Lily's Outlaw (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 2) by Kori David

again. His muscles were bunched and ready, but he stopped immediately at her touch. Then she looked at Robert and the anger she’d harbored toward him disappeared entirely. All she saw was a small-minded man more interested in his looks and status than in trying to be a decent human being. Thank God she divorced him ages ago.
    She squared her shoulders. “You go ahead and call the police, Robert. And I will tell them that you were trespassing and laid unwelcome hands on me. That’s domestic violence and I will tell them that this man—” she pointed at Jesse, “—came to my defense and made you leave.”
    “You don’t have the guts to do that, pumpkin.” He sneered.
    It was hard to believe that she once thought he was a handsome man, because in that moment he was uglier than she’d ever seen. His eyes were too close together, his blond hair already streaked with gray and beginning to thin. Even his lips were pale and pulled back, exposing his artificial smile.
    “You don’t know anything about me. You never did. And now you need to leave before you miss your important meeting.”
    “Or what? You’ll sic your junkyard dog on me again?”
    “Yes, Robert, I will. And he’ll tear you apart until there’s nothing left but a blood stain on your pretty suit.”
    “Bitch,” he snarled, but he turned and went to the sleek black Mercedes parked out by the curb. He was almost running by the time he reached his door.
    “I can still go after him,” Jesse said mildly as the Mercedes peeled out and disappeared around the corner. “Because you’re right, that suit is in desperate need of a blood stain.”
    “No.” She sighed. “He’s not worth the effort. He never was, but I was too young to see it.”
    “Now that that’s over—” he grabbed Lily around the waist and kissed her, using her surprised gasp to slip his tongue inside and turn her body to jelly. The man definitely knew a thing or two about how to kiss a woman.
    The kiss ended when a spray of water hit them both. Breaking apart, Lily gasped and looked over the low hedge at her elderly neighbor, who was grinning back in pure delight.
    “You two looked like you needed coolin’ off. I was about to melt just watching you.” She fanned herself gently. “I figured it was me or the fire department.” And then she laughed, bending over at the waist to slap her own knee.
    Eunice Dickson was seventy-five, a firecracker of a woman who wore the most obnoxious muumuus ever sewn together, was the block watch captain, and watered Lily’s yard when she was out of town. She also knew everyone’s business that lived on the street.
    Eunice used to do government work but wouldn’t say what, and Lily couldn’t prove it, but she just had a feeling that Eunice was an old spy. It was in the things she said and the way she handled herself.
    “Eunice, that was just mean,” Lily said but ruined her scolding tone with a laugh.
    “Who’s this fine-looking man you’re about to set my hedges on fire with?”
    “Jesse Calhoun, meet Eunice Dickson. Jesse and I are from the same hometown. We went to high school together.”
    “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” Jesse nodded his head. “You’ve just given me the best reason to go inside and take off my clothes with your pretty neighbor.”
    Lily’s mouth dropped open. He didn’t even seem upset about the impromptu shower Eunice had given them. Robert would have thrown a fit, but Jesse took it in stride, nothing seeming to ruffle his temper. Although, the look he’d been shooting her ex had been lethal.
    Eunice patted her permed white hair and gave Jesse an exaggerated wink. “Somehow, I think you would have come up with one on your own.” She laughed with Jesse and Lily could only shake her head at both of them. She’d never heard her neighbor so flirty.
    “May I ask you a question, Ms. Dickson?”
    “Sure thing, young man.”
    “Did you happen to see the man who left just now in the black car?”
    “If you