Sea Haven 02 - Spirit Bound

into the very center of the room where a chair on rollers reigned supreme in the middle of U-shaped tables forming her workspace. In truth, he would have followed her anywhere, but he found her both exciting and sexy here in this room.

9
     
    STEFAN caught Judith’s long hair in his fist, wrapping it around his thick wrist in one quick looping motion, stopping her abruptly. He was surrounded by her, by the essence of who she was, and there wasn’t a single part of him that didn’t respond to that feminine allure. Surrounded by the vivid, brilliant colors that seemed to physically express the light and joy in her only amplified the growing need in him. This woman was home.
    She turned to him, stepped into the shelter of his body and lifted her mouth to his without hesitation. There was nothing at all gentle in his kiss. He devoured her, feeling their combined hunger rising like a tidal wave. His hands found bare skin beneath her thin tee, soft and warm and so inviting. She fit like a glove, but more importantly, there were no shadows around Judith for him to retreat into. She was like a glaring sun, a spotlight, bright and hot and so damned alluring there was no resisting her.
    Her slender arms circled his neck, her soft breasts pressed tightly to his chest until he felt every breath she took, every beat of her heart. He kissed her until neither could breathe, until it wasn’t enough and never would be. Her skin beckoned, smooth and heated and so soft he nearly groaned aloud at the simple pleasure of touching her.
    Judith was everything he wanted, more, everything he needed to come back to life. It was impossible, totally impossible to resist her, here in this room where she lived and breathed and surrounded herself with such beauty. He knew the bright, vivid colors reflected who she really was and he needed bright. He needed beautiful. His dull world, filled with violence and death, craved what only Judith could bring to him. He craved her beyond anything he could have imagined, a drug in his system, an urgent need he could no longer ignore, even though he knew it would make his pursuit of her more difficult.
    The heavy erection was a constant, painful demand impossible to disregard. His mouth turned from commanding to demanding. He kissed his way down her throat to the edge of her scooped tank. “I don’t want you wearing anything but that gold chain,” he whispered, kissing his way back up to her ear. His teeth nipped her earlobe. “Get rid of your clothes.”
    He wasn’t the kind of man to ask. He couldn’t change himself. This was Stefan Prakenskii with his woman, his other half, not a mark of Thomas Vincent’s. Thomas would be polite, Stefan didn’t know how to be, not when lust mixed so harshly with an unfamiliar welling emotion that was all-encompassing.
    He stroked his palm up her silken skin, tracing her narrow rib cage, enticing her even as he made his demand. Once more he took possession of her mouth, sinking into the velvet depths, tasting wild honey and survival, kissing her again and again, feeding on her magic.
    Stefan had learned at an early age to survive by controlling every aspect of his life, from his thoughts, especially his emotions and by handling any kind of pain. Kissing Judith was another form of survival. He had all but lost every vestige of humanity and here, in this room of absolute joy, he was surrounded by it. Her spirit merged with his until he couldn’t tell where she began and he ended. Here, more than anywhere else in the house, her spirit was alive and strong, surrounding his, merging, and amplifying every one of his own emotions.
    The walls of her kaleidoscope studio, the room itself, the very air, held the essence of Judith and there was no way to resist, not even with his gifts. Judith was a naturally sensual woman, her passion for life, for joy, for color was everywhere around him. She was wholly feminine and here, more than anywhere else, her sexual nature was just as easy to see as her compassionate side. She made him burn with need.
    “Your clothes,” he reiterated between his teeth, shaking with a desire that was more real than anything he’d ever known. “Take them off.”
    No amount of beating, no amount of caressing or stroking or any other form of inducement had caused him to lose control and yet now, with the one woman who counted, he could barely breathe with wanting her.
    Judith tilted her head back so that her dark eyes could meet his. He could see