MAËLLE
The sun shone through the window, waking me.
When I opened my eyes, it took me a minute to figure out where I was.
I glanced around and remembered coming to Dagger’s camp for a whiskey.
I had no idea how many I’d had, but based on my throbbing head, it was more than I should have.
I also had no recollection of how I ended up in his bed.
Thankfully, I was still fully dressed and it appeared I’d slept alone.
At some point, I must’ve removed my jacket and boots. I sat up, searched for them, and cringed when I didn’t see either. That meant they were in the other room. Where Dagger was. Or probably was. Maybe I’d get lucky, and he would’ve left for the command center already.
Wait. Lucky? I shook my head, went into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on my face.
When I came out, he was sitting at the table, looking at his laptop.
“Good morning,” he said, raising his head.
“Bonjour,” I responded.
“Do you—”
“Before you say anything, I need to apologize. I am mortified about my behavior last night. I should, um, be going.”
He closed his computer and stood. “Will you stay a few minutes? There’s an idea I want to run past you. I’ll make you an espresso if you do.”
I blinked several times. “Pardon?”
“Coffee?”
“Did you not hear me? Did my apology not register at all?” I pointed at the sofa with a blanket and pillow still on it. “I mean, how could you have slept well there?”
“‘Well’ might be overstating it. On the other hand, if you hadn’t been on the other side of that door, I doubt I would have gotten any sleep at all.”
“Why ever not?”
He stepped closer, raised one hand, then lowered it. “Because I knew if you needed anything in the night, you wouldn’t be alone.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it. “Did you mention espresso?” I asked instead.
His eyes lit up, and he motioned for me to follow. “Come see.”
When he went into the kitchen, I trailed behind him, but stopped at the threshold. On the counter was a gleaming and absurdly large Italian-looking machine that barely fit. “It’s huge.”
Dagger grinned. “Why, thank you.”
I shook my head a second time and laughed, wondering why his teasing and innuendo used to make me so uncomfortable and, now, it didn’t. “How long have you had this?”
“Since the week after we arrived.”
My mouth gaped, and I put my hands on my hips. “You’ve had an espresso machine for three weeks, and you neither told me nor offered me a single shot?”
“I tried. You turned me down every time.”
“You said coffee.”
“I said coffee date. If you’d taken me up on it even once, you’d have known what was on the menu.”
I’d written his “coffee” off as the burnt dregs in the boathouse urn. “Had I understood what you were truly offering,” I said, “I’d have accepted at once.”
He waved me to the table. “Single or double?”
“Do you have to ask?”
“Double it is.”
He pulled two shots and set a proper demitasse in front of me. I curled my fingers around the cup and drank. “You are a man of hidden talents.”
He scrubbed a hand over his beard and returned to the machine to make a cup for himself.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m trying very hard,” he said, “not to be the way I usually am.”
“And what way is that?”
“You know exactly what way.” He claimed the chair across from me. “I’m turning over a new leaf. No flirting. No inappropriate comments. Not even in jest.”
“Does this new leaf extend to all women, or only to me?”
“What I’m hoping is that one day you’ll understand you’re the only woman I have any interest in flirting with.”
I almost scoffed, but caught myself.
“Thank you,” he said. “I know what it cost you not to give me hell for that.”
“Perhaps I ought to turn over a leaf of my own.”
“Only if you want to.”
“Is this what you wished to discuss?” I asked. “Turning leaves?”
“No.” He pushed his cup aside. “It’s your trip home. I had an idea for how we explain the two of us turning up there together.”
“Go on.”
“You bring me as your fiancé.”
I’d taken a sip and choked on it. I set the cup down, waiting for the grin that meant he was joking. It didn’t come. “You’re serious.”
“I am. It was the only plausible thing I could come up with to explain the two of us showing up in Burgundy together. Merely being introduced as your boyfriend didn’t seem like enough.” He set his cup down too and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Unless you have a better idea.”
Admittedly, I hadn’t given it any thought at all. Plausible, as he’d said, was key, and there were very few reasons for a visit that would be.
“It could work.” The longer I thought about it, the more I realized the timing of it favored us.
Christmas was a little over a week away.
“It’s better than plausible, given it’s been four years since I was last at Valais, so a visit is overdue.
There’d be nothing suspicious about me coming home for the holiday in order to introduce my fiancé to my family.
It also gives us a reason to stay several days versus a few if that becomes necessary. ”
It occurred to me that Dagger might want to return either to the States or the UK to be with his own family for the holiday. And if not, perhaps there was a woman expecting him to warm her bed on Christmas Eve.
“Forgive me for being presumptuous.”
His eyes tightened. “About?”
“You may have plans.”
He shook his head. “If you mean for Christmas, my sister isn’t big on celebrating, either. Although now that she’s married, maybe that’s changed. Besides, in our line of work, being able to take time off for a holiday is rare.”
“This is true,” I muttered as I thought through how my maman would react, both to my visit and to the man I’d be bringing with me.
“You mentioned it’s been a number of years since you were home. What do your parents think you do? For work, I mean.”
“That I am a private concierge who arranges luxury travel for discreet clients. The kind that would require me to have NDAs in place.”
“Brilliant. And I guess that explains why you didn’t want them contacted in Lausanne.”
I nodded. “In part. I was being truthful when I said my maman doesn’t travel. What about you? What is your cover story?”
“It hasn’t been necessary. My sister, as you know, is an operative with the UN Coalition Against Human Trafficking, so we’re both in the business, as they say.”
“And your parents?”
“They passed away several years ago. My father went first, and my mum followed not long after.”
“My apologies. I should have known that. Or remembered it.”
“Please, there’s nothing for you to be sorry for.”
“Dagger…”
“Yes?”
“You’re being very sweet.”
He groaned and stroked his beard.
“What?” I asked a second time.
“Now would be the time I’d remind you that I’m always sweet and you’d know that if you gave me half a chance.”
“Perhaps you’re right, though.”
“New leaf, remember?”
I smiled. “Or same leaf, just turning it over.”
He smiled too. “I like that. So, I’ll need a cover story too. I hadn’t gotten that far.”
I tapped my cheek and thought it over. “You could provide security for one of my clients. That could be how we met.”
“I like it. Same NDA requirements.”
“You’ll need an alias,” I said.
“Killian Rourke.” He answered without thinking about it. “It was built for another op but never used. The employment history will need to be updated, but otherwise, it’s sound.”
“Perfect.”
He pushed away from the table and stood. “Another?” he asked, motioning to my cup.
“Thank you, but no. I should probably get to work. Or we should.”
“We are working. We’re planning an op. Which means we need to discuss parameters.”
“Right. If we’re to be engaged, it would be best if you didn’t sleep with other women while we’re in France.” The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. “Je suis désolée—I’m sorry.”
“Done and don’t be. I’ve earned comments like that.”
“But—”
He held up a hand. “We’ll need to convince your family that we’re in love.”
“And?”
He shrugged. “Do you think you can?”
I laughed. “I’m French,” I said. “I’ll treat you as any Frenchwoman treats the man she loves—as though you are the great passion of my life and a daily inconvenience. No one will doubt a word of it. Can you?”
“No trouble at all, mon feu.”
“Your fire?”
Dagger moved his chair closer. “It’s the way I see you.”
I scoffed, not even trying to stop myself. “You would be alone in that.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m the only one who sees the real you.”
My breath caught, and my cheeks flushed, then I realized what he was doing. “Très bien. That was quite convincing.”
He pulled himself up and turned away. “Happy you think so,” he muttered over his shoulder.
Once again, I wondered if I’d offended him. No. It wasn’t possible. Dagger was very charismatic, but that had exceeded his usual charm. I stood and took my cup to the sink. “We should brief everyone.”
“Agreed, and I’ll follow your lead in terms of how much you wish to divulge.”
“If you’re referring to my father, I will be entirely forthcoming. I won’t hide or protect him.” I walked over to put my boots on and grab my jacket. I was almost out the door when Dagger called after me.
“There’s one more thing. You’ll need this.” He reached inside his shirt, wrapped his fist around something that looked like a chain, and lifted it over his head. He unfastened the clasp and slid the ring that hung from it off.
“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to pull away when he took my left hand in his and put it on my finger.
“Warm like the sun and a perfect fit,” he said.
“What is this?” I asked, looking down at where he still held my hand.
“It was my mother’s.”
“Dagger, no. We can buy something. I cannot wear this.” I tried to wriggle from his grasp, but he held on tight.
“You’ll return it. If we don’t end up married.”
He released me then, and I took a closer look. The gold band had been worn smooth, and there was a modest-sized diamond set in a nest of prongs. It was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen.
I returned to Ahnósta, dreading placing a call to my mother, but I had to let her know of my impending visit.