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Carter slides his hand into mine, and begrudgingly, I take it. I squeeze, though. Hard. I literally put all my force into attempting to break his fingers. Unfortunately, that only makes him smile wider.

I guide him back to my table, feeling the weight of that phone being pointed at us the whole time. Every step is being documented, just like I expected. This might actually be the save of the century.

Whitney and Autumn look like they’re going to fall out of their seats when I walk back to our table with a six-foot-whatever rabid dog attached to my hand.

“Carter is going to take me home,” I announce, and their eyes flicker to him. He smiles big and nods. “I’ll see you at work.”

“Have fun,” Whitney chides.

“ So much fun,” Autumn adds.

I shoot them a look, but they aren’t looking at me. They’re beaming up at Carter with big, round eyes and suggestive smiles as they sip their drinks, like they know exactly what is going to happen when I leave this bar with the ‘Big Boy’ they’ve been begging me to talk to.

I glance over my shoulder at him, and his grin is taking up his entire face.

“You know,” I mutter, turning my back to my friends so they don’t hear this next part. “My boyfriend wouldn’t be smiling the panties off my friends, especially in front of me.”

Those pretty blue eyes slide to me, and unfortunately, that grin only grows. “You think my smile has the power to evaporate women’s clothing, Red?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I grumble. I turn back toward my friends, who are still looking far too eagerly at me. Like my panties are going to be off in the next ten minutes. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Both of you. Without speaking about this.”

Whit snorts. “Oh, we will be speaking about this.”

“All day, probably,” Autumn says with a nod .

“We can make some good stories for your entertainment,” Carter promises them from behind me.

“For the plot!” Whitney says, raising her glass in the air.

Autumn breaks into laughter because she’s a traitor. I shoot them a look of warning, but they aren’t afraid of it. It only makes them giggle harder into their drinks.

“I like it. For the plot,” Carter says with a confident nod, like the most commonly utilized phrase in our friendship is something he knows just as well.

It’s very hard to like him. I don’t know if you know that.

Hot as hell, Carter Forkerro, but the attitude of a mosquito in a quiet room who just won’t give up and take a break for the night.

I don’t bother shooting him another glare for what he’s insinuating.

I have a feeling there aren’t enough dirty looks in the world to get him to shut up.

I toss my purse over my arm and say my final goodbyes. When I turn, those boys have their phones pointed right at us. They’re still taking pictures, thinking they’re being discreet. I look at Carter instead of their phones, trying to make this seem organic. I hold out my hand again.

His eyes never leave my face, but his fingers slide through mine.

Good hands. Can tell that immediately. Big, but not meaty or bony. A bit rough. I’d be concerned if they weren’t.

He tugs me to his side a bit, his thumb brushing along my hand. He doesn’t look toward the phone or the kids who are obviously gawking now, just tucks me into that little cove under his arm like I’m supposed to be there. Like I’ve been there before. A bit scary, really, how good he is at this.

He guides me to the door, holding it open for me. He doesn’t look back once as he leads me outside. The second we’re on the dark street and away from prying eyes, the ruse is over. He turns to me, my hand slipping from his .

“My car’s around the corner. Want to walk with me, or wait and I’ll pull up?”

“I’ll walk with you,” I say with a shrug.

He stares at me for a moment. Says nothing.

So I stare back, because, what the fuck?

Those blue eyes burn into me for a heartbeat longer, and then they’re narrowing. He folds his arms across his chest. “Are you fucking insane?”

I blink up at him. “Excuse me?”

“Do you have the survival skills of an ant , Red?”

My mouth falls open now.

I… What?

“You’re just going to follow a man you barely know down a dark street, hop into his car, and let him take you away from the public eye without any questions?”

“Carter.”

“No, I’m sorry. If Ari did this, I’d kill her.”

“Who is Ari?” I ask, confusion sweeping over me. What is happening right now? How did we get here?

“Take a picture of my beautiful face and send it to your friends. Turn your location on, too. Honestly, you shouldn’t accept this ride home, regardless, but since we have a bit of a history and you know Lowesy, it’s likely I am probably not going to kill you.”

Great.

“Well, that’s reassuring.”

“You do this often? Because if you do, I’m putting a fucking tracker on you.”

“Carter,” I say again, this time more stern. He shuts his mouth, arms still crossed and judgment still clear, but at least he shuts up. “You’re Carter Forkerro. I don’t need a picture of your face. That whole bar knows your face.”

He pauses for a moment. It’s like he forgets he’s famous .

“And I’m a woman. The girls already have my location,” I add.

He seems to relax a bit at that, even though it’s the saddest fact in the world.

“ And you’re not a stranger. You were just asking me to be your girlfriend, like, two days ago.

So, if anyone’s insane, it might be you.

Asking a woman you barely know to be your girlfriend is kind of fucked up. ”

He stares down at me, eyes all twinkly. The corner of his mouth curls upward, and I’d be lying if I said my stomach didn’t do a little swoop at that expression on his face. I still don’t like him, though. Promise.

“Fine,” he says. “But for future reference, never get into a car with a man you barely know. Men are the worst people on this planet. Don’t trust them until you’re certain they’re one of the good ones.”

I can’t bite back my smile. “For once, I agree with you.”

“Alright, Red.” He sighs, but makes no move to retake my hand or put his arm around me. He just does this little nod toward the street. “Your chariot awaits.”