Chapter 24. A Kiss?

Joan POV

“Are you avoiding me, kitten?” Aaron asked, leaning casually against the kitchen island while I focused on arranging the flowers in a vase.

I didn’t bother to respond. He doesn’t get to stroll in here, acting like everything is fine, like he hasn’t done anything wrong. Because he had, and he knew it.

I grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and took a long sip, more to buy time than to quench my thirst.

“That’s a question that requires an answer,” he said. His voice was calm, but I could feel the weight of his gaze as I placed the glass down on the counter.

His eyebrow lifted, his sharp eyes probing mine, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. He was smart enough to figure out I was ignoring him, so why was he pushing?

Turning my back on him, I tried to walk out of the kitchen, but his hand shot out, gripping my arm. Heat flared in my chest as I glanced down at his fingers pressing into my skin.

“You don’t