The Keepers: Ethan. Rae Rivers
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that he minded. Kate, Sienna, and Jenna were welcome. They belonged here. But still.
He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed to the bathroom, knowing the shower would do little to cleanse the frustration gnawing at his gut.
At least it would cleanse the grime of the night.
His mind reeled with everything that had happened. The crows, the shifters, the hellhounds.
Jenna.
The shower was brief and hot, the air permeated with soap and steam when he finished. He walked to the door, towel-drying his hair with a vigour that resembled his mood.
Jenna’s sudden appearance in the bedroom doorway drew him to an abrupt stop.
“Oh!” Her jaw fell and her hand came up to cover her eyes. Her cheeks coloured, not surprising considering he was as naked as the day he was born.
“Looking for something?” he drawled, lowering the towel just enough to cover his crotch. His ass was on its own.
She shuffled in the doorway. Hair in a ponytail, black robe and barefoot, no armour in sight. Vulnerable. Beautiful.
The hint of her feminine side always intrigued him. He’d connected to her as a Keeper, one to another. He’d fought beside her, witnessed her strength, but thanks to sheer willpower and many cold showers, he’d never dared to dwell on what he’d find if he delved further.
A whole lot of woman beneath the warrior.
Her fingers covering her eyes opened just an inch. “Ethan!” she cried, her voice laced with exasperation.
And Jenna never did exasperated. Ever.
He bit back a grin. “You should’ve knocked.”
“Your door was open.”
“I wasn’t expecting company.”
“Clearly.” She peeped through her fingers again. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Tremendously.”
“Well then, in that case, let me join in too.” Surprising him, she lowered her hand and zeroed her gaze on him. Down there. Still blushing, but taking her fill.
This time, if he had the ability to blush easily, he would. Hot damn. Chuckling at her candour, he flashed a wide grin and slowly fastened the towel around his waist. “Happy?”
Her gaze did a lingering sweep across his body. “I’ve always wondered if your female fans were after your money or your body.”
“Now you know.”
“Definitely the money.”
He laughed and went to her, wondering why she was here, surprised at how much it pleased him – and how easily she made him forget everything else. It was always like that with her. “Attacking my manhood again? I thought you learnt your lesson in the forest.”
“I wasn’t attacking anything.”
“Yet we’re back to my manhood.”
“No we’re not.”
“I’d be more than happy to –”
“Not in your wildest dreams, stud muffin.”
“– make some coffee, if you’d like.”
A sheepish grin spread across her face. “That’s not what you were going to say!”
“You’ll never know, will you?” He took her wrist and drew her inside, frowning when she flinched. He froze. “You’re hurting.”
She didn’t reply. Didn’t deny it either.
A ripple of unease crashed his amusement and he quietly scanned her body for signs of injuries. She’d fobbed him off earlier in the tunnel when he’d asked if she’d been hurt. He’d suspected it then. He knew it now.
“What’s wrong? And tell me you’re fine and I’ll feed you to Declan,” he added.
She rolled her eyes. “Declan doesn’t scare me.”
“I know. That’s why you’re perfect for Kate. Now answer my question.”
Her shoulders fell and she blew out air. “I have some serious road rash on my back from the fall on the bike. Usually it would heal, but I caught a few shards of glass.” She held up a small first-aid box with her other hand. Damn, he hadn’t even seen the white box that always followed trouble. “I tried removing them but …”
With a single nod, Ethan put a hand on her waist, led her inside, and shut the door.
Asking for help hurt almost as much as the pain.
Jenna swallowed the pills Ethan had given her, watching him as he rummaged through the first-aid box on the kitchen counter. A mild frown drew his brows together and a muscle worked in his jaw.
He was worried. About her.
His wet hair had been finger-raked into place. Glorious tanned flesh contrasted the white towel. He had broad shoulders and a smooth, muscular back. He wore the mark of a Keeper, a large pentagram tattoo, on his upper right arm. A perfect resemblance of their connection to earth, his connection to his siblings and their witch. Five elements of nature. Earth. Fire. Air. Water. And Sienna, the spirit, that connected them all.
He turned around, the front of him even more muscular than the back, ripples of abs that continued into the towel around his waist. A towel that covered a very smooth, naked waist she had no business ogling.
But darn, she couldn’t help it. Fully dressed, she found it hard to tear her eyes away from him. Seeing him half-naked? Impossible.
She averted her gaze, suddenly all too aware of how underdressed they were. Something stirred inside, a swirl of desire that mingled with the curiosity, and she couldn’t deny the trickle of satisfaction that followed. She’d been alone for so long, trapped with people she despised. Survival – for herself and Kate – had been first and foremost on her mind. Not sex. It had been years since she’d felt any attraction to a man.
Until Ethan.
Oblivious to her scrutiny, Ethan tossed the box onto the couch beside her and headed to the bathroom. He stopped in front of a wooden drawer against the wall to pull out some clothes.
The glimpse of scarred flesh beneath his left arm surprised her. It ran along the entire length of his side from his hip to shoulder. A scar?
An old one. One his magic had never healed.
He shut the drawer and disappeared into the bathroom.
Puzzled, she sipped her water and looked around the room. A king-size bed nestled between two large windows overlooking the vineyards. The blinds were closed, the room lit by a single lamp. The wall opposite the bed had been tiled in natural stone tiles, a fireplace in the centre. Immaculate – which didn’t surprise her. Everything about him was neat. His kitchen, the restaurant, the way he dressed, even his hair. He was an overworked, cranky housewife’s dream.
With a charming smile, heaps of mystery and a body that could easily change the cranky status quo in a flash.
The thought sparked a grin and she leaned into the couch, wincing at the sting of pain in her back. She adjusted her robe.
Fluffy and soft. A little comfort in a lot of pain.
Ethan returned to the couch, dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of black draw-string cotton pants.
Darn. She’d liked him naked.
The smell of soap and man permeated the air and she released