"Don't."

The harshness in his tone startled her. She quickly recovered. "Too late, Caine. I already do trust you. You'll keep me safe and I won't let you touch me. We have an easy pact, sir. Don't you try to muddy

the waters now with last-minute worries. It will all work out. I promise you."

A commotion in the entryway drew their attention. Caine recognized the voice.

One of his grooms was stammering out his need to find his employer.

"That's Perry," Caine told Jade. "He's one of my grooms. You stay inside this room while I see what he wants."

She didn't obey that command, of course, but followed behind him.

When she saw Lyon's dark expression, she knew something foul had happened. Then her attention turned to the servant. The young man had wide hazel eyes and dark crinkly hair that stood up on end. He couldn't seem to catch his breath but kept making a circle with the hat he clutched in his hands.

"Everything be lost, mi'lord," Perry blurted out. "Merlin said to tell you it were a miracle the whole block wasn't set afire. The Earl of Haselet's town house was just a bit scorched. There be smoke damage we would imagine, but the outside walls are still intact."

"Perry, what are you…"

"Your town house caught fire, Caine," Lyon interjected. "Isn't that what you're trying to tell us, Perry?"

The servant quickly nodded. "It weren't carelessness," he defended. "We don't know how it started, mi'lord, but there weren't any candles burning, no fire unattended in the hearths. God be my witness, it weren't carelessness."

"No one is blaming you," Caine said. He kept his voice contained, his anger hidden. What the hell else could go wrong? he wondered. "Accidents happen."

"It wasn't an accident."

Everyone in the foyer turned to look at Jade. She was staring at the floor, her hands clenched together. She seemed to be so distressed, some of Caine's anger dissipated. "It's all right, Jade," he soothed.

"What 1 lost can easily be replaced." He turned back to Perry and asked, "No one was hurt?"

Lyon watched Jade while the servant stammered out the news that all the servants had gotten out in time.

Caine was relieved. He was about to give fresh orders to his groom when Lyon interrupted him. "Let me handle the authorities and the servants," he suggested. "You need to get Jade out of London, Caine."

"Yes," Caine answered. He was trying not to alarm Jade but he'd already guessed the fire had something to do with the men chasing after her.

"Perry, go to the kitchen and get something to drink," Lyon ordered. "There's always ale and brandy on the counter."

The servant hurried to comply with that suggestion,

Lyon and Caine both stared at Jade now, waiting for her to say something. She stared at the floor. She was wringing her hands together…

"Jade?" Caine asked when she continued to hold her silence. "Why don't you believe it was an accident?"

She let out a long sigh before answering. "Because it isn't the first fire, Caine. It's the third they've set. They do seem, partial to fires."

She lifted her gaze to look at him. He could see the tears in her eyes then. "They'll try again, and again, until they finally catch you… and me," she hastily added. "Inside."

"Are you saying they mean to kill you by…?" Lyon asked.

Jade shook her head. "They don't just mean to kill me now," she whispered. She looked at Caine and started to cry. "They mean to kill him, too."

Jade wiped the tears away from her face with the backs of her hands. "They must have somehow learned your true identity," she whispered. "When I went into the tavern, I thought you were Pagan… but they must have known all along, Caine. Why else would they burn your town house?"

Caine went to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He led her back into the drawing room. "Monk wouldn't have told them," he announced. "I don't know how they could have… never mind. Jade, no more half explanations," he ordered. "I have to know everything."

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," she said.

Lyon followed the pair inside the salon. He shut the doors behind him and then took his seat across from the settee. Caine gently forced Jade to sit down beside him.

Jade looked at Lyon. "I think we lost them last night when we jumped into the Thames. Perhaps, if you told Perry to pretend to continue his search looking for Caine, whoever is watching will assume you

didn't know where we were."

Lyon thought that was an excellent plan. He immediately agreed and went in search of the servant.

As soon as he left the room, Jade turned to Caine. "I can't stay with you. I understand that now. They'll kill you trying to get to me. I've tried not to like you, sir, but I've failed in that endeavor. It would upset me if you were hurt."

She tried to leave after making that explanation but Caine wouldn't let her move. He tightened his hold around her and hauled her up close to his side. "I have also tried not to like you," he whispered. He

kissed the top of her head before continuing. "But I've also failed in that endeavor. We seem to be stuck with each other, sweet."

They stared at each other a long while. Jade broke the silence. "Isn't it peculiar, Caine?"

"What's that?" he countered in a whisper to match hers.

"You've just lost your town house, we're both in terrible danger now, and all I want is for you to kiss

me. Isn't that peculiar?"

He shook his head. His hand moved to cup her chin. "No," he answered. "I want to kiss you, too."

"You do?" Her eyes widened. "Well, isn't that the…"

"Damnedest thing?" he whispered as he leaned down.

"Yes," she sighed against his mouth. "It is the damnedest thing."

His mouth took possession of hers then, ending their conversation. Jade immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. Caine nudged her mouth open by applying subtle pressure on her chin, and when she'd done as he wanted, his tongue swept inside.

He meant only to take a quick taste, but the kiss quickly got out of control. His mouth slanted over hers with hard insistence.

He couldn't get enough of her.

"For the love of… Caine, now isn't the time to…"

Lyon had made those half statements from the doorway, then strolled back over to his chair. Caine, he noticed, was reluctant to stop kissing Jade. She didn't have such reservations, however, and shoved herself away from her partner with amazing speed.