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.
'Caine, what are you…'
He silenced her with another long kiss, then whispered, 'It's called pillaging, Jade.'
'It isn't.'
'Harry would be proud,' he drawled out. His mouth was now placing wet kisses on the smooth, sensitive skin below her chin. She couldn't quit trembling.
'You're mine, Jade. The sooner you understand that, the better it will be for you.'
'And then what, Caine?' she asked.
He lifted his head to stare down into her eyes. He could see the fear there, and the vulnerability. 'You learn to trust me,' he whispered. 'And then we live happily ever after.'
'No one lives happily ever after.'
'We will.'
She shook her head. 'Get off me, Caine. You're…'
'Solid, love,' he interrupted. 'Steadfast, too. I won't leave you.'
The promise was given in a fervent whisper. She pretended not to understand. 'Of course you won't leave me. I'm leaving you.'
'I love you, Jade.'
Her eyes filled with tears. 'You'll get tired of me. I won't change, not for you, not for anyone.'
'All right.'
Her eyes widened. 'All right?'
He nodded. 'If you want to stay a thief, so be it. I won't get tired of you, no matter what you do. And
I'll never leave you.'
'You won't be able to help it.'
Caine kissed her brow, then said, 'I can see it's going to take a little time for me to convince you. Will you give me at least two months?'
'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
