“I need sex every minute, but when a woman touches me, I end up despising them. My skin crawls and I find myself doing things, saying things . . .” He broke off, his lips tightening. “I’m not very proud of myself. I act like a bastard—and they just come back for more. Then I walk into the house and it starts all over again.”

“You have a woman there. Emma.”

Drake’s voice irritated Jake when he said her name. Smooth. Like velvet. Knots formed in his belly. “What about her?”

“She takes care of your son. Your house. Does all the things a man’s woman does for him. But you don’t have sex.”

“That’s right.” Jake’s voice rumbled with a low, warning growl. He didn’t want Drake, with his good looks and charm, going up to the house with Emma. That would push Jake right over the edge. “Not with Emma.”

Drake frowned at the sound of Jake’s voice. He took a good long look at Jake’s eyes and body language. “I thought this woman was just your housekeeper, but you’re pretty wound up about her, Jake.” Now there was curiosity in Drake’s voice.

Jake didn’t want Drake or anyone else curious about Emma. He hadn’t expected to want to be with her. To feel a sense of peace even with his body raging out of control. She was supposed to want to be with him, not the other way around. She’d turned his entire life upside down and he couldn’t do a damned thing about it. She had him suffering , physically, emotionally, in every way possible and his temper was getting shorter and shorter.

“I’m wound up, but not because of her,” Jake lied. And it was a lie. Blatant. Stupid. Hell, he was obsessive over Emma and getting worse every day.

He used every excuse to go into her room at night. He was pathetically grateful for the nightmares she sometimes had, and for the fact that she’d gotten used to him stretching out beside her while they talked in hushed, intimate voices. Of course she didn’t know his body was as hard as a rock, and that the moment he left her, he jerked off like some silly teenage boy with no control.

“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.