by Lara Lacombe
Meaning, her instincts were correct—there was something else going on, and it probably explained why Logan had initially resisted the idea.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Was that the problem? Maybe he was dating someone, and having to pretend to be in a relationship made him uncomfortable. It was a reasonable explanation.
“No.” He shook his head firmly. “I’m single.”
Olivia let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She hadn’t thought to consider Logan might have someone waiting at home for him. Now she didn’t have to feel guilty about taking him away and forcing him to pretend to be in love with her.
“What about you?” His gaze was probing as he searched her face. “Surely a beautiful, intelligent woman such as yourself has no shortage of dates.”
He thinks I’m beautiful? The compliment was a boost to her ego, and her inner twelve-year-old let out a little squeal of pleasure. “Not really,” she began, feeling her cheeks warm. “For starters, I don’t have much time in my schedule. I’ve dated some, but I’ve never found someone who wanted to stick around for the long haul.” She reached for the champagne and took a fortifying sip, hoping he wouldn’t press for more details. She didn’t feel up to sharing the whole sad story with him at the moment.
“And now it’s your turn,” she said, lifting a brow. “You’re handsome, employed and you don’t live in your parents’ basement. Quite the catch, by anyone’s standards. So why are you still alone?”
He was saved from having to answer right away by the arrival of the flight attendant, who collected their glasses. Logan stared after her, and Olivia got the distinct impression he was hoping she would come back to provide another distraction. Did I go too far? she wondered. Perhaps Logan didn’t want to share something so personal with her. Still, he had asked her first, and turnabout was fair play...
His silence stretched on, making her uncomfortable. Just as she was about to apologize for asking the question, he took a deep breath.
“There was someone,” he said quietly. “Her name was Emma. We were engaged.”
Oh, God, had she died? Olivia reached out and put her hand on Logan’s arm, feeling like the worst sort of idiot. He was probably still grieving, and she’d brought his pain to the surface. No wonder he’d hesitated to agree to this arrangement! “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
He glanced up, startled by her words. Then understanding dawned in his green eyes. “She’s still alive,” he said. A hint of bitterness crept into his voice. “And as far as I know, she and my former best friend are quite happy together.”
She had cheated on him? Olivia shook her head. The woman had to be some kind of crazy to give up a guy like Logan. Even though she didn’t know him all that well yet, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see he was a good man. “Sounds like you’re better off without them.”
He nodded. “I know that. It’s just hard to remember, some days.”
She squeezed his arm, understanding perfectly. Even though his former fiancée was still alive, he had suffered a loss, and she knew all too well what that felt like.
There were still times, two years after their deaths, that Olivia found herself driving home, her mind cataloging the list of topics she wanted to discuss with her parents. A joke a patient had told her. Her plans to repaint the kitchen. That new recipe she wanted to try over the weekend. And then she would remember they were gone and her grief would rise up in a fresh wave, no less powerful than the first time it had hit her. She kept waiting for the day when thinking of them didn’t bring such pain, but perhaps it would never come.
“Let’s move on,” Logan suggested, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to let things get so depressing.”
“That’s life,” Olivia said with a shrug. “No need to apologize.”
“I appreciate your understanding. But talking about Emma always puts me in a bad mood, and I’m not about to waste my one and probably only government-sponsored trip in first class being grumpy. Besides,” he added with a small smile, “we have homework to tackle.”
“I can’t believe they actually gave us packets,” Olivia said, accepting his change of topic. She leaned down and retrieved her backpack. The folder was a little crumpled from its time among her books, granola bars and other travel necessities, but it was still intact.
Logan produced his own folder and pulled out the stapled packet of pages within. He slid her a glance. “Did you get everything filled out?”
“Mostly,” Olivia replied, trying not to sound defensive. In truth, she hadn’t had time to answer every single question, and some of them were downright ridiculous. How exactly was knowing her mother’s maiden name going to help Logan more convincingly play her boyfriend? But she had tried her best, not wanting to let him down. “What about you?”
The tips of his ears turned pink. “I answered them all.” Olivia felt her eyebrows lift, and he shrugged. “I was always a good student.” He passed her his packet with a smile. “I don’t know if this will really help, but it’s worth a shot.”
Olivia slid her papers over to him in exchange. “If nothing else, you should be able to figure out all my internet passwords with this information.”
He laughed at that, and nodded at the pages in her hand. “Likewise. Promise you won’t hack into my bank account?”
She pretended to consider the question. “What’s it worth to you?”
A teasing glint entered his eyes. “How about another free drink?”
Olivia batted her eyelashes at him. “You sure know how to treat a girl.”
“That’s nothing,” he said, leaning forward to speak over the noise of the revving engines. “I brought some chocolate along, specifically for you.”
“Really?”
Logan grabbed his bag and opened it, revealing the contents. Sure enough, a bar of chocolate sat on top of a stack of books. The sight of it triggered a warm rush in her chest. The fact that he’d thought to bring her a treat meant a lot, and she suddenly wished she had thought to bring a gift for him.
The sentiment must have shown on her face. “Don’t worry,” he told her, zipping the bag closed again. “You can share it with me.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly. She wasn’t feeling that guilty. “We’ll see,” she said with mock seriousness.
He laughed, a deep, melodic sound that thrummed through her and sent pleasant tingles down her arms and legs. “I wouldn’t dream of coming between a woman and her chocolate.”
“I’m pretty sure wars have started over less serious offenses.”
“I’ll consider myself warned,” he said. He leaned back and gestured to the papers they held. “What do you say we get to it? Might as well be productive on this flight.”
Olivia nodded. “Okay. But be gentle.” Answering the personal questions had been easy enough, but having to sit next to Logan while he read her responses made her feel uncomfortably exposed.
He flashed her another one of those heart-stopping grins. “I was just about to say the same thing to you.”
“Good to know we’re on the same page then,” she said, unable to keep from smiling in return. She couldn’t imagine what Logan had to be nervous about, but it made her feel better knowing she wasn’t the only one who found this situation awkward.
She started reading the packet and soon lost herself in the back and forth of the questions and his responses. Most of it was just a catalog of facts: his favorite color, favorite food, favorite movie, that kind of thing. But rather than reply with one-word answers, Logan had taken the time to write paragraphs of information that gave her great insight into his personality. She smiled as she read about his fascination with fire trucks as a child, and how he had never lost his love of the color red. Or his memories of Sunday night dinner with his family, when his Italian grandmother had cooked mouthwatering meals from scratch. Her specialty had been spaghetti Bolognese, and Oliva’s stomach growled as she read his description of the flavors and textures of
the homemade pasta and sauce.
It went on like this for pages, and Olivia found herself lingering over his writing, not wanting to reach the end. Reading his answers made her feel closer to him, the same way she’d felt while wearing his jacket in his office. It was nice to see this unguarded version of Logan, to learn about things that probably never came up in casual conversation. It was as if they were taking the fast track to emotional intimacy, and she took a deep breath, reminding herself that it was all an act. Logan had shared these memories with her because it was his job, not because he truly wanted to build a bond with her. While she felt more drawn to him than ever before, she had to keep her distance for the sake of their safety.
If she couldn’t keep her head about her, this whole operation was going to blow up in their faces.
CHAPTER 7
Logan watched Olivia doze, happy to see her finally relaxed. He could tell from the dark circles under her eyes she hadn’t been sleeping well, and he hoped this nap helped. Based on what she’d told him about her work in Colombia, she wasn’t going to get much rest after they arrived.
He scanned through the questionnaire again, pausing here and there to linger over some of her answers. He’d practically memorized her responses, but the repetition gave him something to do. Besides, it was important he remained vigilant. If he let himself relax on this assignment it could mean the death of a lot of innocent people. So he read and reread her words, burning them into his brain. It seemed like a lot of effort for a random collection of facts, but it was easy to dismiss the risk from the safety of the airplane. Once they were on site, knowing exactly how Olivia took her coffee could be the difference between success or failure.
She was very precise in her answers, he noted. Her favorite color wasn’t just blue, it was the blue of a cloudless summer sky. Her favorite drink was mint tea sweetened with honey and poured over ice. She didn’t take sugar in her coffee, but instead added cream until it was the color of a brown paper bag. He smiled to himself, enjoying the images her descriptions evoked. It was a good thing she’d been so forthcoming in her replies, as it made his job a lot easier.
And it was a job, he reminded himself. Even though he found her incredibly attractive, even though the more he learned about her personally, the more he wanted to know, even though she was in danger and he instinctively wanted to protect her, he couldn’t afford to lose sight of the fact that once they returned to the US, they would go back to being neighbors who were too busy to really connect. It was a disappointing thought, but it was better to acknowledge the truth now than be surprised by it later. He wasn’t going to let a woman hurt him again.
Except... Olivia seemed different. There was no artifice in her gaze, no hint of falseness. Emma, on the other hand, had been a master of manipulation. He’d once marveled at her ability to work a crowd. She worked for an animal rescue charity, and once upon a time he’d been proud to watch her schmooze money out of donors, thinking she was a true believer in the goodness of her cause. She could charm the birds from the trees, and his mistake had been thinking her machinations didn’t extend to their relationship. He’d been so naive. Emma’s work made her a socially acceptable con artist. Sure, she didn’t rob people outright, but she played on their sympathies to separate them from their money, often lying to their faces if it meant getting a bigger check. He’d finally realized she enjoyed her job not because she was making a difference, but because she viewed it as a game. She got a rush from tricking people, and there had been no end to her capacity for deception. She’d seen everyone as a potential mark, and he’d been the biggest fool of all.
Looking back, he could see all the warning signs he’d missed before. But that was the point of hindsight, wasn’t it? Recognizing what you’d done wrong so you didn’t do it again. Except in his case, all his hard-learned lessons were fading from his mind as he spent more time with the woman next to him.
Olivia shifted in her seat, then settled into a new position with a sigh. It was a small, intimate noise, the kind a woman made in the middle of the night while lying in bed. It had been a long time since he’d been privy to such private sounds, and hearing one now triggered a wave of longing so intense it made him ache. What he wouldn’t give for the touch of a hand on his body! But he knew from experience that meaningless sex was not the solution to his problem. Scratching a physical itch did nothing to ease the loneliness in his soul, and he always walked away from the encounter feeling emptier. It was why he’d given up dating in the wake of Emma’s betrayal—until he was ready to really trust another woman, being with someone just made him feel worse.
He glanced out the window, but the cotton-candy clouds obscured most of his view. This was going to be a difficult assignment, but he’d never backed down from a challenge before. He wasn’t about to start now, especially under these circumstances. His team had been tracking cartel activity for the past several years, doing its best to cut off the supply chain in the United States. They’d had some successes, but the satisfaction that came from intercepting a few thousand kilos of dope was tempered by the knowledge that there was a seemingly endless supply waiting in the wings. If they could cripple Fantasmas del Mal, it would go a long way to reducing the amount of cocaine entering the country. They’d never been able to get close to the cartel’s operations before, but now...
He slid another glance at Olivia, tracing the delicate lines of her brow and cheekbones with his gaze. He hadn’t really talked about just how important this operation was because he didn’t want to put any added pressure on her. She was under enough stress already, worrying about the lives of her friends. But if the DEA could confirm the location of one of the cartel’s jungle super-labs? It would be a huge coup for them. The Colombians could shut the operation down, which would cause the cartel some major pain. Furthermore, the lab itself was most likely an intelligence gold mine.
He let his mind wander, imagining how one bust would lead to another, and another... If they played their cards right, they might even be able to bring down the whole organization. The power vacuum wouldn’t last long, but they could do a lot of good in the interim and it would send a message to the other cartels that the DEA never gave up.
Olivia shifted again and Logan tucked his daydreams away. He couldn’t let himself get caught up in that imagined future, or else he’d miss what had to be done in the present. As much as he wanted to be the one to lead the charge, his job on this operation was to gather the necessary intelligence so they could mount a successful takedown. It was vital to find out as much as possible now so there were no surprises later. Normally, this part of the job went smoothly.
But then again, he normally didn’t have to worry about protecting a civilian.
Fortunately, he didn’t think Olivia would be much of a burden. Sure, she had no operational training to speak of and didn’t know the first thing about gathering the type of information the DEA needed, but she was an intelligent woman who kept her cool under pressure. It was an important skill, one that not everyone possessed. In fact, in Logan’s opinion, it was the only thing that mattered. Everything else was trainable.
Not that they would have much time for that kind of thing. He might be able to teach her some basic self-defense moves, but that was about it. Certainly not enough so she could hold her own in a fight, if it came to that. All the more reason to stay close to her. The thought filled him with a perverse satisfaction that he didn’t want to examine too closely. Keep it superficial, he reminded himself.
It was a message he was going to have to keep repeating if he wanted it to sink in.
* * *
Olivia inhaled deeply, drawing the rich, loamy scent of the jungle into her lungs. The air was thick with humidity, but it still felt refreshing after spending so much time in the cold, stale air of the plane. She slid a glance at Logan to gauge his reaction and hid a smile as he mopped at his brow. Hopefully it wouldn’t take him too long to adjust to the climate—she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable t
he entire trip.
The Jeep hit a divot in the road so hard it made her teeth clack together painfully. She grabbed the door for support and tightened her grip on the backpack at her feet. The cartel’s money lined the bottom of the bag, and while she had managed to put it out of her mind on the plane, now that they were in Colombia she was acutely aware of the risk she was taking. If the bag was lost or stolen, it would mean the death of her friends.
Fortunately, Logan was here to help her keep an eye on it.
He laid his hand on her arm and squeezed, the gesture a sweet reassurance that she wasn’t alone. “You can relax,” he said softly. “It’s not going anywhere.”
She nodded, acknowledging his point. Besides, if she didn’t stop worrying, she was going to drive herself mad. She let go of the bag and put her hand back in her lap.
Logan reached over and threaded his fingers through hers. A thrill shot through her at the contact, but she tamped it down. It was part of the act, she reminded herself. They had to maintain a consistent image now that they were in Colombia—there was no way to know who was spying for the cartel.
She turned and smiled at him, scooting closer until their legs touched. He draped his arm around her shoulders, holding her in place as the Jeep bounced along the road.
“How much longer?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Maybe half an hour. It depends on the road quality.”
He grimaced. “You call this a road? Looks more like an overgrown deer trail to me.”
“You’re in the jungle,” she replied simply. “What did you expect?”
“Fair enough.” He was quiet a moment. “It really is beautiful, though.”
Her heart warmed at his words. She’d fallen in love with the lush growth of the rain forest on her first visit to Colombia as a child. Her grandmother’s home had backed up to a section of the forest, and she’d taken many walks among the trees with her parents, marveling at the exotic plants and animals, so different from anything she’d seen in Virginia. The fact that Logan seemed to appreciate it as well made her happy and also a tiny bit proud. Even though she’d grown up in the United States, her parents had been raised in Colombia and the country had always held a special place in her heart.