Page 35 of Never Kiss the Bad Boy

It’s on the tip of my tongue to say there’s no ‘she’, and if there is, she’s ugly as a troll, just to keep them off my back. But I can’t. Kayla would hear the lie, but that’s not why I can’t do it.

It’s because Dani shared a lot with me tonight, something I don’t think she does easily or often, and I won’t shit on that or her by talking smack about tonight.

“She’s fucking gorgeous. Pretty much hates my guts too,” I reveal with a huff as I collapse to a chair, throwing one leg over the arm and slouching down so my head rests on the chairback, deciding that if I’m gonna be a part of this little chick-chat, I might as well get comfy.

“Smart one,” Kayla says.

At the same time, Luna says, “I’m sure that’s not true.”

I shrug, not clarifying which woman I’m agreeing with. “She runs a lunch service out of her kitchen, and my trucks are screwing up her routine. Can’t fix it, which sucks for me and her both, so yeah, she hates me.”

Except when I left tonight, it didn’t feel like hate. It felt like… spring. Like something new and alive was blooming between us after a hard freeze, or some poetic shit I can’t make up.

“And you’re smoothing it over how?” Janey asks, leaning forward with both hands wrapped around her cup and her gray eyes bright as though this is the most exciting thing she’s done all day even though I know fetch with Peanut Butter is a laugh riot of fun.

“Washing dishes?” I answer, though my voice tilts up at the end because I don’t have a fucking clue what I’m doing to fix things. “At least that’s what I did tonight. And I rode my bike so that my truck didn’t take up as much space. And I’m paying for a few of the guys I ran off.”

I don’t explain that I didn’t run them off with the parking situation but by ripping Joshua away from Dani. They’ll read too much into that, so I keep that on mute.

“Sounds like you’re doing a lot,” Luna offers with a smile. “Does she appreciate that you’re trying?”

I scoff. “If by appreciate, you mean flipping me off, telling me to do better, and threatening me with a chef’s knife, then yeah, Dani appreciates it.”

Okay, that’s not exactly how the knife-sharpening went down, but it’s funny. Except the women’s jaws drop open.

“She threatened you with a knife?” Samantha repeats. I’m pretty sure the look that passes among the women now is some version of ‘we ride at dawn to show this bitch who she’s dealing with’, and I rush to dial down their appreciated-but-unnecessary defense.

“Not really,” I correct. “But she got off on my jumping like a cat on a roof when she turned around with it.” I grin at the memory of Dani standing in her kitchen, hair a mess and eyes even messier as she tried to figure out my agenda, but I didn’t have one beyond spending time with her.

“You’re smiling,” Janey says, an easy smile on her face too.

“Tsk… I do that all the time,” I quip, trying to play it off. “I’m like Chuckles the Clown over here. All smiles, grins, and good times.”

Kayla points a perfectly manicured nail my way. “Not like that, you don’t. That’s real.”

My smile falls instantly, and I clench my teeth together. I smile around my family all the time. That’s who I am—the surface guy, nothing heavy, nothing serious, everything’s fine. But hearing Kayla say that she can see the difference in my smiles is jarring. I don’t like being seen for real.

I roll myself out of the chair, letting my body thud to the floor before hopping up to my booted feet dramatically, yanking the attention away from my traitorous mouth that apparently shows too much. “On that note, I probably need to get going. Early morning tomorrow. Janey, you sure you want to keep Peanut Butter? He can go home with me.” I whistle and pat my thigh. “Pee-Bee-Jay, come here, big guy.”

A tan, fur-covered head pops out of a doorway at the end of the hall, peering out but not coming. I hold out a Slim Jim to entice him, but he sighs, turns around, and all I see is the wag of his tail before I hear his feet land on the bed again.

“Guess that answers that,” Janey says, laughing.

“He did not just turn down a Slim Jim and lovin’ from me. I think my feelings are hurt.” I stare down the hallway, incredulous. “How much fetch did you play?”

Janey only laughs harder. “He’s fine. I really would prefer to have him here while I try to sleep. If I need to, I’ll drop him off at doggie day care tomorrow.”

I nod, accepting her declaration at face value. “Alright. Thank you, and you should have enough food left in his Tupperware.” She nods, agreeing there’s plenty. “Bye, Asshole,” I call down the hallway to my two-timing dog, who apparently loves Janey as much as he loves me now. “And bye…” Four sets of eyes pin me with warning glares. “To you lovely ladies too,” I finish with a bow of my head, peeking up to see their rolling eyes and tiny smiles.

I close the door behind me, leaving the women to continue their girls’ night in with Janey, but before I can step off the porch, Cole’s disembodied voice asks, “Want me to look into your neighbor situation?”

It’s a generous offer, especially from him. It’s Cole’s way of saying he gives a shit about me. But I want to learn about Dani from her, like how she told me about her family and their restaurant tonight. Information on a page doesn’t show the hitched breaths, pain in her eyes, and fire in her words the way hearing her tell it does, and that’s what I want.

“Thanks, but I’m good for now,” I tell my brother. “I’ll keep an eye on Janey for you,” I vow again. “So will Peanut Butter.”

And then I stride across the yard, hop their fence that’s more for aesthetics than security, but only because Janey wouldn’t let Cole electrify it, and climb back in my truck. I hope Janey gets some sleep because I’m not gonna get a wink, thinking about Dani and everything I learned about the sexy, mouthy, strong-willed woman I can’t wait to see again tomorrow.

CHAPTER 13

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