Stirring Up Trouble Read Free Page B

She didn’t think he was a violent person, but she’d proven she wasn’t the best judge of character. “What do you want?” she shouted through the panes of the glass door.
    â€œI want to talk to you,” he said, although she didn’t entirely believe it from the looks of him. At best, he wanted to shout at her, at worst, maybe give her a good shake. Emmett was so laid-back he was practically horizontal, however, his expression at the moment was anything but. His brow was drawn down in consternation, etching lines into his forehead. His full lips curled down in the corners like arrows pointing out the tense set of his jaw. He had a 5 a.m. shadow and tousled blond hair, but that seemed to be standard attire for the beach bum.
    â€œThen talk,” she challenged, making no move to unlock the door.
    â€œI’m not going to shout at you through the glass and wake up the whole neighborhood.”
    That was rich! Maddie couldn’t help laughing bitterly at him. “You’re never that concerned about waking me up. What’s the difference?”
    â€œCome on. Let me in so we can talk about this like adults.”
    â€œI don’t know you, Emmett. You could be crazy. You could have a gun or a baseball bat. You could get in here and choke me with your bare hands.”
    Emmett sighed dramatically and thrust his fists into the pockets of his jeans. “The thought has crossed my mind, I assure you. But I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk. Or would you rather I return when the shop is open and cause a scene that costs you business?”
    Maddie’s eyes widened at his threat. Madelyn’s Bakery was a place of refinement and elegance. She was working with the local cotillion committee to hold etiquette classes upstairs this spring. She wasn’t about to let a brawl break out downstairs and ruin her hard-earned reputation.
    Emmett took her silence as defiance. “If that’s what you want. I guess that’s only fair, since that’s what you did to me tonight.”
    â€œI did nothing of the sort!” she shouted, snapping out of her reverie.
    â€œOh yeah?” Emmett planted his hands against the glass and leaned in to where his breath started to fog the panes in the cool morning air. “You think a cop car at my bar is good for business? You think the sheriff running off customers on one of my busiest nights helps my bottom line?”
    â€œIf you cared so much about your bottom line, you wouldn’t break the law and alienate everyone around you.”
    Emmett’s forehead dropped against the glass. “Would you please let me in?”
    Maddie relented with a frown of displeasure. She certainly didn’t want to let him in, but she couldn’t have him coming back when the bakery was open. With her luck, he’d come back just in time to put on a show for Miss Dotty or Miss Vera and then the whole town would know about it.
    She reached out and flipped the dead bolt on the front door. Once it was unlocked, she took a large step backward to put as much space between them as possible. It wasn’t just anxiety that forced Maddie to move away as Emmett came in. It was a different kind of self-preservation. Men, especially the larger, more intimidating ones, always made Maddie nervous. She wasn’t a small woman, but she wasn’t particularly strong. She liked to maintain a large bubble of personal space from most people.
    Emmett fell into that category as well. Even though he wasn’t physically menacing—even in anger—she knew he could be dangerous in other ways. He was too sexy. Too rough around the edges. Despite his charming smile and physical ease, he was the last person Maddie should be attracted to. For one thing, they came from two different worlds. Maddie made it a rule to date men who had more money than her family did. That way, she didn’t have to worry that they were just interested in her