Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

through him. He didn’t have anyone who worried about him. “It won’t happen, Judith. Let’s just go ride the tractor and forget about anything else right now. We’re on your farm, the birds are singing and the weather is perfect. We have right now and the rest of the world is far away from us.”
    “Are you certain?”
    “Absolutely. And you promised me.” He kissed her again and then turned back toward their path.
    Judith hesitated, rubbing her hand along her thigh again as if it itched. His own palm burned more than itched. She stepped up beside him and tangled her fingers with his. They walked through the winding, meandering path out into the next circle of the garden, a scattering of artfully placed maple trees and weeping willows, with a natural bubbling creek banked on both sides by varieties of fern incorporated into the extensive gardens.
    The moment they were out of the shield of trumpet trees, and into the open Stefan’s warning system kick into high gear. They weren’t alone. Someone was stalking them in this little paradise Judith had created and that was okay with him. Stefan Prakenskii could handle snakes in the garden.

7
     
    “WHO else lives here, Judith?” Stefan asked, his tone casual, displaying a mild, conversational interest only.
    “The farm is one hundred thirty acres, and each of us has five acres so that we have our own private home. There are six houses here.” There was the slightest hesitation he doubted anyone else would have noticed. “My sister Rikki is married.” Her voice picked up speed. “We do have a central meeting place where we hold barbecues and work out. There’s a fairly good gym now. Lissa is really into good health, mind and body, all that sort of thing.”
    So she hadn’t wanted to admit that Rikki was married. Would Lev go that far to cover his tracks? It had been done before, but the results had been disastrous for both parties. Surely he wouldn’t repeat such a terrible mistake. Although if his life depended on it . . . Stefan swore to himself. Of course Lev would take advantage of any woman to stay alive. What other choice would he have?
    He took a calculated risk. “Maybe you should tell me what subjects are off-limits, Judith, so I don’t make any mistakes here. I can’t help being interested in your home and family, but if you’re uncomfortable disclosing anything personal, I’ll try to understand.” That was definitely a Stefan Prakenskii maneuver, pushing her into a corner, something Thomas Vincent would never consider doing.
    Judith sent him a small apologetic smile. “I guess you can tell I don’t go out much. I’ve forgotten how to converse normally.”
    She was very, very good at sparring. He was proud of her for her comeback. It didn’t suit his purposes so he wasn’t going to let her get away with it, but as a sidestep, it was good.
    “Then we’ll practice. This is where you tell me how you came to buy this amazing piece of property.” Start out small, nothing very threatening.
    He felt the small flare of power instantly subdued. She was suppressing emotions again. It was a vital clue and one he would hold on to until he had enough to piece together enough information to tell him what was threatening Judith. Whatever she was afraid of was somehow tied up in the purchasing of the farm.
    “I met some amazing women at a time in my life when I needed direction and maybe a safe place to rebuild my life—you know, take it in a positive direction. We built a strong bond of first friendship, and then sisterhood. Very quickly we realized we were stronger together. If we pooled our resources, we could build a better life together than apart. Blythe, my oldest sister, you met last night, had family here. She’d seen this little farm for sale and we snapped it up.”
    “It must have cost a fortune to buy a working farm.”
    “It was very run-down. We worked together to build it back up. The bare bones were there, and that was our first priority: to get the farm itself on its feet. We lived together in the big community building. It has a kitchen and a couple of bathrooms, so we had shelter while we planted and worked the land.”
    There was enthusiasm in her voice. He matched it and felt the expected kick of power, taking them both to the next level of passion for the subject—and she was passionate about the farm and her sisters. She kept herself restrained with a tight leash, but it slipped around him, little by little. He