Page 12 of Wired (Buchanan-Renard 13)

  The set of Liam’s jaw told her he was going to need more time to consider her request. They pulled up in front of her house, and Liam retrieved her overnight bag from the trunk and then followed her up the sidewalk.

  “Looks like the house is empty,” he remarked.

  “They must have gone out to get something to eat. No worries,” she added. “They’ll be back.”

  The porch light was off, and the porch was cast in shadows from the light coming through the living room window. The sheer drapes softened the glare and turned the light a golden hue.

  At the door, Allison turned back and took a step closer to him. “May I please e-mail you a video? It shows Will and the bar fight he was involved in.”

  “You don’t need to e-mail it. I can get it, but tell me, does it prove Will’s innocent?”

  Once again she didn’t give him a direct answer. “It shows three men pressing in on him. Just watch it, okay?”

  “Allison, why do you want to help him?”

  She sighed. “I want to believe he can change. Is that so wrong? I don’t want to give up on him. He’s not all bad,” she insisted. “Yes, he has a bad temper, but he’s never turned his anger on me, and he always warned me when his friends were coming to the house.”

  “Why did he warn you?”

  “He knew I didn’t like them.”

  “And what did you do when he warned you?”

  “I stayed in my room with the door locked. None of them ever bothered me.”

  “You were afraid of them.”

  Duh. “Yes.”

  He shook his head. “I guess that makes him a saint, warning you and all. . . .”

  “I’m just pointing out that he isn’t all bad.”

  “How about you read his file?” he suggested.

  “Everyone deserves a second chance.” She looked up into Liam’s beautiful eyes and felt her heartbeat quicken.

  “He’s had a lot more than two chances.”

  “Then one more won’t hurt, will it? I’m doing a favor for you. Couldn’t you do this favor for me?”

  “And in return I’m giving you immunity. That was the deal.”

  She could see she wasn’t getting anywhere, and she needed to change her terms. She thought for a second and then said, “Okay, how about this? If you help him, I’ll work for Agent Phillips and you for a month. A full month,” she stressed.

  “You’re negotiating—”

  “That’s thirty-one days.” She took a step closer until she was all but touching him and said, “That’s a real deal.”

  “What happens if he gets probation and does something else? Are you going to ask for help again?”

  “No,” she answered. “It’s on him then. He’ll have to suffer the consequences.”

  “He should have suffered the consequences a long time ago.” He shook his head. “No.”

  She wasn’t giving up. “How about two months? I’ll work for you and Phillips for two full months.”

  “If I were to do this, it wouldn’t be for Will. I’d do it for you, and two months won’t cut it.”

  Sensing victory, she smiled and said, “How long, then?”

  “A year.”

  “A year? That’s crazy. No.”

  “No deal, then.”

  The argument continued. She didn’t back away from him.

  After several minutes of bargaining, they came to an agreement. Liam would do what he could for Will if she worked at the cyber unit for six months. In that time, the FBI would allow her to get the few hours she needed for graduation. Allison thought it was a nice compromise. Liam was more suspicious. Based on what he already knew, he figured Will would break probation within a month and be hauled off to prison. He didn’t share his opinion with Allison, though, knowing she would start arguing again.

  “One more thing . . .”

  “Now what?” he grumbled.

  “I don’t want Will to know I had anything to do with this.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  She was so pleased she kissed him on the cheek. Then she quickly lowered her head and whispered, “I probably shouldn’t have done that. It’s inappropriate.”

  The woman was a temptress, and it took all the self-control Liam could muster not to touch her. An internal argument ensued. One kiss wouldn’t matter. Yes, it would. And yet if he kissed her, his curiosity would be appeased, and he could move on to more important things. But that would be wrong.

  “I don’t mess around with assets,” he said as he slowly closed the gap between them, his mouth just inches from hers. She was looking deeply into his eyes and he could feel his willpower slipping away. One quick kiss. What was the harm?

  It wasn’t until that very moment that Allison realized he wanted her. She was stunned. Pleased, too, because she’d wanted to kiss him since she met him.

  “I understand,” she whispered, pressing her body against his. “Rules are rules. So I certainly shouldn’t do this.” She put her arms around his neck.

  “No, you shouldn’t,” he protested, yet didn’t move.

  “Or this,” she said, softly brushing her lips over his.

  “No . . .” He tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled back.

  This was all new to Allison. She wasn’t a flirt, by any means, and she rarely messed around, but she liked teasing Liam. He brought out a side of her she usually kept hidden, and she didn’t exactly know why. There was just something about him.

  “And it would be against the rules for an asset to do this, don’t you suppose?” She leaned up, and her mouth settled on his then in a kiss that was anything but casual or quick. As soon as she opened her mouth for him, he took over. His tongue swept inside to rub against hers, sending shivers down her spine. When he wrapped his strong arms around her, she tightened her hold, her fingers sliding up into his hair as his mouth devoured hers. Passion burned between them, and Allison’s last coherent thought was that she never wanted it to stop.

  Liam nearly lost all control, the taste of her was so addictive. He felt her tremble and abruptly ended the kiss, then made the mistake of looking at her sexy mouth. He wanted her in his bed. He was burning with his need, but he forced himself to come to his senses and gently pulled her arms from his neck. When he was finally able to let go of her, he had to take several deep breaths to regain control. “Yes, it’s against my rules,” he said, clearing his throat so he could get the words out.

  It took a couple of seconds for her to understand. “Okay,” she said softly, frowning.

  He could tell the kiss had rattled her. Desire lingered in her eyes, and damn, he wanted to kiss her again. Instead, he took her key and reached around to open the door. Then he gently nudged her inside and slowly closed the door behind her.

  ELEVEN

  Promptly at eight o’clock Monday morning, Liam was at Allison’s door. He looked gorgeous—and all business—in his suit and tie. She had made up her mind not to mention the kiss. She was going to act like an adult, not a silly girl in the throes of her first crush.

  To appear professional, she had looked beyond her typical casual school attire and had chosen a simple periwinkle blue dress. After changing her shoes several times, she finally opted for her nude heels. She figured the extra height would give her an air of authority. No heels could make her taller than Liam, though.

  He waited at the door while she gathered her phone, her identification, and a twenty-dollar bill and put them in a small shoulder bag. When she picked up the black leather case holding her laptop, he stopped her.

  “Leave your laptop here,” he said.

  She shook her head. “I don’t like to leave it at home if I can help it. If the house is empty, someone could come in and tamper with it or steal it. My old housemate, Brett, already tried. Whenever it’s possible, I carry it with me. The guard can lock it up with my ba

g.”

  He didn’t argue, and once they were on their way, he said, “Tell me about this Brett.”

  “He lived with us for a while. He was asked to leave after Mark, one of my other housemates, caught him with my laptop. God knows what he was doing with it. They couldn’t tell if he was trying to steal it or just trying to open it. I used it when I was helping him with some of his classes, and I don’t know how much he saw. I have some very important work on it, so I’m trying to be very careful.”

  Recalling a conversation they’d had at the restaurant, he asked, “Did you get your paper finished?”

  “You remembered I had a paper to write for my class?”

  “Of course.”

  “Yes, I did finish it despite my lack of sleep. I called Charlotte and she kept me up most of the night. When I told her about my argument with our aunt and uncle, she was upset.” Upset didn’t quite cover her sister’s reaction. Irate was a much better description. Once Allison revealed what was in the envelope Will had handed her, her sister went into a rage. “She wants to confront them,” she told him.

  He glanced over at her. “What would that accomplish?”

  She shrugged. “It won’t change anything. I tried to talk her out of it, and she promised to think about it. She’s not a violent person, but I worry she’ll punch one of them if she ever sees them again.”

  Smiling, he said, “I like your sister.”

  “Why? Because she wants to punch Aunt Jane and Uncle Russell?”

  “No, because she protected you when you were young.”

  It was such a sweet thing to say about Charlotte. Allison felt as though she had just been given a compliment, which didn’t make any sense. Charlotte was the hero, not her.

  “This new FBI building—,” she began.

  “It’s also the new satellite of the CSA.”

  “And Phillips is in charge?”

  “Yes.”

  Allison tried not to stare at Liam, but it was nearly impossible. He had such a handsome profile, and every time she looked at him, she thought about his lips on hers. She knew she was being foolish, and she wished she could be more sophisticated about it all. It being sex, she admitted. She was such a klutz when it came to physical relationships. Maybe she should have read a couple of books on the subject instead of writing code night and day. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about it? Had he thought about the kiss? Probably not, she decided. Men didn’t ponder such things, did they? She would ask Dan. He’d be honest with her.

  Pull it together, she told herself. Now isn’t the time to fantasize about what it would be like to be with Liam. Why think about what would never happen?

  “Phillips wants to know if I can break into the government system, right?” she asked.

  “Right.”

  “And he’s okay with me searching for the leak?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have a feeling he wants me to fail so he can say, ‘I told you so.’”

  “I think you might be right,” he said with a grin.

  “He’s in for a disappointment,” she said. “I am going to get in, and if the leak is coming from inside, I will find it.”

  “I like your confidence.”

  “Thank you,” she replied. “Phillips is so sure he’s hack-proof.”

  “And you’re sure you won’t be detected.”

  “Of course. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

  They reached the gate, which opened for them without any notification.

  “They’ve been waiting for you,” she said.

  Her hands were gripped tightly in her lap, and Liam could see how nervous she was. “They’re waiting for you, too,” he said.

  “Are you going to drop me off?”

  Once again the parking lot was deserted. Liam parked close to the door where the guard waited for them. “No, Allison. I’m not leaving you. I’ll make sure you get settled in.”

  “Have you thought more about Will?” she asked as they made their way to the entrance.

  “I’ve talked to a couple of people,” he answered.

  “And Phillips? You’ll have to talk to him, too, won’t you? I wish you didn’t have to,” she admitted. “The man already thinks he has the upper hand, and doing me a favor will put me at his mercy.” Six months, she thought. She could put up with him for six months.

  “I’ve already discussed it with him,” he answered.

  She didn’t have a chance to ask another question. The guard had opened the door and was waiting for them to enter. Allison went to the sign-in counter and handed her laptop and her purse to the other guard on duty.

  His smile was genuine when he greeted her. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  He wasn’t wearing his identification, but she remembered his name. “How are you, Tom?”

  He beamed. “You remembered me.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m doing fine today,” he stammered. “How are you doing?”

  “Good.”

  “Are you ready?” Liam asked from behind her. As he took her elbow and steered her toward the elevator, he noticed Tom standing to watch them leave, no doubt to get a look at Allison’s legs. Granted, they were mighty fine legs, but Liam didn’t like the man ogling her.

  As soon as the elevator doors closed, Liam said, “Stop flirting with the employees.”

  She thought he was joking until she saw his frown. “Saying hello isn’t flirting.”

  “And smiling.”

  Her hand flew to her throat. “Oh my God, what was I thinking? I smiled and I said hello? Shame on me.”

  He shook his head. “Okay, I might have overreacted.”

  “Might have?”

  She couldn’t say anything more because the doors opened and Agent Phillips stood there, waiting. He wasn’t much for greetings, she remembered, and it therefore didn’t faze her when he gave her a brusque nod.

  She responded by smiling sweetly and saying, “How nice to see you again, Agent Phillips.”

  She could have sworn he grunted. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she followed him into his office. Liam shut the door, and Phillips turned a chair around, pointing at it to get her to sit. She wondered if he had any idea how rude the gesture was.

  “Liam and I are at cross-purposes here,” he began. “Liam thinks there might be someone leaking confidential information. He believes it could be someone in the CSA, and I’m just as certain that it isn’t.”

  Liam interjected, “There have been too many instances that point to a leak. If it’s not a hacker, then it’s someone inside the agency who has access to the information.”

  “I have employees here whose sole job is to search for hackers. That’s all they do all day long,” Phillips stressed with a hint of resentment that his competence was in question. “I also find it hard to believe that anyone inside the agency is sabotaging investigations. However, I’m willing to look, and that’s where you come in, Miss Trent. Liam has arranged that we forgo some of our typical protocols for new employees and let you get to work right away. I understand that you’ve agreed to give us your services for six months.”

  Allison immediately turned to Liam. “Then Will is getting probation?”

  Liam nodded.

  Phillips didn’t allow time for explanations, resuming his remarks as though any deviation from the topic at hand was against the rules. “I would like to start you off in our basic system security analysis, but Liam has made this leak a priority because he has another case to get to and will be leaving us soon.”

  She nodded to let him know she understood. He continued on with procedures she should follow, but Allison was having difficulty concentrating. The moment he’d mentioned that Liam would be leaving, an unfamiliar pang gripped her. She’d never felt anything like that before and couldn’t put a label

on it—sadness, regret? She hardly knew Liam, and she was already aware that his work here was temporary. Why would the thought of him leaving upset her so?

  Her attention again went back to Phillips, who was saying, “If anyone should ask, you’re looking for viruses. I would rather you didn’t interact with any of my employees. We take our jobs seriously, and we don’t have time for idle chitchat.”

  “All right,” she said when he looked at her expectantly. What a grim work environment, she thought.

  “Where do you want her to work?” Liam asked.

  “The office next to the break room on this floor. I don’t want to hide her away, because that would raise questions. There’s no one else in there right now, and none of her work will appear on any of the big screens.” He turned to Allison and clarified. “This is a brand-new facility, and now that it’s officially open, we’re deciding to close down the Midwest or the West Coast units and we’re moving some of the employees here. Until the transition begins, you will have the room to yourself.”

  That was why there were so many empty desks and such a large parking area, she thought.

  “I’ll give you an access code so you can begin looking for a sign of a leak as soon as possible.”

  “The leak you’re certain I won’t find.”

  “Exactly so.”

  Liam took her to the office she would be using. Like with so many other offices in the building, the side facing the hall was a wall of glass. There were three desks and a large screen on the far wall. No matter which desk she chose, she would have her back to the glass. She didn’t want people coming and going behind her, so she went to the desk across the room, pushed it until it was more at an angle with the glass, and sat down. People walking past would see her profile. After adjusting the monitor and her keyboard, she was ready to start.

  Liam watched her get settled, and when he looked back over his shoulder, he noticed three men standing on the other side of the glass. Maybe they were just curious about the new recruit. Okay, that was an understatement. The pretty blue dress Allison was wearing wasn’t formfitting, but there was no hiding the fact that she had an incredible body. If she had been wearing a tarp, they’d still have noticed. The men scattered as soon as Liam gave them his full attention.