The Carrero Heart_The Journey_Arrick and Sophie

by L. T. Marshall

  ‘Why do you always ruin something so sweet with something extra, not sweet.’ I blink at him, wiping my face and throwing a kiss on him from behind, recovering from the tenderness and hitting his neck because I am barefoot and he’s not bending for me. I am completely blown away by what he has said and know he’s lightening the seriousness of his statement, because neither of us are ready for the M talk yet. Especially not me.

  How can I marry a guy I can’t even tell I love yet?

  ‘You know…. Because I live with you and you rubbed off on me. You have made abrasive love an art form.’ He winks, once again sass in place of love sonnets and I just eye roll.

  ‘Thanks.. I feel so proud! …..About that?…… Ummmmm. How much do you like your spare room?’ I finger the hem of my shirt nervously, pushed to do this now because it’s been on my mind and seems like a good topic to slot it in. Watching his strong shoulders move under that sexy fitted tee as he does the chef thing over there.

  ‘If your planning on a sex cave, or an Xbox room, then I am all for it.’ He turns to me a little, cheekily smiling, leans in and kisses me, completely missing the subtlety of my hint.

  ‘I was thinking pink…. Maybe a lot of sparkle.’ I blink at him nervously, watching as he goes and scoops the last of his pasta out of the water, into a colander and turns the heat off on the sauce. Preoccupied and not really getting the heaviness of my tone.

  ‘You want a pink sparkly sex room? I don’t know if that will do it for me baby.’ He looks at me completely confused. Head clearly on what he’s doing and not what I am saying, although, my topics are usually random, so he probably thinks I am off on another weird tangent.

  ‘You’re the only one thinking of sex rooms here…. I was thinking of ..You know? That if I’m going to move in, then I would need to bring my sewing room.’ My heart skips a beat as I finally verbalise what I have been wanting to say for days now and kept losing my nerve. Arrick pauses with moving the pasta to plates and looks at me twice. Face finally registering on that extra little glance.

  ‘Moving in?’ For a moment I really believe he’s maybe changed his mind and my stomach drops to my toes, but then the smile that breaks across his face, like a sudden beam of light, soothes the pop of pain that went with it.

  ‘If the offer is still there?’ I sound so scared, completely out of my comfort zone and Arrick drops everything he is doing to pick me up and kiss me hard. It’s so sudden I yelp in fright and flail my arms before gripping on tight. A clumsy kiss, bashing noises and I manage to bang my teeth on his, hardly the sexiest of moments but it makes me giggle away the nerves as he cradles me against him tightly.

  ‘Offer is most definitely still there, baby… You can paint the whole apartment pink and fill it with fluffy cushions if it means I get to come home to you every night.’ He spins me round, hugging me tighter and kissing me again, grinning like a crazy person and its infectious. I giggle back as he slides me down to my bare feet but keeps a hold on me, hands sliding down to cup my ass cheeks through the thin shirt.

  ‘I’m bringing my unicorns.’ I point out sternly. Making it clear now, before he faints when I box up the three million fluffy roommates I have.

  ‘Didn’t expect anything else, even if there is an army of like fifty now.’ He kisses me again, obviously very happy with my decision to move in. Not caring about the Unicorn army either. Yet! He hasn’t seen them in their entirety all in one place like I have.

  ‘And my complete collection of shoes. I may need another wardrobe though, as yours is so not big enough.’ I raise serious brows his way, knowing the importance of my walk in, and the sheer lack of one in Arricks room. Just breaking him in gently for what he is agreeing to.

  ‘I will sacrifice any room in the house to keep your shoes and dresses pampered, baby… I’ll even buy another floor if we need to expand down the ways. I just want you here, always.’ He lets me go to wander back to what he was doing, looking content and smiley still, making me feel suddenly bursting with happiness too. He dishes sauce over the pasta in the bowls and stoops to pull garlic bread from the oven, winking at me as he does so.

  My cute boy.

  ‘You may need the cleaner to come a little more often… I don’t do cleaning, or cooking, or you know? … Most adulting stuff that is normal for girls.’ I shrug unapologetically and know fine well that he is forever cleaning up my apartment when we stay there, being a bit of a neat freak. Arrick is forever loading my dishwasher and emptying my trash. He should understand all of this before the big move in, you know, in case he regrets it, or thinks I might miraculously turn into Martha Stewart or some sort of normal woman. He should know he’s getting a fully-grown child with bad habits, and a really lazy side when it comes to cleaning.

  ‘Nothing new there then. If I wanted a domestic goddess I would never have picked you.’ He slides the bread onto another plate and puts all the pans in the sink behind him. Smirking and still looking a lot like a guy who hasn’t changed his mind.

  ‘We really doing this?’ I blink at him nervously.

  Last chance to run for the hills handsome.

  ‘Soph’s, we have been doing this from the morning of Leila’s party, you have just been slow on the catch up.’ He kisses my cheek as he passes by and starts to gather up plates on a tray, looking a little too at ease with this.

  ‘Don’t take up snoring. I may have to smother you in your sleep if I have no escape from sharing a bed with you.’ I warn, feeling slightly panicky that maybe he just isn’t really thinking through how serious this really is. It’s a huge decision, taking over half or more, of his man cave and making it a little less ‘guy’.

  ‘I promise not to take up snoring.’ He smiles happily. No sign of any confusion or doubt or niggles, just infuriatingly cool and calm like always. I feel satisfied that he isn’t in shock, misunderstanding on my very real intentions and obviously with the program.

  ‘Good, I think that we have that settled. Guess you just need to paint my room pink and then I’m all yours.’ I pat him on the top of his head and saunter off towards the dining table to remind him how hungry I am.

  ‘Wait? … I’m painting the room? You know I can afford a decorator, right?’ He pauses what he’s doing and gazes at me, looking a little disturbed, tone on the shocked side.

  Yeah, that right there!

  ‘Ummm noooo. It will mean more if we do it; well…You. I want to see you use a drill thing to build stuff. I think that’ll be hot.’ I point out, sliding into my chair, so I can watch him in comfort and see him waiver. Feeling strangely evil in this moment.

  ‘You don’t drill anything to paint a room Soph’s… I mean, I will do it if you want me to? I helped Nathan decorate his apartment, so I am pretty good at that stuff. I just figured you would want it done professionally.’ He shrugs, goes back to sorting out the tray and lifts it up.

  ‘You’re a professional fighter; see? Perfect.’ I smile, quite happy with myself for that one.

  ‘Is this some passive aggressive punishment for something I can’t figure that I’ve done?’ Arrick frowns at me suspiciously, but I just shrug. Watching him making his way towards me, he is so effortlessly hot at times and it just makes me sigh and curl my toes.

  ‘I’m thinking pink with wooden flooring, maybe white furniture and a whole wall of hanging rail for my finished pieces. I need a blackboard too, for the design stage. I like the idea of an old blackboard like they had in ancient schools.’ I scroll off the list of things I have been daydreaming about when I snooped in the room the other day and try to picture where it will all go.

  ‘Should I get a notepad?’ Arrick comes to the table, lays down the tray in front of me, in the centre of the table, then goes to his side unit and fishes for silverware. He hands me a spoon and fork and sits down to face me to eat. Handing me a bowl and taking his own, leaving the tray with the bread between us.

  ‘Maybe. I want a chaise lounge; your room is so much bigger than the one at my place, more space for
girly stuff, like mannequins.’ I help myself and dig in with relish, it smells amazing and I am about famished already. So hungry that my mouth is literally watering.

  ‘Mannequins? Is this a studio we’re building, or an actual store?’ He looks momentarily worried.

  ‘Tailors dummies! I have one in my size, but I need more if I am making different sized items. A store is in the five-year plan; not just yet.’ I raise a brow at him and Arrick looks completely blank.

  ‘Five-year plan huh? Sophie’s store? … Designer extraordinaire… Career girl in fashion. I like it.’ He smiles, eyebrows meeting with that cute half smile, dimples galore. He looks down and scoops up sauce on his bread before stuffing it in his mouth.

  ‘You better? … You’re going to fund it.’ I grin at him and catch that small dimple get stronger as he fully smiles and then regards me with a long drawn out look.

  ‘Don’t worry baby… Carrero Corp has your back. We will be seeing you at New York Fashion week soon enough.’ He winks throwing me that winning smile that just takes my heart.

  Chapter 25

  I’m still smiling as I’m led hand in hand across the hall of the nightclub towards the inner entranceway, Arrick has his phone to his ear and is trying to locate his friends, now we are here, almost two hours later than intended.

  Arrick made good on peeling my panties off, after teasing me mercilessly after dinner. He made love to me when we were supposed to be getting ready that turned into another marathon of assorted positions in many rooms, and now we are seriously late. I am starting to think he might be right about matched stamina, I even made him sweat this time, and he gave up before I did. Calling a time out and having to lay on the bed with me on top to finish what he started. Was my first time being in control and I think I liked it the most.

  I’m eyeing up that tight, firm ass in black jeans, his upper body encased in his leather jacket, over a dark grey shirt and from here he looks like a swoon some cover model for just about any sexy male product currently trending.

  I am a super lucky girl.

  He’s looking around at milling people, my fingers entangled with his, while Nathan tries to direct us to another VIP room in a club we have never tried, on his cell. There are three sets of stairs down here and he pulls me towards the middle ones.

  ‘Sure, we’re in the foyer… Yeah up to the left. See you in a second.’ He hangs up and turns to me with a smile, another kiss hitting my lips softly. He hasn’t been able to stop kissing or touching me in hours, evidently happy that I am finally moving in with him. I can’t wipe the smile from my face either, it just all feels so right.

  The club is noisy, smoky, and loud; crowded to the max with people in the party mood and he has to forge a path, pulling me close and putting his arm around me as he squeezes us through to find our own party. He leads me up some stairs and we soon find our way in a slightly quieter, cordoned off, area with a roped off entrance. The bouncer nods his way and pulls the rope off for us to pass with a smile. Arrick nods his way and guides me protectively.

  ‘Mr Carrero.’ He closes the rope behind us and lets us walk towards the crowded small bar surrounded by Arricks friends. I grin at the fact he is getting more known in recent months and his face seems to be gracing more billboards than ever before; although I am glad he isn’t being pestered by paparazzi yet, I know it will come though. Arrick squeezes my hand, pulling me to the group of rowdy people as we are enveloped into hello’s, back slaps and handshakes from all the familiars.

  Arrick lets go of me for a moment as Nathan gives him a typical male hug and back pat, and Arrick turns, pulling me forward into the crook of his arm, hanging it around my shoulders casually. I lean in against him and rest my head into the place where his shoulder meets his chest.

  ‘Late for your own celebration? You fucking suck, man.’ Nathan chides him with a grin, giving him a naughty, knowing nod, and looking like a Cheshire cat.

  ‘I was busy.’ Arrick smiles and takes the beer handed to him with a grin and shrug; Nathan hands me a glass of red wine and I smile thankfully, watching Arricks profile with complete adoration tonight. He always looks so much sexier in jeans and buttons downs with his jacket, that face seems more tanned and his eyes lighter when in contrast to dark colours. I love him in sweats and tee shirts too, but tonight he is giving me serious butterflies and panty twisting urges, dressed like that. I wonder if it’s because he literally worked me up to fever pitch heights before we came out, and I am still relaxing in the afterglow.

  ‘Yeah sure you were. You know Soph’s, this guy was never late for anything, ever, before you! You are the worst influence on him.’ Nathan leans in and catches Arricks collar, pulling it forward to peer down, and catches sight of fresh love bites across his collar bone on the non-tattooed side. Arrick shoves him off with a laugh.

  ‘Shut up.’ I smile, knowing fine well it’s Arry who wouldn’t let me get off the bed while his face was between my thighs. He started the whole thing.

  ‘You are the worst girlfriend ever.’ Nathan laughs at me, tilts his beer with a little nod to my abilities.

  ‘Or the best.’ Arrick says dirtily and winks at me, making me giggle, despite the creeping blush up my face. Pretty sure they are aiming blame at me when king libido was the one making all the moves. He also taught me how to even make a love bite, and then I just had to practice on him to master the art.

  ‘Keep it up, you might convince me that I can hack the one girl, guy thing.’ Nathan laughs but it comes across as far more serious and I eye him up warily.

  ‘She said she was coming after eleven, when she gets off her shift at work. If you like her Nate, then stop being an asshole.’ I point out and Arrick breaks into a smile, looking at his best friend with a small shrug and a ‘my girlfriends direct’ kind of look.

  ‘I need to be a lot drunker than this if I’m going to have to grovel tonight. Just tell me she didn’t take him back Soph’s?’ Nathan looks completely panicked, face paling as he seriously ponders his plan for her arrival. I just shake my head at him, a small part of me glad that he is even contemplating this but still a huge part of me feels the need to lecture him for all the shit he’s put her through the past two weeks. She has been a mess. Christian and I have tried everything to cheer her up, shocked that she fell to pieces over Nate and never Matt.

  ‘No, she didn’t. Not really going to jump back to a guy when she’s been sobbing over you, is she? Why are you waiting for her to arrive? Man-up and text her Nate; she’s suffered enough. I swear if you keep fucking this up, I will personally maim you.’ I softly punch him in the shoulder with a little more grit than I intended to. Still pissed that he’s the reason Jenny has been a moping hell and her work at school has been horrendous all week. She would have been better off taking sick days.

  ‘Now I see why you always look like a cat has eaten you for breakfast. Sophie is terrifying; I can only imagine what she does to you during sex.’ Nate smirks, dodges another slap aimed at his head this time and keeps grinning.

  ‘Keeps me smiling. Pretty fucking awesome sex.’ Arrick shoves his shoulder playfully and I slap both in the abdomens, for keeping on talking about my sex life like this. It’s embarrassing, especially acting like I beat him or harm him crazily; it’s just a few little marks and the occasional nibble.

  He needs to man up.

  Nathan turns around to answer something someone else has said. Arry brushes back my hair, leaning in low so that his breath tickles my neck as he leans in to kiss me, grazes his nose across my cheek bone, giving me instant tingles.

  ‘You look amazing in this dress; crazy sexy. Yet all I can think about is taking it off again.’ He swoops further around my face and this time kisses me seductively, sucks my bottom lip lightly and grazes his teeth across it. I feel myself relax into him, always so ready to surrender to him in any way. Insides stirring with heat, always ready to let him devour me.

  He pulls me against him and slides his arm all the way around back, so
we are front to front, as Claire appears behind us and starts asking him about something he has been helping her and Jason with. I lean my head against his throat as he leans back, face turned towards her, and cradle my drink. Leaving them to talk while being held tight in his arms, facing off to the opposite side.

  More of his friends are sitting off to tables at the side, which overlook the nightclub in a sort of hanging balcony, much like the club I last saw Camilla in. I let my gaze wander around the semi dark space, cluttered with people and seats; I pause when I catch the eyes trained on us from a shadowy corner. Two women standing side by side and looking our way; at first, I bypass them as strangers, but then as my eyes adjust to the dark room, and flashing disco lights, realise with a sudden thud in my chest that one is Natasha and hardly concealing her hatred in that moment. I stand up quickly, pulling myself free of him, lifting my glass to take a drink as he loops my hand in his with my movement. Casting a quick glance at me while still talking, to see why I’m moving. I smile at him and wave my glass as if to say ’just taking a drink’ and he goes back to Claire. He’s completely oblivious that we are being watched.

  I frown and turn back to Arrick, eyes still across the room as I try to act nonchalant and turn back to him slowly. My mouth is met with a kiss, so suddenly it almost knocks me over. Claire has moved on and he kisses me a little too passionately, while I know she’s watching us. I try to push him away, but his hand has slid around behind my neck and he starts teasing my mouth open to turn the kiss into something hotter. Arrick is very hands on when he drinks, and even though he’s only started, clubs seem to put him in the mood to make out and sex me up a little.