“Nine would be better,” Claudette said, already pushing the boundaries.
Behind her, Clem shook his head in warning.
How sad was it that I barely existed in his world, and only my proximity to Claudette put me on his radar. And,duh.Did he think I was a complete moron?
“Eight. Do you need a ride?” I told Claudette, channeling my sister’s firm-but-friendly teacher vibes.
Claudette scowled a little, then shook her head. “Nah. I have my own.”
I pictured her roaring up on the back of a leather-clad vampire’s motorcycle. Or, wait. Did vampires do leather and motorcycles? I wasn’t sure.
“Perfect. See you then,” I said, half in hope, half in challenge.
“See you then,” she echoed, leaving with barely a glance at the others.
The bell chimed as she exited, and five pairs of eyes followed. Clem grabbed his purchases, paid, and jogged out the door after her.
Yes,jogged, because he couldn’t risknotcatching up to her.
I sighed. Would anyone jog after me one day?
“Bye,” I whispered, watching him go.
Chapter Two
GENEVIÈVE
Madame Martin rang up my purchases, and I exited theboulangerieto a chorus of goodbyes. I’d parked down the street on the left, but my eyes went right, where Clem stood in earnest discussion with Claudette. It stood to reason that Clement’s interest in her was purely professional, but I couldn’t help feeling jealous.
With some effort, I tore my eyes from them, turned, and walked into a brick wall.
Oof.
“Watch it,” a deep voice grumbled.
“Pardon—” I started, then glared. “You. Again.”
I should have been happy to bump into one of Auberre’s few eligible, under-forty bachelors, but this one was beyond annoying.
“A pleasure to see you too.” His voice was low and growly, as usual. Maybe he’d missed his morning coffee?
“Bonjour,Roux,” I muttered, stepping around him.
“Bonjour,” the tiger shifter growled.
The man was best described asDavid Beckham meets Bollywood and GI Joe. His hair and skin were light brown, and his amber eyes would have been beautiful if they hadn’t been so intense.
“Why is it that everywhere I go, I find you?” I groused, though I’d already figured it out.
My sister had assigned him to protect me from lurking, evil forces. Which seemed pretty unlikely in this forgotten little corner of Burgundy, but not impossible, given everything Mina had been through.
“It’s a small town and a free country,” he grunted.
“Not when you’re being stalked,” I muttered, opening the car door.
His expression told me I’d wounded his honor. And there was alotof that in him to wound. I didn’t know enough tiger shifters to know whether that was a general characteristic or something particular to him. But boy, was the guy touchy.
“Stalking is what the enemy does,” he grumbled.
