He looks a little surprised that someone is pushing back at him and that makes the corner of my mouth tick up in a bit of a smug smile.
“No, but that’s not the point.”
“Look, I really don’t see the issue here. The parking on this street sucks, as you can see.” I tilt my head at the plethora of cars squeezed into too few spaces. “There’s plenty of room for you to get your car in and out and I’ll be gone again first thing in the morning.”
There’s a slight tick of annoyance in his jaw that makes me want to smile all over again. “Can’t you just park in your own driveway? Do you even live around here?”
“Actually, I live right there.” I indicate behind me with my thumb while trying not to drop either my purse or tote. “So, hi neighbor. As you can see our driveway is already full. If I could park there, believe me I would.”
He lets out a groan and mutters. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
At this point I’m getting a little exasperated. My bumper is seriously barely hanging over into his driveway. It would take me forever to get back into my car and go find another space.
“It’s only over by like, two inches. You’ll be fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long day and would like to—”
“I’m going to need to see your Driver’s License.”
“Uh, no.” My head rears back in surprise. “Why would you want to see that?” Who the fuck does this guy think he is?
“I want to see if you need corrective lenses because if you think that’s two inches, you’ve got a problem. That’s two feet at least.”
I can feel my body start to heat and I know I’m about to snap. But is that my fault? This dude is being totally unreasonable. His car can easily make it past mine, he’s not even leaving, and I’ll be gone first thing in the morning. He’s purposefully being a dick. Can I really be held responsible for what comes out of my mouth next?
“If you think that itty-bitty overhang is two feet then I feelverysorry for your wife.” I try to casually scope out his hand and don’t see a ring but now-a-days that doesn’t mean a thing. This is a family neighborhood after all, and I can count the number of single people living here on one hand. “You men are always exaggerating length.” Should I have said that to our brand new hot as hell neighbor? Probably not. Do I give a fuck? Nope.
His eyes widen in surprise for just a moment before they narrow in on me and his lips turn up into a smirk. Alright, not what I was expecting.
“Well, I’ve never received any complaints, Sparky.” Ugh. Gross. I mean, I know I brought that on myself but still. I hate a man that’s hot and knows it. Then the nickname finally registers with my brain.
“Sparky?That’s a dog’s name. Are you calling me a dog?” The smirk remains firmly planted on his face and I can hear my voice raise an octave uncontrollably. I don’t want him to know how much he’s getting under my skin, but I think that ship has sailed.
His eyes slowly rake my body from the top of my head down to the tips of my heels, then back up again. I resist the urge to cover myself with my hands at his assessing gaze. It’s not like I’m ashamed of how I look. Let him see what he can’t have. “Nope, you’re definitively not a dog.”
I’ve had enough of this conversation and there is no way I’m moving my car. It appears that we’re at an impasse, so I decide the only thing to do is leave.
“Look, I’m out of here. If you’re so upset, call the cops. I’m sure they’ll be right over here to talk to you about your super important parking issue. Have fun waiting.”
With that I spin on my heels and start stomping towards home. I only make it about two steps before I hear that damn sexy deep voice from behind me. “If I call the cops, I guarantee they’ll come, Sparky.”
I role my eyes and look back at him again. “Oh really? You got a little buddy on the force that helps you give tired, hard working women parking tickets outside their own homes?”
“Technically it’s outsidemyhome and no I don’t have a buddy. I’m a detective with the SPD. One call and I can have Parking Enforcement here in five minutes.” He pulls a badge out of his pocket and shoves it towards my face like it’s supposed to mean something to me.
“How do I even know that’s real? You could have gotten that anywhere. I’m pretty sure I can buy one of those things off Amazon right now and have it here in two days, free shipping and everything.” My head tilts to the side as I study him, trying to think of my next move. He’s probably lying. But if he’s not, how much trouble can I get in? “If you’re really a cop, show me your gun.”
He’s no longer smirking at me and I take that as a victory. I can see the muscle on the right side of his jaw start ticking again and I want to laugh. I know I shouldn’t goad him anymore but he’s just asking for it. “Come on, pull it out. What’s wrong, Detective? Don’t get all shy on me now.”
“I can’t just pull my gun out and wave it around in public.” He’s talking through clenched teeth and what was once a little tick in his jaw has turned into a pulsating artery that’s runningdown his neck. A very thick neck that disappears into his polo shirt that seems to be straining against broad shoulders and a muscular chest. Shit, am I getting turned on by fighting with this guy?
“See, I told you guys are always exaggerating. I’m out of here. You can come get me when the real cops show up.” Before I make it halfway to my door I stop and turn back around to find him standing in the exact same spot, absolutely fuming. I guess he isn’t used to people not doing what he wants. Well, tough shit. While giving him my sweetest smile I say in a voice so sugary it could give you a cavity, “Oh by the way, welcome to the neighborhood.” With that I take the last few steps, fling open the door and slam it behind me.
Chapter Two
Carson
Who the fuck was that?
As the tall beautiful woman who just went toe-to-toe with me over a goddamn parking space walks away, I can’t help appreciating the view.