"I would prefer not to," Juniper replied without even looking up, rejecting him tly.


    This was the guy who had sprayed dust in her face, hadn''t apologized, and had threatened to drag her to a racetrack? What was there to talk about with him? So rude!


    Kurt looked like he was about to cry. In his desperation, he blurted out, "Ms. Payne, my dear cou... cousin-inw?"


    Juniper''s hand jolted, and she nearly choked on her water. What did he just say?


    "What are you talking about?" Shanley, after a moment of stunned silence, stepped forward and tapped Kurt on the head.


    "What''s with the name-calling?" he warned in a low voice. Although it was a reprimand, there was no trace of anger in his tone. In fact..... he sounded a little pleased.


    "It''s going to happen sooner orter," Kurt muttered, then looked at Shanley with pleading eyes. "Shanley, help me out here. It''s about the F1 race. It''s really urgent."


    Thepetition was less than two weeks away, and he had to improve his speed. Since the merciless J wasn''t participating, he had to be the one to step up.


    “The F1 race?” Shanley nced back at the petite girl, his brow furrowed. "What would Juniper know about F1?"


    "She knows!" Kurt''s voice rose with certainty. "Shanley, you have no idea. On the way here, Juniper on her little electric scooter left me in the dust."


    And he had been riding a custom, high-end motorcycle. It was too embarrassing to even talk about.


    Shanley fell silent, his gaze on the young girl''s face growing thoughtful. F1 racing?


    Juniper had no desire to deal with Kurt, but hearing that, she had to speak up. "Let him in."


    After a few seconds of silence, Shanley jerked his chin toward the door, his tone subdued. "Come in."


    Kurt, observing Shanley''s


    surprisinglypliant demeanor, scratched his head in amazement He had thought Shanley would be the one to tame the little spitfire''s wild spirit but now it seemed he had overestimated his cousin.


    "Ms. Payne." Kurt stood before Juniper, not even daring to stand up straight. "On the road earlier,” he said guiltily, “I didn''t mean to cut you off.”


    "It''s not about you cutting me off." Juniper set down her ss, her eyesnding on an orange on the table. The next second, Shanley expertly picked it up, peeled it, and ced the segments on a te beside her.


    Kurt watched, dumbfounded. The ssic Schwartz family gene-being hopelessly wrapped around their woman''s finger.


    "When you stopped, your


    motorcycle''s exhaust blew right in


    my face... Juniper said, her cheeks


    puffing out as she chewed on an orange slice, her icy olgeced with


    a hint of cuteness. "But you never


    apologized!"


    She deliberately emphasized thest few words.


    "I didn''t realize," Kurt said, finally understanding. He bowed his head and offered a sincere apology. "Ms. Payne, I''m truly sorry."


    "Fine." She had gotten her revenge by spraying him back, so they were even. "Go on. What did you want to ask me?"


    "I wanted to ask who taught you to drive like that?” Kurt didn''t dare meet her eyes.


    "You must be able to handle a race car too, right?"


    He could tell from her technique that she was definitely a racer.


    "I can''t answer that," Juniper replied, arching an eyebrow, her tonenguid.


    "Why not?" Kurt''s expression fell, worried he had offended her again.


    "Because..." Juniper propped her chin on her hand, her eyelids lifting slightly as she drawled, "I''m self-taught."


    Kurt froze, a look of pure bewilderment on his face. He wasn''t born yesterday; she couldn''t possibly be serious!