Page 164 of Contentious

“Well, thank you. I’m glad you approve, and if you want me with you guys, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

“Glad that’s settled. I guess we need to go back to my place at some point, because Ty misses his home.”

“Whatever you want to do is fine with me. Do you think we should check on him?”

“Probably, but first I want to do this.” She raised herself on an elbow and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips that he felt in every cell of his body. “I want to do much more of that.”

He twirled a length of her hair around his finger. “I’m down with that plan.”

“Have we had the strangest start to a relationship in history?”

“Whereas I have zero experience with that, I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“Trust me when I tell you it’s as batshit crazy a start as there ever was.”

“But look at us, hanging in there anyway.”

When Ty’s footsteps on the stairs announced his return, Cresley pulled back to separate herself from Carson.

He wanted to moan from the loss of her heat and the bewitching scent that came with her.

“There’re no lizard tails in that fridge!”

“Oh shoot. We must’ve run out. I’ll order some more.”

“You’re messing with me, right?”

“Am I?”

Carson had lain awake during the night wondering if Ty would be permanently changed by what he’d seen and heard in that SUV. And while he was under no illusions that they were completely out of the woods, hearing him laugh was a huge relief.

He forced his aching body to sit up and then stand and function. His guests needed breakfast, and one of them would want coffee, and he didn’t want them trying to figure out where everything was on their own.

“Can we DoorDash doughnuts, Mom?”

“Did someone say doughnuts?” Carson asked.

“I did!” Ty pumped a fist in the air. “Mom, Carson wants them, too!”

“Then I guess I’m outvoted.”

Ty dove on the bed and grabbed Cresley’s phone to place the order.

“He knows how to order DoorDash?” Carson asked her.

“He knows how to put a man on the moon with my phone, but don’t tell him he can do that. We don’t want to test his full capabilities.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.”

“What kind do you like, Carson?”

“What are you getting?”

“What’s close?” Ty asked.

“They like Primo’s at the office.”

“Randy’s is only four miles away,” Ty said. “Is that too far?”