Page 45 of Contentious

“Oh. Well…”

“Which part of that makes you more uncomfortable? Us getting busy or her calling you an intense hottie?”

He played along only because she’d seemed so fragile before, and he knew her well enough already to get that she was the kind of woman who handled things. The trouble with Marlon was rattling her, and that wouldn’t do.

“Both parts, I suppose.”

“You are an intense hottie.”

“If you say so.”

“I do, and so does Julia.”

“Does your security system record the perimeter?”

“No.”

“We should upgrade that.”

“Okay,” she said with a sigh. “I hate that he had the nerve to come here, to walk into my yard like the restraining order doesn’t exist.”

“They’re often not worth the paper they’re written on.”

“Great.”

“Come sit with me.” Carson sat on the sofa and patted the space next to him. “It’s apt to be a minute before the crime scene team shows up.”

She sat, but every inch of her was tight with tension. “If they can prove the print is from his shoe, what happens then?”

“He’ll get called back to court to answer for what he was doing here, and depending on the judge, he might get slapped with a fine and a misdemeanor trespassing charge.”

“But he won’t be locked up?”

“Not for that, no.”

“He should be locked up! He’s not supposed to come anywhere near us.”

“Yes, he should be locked up, but that rarely happens.”

“What is the point, then?” she asked tearfully. “This man has been stalking me and my son and is told by the court to stay the hell away from us, and when he doesn’t, nothing happens? I don’t accept that.”

Carson put an arm around her. “I know it’s incredibly frustrating.”

“It’s terrifying. He was in my yard when I wasn’t here—and he probably knew I’d gone out, because he’s still watching us. What was he after?”

“I don’t know, but I’m not going to let him get to you or Ty.”

“So my choice is to take my chances that he’ll leave us alone or surround myself with security?”

“Option one isn’t an option. He’s getting ballsier. This isn’t the time to let down your guard.”

“I’m going to pay him to go away. That’d be cheaper than security.”

“People like him are never satisfied, Cresley. He’ll come back for more the minute he burns through whatever you give him.”

“It’s what he wants. He has no interest in me or Ty. He wants my money, so if I give it to him, this whole thing goes away, and we can get back to living our lives in peace.”

“Give me a little time to see what I can find out about him. We may be able to get rid of him without it costing you a bundle.”