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The doorman gained their attention. “Miss Trent, there was an incident you should know about.” Stamos’s usually booming voice was hesitant. He kept glancing at Liam.
“Stamos, this is my friend Agent Scott. Tell me about the incident, please.” She had a bad feeling she already knew what he was going to say, yet foolishly held out hope it was something else . . . anything else.
“You had some company,” he began. “An older man and woman came by. They parked right in front of the door, so I saw what they were driving. It was a year-old Chrysler 300C Platinum with twenty-inch polished cast aluminum wheels, a dual-pane panoramic power sunroof, and HID headlights. It’s a nice, smooth ride,” he continued. “This one had dents and scratches all over it, like someone had taken a hammer to it or maybe had been driving when he shouldn’t . . . if you know what I mean. They ruined that beautiful car.”
Liam tried to get him back on track. “You were telling Allison about the man and woman. Who were they? Do you know?”
“Oh yes, of course. They told me they were your aunt and uncle. The woman even pulled out her driver’s license and waved it in my face to prove she had the same last name.”
Allison felt as though the wind had just been knocked out of her. They had found her. And so soon. Damn. It was inevitable that they would track her down, but she had hoped it would take them longer to figure out she had moved, and even longer to find her new address. No such luck.
“When was this?” she asked.
“They showed up around four this afternoon, maybe four thirty.” He scratched his jaw as he continued. “They were . . . difficult.”
Difficult? That was putting it mildly. “Did they make a scene?” she asked, knowing full well they did.
“Yes, ma’am, they certainly did. They wanted to wait in your apartment. I refused to let them, of course, and that was when they started shouting at me. The woman told me she had your permission. Don’t worry. I would never let anyone inside your home,” he rushed to add.
“Did they tell you what they wanted?” Liam asked.
“No, and I didn’t ask. They tried to push past me to get to the elevator. I pushed back and explained again that they couldn’t go beyond the lobby. They both became quite belligerent and as loud as a couple of broken mufflers. Your uncle threatened me, said he could get me fired. I’m pretty sure he was intoxicated.”
Of course he had been intoxicated. He usually started drinking around noon, sometimes a little before. It was just the way it was in the Trent household. Allison wished Liam wasn’t hearing about her relatives. It was embarrassing to be related to such vulgar people. She reminded herself that their behavior didn’t reflect on her, but she wasn’t very convincing. “I’m sure he was drunk or on his way there, and I’m sorry you had to deal with them. I know how difficult they can be.”
“Now that you know what they look like, don’t ever let them inside, and if they try to force their way in, call the police,” Liam ordered.
“I’ll alert the other doormen. There’re three of us in all,” he told Liam. “I lock up at ten each night, and tenants have to use their keys to get inside the front door until six in the morning.”
Great. Now outsiders were getting involved in the fiasco. The more Allison tried to avoid her aunt and uncle, the more belligerent they became. “I’m so sorry they were a bother,” she apologized.
Liam heard the mortification in Allison’s voice and immediately felt his protective instincts rising again. “You aren’t responsible,” he said, putting his arm around her.
Was he comforting her or feeling sorry for her? Allison couldn’t tell. She tried to gently shrug his arm away as she headed toward the elevator, but it didn’t budge. Instead, Liam walked into the elevator with her and pushed the button for her floor.
As the elevator ascended, Liam’s emotions and his good judgment were in a raging battle. It was killing him not to take charge of her aunt and uncle, to tell Allison he would make certain they left her alone. He could be a real badass when he needed to. Allison wouldn’t let him, though. She would think he was interfering, and in fact that was exactly what he would be doing. He knew she could handle herself. The way she stood up to Phillips had proven that she could hold her own, but knowing what she had endured growing up in that whacked-out household made him want to shield her from more heartache. She wouldn’t like that, either. So he would let her take the lead, and if he needed to get involved, he would make certain she didn’t know about it.
The elevator doors parted, and Liam deliberately slowed the pace as they approached her apartment. A strange feeling was taking over, one he didn’t know how to handle. He was always so sure of himself and could make the right call when the situation demanded, but this was different. He had set out to solve a problem for the agency. Mission accomplished, right? On to the next step. That was the way these operations worked. Then what was the reason for his reluctance to end this phase of the job?
The reason was obvious. It was Allison. Something inside him didn’t want to let go, and he was intentionally drawing out his time with her. He knew he should treat her like any other asset: thank her for her contribution, wish her well, and walk away. But she wasn’t just any asset. The memory of how good she had tasted when he’d kissed her kept gnawing at him.
At her door Allison rummaged through her purse for her house key, but she struggled to concentrate on the task. Liam was standing so close, her whole body tensed and her hands shook.
“I’m assuming I won’t be seeing you again. Since I no longer work for you, we’re pretty much done. Right? Of course we are,” she rambled on with a nod, not daring to look up. “Best of luck to you.” Best of luck? She couldn’t come up with anything better? She felt like such a nitwit.
“How come you’re in such a hurry to get rid of me?” he asked, a smile in his voice.
“I’m not. I’m just trying to keep this relationship professional. I don’t want to . . .” She could barely breathe. She knew she should get away from him as soon as possible, before she made a complete fool of herself and ripped his clothes off.
He took the key from her, unlocked the door, and followed her inside. He was waiting for her to finish her thought, and when she didn’t, he prodded, “You don’t want to what?”
She couldn’t admit her lascivious thoughts. “Never mind.”
She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. She felt like sighing. Or jumping his bones. He was such a strong, muscular man, and with his sun-streaked blond hair and clear green eyes, he was nearly irresistible. It was impossible to pretend to be immune to his charms any longer.
She had prided herself on her self-control. In fact, she had bragged about it to Liam, but what happened next was beyond her control. At least that was the lie she told herself. She leaned into him, put her hands on his shoulders, and kissed the daylights out of him. The kiss was hot, carnal, demanding a response. She poured her heart into that kiss, and if he pushed her away, she didn’t know what she would do. She wanted him to feel the passion she felt and to want her as much as she wanted him. Her mouth was open and her tongue rubbed against his. She heard him growl low in his throat and tried to get even closer to him. Being the aggressor was new to her, but she found she liked it . . . with him. She trusted him—which in her mind was a rare and beautiful thing—and that was why she could throw caution to the wind and go a little crazy.
Every argument running through Liam’s head flew out the window. Since the moment he’d met her, he’d wanted her in his arms. Who was he kidding? He wanted more than that. He wanted her in his bed, under him, writhing and begging for release. Keeping their relationship professional had been one of the hardest things he had ever done, but he knew, as long as he was in charge of her assignment, he couldn’t act on his feelings. Now, he rationalized, she no longer worked for him. He was neither her boss nor her colleague. She worked for Phillips.
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He wrapped his arms around her, cupped her backside, and lifted her up until her pelvis was pressed against his. Her mouth was soft and warm, and he was ravenous for more. He knew things were getting out of hand, yet the passion was escalating so quickly he couldn’t make himself let go of her. When he finally lifted his head, he saw her face was flushed and she was breathless. His touch had done that to her, he knew, and he wondered if she was as rattled as he was. God, she was beautiful. She tried to move back into his arms, but he put his hands on her waist and wouldn’t let her move.
He stared at her a long minute and then in a raspy voice asked, “Do you want to do this?”
The question jarred her. “Do this? What did you have in mind?”
Allison took a step back. Of course she wanted him, but did attacking him make her a sex-starved maniac? That would be wrong. Then again, what was wrong with having one amazing night with him before he left? Nothing, she decided, and her curiosity would be appeased. Yes, the sisters of St. Dominic’s would be horrified by what they would call her lack of morals, and they would no doubt tell her she was going to end up in purgatory for a millennium if she didn’t get her mind out of the gutter. If so, she really didn’t care. Besides, there wasn’t going to be any guilt because he wouldn’t be around to remind her. Although she wasn’t all that experienced, she had had sex before and didn’t think it lived up to all the hype. She hadn’t been in any hurry to do it again. Until Liam. Everything was different with him.
“Allison, answer me.” Liam knew he would let go of her and leave if that was what she wanted, but he hoped to God she wanted him to stay.
“Yes, I want to do this,” she finally answered. “But I prefer to call it making love.” When he reacted to her declaration, she poked him in the chest. “Don’t you dare laugh at me.”
His smile was filled with tenderness. “I prefer to call it what it is. Sex.”
“Do you have to be so clinical about it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding. I lead a chaotic life, and a long-term commitment with any woman isn’t possible.”
When it came to romance, the man was definitely lacking finesse. But then what did she know? The only romance she’d observed was on television. “Okay, no misunderstandings, no complications, no commitments. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” He sounded relieved, which she found a bit galling. Did he think she would demand marriage?
She put her arms around his neck again and rested her cheek against his chest. “Maybe we should put it in writing. Then you won’t have to worry.”
He hid his smile and said, “Yeah, we should put it in writing.”
“And get it notarized.”
He laughed. “Are you making fun of me?” He squeezed her backside. “I just want to be clear on expectations.”
“Did you go through these expectations of yours with the other women you’ve taken to bed? I’m assuming there have been one or two.” It was odd that she didn’t like the idea of Liam with any other woman. She shouldn’t care, should she? Yet she did.
“No.”
“No, what?”
“No, I’ve never gone through them with any other woman.”
She leaned back so she could look into his eyes. “Why not?” she asked, clearly disgruntled.
“You’re different.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Neither,” he answered. “Just different.”
She sighed. “You sure know how to kill a mood. I think . . .”
She was going to tell him he might as well leave, but that thought got all tangled up in her mind the second his open mouth covered hers. The kiss was hard and blatantly possessive. Oh God, how she loved the way his tongue took possession, and she began the mating ritual, pressing her pelvis against his each time his tongue sank inside.
She was trembling when he lifted his head. They walked into the bedroom and stood at the foot of the bed facing each other as they undressed. While he removed his jacket and tie, she kicked off her heels, then turned around so that he could unzip her dress. She didn’t have to tell him what she wanted. She simply lifted her hair and waited.
Liam leaned down and kissed the side of her neck, smiling when he saw the goose bumps he caused. Then he lowered her zipper all the way down to the base of her spine. A night-light from the adjoining bathroom cast shadows on the bed and on her golden body. He marveled at how smooth and perfect her skin was.
Heart pounding, Allison slowly removed her dress, carefully folded it, and placed it on a nearby chair. She was deliberately taking her time, hoping she could get her nerves under control, but she quickly gave up and turned back to him.
Liam had to remind himself to breathe when he saw she was wearing lacy black lingerie. She was the sexiest woman he had ever known, and he had wanted her from the moment he had met her. Within seconds, he removed his gun and badge and put them on the bedside table. She tried to unbutton his shirt for him, but her hands were shaking so much, she couldn’t get it done. He took over the task, all the while his gaze locked on her.
The look on his face made Allison feel warm everywhere. She curled her toes into the rug and stared up at him. He really was beautiful, she thought, knowing he wouldn’t like it if she told him so. She put her hand on his chest and trailed her fingertips down to the waistband of his pants.
“I’m nervous,” she whispered.
“I know,” he replied, smiling. She threaded her fingers though her hair and brushed it back in an action he found utterly feminine.
“I don’t understand why. I’m used to taking my clothes off in front of men.”
That statement got a reaction. He was in the process of unzipping his pants but stopped and said, “There’s no way in hell I’m going to believe you’re promiscuous.”
“What? No, of course not. But if I were?”
He shrugged, indicating that it didn’t matter to him. “I’d still want you.”
“I’m not,” she stated again.
“Okay. You like to take your clothes off . . .”
“In front of men,” she finished for him. “It’s what I do.” Now she was smiling, wondering how long it would take him to figure it out.
Had he not been so distracted by her killer body, he would have been more clearheaded and known right away what she was saying. When her meaning finally sank in, he laughed. “You’re a model.”
“Yes.”
He pulled her into his arms before she could get nervous again. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to do,” he promised.
He was nuzzling the side of her neck, sending shivers through her. She tugged on his hair to get him to kiss her on the mouth. She was the aggressive one now. Her tongue swept inside and rubbed against his, and when she felt his arms tighten their grip, she knew he liked it, so she did it again. She wanted to make him lose control and suddenly realized she was losing hers.
Liam removed the rest of her clothes and then his own. His mouth never left hers, and she didn’t even realize what he’d done until her breasts were pressed against his chest. The feeling was exquisite. She felt the heat and the power radiating from his muscles. Her senses were reeling. Everything about him aroused her. The way he caressed her, the sexy growls he made when she pleased him, and his scent. Oh God, his scent was wonderful. It wasn’t aftershave, but maybe body wash and male. Clean and masculine. It was a sexy-as-sin combination and she loved it. When he tried to pull away from her, she retaliated by tugging on his lip with her teeth. She wanted to keep kissing him, and he gave her what she demanded.
Liam was already hard and aching to be inside her. He knew she wasn’t ready, and when she moved her hips to cuddle him between her thighs, he groaned and took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure how he accomplished it, but he got the covers pulled back before the two of them fell into bed together. She was wr
apped in his arms and on top of him.
“Damn, you’re so soft.”
She lifted her head and looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I’ve got you right where I want you.”
“Yeah?” He made a quick spin, and she found herself on her back with Liam looming over her. “Now I’ve got you.”
When he moved, his chest hair tickled her breasts. It felt so good she wanted him to move again.
Liam kissed her passionately, determined to overwhelm her, to make her as crazed as he was. Holding on to his discipline and not going too fast was excruciating.
Restless now, she began to move. Her toes rubbed his legs, and she instinctively arched up against him. He kissed her just below her earlobe and then whispered all the dark, erotic things he was going to do to her. She was so aroused now she thought his voice alone could push her over the edge.
Liam had a lusty appetite and proceeded to kiss every inch of her. Most models were as thin as cardboard, but Allison had curves. Full, lush breasts, a narrow waist, perfect hips, and the longest shapely legs. Her ass was pretty damn near perfect, too.
He kissed the valley between her breasts, and when his tongue glided across one nipple, she almost came off the bed. He took it into his mouth and began to suckle while he caressed her other breast. He moved lower. His tongue circled her navel. His hands were everywhere. He pushed her thighs apart and she thought foreplay was over. But she was wrong. He kissed her stomach, then slid lower. She sucked in her breath when his mouth and tongue began to make love so intimately. It was carnal, so shocking, so wonderful, she could feel herself losing control, and that terrified her. She cried out and tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t be deterred. She was quickly consumed with desire. She understood what was happening; she just had never experienced it before.
She came apart. Her orgasm took her by surprise and completely overwhelmed her. Wave after wave of intense pleasure poured over her. She clung to him and called his name.
