Leopard 03 - Burning Wild

she confessed in a small voice. “We just . . .” Her voice trailed off and she made a face. “I’m still upset with you.”
    “There’s no reason to be upset, Emma. You misread what I was doing. I can understand, after our earlier conversation, why you thought that, but never think it again. You’re mine, and I would never want you for my own if I didn’t respect you.”
    He pulled a small box from his jeans. “This is for you. I had it made for you and if you put it on your finger, Emma, there’s no taking it back.”
    He opened the box. The ring was unusual; brilliant golden diamonds shone up at her. They looked like a cat’s eye, the way they were shaped.
    She sucked in her breath and put both hands behind her back to keep from reaching for it. “Jake.” She shook her head. “If I do this, you know you’ll be worse. You control everything, you can’t help yourself, and that’s a serious red flag for me.”
    “I know I’m different, Emma,” Jake said, his voice low. It held that same hypnotic note she found so sexy. He leaned toward her, cupping her chin in his hand and bringing her face around to look at him.
    “Is it so bad having me be in control?”
    The question was so soft, so low, his voice moving through her body like a thick, molten lava. She felt her body’s reaction and it frightened her—frightened her that she wanted to say no when she knew better.
    “Have these last two years really been so difficult? Anytime you’ve come to me with a problem or a complaint, haven’t I acted on it immediately?”
    “What about the gate, Jake? I couldn’t leave tonight. What about that?” She hated that she had a pleading note in her voice. She knew him. She knew he couldn’t be any different, that control was a huge issue to him. Even if he promised her, how could he be anything but what he was?
    “I should have explained to you, but I didn’t want to scare you, Emma. That was wrong of me, but you’ve never wanted to leave the ranch before. When you did, you always told me well in advance and I could arrange for protection both for you and the children. I have enemies and they would hurt you and they’d take our children.”
    “What enemies? Are you certain you’re just not being paranoid? You don’t trust anyone at all, Jake.”
    “With good reason. No, I’m not paranoid. I wish I were. I’ve had to step up security over these last few months because evidence has come to my attention that someone plans to strike at me through you and the children.”
    She frowned. “Why would they try to use me to get to you?”
    He sighed, his thumb rubbing across her lips as if to erase her frown. “You’re the only person who would have to ask me that question. Aside from the children, Emma, who else do I care about?
    Everyone sees it but you.”

    “Jake.” She looked at the ring. He just held it out there as if it were his heart. He looked so lonely. But .
    . .
    “I need you far more than someone like Greg Patterson or even Andrew needs you. Look at me, Emma.
    I need you. I’ve never said that to another human being. It won’t be easy. I have a high sex drive and I won’t leave you alone. I’m protective and dominating—okay, controlling—and I don’t have social skills. I can’t promise you I won’t be hell to live with, but I can promise you I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”
    He took the ring out off the velvet and slipped the box back into his pocket. “Marry me. Spend your life with me. I’ll spend my life making you happy.”
    He was putting the ring on her finger. She could feel the weight of it. He had been the one to take off Andrew’s ring when she lay in bed and her hands were swelling and she was afraid they’d have to cut it off. He’d been careful and he’d wrapped it up and put it in her top drawer. He was just as gentle when he slipped his ring on her finger.
    “Jake, are you certain this is what you want?” She reached up to his face and pressed her fingers against his warm skin. It was cold outside, but, as always, he was hot. It was as if his core temperature was so much hotter than anybody else’s.
    Jake’s wrapped his hand in the red silk of her hair and pulled her head back to bring his mouth down on hers. Savage triumph whipped through him. He’d done it. He’d finally done it. Emma was his. He pressed his tongue into her mouth, sliding over hers, dragging the sweet taste of her into his own mouth. His hands found her