Prince Charming is a Liar (Your Every Day Hero Book 1)

by Higgins, Marie

  Off and on throughout the conversation, she could hear Kurt in her ear, making snide comments. Obviously, her partner thought Austin was lying about everything. She was tempted to take him out of her ear and enjoy her date for the rest of the night. But she knew she had to somehow get around to that important question—what were you doing on the night of Hillary’s murder?

  When there was a break in the conversation, she asked, “Austin, you really are a busy man, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” He took a sip of his wine. “That’s one of the reasons I cherish times when I can relax, like right now.”

  “I wonder if that’s the reason you weren’t here when I first came by to talk to you.” Brittany tried not to pat herself on the back for coming up with this idea so quickly.

  His drink stalled at his mouth. “You came to see me another time?”

  “Yes. Let’s see,” she tapped her finger on her cheek, “today is Friday, so I came to see you last Tuesday. It was around ten o’clock in the morning.”

  “Good girl, Russell,” Kurt said in her ear. “That’s the way to get Romeo to talk.”

  “Wow.” Austin shook his head. “You were a determined woman, weren’t you?”

  “Like I said before. I was desperate.” She paused, hoping he’d tell her where he was, but when he laid his hand over hers and gently squeezed, she wondered if he was going to thwart her question.

  “Let’s take our drinks over to the sofa.” He stood and held her hand until she rose to her feet. With drinks in their hands, he led her to the furniture. “It’s more comfortable over here.”

  She hardly tasted her wine, but only because she wanted a clear head tonight. He sat very close to her and placed their wine glasses on the wooden coffee table in front of them.

  “Brittany, I’m really worried about you. I know we only just met, but I care about you a great deal. Please don’t lower yourself to become one of those girls who sells her body.” He stroked her cheek. “You’re much too intelligent for that.”

  He thinks I’m intelligent? Her heartbeat picked up in rhythm. “Austin, when I came to see you on Tuesday,” she tried to bring back that subject, “I was in a different frame of mind. Maybe it was a good thing you weren’t here that morning.”

  He turned his body closer to hers and slid his arm across the back of the sofa. A grin tugged on his mouth. “Why? What would you have done if I was here?”

  Well, at least he said something that let her know he wasn’t home around that time of day when Hillary was murdered. However, she still didn’t think that made him a suspect.

  She chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, no. I don’t dare say too much. Besides, I’m sure you can guess what would have happened. I’m assuming you wouldn’t have been exhausted like you were the other day.”

  “No, I wouldn’t have been exhausted.” He leaned closer and took a lock of her hair, caressing its length. “But I would have wanted to get to know you before, well…you know.”

  Kurt swore in her ear. “Are you kidding me? He’s really going to revert back to that topic?”

  “Why, Austin?” she asked, trying to ignore Kurt’s voice. At this moment, she wished she wasn’t wearing the earpiece. “Why would you have wanted to get to know me?”

  “You’re different.” He shrugged. “I can’t put my finger on it, but you’re a mystery to me. At times I think you’re just like those other women Derek set me up with, but then you do or say something that throws me off…that makes me believe you are more.”

  She forced a small laugh, still trying not to allow him to completely melt her. “Austin, you still don’t know me. Why do you say these things?” When he opened his mouth to reply, she placed her fingers on his lips, quieting him. “Because from life’s experience, men who over-flatter me only want one thing. And well, I can’t respect a man who is like that.”

  His gaze narrowed as he held her hand to his mouth. Slowly, he placed soft kisses on her fingertips. As she stared into his green eyes, they darkened with desire. Her heart hammered in a different rhythm, but it was not panic. She couldn’t understand why she wasn’t worried right now.

  Gradually, he smiled. “And you are very smart to have figured that out so soon in life. But,” he shook his head, “if I had felt that way about you when we first met, I wouldn’t have wanted to jump in the sack. You see, I, too, have experienced love’s hard lessons, and I guard my heart very carefully.”

  Was he just saying the words she wanted to hear, or was he being serious? Where were her gut feelings now when she needed them? “I see we have one thing in common.”

  “I’m sure we have more,” his hand moved from her hair to her face, close to her mouth, “but we just need to discover what they are.”

  “And how you do you suggest we do that?” After she’d said it, she couldn’t believe she was talking this way. Was she trying to seduce him? Nah, couldn’t be right.

  “I have an idea.” His voice softened as he leaned closer. His gaze stayed on her mouth.

  She held her breath, waiting for the moment she’d feel the electricity buzzing through her from his passionate kiss. It could only be better this time, since she didn’t think he was the murderer now.

  As his lips touched hers, she closed her eyes. Warmth immediately spread through her, and she held back the sigh that was ready to release from her throat. But no, she couldn’t let him know how severely her body reacted to his kiss.

  “Britt,” Kurt whispered. “What’s going on? Why do I hear heavy breathing?”

  She sighed, but it wasn’t because of how pleasurable it was to kiss Austin. How could she have forgotten about Kurt?

  She quickly pulled back and stared into Austin’s surprised eyes. “I, um, I have a better idea.” She licked her lips. “Let’s, um… Do you arm wrestle?”

  Austin’s eyes widened even more. “Arm wrestle?”

  Chuckling, she moved off the couch and back toward the table. “Yes. Arm wrestle. You’d be shocked how well one can get to know another person just by arm wrestling.”

  “Heehee,” Kurt’s voice rumbled from her ear. “Britt, you haven’t changed a bit. I remember our first arm wrestle.”

  Inwardly, Brittany growled. She didn’t want him in her ear. Not now. She wanted to get to know Austin so that she could make the decision of whether he was a killer or not. With Kurt’s words influencing her, she doubted she’d be able to make the right decision.

  Austin smiled and moved from the couch, coming toward her. “It’s been a while since I’ve arm wrestled, but now seems like a good time.”

  She smiled—genuinely smiled, and her heart lifted. She finally felt she could handle any situation now. That’s what she needed in order to crack this case. Although she was undercover, she wanted to be herself. And starting now, she’d do that.

  EIGHT

  Kurt boiled with anger as he sat downstairs in the bar, waiting for Brittany to join him. He didn’t want to imagine what she and Romeo were doing upstairs in his penthouse suite. Kurt was able to listen to their conversation until about the time they started arm wrestling. Something must have happened to have the earpiece fall out of her ear, because after that, all he heard was muffling sounds. At first, he thought about going upstairs and making up some kind of story of why he needed to interrupt them, but when he heard them laughing at different times throughout the evening, he realized she was not in any harm.

  Grumbling under his breath, he grasped the beer bottle and lifted it to his lips. He knew his partner well, and by now she was having doubts about Reeder being the perp. Men like Reeder knew how to sweet talk women. Men like Reeder were perfect liars. Their good looks, their charm—but mostly, their money—would turn any woman’s head.

  Not for one second did Kurt believe Reeder was innocent. Unfortunately, he needed to find proof, because Brittany would demand it. Brittany would be hard to sway, especially if she allowed Reeder to kiss her.

  He tightened his fingers on the neck of the bottle, w
ishing it was someone’s throat instead. If it was the last thing Kurt did, he’d show Brittany that Reeder was the murderer. Of course, sitting here, wallowing in his pity wasn’t helping matters. But he couldn’t do anything until he knew she was all right. He had to make sure she didn’t spend the night in the penthouse of love…

  There had been nothing but silence on the other end of his earpiece, and that worried Kurt. That could only mean one thing. She and Reeder were kissing…or possibly more.

  He swore and took another gulp of beer. He raked his fingers through his hair, feeling the urge to plow his fist into someone’s face. His mind pictured Reeder, and it would bring satisfaction to Kurt if he busted up that man’s perfect nose and chin, and cut his lips, and give him a black eye—or two.

  The bar wasn’t very full tonight, but the waitress and the bar tender were flirting at the counter. The girl’s giggles nearly drowned out the country singer’s voice booming from the overhead speakers as he sang about losing his love, his dog, and his truck…and not in that order.

  Thankfully, Kurt still had his dog, and his truck, however, he never really had a true love. Strange, but for the past year, he hadn’t dated that much, either. He thought it was because he was focusing on his job. But now he realized it was because of Britt. The women he’d gone out with weren’t as adorable as Brittany Russell. They couldn’t make him laugh like she could. They couldn’t make him feel like a man, as Britt could. He could be himself around her, but those other women, he felt as if they wanted more out of him.

  Closing his eyes, he tried to get the images of Britt out of his head from the other day when she was wearing that sexy red dress. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d seen her so beautiful. She was a lovely woman, however, when Brittany was all dolled up like that…she was a knock-out!

  What he wouldn’t give for one moment with her, to take her in his arms, and to kiss her passionately, just to see what it would be like. Yet, every time the thought crossed his mind, he pushed it away. They made great partners. They could practically read each other’s minds. Did he really want a girlfriend like that?

  Most definitely!

  In the year they’d been partnered together, he couldn’t think of a time when he’d felt this much jealousy. He hated this emotion, but he didn’t know how to make it leave.

  From over the strong aroma of the beer, another scent touched his senses. Roses…like Brittany’s perfume.

  Quickly, he snapped out of his thoughts and swung around. Brittany stood by his side with her arms folded over her bosom as she tapped her toe. Her irritated expression told him she expected an explanation soon.

  He motioned to the empty chair. “Want to join me?”

  “Not here.”

  “Where?”

  She sighed heavily. “In the car. Now!”

  Without waiting for his answer, she turned and marched out of the bar, heading toward the double glass doors of the hotel. He fished in his pocket for the tip, slapped it on the table, and hurried out of the bar. By the time he reached her, she was climbing in her car. He moved around to the passenger side and climbed inside.

  The clock on her car’s radio read 11:30 pm. He cursed under his breath. She’d been with the perp for four and a half hours?

  “Let’s get one thing clear,” she said with an edge to her voice. “When you’re in my ear, you need to stop trying to carry on a conversation with me.” She finally turned her head to look at him. Her gaze pierced right through him. “Your main purpose is to take notes. I’m assuming you were recording it, right?”

  “Yes. I was recording it.”

  She released a heavy breath and her shoulders relaxed. “Kurt, do you realize how hard it is to carry on a conversation with someone when someone else is in your ear trying to talk, as well?” She shook her head. “It’s hard to focus. It’s hard to think, and I really needed to think of what to say next to Austin. We still don’t know if he has an alibi for Sunday morning.”

  He toyed with the gearshift on the console between the bucket seats. His head swam from the alcohol he’d consumed tonight. How many bottles of beer had it been? Two? Four? In four and a half hours, it could have been much more than that. The sports station on the tv inside the bar, and the popcorn, just hadn’t satisfied him.

  “So what happened after the arm wrestle?” He raised his gaze to her. “Your voices were muffled, and I couldn’t hear what you were saying. The only thing I heard,” his voice turned harsh, “was when you two laughed.”

  He studied her face, and when crimson spread across her face, he fisted his hands. They had kissed! She didn’t have to tell him. Her expression said it all.

  “I’m sorry for losing my earpiece. While we were arm wrestling, Austin started tickling me, and well, I fell to the floor. That’s when my earpiece fell out. I quickly grabbed it before he noticed. I didn’t dare place it back in my ear and risk him seeing, so I stuffed it in my pants pocket.”

  He nodded. “I figured as much.” Leaning closer to her, he took her hand. “But now you have to understand something. We are partners. We are in this together. We are supposed to watch each other’s backs, so if you don’t let me in your ear, what good am I going to be?”

  She sighed. “Kurt, all I’m asking is that you not try to carry on a conversation with me while I’m trying to talk to someone else. I get distracted so easily, and I can’t think of what I’m going to say next.”

  He glanced down at her hand, so very delicate and soft. He stroked his thumb across her knuckles. Would the rest of her arm feel this soft? When she slowly pulled away from him, his chest clenched. It was because of Reeder, he just knew it.

  “I better go,” he said, turning toward the door.

  She grabbed his arm. “You’re not going anywhere, Hamill.”

  Hope sprang inside of him, and he swung his head toward her. But her expression wasn’t exactly a pleasant one. She appeared stern. Even her grasp was a little tight. “I’m not?”

  “No. You’re drunk, so I’m taking you home.” Her face relaxed slightly. “After all, I got your back, remember?”

  Chuckling, he rested against the seat and nodded. “Then take me home, partner.”

  They didn’t talk much on the way to his apartment. Her radio was playing classic rock, but for some reason, it calmed him. He preferred country music, but it was enjoyable watching Brittany drive and sing along with the artists. A few times, she tried to be funny on purpose, and he laughed.

  Seeing her this way made him realize she was different on the job. She was more serious and focused. Off duty, she was laid back and easy going. And yes, even silly. His heart couldn’t help but squeeze tighter with longing. Why was he allowing his emotions to come forth now when he’d kept them in check for a year? Was it because of his jealousy for Reeder?

  No matter what, he needed to find evidence that proved Reeder was the murderer. That was the only way to bring Britt back to him where she belonged.

  Finally, she pulled in front of his apartment building and put the car in park. She smiled at him—a smile that had always softened his heart.

  “Do I need to walk you to your apartment? Or can you do that yourself?”

  “I think I can handle it.” He took her hand again. “Thanks for caring enough to want to see me home safe.”

  “Kurt, I just can’t believe you were drinking while on the job. That’s not like you at all.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “So why were you? You’ve hung out in bars before working undercover, and you’ve never drank. So why now?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe it was because I was bored with watching the sports station that was on the tv. Or maybe it was because I was tired of hearing the waitress flirt with the bar tender. Then again, I think it was because,” he sat up and leaned toward her, “I was tired of hearing my partner play kissy-face with the perp.”

  She scolded. “Kurt Hamill! I did not play kissy-face with Austin. I’ll admit, he did try to kiss me after di
nner, but once I started arm wrestling with him, that moment passed.”

  “Don’t tell me he didn’t try to kiss you goodnight before you left.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Even if he did, it’s none of your business.”

  “I think differently, Russell.” He leaned a little closer. “I’m your partner! And you’re a police detective. Kissing a perp is wrong on so many different levels, and you know it.”

  Scowling, she shook her head. “You’re full of it, Hamill. Why is it wrong for me to pretend while I’m undercover, and yet it’s not wrong for you to do it?” She paused, leaning closer into him. “Many times when you have gone undercover, you have pretended to seduce women just to get answers. What’s the difference between what you have done and what I’m doing? Not only that, I’ve gone undercover before and pretended to seduce a perp for answers, and it never bothered you then.”

  “Do you mean to tell me you don’t know this?” He raised his voice.

  “No, Hamill. Please enlighten me.”

  “I’ll tell you what the difference is. The difference is back then, I was never jealous of the perp…not like I am with Reeder.” She sucked in a quick breath as her eyes widened. “And another difference is that when you kiss him, you enjoy it, whereas you’ve never done that before.”

  She slowly mouthed the word no. His fuzzy mind told him to continue. “And, another difference is that with this case, more than the others, I’ve been thinking about you different. I’ve been wondering what it would be like to be Reeder—to hold you, and kiss you passionately.”

  “No, Kurt,” she whispered.

  His breathing was ragged as he stared into her lovely eyes. She didn’t pull away, but he didn’t think that meant she realized she wanted him as much as he wanted her, either. His confession had probably shocked her, which is only a natural reaction.

  Why was he even trying? It was obvious where her heart lied, and it was certainly not with him.

  “Oh, never mind. Forget I said anything,” he snapped and hurried out of the car.

  He focused on the pathway to his apartment. His head pounded with adrenaline, and he cursed his drunkenness. If he’d been sober, he wouldn’t have said anything to her. He would have continued to hold the anguish inside. He would have dealt with it—just as he had to deal with this feeling for her ever since they were partnered together.