LITMIR.BIZ

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shot him a castrating look. “I’d sooner wallow in mud.”

      “Yeah, that sounds fun, too.”

      Rio filled a clean mug with coffee and handed it to her. “There’s sugar on the counter and milk in the fridge if you want it.”

      “No, this is fine,” she murmured. “Thanks.”

      There was a pause before the last word, as if it was added as an afterthought. He hoped that meant she was coming around to the point where she might cooperate with him, but he wouldn’t hold his breath waiting for that.

      “How do you like your eggs?” he asked.

      “Why ask her?” Luke quipped. “She ought to be cooking for us, if the princess knows how to scramble an egg.”

      Jaime marched across the kitchen, planted herself in front of the grease-stained range and grabbed the carton of eggs. She broke two into the small skillet and then glared at Luke. “How much arsenic do you want in yours?”

      “You got a smart mouth on you, you know that? I want them over easy, and don’t break the yolks.”

      Rio removed a pan of toast from beneath the broiler and watched as she deliberately pricked the first yolk and let the yellow run to the edges of the skillet. If they made it through breakfast without a major flare-up between her and Luke he’d be surprised—and relieved.

      He didn’t put anything beyond Luke, especially if Jaime pushed him. He’d as soon rape her as not. The way he was looking at her right now evidenced the thought was already festering in his mind.

      When the eggs were ready, Jaime slid them onto a plate, sprinkled them generously with salt and pepper and then tossed a couple of slices of toast next to them. “Jelly?” she asked, eyeing a large jar of strawberry preserves.

      “Sure, sweetheart. Why not?” Luke said, smiling. “And I want you to sit with me while I eat. Right here,” he said, patting his right knee. “We need to get to know each other better.”

      Her expression was one of fury, but her hands were steady as she opened the jar and spooned a large helping of the sticky condiment onto the plate next to the eggs. Padding across the floor determinedly, she stopped inches from Luke.

      Luke patted his knee again. Jaime smiled. Rio’s muscles hardened into bulging knots as he braced himself for trouble. Jaime took the last step and then tripped, falling against the table as the plate dropped from her hands and landed upside down in Luke’s lap.

      Curses flew from Luke’s mouth as he leapt from the chair and grabbed her arm. “You bitch. You did that on purpose.”

      She tilted her 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

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