Page 25 of Never Kiss the Bad Boy

“What?” Xavier balks in horror. “No.”

I shrug, not surprised. “Then yeah, every day will end with citric acid and a hot stove.”

Xavier looks hurt. Last year, he got me a thin, delicate gold bracelet and was upset that I didn’t appreciate it the way he hoped. But seriously? Where am I going to wear something like that? It’s been in the top drawer of my dresser ever since, tucked into the box from the jewelry store where he bought it.

“You’re better than dreaming of a pressure washer to scrub pots,” Xavier says. “Come on, Dani, it’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to settle down. Hell, even with one of those guys if you want.” He gestures out front as if the lineup of trucks that’s usually in front of my house is there right now, only instead of guys waiting for lunch, they’re all waiting to be my husband. “I know what a master plumber or carpenter makes. Pick someone and make a life together. Be happy.”

“I am happy.”

He cocks his head, surveying my life in one fell swoop. Dirty kitchen, messy hair, sweaty clothes, a long night still ahead of me.

Not able to argue with what he sees, I try a different angle. “What you really mean is pick someone and make Mama and Papa happy.”

“They worry about you. We all do.” He means him and Mara, too. Everyone thinks it’s time for me to settle down, like at the ripe, old age of twenty-five, I’m past my expiration date and gonna start curdling like spoiled milk.

I grit my teeth, warming up to unleash a proper, profanity-laced rebuttal that’ll have Xavier thinking I’m not fit for polite company, much less marriage, but I’m thwarted by movement by the back door.

Who the fuck is in my yard? Nobody should be there. I will absolutely have Kathy arrested for trespassing if she’s crossed my property line again.

My eyes jerk over to see Kyle, one hand cupped to the screen so he can see through it better. I thought Kyle and his crew had already left for the day. But I guess not. “Dani? You okay? There’s a BMW in your driveway, you know that?”

I get the sense that his other hand is on the door handle and he’s ready to spring into action in my defense, if needed. Actually, he probably already decided I wasn’t in imminent danger because he called out, rather than busting through the door, which seems more his style.

This should be fun. Not.

“You,” I tell Xavier, “don’t say a word. Gimmie a minute.”

My brother arches a sharp brow at being told what to do, but thankfully, he doesn’t say anything as I walk toward the back door.

It must be ‘no invitation needed’ day or something, because much like my brother did, Kyle opens the back door and lets himself in. I feel his eyes skate over me, but they quickly return to Xavier like he’s assessing the newcomer.

I wonder what Kyle thinks of my brother with his fancy clothes, fancy hair, and expensive watch. I don’t think Kyle’s the type to be impressed by that, or intimidated, which earns him approximately two-point-six points in my estimation. “Hello, I’m Kyle,” he offers, his voice hard as he holds his hand out. “Your car, I take it?”

Xavier pauses, his nose wrinkling in revulsion as he looks at Kyle’s hand. I’m embarrassed to be related to my pretentious brother at this moment, but Kyle makes no excuses and offers no explanations for the dirty state of his hand, just holds it out like it’s a test… of Xavier. Finally, my brother shakes Kyle’s hand, but it’s over well before the three-pump rule and I can tell Xavier wants to wipe his hand on his slacks but doesn’t want to dirty them.

If I were a better sister, I’d offer him my dishtowel, but I’m kinda enjoying his discomfort. It serves him right for being such a stuck-up snob.

“Xavier Becerra,” Xavier says, his voice slipping immediately into the fake as hell salesman voice he’s cultivated. “Daniela’s brother.”

He says it like it’s a royal title. No, that’s not right. He says it like it puts him over me and Kyle on the hierarchy in the room. But that particular pyramid only exists in Xavier’s mind.

Kyle’s lips lift into a lopsided smile as he turns his attention to me, and I suddenly feel at a massive disadvantage. “Daniela?” he repeats, sounding like he’s experiencing my name on his tongue, not just saying it.

“Kyle,” I say, more sharply than I mean to. He only just graduated from ‘Miss Becerra’ to ‘Dani’, and now he wants to tease me over my full name? Absolutely not.

His brows lift, and I know I’ve confirmed a trigger point. I don’t know why something as simple as my name bothers me, but it does. Probably because I only ever hear it in disappointment.

“Sorry I’m late. Had a situation with the wire mesh,” he says, reaching into his pocket. “But I’m a man of my word, and I’ve got your money, with yesterday’s too since we got distracted?—"

“You’re bringing money to my sister?” Xavier interrupts, thankfully asking about the cash, not what distracted us.

“Yeah, I owe her money from?—"

“Lunches!” I shout. “He’s paying for his crew’s lunches!”

Kyle’s blue eyes bore into me, his full lips pressed into a flat line. I have no right to ask a favor after the way I’ve treated him, but I do, sending him a pleading look that begs him to go along with me. He thoughtfully glances from me to Xavier, trying to quickly calculate the situation.

He said he has a sister, so I can only hope that he understands that a woman doesn’t tell her brother everything. Especially when it involves an overzealous pursuer and a rough income patch.

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