Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13)(75)

It wasn’t her fault, was it? He had far more experience than she did. He’d probably slept with at least twenty women, maybe more, who knew what they were doing. She’d only slept with one other man, and it had been a disaster. She couldn’t think about the god-awful experience without shuddering.

She didn’t respond to Liam’s question. She went into her bathroom, showered, and put on a short white sleeveless cotton nightgown that just reached her knees. Although it was a bit low-cut, she couldn’t see through the material, and she thought it was modest enough. There was no way she was going to make herself vulnerable again. She hated feeling so awkward around him. She wanted to hide, so she opened her laptop and did exactly that.

Liam was on the phone for over an hour putting out one fire after another. By the time he finished work, he just wanted to crash. He opened the bedroom door and stood there, smiling at Allison. She was sitting propped up with pillows against the headboard. Her long, gorgeous legs were stretched out, and her computer sat open on her lap. Her head was dropped down, but he could see her eyes were closed. She looked as sweet and innocent as an angel.

He got ready for bed, and when he walked into the bedroom, she was in the same position. She hadn’t moved all the while he’d been making a racket in the bathroom. He picked up the laptop and noticed what was on the screen. There were three names with a little information about each, and he could tell she had been doing a search for Will’s friends. He was surprised Will had any friends at all. He read the names again so he could check them out, then closed the laptop and put it on the dresser.

Allison was exhausted. There were deep circles under her eyes. And no wonder. She’d been putting in such long hours at the office with no end in sight. He pulled the covers back and tucked her in. She needed the rest. He didn’t trust himself to sleep in her bed again, so he grabbed a pillow with the intent of sleeping on the sofa. He made it to the bedroom door before he stopped, turned around, and went back to the bed.

I’ve got to be out of my mind, he thought, being so close to her. After moving the covers out of the way, he stretched out as far away from her as possible. Fifteen minutes later, he was finally drifting off to sleep when Allison rolled over and snuggled up against him. Her warm body pressed to his was driving him crazy. He wanted nothing more than to have her wake up and reach for him, but that was being selfish. She was exhausted, he reminded himself. He was not going to have sex with her. He repeated the declaration a good five times to fortify his resolve, but it didn’t make his struggle any easier.

Oh yeah, he was definitely out of his mind.





TWENTY



Allison had several ideas where Will might be hiding. She remembered the names of a few of the low-life degenerates he had hung out with in high school. Three in particular stuck in her mind. They were always in trouble with the law. When they had been around, she had hidden in her room. She wasn’t sure if Will still kept in touch with any of them, but finding out was worth a try. They were all long shots. Getting Liam to cooperate without calling in the troops was going to be tricky.

Liam was carrying his gym bag to the door when she walked out of the bedroom. “Going somewhere?”

She was dressed for the day in a short skirt and a T-shirt with an image of Tweety Bird on the front. Liam had to take the time to appreciate her long legs and promptly lost his train of thought.

“What did you say?” He quickly recovered. “Yes, I have to leave. However, there will be—”

She interrupted. “How about you take me out to breakfast first?”

“I just ate breakfast.”

“Okay, then how about taking a drive before you leave? It’s a beautiful day.”

He studied her. “Want to tell me what you’re up to?”

“Nothing.” She made the lie blacker by adding, “Honest.”

Allison could see in his eyes that he knew she was lying. She smiled sweetly and said, “I’ll be happy to drive.”

“Does this drive have anything to do with your search on your laptop last night?”

She was shocked. “You looked at my screen? That’s private . . . That’s . . .” She stopped when she realized she was sputtering.

“Yes, I did look. The screen was open.”

“Oh . . . okay, then. Should I drive or do you want to?”

“I’ll drive. Will I need my gun on this scenic drive?”

“You always wear a gun. I’m assuming you’ll do so today.”

“Allison?”

“Yes?”

“Am I gonna have to shoot someone?”

“I hope not.” She walked past him and reached for the door. “Are you coming with me?”

“Sure. I’ve got a little time before my replacement arrives.”

“What replacement?”

“Another agent.”

“Why do I need an agent?”

“To go over the rules,” he explained patiently.

“What rules?”

He reached around her, pulled the door open, and waited for her to move. “Are we going or not?”

Frustrated, she put her hands on her hips and said, “What rules?”

“The rules in place until we catch Will and know that Bale has come to his senses.”