“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.

“No.” Reaching up, I slide a hand into his hair, guiding his mouth back to mine. “Like this.”

The kiss starts slow. It’s part show for nosy onlookers, part reassurance for me that he’s okay. It starts as no more than a sweep of my lips over his, but the contact sends a rush of need through my blood, and I tug his bottom lip between my teeth.