Fool Me Once (12 page)

The
touch of his mouth turned her insides to jelly. It didn’t matter that it was
all for show, her heart still raced at his touch. She crossed her long legs,
clad once again in form-fitting trousers which were tucked into soft calfskin
boots. An off-white linen shirt completed her outfit.

“I
haven’t told you.” He leaned closer, tracing the line of her jaw with one
finger. “I like it when you dress like that.” Exerting a gentle pressure on her
chin, he turned her head around. The few hours of sleep had restored his
energy. “It’s very sexy, not that you need any help in that department.” His
gaze caressed her face, coming to rest on her mouth and he lowered his head,
his intention clear. Brushing his lips lightly against hers, his tongue traced
the outline of her mouth and a soft moan rose from inside her as she leaned
into him. His fingers slipped into her hair and for one wild moment she gave
herself over to the pleasure of his kiss, returning it with a heated passion
that left them both breathing hard. They were dimly aware of the steward
leaving the cabin, taking coffee to the crew in the cockpit.

“Olivia.”
He sifted his fingers through her hair, pinning her in place with the intensity
of his gaze. “I wish things were different between us. That we’d met in
different circumstances.”

She
was suddenly afraid that he could read her innermost thoughts, and that
wouldn’t do. She tossed her head, settling her hair back in place. “I don’t.”

She
turned to look out the window…anything to get away from those piercing eyes.

“Why
not?” He slid his fingers along her chin, gently turning her head until she was
forced to look at him. “Tell me, Olivia,” he murmured.

It
took every ounce of strength she possessed not to lean into him for another
kiss. “Because then I wouldn’t be having this adventure.”

“So
that’s all this is to you? An adventure?”

Was
that disappointment she heard? She watched him carefully, hoping for a glimpse
of what lay behind his eyes but he gave nothing away. “You’re the one who’s on
a mission. You’re the one who set The Rules. Remember?”

He
nodded slowly. “Every minute of every day. At least now you can understand why
it has to be that way.”

She
sipped her wine, absorbing his words. “Ever since I agreed to come with you
there are times when I feel completely out of touch with reality. It’s as
though I’ve turned into someone else.”

“You
know something, Darlin’?” He picked up her hand and she tried to retrieve it,
but he held on firmly. “I don’t think you know who you are, but I’d surely like
to be around when you find out.”

She
tensed, wanting to hear this but afraid to reveal any more of herself.

“Hear
me out. What I’m trying to say is that you’ve been so focused on your next
byline that you haven’t had time to get to know yourself. You’re talented,
you’re dedicated to your career, you’re a real pain in the butt, and you’re a
damned desirable woman.” He leaned toward her and she braced herself for
another kiss, but he looked past her out the window. “It looks like we’re
approaching Malaga.” He squeezed her hand. “Tell you what. When this is over,
you and I will continue this discussion. That’s a promise.”

* * *

“You’re
full of surprises,” she said as the motor launch pulled away from the busy
waterfront, cutting cleanly through the turquoise waters. The late afternoon
sun gilded the tips of the waves and Olivia looked back toward the shoreline
and the hills beyond. She’d been here once before but in the intervening years
those memories had become hazy. Besides, back then all of her time had been
spent on shore with Eliska and this was a completely different perspective.
Even so, she scoured the hills, searching for a familiar landmark. Eliska had
been a good friend. They had stayed in contact the first few years after
school, but careers and travel had intervened, and Olivia felt a pang of regret
as she realized that they hadn’t been in touch for years. The launch slowed
down and she shook off her reverie as they approached a sleek yacht. Lowered
stairs awaited their arrival.

“Here
you are, Darlin’.” Josh offered her his hand. “Your new home for a few days.”

The
yacht was tastefully appointed in earth tones, blonde wood and gleaming brass
accents. Ignoring the living area and the dining salon, Olivia gravitated
toward the spacious sitting area at the stern. “It’s beautiful,” she said, eyes
aglow. “Could we have our meals out here?”

“Of
course we can. Just mention it to one of the crew and he’ll set it up.” Josh
leaned his elbows on the starboard railing, studying the buildings strung out
along the shore. “Now that’s expensive real estate.”

Olivia
moved to the railing beside him, following his gaze. “When I was a teenager,
Dad sent me to school in Switzerland.”

He
turned to face her. “Did you hate it?” He seemed genuinely interested.

“Heavens
no. I loved it. I had a delightful roommate and we used to sneak away from the
dorm at night and go into town.” She smiled. “Her family moved to this area
while we were in school and I visited once, but I haven’t seen her for ages.”
She leaned over the railing, scanning the clear water for fish.

“She’s
Spanish then?”

“Oh
no. She’s Czech. I think we’re fairly close to their place, but it was a long
time ago when I visited, so I’m not sure. Her father built a huge place up in
the hills.” She stared into the distance, lost in fond memories. “Eliska and I
had what we called our secret code. We discovered that we both loved hot fudge
sundaes. I still do, as a matter of fact. But anyway, our motto was ‘Happiness
Is a Hot Fudge Sundae’. When one of us was particularly happy, all we’d have to
do was mention hot fudge sundaes and the other would know that things were
going well. Later on, after we went back home, we’d find cards with pictures of
ice cream on them and send them to each other.” She shook her head, as though
coming out of a trance.  “It’s too bad we didn’t keep in contact. I liked
her.”

He
slipped his arm around her waist. “Yeah. That happens.”

She
moved fractionally closer. It felt good to be held…no matter what the motive.
The strength and confidence he exuded was more powerful than a drug. And she
wanted more. An image of him on a dock in Marseilles flashed before her eyes
and pinpricks of apprehension darted across her skin.

Looking
around to ensure that they were alone, she lowered her voice. “You said to Dirk
that you were closing in. Will you be in danger?”

He
pulled her into his arms. “Why Darlin’ are you worried about me?”
She squirmed out of his grasp. “Don’t do that. I can’t think straight.” She
attempted a scowl. “And don’t try to change the subject.”

His
demeanor changed and for a moment she caught a glimpse of the hard-eyed
specialist he had once been. He gazed into the water and she could almost see
him deciding how much to tell her. “We don’t anticipate any danger. When we
decide to move it’ll be over in no time.” He laced his fingers together, and
Olivia could sense him withdrawing. “One less arms dealer selling weapons that
kill innocent people.”

“Well
I’m all for that.” She laid her hand on his arm. “I’m going to go below and get
settled. Can I get the steward to bring you anything?”

“No
thanks.” He seemed far away. “I think I’ll hang out here for a bit longer.”

* * *

Josh
looked down at his hands. His knuckles were white, but he didn’t see them. He
saw his brother’s face, carefree and full of youthful confidence as he prepared
to leave for Afghanistan. “Be happy for me,” Zach had pleaded, eager for his
older brother’s support. “I’ll be helping people who really need it.” Then he’d
turned and trotted across the runway, boarding the small aircraft that would
connect with his overseas flight. Josh swallowed painfully at the memory, then
dragged himself back to the present.

He
stared at the hills, surprisingly rugged and free of vegetation. Blazek’s
compound was somewhere in those dry hills. What would they find when they got
there? Because they
would
get inside, he was confident of that. As long
as he could bring Olivia and the arms dealer together, getting inside the
compound was the easy part. The hard part was waiting. Waiting and controlling
his burning desire for revenge. He forced himself to relax. It didn’t matter
that there was only a remote chance that Blazek had supplied the weapons that
killed Zach. What mattered was that the Czech was a symbol of one of the
tragedies of the modern world–the proliferation of terrorism. There were too
many men like Blazek; men who chose to ignore the consequences of their
activities. Corrupt, amoral men whose only goal was accumulated wealth.

He
was glad they’d teamed him up with Dirk. Where explosives were involved, a
two-man team could create havoc in very little time. The beauty of their plan
was in its simplicity, and its far-reaching repercussions. Blazek was one of
the top distributors in Europe and once he was exposed, other arms dealers
would become nervous, wondering if they were next. They would eventually
recover, but for a short while it would slow them down. Even one less shipment
could save hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives.

If
only he didn’t need Olivia. But she was a vital part of the operation and he
didn’t see any way around it. If anyone could get him inside the Blazek
compound, it would be her.

What
was that saying she’d quoted? ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame
on me.’ If only she knew. He felt an unfamiliar clutch at his heart. If she
found out how he was intending to use her for the second time she would walk
out of his life and for one heart stopping moment he realized that he didn’t
want that to happen. He pushed away from the railing. Who was he kidding? From
the instant he’d first laid eyes on her, he’d sensed that she was different
from any other woman he’d known. It was more than the obvious differences in
their backgrounds. Her vibrancy, her intensity drew him like a magnet. And that
mouth! It was caustic, it was saucy, and dammit, it was a pleasure to kiss. The
sooner they exposed Jiri Blazek the better.

* * *

When
Olivia came back up on deck, she found Josh lounging in one of the deck chairs,
his feet up on the railing. He seemed completely relaxed, and she wondered how
he could distance himself so casually from the evening ahead. They chatted
through dinner, their conversation deliberately skirting the more serious
subjects that were uppermost in their minds.

When
the plates were cleared and the coffee served, Josh turned to her. “When this
is over, I’d like to see you again.” Candlelight picked out the golden glints
in his eyes, and she thought he’d never looked more handsome. He took her hand
and held it gently.

Her
heart fluttered wildly. This was the moment she’d hoped for and now that it had
arrived she didn’t know what to say. She searched his face for a clue to his
thoughts.

“Why?”
she asked. She gave herself a mental smack, wondering where that had come from.

“I
would have thought that was obvious. I want to get to know you better.” The
smooth talking cowboy had been replaced by a more dangerous animal. If she
searched a lifetime, it was unlikely she would meet another like him. She was
getting dizzy just sitting next to him. It was too good to be true, and she
knew what that meant.

“But…”
she stumbled over her words. “I was just coming to terms with the fact that you
used me.”

“I
won’t apologize for that. What’s at stake is too important.” He released her
hand and pushing away from the table, walked to the railing. Gazing into the
darkness, his voice took on a far-away quality. “When we were kids, we had an
expression. When something wasn’t going quite the way we wanted, we’d call for
a ‘do over.’ That’s what I’d like with you. A chance to ‘do over.’”

There
was no mistaking his sincerity, and Olivia’s defenses crumbled. With a resigned
sigh, she joined him at the railing, their shoulders touching. The last smudges
of color were disappearing from the sky when he turned to her.

“Come
with me to my ranch. This part of the world is beautiful, but Montana is
breathtaking. I’d like you to see it.”

“Gee,
I don’t know.” She looked at him appraisingly, but the sparkle in her eyes
belied her words. “I was just getting used to the bad boy cowboy, but I confess
I like the sound of a ‘do over’.”

“Well,
Darlin’” he drawled. “I can’t promise that the bad boy won’t be back.” Reaching
out, he tucked her hair behind her ear. It was a gentle, intimate gesture and
her legs almost buckled. “But like I said at the beginning, what happens after
that would be up to you.” His eyes flashed like summer lightning.

“In
that case, I’d love to see Montana.” She held his eyes. “It will be a first for
me.’

* * *

The
seas were calm and dark as the powerful motorboat pulled away from the yacht.
Lights glittered along the shoreline; each building a jewel strung along the
coastal road. Olivia shivered, and Josh put his arm around her shoulders. They
pulled slowly up to the pier and their driver clambered out, steadying the
boat.