"She might be reminding you who she is, Caine."

"That's part of it," Caine said. He completed his change of clothes, stomped into his boots, and started

for the door.

"Then what's the rest?" Nathan asked as he trailed after him.

"Harry's right," Caine muttered.

"What?"

"She's trying to impress me."

Nathan laughed. "That, too," he agreed.

Caine bellowed for Sterns as he bounded down the stairs. The servant appeared at the doorway to the drawing room. "Lyon will find Richards for us," Caine said. "When the two arrive, make them wait until

I get back, no matter how long it takes."

"What if your friend can't find Richards?" Nathan asked.

"He'll find him," Caine answered. "I probably won't be back before tomorrow morning," he said. "Take care of things while I'm gone, Sterns. You know what to do."

"Meaning the guards, mi'lord?"

Caine nodded. He started for the door, but Sterns' question stopped him.

"Where are you going, mi'lord?"

"Hunting."

The door slammed shut.

Matthew and Jimbo appeared to be as weary as Jade was by the time they reached their destination. It had been decided that they would spend the night in the isolated inn Harry frequented when he was on the run. Jade had insisted they take a roundabout way there, adding two more hours' travel, just as an added precaution against being followed.

The innkeeper was a friend of Black Harry's, a little on the disreputable side as well, and therefore never asked unnecessary questions. If he thought it odd a finely dressed young lady was traveling with two

men who looked like they'd cut a man's throat for two pence, he certainly didn't remark upon it.

Jade was given the center bedchamber above the stairs. Jimbo and Matthew took the rooms on either

side of her. Since the walls were paper-thin, neither man worried that anyone would be able to breach their temporary fortress. The steps were so old and rickety, a mouse would have made noise.

Jade soaked in a hot bath, then wrapped herself in Caine's robe. She was stiff and out of sorts by the

time she went to bed. Her injury from the pistol shot was almost completely healed now, but it still

itched something fierce.

Jade fell asleep saying a prayer that the nightmare would not visit her tonight, worrying she might cry

out and cause Matthew and Jimbo alarm.

The air turned chilly during the night. Jade burrowed under the covers. She never felt Caine climb into

the bed beside her. When he put his arm around her and gently pulled her up against his side, she let

out a soft sigh and snuggled closer to his familiar warmth.

Moonlight filtered through the small window. He smiled when he saw she was wearing his robe. Then

he slowly slipped the garment off her. That task completed, he removed her knife from under the pillow, then began to nibble on the side of her neck.

She was slow to wake up. "Caine?" she whispered, her voice a sleepy blur.

"Yes, love?" he whispered in her ear before his tongue swept inside to tease. She started shivering. It

was just the reaction he wanted.

His hand moved down her chest, circled her navel, then trailed a hot path to one of her breasts.

She sighed again. He was so warm, smelled so wonderful, and oh, how he was making the cold disappear.

Caine continued to stroke her while he waited for her to realize where she was. He was ready to silence her if she tried to call out.

The awakening came like a bolt of lightning. The palm of his hand cut off her gasp. "Now, sweetheart,

if you yell, I'll have to hurt Matthew and Jimbo when they come charging in here," he whispered. He rolled her onto her back, then covered her with his body. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

She shook her head. Caine slowly eased his hand away from her mouth.

"You're naked."

"So are you," he whispered back. "Convenient, isn't it?"

"No."

"Yes," he answered. "And it feels good, doesn't it?"

It felt marvelous. She couldn't admit that, however. "How did you get in here?"

He kissed her chin in answer to that question. Jade prodded his shoulder. "Caine, what are you doing here?"

"Impressing you, sweetheart."

"What?"

"Keep your voice down, love," he cautioned. "You don't want to wake up the boys."

"They aren't boys," she stammered out. She sounded breathless. The hair on his chest was tickling her breasts, making her nipples hard. She didn't want him to move away from her, though, and that honest admission made her frown. Lord, she was confused. "Impressing me, Caine?" she whispered. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Of course you do, sweet," he answered. He kissed the bridge of her nose. "God, I love your freckles," he said with a low groan. He kissed her long, hard, and when he was finished, she was clinging to his shoulders.

She recovered much quicker than he did. "Have you come to say goodbye then?" she asked him in a ragged whisper.

Her question was meant to rile him. The defenses again, he thought to himself. "No, I didn't come to

say goodbye," he answered, determined not to get angry. "I came to make love to you."

He grinned after making that promise. Jade's heart started pounding. It was the damned dimple, she told herself. It was too irresistible to ignore… and so appeal-ingly boyish. He didn't feel like a boy, though. No, he had the body of a fit man, a warrior with sleek iron-hard muscles. She couldn't stop herself from rubbing her toes against his legs.

"Someday, my love, you're going to understand just how much I care for you. You're my light, my warmth, my other half. I only feel alive when I'm with you. I love you."

He kissed her again, then whispered, "One day, you'll tell me you love me, too. For now I'll be content

to hear you say you want me."

She shook her head. Caine could see the fear in her eyes, the confusion. His smile was filled with tenderness when he pushed her legs apart and settled himself between her silky thighs. He rubbed his

hard arousal against her softness. "You do want me, love."

She closed her eyes with a telling sigh. Caine nibbled at her lips, tugging on her lower lip until she finally opened for him, then thrust his tongue inside to duel with hers.