He tasted her in his mouth. His body ached. He pushed a towel into her hands. “If you get any strange vibes, call me or Joshua immediately.” He stepped away from her, frowned and turned back. “And I want Josh in the house. That’s nonnegotiable.”
Emma drew herself up to her full height. “Absolutely not. I take care of the house, not Joshua. If I don’t like something, I’ll let you know.”
A hint of a smile flickered across his face. She had the little bite in her voice he loved to hear. It didn’t matter how often he offered to rehire a cook or a nanny, she refused and he was grateful. He had come to enjoy the way she ran the house, the scent of cookies and freshly baked bread in his kitchen and the sound of laughter echoing often through the halls. She considered the house her domain and she guarded it jealously.
“Joshua stays in the house, Emma. You’re too trusting.” Emma made a face at him, shivering, her teeth chattering as she reached for another kitchen towel. “I am not. Just because I like people doesn’t mean I’m trusting. I’m well aware you’re worried about Kyle’s and Andraya’s safety. I agree totally with you that they should have bodyguards. I’ve never once objected to that.”
Jake walked back to her, his body crowding hers until she could feel his heat. She backed up until her bottom hit the edge of the table and she had to stop abruptly. Jake took the towels from her as he deftly removed her barrette with the other hand and slipped it into his pocket where so many others had disappeared before it. Emma found it impossible not to notice the way his muscles rippled beneath his soaked shirt, how wide his shoulders were and how strong his arms seemed.
Her body reacted again, blood surging hotly, something wild inside of her reaching for him. She breathed away the need, her breasts rising and falling, aching to be touched, her nipples tightening into hard peaks she was desperate to hide. He began to rub at the silky strands of wet hair in an attempt to dry them. His arm brushed her breast and her womb clenched and pulsed. She caught her breath and counted in her head, trying to think of anything but how his waist tapered into his narrow hips and how the front of his jeans had an impressive bulge.
For a moment, just one moment, an image rose in her head: Jake’s strong hands on her shoulders, pushing slightly until she obeyed his silent command and she was kneeling, reaching for him, wanting the familiar shape and texture of him, already anticipating his masculine taste and the way he’d make her feel, as if only she could bring him exquisite ecstasy. She’d love looking up at him, meeting his eyes while she took control, driving him past all sanity until he was truly helpless under her erotic onslaught.
Her breath caught in her throat and her heart slammed hard inside her chest. She’d been a virgin when she’d married Andrew. They’d only been married five short months when the accident happened. She didn’t know the first thing about sex, not sex like the images in her head. Her attempts to please him had been funny and not very successful.
“Hey.” Jake tugged at her hair. “Are you listening to me?”
Had he been talking? Color rushed into her face. “Only when you make sense.”
Jake tugged a little harder on her hair until he tilted her head back, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Don’t ignore me when I’m talking about safety, Emma. You can object to having someone in the house with you, but sadly, honey, when it comes to your safety, I get the last word whether you like it or not.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose and left the towel draped over her head. “I don’t want Susan to be a problem for you. If she causes you more work, or any trouble . . .”
“She won’t. She’s watching the children for me. She’s very good with them.”
Jake inclined his head. “I’m heading for the shower. I suggest you do the same. If you feel like conserving water, you can shower with me.”
Shower with him? Had he actually said that, or was her imagination running wild? What in the world was wrong with her? Emma stood speechless, the idea of being naked in a shower with Jake sending her already hot blood erupting into a fiery conflagration she could barely comprehend. She needed a shower, all right. An icy-cold one would be best.
Dragging the towel from her head, she took the back staircase, wanting to avoid Susan and the children until she was cleaned up and centered once again. Jake had managed to rattle her when she was already feeling so moody. She sighed, stripping off wet clothes and flinging them into the laundry basket before stepping under the spray. She was simply missing being close to a man. It had been two years. Maybe Jake was right and she was hiding away on the ranch, rarely venturing out other than to buy groceries and things for the children. Jake took care of everything for her.
She sighed. She needed to make a change. Jake had kept her safe in a little cocoon. She’d relied on him and he’d simply shouldered the burden, just as he took on everything else in his life. He barked orders but he was rarely angry, not with her and certainly not with the children. She wanted to stay where she was. She liked her life, liked cooking for Jake and some of the ranch hands, liked taking care of the children. She’d always wanted a home and she couldn’t ask for a better one. She couldn’t ruin it by having an affair with Jake. And if she was ever stupid enough to give Jake control over her . . . She shuddered at the thought. Jake could take full advantage.
She shampooed her hair, closing her eyes to absorb the sensation of soap and water running in rivulets over her skin. Her skin felt too tight, too sensitive. Everywhere she touched she felt fingers of arousal pulsing through her body. She leaned against the shower wall, frowning, trying to understand what was happening to her. Her breasts felt full and heavy, aching with the need to be touched. She felt empty inside, her body flushed, almost feverish. The water actually hurt her skin.
Emma stepped out of the tiled stall and wrapped herself in a towel, looking in the mirror and feeling a little dazed. The need to be touched was growing, not lessening, and it had come on slowly, so slowly she hadn’t realized what was happening until the last week. Everything seemed different to her, as if all her senses were heightened.
A thump on the door had her whirling around with a small gasp.
“Hey! Emma, look alive. The phone repairman is here.” Emma took a deep breath and let it out. She had to pull herself together and stop all the silly nonsense that could threaten their very comfortable world. She dressed briskly and once again quickly caught her hair in a barrette, pulling it back away from her face, making a mental note to have it cut soon. She wore it up far more often than down anyway. Running after the two small children made it impossible to style.
Joshua waited on the stairs for her. “I’m supposed to stay with you.”
“You’re supposed to stay in the house.” Emma pushed past him, her hand brushing his chest. She felt a shudder of awareness go through him and she turned her head to look at him. Joshua had always—always—acted like an older brother. Now he was looking at her with speculative eyes. She frowned at him. “Go away, Joshua.”
“You smell good.”
“You smell like horses. Where is our guest and why did you leave him alone?” Her voice was tinged with exasperation. Everyone was losing their minds lately, not just her. Joshua stared at her with hot eyes, making her uncomfortable.
She ran lightly down the stairs into the entryway to find a young man standing awkwardly, staring around him with a slightly awed expression on his face. “Hello, I’m Emma Reynolds, the housekeeper. I’ll show you all the phones.”
“Greg Patterson.”
“The housekeeper?” Joshua snorted.
Emma glared at him. “Thank you so much, Joshua. I’ll show him the phones. If you’d like, I made fresh bread. It’s in the bread basket on the counter.”
Joshua frowned at her. “Emma . . .”
She smiled serenely. “It’s your favorite. I know you’re on a break, so I made fresh coffee for you as well.” There. She’d given him a good reason to stay in the house and not make it look like they didn’t trust the phone man. She kept her smile, willing Joshua to follow her lead.