Her heart pounded in fear, but her panties were suddenly damp and those butterflies in her stomach continued to flutter their wings. She detested that he could do that to her with his voice. With his frozen eyes. With the thumb sliding along her jaw, mesmerizing her with his slow caresses.

“Don’t try to run from me. I won’t like it.”

“Has it occurred to you that I don’ much care what you like?” She wanted to snap her teeth at him. Maybe her leopard was closer than she thought because raking him down his arrogant expressionless face and kicking him in the shins seemed a very good idea. “You’re turnin’ my life upside down and you don’ care about that. Why should it matter to me what you like?”

His lips twitched. Not that smile she’d gotten out of him before, but definitely he was on the verge. This time she didn’t melt. He was being a superior, amused male, looking down at the little female while she defied him. His expression hadn’t changed, other than that twitch, but she knew. She couldn’t stop herself. She kicked him in the shins. Hard.

He still didn’t change expression. His hand tightened around the nape of her neck. “A man like me likes his woman to put up a fight. This is not discouragement, Evangeline. It shows me you have fire in you. Enough that you can match me when I want to get rough.”

Her breath hissed out. She didn’t want that to make her hot, but it did. Everything about him made her hot. She was in so far over her head she didn’t know what to do. All the while his thumb kept sliding back and forth in that slow, burning caress that was driving her insane. She didn’t want to pull away. That would give him far too much satisfaction, and everything seemed to be going his way. She certainly wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her.

“I have to close the shop.”

“Tell us what to do.”

She glared at him. “Whoever you have starin’ at me through your cameras ought to be able to tell you what to do. You’ve evidently been watchin’ me.”

“You work too hard. You need help during the day. You don’t take breaks. You rarely eat your lunch. You get up at three and start baking. You stay here until seven cleaning. That is going to stop. Timur is making arrangements to have cleaners come in starting tonight.”

She gasped. “You are not just goin’ to take over my life. I mean it, Alonzo. This is my bakery. I’ve worked hard for it. You’re not takin’ over. Not my life, and certainly not my bakery.”