CHAPTER547
I went with him yesterday evening for his late session with his trainer, because he’s adamant that I learn some self-defense moves before we left. He’s been a lot clingier to my presence since the night I was grabbed by Tyler’s men, not that we talked much about it again. There is some unspoken rule that we forget that it ever happened and no mention of Alexi or how he took care of things. All I know is he took over Camilla’s debt and she remained unharmed and somehow in the shelter of the Carrero family. Alexi’s problem now.
That’s where my need to know ends.
I wasn’t any good when he got me in that ring with him, and he did grab me a million times in a million ways to rile me until I got stroppy with him and threw his stupid gloves in his face. Yes, I was tantrummy and he was patient as hell, and kept talking me back into the damn ring until I mastered one evasive maneuver. Also, how to properly knee a guy in his family jewels. I can now break a pinkie to get a hand off me too. I guess he’s just making sure that if I ever get grabbed again I’ll have a fighting chance to get away and I can’t not love him for that.
“Will come in handy then won’t it. When you’re being a jerk and Sophie needs to put you in your place. I’m guessing your arrival is the reason Cynthia has arranged a mass Carrero and Huntsberger family dinner party tomorrow night?” Sylvana glances at us with a smile and every ounce of my blood drains from my body.
“What?” I told them we were coming, and my mom mentioned dinner, but she never mentioned this. I think I may pass out. Heart stopping mid beat, breathe halting in my frozen lungs and the instant sweats come over me.
“Ouch…. Guess we better get our glad rags on and behave, baby.” Arrick laughs over the back of my head and I feel sick.
“Oh, my God.” I groan, imagining how they’re all going to behave. I already have the texts from Leila and my brothers over the last couple of weeks teasing me about my new boyfriend. My family have mainly seemed to have taken it well, after my parents told them, and I got a lot of non-surprised responses. Rylanne however, asked me if this was new… He thought we’d been dating for years and I literally had no response for the lack of observation on that front.
I’m not worried they will say anything bad; I’m just not relishing how my hands-on boyfriend will behave in front of people that I tend to act demurer in front of. People I make an art form of appearing non-emotional and non-affectionate in front of.
He kills all of that. Ironically.
“Better hone my skills of feeling you up. Can’t let an opportunity like a mass gathering slide by without torturing you.” He brushes against my ear huskily and I already know he’s grinning, I can feel it. I elbow him in the ribs and turn with a glare.
“I swear you better not. I’ll make you sit at the other side of the room and ignore you all night.” I threaten, seriousness to my tone and that warning glare aimed at his face.
“Fat chance, I’m going to be glued to you all night, every opportunity to get my hand on your ass and my tongue in your mouth. Might even get a hand up your skirt at dinner, baby.” He chuckles, eyes glued to my mouth as he says it and I shake my head at him with such an urge to poke him in the eye.
“Arrick Carrero!” Sylvana slaps him across the head softly, getting an instant naughty boy scowl of surprise; doing what I wanted to and eyes him up. “That’s not an attractive trait. Don’t tease the love of your life. If she isn’t comfortable with public displays of affection, then leave her be.” She scolds haughtily.
I laugh at the irony in that sentence. Never did I ever imagine Arry would be on that side of that sentence. I giggle at the complete switch up in what we have become. He’s still my cool and calm outward man, but I know that only seems to be the surface layer he shows the world.
“Nope. I need to cure her, I have no intention of stopping.” He shrugs and seems to be trying to prove the point by roaming his hands down my thighs then back up towards the hem of my dress, but I slap him away.
“Well, I may just leave you to Leila then. Sure she will have something to say about you groping me over dinner.” I shove him off with more force, slapping every single attempt to haul me back and moving away to glower at him accusingly.
“Groping …Hmmmm…. I like the sound of that.” He winks with a cheeky smile. Both Silvana and I systematically slap a shoulder each."
