Emma looked beautiful. When he wrapped his hands around her throat, he'd be sure to tell her that. He'd come to catch a traitor, and the biggest one of all was the person he'd come to trust above all others.
He was going to fire every damn bodyguard he had working for him. How dared they allow her off the ranch without a guard? Who was the son of a bitch who was trespassing on his territory anyway? Jake recognized the bastard as the man who'd come to his ranch and worked on the phones. He'd probably seduced Emma in Jake's own office. The image of her on his desk--naked--rose up to taunt him, and he felt the shift inside, the leopard snarling and fighting for supremacy. For one terrible moment he wanted to give the leopard freedom, wanted him to feel his enemy's throat torn and bleeding beneath the crush of his jaws.
He rose, a fluid rippling of muscles, causing a sudden hush among his business associates. Without a word of explanation, he stalked across the room, carelessly loosening his tie, his eyes glittering gold, fixed on his prey. Emma glanced up, and her velvet eyes widened in surprise. Jake couldn't detect the littlest bit of guilt. His fingers itched to punish her. Instead, he toed a chair around and very deliberately wedged it between theirs.
With casual ease he bent his dark head to her silky red one to brush a lingering and very possessive kiss on her shocked mouth. He made certain he used tongue, lots of tongue, one hand anchoring in her hair, forcing her head up so he could take his time making his statement. A blatant brand of ownership.
Color rose in Emma's face and her eyes went emerald green, but she had sense enough not to pull away from him or fight. He let her feel the edge of his teeth on her soft lower lip before dropping into the chair, his mouth smiling, his amber eyes diamond hard. He extended his hand to the man. "Jake Bannaconni. I don't believe we've met." He remembered everyone, but he wasn't about to let a rival believe himself memorable.
"Greg Patterson." The man was totally flabbergasted, his face pale beneath his tan. "We met the other day in your office."
Jake leaned back, stretched his arm casually around Emma's chair. His fingers found the nape of her neck, began a slow, intimate massage. "So who's at home with the kids, baby?" He spoke to Emma but his eyes were measuring the width of Greg Patterson's hands against the marks on her skin.
"Susan." Involuntarily, Emma placed her hand over the smudges on her arm. Damn, the man saw everything. And his fingers were inducing a spreading heat in her body, one that she couldn't possibly ignore.
"You think she's old enough to handle them?" There was a soft intimacy in his voice, one that excluded all others and wrapped them together.
"She's sixteen, Jake," Emma reminded.
Jake rubbed his knuckles along her jaw before turning his attention to Greg. "Where'd you two go tonight?" Jake's voice was perfectly pitched, friendly, interested, filled with urban sophistication. The golden eyes were merciless, slashing, a cold, bleak, brilliant challenge as they settled in an unblinking stare on Patterson's face.
Patterson squirmed uncomfortably. "The movies."
Jake threaded his fingers through Emma's, brought her palm to the warmth of his mouth, his eyes meeting hers. "Did you enjoy it, honey? You know you never should have left the ranch unescorted." With absolute deliberation he bit down into the center of the palm. His eyes dared her to make a scene. She gasped, but he refused to relinquish her hand when she tugged. Instead, his tongue swirled over the bite, soothing the sting.
Retaining possession of her hand, he tucked their laced fingers comfortably, intimately, under his chin, and turned his attention back to Patterson. "It isn't safe for Emma to be out without a bodyguard. I have enemies and they know they can get to me through her."
He rubbed her knuckles along his blue-shadowed jaw, back and forth, a lazy, sexy movement. Every now and then, he brought her hand to the warmth of his mouth to nibble almost seductively at her fingertips.
"Of course, I'd kill anyone who tried to take her away from me." He made the statement matter-of-factly in a low, velvet-soft voice, looking Patterson directly in the eye, meaning every word.
Greg paled visibly and a shiver of apprehension went down Emma's spine. Her gaze jumped to Jake's face. He smiled at her but his eyes glittered with promise until she looked down.
"Don't worry," Emma murmured. "We weren't exactly alone." She could barely stammer the words out.
Jake was doing all kinds of things to her body with his absentminded ministrations. Although he was acting so seductive and loving, she knew he was angry with her. Jake was at his most dangerous, acting possessive and skimming far too close to the edge of his control. She'd never been on the receiving end of his anger. Her pulse had sky-rocketed and every nerve ending sizzled with heat. A little desperately, she tried to pull her hand away, but Jake didn't seem to notice. If anything he tightened his hold. Her heart began to beat faster.
"We weren't?" Greg sat up straight, aware he was in deadly peril. No one could call Bannaconni subtle, and he had the kind of power that could make men disappear.
"Drake and Joshua were seated two rows behind us. Joshua really enjoyed the film. That was him laughing his head off," she explained to Greg, trying to ignore the way Jake's fingers bit into her wrist.
"Emma's very precious to me," Jake murmured, nuzzling her hand again. "It's nice to know I don't have to commit murder tonight."
Emma closed her eyes briefly. He was so angry. Had she deliberately set out to make him that way? She had a sinking feeling she might have.
Patterson cleared his throat. "Were you considering murder?" He tried to smile, make it a joke.
The golden eyes slashed at him. "Very seriously considering it." There was nothing humorous in those glittering eyes.
"Jake." Josiah Trent's lawyer, Bernard, stood over them frowning at each one of them. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing I can't handle." Jake barely glanced up.
"We haven't got this thing settled," Bernard objected.
"As far as I'm concerned we have," Jake answered with deceptive laziness. His arm curled around Emma's shoulders, his hand sliding down, his fingers absently playing with her hair. "I gave you an answer."
"You didn't listen to the proposal."
"We'll take it up again later."
A swift look of annoyance crossed Bernard's face. "This is so important?"
The golden eyes flickered over the lawyer. Jake brought Emma's fingers to his mouth. "More important than anything else, Bernard. Now go away." Deliberately, and quite rudely, he dismissed the lawyer.
Bernard Williams stalked angrily away.
Jake glanced at the gold watch on his wrist. "You finished with your coffee, baby? It's getting late." He stood up, one hand drawing her up with him, clamping her to his side, refusing to give her any other choice, the other hand extending to Greg. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I appreciate your taking Emma to the movies." Carelessly he dropped several bills on the table, paying for the coffee and dessert they hadn't touched. "We can't be out late, Patterson. You never know when a little one is going to have nightmares. Right, honey?"
Emma didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Surely he could see the impression he was giving her date. Talking about the children, who was watching them, for heaven's sake. Kissing her very publicly, practically shoving his tongue down her throat. No wonder people talked about them. Greg already looked as if he might faint. She barely had time to whisper a quick good night before Jake drew her across the room.
"Slow down. Jake, it's a little undignified running after you in high heels. Your step makes three of mine."
"You shouldn't
be wearing the damned things," he snapped, but he did slow a fraction. He glanced down at the top of her silky head, his rough features etched in granite. "You can ride home with me. Joshua will drive the Jeep."
"They probably left," she pointed out logically.
"They damn well better not have."
She put a small, placating hand on his arm. "Are you angry with me?"
"Angry? What the hell would I have to be angry about?" He nodded curtly to several of his business associates. Most of them stared at Emma in open curiosity.
She glanced back to see Greg Patterson standing by their table, looking as if he'd been run over by a truck.
Jake jerked her around when he caught her looking back. "Finding my woman out with another man, dressed the way you are? Why the hell would I be angry about that? I hope you weren't expecting him to kiss you good night." There was an audible snap of Jake's white teeth.
"What is wrong with you?" Emma's temper began to rise. Something alive ran under her skin, creating a wave of heat that itched as it spread through her body. "I'm not your woman."
"Like hell, you're not." His fingers were an iron band around her arm as he dragged her out to the parking lot.
Jake spotted her two bodyguards immediately. They were lounging against their truck, waiting just as he knew they'd be. Jake held out his hand for the keys to the Jeep, and scowled at Emma when she hesitated.
"I'm perfectly capable of driving myself home," she protested.
"Don't," he hissed. "Just give me the fucking keys."
Emma dropped the keys into his hand. Jake tossed them to Joshua. "I heard you enjoyed the movie."
"I don't appreciate you two following me," Emma felt compelled to point out.
"You'd better appreciate it," Jake snarled. "They're the only reason I haven't strangled you." His hands caught her shoulders in a firm grip, gave her a little shake. "You never, ever, leave the ranch without a bodyguard. Not ever. Do you have any idea the kind of danger you put yourself in?"
"I refuse to argue with you over it," Emma said. "It's cold out here. And I'm not riding home with you, Jake. Give me back the keys, Joshua."
"Do you really want to make a scene here in the parking lot, Emma? Because I can throw your ass over my shoulder and toss you in the car, if that's the way you want it. You're going home with me."