I’m fairly certain all this guy wants to do is to run away with his tail between his legs and ice his bruised ego, but Carter’s stare is pinning him to the spot.
As for Carter? I truly don’t know what his angle is.
“Don’t look at me and apologize. I don’t deserve it. I believe you owe that apology to Red, here.”
My body physically recoils. I whirl around. “Don’t.”
Carter’s grin is blinding, his eyes sparkling as he drinks inmy expression. “Have a few bad memories with that nickname,Red?”
Yes, I do. I’m pretty sure every little girl with red hair who had to endure the public school systems in America has bad memories with that name. I’m not getting into it with a world-famous NHL player who is known for charming the panties offeverypretty girl that enters this particular bar. Not today. Not ever.
“Come on?—”
I go to leave, to flee from this situation.
Carter’s eyes don’t move from mine, but his hand shoots out so quickly that I jump back a step. I hadn’t even clocked the guy trying to sneak away behind me, but Carter had. He buries his fist in the man’s suit jacket, stopping him mid-stride. The sparkle is gone from his eyes in an instant.
Just like that, Carter Forkerro looks utterly lethal.
He stops chewing his gum, his jaw ticking and that cold glare piercing. “Did you not hear me the first time?”
I almost feel bad.Almost.The guy looks like he’s about to piss his pants. That would really ruin the quality of his favourite, sacred suit. He gulps, quickly glancing at me like I’msupposed to save him after enduring his dehumanizing little rant for five minutes.
With trembling palms, he lifts his hands to his chest, eyes locked on me.
“I’m sorry, okay? It’s fine. It wasn’t a big deal.”
I can’t help the smile from pulling at my lips at the shakiness of his voice. “That sounded like it was from the heart and totally not forced. Appreciate it.”
It sounds like he’s being held at gunpoint.
The man slowly averts his gaze back to Carter.
Carter’s glare hasn’t softened. He hasn’t lightened his gripon the man’s irreplaceable suit, either. His eyes burn holes into his face instead, a nowformerfan of his. He says nothing. Does nothing. The three of us just stand there, frozen. As the seconds pass, Carter actually looks like he’s debating taking a swing.
He is nothitting someone on my behalf. I am notbecoming the reason Pittsburgh loses their best goon for a few weeks, a few months, or forever. Fat chance.
Fuck it. Time to intervene like an idiot and hope I don’t regret it.
I slide between them, wrapping my fingers around Carter’s forearm. I force myself into his line of vision, dragging my hand up the fabric of his dress shirt. He slowly comes back into his own body at my touch. He blinks, averting his eyes back to me, and I’m finally able to wedge myself in front of that hand.
“It’s over,sweetheart. He apologized.”
Carter shoots me a curious look, and after a brief pause, he begins to chew his gum again. His eyebrow cocks at the corny nickname I just served right back to him.
The poor guy behind me is still too scared to move.
I press forward, taking a stupid risk. I reach up to cup Carter’s face, pushing my chest flush against his. It works. His lips pull up into an amused grin. That twinkle is back in his eye, yet the poor idiot behind me is still frozen to the spot.
Run, you dumbass.
“You’re a bit unhinged, aren’t you?” I whisper, angling my head.
Carter’s hand slides over my waist to the swell of my ass. “You have no idea, Red. You’re lucky this little act of yours distracted me. I was debating which of his eyes to take out with your straw.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. His eyes avert to my lips, his smilegrowing by the second. I will admit, albeit disappointedly, that my pulse skyrockets into the heavens at the sight of it.
I have to abort this mission. I’m wading inverydangerous waters right now.
