“Not at all. Thank you so much for the flowers. I’ll put them in a vase.” She moved into the kitchen to look through her cupboards. She had a vase once, but she couldn’t remember where she placed it.
“So this is where you live?” he asked as he walked toward her living room.
“Yes. It’s nothing fancy.” Oh, there’s a vase! She carefully placed the roses inside.
He tsked and shook his head before looking over his shoulder and grinning wide. “And to think, you turned down a penthouse suite for this.”
She laughed. “Exactly. Now you can see why, right?”
He moved back to her at the counter by the sink as she filled the vase with water.
“Yes, I can see why you wouldn’t be able to give up a place like this. Creaky floors, chipped walls and ceilings. Warped cupboards in the kitchen. And if I’m not mistaken,” he glanced at the sink’s faucet, “a dripping problem to go along with the other extra bonuses that came with the apartment.”
She playfully slugged him in the arm. “Right, and it’s all mine…for only eight-hundred dollars a month.”
“You certainly live in a fairy tale, don’t you?” He winked.
“But of course. That’s the only way to make it through the day…to pretend I’m in a fairy tale.” Closing her eyes, she opened her arms wide and sighed.
“Am I your Prince Charming?” he asked, closing the space between them as he circled his arms around her.
She released another sigh, heavier and more meaningful this time, cuddling against his chest. “Definitely, you’re my Prince Charming.”
He stroked the length of her ponytailed hair. “Then you shall be my Princess Charming.”
Giggling, she peered up into his seducing gaze. “Princess Charming? Who in the world is that?”
“It’s whoever you want to be, sweet lady.”
“For tonight, I just want to be myself with you.”
He kissed her forehead. “Do you want me to take you out to eat?”
“Actually,” she caressed his muscular chest, “if you don’t mind, I want to stay right here with you. We can have dinner here. I’ll order pizza—or Chinese delivery. Which one do you want?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Would you think I’m a snob if I confess I haven’t had pizza or Chinese delivered to me for many years?”
“No, I wouldn’t think that way about you.” She pulled out of his embrace, “However, I think you’re going to love either one of them. The nearby restaurants in this area have the best food.”
“Which one are you hungry for?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter to me.” She shrugged. “Chinese?”
“Get it ordered.”
She pulled out her cell and dialed the number she had on speed dial, and ordered two of the specials of the day. Because she liked anything that came from their restaurant, she knew she’d eat it. And of course, being a special meant it was two dollars off the regular price.
When she was finished and placed the phone back in her pocket, she noticed Austin had made himself comfortable on her couch. He sure looked sexy tonight. Then again, he always looked sexy. But he wasn’t quite as dressy as she’d seen him before. He wore dark blue Levis that appeared brand new, and his normal dressy baby blue shirt and tie. But his tie was loosened and the top two buttons on his shirt were undone.
He motioned for her to sit beside him, so she did. Once on the couch, he slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
“So tell me, what do you usually accomplish most evenings when you’re home alone?”
“Accomplish?” She laughed. “Not much. Some days it’s laundry day, but the other times, I do nothing but watch tv. I might open my laptop and check my emails or other social media sites, but I’m pretty much a dull person who sits around and does nothing.”
He frowned. “I can’t remember the last time I sat around doing nothing.”
“What is your evening like when you get home from work?”
“Well,” he said, stretching his legs out as he scooted down onto the couch, bringing her with him, “I look over papers from the several meetings I’d attended that day. I answer my phone messages, and if I have time after that, I check my emails and answer those.”
She cuddled against him, lying on her side and placing her leg over his. This felt so nice. Too nice, in fact. She could get used to this if she wasn’t careful. Then again, maybe that’s what she really wanted to do. “When do you eat?”
“When I get hungry.” He chuckled. “But I usually just order room service.”
“You poor man.” She stroked his trimmed goatee. “You really need to get out more.”
Laughing, he gathered her closer, pulling her body onto his chest a little more. “That’s why I’m with you. I want you to show me the world.”
Her cheeks warmed from his compliment, and…that wasn’t the only thing warming up. The position they were in was too darn cozy, and very personal. Yet, she didn’t want to move. Ever. She wondered why he wasn’t trying to kiss her yet. The other times she’d been with him, he was always the one starting the kiss. She really couldn’t let this intimate moment between them go to waste, could she?
“I can definitely show you my world.” Sighing, she leaned up and placed her lips on his. At first, it was almost as if he was hesitant to kiss her, but she didn’t pull away. After the confusing day she’d had, she wanted him to take her mind off everything, and just focus on him.
Finally, he relaxed and kissed her like before—passionately, exciting her more as the seconds passed. He held her head while their mouths moved together. His tongue swirled with hers, and she released a heavy sigh. This was pure magic.
She couldn’t do a lot with her hands since they were trapped between their chests, but she reached his tie and finished loosening it and slipping it off from around his neck. When her fingers moved to the third button on his shirt, she felt his hands move on her head, back to her ponytail. After a few tugs of her tie, her hair fell down around her shoulders, and around their joined faces, shrouding them from the outside world.
His hands moved again, threading through her long hair. This seemed to kick him into a higher gear because his kisses became faster, more urgent. The excitement building inside of her was almost to inferno status. Did he know how much she enjoyed kissing him like this—like there was no tomorrow, and nobody else in this world besides Austin and Brittany?
But before she could do anymore, he shifted, breaking the kiss. His breath was as ragged as her own. Staring deep into her eyes, he swallowed hard.
He caressed her cheek. “You are so hard to resist.”
“Why are you resisting, then?” She couldn’t believe the husky voice that just answered was really hers. And she also couldn’t believe the words that had exited her mouth. Was she challenging him to do more? Then again, he was her Prince Charming, wasn’t he?
He took a deep breath. As he slowly released the breath, he smiled. “Because I want to talk now. We are still getting to know each other, aren’t we?”
“Yes.”
“So let’s start now.” He breathed deeply and slowly once more. “Tell me everything you did today—everyone you talked to, everywhere you went. I want to know how a police detective works.”
“Seriously?” She, too, tried to calm her speeding heartrate, and trying to regulate her breathing, too. “You want to know what I did today?”
“Just you, sweet lady. Only you.”
“Do you really think I can remember all of that?”
“I think you can remember that and more.” He winked.
She really didn’t want to mention names, but she figured calling them by their first name wouldn’t hurt. Besides, Austin probably wouldn’t know half of these people. As she began to tell him about her day, it surprised her how interested he appeared—like he was hanging on her every word. She loved feeling that important. He definitely made her feel this way quite a bit lately.
His forehead creased a little as his wide smile slowly disappeared. “Did you talk to Derek?”
She pulled up slightly. “Derek? Your friend, Derek?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head. “Why would I talk to Derek?”
Austin shrugged. “Because he also knew Hillary.”
“Well, unless Derek was a name on her list, or unless he was a lead, we wouldn’t have asked him any questions.”
“But, someone talked to him. He said it was you.”
She blinked with wide eyes, sitting up a little more. “If I talked to him, I didn’t know who he was. I told you everyone I had spoken with. I haven’t even met your friend. Why would you think that?”
“Because he mentioned earlier—”
Brittany’s cell buzzed. Groaning, she climbed off him, and the couch, to pull it out of her pocket. “Russell here.”
Austin blew out a gush of air and sank further in the cushions as he stared up at the ceiling.
“Brittany, I think we found something,” Kurt said breathlessly.
“What did you find?”
“Gibbs interviewed one of Reeder’s board members, and guess who is a collector of medieval weapons?”
She turned away from Austin, stepping closer to the kitchen. “Who?”
“Our very own Austin Reeder. I’m getting a search warrant ready as we speak. We’ll be able to search his place tonight!”
FIFTEEN
Kurt paced the front of the hotel, waiting for Brittany to arrive. Reeder wasn’t here, either, and Kurt had a bad feeling the two were together. If they showed up together, he didn’t know what he’d do. It would certainly crush his heart, because then he’d know she hadn’t cared enough to ponder his suggestion earlier today.
When Martinez and the others arrived, Kurt realized they would be searching Reeder’s suite without her.
Martinez marched toward Kurt, pointing toward the front doors of the hotel. “Let’s do this.” Then the captain stopped and glanced around. “Where’s Russell?”
“She’ll be here.”
“I’m not going to wait for her to powder her nose.”
Gritting his teeth, Kurt held back the remarks he’d wanted to fling at his supervisor. Why did the man have to always pick on Brittany? Kurt wished he knew.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Brittany’s Jetta squeal into the parking lot. He sighed with relief, and pointed in that direction. “She’s here,” he told the captain.
“Good.” Martinez nodded. “Let’s go.”
She practically jumped out of her vehicle, and marched Kurt’s way. By the stern expression on her face, he would be arguing with her very soon. At least he had the others to back him up. She could yell at him all night, but the fact was, the detectives finally got a lead they could count on. Without the murder weapon, how could they truly convict the killer? The other men must have noticed, because they quickened their step inside the hotel.
“Kurt Hamill!” she shouted. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I told you on the phone.” He turned and tried to follow the other detectives. “Gibbs talked to one of Reeder’s board members—”
“Why was Gibbs talking to one of the board members?”
Kurt rolled his eyes. “Because, sweetheart, that’s what we do when we check up on suspects’ alibis.”
“And did this board member confirm that Austin was with them?”
“Yes, but he wasn’t sure what time it actually was. He thought it could have been later than ten, which means—”
“I know what that means. Was he the only one Gibbs questioned? I’m assuming the words board members are plural. Gibbs should have asked more than one person.”
“Brittany, will you stop interrupting me, and listen to what I have to say?” They walked into the elevator, and Brittany pushed the button for the top floor. “The board member told Gibbs that he’s like an art dealer. He finds ancient artifacts and sells them to wealthy people. Reeder just happens to be one of those people. Fred Cheek said he sold a medieval weapon to Reeder only four months ago. The artifact is called Indian Shispar. It’s a flanged mace—the exact weapon that killed Hillary Banks.”
She glared at him. “I know what the weapon is called.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “You don’t need to bite my head off.”
Grumbling incoherently, she raked her fingers through her long hair and looked down at the floor. His mind went into overdrive. Why wasn’t her hair in a ponytail? She really shouldn’t have taken it out. With her hair long and flowing like this, it made her that much more desirable.
“I just don’t understand you, sometimes,” she said, after a few seconds of silence. “Austin has a perfect alibi, and yet you’re still determined to search his apartment for the weapon.” She met his gaze again. “Have you forgotten I was in there a few times? I didn’t see any weapons.”
Kurt leaned back against the wall and folded his arms. “Did you get to see all of his rooms? If I remember correctly, you were only in the living room and the kitchen and dining areas.”
Huffing, she turned back to look at the electronic board as it counted each floor, giving off a small ding when they reached a floor. He wished she wouldn’t be like this. What else could he do to make her see that Austin Reeder wasn’t the man she thought he was?
“Were you with Reeder tonight?” Kurt finally asked the question that had been on his mind tonight.
“That’s none of your business,” she snapped without looking at him.
Kurt knew she had. She didn’t need to say it. The crushing weight in his chest pressed down harder, making it difficult to breathe. He couldn’t let this affect him. Not until after they’d searched the perp’s penthouse suite.
Just as they reached the top floor, and the elevator doors opened, the second set of elevator doors also dinged and opened. Kurt watched to see who exited the elevator, because he knew the rest of the detectives were already here.
Austin Reeder walked out, his face red with anger. The perp glanced at the other detectives waiting at the front door, and then he moved his attention to Kurt. A scowl crossed the perp’s face.
“What do you guys want now?” Reeder growled.
Kurt motioned toward the door. “We have a search warrant. We would like you to open the door and let us in so we can do our job.”
Martinez moved forward to present Reeder with the signed warrant from Judge Peterson. Reeder switched his gaze to Brittany, and his frown deepened. Kurt didn’t want to look at Brittany’s face, because he knew it would show the pain—and frustration—she obviously shared with Austin. Kurt couldn’t take seeing her look so broken.
Reeder opened his door. The detectives moved inside, each going to a separate corner of the room. Kurt went ahead of Brittany. When he received his first glance at the wealthy man’s room, he tried not to let his jaw drop in awe. Then again, why would Austin Reeder live any other way? He had luxury when he was younger, so why not now?
When Austin walked past Kurt, he shook his head. “I should have known you were behind this. You always saw the worst in me—and my mother.”
The loud gasp from Brittany jerked Kurt’s head her way. Her eyes were wide and accusing as she moved her gaze between him and Austin.
“You two…know each other?”
Austin arched a judgmental eyebrow. “I’m surprised your partner didn’t tell you sooner Brittany, but yes, we know each other. His father married my mother when I was ten years old.”
Kurt shook his head. “I never wanted to be related to you, and I feel even stronger about it now.”
“Kurt, why…why…didn’t you tell me,” Brittany sobbed out the words. Tears formed in her eyes and her bottom lip quaked.
He wasn’t going to feel guilty over this, no matter how much he loved Brittany. “Britt, I had never approved of him or his mother. They both thought themselves to be above the law.” He tossed a glare at Austin. “You were the reason I wanted t
o become a cop, so I could put wealthy—and crooked—men like you away behind bars. Your mother should have gone to jail for tax evasion, and you…” Kurt shook his head. “You should have gone to jail for just being a liar. I can’t count how many times you lied just to get out of doing things. Your whole life has been one big lie.”
Austin shook his head. “I don’t know what I ever did to you to make you feel this way. I may have paid a few people in school to do my homework assignments, but that’s as far as I got when it comes to cheating. Just because you didn’t like me, you had to make up stories to tell my parents. Thankfully, your father never believed you. Believe it or not, Hamill, I have never been deceitful. My mother has, yes, but I’m nothing like her.”
Kurt snickered. “Yeah, tell it to the judge.”
Kurt moved past him to assist his co-workers in finding the weapon. But within seconds, Tyrone’s voice was heard from one of the rooms. “I found it!”
Before Kurt could think to move, Brittany pushed past him, with Reeder close on her heels. Kurt passed a bathroom, a bedroom, and a den, before coming to the last room. This was where Reeder kept his collection. Not only were there several pieces of medieval weapons, but there were an assortment of all kinds of weapons from ancient times. If he wasn’t so elated to know they finally found the murder weapon, he’d be in awe of all of the priceless artifacts in this room.
Tyrone held up the flanged mace. Martinez was standing close, examining the sharp tips of the weapon, especially the area where the sharp edge was missing. The captain nodded and carefully slid a large, clear bag over the top. This piece would be added to the other evidence involved with this case.
Standing in shock, Austin shook his head. “I didn’t do it. I’m not a killer!”
Martinez shot the perp a heated scowl. “Hamill, cuff Mr. Money-bags and bring him down to the station for questioning.”
“I want my lawyer present.” Austin stood firm.
“Your lawyer will be present.” Martinez nodded. “But we need to dust this for fingerprints, and also get your fingerprints.”
Kurt waited for the captain and the others to walk out of the room. Brittany didn’t leave. Her face had lost color, and her eyes were filled with tears as she stared at Austin.
Prince Charming is a Liar (Your Every Day Hero Book 1) Page 13