Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
The contrast is annoying.
I’m used to being able to charm my way out of nearly anything. Have been since I was a kid, really. Dani didn’t even give me a chance to be charming, though. She was piss and vinegar from the jump. But I’ll fix it. I always do.
I work and watch, watch and work. But I’m not paying attention to my guys. No, I’m listening to every truck that pulls down the street, peeking over the fence to see Dani walk out, her curvy hips swaying right and left, to deliver large amounts of lunch to guys who’re just as hungry for her easy smiles as they are her food. As she’s hustled back and forth, nearly wearing a path in her yard, her hair has slowly fallen from her once-neat bun, leaving face-framing tendrils hanging long. She’s not afraid of work, that’s for sure. I think she’s delivered dozens of meals at this point, maybe a hundred or more different boxes or packages.
Several times, I see her talking animatedly and rolling her eyes as she gestures toward Kathy’s house, and I presume she’s talking shit about me and my guys. It’s all I can do to hold myself back from approaching her to handle this issue right the fuck now, especially before she screws up my reputation over a misunderstanding.
But I don’t. She’s still busy, and knowing when to jump in and when to wait will be key to resolving things to both our satisfaction.
I’d like to satisfy her. All night long.
Okay, that’s a dog-level thought and I’m not a horndog, despite my brothers thinking the opposite. But something about Dani’s got me riled up, and it has nothing to do with the midday sunlight pouring down on us from high in the sky.
By our three o’clock break, the noise next door has died down, and I catch Wayne’s eyes silently before jerking my chin toward Dani’s house. His lips quirk as he fights a smile. He’s eager to bear witness to me losing my shit, a rare but entertaining sight.
I leave the crew sprawled out in the dirt beneath the small amount of shade on the back of Kathy’s house and make my way to the front yard before detouring toward Dani’s front door. I’d like to make a better impression than I did earlier, so I swipe the sweat from my face with the hem of my T-shirt and straighten my hat on my head. It probably looks like a nervous habit, which it is, but I’m solid. Nerves of steel here. Just gotta deal with a prickly neighbor, that’s all.
A beautiful, mouthy one.
The door is open, and though the screen door is closed, I can hear music coming from inside. I raise my fist to knock, hard enough to be heard over the tunes but not so loud I sound like the jerk she already thinks I am. Nothing happens, and when I squint, I can see into the house a little bit, but I don’t see any movement or silhouette of a person.
Until Dani dances into view. I thought her hips were swaying when she walked? Nope, that was nothing compared to what they’re doing now. What’s that Shakira song? Hips Don’t Lie or something like that? Well, Dani’s hips are telling the god’s honest, fucking truth right now.
I clear my throat and knock again. I see her whirl in place, all dancing instantly stopping, and as she stomps to the door, she’s no longer smiling and happy. Her anger is back in full force. Her temper is whiplash fast and burns scalding hot.
That shouldn’t be attractive, but on her, it is.
I silently wonder if I should get my head examined. My sister-in-law, Samantha, is a therapist of sorts and would be all too glad to shrink my twisted thoughts and fucked-up mind.
“What do you want?” Dani demands, not opening the door but talking through the screen.
Unconsciously, I scratch at my lower lip with my thumb, trying to find the words to smooth this over. It’s day one of a job that’s going to last weeks, and I really don’t want this situation to be adversarial the whole time. “Hi, Dani. My name’s Kyle. My crew and I are doing Ms. Wilson’s pool next door,” I say, figuring an official introduction is a good place to start. “I just wanted to—”
She interrupts me with a huff and a held up hand. “My friends call me Dani. You can call me Miss Becerra.”
I can’t hide the grin that steals my lips. God, she’s stunning. Strong, mouthy, and bossy look good on her. Not many people, women especially, would tackle my whole crew plus all the guys who came through for lunch today and have every single one of them eating out of the palm of their hand. But she does.