Read In the Crossfire (Bloodhaven) for Free Online

his jaw, he didn’t say a word.
    “Thanks for staying with Naley.”
    He gave a small nod. He, too, must’ve sensed the strangeness of being inside her house.
    “Naley must’ve been pretty adamant in her invitation.”
    He paused before conceding, “She can talk.”
    A lot, was the unspoken addendum. Isobel gave a rueful smile. For all that Liam looked fierce and dangerous and determined to shut out the world sometimes, for some reason she could easily picture him helpless to deny a lost and lonely teenage girl.
    “Yeah. I suppose normally she could’ve invited her friends over to chat up a storm. Over at her mother’s apartment in the city, I mean. Harder to invite them over here.”
    “Because of the distance.”
    “Among other things.” Like the intense, numerous background checks that were bound to take place, for one. Every visitor had to be vetted in advance before they could even approach within twenty feet of the perimeter.
    Ever since Isobel had built her house here, Naley had never invited a friend over. And Isobel had to be honest: even if her niece had asked permission to bring someone over, she wasn’t sure she could’ve given it. A careless word could easily find its way to the wrong ears and end up a potential security risk.
    It was one of the downsides to the job. Isobel knew it, accepted it. It was just the way it was.
    To her credit, Naley had never complained. She’d never hinted of any dissatisfaction. Now Isobel wondered if maybe she was just too afraid to. Maybe she didn’t dare protest lest Isobel followed the way of the mother and left her to her own devices.
    Isobel wondered just how much Naley had revealed to Liam this afternoon. “Did she mention what set her off today?”
    He shook his head.
    Isobel sighed. Naley could chatter away with all liveliness sometimes, but on other matters could remain as mum as a steel trap.
    “Well, thanks again. Do you have time for me to enter your profile into the security system?”
    Liam hesitated, then stole a furrowed glance at her.
    “Unless you’re dying to flee the premises. I understand Naley’s black mustard sandwich packs quite a punch.”
    The edge of that wide, tempting mouth quirked by the smallest degree. Then his expression sobered. “I . . . didn’t think you meant it.”
    “Meant what?”
    He shrugged, the movement pulling his T-shirt tight across his chest. Isobel took a moment to appreciate the sight. So sue her for being a red-blooded shifter female. She just had to make sure he didn’t notice her perusal, otherwise the reclusive wolf was bound to hotfoot it out of there.
    Damn. She’d just returned fresh from a mission—a mission that hadn’t even gone to plan—still feeling the heart-pounding after-effects of adrenaline in her system. She needed a way to burn off that excess energy. Under ordinary circumstances—if Naley hadn’t been waiting at home for her—Isobel would’ve gone to one of the men on her list and ridden him until the adrenaline and edginess had dissipated. Until she’d worn him to the core. Until he couldn’t breathe and she couldn’t think.
    Until she was panting and raw and had burned off this need that still sizzled beneath the surface of her skin.
    And here he was, the strong, silent, sexy Liam Whelan, oh so tantalizingly within reach.
    He stood there, shoulders wide, hips narrow, fists clenched, and Isobel wanted so much to scratch this itch and scrub away this hot, restless tension worming its way through her.
    Gently, Saba. He’s your tenant, not your chewtoy.
    Oh, the parts of him she would’ve liked to chew.
    “I thought you were . . . being polite.”
    His words called her back to the present. She stared at him blankly.
    He hesitated, then dredged up, “In front of Naley. When you said you wanted to add me to the system.”
    Isobel almost laughed in disbelief. “Liam, I can tell you I am never polite. Of course I want you in the system. I don’t say things I don’t