Page 20 of Liam (R.I.S.C. Delta Team #5)

But there was definitely something different in her gaze as she stared at him from across the room. Something that hadn’t been there before. And as Liam stood in his home’s entryway looking at her from several feet away, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was starting to fall for him, too.

Too? When did you start falling for her?

He didn’t have the answer to that question. Just the knowledge and acceptance that his feelings for Allison had grown. Did it begin earlier, with that incredible, all-consuming kiss? Or perhaps when she’d quite literally bumped into him in the elevator that very first day.

Either way, there was no more denying the fact that his feelings for the gorgeous single mom had blossomed into something more. It wasn’t slowly or in several small, tiny doses. More like a ton of bricks that had landed on him as they’d fallen from the sky.

Liam wasn’t sure where those bricks had come from, or what he was supposed to do with them now. All he knew was that he wanted to see that same smile on Allison’s face every day for the rest of his life.

“You’re back!” Megan Hunt turned her brunette head his way. “How was the meeting?”

“Good.” Liam responded to Christian’s wife while shutting the door behind him.

Aurora “Ro” King greeted him next. “Hey, Liam.” Megan’s best friend sent him a quick smile. “You’re done already?” She glanced down at her phone. “That didn’t last nearly as long as I expected.”

“That’s what she said,” Raegan quipped as she jutted her chin Liam’s way.

“Sounds like I interrupted one heck of a story.”

The room filled with the women’s collective laughs.

“They asked me to share the funniest experiences I’ve banked since joining the Bureau,” Raegan explained. “You missed some doozies.”

Liam chuckled. “I can only imagine.”

“Welp, I guess if you’re here, then that means my husband should be getting home soon, too.” Megan stood. To Allison, she asked, “You need anything before we go?”

“I’m good.” Allison pushed herself out of the recliner. “But thank you. And thank you all again for giving up your mornings to babysit me and Maddie.”

Speaking of…

“Where is Mads?” Liam didn’t see the little girl anywhere.

“She’s zonked,” Ro answered as she also stood to leave.

Allison turned her smile his way. “She hung out with us for a while, then went to your room to watch cartoons so we could sit out here and talk. I just checked on her a few minutes ago, and she was out like a light.”

“Well, she did get up early,” he mused. “And she worked really hard on those pancakes.”

“That, she did.” Her shoulders shook with a soft chuckle.

The room grew awkwardly quiet as the others stood by without saying a word. Liam and Allison stood feet apart, their eyes locked with one another’s as if neither possessed the strength to pull away.

“Alrighty, then.” Ro cut through the thick tension a few seconds later. “I guess we’ll leave you two to do…whatever it is you plan on doing.”

“Ro!” Megan swiped the other woman’s upper arm with the back of her hand.

The spunky marketing guru wore an innocent look as she swung her attention Megan’s way. “What?” Ro frowned. “I just meant I wasn’t sure what they had planned for the rest of their day.”

“Uh, huh.” The roll of Megan’s eyes and the tone of her voice said she wasn’t buying that excuse in the least.

Liam looked back at Allison whose cheeks had transformed into an adorable, rosy hue. At first, he thought he should apologize for his friend’s intentional double-entendre. But then he caught sight of the heat burning in her eyes, and he knew.

She wants me, too.

“We’ll get out of your hair.” Megan appeared at his side. She lifted up and gave him a sisterly kiss on his cheek. “Call if you need anything.” She looked over to Allison. “That goes for you, too.”

“We will.” Allison grinned. “Thank you.”

“And don’t forget, you and Maddie are invited to come swim in our new pool as soon as it’s ready. Should only be another day or two, and then we’ll be good to go.”

“She would love that so much.”

“Plus, it’ll give y’all a chance to get out of this house for a while.” Ro added her thoughts on the subject.

“Hey, now.” Liam turned to her with a scowl. “What’s wrong with my house?”

The other woman rolled her eyes again. “Don’t go getting your knickers in a twist, Cutler. A woman can only stay couped up for so long. Especially when a six-year-old is involved.”

Megan huffed out a laugh. “Amen to that.”

A round of goodbye hugs ensued before his teammates’ wives began walking out the door. Liam reset the alarm and turned back to Allison, who was waiting patiently a few feet from where he stood.

“So your meeting really went okay?”

“It did.” He dipped his chin. “How about you? Looked like you all got along well.”

“Your friends are really sweet.” Allison smiled. “And funny.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty great.”

“Sounds like your teammates are pretty awesome, too. Not that I’m surprised.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because of you.”

“Me?”

Allison nodded. “I can’t see you being a part of something that is anything but good.”

Damn. He was really, really starting to like this woman. As in like, like. As in?—

Nope. Don’t you dare think it. It would be certifiably insane to even imagine that word so soon.

So instead, Liam blurted out, “You hungry?” Because apparently, that was his new go-to answer when he didn’t know what else to say.

“I could eat.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

He nearly choked on the urge to pull her into his arms and taste those luscious lips again. Clearing his throat, Liam pretended there wasn’t a raging hard-on forming beneath his zipper as he muttered something about whipping them up some lunch as he passed by on his way to the kitchen.

They’d eat, and then he’d lock himself away in his office to do some work.

Between the strike-out while trying to find a tracker on the girls, the useless security camera footage from the hotel, and no leads as to where in Chicago Gallo’s men could be, Liam was beginning to question his ability to keep Allison and Maddie safe.

I can’t let anything happen to them. Not now. Not ever.