Guardian Angel (39 page)

“Caine, I don't think . . .”

“You owe me, Jade.”

“I what?” She sounded outraged. “Why would you believe I owe you anything?”

“Because you deceived me,” he explained. “You caused me endless worry, too. And there I was, minding my own affairs that night in the tavern when you . . .”

“I also saved your brother,” she interrupted.

“Then there's the issue of my wounded pride, of course,” he drawled out. “A man shouldn't be made to feel he's been manipulated.”

“Caine, for heaven's sake.”

“Promise me you'll stay with me for two more months or I'm going to make so much noise when I pillage you, both Matthew and Jimbo will come running.”

That odious threat got her full attention. The determined look in his eyes told her he meant what he threatened, too. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Promise me, Jade. Now.”

His voice had risen and she clamped her hand over his mouth in retaliation. “Will you explain how you settled on two months instead of one, or three, or . . .”

He shrugged. She feigned irritation. “And during those two months you'll probably be dragging me to your bed every single night, won't you?”

“I will,” he answered with a grin. “Do you know, whenever I look at you, I get hard?” He shifted positions and pressed against her. “Can you feel how much I want you? You make me ache to be inside you.”

His honesty made her blush. “You shouldn't say things like that,” she whispered. “And I shouldn't listen.”

“You like it,” Caine told her. His mouth covered hers and his tongue slid inside to taste her again. Jade didn't protest. She wanted him too much to stop now. She moved against him, then froze when the bed made such a loud, squeaky noise.

“We can't . . .” The denial came out with a groan.

“We can,” he said, his voice a husky caress.

He silenced her worries with another kiss while he stoked the fire in her. Jade forgot all about Matthew and Jimbo. Caine was making her burn and all she could concentrate on was finding release from the sweet agony.

His fingers drove her wild. She was wet, hot, ready, knew she was going to die from the pressure building inside her. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades. She would have shouted for him to come to her if his mouth hadn't covered hers. Caine kept the torment up until she took him in her hands and tried to bring him inside her. He threw the coverlet off the bed, then followed it down to the floor with Jade protected in his arms. He cushioned the fall, taking most of the force on his back. Jade was sprawled on top of him. She tried to roll to her side, but Caine held her tight. “Take me inside you now, love,” he whispered as he pushed her thighs apart to straddle him.

She was trembling too much to help. Caine took over. He held her by the sides of her hips and slowly eased into her. He let out a low groan of raw pleasure. She whimpered at the same moment.

When he was deep within her, he twisted her hair around his hands and pulled her down for another hot kiss.

The mating rhythm took over. Caine's discipline deserted him. His thrusts became more powerful, more determined. “Take me to heaven again, Jade,” he whispered when he was about to spill his hot seed inside her. “I'll keep you safe.”

Jade found her release seconds later. She arched against Caine, squeezed him tight, biting her lip to keep herself from crying out, and then collapsed on top of him.

Her face was buried in the crook of his neck. They were both covered with a sheen of perspiration. Jade tasted his skin with the tip of her tongue while she waited for her heart to slow down. She was too exhausted, too content, to move. Caine held her close. She could feel his heart pounding against her own.

“What are you thinking, Jade?” he asked.

When she didn't answer him, he pulled on her hair. “I know you found fulfillment. Are you going to deny it now?”

“No,” she whispered shyly.

Caine moved to his feet in one fluid motion with Jade in his arms. When they were both back in bed and under the covers, she tried to turn her back to him. He wouldn't allow her retreat, but forced her to face him. “Well?” he demanded.

“Well, what?” she asked, staring into those dark eyes that made her feel fainthearted.

“I'm good, aren't I?”

The dimple was back in his cheek. She couldn't help but smile. “Good at what?” she asked, pretending innocence.

“Pillaging.”

She slowly nodded. “Very good,” she whispered.

“And did I impress you?” he asked.

“Perhaps just a little,” she answered. She let out a gasp when the palm of his hand pressed against the junction of her thighs. “What are you doing?”

“Impressing you again, sweetheart.”

The man was as good as his word, Jade decided a long while later. And he had far more stamina than she did. When he finally rolled away from her, she felt like a limp rag. She fell asleep with Caine holding her close, whispering words of love.

She didn't have any nightmares that night.

By noon, they were back at Caine's house. Matthew and Jimbo couldn't leave for Shallow's Wharf quickly enough. They were both mortified by their slip up of the night before. They'd obviously underestimated the Marquess. Matthew didn't think he'd ever live down the disgrace; though, of course, Jade promised not to tell anyone he'd been caught so unaware.

Hell, Caine had prodded him awake, and how in God's name such a big man was able to get into his room without making a sound still baffled him.

As soon as they returned to Caine's home, Jade changed her gown and then went to Caine's study to make copies of the letters for him. She listened to him explain his plan. She argued something fierce about trusting Richards, but agreed that Lyon could hold a confidence.

“When you meet Richards, you'll like him as much as you like Lyon,” Caine replied. “You'll trust him as much, too.”

She shook her head. “Caine, I like Lyon, yes, but that isn't the reason I trust him. No, no,” she continued. “Liking and trusting are two different kettles of fish.”

“Then why do you trust Lyon?” he asked, smiling over the censure in her tone.

“I read his file,” she answered. “Do you know, in comparison, Caine, you've led the life of a choirboy.”

Caine shook his head. “I wouldn't mention reading his file to him,” he advised.

“Yes,” she agreed. “He'd probably get as prickly as you did when I told you,” she added. “Lyon's file is just as fat as yours, but he didn't have a special name.”

Caine looked thoroughly irritated with her. “Jade, exactly how many files did you read?”

“Just a few,” she replied. “Caine, I really must concentrate on these letters. Please quit interrupting me.”

The library door opened then, drawing Caine's attention. Nathan walked inside. “Why hasn't anyone tried to get to you, Caine, since you've been here? It's damned isolated, and I would think . . .”

“Someone did try to get to Caine the day we arrived, Nathan,” Jade said without looking up.

When Jade didn't continue, Caine filled Nathan in on the details of the failed attempt.

“Nathan, how nice you look,” Jade said, completely turning the topic when she glanced up and saw his handsome shirt and pants.

“That shirt looks damned familiar,” Caine drawled out.

“It's yours,” Nathan answered with a grin. “Fits well, too. Colin has also borrowed a few of your things. We hadn't packed sufficiently when we were tossed into the ocean. Why hasn't anyone tried to get to you since that first day?” he added with a scowl.

Nathan started to pace the room like a tiger. Caine continued to lean against the edge of the desk. “They have.”

“What?” Nathan asked. “When?”

“They have not,” Jade interjected. “I would have known.”

“In the past ten days, four others have tried.”

“And?” Nathan asked, demanding more of an explanation.

“They failed.”

“Why wasn't I informed?” Jade asked.

“I didn't want to worry you,” Caine explained.

“Then you had to have known Matthew and Jimbo were here,” Nathan said.

“I knew,” Caine answered. “I left them alone, too, until they burned down my stables. Then I had a little talk with them. Couldn't you have come up with another plan to keep me busy while you went to see my father?”

He was getting all worked up again. Jade guessed he still wasn't over the fire yet. Sterns had said the stables were brand new. “I should have been more specific with Matthew,” she announced. “I left the diversion up to him. Still, he was very creative, effective, too. You were busy.”

“You took a needless risk going off on your own like that,” he snapped. “Damn it, Jade, you could have been killed!”

He was shouting at her by the time he'd finished that statement. “I was very careful,” she whispered, trying to placate him.

“The hell you were!” he roared. “You were damn lucky, that's all.”

She decided she needed to turn his attention. “I'm never going to finish this task if you two don't leave me alone.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and returned to her letter writing. She could feel his glare on her. “Why don't you both go see how Colin's doing. I'm sure he'd like the company.”

“Come on, Caine. We've just been dismissed.”

Caine shook his head. “Promise me you won't take needless risks again,” he ordered Jade. “Then I'll leave.”

She immediately nodded. “I promise.”

The anger seemed to drain out of him. He nodded, then leaned down to kiss her. She tried to dodge him. “Nathan's here,” she whispered.

“Ignore him.”

Her face was bright red when he lifted his mouth away from hers. Her hands were shaking, too. “I love you,” he whispered before he straightened up and followed Nathan out of the room.

Jade stared at the desktop a long while. Was it possible? Could he really love her? She had to quit thinking about it in order to calm the trembling in her hands. Richards and his friend wouldn't be able to read the letters otherwise. Besides, it didn't matter if he loved her or not. She still had to leave him. Didn't she?

Jade had worked herself into a fine state of nerves by the time dinner hour was over. Nathan had decided to eat his supper upstairs with Colin. She and Caine, and Sterns, of course, ate at the long table. They got into a heated debate about the separation between church and state. In the beginning, when Caine stated he was in favor of the separation wholeheartedly, she took the opposite opinion. Yet when he deliberately argued the opposing view, she was just as vehement in her rebuttal.

It was a thoroughly invigorating argument. Sterns ended up acting as referee.

The debate made Caine hungry again. He reached for the last slice of mutton only to have it snatched out of his reach by Sterns.

“I wanted that, Sterns,” Caine muttered.

“So did I, mi'lord,” the butler answered. He picked up his utensils and proceeded to devour the food. Jade took sympathy on Caine and gave him half of her portion.

Both Sterns and Caine looked at each other when the sudden pounding on the front doors echoed through the room. Caine lost the staring contest. “I'll get it,” he announced.

“As you wish, mi'lord,” Sterns agreed between bites of his mutton.

“Be careful,” Jade called out.

“It's all right,” Caine called back. “No one could have gotten to the doors without my men noticing.”

A good ten minutes elapsed before Sterns finished his second cup of tea. “I believe I shall go and see who's calling,” he told Jade.

“Perhaps it's Caine's papa.”

“No, mi'lady,” Sterns countered. “I have ordered the Duke and Duchess to stay away. It would draw suspicion if they began to pay daily visits to their son.”

“You really ordered them?” she asked.

“But of course, Lady Jade.” With a formal bow, the butler left the room.

Jade drummed her fingers on the table until Sterns returned.

“Sir Richards and the Marquess of Lyonwood have arrived,” he announced from the doorway. “My lord is requesting both brandy and you in the library.”

“So soon?” she asked, clearly startled. She stood up, smoothed the folds of her gold-colored gown, then patted her hair. “I wasn't ready to meet anyone,” she said.

Sterns smiled. “You look lovely, mi'lady,” he announced. “You'll like these visitors. They're good men.”

“Oh, I've already met Lyon,” she replied. “And I'm certain I'll like Richards just as much.”

As she started for the door, her expression turned from carefree to fearful.

“There's really nothing to be concerned about, mi'lady.”

Her smile was radiant. “Oh, I'm not worried, Sterns. I'm preparing.”

“I beg your pardon?” he asked. He followed after her. “What are you preparing for, mi'lady?”

“To look worried,” she answered with a laugh. “And to look weak, of course.”

“Of course,” Sterns agreed with a sigh. “Are you ill, Lady Jade?”

She turned to look at him when she reached the library door. “Appearances, Sterns.”

“Yes?”

“They must be kept up. Do the expected, don't you see?”

“No, I don't see,” he answered.

She smiled again. “I'm about to give Caine his pride back,” she whispered.