Page 27 of Never Kiss the Bad Boy

That’s probably true, at least when I was younger. But I worked in the kitchen, in the office, and waited tables until the bitter end, long after everyone stopped treating me like a child. I know who had a past, who was dangerous, who was cheating, and who was snorting their paychecks up their nose. But I also knew which guys were respectable, kind, honest people who’d give you the shirt off their back even if it left them cold.

“I serve good food to good people. Is that so hard for you to imagine?” I ask. When he scoffs, I continue, “I’ve gotten to know them. And I don’t mean just the crew guys, but also some of their wives, their children. They share their kids’ report cards with me, invite me to their quinceaneras and cookouts, and we swap recipes and ingredients. They’re good people, Xavier,” I say again, wishing he could hear me. Not with his ears, which work fine, but with his heart.

I don’t know when or why he got so pompous, but it makes me not like him very much, which sucks because at the end of the day, he’s my family.

“I don’t want you to struggle. You know that, right? I see how hard you work and want better for you.”

He doesn’t understand, doesn’t see the irony that he wants me to do exactly what I’m doing now—cook and clean—but for only one man, not a business’s worth. But I do. My way, I’m in charge, my own boss, doing things my way. Xavier’s way? I’ll trade Papa’s control for Xavier’s for my husband’s, and I refuse to live that life. I respect Mama and Mara and love them deeply, but I do not want their life.

“Speaking of, shouldn’t you get home? Mara’s probably already fed the kids dinner, given them their baths, and put them to bed.” I mean it to sound exactly how it does, like she’s done more than her fair share. Xavier’s a good father, in the way he knows how to be. He loves his children, takes care of them, and plays with them, but I bet he’s changed less than five diapers in total and couldn’t tell you their favorite food if his life depended on it.

He might be the partner Mara wants, or accepts, but I would never put up with that. Which is why I’m single, and staying that way. No matter what Xavier, Mama, or Papa think about it.

We’re not going to reach any resolution tonight, and Xavier has done what he was sent to do—remind me of what’s expected—so he leaves, heading home to eat the dinner Mara will heat up for him with a smile and a warm greeting.

And I still have my roast to babysit and dishes to wash.

It’s several minutes later when, elbow-deep in an almost-clean pot, I hear a rumbling outside and realize it’s Kyle’s truck. He stayed until Xavier left and probably waited to see if I was going to need him, and is only now pulling away from the curb.

Sometimes, I think Kyle’s one of those good people I was talking about. Other times, I think he’s a bad boy.

Can he be both? I don’t know. Nor am I going to figure it out tonight when my brain is a fuzzy pile of mush inside my skull. The only thing I know for sure is that I’m gonna sleep like the dead tonight.

CHAPTER 10

KYLE

“Whoa there, boss man,” Zeus taunts as I shut off the engine on my bike and dismount. “What’s the occasion?”

“What do you mean, Z?” I pull my helmet off, hanging it on the handlebar, and carelessly run my hands through my hair. It’s getting a bit longer than I usually wear it, so I should probably get a trim before Frogger tries to take a pair of snips to it.

“The bike!” Zeus throws an arm toward it, looking it over appreciatively. “Got a hot date after work or something?”

“Let me answer your question with a question,” I reply as I do a triple-check.

Yes, I’m fully on Kathy’s side of the property line.

Yes, Dani has two full parking spots in front of her house.

Yes, I’m fully aware of my client giving me the stink-eye through her front window despite her hiding behind the curtains.

Perfect. And exactly why I rode my motorcycle today.

“What sort of woman is gonna climb on my bike eight hours from now, after I’ve been working like a mule all day? And smell like one too.”

“A total keeper, of course!” Zeus grins, nodding like the twenty-one-year-old wise sage he wishes he were. “A girl who wants me when I come home smelling like sweat, burned metal, dirt, and diesel fumes? I’mma marry that chick quick, fast, and in a hurry.”

“That all it takes to get you to the altar?” I pose the question seriously. Zeus is more than one of my crew. He’s a good friend, and I worry about him. He’s naïve in a lot of ways, and the last thing he needs is a woman who sees an opportunity at a golden ticket in his kindness.

He stops, considering the question more deeply. “Well, I might not go that far… yet, but… one day, maybe.” Then, with an even bigger grin, he adds, “Of course, it’d help if she’s smoking hot, can cook more than Hot Pockets because that’s the extent of my culinary skills, and I’d totally award bonus points if she reads those smutty books from TikTok. Those girls are fah-reak-eey.” He mimes smacking ass, though there’s no one in front of him, thankfully. “That sort of girl’s worth an extra bar of Irish Spring after work, know what I mean?”

“Maybe expand your wish list a little,” I suggest. “Keep your head down and your standards high, and you’ll find the one when the time’s right.”

“Like you?” He raises a brow and cuts dancing eyes toward Dani’s house.

I grit my teeth, then force out, “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stride past him, done with this conversation now that it’s about me.

“Oh, I thought you and her were…” He trails off before switching gears. “Hey, if you’re not into her, you think she’d give me a chance? I like older women. How old ya think she is?”

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