Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
He shakes his head and grins. I love when he smiles at me like this—as if I’m the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. As if he wants nothing more to get me alone and kiss me in a way that has nothing to do with pretending we’re together. Is that wishful thinking? Do I want him to want that?
“Regardless, I’m having a good time. And I’ll get bonus points with Brayden when I can tell him about Howell’s new sour,” Carter says.
I grin. “It’s like you’re a secret agent.”
“Oh. My. God. It’s him!” Someone screeches behind us. “I told you it was him.”
“He’s even hotter in person!”
We turn on our stools to see two women standing right behind us, cameras at the ready.
“Can we get a picture?” the shorter of the two asks, flipping her curly, golden hair over her shoulder.
Carter smiles, and I notice no one but me seems to see the way he pales. “Sure.”
“I’ll take yours and you take mine,” the second woman tells the first.
They squeal and squeak, fawning all over Carter as they get pictures of themselves hanging on him. He doesn’t pull away from their touch, but he stiffens every time they stroke down his arms or press against his chest, and he grows even paler when they croon about what a hero he is.
“If you’ll excuse me, ladies,” he says after a few minutes, “I’m on a date with my girlfriend.” He nods to me, and the girls look stricken—kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
“Oh, wow. We’re so sorry. Your boyfriend is the reason we came to Jackson Harbor,” the shorter woman says.
“We live in St. Louis. I actually have a golden retriever puppy just like the one you saved,” the other says. “We’re huge fans.”
“Jackson Harbor is beautiful this time of year,” Carter says. “Enjoy your visit.”
The women giggle their whole way out of the bar, and when they’re gone, I scoot my stool right next to Carter’s, close enough that I can lean on him and loop my arm through his. All I want is to ease the haunted ache I see in his eyes.
I close my eyes and feel him lightly comb his fingers through my hair.
“I’m sorry you’re so tired.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and the gesture surprises me so much that I pull back to look at his face. His brow is creased with worry. “I should have warned you about the nightmares.”
I shake my head. “I’m not tired because of that. I’m tired because I’ve had enough beer and bar food that it’s made me sleepy.”
“You should go back to the hotel and take a nap when we get back.”
Carter and I both turn to see Saanvi standing behind our stools.
“Liam and I are definitely ‘napping.’” She makes air quotes around the word then winks before continuing on to the booth where she and Liam have been sitting.
“I think my sister is trying to get you laid,” I whisper.
Carter chuckles, and the sound is such a relief after seeing him lock up with those women. I was right. He needs to talk about the warehouse fire, and the shit with the viral photo only made his guilt worse. “I knew I liked her,” he says.
“I told you she’s good people.”
“Obviously.”
“But if I know Saanvi, she’s more worried about my pleasure than yours.”
He cocks a brow. “Are those things supposed to be mutually exclusive?”
Heat whips through me, and I swallow hard. “Behave.”
His gaze drops to my mouth, and the tension simmers between us. “Do I have to? It’s hard when all the beer has gone to my head.”
“Is that why you’re looking at my mouth like you’re starving?” I’m shocked that I let the thought form into words, but once it’s out, I’m glad for it. This flirtation is a distraction from real worries—from Rich, from the lies, from the way the compliments of two strangers can make Carter look like he wants to disappear.
His tongue skims his teeth. “Nah. I can’t blame that on the beer. Your lips always make me hungry.”
“For what, exactly?”
Chuckling, he takes my hand in his and sweeps his lips across my knuckles. “If you ever really want to know, Teagan, I’ll happily show you.”
“Of course I want to know.” I slide off my stool and step in front of him, standing between his legs as I lean closer and whisper so only he can hear, “There’s a bar full of nosy people watching us. Make sure you act like my loving boyfriend would.”
He cups my chin in his big hand. “And what would your boyfriend do right now?” he says, so low I almost can’t make out the words.
“I’m pretty sure he’d kiss me.”
“Yeah?” He dips his head and brushes his lips across mine. He retreats a fraction of an inch before saying, “Like that?” I can feel his hot breath on my mouth.