“The man’s a damned idiot.”

“Either that or he was a misunderstood idiot.” Joshua ducked behind a pillar. “They’re getting popcorn. It smells so good. Come on, Drake, buy some popcorn.”

“Will it shut you up?” Drake demanded furiously.

“I promise.” Joshua folded his arms complacently over his chest.

They hung back, waiting for Emma and her date to be seated in the darkened theater, before finding a space two rows behind her.

Joshua was enthralled with the comedy, laughing so heartily the girls seated next to him kept giggling together.

Drake dug elbows into Joshua’s ribs. “He’s making his move.”

“Who is?” Joshua’s eyes were glued to the screen.

“The guy, her date. He put his arm around the back of her seat.”

Joshua sat up, glaring daggers. “Wanna break his arm? We could make it look like an accident.”

“Oh, shut up. You’re no help. Just watch the damn movie.” Drake sounded totally exasperated.

“Fine.” Joshua managed to look hurt for all of five minutes, until the movie had him doubling over with shoulder-shaking chuckles.

They had a few bad minutes when the lights went up, finding themselves trapped by the people leaving. They had to pretend they were looking for something on the floor to allow Emma and her escort to pass. Drake sent up a silent prayer that Emma would go straight home, but it wasn’t answered. They were forced to follow her to the Chateau, a very expensive French restaurant.

Drake looked down at their work clothes and boots. “She’ll spot us for certain. Maybe we should wait outside.”

“If we wait outside, and we have to tell Jake about this evening, he’ll beat the crap out of us. And I don’t feel like taking a beating because Emma is feeling frisky.”

JAKE allowed the talk to flow around him. The scent of conspiracy was heavy in his nostrils and betrayal reeked at the table, but everyone there smiled and played their high-stakes games. Dean Hopkins, the manager for his small, seemingly failing business, was all for the sale, laying the advantages out carefully while the circle of investors nodded their heads and tried to convince him they were helping him out. Jake kept his face expressionless, watching them all closely, wanting to sniff out the underlying reason they were so set on buying a failing business.

The man who interested him the most was Bernard Williams, a lawyer for the firm known to represent his old enemy, Josiah Trent. Williams knew Jake was poised to take over Trent’s business. One false move and everything would come tumbling down. Yet here the man sat, prepared to sell Jake out and make him an enemy for life, over what? What did they know that he didn’t?

The small real estate chain hadn’t turned a profit in three years. Jake intended to keep it that way. He could afford the loss, but it shouldn’t have garnered any real attention, not from men like those seated around him, and certainly not the kind of offer they’d made. Hopkins must have discovered his plans and sold him out, or maybe he was a pawn. That was the question. Who had betrayed him? To find out, he would endure sitting through this boring charade, because once he found the man, he would destroy him . . .

Slightly bored, he glanced around the beautiful, elegant restaurant. A couple came through the door, catching his eye. For a moment time actually stood still, every muscle in his body paralyzed so that he was completely motionless. His heart seemed to stop beating. His breath stilled in his lungs until he couldn’t breathe.

Emma. His Emma. For two long years, he’d waited patiently for her to come alive. And now she had, but for another man. Not for him. Emma dressed up for another man; not for him. Emma smiling up at a perfect stranger and draping her sweater over the back of her chair. There was no possible way to concentrate on what was being said at his all-important meeting, so Jake didn’t bother to try. Who gave a damn about a few million dollars and a traitor when his life had just gone up in flames?

Emma looked beautiful. When he wrapped his hands around her throat, he’d be sure to tell her that. He’d come to catch a traitor, and the biggest one of all was the person he’d come to trust above all others.

He was going to fire every damn bodyguard he had working for him. How dared they allow her off the ranch without a guard? Who was the son of a bitch who was trespassing on his territory anyway? Jake recognized the bastard as the man who’d come to his ranch and worked on the phones. He’d probably seduced Emma in Jake’s own office. The image of her on his desk—naked—rose up to taunt him, and he felt the shift inside, the leopard snarling and fighting for supremacy. For one terrible moment he wanted to give the leopard freedom, wanted him to feel his enemy’s throat torn and bleeding beneath the crush of his jaws.

He rose, a fluid rippling of muscles, causing a sudden hush among his business associates. Without a word of explanation, he stalked across the room, carelessly loosening his tie, his eyes glittering gold, fixed on his prey. Emma glanced up, and her velvet eyes widened in surprise. Jake couldn’t detect the littlest bit of guilt. His fingers itched to punish her. Instead, he toed a chair around and very deliberately wedged it between theirs.

With casual ease he bent his dark head to her silky red one to brush a lingering and very possessive kiss on her shocked mouth. He made certain he used tongue, lots of tongue, one hand anchoring in her hair, forcing her head up so he could take his time making his statement. A blatant brand of ownership.

Color rose in Emma’s face and her eyes went emerald green, but she had sense enough not to pull away from him or fight. He let her feel the edge of his teeth on her soft lower lip before dropping into the chair, his mouth smiling, his amber eyes diamond hard. He extended his hand to the man. “Jake Bannaconni. I don’t believe we’ve met.” He remembered everyone, but he wasn’t about to let a rival believe himself memorable.