Page 30 of Contentious

“I’ve heard you guys are great. I’d love to come if I can.”

“Hang in there. We’re doing everything we can to make this go away for you.”

“Thanks, Julian. I appreciate it.”

“Talk soon.”

Cresley put down the phone, feeling grateful to the Remington brothers who were working hard to deal with Marlon. Despite their best efforts, she still feared things might get worse before they got better. She tossed in laundry, answered emails, returned calls from her manager, Teagan, and the brand manager for D&G before showering and straightening her hair, all while trying not to think about the polite brush-off she’d gotten from Carson last night.

Honestly, that hadn’t happened since she was an awkward ninth grader with glasses and braces and a growth spurt that’d put her a full head above most of the boys in her class. They’d treated her like a freak of nature then. Within a year, the braces were gone, she’d settled into her height, acquired some curves, figured out how to straighten her curly hair and properly wear makeup.

She’d never again had a problem getting the guy she wanted.

Until now.

For some strange reason, she’d set her sights on Carson the first day she’d met him. If only the dust-up with Marlon hadn’t been part of that initial meeting.

Grifters always came back for more, which was why she’d hired Julian Remington to make it stop.

Her best friend, Marlene Powers, had raved about Julian’s effectiveness in getting her through a nasty divorce a few years ago. She’d urged Cresley to seek out his assistance in dealing with Marlon. The minute she’d met Julian, she’d felt calmer about the situation, knowing she had him on her side.

And then she’d met Julian’s brother and was suffering through the first unrequited crush of her adult life, which would’ve been funny if it hadn’t been so painful to hear him clearly say there was no chance of them ever being more than friends.

She wondered if he still felt that way after The Kiss, or if, like her, he’d thought about it all day and wished there could be more. Much, much more. Would he be at his brother’s show tonight?

Hmmm, she never went out two nights in a row, but this might be the time to step outside her usual routine. Would he be happy to see her there or annoyed that she’d shown up somewhere that belonged to him after he’d warned her off him? Although The Roxy Theater didn’t technically belong to him or his brother’s band. It was, after all, a public place that anyone could frequent.

Cresley laughed at how silly her thoughts had become. She’d forgotten how all-consuming a good crush could be and how it made you do things you wouldn’t normally do, such as go out two nights in a row when she tried to spend most of her evenings with Ty.

Fortunately, he and Julia had started a thousand-piece puzzle the night before that he’d be eager to work on, so she might be able to get away with a second night out.

She texted Julia to make sure she could do it before she got too excited about the possibility of seeing Carson again.

When Julia replied that she was free to stay with Ty, Cresley was unreasonably happy.

“You need to slow your roll, girlfriend,” she said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “The man told you it isn’t going to happen. Right, but then he kissed you, and his mind was blown. You saw that with your own eyes.”

She’d also felt the proof of his reaction pressed against her.

If only he hadn’t made sure to tell her earlier in the evening that nothing was ever going to happen between them. That took some of the wind out of her sails, because she wanted to respect his feelings about staying unencumbered. After witnessing the stricken expressions on the faces of Carson and his siblings and reading about what they’d been through, she certainly understood why he felt the way he did about commitment.

But she wasn’t asking for happily ever after.

She’d be thrilled with an orgasm or two that she didn’t have to provide for herself.

Chapter Eight

Cresley texted Marlene to see if she might be up for going to see a band play at The Roxy Theater. I’ve heard they’re excellent, she added.

I’m in! What time?

Meet there at 9?

I can pick you up. I’m doing Dry January, so I’ll drive.

What brought this on?

A very WET December. LOL