Guardian Angel - Garwood Julie. Страница 80

Lyon nodded. "God help you now, friend. It isn't going to get any easier after you've married her.

When is the wedding, by the way?"

"Yes, Caine, when is the wedding?" Nathan demanded.

"There damned well will be a wedding." Colin made that statement of fact. He was frowning intently at his brother.

"Yes," Caine answered. "There will be a wedding."

"Sounds to me as if you don't have any choice, son," Sir Richards interjected. "Will you say your vows with a pistol aimed at your back?"

"If a pistol is needed, it will be aimed at Jade's back, not mine," Caine countered. "I still have to convince her that I mean what I say. Hell, I'll probably even have to get down on one knee in front of her men."

Even Nathan smiled over that picture. Colin scoffed. "Jade won't make you kneel before her," he said.

"No, but Black Harry sure as hell will," Caine replied.

"Who is Black Harry?" Richards asked.

"Nathan, you start explaining," Caine announced. "While I go after Jade."

"She's gone?" Nathan asked.

Caine stood up and started for the door. "Of course she's gone. I never make the same mistake twice, Nathan. I'll be back soon."

Since Caine was already wearing his riding britches and boots, he went directly to the corral housing the horses.

The speckled mare was missing. "How many men do you have trailing her?" he asked the stablemaster.

"Three at the back door chased after her," the servant answered.

Caine bridled his stallion but didn't bother with the saddle. He grabbed hold of the black mane and mounted the steed in one quick motion.

He trailed her to the cabin on the edge of his property. She was standing next to the creek, watering her horse.

Caine broke through the trees, then goaded his mount into a full gallop. Jade heard the sound of pounding hooves. She turned to run into the woods. Caine's stallion never broke stride as he leaned down and lifted her into his arms. He slammed her bottom down in front of him, turned direction and headed back toward home.

He didn't say a word to her, nor she to him, and he didn't slow his pace until they'd reached their destination.

Sterns was waiting at the front door. Caine dragged Jade up the steps. "Lock her in her room!" he roared. "Post two guards below her windows and two more outside the door."

He didn't let go of Jade until he'd dragged her inside the house and bolted the door behind him.

He kept his expression as ugly as he could manage until he was once again inside the library. When he was back in his chair behind his desk, he let himself smile.

"I assume you found her," Nathan said.

"I did," Caine answered. "Impressed the hell out of her, too. Now catch me up on what you've told my friends," he ordered.

The talk returned to the letters and the men didn't finish formulating their plans until well past eleven. Richards and Lyon were given chambers in the North wing. Both appeared to be reluctant to say goodnight.

Richards insisted on taking the copies of the letters to bed with him. "There's information still to be ferreted out," he announced.

No one argued with the director. Caine went directly to Jade's room. He dismissed the guards, unlocked the door, and went inside.

Jade was reading in bed. She wouldn't look at him, but kept her gaze on the book she held in her hands.

"You need more light if you're going to read," Caine announced. "The fire needs to be stoked, too. It's damned cold in here."

She didn't even look up at him. "It's ridiculous to pretend I'm not here," he told her, his exasperation obvious in his tone.

"As ridiculous as giving back everything I take?" she countered, her attention focused on her book.

Caine added two more candles to the bedside table. He went to the hearth next. "Where's Sterns?"

he asked.

"Sterns has gone to bed," she answered. "You'd make a good butler, Caine. Your man has trained you well."

He didn't jump to the bait. "You're spoiling for a fight, sweetheart, but I'm not going to accommodate you."

"I'm not spoiling for a fight," she snapped. She slammed her book shut while she watched him add another fat log to the embers.

In the firelight, his skin looked as bronzed as a statue. His shirt was opened to the waist, his sleeves

rolled up to his elbows. The fabric was stretched tight across the back of his shoulders, showing the

splay of muscle there when he reached for the iron staff to prod the fire into a full blaze.

She thought he was the most appealing man in all the world.

Caine turned, still bent on one knee, and smiled at her. The tenderness in his gaze tugged at her heart.

He was such a good man, a trusting man, a loving man.

He deserved better than the likes of her. Why didn't he realize that obvious fact?

Tears welled up in her eyes and she started trembling. It was as though the blankets had suddenly turned into snow. She was freezing… and terrified.

Don't ever let me leave you, she suddenly thought. Make me stay with you forever.

Oh, God, how she wanted to love him, to lean on him.

And then what would she become, she asked herself, when he left her. How in God's name would she survive?

The change in her was startling. Her face had turned the color of her white nightgown.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" he asked. He stood up and walked toward the bed.

"Nothing," she whispered. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just cold," she added in a stammer. And afraid, she wanted to add. "Come to bed, Caine."

She desperately needed to hold him close. Jade added to the invitation by pulling the covers back for him. Caine ignored her request. He went to the wardrobe, found another blanket on the top shelf, then draped it over the other covers on the bed.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," she answered, trying not to sound too disgruntled.

"If you aren't too tired, I want to ask you a few questions," he said.

"Ask your questions in bed, Caine," she suggested. "You'll be more comfortable."