head back and stared at him defiantly.
Luke fit one hand around her smooth neck, letting his fingers dig into the flesh. “Lick it off,” he demanded. “Every drop. Lick it off.” He pushed her face into the sugary mound of red preserves that clung to his jeans.
Jaime’s knee jerked upward, connecting with Luke’s groin, and this time the man went totally berserk. Rio flew across the room, reaching them just in time to stop Luke’s fist before it slammed into Jaime’s jaw.
He shoved Luke against the wall. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Giving that tramp what she deserves. You saw what she did.”
“That tramp is the reason we’re here. Mess her up and you’ll answer to Poncho. We both will. Is that what you want?”
“Poncho or not, I’m not taking that off no woman.”
“She dropped a plate. That’s all.”
Luke muttered a new string of curses. “She didn’t drop it. She dumped it on me.”
“So get over it. We got a job to do and it doesn’t include roughing up the victim. You could get carried away and blow the whole ransom deal. You know what that will get you.”
The fight slowly went out of Luke. His muscles quit straining and his fists relaxed. By the time Rio let go of him, smoke was filling the room. Rio hurried to turn off the fire under the skillet.
And then he noticed that Jaime was nowhere in sight. Damn. In that split second when he was dealing with Luke, she must have made a getaway. But she was barefoot. She couldn’t have gotten far.
He rushed toward the back door and caught sight of a wave of blue fabric weaving through the trees. He took off running, the pine straw skidding from beneath his feet, low limbs from scraggly trees tearing at his shirt.
If she escaped, he could kiss goodbye any chance of continuing to be a player. He made a dive for her as she skirted the muddy banks of the lake. They both went down in a tangle of arms, legs and wild locks of blond hair.
Jaime lay beneath him, facedown and spewing clumps of damp earth from her mouth. He rolled her to her back, straddled her and pinned her hands above her head to keep her from fighting him.
Her dress hung off one shoulder, revealing a mound of perfect flesh and a deep reddish-pink nipple that stared him in the face.
His body hardened and desire engulfed him in blistering waves. He rolled off her, leaving her short dress to bunch at her waist. A few wayward blond hairs peeked from beneath the wisp of black lace pantie.
He groaned, but kept her pinned to the earth. A man could only take so much.
Chapter Four
Jaime’s heart pounded and her breath came in painful gasps.
“You’re not making this easy,” Rio said, staring into her eyes, his voice suddenly hoarse.
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Please, don’t.”
“I won’t hurt you.”
His words were all but drowned out by the sound of someone running in their direction. Luke. He’d been slower than Rio, but he was mere steps away now.
Rio let go of one of her arms and quickly tugged the shoulder of her dress back into place so that it covered her breast, his thumb brushing the tip of her nipple as he did. His muscles seemed to tense at the touch, but he didn’t linger. By the time Luke reached them, he’d pulled her skirt back in place so that she was completely covered.
“I see you found the runaway princess,” Luke said, his breathing still heavy as he almost stumbled over them.
“No thanks to you,” Rio snapped.
Luke’s face twisted into a scowl. “Don’t go laying the blame on me. She’d have never escaped in the first place if you hadn’t been acting like some macho hero.”
“I’ve just got better sense than to damage the merchandise before we’re paid for it.”
Luke spit in the dirt, the phlegm falling mere inches from Jaime’s head. Her stomach turned, but this time she bit back the angered sarcasm that flew to her tongue.
She had to play this smarter. Angering Luke wasn’t going to speed her escape or help her stay alive until her brothers could rescue her.
“Go back to the house,” Rio ordered. “I’ve got unfinished business with the princess.”
“You’re not my boss.”
“Damn good thing.”
“And you don’t own the woman.”
Rio laid a hand on Jaime possessively, his thumbs resting just below her breasts. Luke lingered, staring at her as if he could see right through the wrinkled dress before leering contemptuously and ambling back toward the house.
Rio’s gaze followed Luke until he’d completely disappeared in the trees. He exhaled slowly and scooted away from Jaime, letting go of her entirely.
“I can’t say much for the company you keep,” Jaime said.
“I didn’t do the choosing.”
“You’re here.”
“I do what I have to.”
“Then just let me go,” she pleaded. “I’ll pay you and you won’t have to split the ransom with anyone.”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
“It could.” But it was clear he wasn’t buying and what he did say didn’t make a lot of sense. “How much ransom did you ask for?”
“Can’t say.”
“Because you let those stupid thugs call all the shots?”
“For now, except with you. I’ll be calling the shots with you, and if you’ve got a brain in that pretty little head of yours, you’ll listen. Rule number one, don’t try anything stupid like that feeble escape attempt again.”
Not until she got half a chance.
Rio moved into a sitting position and tugged her up to do the same. “We need to talk, Jaime.”
“I’ve told you all I plan to about my brothers. You may collect a ransom, but you’ll never live to enjoy it. They’ll hunt you down and—”
“I know about your siblings. Your oldest brother Langston is CEO of Collingsworth Oil. Your brothers Matt and Bart run Jack’s Bluff Ranch. Your brother Zach is in law enforcement. Your sister, Becky, is married to Nick Ridgely, former Dallas Cowboy star.”
Just as she expected. The kidnappers knew her situation all too well. She hadn’t been a random hit.
“Who’s
