Read Online Liar Liar by Julianne Floyd - Free Book Online

slumped in her seat. “Thanks.” She gulped half her drink, feeling a little sick.
    Matt had been exciting company so far, but the rain could have provided him with ample opportunity to get her alone and vulnerable—the hallmark of a playboy. Was she paranoid? Jess had learned to listen to her intuition. Ignoring it had led her to her scummy ex-husband Stan. She squared her shoulders, preparing for confrontation.
    “Excuse me, Miss. Is this seat taken?” Matt chuckled and slid onto the stool next to her.
    Her inner alarm buzzed a warning, even as his aftershave enveloped her in a seductive embrace. She’d always loved a clean scent on a man. Electric shivers crackled up her thigh when his knee brushed against her.
    “Feeling better?” He cocked his head and gave her a smile that made his eyes dance.
    Hot fudge with a cherry on top.
    Maybe she could shut off her alarm, just for the evening.
    “A little.” She took a sip of her drink. God, he did look good enough to eat.
    He tapped the frosted beer bottle in front of him. “This for me? Good call.” He tilted the bottle back and she watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.
    She wanted to run her tongue along his throat. Jess swallowed hard. Her warning meter pinged again in her ears. She tried to ignore it. “So, what’s your story? Ever been married?”
    “Nope.” Matt shook his head.
    She couldn’t imagine someone not snatching him up. “Why not?”
    “Never found the right girl, I guess.” He fiddled with the label on his beer bottle and gave her a look she couldn’t read, not with all her years of experience as an investigator. “How about you?”
    “Oh, you know. Typical cliché. Married too young, for all the wrong reasons.”
    Matt’s brows rose. “Yeah? Like what?”
    This time Jess shrugged. “Security? I don’t know. My mom was divorced, a couple of times. I think I just wanted the fantasy of a white picket fence, a great career and a handsome husband completely devoted to me.”
    Matt took a swig. “What went wrong?”
    My husband was a cheating pig? No, she couldn’t say that. “Uh, I was too busy building my career.”
    “So what? He didn’t like you outshining him?”
    Jess squirmed. Time for a little truth. “Let’s just say Stan wasn’t the devoted type.”
    “Ah.” Matt nodded. “Very foolish man. If you were mine….” He stopped suddenly as if realizing what he was about to say.
    Jess felt her heart flutter. What if she was? She didn’t dare think it.
    After an uncomfortable pause where Jess didn’t know what to say, he downed another healthy swig, looking as if he wanted to wash the taste of the words out of his mouth. Poor guy was dangling in the wind with that last comment.
    He was adorable. She wanted to kiss him senseless.
    Instead, she glanced out the window, giving him time to regain his composure. A dazzling sunset turned the clouds crimson and purple. Dissipating thunder clouds. Her inner radar went bonkers.
    No matter how much she liked him, wanted him, she couldn’t get past it. Gorgeous or not, she’d best find out if he was sincere, before she made a total fool of herself.
    “You seem to know a lot about this area.” She swirled her tumbler with enough force to crack the ice against the glass and took a swallow of vodka and lime.
    “Some. Not as much as I’d like to.” His eyes hawked over her face as if he was memorizing it. “Why do you ask?”
    “Does it rain often this time of year?” she asked.
    He straightened in his seat, and the warm twinkle doused in his eyes. “I couldn’t say. My visits have been fairly limited to a couple of weekends away from work. I haven’t been here in years.” He leaned over and captured her hand off the edge of her glass. “You’re stabbing that poor lime to death. What’s up, Jess?” he asked.
    “You said Montana was one of your favorite locales.” She exhaled noisily and gulped another mouthful of vodka and tonic. She couldn’t help being a