Let Me In (2 page)

“So how’s the intelligence business going over there?” Liam asked her a minute later.

“Very well, thanks. They keep me busy with all the reports flooding in. We’ve been able to prevent quite a few attacks though.” She loved her job. Her increased security clearance gave her access to critical information on possible threats, enemy movements, new groups of insurgents seeking to cause harm to the international forces deployed in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East. Compiling those files quickly and efficiently allowed her to make a real difference for the troops on the ground. And hopefully saved lives.

“No doubt. Though I bet you’re the most intelligent person in that place.”

Grinning, she drank in the sight of his strong profile. “I love it when you stroke my ego.”

The right side of his mouth lifted in amusement, creasing his lean cheek. “It’s all I have left, since you won’t let me stroke you anywhere else.”

Angie gasped and swatted him. “That’s not an image I want planted in my brain, thanks. God, talk about scarring.”

Talia laughed, yet the tension inside her continued to increase. Liam was naturally flirtatious and she was used to that, despite having been the one to put up the roadblock between them long ago. He wasn’t for her and never would be. She’d die before admitting it, but he intimidated the hell out of her because he was damn near perfect. The embodiment of everything she could ever want in a man. His close-knit family made him that much more appealing. And no matter how much she wished otherwise, Liam was out of her reach. When it came to men, her entire life was a cautionary tale.

“What are your plans for Thanksgiving?” Angie asked as Liam exited off the freeway.

“Not sure yet.”

“We’d love it if you’d have dinner with us.”

“Thanks. I’ll let you know.” She shifted in the seat and turned her head to look out the window again, tamping down the urge to fidget. Being with them for Thanksgiving dinner would only make her feel more like a charity case. Mrs. Brodie was famous for taking in strays, and she didn’t want to be another one. Poor little Talia with nowhere else to go. It bothered her to think everyone felt sorry for her. The reality was, some people were more fortunate than others when it came to family. She’d accepted that long before meeting them.

Other families would gather ‘round a table laid out with a feast that included all the traditional fixings: turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, maybe a pumpkin pie or two topped with whipped cream for dessert. Most likely she’d spend her Thanksgiving alone in a hotel room eating takeout. Even if her mother decided she wanted company, chances were they’d never sit at the table together for dinner. Because chances were, they wouldn’t have a table to sit at.

Talia almost hoped she wouldn’t have to go to her mother’s this time and find out. Facing another colossal disappointment like last time might destroy the tenuous connection they still shared.

Ten minutes later Liam pulled into the driveway of his parents’ white Colonial-style house with dark green trim, and a pang of emotion hit her square in the chest. This place, this family, meant more to her than they’d ever know. The house suited them perfectly. It looked like a
Leave It to Beaver
kind of place, something out of a Disney movie. Full of love and laughter and…family. She treasured each moment she’d spent here, ever since Angie had first dragged her home for dinner over two years ago.

Steeling herself to endure the next few hours in Liam’s company without giving her feelings away, Talia climbed out of the truck. Angie grinned and put an arm around her waist while Talia fought back the butterflies swirling in her stomach.

“Want me to bring your bag in?” Liam called, already around the back of the truck by the tailgate. “Thought you might want to change before dinner.”

She glanced down at her fatigues. Yeah, they were rumpled from the long flight and maybe she wasn’t looking her best, but did she look that bad? “Sure, thanks.”

He shrugged. “Thought maybe you’d like a hot shower with no time limit on it for a change.”

It did sound wonderful. Decadent, even. “I’d love that.”

His sexy smile sent a fresh wave of heat over her skin. “That flight home is a killer. Been there, done that. Many times.”

Yes, he had, both as a Marine and a military contractor. She loved that he understood what it was like to serve his country overseas. Appreciated how much he respected her and her job.

“Come on,” Angie said impatiently, tugging her toward the front steps at the foot of the wide porch. An artfully arranged basket of colorful fall gourds sat next to the front door. Talia could count on one hand how many times her house had been decorated for the holidays throughout her childhood. “You must be starving, and Mom’s been cooking since yesterday morning.”

God, leave it to Mrs. Brodie to fuss over her like that. Her stomach growled at the thought of the meal in store and she shared a grin with her friend.

Angie flung open the door, and immediately the scents of cinnamon and nutmeg hit Talia’s nostrils. “We’re here!”

“Hey!” Rapid footsteps approached on the hardwood floor. A second later Mrs. Brodie appeared, wearing an excited smile and a festive red sweater. She was an older image of her gorgeous daughter, with the same dark hair and eyes as both her children. “Talia! Come here,” she ordered, holding out her arms expectantly.

Talia laughed and rushed over to hug the woman who’d been more of a mother to her these past couple of years than her own had ever been. She, Angie and Talia had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning more times than Talia could count, sharing bottles of wine or watching movies, laughing and talking like teenagers. Sometimes they’d forced Liam to come over too. She’d been invited to Sunday dinner every time she was in town, to Rockies or Broncos games, concerts whenever they had tickets. Mr. and Mrs. Brodie had even invited her when Angie and Liam couldn’t come, just like she was another family member to them. “Hi.”

Mrs. Brodie pulled back to take Talia’s face between her hands. Her kind, dark eyes surveyed her face carefully, a frown pulling at her brow. “You look done in, sweetie. Go on up and freshen up in the guest bathroom, and when you’re ready, we’ll eat. I cooked a pot roast with mashed potatoes and an apple crumble for dessert.”

Of course. Her favorites. It touched a place deep inside her to know Mrs. Brodie remembered that, let alone that she’d gone to the trouble of making them. “This is all so unexpected,” she said quietly, sparing a glance at Angie and Liam. A sudden knot of emotion swelled in her throat. She swallowed it down. “I don’t know what to say, except thank you.”

Mrs. Brodie scoffed and waved away her thanks with a flap of her hand. “Don’t be silly. We’re just so excited to have you home with us for the holidays.”

“Mom…” Liam warned.

“What?” She looked at Talia expectantly. “Are you spending Thanksgiving with your mother?”

“I’m…not sure yet.” Alone would probably be better, but she’d feel too guilty if she didn’t at least contact her mother while she was here.

“Well, we were hoping you’d stay with us, so the invitation is there.”

“Plus I was hoping to have your help with all the dishes after,” Liam added, earning him a slap on the shoulder from his mom.

“Okay. Thanks.” The word caught in her tight throat. They were so kind, but right now she felt like another stray kitten they felt sorry for. “I’ll let you know.”

Liam came up behind her, close enough that his woodsy scent teased her nose and his warmth settled against her back. He laid a solid hand against her spine. “I’ll put your stuff in the bathroom. Go on up and take a shower. You’ll feel better.”

Craning her neck, she looked over her shoulder at him. A quick punch of heat, of need, hit her low in the abdomen. She ached for him. For everything he was, everything he represented. Solidity. Love. Family. Belonging. She craved the heat she knew simmered beneath his controlled exterior, though she’d never dare act on it.

He wanted her, he’d made that clear early on, but once she said no, he’d always respected her wishes and not pushed for more than friendship. Yet another thing that proved there was something wrong with her. What woman in her right mind would turn him down? But for her, the stakes were simply too high.

She cleared her throat, fought back the emotion that roughened her voice. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Following him upstairs, she secretly feasted on the sight of the muscles shifting beneath his snug shirt, the way his jeans hugged his firm ass. She wanted to smack herself. Did she really want to stay for dinner and continue torturing herself like this? With hours more of it ahead of her, she was already looking forward to making her escape.

Chapter Two

Damn, she was a hard one to figure out.

Liam watched Talia surreptitiously from the kitchen as she finished dessert with his parents at the dining room table. Exhausted as she had to be, like always she was beautiful to him. Her light golden skin glowed against the black fabric of her lacy shirt, the slight tilt of her hazel eyes highlighting her partial Japanese heritage. She’d twisted all that long, rich brown hair up with some sort of clip, showing off the elegant line of her slender throat. It pulled his gaze down to the neckline of her shirt, where he caught a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage.

She was damned sexy, despite that protective shell she wore to keep everyone out, him included. Many times he’d fantasized about breaching that wall to touch the vulnerable woman inside it. Dragging his gaze back up to her face, he studied her expression.

She seemed relaxed enough on the surface, but beneath that calm veneer he sensed something else entirely. He’d always made her nervous. That wasn’t new. Something was different tonight, however. The few times he’d caught her looking at him throughout dinner he’d glimpsed the quiet yearning in her eyes that always tied him up in knots, though it was stronger this time. She’d never let him see that kind of deep-seated need before. So why now?

It drove him crazy that she always kept herself at arm’s length from him, but he loved knowing she was aware of him as a man. God knew he was more than willing to satisfy whatever needs she kept buried beneath that cool exterior, sexual and otherwise. For whatever reason, she wouldn’t acknowledge her interest.

“She doesn’t want to go home,” Angie said quietly beside him, placing some rinsed dishes in the sink for him to wash.

“Yeah, she does. Look at her. She can’t wait to get out of here.” He knew Tal loved his family, but it was obvious she wanted to leave. She always pulled away when they wanted to keep her close. Like she couldn’t handle the thought of letting anyone in that far. It only made him want to break through that wall even more, find out why she was so scared of them learning about her personal life, and what she was trying so hard to hide about her family.

“No, I mean she doesn’t want to go
home
. To see her mom.”

“I know.”

Angie shook her head. “It’s sad. What the hell’s wrong with that woman? No one could ask for a better daughter than Tal. I don’t want her to be alone while she’s here.”

It wasn’t their place to judge her relationship with her family.
It is what it is.
“You ever met her?” They’d known Tal long enough for her to trust them, ever since Ang had met her through a veterans’ fundraiser and brought her to a family dinner one night a couple years ago.

“Are you kidding? The closest I’ve come to that is waiting at the curb in front of her house last time Tal came back. Last Christmas.”

Liam digested that in silence. Whatever the problem was with Talia’s mother, it was her private business. Obviously she preferred it that way. He smiled when she laughed at something his dad said. It was the most beautiful sound. He wished she’d do it more often.

“Liam.”

He glanced at his sister. “What?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare scare her away.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. I want her to be comfortable here with us, like she can relax and feel at home.”

“So do I.”

“Then tone down the alpha-male-on-the-hunt routine. God, could you at least be a little bit more subtle? She’s one of my best friends, and you’re staring at her like a starving wolf.”

Only because he
was
starving. For her. Had been for a long time, though he’d tried to ignore it. “I like her.” He’d liked her from day one, but seeing her now, his feelings went far beyond protective and the usual physical need she incited in him.

“Yeah, I hadn’t noticed,” Angie retorted. “Now move aside and let me finish loading the dishwasher.”

He moved out of the way, still watching Talia. She was unlike any other woman he’d been interested in. Assertive and independent, she never asked anyone for anything. She was always friendly, but not flirtatious, unlike most of Angie’s other friends. For a long time after she’d turned him down he’d thought maybe he wanted her because she posed a challenge. That wasn’t it, though. Truth was, he admired the hell out of her.

This time around there was more to it, though.

Something about her tonight tugged at him and wouldn’t let go. That puzzling mixture of strength and independence combined with a deeply buried fragility just made him want to gather her up in his arms and take care of her. Not let anyone or anything ever hurt her again.

As though she sensed his stare, Talia turned her head and met his gaze. The flare of unmistakable sexual awareness in her eyes instantly caused him to go hard in his jeans. She quickly broke eye contact and concentrated on whatever it was his mom was saying, but Liam wasn’t deterred. That show of desire only proved that cracks were forming in her protective shield. The primitive part of him wasn’t about to let the opportunity to weaken her defenses pass by. There was a hungry, sensual woman in that self-imposed prison.

Maybe it was time to think about breaking her out of it once and for all.

Setting the dish towel on the counter, he strode back into the dining room and took the chair next to Talia. He completely ignored the way her muscles tensed when he set an arm across her shoulders. He’d done it a hundred times before, so the gesture wouldn’t seem weird to anyone at the table. He liked to show his affection for his family, and that included Talia.

She didn’t pull away, but it almost seemed like she was enduring his nearness. Unfortunately for her, he wasn’t going anywhere.

“I really like my boss over there,” she was saying to his parents, apparently set on ignoring him, “so that makes it a lot easier.”

“Glad to hear that,” his dad said. “And glad to have you here with us. Both of you,” he said to Liam with a smile. “Even if it’s only for a little while.”

Talia looked up at him in surprise. “You’re going back again?”

“Probably within the next month or so.”

“Afghanistan?”

Was that worry he saw in her pretty, dark-lashed eyes? “Maybe for a bit, but most likely Pakistan.”

He could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. “For how long?”

He shrugged. “Couple of weeks, maybe couple of months. Just depends. When’s your tour up?”

“March.”

“Can’t come too quickly as far as I’m concerned,” his mom put in, frowning as she stirred more sugar into her coffee.

“You don’t need to worry,” Talia told her with a little smile. “I’m as safe as I can be over there, tucked away in my office at headquarters inside a secure perimeter with armed guards everywhere. Just wish I could say the same about your son here.” She poked him in the ribs with an elbow, the first time she’d voluntarily touched him since that hug at the airport.

“I can hold my own,” he said in a reassuring tone.

His mom made a huffing noise. “Once a Marine, always a Marine. I’ll worry about you both, thanks, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Angie chose that moment to walk into the room. “So, who’s up for some shopping on Black Friday with me?” she asked, sliding into a chair and reaching for the coffee.

Liam smiled and gave her a wink of thanks for changing the subject, then sat back and let the conversation flow around him. He liked the feel of Talia so close to him, enjoyed the genuine love she displayed for his family. Why did she try so hard to keep everyone at a safe distance? It must have something to do with her crappy family life growing up, but it didn’t explain why she didn’t completely trust him and his family yet. None of them would ever hurt her intentionally. She had to know that by now.

She was tough, he had no doubt about that, yet she was also soft and feminine. The candles flickering on the middle of the table reflected in her eyes. Unable to resist the temptation, he stroked his fingers idly over the bare skin of her upper arm, so satiny smooth. A rush of goose bumps broke out beneath his touch. Suppressing a smile at her reaction, he leaned closer until his chest brushed her shoulder.

She stiffened subtly, her expression tightening as she faltered slightly with her words for a second before recovering. Her clean scent drifted up to tease him, a light mix of shampoo and some citrus-based perfume that made him want to lean in and nuzzle the side of her throat to pull in more of it. She’d probably shove him right out of his chair if he tried.

The moment she finished answering his father, she politely shrugged off his arm without looking at him. “I really should get going,” she said as she climbed to her feet. “Thank you so much for dinner, Mrs. Brodie, it was delicious as always.”

His mother seemed surprised by the abrupt announcement. “You’re so welcome, but…where are you going? I thought since you’ve rented your place out you’d be staying here, with us. I’ve got the spare room all set up for you.”

Talia faltered for a moment, a light blush stealing across her cheekbones. “I, um, need to take care of some things, so…”

He hated seeing her so uncomfortable. “I’ll drive you,” he offered.

She turned her head toward him, equal parts surprise and relief written in her clear hazel eyes. “Thank you.”

“Sure.” He shot his mom a warning look when she opened her mouth to argue. Thankfully she closed it and stayed quiet.

While Talia said her goodbyes, he grabbed his jacket and keys then met her at the door with her duffel and led her out to his truck. He opened it and helped her into the front seat with a hand on her forearm. Not that she needed the help, but he’d use any excuse to touch her if it might put another crack in her defenses. Her skin was silky soft beneath his palm, and he’d bet she felt that way all over. Reaching into the backseat, he pulled out the jacket he’d left there.

“What’s this for?” she asked when he handed it to her.

“You’re probably freezing in that hoodie but too stubborn to say so. Unless you’ve got something heavier in your duffel?”

“No, all my winter stuff’s in storage.” She offered him a tentative smile and pulled the jacket on. For a moment he was jealous that it was wrapped around her, rather than his body warming her. “Thanks.”

“Any time.”

She flushed and murmured another thank you when he handed her the seatbelt. Again, something he’d always done because he’d been taught to, but tonight it was as though she finally saw him as an attractive, available man instead of just Angie’s brother. Things were looking up.

“Welcome.” He closed her door and slid behind the wheel, glancing over at her as he started the engine. “So? Where to?”

She licked her lips. “I just need a hotel.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yeah. Anything’s fine, as long as it’s clean and fairly cheap.”

It bothered him to imagine her all alone in a cheap hotel room because she felt she wasn’t comfortable staying with his parents and had nowhere else to go. He put the truck into gear, debating how to best handle the situation. She was quiet, sitting with her hands in her lap, not looking at him. Nervous about being alone with him, no doubt. A stark contrast to the unmistakable heat in her eyes earlier. He’d never met a woman who confused and intrigued him like she did.

Reaching across the console, he tugged at her clasped hands until he could wrap his fingers around the left one. She glanced up at him in surprise, but didn’t yank her hand away. “Want me to take you over to your mom’s?”

“No.” The answer was firm, immediate. A little too abrupt. “Thanks anyway.”

“You sure? We’re pretty much going right past that area on our way. It’s no trouble.” He didn’t know exactly where her mother lived, though he had a vague idea from what Ang had told him.