Leopard 03 - Burning Wild

still pining away for someone who’s never coming back? You don’t even look at men, Emma, so no, you’re sure as hell not going to find someone else.”
    Fury swept through Emma, her temper rising up out of nowhere, something rare but lethal once she got going. She was tempted to slap his face, but it wasn’t her style. She reached behind her to keep her itching palms away from him and came in contact with the sprayer on the sink. Without thought she turned on the faucet and blasted him with cold water right in his arrogant, handsome face.
    “Maybe you ought to stop being such a hothead, Jake.”
    Emma released the trigger and dropped the sprayer in the sink, torn between horror at what she’d done, anger at his callous proposal and the implication that she might never find someone else, and laughter as water ran down his face over his shocked expression and dripped onto his very expensive soaked shirt.
    There was complete silence. A heartbeat. Two. Hard hands seized her, swinging her smaller body over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes. One hand came down hard on her wriggling butt, a stinging blow that made her yelp as he strode to the door and carried her outside down the long drive.
    Heat flashed across her bottom and spread deep inside, the swat triggering a different memory, or maybe it had been an erotic dream, lying across his lap, his hand coming down hard and then rubbing sensually as he was doing now.
    Her heart jumped. Where had that come from? Lately she’d been having dreams of Jake, dreams of things she’d never consciously thought about. Emma drummed at his broad back with her fists, fuming, embarrassed, not at being upside down but at the heat rising in her body and the blood surging so hotly.
    Jake delivered a second smack, this time a little harder than the first, and once again rubbed at her bottom to take the sting away, sending fire shooting through her veins. “Stop it, Emma. You so deserve this and you know it.”
    The deep growl of his voice sent an illicit thrill coursing through her bloodstream. She wished her jeans weren’t so tight or her panties so skimpy. She could feel his hand burning right through the thin material as he rubbed to ease the sting.

    She caught a glimpse of Joshua’s startled face as Jake stalked past him. She looked around quickly, seeing the direction in which they were heading, and knew instantly what he intended. “Don’t you dare, Jake.” Emma caught at the back of his shirt with both fists, realizing what he planned. “I mean it. Don’t you dare.”
    He kept walking at the same pace, with long, purposeful, ground-eating strides. Emma clutched him harder, trying desperately not to laugh at the ridiculous situation. She should have known Jake would retaliate. What ever had possessed her to spray him with the kitchen sprayer? She’d been too angry to think clearly, but it hadn’t occurred to her that Jake might ever do this. “Stop. Don’t do it.” She couldn’t help it that her voice turned to pleading. Or that laughter played around the edges. She’d always had the worst sense of humor.
    Jake swung her from his shoulder, cradling her for a moment, then held her out from his body and dropped her unceremoniously into the large horse trough. She came up sputtering, splashing water ferociously at his face, laughing so hard she could barely stand.
    Jake stood over the horse trough, water cascading over him as she used the flat of her hand to send a huge wave into the air. Time slowed down so that the droplets of water glistened like diamonds and the sun seemed to surround her head, turning her red hair into a bright halo of light and gleaming off her pearly teeth. Her laughter was infectious, melodic, irresistible, and he found himself laughing with her.
    Laughing. Deep inside, happiness blossomed and spread. He’d never thought much about being happy.
    Not like this—something simple. Something not revenge, or dark and ugly. Something not about making money. Just laughing at the absurdity of their argument.
    He reached into the trough and hauled her out, swinging her easily to the ground, one arm locked around her waist, holding her wet body against his. The air was crisp and cold and she shivered, but her laughing face was turned up toward his and—God help him—he was tempted almost beyond all control. He was beginning to understand the story of Adam and Eve.
    “You’re crazy, Emma. You know that?” His voice was gruff.