Читать книгу: «The Keepers: Ethan»

CHAPTER ONE

THURSDAY AFTERNOON

BENNETT ESTATE, RAPID FALLS, CANADA

He felt her heartbeat beneath his fingers.

A slow, steady rhythm that quickened the moment he touched her. Tightening his grip on her hip, Ethan circled her, his senses tuned in to his surroundings – the crunch of forest debris beneath his boots, the trickle of water from the river behind him, her quiet breathing.

The setting sun had masked Jenna’s skin in a golden glow, the single braid of blond hair darker than usual. She stood poised with quiet confidence, her legs parted. She held the bow and arrow with practiced skill, the ease at which she handled the weapon never failing to impress him. Dressed in a tank top, army pants and boots, she looked prepared for combat.

He kept his gaze on the warrior woman, not surprised when her expression remained even, her back straight, as though the closeness between them had made no impact.

But her heartbeat gave her away.

“Ready?” he murmured, stifling a smirk.

“Of course.”

He tapped her elbow. “Straighten your arm.”

“You’re giving me archery tips?” Her brows raised, a mild grin playing on her lips. “Me?”

He nudged her arm for good measure and smiled. “If you need more time –”

“I’m ready, Ethan. Stop trying to distract me.”

He held out a hand toward the river, coloured with a touch of pink. “Don’t blink, it’ll be fast.”

“I’m faster.”

“Cocky, are we?”

“Confident.” On a gentle hiss of air, she drew back the arrow, ready for flight. “Stop stalling.”

Grinning, he mentally ditched the larger rock he’d had in mind and opted for a smaller one. Nothing like upping the challenge at the last minute.

He rotated his hand, the movement sparking a small whirlwind on the riverbed. A rush of energy swirled through him, bringing the familiar comfort he always felt when connecting to nature.

Air. His elemental power.

“On the count of three,” he murmured and began the countdown. In lightning speed, he directed the wind away from them. It hoisted the rock into the air with a force that launched it across the sky.

She released the arrow, followed by a triumphant cry when it connected with the target.

Smiling, she lowered the weapon and wiggled her butt and shoulders in a victory dance that extracted a laugh from him.

“You haven’t won yet, Pocahontas,” he reminded her.

Light blue eyes sparkled with mischief. Her bright smile emphasised high cheekbones and perfect teeth. She handed him an arrow. “Your turn. I showed you mine. Now you show me yours.”

He flashed his wildest grin. “That sounds kinky. Even for me.”

She laughed again. “In your dreams, stud muffin.”

“Stud muffin?” He shot her a look of disgust and snatched the bow from her, reaching for a confidence he didn’t quite feel. He wasn’t a bad aim when it came to archery, but Jenna’s talent for the sport outranked his.

“You remember what this final challenge means, right?” she called over her shoulder as she combed the riverbed for a rock.

“How could I forget?”

Their afternoon of combat practice in the forest surrounding their estate had once again turned into a contest. One he wasn’t guaranteed of winning. Not with her. Where she lacked his bulk, she made up for it with determination and skilled martial arts manoeuvres that frequently left him breathless. Lately, she’d been pushing harder, channelling her frustrations into their training sessions the same way he did.

She reached for a rock and straightened. “You miss this shot and you’ll be buying me beers on our next night out.”

“If I miss. Not gonna happen.”

“Right. Let’s get on with it then. I’m eager for the bragging rights that I was the woman to kick your ass.”

Yeah, he’d hate that.

Even if she was a Keeper, like him. A skilled warrior with heightened physical abilities who’d befriended his sister several years ago whilst training at the academy. They’d been inseparable until Jenna had been selected by The Circle, a group of ancestral witches who governed the rules of magic, to leave the academy and infiltrate their enemies, posing as one of them.

They’d assigned her to Kate Carrigan, a hybrid witch she’d protect above everything else.

Because that’s what Keepers did.

And protecting Kate meant rubbing shoulders with the very people wanting to harm her.

Bad ass.

Carrying four rocks, Jenna walked back to him and dropped them onto the ground at his feet. Her delicate brows lifted at his scrutiny. “You’re staring. It’s kinda creepy.”

“Just thinking how awesome you are.”

Although she’d meant for the punch to his arm to be playful, it still packed a powerful blow. “Flattery won’t score you a win. Time to settle this once and for all. Pay attention, stud muffin.”

“You really should stop calling me that.”

Her grin was all mischief. “No harm in trying to throw you off your game.”

“Scared you’ll lose?”

“No. Now stop stalling and man up.”

She reached for a rock on the ground, the movement shifting her t-shirt to expose smooth, tanned skin above her belt. The glimpse of ink surprised him.

A tattoo?

The urge to reach out, to explore, went ignored and he averted his gaze when she straightened. “How about we up the reward?” he asked.

“Feeling confident, are we?”

“Always. That make you nervous?”

“No.”

“Fine,” he said. “I’m upping the stakes. You win and I’ll not only be your personal beer slave, I’ll –”

“Do it shirtless too.”

He frowned.

“Come on,” she prompted with a laugh. “You’re that certain you’re going to lose?”

“Fine, it’s a deal. But if you’re choosing your prize, then I’m choosing mine.”

She laughed. “I think me running around shirtless would ruffle a few feathers.”

His included. And it wouldn’t be pleasant. The thought of her shirtless in public arrowed all kinds of objections through him.

“No,” he said firmly, refusing to dwell on why. “There’s something else I want.”

“Ooh, you sound serious.” She walked around him, straightening his arm that held the bow. “So what’s your prize?”

“You’ll tell me where you went last night.”

Her eyes widened. She met his gaze, a prickly silence overshadowing their previous playfulness. Her expression shifted from surprised to hesitant – both reactions he’d expected.

“You’ll be wasting your win on that answer, Ethan. It wasn’t important.”

“The fact that you snuck out at midnight without telling anyone tells me it was.”

“I needed air.” Frowning, she nudged the arrow at him. “Take the shot. It’ll be dark soon. You’re meeting your brothers at the restaurant in an hour and I’m on witch duty.”

“So you agree to the new terms of the challenge?”

“No.”

“Come on,” he mimicked. “You’re that certain you’re going to lose?”

“Fine. You’ll never win anyway and if you’re upping the game, I am too.”

He raised a brow.

“Don’t look so shocked. You’re the one who took us beyond the beers and shirtless fun.” She flashed him a smirk that softened the irritation in her eyes. “Next time you go on a business trip, I want to go with you.”

“You loathe boardrooms.”

“I do, but we both know your recent trip to New York had nothing to do with a meeting.”

Their gazes locked, the air sizzling with tension as she waited for him to contradict her. For a wild moment, he considered denying it.

“Searching for Hazel alone is dangerous and you know it.” Her expression tightened at the mention of the dark witch caster. Born to a lineage of witches who thrived on black magic, Hazel Brogan was a despised enemy and their greatest threat. After spending more than two years with her, Jenna had firsthand experience of everything the witch was capable of.

“Do my brothers know?” Hell, he’d never hear the end of it if his older brother discovered he’d been hunting their enemies. As it was, things were tense between them.

“You really think Archer would’ve kept silent if he knew?”

“I can’t sit around anymore waiting for our enemies to attack. And they will, Jenna. You of all people know that. Why wait? We find them, we end this.”

“We’re not murderers, Ethan.”

“You’re starting to sound like my brother. You really believe the best thing to do is to wait for them to strike?”

“No.”

“So why the lecture?”

“There’s a fine line between crazy and courageous.”

“Yeah, it’s called common sense. I’m not stupid. I’ve been careful.”

“Doesn’t make poking around a witch’s lair less dangerous. So we have a deal?”

“Provided you don’t tell my brothers.”

“I won’t.” She held up the rock. “Ready to miss your shot?”

Grateful for the diversion, he adjusted his grip on the bow and arrow in his hands. “Careful, Jenna. Over-confidence is a warrior’s downfall.”

Her grin derailed the moment of tension. Placing her hands on his hips, she twisted around him. “I’m all confidence and all warrior.”

He readied the weapon. “Never underestimate me when I want something.”

He became vaguely aware of her scent. Soft and fragrant, a subtle hint of pine cones. Counting back, she moved behind him, closer than required.

A ploy to distract him, no doubt.

But Ethan kept his focus, aligned his eyes with the arrow, and drew back his arm.

She leaned forward, her mouth against his ear, her hands on his hips. He zoned in, locking in his target, and slowly released the arrow.

“It’s you who shouldn’t underestimate me,” she whispered as her hand swept lower, her fingertips brushing his crotch.

He inhaled sharply at the unwelcome arousal and the arrow took off on a burst of air, missing its target completely.

Her soft laugh broke the silence.

He tossed the bow and caught her arm. “Using feminine charms to disarm me?”

“Not my fault you weren’t concentrating.”

“I was, until you put your hand on my gear.” And his body had acted wildly in response to her. Hot damn.

Her smile smacked of mischief. “I still won.”

“Foul play.”

She gasped when he tugged her closer. For a moment, they stared at each other in quiet amusement, their faces inches apart. When her heartbeat quickened, a testament that he wasn’t the only one affected by her little game, he couldn’t resist a grin.

“Take it like a man, Bennett.” Her husky voice stroked his arousal. “You lost.”

“I’m all man – which is exactly why you did that.”

“All’s fair …”

He moved swiftly, a speed he never tired of. Air escaped from her lungs in surprise as he backed her against a boulder. Securing her body with his, he reached for her hands, pinning them beside her.

“What are you doing?” Her breathing had turned choppy, her breasts rising and falling in tiny movements against his chest.

Damn sexy. Annoying.

“Is this fair enough?” he asked, his raspy voice surprising him. Hell, he was more aroused than he was letting on. His gaze fell to her mouth and for an insane moment, he wondered what she’d taste like.

A small smile curled her lips. “Easy, Casanova. There’s a big red line we’re stomping all over.”

“You’re the one who nudged the line first, Jenna.”

“We’ve been nudging it since the day we met.”

He blinked, surprised by her admission. Ah, so she’d felt it too.

He dipped his head, his mouth hovering against the corner of hers. He had the sudden urge to kiss her. To surprise her the way she’d done to him.

But held back, that big red line flickering like a runway.

They were Keepers, housemates, colleagues. Friends. A romantic fling didn’t fit into that combination. At all.

But still, he couldn’t resist teasing her.

He trailed a finger across her golden skin, pausing at the opening of her shirt that dipped between her breasts. “Next time, play fair and keep those curious hands off the merchandise.”

“Curious –? It was simply a distraction!”

He grinned wildly at her breathy protest and pressed his hips against hers, taking pleasure in the way her eyes widened when she felt his arousal. “Whatever you want to call it,” he whispered against her ear, “clearly, it worked.”