She was looking quite stunned. Caine was satisfied by that reaction. 'I'll tell Harry he'll have to come to England if he wants to see you. We won't be going to him. I'll also tell him I made you promise me. He won't argue over that.'
'How long have you known, Caine?' she asked.
'That you're afraid of the water?'
She timidly nodded. 'Since the first nightmare,' he explained. He took her back into his arms. 'You've been worried, haven't you?'
'A little,' she whispered. Then she shook her head. 'No, Caine, I wasn't just a little worried. I was terrified. Harry wouldn't understand.'
A long ponderous moment passed before she whispered, 'Caine, do you think me a coward for being afraid of the water?'
'Do you have to ask me that question?' he replied. 'Don't you already know the answer, Jade?'
She smiled then. 'No, you don't believe I'm a coward. I'm sorry for insulting you by asking. I'm just not use to admitting…'
'Sweetheart, Poseidon wouldn't go back in the water if he'd been through your terror.'
She started to laugh and cry at the same time. She was so relieved he'd just taken her burden away, she felt positively light-headed. 'Nathan's stronger than 1 am,' she said then. 'He's going on the waters again.'
'Nathan isn't human, love, so he doesn't count,' Caine replied.
'Oh, he's human, all right. If I tell you a secret, will you keep it? You won't torment my brother with…'
'I promise.'
'Nathan gets seasick.'
Caine laughed. 'He's going to make a hell of a pirate then,' he drawled out.
'I love you.'
She'd blurted out her confession, her face hidden in the lapels of his jacket.
He quit laughing. 'Did you say something?' he asked, pretending he hadn't heard her. He nudged her
chin up and stared down into her eyes.
It took her a long time to get the words out again, and every ounce of courage she possessed. Her throat tightened up, her heart hammered a wild beat, and her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots.
She wouldn't have been able to tell him if he hadn't helped. The look on his face was so filled with love,
it made some of the panic ebb away. The dimple did the rest. 'I love you.'
He felt relieved, until she burst into tears again. 'Was that so difficult? To tell me you loved me?'
'It was,' she whispered while he kissed her tears away. 'I'm not at all used to telling what's in my heart.
I don't believe I like it at all.'
He would have laughed if she hadn't sounded so damned vulnerable. He kissed her instead.
'You didn't like making love the first time, either,' he reminded her before kissing her sweet mouth once again.
Both of them were shaking when they drew apart. He would have dragged her over to the bed if Sir Richards' bellow hadn't interrupted them.
They sighed in unison. 'Come along, sweetheart. It's time to go.'
He started out the doorway, tugging her by her hand.
Lyons and Richards were waiting for them in the foyer. The time for gaiety was quickly put aside. They walked in silence through the backwoods where Matthew and Jimbo waited with their horses.
Caine took the lead. Jade was next in line, with Lyon responsible for protecting her back. Sir Richards trailed last.
Caine was cautious to the point of fanaticism. The only time they stopped to rest was when he backtracked on his own to make certain they weren't being followed. Still, Jade didn't mind the inconvenience. She was comforted by his precautions.
Each time Caine left, Lyon stayed by her side. And every time he talked to her, the topic was always about his file. It was apparent he was concerned about someone else getting hold of it.
She suggested he steal his own file so that he could gain peace of mind. Lyon shook his head. He tried
not to smile as he explained it wouldn't be ethical. There might also come a time, he added, when someone would question one of his missions. The file couldn't be destroyed or stolen, for the truth was his protection.
Jade didn't argue with him, but she decided the file would be much better protected in his home than in the War Office. She made the decision to take care of that little chore on her own.
By the time they reached the outskirts of London proper, the sun was setting. Jade was exhausted from the long ride. She didn't protest when Caine took her into his lap. She rode the rest of the distance with his arms wrapped around her.
And all the while she kept thinking to herself that Caine was such a solid, reliable man. A woman could depend on him.
She was just drifting off to sleep when they reached his town house. Caine went inside first, curtly dismissed
