Gemma Halliday - Alibi In High Heels

Felix cocked his head to the side. "Who?"

"You… you were in her room the night she died. You were fighting. You slept with her, then starting fighting."

Felix looked down at the floor, the toe of his sneaker toying with an invisible spot on the rug. He said in a low voice, "Yes, we fought. She wanted me to accompany her to a party the next night. I said I didn't think we should see each other anymore. She got angry."

"Wait, you were dumping a supermodel?" I asked with a snort. "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

He looked up. "Some men are looking for more than a pair of long legs, Maddie."

I wasn't certain, but I could have sworn his eyes flickered to my own short pair currently half encased in a foam Smurf boot.

"So why sleep with her first if you knew you were going to dump her? That's low even for you."

He shook his head. "I didn't sleep with her."

"Angelica heard you. She was in the room right next door."

Again that frown settled between his brows. "I didn't sleep with her, Maddie."

I let it go, focusing on the more important part. "So, you fought, then what?"

"Then I left her."

"Alive?"

Felix took a step closer.

I backed up again and bit my lip. When had his dimples and rumpled khakis suddenly become so menacing?

He cocked his head to the side, an odd look coming over his features. "No, don't tell me."

"Tell you what?" I asked, my hands starting to sweat at my sides.

"Don't tell me that you of all people think…?"

I threw my hands up in the air. "Well, what am I supposed to think? The necklace belongs to you, you were dating the dead woman. Hell, the story about the stiletto in the jugular was printed in your paper. That's a lot of coincidence, don't you think?"

"Ironic. You talking about coincidence."

I squared my shoulders. "Tell me the truth. Did you kill her, Felix?"

He clenched his jaw, his eyes going dark as he took a step forward. "If I was a cold blooded killer," he said, his voice suddenly growing a hard edge, "do you really think I'd confess it to you?"

I gulped, my heart rate increasing tenfold.

He shook his head, a slight movement, his eyes saturated with some unreadable emotion. "I can't believe you'd doubt me. Not after all we've been through together." His voice went low, almost a whisper. "After you kissed me."

So he hadn't forgotten.

"That was an accident," I said, wiping my sweaty hands on my dress.

Felix raised an eyebrow at me. "An accident?"

I nodded, taking another step backward.

Felix took two forward. "Is that what you think?"

I nodded again. "Look, you don't think I meant to kiss you? I mean, I'm with Ramirez."

"Actually…" He took two more steps forward. "…it looks like you're here. With me."

I gulped, my back coming up against the massive stone fireplace.

"Kinda," I squeaked out.

Felix took one more step forward, until he was standing directly in front of me, his body inches from mine. I could feel the heat coming off his skin, the scent of coffee on his breath.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked, silently checking his person for anything that looked like a weapon. Specifically a stiletto heel.

None that I could see. Or feel. His white rumpled shirt lay carelessly over a frame that felt a lot more solid than I'd ever imagined.

"Being deliberate," he said, his voice deep and barely louder than a whisper.

I held my breath.

"D-deliberate?"

But he didn't answer. Instead, he leaned in, his body pressing into mine. Despite the fear tickling my spine, my body instantly responded. My heart sped up, heat pooling in my stomach as my lungs suddenly couldn't get enough air. I felt his belly rising and falling against mine, in sync with his warm breath on my cheek.

He paused there, his blue eyes never leaving me.

Then he slowly closed the gap between us, his lips moving closer until they hovered a breath away. I tasted coffee and toothpaste, felt his lips brush mine.

I closed my eyes in anticipation of what came next.

His tongue flicked out and tasted my lips, so lightly I wasn't even totally sure it happened, before his mouth covered mine in a soft, slow movement. Nibbling, tasting, nipping. Before I knew what happened, I was returning it, doing a little tasting and nibbling of my own. I must have liked what I sampled, because all on its own my body let out a sigh, sinking into his. His hand slid down my side, resting possessively at my waist as he leaned in, pressing his hips closer.

For a half second, the rest of the world disappeared as I went warm in all the right places. All the twisted thoughts running circles through my mind the past twenty-four hours melted away. All I cared about right now were his lips, surprisingly soft, capturing mine, his hands, warm and oddly tender, holding me. The fact that despite his annoying habit of pasting my head on Pamela Anderson's body, I just might be able to forgive a guy that was this good a kisser.

A damned good kisser.

Then somewhere through the fog of hormones shrouding me, a tiny voice in the back of my head piped up. What the hell are you doing, girl? This was a potential murderer. A creep. A tabloid reporter. Felix !

I twisted away, breaking the kiss and sucking in large gulps of air.

"What was that?" I asked Felix.

Only it wasn't Felix's voice that answered.

"My question exactly."

I looked past Felix.

And froze.

Filling the doorway, a death look on his granite features, stood Ramirez.

My life flashed before my eyes as I looked from Felix, his lips still wet and swollen looking, to Ramirez, his eyes flashing fire, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"I… we…" I stuttered, taking one giant step away from Felix.

Ramirez did a low growl and I suddenly feared another murder might take place soon. Very soon.

"It's not what it looks like," I blurted out. "I didn't even kiss him back!" Much.

Ramirez looked from me to Felix, his unreadable cop face slipping into place.

"Jack?" I said feebly.

But it was too late. I could see all emotion draining from his eyes, being replaced with that dead Cop Face look I'd come to know and dread. Then, before I could stop him, he turned around and stalked out the door.

"Shit." I hobbled after him, my crutches slipping on the over-polished floor. I fumbled with them, then ditched them altogether as I turned the corner, throwing them clattering to the floor in the hallway. "Wait," I called desperately, half hoping half running after him. "Please, Jack, wait," I begged. I was rushing after him so quickly I plunged right into him when he stopped abruptly and turned around.

"Uhn."

He immediately pushed me away, as if suddenly my touch repulsed him. Tears instantly stung my eyes.

"Please, Jack," I pleaded, sure I was two seconds away from a total girly cry-fest melt down if he didn't at least look at me.

"What." He didn't phrase it as a question. And he didn't meet my eyes.

"Look, I am so, so sorry. You weren't supposed to walk in on that."

"Obviously."

"No, wait, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that I didn't expect you. You weren't suppose to be here. What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, Maddie. I made your mother tell me where you were. I thought you were in trouble." He spit the words out, his voice rough and void of all emotion. He looked past my head down the hallway. "Apparently you were getting along just fine."

"No, I'm not. I mean, I am, but it's not what it looks like."

"Oh, so you weren't kissing him?"

"Well, yes, but he kissed me this time!"

Ramirez raised one eyebrow, that vein in his neck pulsing like a Latin conga dancer. " This time?"