Read Guardian Angel for Free Online

name?”
    â€œNathan.”
    â€œWhere is Nathan now?”
    â€œHe’s away on pressing business matters.”
    â€œWhat business?”
    She slapped his hand away before answering. “Shipping business.”
    â€œWhen will he be back?”
    Her glare could melt a lesser man. “Two weeks,” she snapped. “There, I’ve answered all your questions. Now will you please quit pestering me and get on with your assignment?”
    â€œWhere do you live, Jade?”
    â€œSir, your endless questions are giving me a pounding headache. I’m not at all used to having men scream at me.”
    Caine glanced down at Monk and let him see his exasperation. “The daft woman wants me to kill her, yet now complains about a headache.”
    She suddenly reached out, grabbed hold of his chin, and nudged him back to look at her. It was a deliberate imitation of his earlier action. Caine was so surprised by her boldness, he let her have her way.
    â€œNow it’s my turn,” she announced. “I’ll ask you my questions and you will answer them. I’m the one giving you the silver coins, sir. First, and most important, I want to know if you’re really going to kill me. Your hesitation alarms me. That and this endless inquisition.”
    â€œYou’re going to have to satisfy my curiosity before I decide,” he told her.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œThen I won’t kill you.”
    â€œYou scoundrel!” she cried out. “You promised me before you knew who your victim was. You gave me your word!”
    â€œI lied.”
    Her gasp of outrage nearly knocked her over. “You are a real disappointment to me. A man of honor wouldn’t so easily break his word. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
    â€œJade,” he answered. “I never said I was a man of honor.”
    â€œNay, miss, he didn’t,” Monk interjected.
    Her eyes turned the color of green fire. She was apparently furious with him. Her hands joined his on the tabletop. She leaned forward and whispered, “I was told Pagan never, ever breaks his word.”
    â€œYou were misinformed.”
    They were almost nose to nose now. Caine tried to concentrate on their conversation, but her wonderful scent, so clean, so fresh, so utterly feminine, kept getting in the way.
    She was shaking her head at him now. Caine was literally at a loss for words. He’d never had a woman stand up to him before. No, the ladies of the ton usually cowered when he showed the least amount of displeasure. This one was different, however. She wasn’t just standing up to him either. She was actually matching him glare for glare. He suddenly felt like laughing and didn’t have the faintest idea why.
    Her insanity was obviously the catching kind.
    â€œYou really should be hanged,” she said. “You certainly had me fooled. You don’t look like the sort to act so dastardly.”
    She tried to move away from the table but Caine’s hands covered hers, trapping her. He leaned down again, until his mouth was just a scant kiss away. “I’m a pirate, madam. We’re known to be dastardly.”
    He waited for another angry rebuttal. She burst into tears instead. Caine wasn’t at all prepared for that emotional display.
    While he reached for his handkerchief, Monk jumped to his feet and rushed over to comfort her. The barkeep awkwardly patted her on her shoulders. “There, there, miss, don’t cry now.”
    â€œIt’s all his fault,” she sobbed. “All I asked was a simple little favor. Just one quick task that wouldn’t take him any time at all; but, no, he couldn’t be bothered. I even offered to wait until he’d finished his refreshment,” she continued with a wail. “I was willing to pay good coins too.”
    By the time she’d finished her pitiful tirade, Monk was glaring at Caine. “You’ve upset the pretty,” he told