Page 99 of Contentious

“Good sex must run in the family.”

“They are some of the sexiest men I’ve ever encountered, and they seem to be decent people, too, which, as we know, is like finding a diamond in the wild.”

“Truly. Are you going to see Ethan again?”

“Who knows? He barely looked at me when we were at Cedars.”

“He was freaked out about his brother.”

“Right, but still… He could’ve said hello.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to give away what’d happened in front of me.”

“That’s possible, I suppose. The whole thing is crazy. Of all the men in all of Los Angeles…”

“It’s pretty funny, if you ask me.”

“I think he’s quite a bit younger than me.”

“I’d guess he’s at least thirty.”

“And I’m about to be thirty-seven, which makes me a freaking cougar with him.”

Cresley snorted out a laugh. “Hardly.”

“He was in fifth grade when I was a senior!”

“That was a hundred years ago. It doesn’t matter now, like the years between you and I don’t matter. Are you going to see him again?”

“Who knows? We exchanged numbers afterward, but I hadn’t heard from him when he turned up at Cedars the other night. I’m not sure I would’ve heard from him.”

“I bet you would have.”

“Eh, who knows?”

“If nothing else, you’re back on the horse.”

“And I’ve got the aches and pains to show for it.”

“Girl…” Cresley laughed at the face Marlene made. “Right? I felt like I’d run a marathon after the first time with Carson. All the yoga in the world couldn’t prepare me for him.”

“Even after everything you’ve done in the past?”

Marlene was one of the few people who knew that Cresley had spent time with Flynn and Hayden at Club Quantum.

“That was a long-ass time ago. A lifetime ago. The last three times I was there, it was only for drinks with friends because I couldn’t be bothered with the rest of it. I’m seriously out of sex shape.”

“I am, too, if my aches and pains are any indication.”

“I hope you hear from him.”

“Either way, it’s fine. I had a good time, got rid of the cobwebs that’d grown down there⁠—”

“Ew! Stop!”

Marlene cracked up. “It’s true!”

Cresley laughed harder than she had since disaster struck. “You are too funny, and I really needed that. Thank you.”