Officer Lou Hernandez is surprised when he's asked to help Gideon Monahan catch an art forger. He's not too happy, however, when he meets the man he'll be working with. Lou thinks Rory Kinley is a supercilious pain in the ass. Rory, on the other hand, sees no reason why Lou has been brought into this. After all, he's just a cop, albeit one who is good at going undercover.<br><br>The art forger they're after -- Nate Hanks -- cons collectors, saying he has an undiscovered painting by a famous artist. He's killed one of his marks already to keep from being caught.<br><br>Lou and Rory will have to set aside their differences as they set up a sting to stop Hanks. When they do, they discover they may not be as incompatible as they thought. The question becomes, will their growing feelings survive what's to come -- or be destroyed in the process?

It Takes a Forger

Rory was saved from answering by the waitress’s arrival with their burgers. They both concentrated on eating for a few minutes, glancing at each other occasionally. Then Rory said, “You’re different from any man I’ve met.”


For a second Lou wondered what brought that on. Then he remembered his question, so he replied, “How so?”


“You’re confident. You don’t take shit from anyone. You make sure the job is done—and done right.”


“You’ve determined this from the few days we’ve worked together?”


Lou waggled his hand. “Not wrong, but a lot of it comes from being a cop.”


“No. I think you became a cop becauseyou’re like that.”


After thinking about it, Lou shrugged. “Perhaps. You, on the other hand, have snarkiness down to an art form, when you put your mind to it. You’re probably not too trusting, and you’re not terribly confident in yourself.”


“What makes you think that?” Rory asked with apparent dismay.


Chapter 21