Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood

clenched in her lap.
    â€œI haven’t had time for friends,” Jade blurted out.
    â€œI noticed the scar on your back,” Christina whispered. “I won’t tell Caine about it, of course, but he’ll notice when he takes you to his bed. You carry a mark of honor, Jade.”
    Jade would have bounded out of the chair if Christina hadn’t grabbed her shoulders and held her down. “I meant no insult,” she rushed out. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of . . .”
    â€œCaine isn’t going to take me to his bed,” Jade countered. “Christina, I don’t even like the man.”
    Christina smiled. “We are friends now, aren’t we?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen you cannot lie to me. You do like Caine. I could see it in your eyes when you looked at him. Oh, you were frowning, but it was all bluster, wasn’t it? At least admit that you think he’s handsome. All the ladies find him very appealing.”
    â€œHe is that,” Jade answered with a sigh. “He’s a womanizer, isn’t he?”
    â€œLyon and I have never seen him with the same woman twice,” Christina admitted. “So I do suppose you could call him a womanizer. Aren’t most until they’re ready to settle down?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Jade replied. “I haven’t had many men friends either. There just wasn’t time.”
    Christina finally picked up the brush and began to give order to Jade’s lustrous curls. “I’ve never seen such beautiful hair before. There are threads of red fire shining through it.”
    â€œOh, you have beautiful hair, not me,” Jade protested. “Men have a preference for golden-haired ladies, Christina.”
    â€œDestiny,” Christina countered, completely changing the topic. “I have a feeling you’ve just met yours, Jade.”
    She didn’t have the heart to argue with her. Christina sounded so sincere. “If you say so,” she agreed.
    Christina noticed the swelling on the side of her head then. Jade explained what had happened to her. She felt guilty because she was deceiving the woman, for she was telling the same lie she’d told Caine earlier, but her motives were pure, she reminded herself. The truth would only upset her new friend.
    â€œYou’ve had to be a warrior, haven’t you, Jade?” Christina asked, her voice filled with sympathy.
    â€œA what?”
    â€œA warrior,” Christina repeated. She was trying to braid Jade’s hair, then decided it was still too damp. She put the brush down and waited for her friend to answer.
    â€œYou’ve been alone in this world for a long time, haven’t you?” Christina asked. “That’s why you don’t trust anyone.”
    Jade lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Perhaps,” she whispered.
    â€œWe should go and find our men now.”
    â€œLyon is your man, but Caine isn’t mine,” Jade protested. “I’d rather just go to bed, if you please.”
    Christina shook her head. “Caine will have had his bath by now and must feel refreshed again. I know both men will want to ask you some questions before they let you rest. Men can be very stubborn, Jade. It’s better to let them have their way every now and again. They’re so much easier to manage that way. Do trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”
    Jade tightened her sash on her wrapper and followed Christina. She tried to clear her mind for the inevitable sparring ahead of her. As soon as she walked into the library, she saw Caine. He was leaning against the edge of Lyon’s desk, frowning at her. She frowned back.
    She really wished he wasn’t so handsome. He had bathed and was now dressed in clothes Lyon had given him. The fit was true, the fawn-colored britches indecently snug. A white cotton shirt covered his wide shoulders.
    Jade sat down in the center of the gold-colored