Who does he think I am, his puppet?
Suddenly, my lingering anger, which hasn’t diminished at all, ramps back up, and I cross my arms exaggeratedly to mimic him.
“I received a text from Willa telling me Claudina will no longer be taking baking classes. Is that true?” I ask with a surprisingly steady voice.
He raises a sarcastic brow, without answering.
I purse my lips, annoyed. “I was right all along. You’re not who I thought at all. What kind of father pulls their child from something she truly loves and is great at?”
His face falls, quickly turning deadly while stepping in my direction. I move backor trybut realize I’m still standing against the glass wall.
“A father.” He lowers his deep voice. “Who protects his daughter at all costs from crazy stalkers and people wanting to take advantage of her privileged family.”
What?This again?
“Listen here, you pompous asshole. We went over this the other night at the bakery. I didn’t know who Claudina was.” He stares at me, reading my face. “I’ll have my mom teach the class or Daphne, the other baker. Claud’s so happy there. Don’t punish her because of me.”
He shakes his head slightly. “And why should I believe you?”
“I googled you,” I spit out. “There are no pictures of her anywhere. Which I’m sure is deliberate, and you’re well aware of. So tell me, how the hell am I supposed to know who she is?”
“How do stalkers know anything?”
I throw my arms up in the air and lean forward, raising my voice. “I am not a stalker!”
His lip twitches.
I narrow my eyes, confused.
“I know.” He lifts one side of his mouth into a sinister smirk. “I think we need a time-out.”
“You know what?” I step to the side when he advances toward me again.
“I know you’re not a stalker, JulietteCaldwell. You came in here guns blazing, and I reacted. Let’s start again.” He widens his eyes, matching mine.
“I never told you my last name.”
“No.” He laughs. “But you did tell Derrick downstairs.”Oh.He shrugs.“And I guess you could call me a bit of a hypocrite because I kind of stalkedyou.”
“What is going on right now?” Am I in the Twilight Zone?
He reaches out, sweeps my hair off my face, and tucks it behind my ear. “God, you’re beautiful.”
“Harrison,” I snap, ignoring every nerve ending sparking my body alive from his slight touch. “What do you mean you stalked me? Are you having some mental breakdown?”
“I couldn’t get you off my mind. It was driving me insane. Then I walked into that bakery, and there you were,mon petit papillon.”
My heart flutters at my moniker. “I don’t understand. Why were you so angry then?”
“Because when in life is anything that much of a coincidence? Do you see how I would take it in my position?” I nod because I do, and I thought the exact thing myself once he left.What are the chances? “To be honest with you, at first, I was freaking out, unsure of your intentions.”
“And now?”
He shrugs. “I’m not sure you’re as much of a threat as I thought.”
“Are you on drugs?” I ask semi-seriously. “Ten seconds ago, you accused me of being crazy.”
“You know,” he says, ignoring me while boxing me in, placing both hands against the glass on either side of my face. “My sweet Juliette is a turn-on. But demanding, Juliette, she is fucking hot.”
