Fool Me Once

by Mona Ingram

  “You’re sure you didn’t see her talking to anyone?”

  “Listen, Morgan. We’re on the same side, remember?” Dirk covered the width of the patio in a few steps. “Is there anything to drink around here? God! I need a drink.”

  “Over there.” Josh motioned to the bar. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood staring into the pool. “We’re going to have to tell her, you know.” His voice was resigned. “I don’t see any other way around it.”

  Tell her what? Olivia edged closer, concealed by the vegetation and dark shadows.

  “I know. But I don’t like it.” Ice cubes clinked as Dirk fixed himself a drink.

  “Do you have a better suggestion?” Olivia peeked out from behind a shrub. Josh’s face looked haggard in the dim light.

  “Unfortunately, no.” Dirk sipped thoughtfully at his drink. “Let’s just be careful not to hurt her any more.”

  Josh bristled. “I hear you two got on pretty well last night. Is that a personal request?”

  Dirk shrugged. “Take it however you please. Bottom line is, she was more than just a little upset. Let’s go easy on her.”

  Josh glanced up toward the bedroom. “I never intended to hurt her,” he said softly. “That was the last thing on my mind.”

  “Well it’s a bit late now.” Olivia stepped out from behind the shrub and the two men backed up a step. “Which one of you would like to tell me what’s going on here?”

  “Olivia.” Dirk took a few steps toward her.

  She held him back with an outstretched hand. “And while we’re at it, what are you doing here?” She jerked her head in Josh’s direction. “With him?” She didn’t trust herself to look at Josh and focused her attention on Dirk. “You two obviously know each other. Convenient, wasn’t it? The way you just ‘happened’ along last night.” She frowned. “Or was it the night before?” She shook her head. “Oh, who cares?” She stalked past Dirk to the bar. “I need a drink, too. Then I’d like an explanation.” She splashed some brandy into a snifter.

  Settling herself on the chaise lounge, she looked expectantly at the two men. “All right gentlemen, I’m ready. Proceed.”

  “You have every right to be angry,” Josh began.

  She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Forget it, Cowboy. Don’t insult me with your sweet talk.” She looked at him suspiciously. “You are a cowboy aren’t you, or have you lied about that, too?”

  He looked confused. “No. I mean yes, I’m a rancher.”

  “Well that’s something at least. Now go ahead.”

  He glared at her. “I’m trying, but as usual you keep butting in.”

  “And I’ll keep doing it if necessary.” She took a small sip of brandy.

  He picked up a chair and placed it beside the chaise lounge. “All right. Dirk and I work for an organization called IATO. International Anti Terrorist Organization. Without giving too much away, I can tell you that they are headquartered in London, and draw on personnel, equipment and intelligence from several countries. Dirk is a former SAS agent, and as you already know, I was with American Special Forces.” He picked up her glass and took a drink with an intimacy that wasn’t lost on Dirk. “Your friends were right. I’m letting it be known that I’m in the market for RPGs and Semtex. The right connection could lead us directly to one of the biggest arms dealers in the world. Our intelligence sources inform us that he sells to the re-emerging Taliban, to Al Qaeda–who by the way are also working hard to rebuild, and to anyone else who can afford his product. We intend to put him out of business by exposing his operation.” He glanced at Dirk. “It was sloppy of me not to check the toilet stalls, but we’re counting on you to help us with some damage control on that front.”

  “Let me get this straight.” She swung her legs over the side of the lounge. “You both work for some shadowy anti-terrorist organization that nobody’s ever heard of?”

  “Well it wouldn’t be very effective if everyone knew it existed, would it?” Josh challenged.

  She considered this and nodded reluctantly. “I suppose not.” The enormity of what Josh had revealed was just starting to sink in. “So, you’re not an arms dealer?” Her heart was suddenly lighter. She wanted to throw herself in his arms. Almost as much as she wanted to smack him for deceiving her.

  “No, I’m not an arms dealer.” He spread his hands. “I’m sorry you had to find out the way you did.”

  Her temper flared. “You’re just sorry I found out. Period.” A sudden thought struck her. “And just where do I fit into this picture? Was it ever about playing poker?”

  “We learned that our target frequently meets his contacts while playing poker, making it imperative that I get in the high stakes games. So yes, that was partly it.” He glanced over her shoulder at Dirk, who shook his head in a warning. “But having you as my fiancée gave me respectability. A certain cachet, if you will.”

  “Thanks a lot.” His words were starting to sink in. “So you used me.” Her voice was low and tight. “So shame on you.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Josh frowned.

  She dug down deep inside, summoning every ounce of dignity she could find. She would not let him see how he’d shattered her foolish dreams.

  “It’s an old saying. ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” She stood up. “I can promise you one thing. You won’t get a chance to fool me again. I’m going back to London in the morning.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t.” He massaged back of his neck wearily. “I know this is rotten timing, but I have to go back to the casino. There’s a good chance I’ll make contact tonight.” He straightened his tie and slipped into his jacket, then turned to her. “Will you at least listen to what Dirk has to say? I should be back no later than five in the morning. Promise me you’ll stick around until then?”

  Chapter Six

  Olivia allowed herself to look at Josh for the first time since he and Dirk had come in. In spite of the dark smudges of exhaustion under his eyes, he was still as handsome as sin. She couldn’t refuse him now. “You’ve got some nerve, asking me to promise you anything.” She turned her back, so that he wouldn’t see the renewed hope in her eyes. “But okay. I won’t leave until after you come back.”

  “Olivia, I…” He came up behind her and her stomach fluttered. If he touched her now, she would shatter in a million pieces. “I’ll see you later.”

  She nodded mutely, afraid her voice would give her away. Moments later, the front door closed and Dirk cleared his throat.

  “Do you think we could scare up a cup of coffee? I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

  “In the kitchen.” She led the way. “The housekeeper leaves a pot ready to go for the morning.” She turned on the light and flicked the switch on the coffeepot. “Cream and sugar?”

  “Black thanks.”

  “Tough guy, huh?” She busied herself setting cups on the table and sat down with a sigh.

  “Right now I don’t feel very tough. I’m supposed to convince you of the importance of our mission and talk you into staying with Josh until we make contact with this arms dealer.” He pulled out a chair next to hers. “Frankly, I’m a bit out of my league. Charm is Josh’s department, not mine.” He gave her a quick, guilty look. “Sorry, that didn’t come out right.”

  She waved a hand in the air. “Never mind, it’s true. You know, there have been times when I’ve misjudged people, made some poor decisions, but never one like this. I can’t tell you how painful it is to know I was used.” Her fingers traced the grain of the old wooden table. “There’s that, but to be honest, what angers me even more is that I didn’t see it coming.” The coffeepot sputtered and she stood up, pouring steaming liquid into the two mugs. “I’m a journalist, for crying out loud. I should be perceptive enough to see past that slick patter he gave me when we first met. Josh Morgan has to be the most infuriating man I’ve ever met.”

  “Then I guess you shouldn’t have fallen in love with him,” he s
aid quietly.

  She was completely taken off guard and his words hung in the air for several moments before she responded.

  “Don’t be silly.” Her voice sounded unconvincing, even to her own ears. With a silent shake of her head, she fought the tears that welled up in her eyes. Her fingers tightened around the coffee mug, and the diamond sparkled as if to mock her. Funny how quickly she’d become accustomed to it. Splaying her left hand on the table, she rocked it back and forth, admiring the way the stone reflected the light back into her eyes.

  “Anyway, I know better than to fall in love with Josh Morgan. He set out The Rules before we left, just so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.”

  “The Rules?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh yeah. He made it clear that he wouldn’t fall in love with me.” She frowned, remembering the way Josh had spoken. “It was almost as though he were afraid. He said something about not being able to do his job.” She was exposing herself, but what could she lose? Her emotions had already been stripped bare in front of Dirk. “Do you have any idea what that was all about?”

  “And after all that you fell in love with him anyway?”

  “I’m trying not to,” she murmured. It was a relief, finally admitting it. She stirred sugar into her coffee. “But it isn’t easy.” The understanding in his eyes was almost her undoing, and she glanced away.

  Dirk was silent for several moments, and Olivia wondered if she’d overstepped her bounds, if she’d put him in an awkward position. He seemed to be studying the kitchen, but she realized that he wasn’t seeing the row of potted herbs at the windowsill, or the brightly decorated tiles.

  “We seem to be sharing a lot of confidences today.” He could have been talking to himself. “I like you, Olivia. I even hoped that we might get to know each other better when this is over, but I can see that isn’t going to happen.” He sipped at his coffee. “So I’m going to tell you something about Josh Morgan.” His eyes looked into the past.

  “Josh was one of the top operatives with the American Special Forces Anti-terrorism unit. His specialty was explosives.”

  Olivia leaned forward, absorbing every word.

  “It wasn’t unusual for us to run joint ops between ourselves and the Americans, or ourselves and the French. That’s how Josh and I came to know each other so well.”

  “About five years ago, all three countries were running a joint operation. The French team included a woman.” His eyes softened. “Vivienne. She was fearless, and she was beautiful. We all fell in love with her, but of course she only had eyes for Josh.” He shot her a wry glance. “He was always lucky that way. Anyway, we’d been working out of Marseilles for about a month, on the trail of a huge arms shipment. We suspected that it was heading for Iran or Iraq, through Turkey. Our plans were to raid a warehouse on the docks around four in the morning. Josh and Viv and another Frenchman were on watch when they observed what they thought was an attempt to move the shipment. He radioed for backup and then left them to keep watch while he checked out the back of the warehouse. He was in charge of the operation, and told them to stay put but when the front doors opened she went charging in.”

  “Josh took a bullet trying to save her.” He shrugged. “He’s convinced himself that if he’d been there he could have held her back. Maybe he’s right, but I don’t think so and neither did the review board. Anyway, his tour of duty was finished a few months later and as far as I know he didn’t even consider re-enlisting. He couldn’t get back to his ranch fast enough.”

  Olivia recalled the look on Josh’s face when he’d outlined The Rules. The fleeting pain that had dulled his eyes. His comments about death when she remarked on the scar. It was all beginning to make sense.

  “And so,” she murmured, almost to herself.

  “And so.” Dirk watched her closely. “The Rules.”

  Olivia slumped back in her chair, massaging her temples with the tips of her fingers. “Did he love her, this Vivienne?” She held her breath, waiting for the answer.

  “Love?” Dirk frowned. “I shouldn’t think so. They worked well together and in tense situations like that emotions run hot, things happen.” He looked embarrassed. “She went after him, but they were about as far apart ideologically as any two people could be.” He gave his head a quick shake. “So no, I don’t believe he loved her, but he did blame himself for her death.”

  Olivia absorbed this information. “That explains The Rules, but this new twist about the arms dealer has thrown me for a loop. A few hours ago Josh and I were having dinner in a quiet little bistro and now…I feel like I’ve been on a wild rollercoaster ride.” Her head snapped up. “I just thought of something. I’d better contact Francine and Marc as soon as possible. Marc was the one who told me about Josh. Francine is a journalist, just like me. We’ll have to tell her some version of the truth, and ask her to keep it to herself.” She looked up to see him smiling at her. “What?”

  “It sounds like you’re back on board.”

  She reached for the phone, eyes sparkling. “Who said I ever got off?”

  * * *

  “They’ve agreed,” Olivia reported to Josh the next morning. “And she assures me that neither she nor Marc have mentioned it to anyone.”

  “And you trust her?” He raised weary eyes.

  “Yes,” she said simply. “I do. But there’s one condition.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” He sent her an oblique glance, but there was humor in it. “There are always conditions when you’re dealing with a journalist.”

  “Do you want to hear this or not?” She stifled her own smile.

  He nodded.

  “I want the option of writing a story on this mission when it’s over.” She turned to Dirk. “Isn’t that what you called this? A mission?”

  Josh rubbed his palm on a bristled cheek. “You’ve been watching too many Pentagon briefings.”

  “Well? Is it a deal?”

  The two men exchanged glances. “It’s a possibility,” Dirk said slowly. “But we’ll have to run it past Colin.”

  “You said you wanted to expose this low-life. What better way than a feature story in WorldView?”

  “We’ll do our best.” Josh knuckled his eyes. “That’s all we can promise for now. In the meantime, I need some sleep.” He rose to his feet. “By the way, we leave this afternoon for the Costa del Sol.” His eyes glinted with a fierce determination. “We’re closing in,” he said, exchanging a quick glance with Dirk. “We’ll be leaving here at three.”

  * * *

  “Why isn’t Dirk flying with us?” Olivia glanced at the empty seats on the private jet. “This seems extravagant for the two of us.” She sipped a glass of chilled wine, thinking how easily she could get used to traveling like this.

  “He has his own transportation.” Josh glanced toward the steward and Olivia mentally kicked herself. He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips.

  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.

  “O
livia.” 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.”