with a grin, poking him in the cheek playfully and then tracing that strong jawline tenderly.

  ‘I did.’ He nods in all seriousness, grinning at me again and I can’t help but sigh and trace that perfect mouth with my fingertips. I love his smile, I always have. All perfect Hollywood white teeth and manly kissable lips. He has the kind of mouth that makes you want to kiss him.

  I love that he always seems to be smiling nowadays, it’s one thing I missed a lot in the past couple of years, when he seemed to get more and more emotionally cool and serious. Like he was maturing and losing the fun boyish part of him that has made a comeback.

  ‘I barely noticed you weren’t here.’ I raise a brow with a dead pan tone, smirking at him as his grins stays put, all sexy dimples and flawless lines. Not convinced at all.

  ‘That explains the constant little insecure ‘Ohhh, I need you home. I miss you Arrrryyy’, texts.’ He mimics my girly voice and clutches his heart dramatically. I slap his shoulder and shove him, but he barely moves, catching my fingers and pins my hand to the couch.

  ‘They were for my other boyfriend, I just mistyped your number.’ I screw up my face, at him, and he mimics me looking crazily cute. Annoyingly childish at times, but in a way that I just go weak for.

  ‘Better up my game then, make sure you ditch the other one and devote all your attention to me.’ He nudges me with his groin and I am shocked that my lady parts actually react with a ‘yes please’ moment of their own accord.

  I think I have an addiction.

  ‘He is a hard act to follow, I might not really be that into you.’ I squeal when he moves up fast, his mouth nibbling my neck and holding me down mercilessly. His body crushing me to the couch deliberately, so I can barely move and I wiggle to get him off.

  ‘Well we both know I am the only one making you cum several times a day. Besides, your other boyfriend is gay, he can stick with your love of clothes and shoes and breaking your credit card. I will stick to satisfying the parts of you that need a straight guy.’ Arrick lifts his chin and grazes his mouth against mine, relieving the pressure of his weight from me once more.

  ‘I do love Christian.’ I giggle at him as he rolls his eyes, mocking my favourite gesture, or stealing it. Not sure which.

  ‘I kinda figured you did. Especially as he keeps texting me to try and wind me up about what he’s getting up to with you in my absence.’ Arrick lifts his brows and smiles as I instantly blanche.

  ‘What? When?’ I giggle, surprised, knowing fine well Christian would do something like that to wind Arrick up. Lately they have become good mates, he talks to him a lot when we are out as a group, I know they text and call each other too, and they even went on a guy night out with Nathan not too long ago and met Christian’s elusive man for pool and beer.

  ‘Likes to keep me on my toes and remind me you’re within his grasp if he just switches up his sexuality.’ He raises a brow, completely unbothered by any Christian threats.

  ‘He’s so naughty. I’ll have to punish him for that sort of behaviour.’ I laugh a little more, enamoured with how funny my friend is. Arrick shakes his head at me, looking serious so suddenly.

  ‘Don’t. I like that you finally found friends you let in Soph’s, instead of just hanging with me and mine. You learned to trust people outside of the family, finally let other people matter to you. I like both, a lot. You finally met people worthy of you, and knowing they are there for you when I’m gone is all that kept me sane this past week.’ He rolls me to my side and then nestles beside me to face him, tucking my hair behind my ear and coming nose to nose with me.

  ‘You, obviously, are not the jealous type.’ I point out, something I have always known. I often wondered how two brothers could be so completely different when it came to this sort of stuff. Jake is a green-eyed demon who literally jumps on any guy who looks Emma’s way. Arry only seems to get pissed if men cross the line and try to go beyond showing an interest in me.

  ‘Not generally, I do have my moments with you though. Guess I am not insecure, never really have been. I don’t feel threatened by other men baby, never known what it’s like to feel that way, because I know you’re all mine. I know you would never do anything to hurt me in that way. Trust is a two-way thing.’ He looks at me, completely open and for a second I feel that pang of guilt. Knowing fine well that when it comes to Natasha I just don’t know how to feel, I know I trust him, yet at the same time I just can’t get past her. Can’t ever get that niggling horrible black dot from inside of me where she is concerned and listening to him now it just makes me feel shitty as a person.

  He can’t understand insecurity or jealousy, because he’s never experienced them I guess. He’s never had his heart broken or found a girl cheating on him in anyway. Never been dumped either. He has nothing to really ignite that kind of insecurity from his past. It kind of explains his intolerance to the green-eyed monster, if he can’t empathise in anyway. He just doesn’t understand it.

  ‘Did Nate tell you I called him?’ I bite on my lip, changing the subject quickly to deflect how uncomfortable it makes me feel. Watching the tiny almost non-existent flecks of green in his eyes right now, wondering where they go when they are like this; fully chilled out and completely content. It’s the only time his eyes are ever truly hazel.

  ‘He did… Told me feisty lil Sophie’belle gave him an earful.’ He laughs, always offering encouragement for my sassy side, I think he likes it a lot more than he lets on and is not one to ever tell me off for being petulant.

  ‘And?’ I nudge him impatiently. I want to know what he said after my call, what he feels about my girl.

  ‘And he’s Nate… He doesn’t talk about his feelings very much, even to me. I know that he is acting weird around the whole Jenny thing to be honest. I think he feels something for her but he’s unable to go down that route.’ I watch his eyes for any hint of evasiveness and see none.

  ‘So he’s another Daniel Hunter, or a Jake, or even you a few years ago? Another man with cold feet, who shits a brick when real feelings come along.’ I frown at him and get nothing but a smile in return.

  ‘Oh the jaded heart of a bruised girl…. Don’t I get brownie points for manning up in the end?’ He leans in so were our faces are touching, leaning against me adorably, obviously trying to get away from the topic of Nate.

  ‘No. You took way too long to do it and just made me more jaded in the process.’ I push my nose against his and then back off to scowl at him in jest.

  ‘I know, baby… Nate’s just Nate…. He acts like an ass, does stupid shit then takes a while to process things. It’s why we get along, we’re too alike. All week all he’s done is knock back women, I think his head is on the girl he left crying in a cab and it’s making him feel messed up.’ He shrugs, clearly not that interested in delving into his best friend’s emotional psyche, if it doesn’t directly affect him.

  ‘Knock women back? So, you two, when you’re out there living up the fighter life, really are having randy girls throwing panties and phone numbers at you?’ I eye him suspiciously and catch that tiny glimmer of wicked, my heart torn between really feeling insecure about the fact this happens, and knowing he wouldn’t go there behind my back. That slight insecure me, who wonders that he might if someone better came along.

  Someone without my temper or my insecurities, or my scars.

  ‘They don’t get near me, that’s what Nate is for. I have security and an entourage like a proper little diva. So you can rest that pretty little head, knowing that Nate fields off horny women, hence why he gets all the offers. My eyes are only for you, always for you and this right here.’ He pulls me in tight, angling to dodge my nose and plants a kiss on the co
rner of my mouth. Smiling at me as he does so and winning me around effortlessly.

  ‘It better stay that way, or else I will cut it off.’ I scowl harder, only half joking as he slides his arms around me firmly. Heart a little fragile with subjects like this, after years of men who thought nothing of betraying me.

  ‘Duly noted.’ He kisses me softly, more intensely this time and that twinkle of ‘I will never hurt you’ in that smooth beautiful face.

  ‘He really has been knocking girls back all week? What about that girl from the bar he brought home?’ I am now fully dissecting Arry’s expression, knowing he might not tell me anything if Nathan has asked him not too. Trying not to get distracted with the little kissing touches he has trailing down my neck.

  ‘He told me he regretted drunk banging that chick and he didn’t know why.’ He mumbles from my throat, more interested in what he’s doing that what he’s talking about now. I close my eyes and surrender to the sensation, but my mind won’t be swayed that easily.

  ‘Meaning?’ I blink at him as soon as he stops, sighing because he knows I won’t let up, sitting myself up a little to prop my head on my hand as Arrick traces my collar bone softly, so close to my face.

  ‘Meaning….. He’s probably more into Jenny than he can admit and ditching her has made him realise it. Give him time Sophie, he’s not really someone who ever followed his heart with just one girl. I’ve never seen him turn down sex in the whole time we have been friends, so maybe, who knows. He may actually surprise you yet.’ Arrick is way too cool and lenient for someone whose best friend is a heart shredding, man whore who deserves castration.

  ‘Hmmmm… Who says he even deserves her after how he ended things. That was an asshole move.’ I sulk petulantly, watching that set of eyes trace my neck and shoulders as his fingers do, his touch caressing me into tingles.