Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [74]
She nodded, her gaze never leaving Kelsov. “You are well?”
“I will be when I get clean,” Kelsov said.
“You will have the first bath,” Natalie said.
“No, that wouldn’t be polite. We have guests.”
But Natalie didn’t care about politeness when it interfered with her caring for Kelsov, Eve thought. “We could draw straws,” she suggested.
“Ladies first,” Joe said. “I saw a creek about a mile from here. If you can give me soap, I’ll make do there.”
Catherine nodded eagerly. “Great idea. I’m used to roughing it. I’ll go with you and—” She stopped suddenly. “No, I guess not. I’ll have a hot bath. You go first, Eve. I’ll wait for you.” She turned to Kelsov. “And you’re right, you’re our host. You go down to the creek with Joe. I guarantee that it will feel better than trekking through that marsh.”
“He will be cold,” Natalie was frowning. “I do not think that—”
“He’ll survive. Kelsov always survives.”
Eve smiled. “And he’s been telling me how strong and hardy he is. What’s a little fresh springwater to a titan like him?” She moved toward the bathroom. “I’ll hurry, Catherine.”
“Take your time. Don’t worry about me. I need to talk to Kelly anyway.” She made a face as she sat down gingerly on one of the wooden kitchen chairs. “Though I’ll have to scrub this chair as soon as I get up.”
Eve didn’t doubt it. They were all so filthy that she was reluctant to touch anything herself. Into that shower so that she could feel human again.
And the warm water did feel wonderful as it ran over her naked body. She worked the shampoo into her hair. Just stand here a moment and let the warmth seep into her muscles. She hated to be dirty.
But Catherine hadn’t been too bothered about her foul condition. She had bounced back and that wonderful vitality had gone into high gear. She was like Joe in that reaction to adversity. The adrenaline began to flow, and they came alive. It had been a perfectly natural response when Catherine had been about to go down to the creek with Joe. Considering her assignments in the jungle, she probably had no qualms about bathing with the men she worked with. It was more unusual for her to have caught herself and quickly changed her mind.
Had she thought that Eve would resent that intimacy?
And would she?
She had a sudden visual picture of Catherine naked and beautiful, covered with drops of water.
Hell, yes. Eve wasn’t perfect. She had the usual twinges of envy and possessiveness. She hoped that didn’t translate to giving in to the green-eyed monster. She had no right. Joe had given far more to her than she ever had to him during these last years. The only thing she could give him in return was love and freedom.
Somehow, the fact she was telling herself that she had no right didn’t seem to matter. The emotion was still there.
It had to matter. If Joe ever wanted to leave her, then she had to make it easy for him. He had lived with her obsession and endless hunt since the moment he had met her. He was entitled to walk away without having to look back at her. Whether it was alone or with another woman.
She had never thought of him with another woman until now.
Was it because Catherine was so much like him? Watching them together had been amazing. She and Joe were close, but Catherine was like his other self.
Stop it. She was borrowing trouble. She wasn’t going to go around spying on them just because she had noticed that affinity. She trusted Joe, and Catherine was becoming closer to her than anyone but her Jane. She had an idea that Catherine’s abrupt change of mind a few minutes ago was an indication that she was on guard to keep that closeness intact. Eve would not destroy either relationship because of doubts.
She began to wash the shampoo from her hair.
Enough of this soul-searching. What would be, would be. She could only do what she thought was right.
Loving Joe was right.
Helping Catherine find her son was right.
The rest would have to sort itself out as time went on.
“The Rakovac file,” Catherine said