Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13)(82)
“I want to talk to her,” Stiles protested.
“No,” Liam said. “Now get out of here.”
“I guess I’ll have to get my attorneys involved, then,” he threatened, glaring at her before abruptly turning and storming away. The guard, finally regaining his feet, staggered behind him.
Allison had been silent long enough. “I’d love it if you did,” she called after them.
She’d sounded so thrilled by the possibility Liam laughed. It took all the discipline he possessed not to pull her into his arms and kiss her the way he’d been thinking about all day. It suddenly occurred to him he’d been fighting an impossible war. He couldn’t stay away from her. Then again, he didn’t want to.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” His voice was gruff.
—
Allison waited until they were back in her apartment to lecture him. “You didn’t need to use such force with that guard. You could have—”
He cut her off. “He called you a bitch. I didn’t like it.”
“You can’t go around slamming heads into walls just because you don’t like the names they call me.”
“Apparently, I can,” he replied. “Because I just did.”
She kicked off her shoes and picked them up. She stopped at her bedroom door and turned. Frowning, she asked, “Is this a pattern? Do you punch all men who insult your assets?”
“No, just the ones who insult you.”
She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. He was walking toward the door, and she couldn’t let him leave without answering a question for her. She’d wanted to ask him for days and so far hadn’t been able to get up the courage. Now or never, she thought.
“Liam, wait. I want to ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest with me. I need to know . . . if this makes you uncomfortable . . .” Her voice was whisper soft and apologetic.
He couldn’t imagine what was going on inside that brilliant but decidedly confused mind of hers. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the question and told himself that, no matter what she asked, he would not get angry. Unless, of course, she wanted another favor for Will. Then he’d probably end up yelling at her.
Bracing himself, he said, “Go ahead and ask.”
“Do you think I’m sexy?”
“Do I . . . what?”
“Do you think I’m sexy?”
To say he was taken by surprise was an understatement. Had she not looked so serious, he would have laughed.
Allison waited. Liam stood there a full minute without saying a word. Was he trying to think of something diplomatic to say that wouldn’t hurt her feelings? She felt so foolish then and wished she hadn’t asked. Then he removed his jacket and loosened his tie as he walked over to her with that slow, easy smile of his.
“Yeah, I find you sexy.”
Liam pulled her to him, stared into her eyes, and waited. She dropped her shoes, and the second her arms went around his neck, his mouth covered hers. All he had to do was touch her, and his entire body reacted. How could she not know that? No woman had ever made him burn with desire the way Allison did. Every time she looked at him he wanted to take her into his arms. He wanted to cover her with his body and make love to her. He wanted to be inside her. He wanted to hear the sexy sounds she made, to feel her nails digging into his shoulders, to wrap himself in her warmth and her feminine scent. To be overwhelmed by her.
He backed away long enough to ask, “Do you . . .”
“Yes,” she whispered. There was no playing hard to get, no hesitation. “Assuming you want to take me to bed.”
“Yes.” He kissed her again. Her lips were so soft. He loved the way she gave herself so freely. He loved the low purr she made in the back of her throat when she was aroused. Hell, there wasn’t anything he didn’t love about her.
He led her to the bedroom, leaving a trail of their clothes on the floor, and they fell onto the bed, wrapped up in each other. He couldn’t slow down. She didn’t want him to. He was mindless to everything but finding a release from the tension building for both of them. It seemed to him they became one then. She arched against him, cried out his name, and tightened around him, her grip strong on his shoulders.
“Let go,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
When the intensity of their lovemaking was over, Liam rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, exhausted. He didn’t want to think about the complications. He tried to sleep, but there was a war raging inside him. His conscience was on the offensive, and it was time he came to grips with what he was doing here. His actions in the last couple of months had been impulsive and definitely out of character for him. He was accustomed to a life on the move, never getting too close to anyone or setting down roots. That was what he had signed up for. Lately, however, something had changed. He’d rearranged some assignments just so he could return to Boston. He’d told himself he needed to stay close to Allison because there were threats against her, and he felt responsible. At one point he’d even been on his way to the airport and turned around so that he could make sure she was okay. And every time he was near her, he couldn’t seem to control himself. Granted, she had been a willing partner and had agreed there were no commitments or expectations. The sex had been amazing, but was that all it was? Sex? At some point he would have to face reality and get back to his job and his life on the move. What would happen then?