A low curse reached her ears as he dropped his hands to the side and stepped back. “Actually, I am.” He released a breathy chuckle. “I meant to tell you over breakfast, but then we got to talking about the trackers and all of that, and then I…” There was a slight pause as his heated gaze landed back on hers. “I got distracted.”
She was a distraction?
Can’t say I’ve ever been called that before.
When the doorbell rang again, the sound of small, running footfalls headed their way.
“Someone’s at the door!” Maddie yelled seconds before she appeared in the doorway.
A touch of pride filtered in that she hadn’t opened the door, herself.
“Thank you for coming to get us, baby girl.”
“You said never open the door without you.” Maddie shrugged.
Life was so simple for kids her age. All black and white without all the gray.
“Your mom’s a wise woman, Mads.” Liam’s focus shifted to her little girl. “Keep listening to what she says, and you’ll grow up to be just as smart her.”
“Or smarter!” Her daughter laughed before running back down the hall.
Liam’s hand brushed ever-so-lightly against Allison’s arm on his way to the door. An accident or a promise of more to come?
Deciding to put a pin in that for now, she called after him to wait. “Hold on!” She caught up to him in a few short steps. “You never told me who you’re expecting.”
“The team’s been called into a meeting that starts in”—he glanced at the time on his watch—“thirty minutes. I’d skip it, but it’s with the big boss and our team’s Homeland Security handler.”
Homeland Security?
“Wait, you’re leaving?”
“Only for an hour…maybe two. But don’t worry.” He flashed that sexy wink of his her way from over his shoulder. “You and Maddie won’t be here by yourselves.”
“Okay, but that still doesn’t tell me who?—”
Liam stopped just shy of opening his front door “I asked a few of the girls to come hang out with you while I’m gone.”
“The girls?”
Allison looked at the door he still had yet to open.
“My teammates’ wives.” He shot her a sideways grin before adding, “Don’t worry. You’re gonna love them.”
CHAPTER 12
“What’s going on, brother?”
Liam looked up from his usual seat at the table in time to see Jagger plopping his ass down in the chair to his right. In typical fashion, the well-dressed man looked like he’d come straight from a GQ fashion shoot.
Skinny jeans. Dark blue, slightly fitted button-down shirt. Hell, the guy’s leather dress shoes were fancier than anything Liam owned.
Probably more expensive, too.
If this were a typical day, he’d already be razzing the other man about how much money and effort he put into his appearance. The guy seriously spent more time on his hair than any woman Liam knew.
But this day was anything but typical, so chose to remain quiet. He was too on-edge, and there were too many conflicting thoughts and emotions warring inside him to be in the mood to joke.
So instead, Liam went with a jut of his chin and a low-muttered, “Hey,” before looking back down at his phone.
