CHAPTER 3

Holly was, if nothing else, a professional and no matter what task she undertook she did her best. In her line of work, success was in how well her girls created the illusion the man wanted... how completely he fell into the fantasy and believed it was real. For most men it wasn't that difficult... because they understood it was an illusion. Show up at their hotel room, pretend to be whoever they needed you to be and within thirty minutes they were passed out on the bed. There were exceptions, those men who enjoyed the fantasy more than the sex... the ones who really wanted to believe it was real.

Gibbs was different... in so many ways. He was an intensely private man and he rarely gave glimpses of himself. When he liked you, he was extremely loyal and protective; going out of his way to help those friends. When he didn't like you, you knew it. She'd come to realize that underneath the gruff marine exterior, Gibbs was a gentle, kind hearted man with dry sense of humor that could have her laughing so hard tears rolled down her cheeks. She soon discovered he was also a very tactile man; needing to see, smell, taste and touch those things that interested him. He appreciated texture and tone. It wasn't uncommon for him to admire a dress she wore, then roll the fabric between his fingers... or allow his nose to linger near her hair to take in her perfume after his light kiss on her cheek.

In Holly's previous profession, that translated to a man who liked to take his time, first admiring with his eyes, then his hands. Touching every part of a woman with gentle fingertips before replacing them with their mouth. Those men were Holly's favorites... because she was also a tactile person. As soon as she'd been able to separate herself from the actual 'hands on' aspect of her profession, Holly had moved to managing her girls. She was good at running her business and ensuring the illusions of very high powered men... and women in this town were met; and yet remained confidential.

This time, she was being asked to create the illusion... an illusion with Gibbs... that was different. This was personal to her, since first meeting the tough federal agent, she'd been attracted to him... even when he arrested her. And two years later, they were friends and her feelings were more intense than ever... she just couldn't let him know. Now, she had to create the illusion of being attracted to the man for Hart's benefit, while creating the illusion that she wasn't really attracted to him. This could get complicated, but Holly had no doubt she could pull it off... she just needed to somehow not destroy their friendship in the process.

After the initial meeting between Holly and Allison Hart in the NCIS office, a subtle change occurred. Hart began pursuing Gibbs even more, continuing the pretext that they were mere coincidental contacts. She would wait around the corner until she heard him coming then step out, accidentally running into him. He played along... even when she made him spill his coffee.

"Oohh... Gibbs! I am so sorry! I didn't see you and..." Hart has once again popped out around a corner and caught him with his usual cup of coffee in his hand. It sloshes up onto his suit coat and he releases an annoyed sigh as he wipes the moisture from his lapel.

Hart's hand also reaches out to help swipe the liquid from him. "I feel terrible... I can get that out..."

"No... really, its fine. No problem." He steps back from her roving fingers and tries not to look too angry. He pulls out his phone and hits the speed dial and a moment later, he steps around Hart to continue on his way as he speaks. "Hey, can you bring me my other black jacket? Yeah, I've got one more for the dry cleaners... okay, thanks."

Hart stands there watching as he walks away, fuming at his dismissal. She wonders who he's talking to... and it makes her even angrier that he obviously allows someone to rummage through his closet and do his laundry. It takes her several minutes to get her anger under control before someone else walked by and saw her. She realizes this is going to be harder than she thought... Gibbs wasn't like most men who couldn't see past her velvety brown eyes and perfectly curved figure. She needed a different approach with this man if she was going to get into his head... or his bed, whichever came first.

About an hour later, Holly shows up in the office with a black suit jacket draped over her arm. She had no idea what happened when he called her, but she knew what she needed to do. She didn't really think he wanted her rummaging through his closet so she'd improvised. She bought him a very nice black suit coat, much more expensive than those he normally wore and came straight here. Now, she comes to stand in front of his desk, watching him typing on his keyboard.

"So... I'm doing your laundry now?"

At her voice he looks up and smiles, noting the crease of her brow at her comment about domestic duties. He stands up, knowing Ms. Hart is still on the upper balcony watching him, as she has been for the last ten minutes. He comes around to face Holly, smiling as he kisses her on the cheek, "Well, you are a woman of leisure... not like you don't have the time."

She smirks and hands him the jacket draped over her arm. As soon as his hand touches the fabric he knows this is not one of his own jackets. He examines it more closely, noting the expensive designer label and his brow arches up in a silent question. Holly just shrugs and steps around him to grab his other jacket from the back of his chair. When she comes back to him, he is just putting the jacket on, running a hand down the lapel; once again admiring the fine fabric and cut.

"Consider it your birthday present." His eyes snap up to hers and she can't hide the smile at his surprise. "Yes, I know your birthday is in two weeks. Really, Jethro, it shouldn't surprise you."

"Everything you do surprises me." His hand curves around her waist as he leads her towards the elevators, ignoring the secretive glances his team is giving them.

They all know this is just a game, but in their defense, it's like being allowed to look directly at the sun during an eclipse. They've never seen him like this, personal... actually talking about himself. But Gibbs has no doubt most of their fascination is who he's getting personal with. Holly Snow held celebrity status and everyone in the room knew she had most of the powerful and elite in Washington under her thumb... for one reason or another. And that knowledge was not lost on Ms. Hart either.

At the elevator, when they have a bit more privacy, Gibbs turns to face her. He glances down at the nice jacket and then back up, needing to explain. "This... wasn't necessary, Holly..."

"I didn't think we were at the point in our friendship where you actually wanted me exploring you closet. Unless... I'm mistaken?" Her own brow arches up, causing him to give her that full smile she loves.

"Not my closet I'm concerned about."

"Aaahhh, so you keep your skeletons somewhere else. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm going through the kitchen cupboards looking for something."

He chuckles and just shakes his head before tapping his old jacket lying over her arm. "Just toss that in your car. I'll take care of it later."

She just smiles and leans in to place a light kiss on his lips; lingering just long enough to draw slight sighs from everyone watching... and one huff of annoyance from Ms. Hart. Then she glides her hand down his lapel and gives him one last tease as she steps into the waiting elevator. "Love that jacket on you."

Gibbs stands there a long moment after the door slides closed, his hand once again gliding down the front of the expensive cloth. He smiles, wondering how she managed to buy him an expensive jacket that fit him perfectly on such short notice. He makes a mental note to ask her about it later and turns back to see a dozen eyes suddenly drop to whatever is on their desks. A quick glance up reveals Ms. Hart is no longer watching him from above and he smirks as he returns to his own desk.

M. Allison Hart was known for being resourceful when it came to winning a case. She would not hesitate to hire private investigators to do her dirty work, dig up something on her opponents or their clients to get a win. This was no different as she used the back elevator to head for her car in the garage. She calls a man she's hired many times. A man very much like herself... he loved money more than morals and he didn't ask questions. "Yeah, I got a job for you."

Holly has given M. Allison Hart a lot of thought. Holly kept files on almost everyone she met because inevitably she would run into them again. Sometimes it was just for her own knowledge; knowing what to say in casual conversation to impress... or, to get what she wanted. Ms. Hart was no different. She'd first compiled a file on her when she was hired to represent two of the men caught up in the DC Call Girl scandal that rocked Capitol Hill five years ago and brought Holly's empire into the spotlight.

Hart was a worthy opponent, but she wasn't aware of what Holly had on her absentee client, Merton Bell. Bell knew... and he must be damned uncomfortable thinking Holly Snow was intimate with Gibbs. As soon as Gibbs told her of Bell's connection to Hart, Holly knew she had an ace in the hole. She kept it to herself for now, biding her time until the moment was right. After all, that's what she did... illusions. Let Bell and Hart think they were winning the game and then she'd smash that illusion... when she knew it would best benefit Gibbs.

Holly has finished with her errands, which included picking up Jethro's jacket up at the one hour cleaners. She pulled onto his street, taking in the normal cars parked along the way, as usual. Another useful skill she'd developed over the years was sensing what was out of the ordinary... what might be a trap. And her observation skills pay off as she notices a non-descript older sedan parked by the corner. The man inside had his seat back, trying to limit his profile, but she saw him watching her approach in his side view mirror. She continues on, pretending not to have noticed him and pulls into Gibbs' driveway a few doors down.

She pulls her cell and dials his number as she gets out, wanting the man to think she was too preoccupied with her call to notice him. She goes around to the trunk and pulls out a couple of bags of groceries, slipping a small black case into one of them as she did. Then she grabs the clean jacket wrapped in cellophane as Gibbs finally answers.

"Gibbs."

"You've got company at your house. Four houses down, by the corner, guy in a dirty brown sedan."

"Not a surprise. You inside yet?" He has stopped on his progression down the stairs as a thought pops into his head.

"No, in the driveway. Why?"

"Hold off. Let me get to my computer before you go inside." Gibbs hurries the rest of the way to his desk and punches in a code. Immediately the screen is filled with live feed cameras from inside his house. He scans them all, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. He checks the log and sees that his door was opened an hour earlier. He backs up the time stamp and the video feed from that time begins to play. A man enters, looks around and then uses very little imagination in planting a listening device in his living room. To his surprise, the man doesn't even look around the rest of his house and quickly leaves.

"Okay, he was inside about an hour ago. Put a bug in the lamp in the living room."

"Why do they always go for the lamp? I taught all my girls to look there first if they thought they were being set up." Holly set the bags on the hood of her car and was pretending to rummage through her purse for the keys while she waited. Now, she picks up the bags and heads for the door, "I was planning to sweep your house for bugs anyway. I'll check the rest of the house, just to be sure."

"You have your own electronic sweeper? I'm impressed."

"I have a lot of toys. Maybe I'll show them to you sometime... if you're good." She smiles at his chuckle and flips her phone shut to free up her hands for the door knob.

Once inside she goes about putting the groceries away then, grabbing her sweeper, she sweeps the rest of the house on the ground level and the basement. She hesitates at the stairs with the sweeper in her hand. She is tempted, but then finishes up down here and hangs his jacket on the coat tree just inside his front door before returning to the kitchen.

Realizing Gibbs has remote video inside his house and could be watching her at this very moment sends a small thrill down her spine. She goes about preparations for dinner, but casually glances around trying to spot the hidden cameras. She manages to find three downstairs and one in the basement. No wonder he never bothered to lock his front door... he had a remote activation sensor on that too. Gibbs may not seem tech savvy, but he knew more than he let on.

When she hears the front door open an hour later, Holly tenses until she hears his familiar voice calling out to her. "Holly? What the hell...?"

She goes to meet him in the front hall, and sees him looking at the newly dry cleaned suit coat. His frown tells her he isn't happy that she disobeyed him, but she just shrugs and gives him a smile. Her hand glides down his arm, redirecting his hand from the jacket to her waist as she steps into his arms like she belongs there.

"Can't a girl stop over for a beer? And... surprise you with dinner." Her hands snake up around his neck as she guides his mouth down to hers for a kiss. It is a series of light, experimental kisses, letting him get used to the idea. When his hands grip her waist, drawing her closer to take her in a more intense kiss, she feels her pulse jump. He ends the kiss too soon and when he pulls back, his blue eyes burn into hers for a long moment before he remembers they aren't really alone.

"You know I don't mind... what smells so good?" He lets his arm curve around her waist, turning her as they make their way back to the kitchen. He grabs a beer from the fridge and then turns on the faucet full force to cover their conversation. His finger makes a circling motion and she understands, lowering her voice to give him his answer.

"Only one, where you said. I didn't do the upstairs floor... you can do that." She motions towards the black box sitting on the counter beside them.

"Told you I wasn't concerned about that. Got nothing to hide up there."

She decides to let that conversation go... since she really doesn't want to explain it was her own curiosity about him she was trying to keep in check. Instead she turns to stir the sauce as she asks, "Our friend still visiting?"

He shuts off the faucet, knowing if it was on too long it would seem suspicious. He comes to stand directly behind her, looking over her shoulder as she tends to their meal. "Uh-huh, same spot." He notices her stirring motion falter and the skin on her neck pebble as his breath fans across it. He is tempted to drop his lips and soothe them away with his tongue. Then he gives himself a mental head slap, getting his mind back on track. "I'm gonna go up and change... how long until dinner is ready?"

"Twenty minutes or so." She concentrates on her cooking, but sighs inwardly when he finally steps away from her. He grabs the black case and his beer before heads upstairs. She had always believed Gibbs would be a confident lover, but her response... to that one simple kiss had shocked her. It's been a long time, but Holly was always the one in control; calling the shots and making them lose control. Then before she could get her racing pulse under control he'd stepped up behind her, letting his gravelly voice ooze into her ear. She had better put a tighter rein on her emotions if she hoped to pull off this illusion... or it could all blow up in her face.

They keep up appearances for the rest of the evening, but Gibbs doesn't let it go on too long. He doesn't want Hart to think Holly was a permanent fixture in his life. If she thought there was no chance with him, then she would back off and they'd lose their chance at finding out what she was trying to accomplish. After Gibbs had walked Holly out to her car he chose to only give her a light kiss on the cheek, he asked her to call him to report on the car down the block. Holly's disappointment at the chaste goodnight kiss made her chuckle; she knew it would take a lot more to make Gibbs lose his focus. Finding out how much was going to be the fun part. For now, she kept her focus on their mission and reported back that the man was still there.

After Holly left, Gibbs stood for a long moment in his front hallway, staring at the clean suit coat. His mind wandered to the more expensive jacket she'd given him today and his mouth curls up in a smile. Maybe she was trying to tell him something... like he was nowhere near in the same league as the men she was used to seeing. He grabs the clean jacket, ripping off the cellophane before taking it upstairs to put it away in his closet, next to the much nicer one. He makes a mental reminder to pay her back for the new coat and the cleaning bill when this was all over... he didn't want there to be any rumors that this wasn't entirely professional.