“Sorry, I bleed Blackhawks’ red and black.”

“You need to change that,” he said, squeezing her ass. “But we shouldn’t have lost.”

“Nope, it was Shea’s fault. He let that dude deke him,” she said with a shake of her head.

Karson nodded. She was right, but he wasn’t going to admit it. “Whatever,” he said and then he waggled his eyebrows. “Wanna go in the bathroom for a quickie?”

She giggled, her face reddening. “As fun as that sounds, my dad and Sabrina are waiting to have drinks. Plus, I gave it to you earlier.”

His grin dropped. “Ugh, why are they here?” he whined and she sent him a look.

“He wants to send you off! He’s trying, Karson.”

He grumbled as she dragged him to where Nate and Sabrina sat, Nate looking like a high-rolling businessman and Sabrina like his trophy wife.

Weren’t they adorable?

Not.

“Great game,” Nate said with a grin as Karson lowered himself down into the seat. As his gaze met Nate’s, he not only wanted to gouge the guy’s eyeballs out but he had never wanted to skip out on drinks as badly as he did right then. Thankfully though, it was only an hour before Lacey started yawning.

“You tired, baby?” he asked, rubbing her back as she nodded.

“Yeah, dead on my feet, but I don’t want to leave you yet,” she pouted and he smiled.

“We should be heading out soon,” he said, reassuring her so she would leave. He knew they’d had a long day; he, too, was beyond tired. There was a pillow and a blanket with his name on it.

“Yeah, I’ll wait,” she said, leaning against him, but he wasn’t having that.

“No, come on. I’ll walk out and get you a cab,” he said, standing up.

They said their goodbyes to Nate, and Karson was glad to be rid of him as he walked Lacey to the front. With her tucked into the crook of his arm, he kissed her temple before asking a bellman for a taxi.

“I can manage to stay, just let me lean on you,” she said, cuddling into him.

“No, go on home and sleep. Call me in the morning.”

“I don’t want to leave yet,” she complained and he smiled.

“Only five days, not long at all,” he said, kissing her again. She achieved a smile as the bellman came back to tell them he had a cab for her. After turning Lacey in his arms, Karson’s mouth came down on hers, kissing her with all the love in the world. As her fingers snaked up his chest, resting at the base of his neck, his tongue moved with hers and he hoped she realized how much he was going to miss her.

As they parted, he kissed her lips a few more times before smiling against them. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too. Have a safe trip,” she said and he saw the tears in her eyes.

“No crying,” he managed to say around the lump in his throat.

“Not possible,” she said as they started to fall. “I hate being without you.”

“I know, me too,” he said with a nod. Kissing her nose, he wiped away her tears before kissing her lips. “Off you go. I’ll see you in a couple days. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

She nodded, stepping back out of his arms. “I miss you.”

“I miss you more,” he promised and then she slowly disappeared out the doors. Standing there, he watched through the glass doors as she got into the cab and then she was gone. Feeling incomplete, he started back for the bar and soon fell into step with Shea.

“They are saying it’s gonna be another two hours before we can leave,” Shea muttered, obviously mad about that or perhaps because he was the reason they lost.

“Great,” Karson said sarcastically. “Want a beer?”

“Yeah,” he agreed as they made their way toward the bar.

When Karson noticed that Nate and Sabrina still sat at the table by the bar, he wondered why. Wasn’t it past their bedtime? “One second, it’s on me,” he said to Shea before heading over to them. “I thought you two had called it a night.”

“No, we were waiting for you to come back,” Nate said, tapping the edge of the table. “I have something to offer you.”

“I’m sure I don’t want it,” he answered, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’m not leaving her, Nate. Give it up.”

“Why not? Just go. No one wants you here,” Sabrina sneered but Karson rolled his eyes.

“Obviously she does.”

“You aren’t good enough for her,” Nate said, but again, Karson shook his head.

“She thinks I am. That’s all that matters.”

“No, you’ve glamoured her! She isn’t thinking right,” Sabrina complained and Karson raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not a damn vampire; I’m her husband. She loves me. Let it go,” he almost begged. “Just let us be happy.”

“Never. You will disappear,” Nate promised.

“What, are you going to kill me? ’Cause that’s the only way I’m leaving her. I will continue to do everything to keep her with me. You aren’t going to take her away.”

Without letting them say anything else, he turned away, but as he started for the bar, Nate said, “Don’t walk away from me.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” he said over his shoulder and then settled into the seat beside Shea. “Fucking assholes.”