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Carter was sent on another case the minute we sat down. He told me not to say yes to Ryan's date proposal so I didn't. Since I've known Carter he has helped me dodge some major bullets. And I mean major. I trust his instincts so I didn't say yes to Ryan even though the thought of playing laser tag, visiting the planetarium and then getting dinner sounded like a really fun thing to do. Maybe I should've disregarded Carter's instincts. But it would be weird now to call him and tell him yes to a date he asked me out on 5 days ago.

Not too long after Carter left did I receive a call from my family saying they wanted to come up and visit this weekend. I decided now would be the perfect time because Carter is gone and I won't get asked questions. He told me he probably wouldn't be home until Monday. My family comes today and leaves Sunday, so prefect for me.

The week went by fast and in less than an hour my family should be landing. I've cleaned everyday of the week making sure everything was set when they came. I fixed the sheets, made sure Carter's weapons were put away and successfully struggled and managed to carry his weights into his gym, located downstairs right past the living room. My family will sleep in the other three rooms and I will sleep in Carter's room, so everything worked out perfectly.

This morning I went for a swim to clear my mind, plus morning swims are the greatest feeling ever. It wakes you up and you feel so rejuvenated after. Especially when your pool has warmers. I love the warmers. Now I've showered and slipped on underwear and a tank top to get started on breakfast for my family.

I move my hips to the music playing through the speakers as I flip pancakes. Then I feel the presence of someone else and immediately go into defensive, turning around and pinning them to the island before I even see who it is. Of course it's only one idiot.

"I can't stand you," I grunt, shoving off of Carter and taking my pancakes off the stove before they burn up.

He straightens up and comes behind me wrapping his warm hands around my waist and holding me in his arms. "Good morning to you too, Angel."

Grumbling, I give into his touch and lean back against him. "I thought you weren't coming back until Monday."

"I'm sorry. I took an early flight and got back at 8 this morning, but I had to check in with David first."

I guess. As I put on more pancakes, I ask him how the case was. He just replies by saying he doesn't want to talk about that and begins to drag his hands up and down the curves of my waist and hips. I don't object, I like the way his hands feel on me, but I also hate how I like it. It's not a completely platonic form of like.

Carter rests his head on my shoulder and kisses my neck telling me that he missed me. I love his sweet words. How could I have been so lucky to meet Carter? At the time it didn't feel like it, but over the past two years I've been forever grateful for the past, because it gave me my future. And he's handsome.

Honestly, I never would've expected these types of interactions from Carter. He's still a behemoth that works out every day but he's no longer intimidating, even though he never was. Now he's just my big friendly giant. He's gentle and kind and very deadly. But he's also my protector.

Every time we go out Carter always makes it his duty to keep me away from oncoming traffic. If there are too many people on my left he will pull me to the right and vice versa. The same goes for cars. Yet he never underestimates my abilities and encourages me in everything that I do. I couldn't have asked for a better man to come into my life.

Turning to my amazing man, I look up into his grey eyes. He in turn kisses my nose so I take the opportunity to ask him for a favor.

"Can you do something for me?" I ask softly. The soft voice usually works in getting me the things that I want.

"Depends."

"My family will be arriving soon. I just need you to help them with a rental and guide them here." I sigh.

He chuckles and picks me up, sitting me on the counter and stepping in between my legs. "Your family members are adults. They don't need me."

"Please," I pout with my irresistible puppy eyes, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer and running my fingers through his hair.

His eyes become hooded as he falls into my touch. "Fine."

Kissing my forehead, he backs up and imitates Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, "I'll be back."

I just roll my eyes and go back to breakfast. After all the pancakes are made I run upstairs to put on the rest of my clothes. When the food is finished I prep the table and keep the food warm in the oven as I wait for my family to arrive.

Less than ten minutes later my family comes bursting through the doors followed by Carter covered in bags. I laugh at him as my family comes up to greet me, pulling me into hugs and giving me kisses. I direct them to the table then set out breakfast, telling them that they can dig in and I will be right back.

Moving over to Carter, I begin to reach for the bags when he pulls away and tells me to lead the way. Stubborn man. I lead the way up the stairs and help him put the bags in the rooms my family will be staying in. I didn't appreciate the way they used Carter as their own personal butler. I know he probably offered but the guys could have at least helped too.

Once the bags are in the room, Carter pulls be aside into his arms and looks between my eyes. "Lollipop, do you have something you want to tell me?"

"Not that I know of," I laugh nervously, placing my hands on his waist and holding his gaze.

When he moves to close the door, I know it's possibly serious. Or he really doesn't want my family to hear. Then he says, "Your family seemed shocked to see me." And I remember that I never told my family about Carter. Him being my white, male, roommate that could easily dominate me. But Carter is my white, sweet, male roommate who gives me all the affection I could ever ask for.

"I never told them about you," I admit truthfully. "Not to be weird but you probably reminded them of my Dad. You have the whole army, protective vibes. My Dad is gone."

His whole body language changes. "You never talk about him, I'm sorry."

"Yeah well..." I'm not going to cry. Don't cry.

He pulls me into his arms and holds my head against his chest. I'm crying, but I don't feel bad as I let the tears fall. Relief floods my body as I relax into his arms, letting my emotions out for the first time in forever. It feels good. Dad was always that person for me. He was my shoulder and now I have Carter.

I soak in his warmth as he caresses my hair and lets me get all my tears out. Then he gently pulls me back and looks into my eyes, wiping my tears and kissing my nose.

"I'll always be here for you Baby."

That's the first time he's every called me 'Baby'. Just another one of his stupid nicknames.

I scoff and push to my tippy toes throwing my arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight embrace. "Please don't make promises you can't keep."

"Till death do us part," he sighs against my neck, holding me tighter.

I just chuckle and hug him until I feel like releasing him and confessing everything to him about my father. I start from when my parents got divorced and how distraught we all were. Me being his only biological child, I was listed as his beneficiary and received almost everything from him. My stepfather hated how independent I was. I believe he hated everything about me. Called me a 'halfsie' or 'halfbreed' whenever my mom wasn't around. After a month of his bull I moved in with my Dad. Then when Dad died I had to move back in with them. I wanted to just live on my own in Dad's apartment, but my Mom forced me back home. My step father tormented me and the day I left for college I never returned. I lived with my Aunt over summers and met up with my mom and family whenever my step father wasn't around.

But I wasn't going to dwell on something as trivial as that. I had everything I could ever need or want and my Dad and Aunt made sure of it. But I guess my Dad and Aunt made sure of it because Nana and Papa did before. And then my great grandparents as well along with their parents. I come from old family money that comes in monthly allowances. I barely use it though. I love my father's family, I love the things they did and fought for even though they had everything. My great great grandfather fell in love with an African woman and was basically disowned. He moved to Europe, built his company and went global making billions of dollars with my great great grandmother by his side.

My great grandparents fought for civil rights, and my grandma and grandpa kept the legacy. Daddy followed his own path but did the same as great great grandpa and fell in love with a black woman who is my beautiful mom. Then they had me and I was loved from the second I was conceived.

Carter stares at me from the bed, taking in everything I've said. "Two years and you've never told me."

I laugh and jump into his arms, straddling his torso and showering him with kisses to his face and neck to clear the somber mood hanging in the air. He returns my attack with tickles. I hate that he knows how ticklish I am.

"They are probably waiting for us downstairs," he sighs tapping my butt and pulling me off.

I agree, knowing we should return to my family before they start asking questions. Carter kisses my forehead and takes my hand pulling me along.

We head back downstairs and eat breakfast with my family. I tell them more about Carter and the cases we have worked. They like him, I can tell. He seems to like them too.

Carter doesn't have any family. He was an only child who inherited his parents fortune. I learned this after I asked him how he could afford this place on our salary. He just laughed at me and when I threw a bread roll at him, he finally confessed. So here we are two crazy best friends who come from their parents fortunes.

After breakfast my family wanted to immediately get into exploring so I took them everywhere I could think of. The typical tourists places such as Times Square, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center.

When the day was over we all returned home, everyone completely exhausted and too tired to stay up and talk. I was very grateful for that because now I could finally have some alone time with Carter.

Once my family is upstairs and settled, I head back downstairs where Carter is already waiting at the bar area with a glass of whiskey. He knows me so well. How do you find a better guy than Carter?

As I make my way over to Carter, I pull my hair out of its ponytail and shake it out to relieve the tension of putting it so tightly. Carter just stares, something different in his eyes, something indescribable. Instead of addressing it, I ignore the look and take the glass out of his hand, then allow him to pull me outside to the balcony. The moment he sits down in the corner of the sofa, I crawl into his lap and rest my head on his shoulder, ready to go to sleep. He definitely doesn't help by wrapping a blanket around me.

"What's on tomorrow's agenda?" Carter asks, looking down at me as I look out to the city lights.

I sip my whiskey and shrug. "Zoo, museum, a few of my favorite spots, then dinner."

"That should take up the day."

I agree, chugging down my whiskey then setting it to the side before snuggling closer to Carter. Moments like these fill me with bliss, I will never take these for granted.

After a few more minutes, I yawn and look up to Carter who was already looking at me. "We should go to bed," I whisper, running my fingers over his biceps.

He just stands to his feet, carrying me in his arms to his bedroom where we will both be sleeping. Carter sets me down onto the comforter and pulls out an old army shirt from his drawer before going into the bathroom to take a shower. Per usual I strip out of everything and slip on Carter's shirt before climbing into bed and instantly falling asleep. Only when I feel Carter slide in next to me do I wake up to slide into his arms and fall back to sleep.