Leopard 03 - Burning Wild

with her haunted eyes and fragile vulnerability. On top of that, his son was sleeping peacefully in the palm of his hand. If he sat on the bed, he would be trapped by the two of them, by their vulnerability and need for protection. The wildness in him stirred every time he got close to Emma, rising up like the untamed creature it was, recognizing her in some mysterious way he didn’t understand or trust. Swearing under his breath, he sank down beside the small, broken woman.
    She pushed at his arms, forcing him to bring Kyle close to his chest so that infant lay nestled tightly against his heart. “Like that. Babies sometimes get a sense of falling and they fling out their arms, frightened. When the blanket is tight around them or they are in close to your body, they feel safe. He can hear your heart beat and feel your warmth.” She raised her guileless gaze to his. “When you hold someone, don’t you feel safe and warm?”
    His gaze shifted from hers. Hell. No one asked him those kinds of questions, not in all of his thirty-three years. He looked down at his son. The baby’s face was relaxed, tiny, so pink and naked. He slept peacefully, his breath so light Jake could barely feel his chest rise and fall.
    Jake swallowed hard and slipped his finger against the tiny palm. The boy had paper-thin fingernails, so small they were barely there. A lump rose in his throat, threatening to choke him. The little hands were perfect, all the fingers, lines and whorls, knuckles, everything. The small fingers wrapped around his bigger one and Jake held up his other, much larger hand to study the two together. “Look at that, Emma. I swear, my hands must have looked like that when I was a baby.”
    “You should get his handprints now and then again each year to compare them. Put yours right next to his. It will be fun for you to watch him grow. I planned on doing that when my baby was born.”
    “Plan,” Jake corrected gently.
    She kept her head down.
    “Emma. Look at me.” He used his velvet no nonsense voice.
    Her head jerked up, her gaze meeting his, tears turning the aquamarine eyes to a deep, vivid, shimmering green. He slid his hand under her chin to hold her captive, his thumb feathering along her trembling mouth. “When your baby is born, you plan on keeping records of handprints,” he repeated.
    She swallowed hard. Tears tracked down her face.
    Jake wiped them away with the pad of his thumb. “Say it, Emma. When the baby is born. You aren’t going to lose it. Say it out loud.”
    She swallowed again and nodded. “When the baby’s born.” Her voice came out in a whisper.
    He smiled and leaned in to brush his mouth over the top of her head. “That’s my girl. You’re tired. Go to sleep and forget about everything. Thanks for helping me figure out how to hold him.”
    He resisted the urge to stay with her, the silent plea in her eyes. She was having more of an effect on him than he had counted on. Sighing, he closed the door behind him.

    OVER the next few days, Jake brought Kyle to Emma’s room and set up a command post on the small desk by her bedside. The hospital’s IT administrator installed a network drop for his laptop, and he ran his business from her room while she grew stronger and the baby put on more weight. Jake occasionally fell asleep in the chair, but most of the time he rarely slept.
    He learned to awkwardly change Kyle’s diapers and give him a bottle, surprised that the boy seemed to recognize him. Kyle obviously preferred Emma, with her soothing voice and gentle rocking. Jake placed the child into her arms the moment she asked for him, wanting the bond to grow strong. When the hospital began to make noises about Emma being discharged, he brought up the subject of traveling with him to Texas again.
    “Emma. You are coming home with us, aren’t you?” He kept his voice very gentle and matter-of-fact, as if it didn’t matter and it was wholly up to her. In reality, she had nowhere else to go and no money, and she desperately needed care. He had sprung the trap and she was well and truly caught.
    Emma looked very confused and somewhat ashamed, but a little helpless. He knew he had won the moment he saw her face. He patted her shoulder and gave her a smile. “I’ll arrange everything.”
    He had won the first battle just as he had known he would. And he would win the entire war. He was a master strategist; Emma Reynolds had no hope of defeating him.
    He made the necessary calls to