Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

his gaze to drift over her body.
    Judith was drenched. Completely, utterly drenched and dripping water on the carpet. Her long hair hung in thick black tails and droplets of water beaded on her skin reminding him of dew on rose petals. Her clothes were nearly transparent and she was shivering continually, her teeth actually chattering, although she was so upset she didn’t appear to notice. She was shivering and it wasn’t all due to the cold. She believed herself responsible for a man’s death and that sort of thing could take its toll on a civilian. She was bordering on shock.
    Stefan frowned and took a step toward her. She stepped back and swift impatience crossed his hard features.
    “Judith, you’re soaked. We can do this after you’ve gotten in a warm bath.”
    When he saw her head shake, he turned his back on her and walked down the hall to her bedroom, stripping as he went. He wasn’t about to argue with her. If she didn’t follow him, he was going to do more than act a cretin, he was going to throw her over his shoulder and dump her shivering little ass in the bath.
    His shoulder stung like hell and he had to limp with the heel of his boot missing. God, he was tired and worried about his brother. The last he’d seen of Levi, he’d been taken away in an ambulance. Stefan would never believe Ivanov was dead, not until he saw the body.
    He piled his wet clothes in the sink, started Judith a bath and wrapped a towel around himself, more for warmth than modesty. He was every bit as soaked as she was. He waited there in the bathroom, studying his arm. It was the second time he’d gotten nailed and he had a fresh chunk of muscle missing. His shoulders were just too broad for cat-and-mouse games with killers.
    He heard her padding down the hall on her bare feet. The moment she stepped through the door he reached for the buttons on her jeans, yanking the waistband open and jerking the denim down to her thighs. “Off,” he commanded. “Just take the damn things off and get in the bath.” Even as he let go of her jeans, he caught her tank top and dragged the soaked material over her head, tossing it on top of his wet clothes before she could protest.
    Judith steadied herself by placing a hand on his chest as she kicked off the wet jeans. “I’ll look at your shoulder first.”
    “You’ll get into the bath. You’re shaking like a leaf. This is nothing I haven’t had happen before. Hurts like hell, but won’t kill me.” He took her arm and urged to her toward the bathtub. “Get in. I’ll take a shower and wrap it.”
    “You’re so bossy,” Judith complained, making a face at him as she stepped into the steaming water.
    “Your teeth are chattering and if you shake any more you’re going to break something.” She was understandably upset, although he still wasn’t entirely convinced of Levi’s “truth under any circumstances policy,” but if she wanted him to, he’d give it a try—as long as she wasn’t in any danger. Of course, she’d handled herself very well and she’d probably use that as an argument. It wouldn’t fly with him, but he’d listen.
    “What did you mean when you said Ivanov drove his car off the cliff?”
    “I doubt he was in it.” There. That was the truth. Her face went white and he cursed his brother under his breath. “Go under the water and get your hair wet with hot water. You’re still cold, Judith. And don’t worry about Ivanov. If he’s still alive”—and he had no doubt in his mind Ivanov was alive and nursing his wounds somewhere—“we’ll find him.”
    She narrowed her eyes at him. “By drugging me and going out every night to search for him?”
    He caught up a towel and stood behind her until she did as he’d asked and dunked her long hair under the hot water. He waited until she wrung it out, and threw the thick mass over her shoulder with a careless gesture and a smoldering glare. He towel-dried the long, silky strands, rubbing and massaging her scalp to get her warm.
    “I admitted that was a mistake, Judith,” he said quietly. “I’ve never been in a relationship before, and my first instincts are always to protect you. I thought I was doing that. Apparently I was wrong.”
    She started to turn her head but he held her firmly, preventing her from moving while he dried her hair thoroughly. He realized he was vaguely angry. He wasn’t used to acknowledging emotions and at first thought he was sharing her anger, but he had to admit,