he was close to the top.
He hit the hallway floor running, streaking fast, fear clogging his throat. Cathy Bannaconni was more than capable of harming Emma. She would immediately sense Emma’s vulnerability and go for the jugular, battering her emotionally and physically. Worse, Emma might admit that the child she was carrying was Andrew’s, and everything he planned could be lost.
“You money-hungry, conniving little whore, you will never be mistress here. You’re nothing. An opportunist. Some little tart who lost her husband and hops in bed with my son the next day to trap him with your mongrel of a child. Give me my grandson immediately or I’ll have you thrown out on your whoring ass.”
As Jake entered the nursery, he could see Emma, pale and defiant, her chin up, aquamarine eyes shimmering with fire, as she held Kyle to her with a protective fury. Blood surged to his cock, heated, unexpected, inappropriate. She looked glorious, a spitting wildcat protecting her cub, quite capable of biting off a hand if it came too close.
“Don’t you touch him,” Emma said. “Jake’s down in his office and he can decide whether or not you’re going to take Kyle out of the house. No one takes him without Jake’s permission, not even you. And you don’t get to come into our home and bully our nurse or our cook, and you certainly don’t drag the baby out of his crib when he’s asleep and scare him like that. I don’t care who you are.”
“ Your nurse?” Cathy screamed. “ Nothing in this house is yours and it never will be.” She stepped closer, thrusting her twisted, angry face close to Emma’s. “You can count on that. I’ll see you in hell before I ever see such a tramp attached to my family.”
“Cathy.” Jake said her name, his voice low, rumbling with menace.
Both women whirled to face him. Instantly the room went silent. Kyle abruptly stopped crying, as if the sound of Jake’s voice reassured him. Emma dropped her face protectively over the baby, but not before Jake saw the sudden sheen of tears. He walked to her, breathing deep, stilling the raging monster rising to the surface in a fury of temper, wanting to rend and tear and destroy. Very gently he rested his hands on Emma’s shoulders, deliberately dropping a kiss on top of her head.
“Take Kyle and go to your room, Emma. Let me deal with this person.”
“Jake!” Cathy wailed his name. “This—your mistress was so rude to me.”
Emma shook her head. “Jake, I wasn’t.”
“Go, honey.” He stroked a hand down the length of her hair. “You aren’t supposed to be out of bed. Take Kyle. He doesn’t need to be in here.”
Emma didn’t look at Cathy, but caught up Kyle’s favorite blanket and walked out, her bare feet padding down the hall toward her room.
Jake took another calming breath and let it out. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see my grandson.” Cathy’s eyes narrowed.
“And I’ve heard the rumors; we all have. I can see that nothing’s changed. You’re still the same, Jake. Irresponsible and foolish. You’re a womanizer and you don’t seem to realize that there are women who are clever and manipulative who will trap you in any way that they can. I’m your mother—”
“Get out.” He bit out the words, his fingers curling involuntarily, knuckles aching, bones cracking. He felt sharpened claws ripping into the palm of his hand, tearing at his own flesh. He opened his hands and flexed, holding the rapidly forming paws out away from his body where she could see the long, wicked claws protruding from his fingers as the change threatened to consume him. “Get out now.” The scent of something wild, something feral, permeated the room.
Cathy backed away from him, stinking of fear. He could hear her heart racing, beckoning the predator. She gasped as she saw Jake’s eyes go completely golden, the orbs darkening into the focused stare of the leopard. She turned and ran, a small wail of absolute
He hit the hallway floor running, streaking fast, fear clogging his throat. Cathy Bannaconni was more than capable of harming Emma. She would immediately sense Emma’s vulnerability and go for the jugular, battering her emotionally and physically. Worse, Emma might admit that the child she was carrying was Andrew’s, and everything he planned could be lost.
“You money-hungry, conniving little whore, you will never be mistress here. You’re nothing. An opportunist. Some little tart who lost her husband and hops in bed with my son the next day to trap him with your mongrel of a child. Give me my grandson immediately or I’ll have you thrown out on your whoring ass.”
As Jake entered the nursery, he could see Emma, pale and defiant, her chin up, aquamarine eyes shimmering with fire, as she held Kyle to her with a protective fury. Blood surged to his cock, heated, unexpected, inappropriate. She looked glorious, a spitting wildcat protecting her cub, quite capable of biting off a hand if it came too close.
“Don’t you touch him,” Emma said. “Jake’s down in his office and he can decide whether or not you’re going to take Kyle out of the house. No one takes him without Jake’s permission, not even you. And you don’t get to come into our home and bully our nurse or our cook, and you certainly don’t drag the baby out of his crib when he’s asleep and scare him like that. I don’t care who you are.”
“ Your nurse?” Cathy screamed. “ Nothing in this house is yours and it never will be.” She stepped closer, thrusting her twisted, angry face close to Emma’s. “You can count on that. I’ll see you in hell before I ever see such a tramp attached to my family.”
“Cathy.” Jake said her name, his voice low, rumbling with menace.
Both women whirled to face him. Instantly the room went silent. Kyle abruptly stopped crying, as if the sound of Jake’s voice reassured him. Emma dropped her face protectively over the baby, but not before Jake saw the sudden sheen of tears. He walked to her, breathing deep, stilling the raging monster rising to the surface in a fury of temper, wanting to rend and tear and destroy. Very gently he rested his hands on Emma’s shoulders, deliberately dropping a kiss on top of her head.
“Take Kyle and go to your room, Emma. Let me deal with this person.”
“Jake!” Cathy wailed his name. “This—your mistress was so rude to me.”
Emma shook her head. “Jake, I wasn’t.”
“Go, honey.” He stroked a hand down the length of her hair. “You aren’t supposed to be out of bed. Take Kyle. He doesn’t need to be in here.”
Emma didn’t look at Cathy, but caught up Kyle’s favorite blanket and walked out, her bare feet padding down the hall toward her room.
Jake took another calming breath and let it out. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see my grandson.” Cathy’s eyes narrowed.
“And I’ve heard the rumors; we all have. I can see that nothing’s changed. You’re still the same, Jake. Irresponsible and foolish. You’re a womanizer and you don’t seem to realize that there are women who are clever and manipulative who will trap you in any way that they can. I’m your mother—”
“Get out.” He bit out the words, his fingers curling involuntarily, knuckles aching, bones cracking. He felt sharpened claws ripping into the palm of his hand, tearing at his own flesh. He opened his hands and flexed, holding the rapidly forming paws out away from his body where she could see the long, wicked claws protruding from his fingers as the change threatened to consume him. “Get out now.” The scent of something wild, something feral, permeated the room.
Cathy backed away from him, stinking of fear. He could hear her heart racing, beckoning the predator. She gasped as she saw Jake’s eyes go completely golden, the orbs darkening into the focused stare of the leopard. She turned and ran, a small wail of absolute
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