"I want to meet her again."
Instantly the air thickened with tension. Murderous rage swept through Jake, a tidal wave that shook him. Thunder crashed in his ears, his blood boiled and fire burned in his belly. He actually saw red. Beneath his skin, something wild broke free and ran, itching uncontrollably. His jaw filled with teeth; his lips drew back in a snarl. Jake turned his head away from Drake, knowing his eyes glowed a feral red. He took several deep breaths to try to control the rampaging leopard clawing to break free.
As the wild animal in him wrestled for supremacy, his horse reared, screaming in fear, then suddenly lunged and bucked, trying to dislodge him. Jake dug his knees in harder and controlled the animal, murmuring soothing words, grateful for the distraction.
When the horse was calm, he glanced warily at Drake. "You've met Emma several times." Drake wasn't like the other men, flocking around her, looking for handouts of fresh coffee, baked bread and cookies. Drake had a tendency to be a loner, keeping to himself, living in one of the smaller cabins on the property.
Drake shrugged. "If she's affecting you like this . . ."
Jake frowned. "I didn't say she was having any effect on me at all. I'm restless and bored, but women don't get under my skin."
Drake snorted derisively. If it had been any other man, Jake would have been tempted to knock him off his horse. But Drake was different. He held a certain respect for Drake, so he kept his vicious temper under check.
"I'll tell you straight up, Jake," Drake said, gathering the reins. "You're acting a hell of a lot like a man who has a mate going into heat." He pushed back his hat and turned his horse away. "If that's the case, the symptoms only get worse."
"I don't have a mate. And women don't go into heat."
Drake nodded. "So you say." He dug his heels into the horse's side and trotted away, leaving Jake staring after him.
"WHEN will he be here?" Susan Hindman hopped up and down excitedly, leaping from one foot to the other. "Honestly, Emma, how can you stay so calm?"
Emma smiled one of her slow smiles and continued kneading the bread dough. "He'll be here soon enough, if he's radioed in. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to be with him. After all, you'll be here another four weeks." Susan was Senator Hindman's daughter, and he'd called and asked if they could watch her while the senator was out of the country. She was good company and Emma really liked her, but she had a terrible crush on Jake.
"Four weeks," Susan echoed, dramatically clasping her hands to her heart. "It's probably just as well he was gone when I arrived, I don't know how I'll stand it."
Emma laughed, a soft, pleasant sound that sounded melodic to Susan. "You're so silly, Susie. He's no different than other men." A dimple appeared along the right corner of her mouth, melting when she added, "Perhaps a little more of a tyrant."
"Oh, Emma." Exasperated that Emma didn't share her latest heartthrob, Susan shook her head. "I don't understand you. He's gorgeous. All those incredible muscles." She hugged herself ecstatically. "Muscles everywhere. Wide shoulders. And that tan and those eyes. He's to die for. You must be blind."
"It's a definite possibility," Emma agreed, laughing at Susan's drama.
"And he's richer than rich. He gets invited to the best parties, he's on the cover of magazines, in the newspaper. He knows movie stars and the president and, well, everybody. He knows everybody."
At sixteen, Susan was tall and lanky, without curves but with a coltish grace promising well for the future. Her hair was dark and curly, she had laughing hazel eyes with a generous spray of freckles across her nose. Jake wasn't aware of her visit yet, and Susan was anxious that he hurry home. He had called Emma three times a day, impressing Susan to no end, but Emma only seemed to find Jake very amusing and mildly exasperating instead of incredibly romantic.
"Your father has a great deal of money," Emma reminded mildly, "and he's always in the news. He certainly knows the president and more than his share of influential people."
"Oh." Susan dismissed her father with a wave of her hand. "Dad's just . . . well, Dad. Jake is different. He's so exciting."
Emma hid a smile, one inquisitive eyebrow going up. "Exciting?"
"Handsome. And all the rumors about him. People are afraid of him, you know. Daddy says he's one of the most powerful men in the world."
"Money and power aren't everything, Susie." It was a gentle reprimand. "And looks aren't everything either."
"Well, I know that. Daddy says he has such a brilliant mind and it's totally wasted on this ranch. He should be in politics, not just dabbling." She frowned. "But of course, he's got lots of enemies. Daddy says his kind always do. He says Jake is a barracuda in the boardroom and no one's business is safe from him. Better to be his friend than his enemy. Jake's just so fabulous and women chase him all the time."
"I'll bet your father didn't know your big ears were around when he said all that either," Emma said good-naturedly. She gave a last pat to the dough and went to the sink, shoving rather unsuccessfully at the unruly red hair spilling down her back in spiraling wisps, not to mention around her face and into her large eyes.
It bothered her that Jake was everything Susan's father had said he was. He did make enemies easily, and he seemed ruthless in his business dealings with others. Emma didn't fully understand the concept of buying and taking apart other companies, but she knew Jake was considered merciless when he conducted business.
She took another look at the birthday cake she'd decorated earlier, hoping Jake really would make it home this time before the weather brought another disaster. She wanted to surprise him with a small celebration.
"Just last month I saw Linda Rawlins and Jake get into a huge fight over you."
Emma swung around, her eyes enormous. "Me? Why me?"
Susan immediately felt contrite. Emma was very small and slender with flawless skin; well, almost flawless. She had two very faint scars marring the perfection of her face, both on the left side, one up near her eye, the other a long, thin crescent ending near the corner of her mouth. Susan had never gotten up the courage to ask her about those scars and Emma had never volunteered the information. Emma's past remained something of a mystery. Even her father didn't talk about Emma.
Jake had brought her from somewhere on the West Coast to be his housekeeper. That was all anyone ever said. Susan adored her ever since their first meeting, when her father had gone to Jake's house seeking campaign funds. She'd discovered Emma in the kitchen, laughing with the two toddlers. Immediately she'd pitched in to help and they had become good friends.
Her most secret desire was to have Emma's incredibly large green eyes and silky red-gold hair curving around her own face and cascading down her back to her waist in waves. Emma was sweet and understanding; she was always ready to listen to anyone, whether it was one of the ranch hands, Susan, or one of the children. Yet Emma always looked very vulnerable. Even at sixteen, Susan felt protective toward her.
"I was just kidding," Susan lied baldly, not liking the flicker of pain in the depths of Emma's eyes.
"You may as well tell me." Emma sighed, pulling a large barrette from the pocket of her faded blue jeans. She caught at the thick mass of hair and clipped it at the nape of her neck. The pulled-back style emphasized her high cheekbones.
Susan looked uneasy. "It's only gossip, Emma, I didn't believe it."
"Believe what? Come on, Susie, you've gone this far."
"Well." Susan scuffed at the Mediterranean tiles with her foot uncomfortably. "I was in the hall, it wasn't like I was eavesdropping on purpose or anything."
"Susie."
"All right, but I wasn't listening on purpose. Linda waylaid Jake at this party and asked him to take her to the Bingleys' party, which you probably know is the big event of the season."
Emma didn't, but she nodded anyway, trying not to wince when she heard the other woman's name.
Susan grinned suddenly. "Can you believe it? I wished I'd had a tape recorder. The great Linda
Rawlins actually having to ask a man to escort her. I could have made thousands selling that information to the tabloids. Little shipping heiress shunned by the oil king."