“A good meal with a good friend is one of the joys of life,” Liam said, sounding like he meant it. “Even if it’s in a Shifter bar.”

Kim’s chest felt suddenly hollow. She yearned for this kind of simplicity, but her life was chaotic and stressful and so damned busy. How long had it been since she and her girlfriends had met for a meal, to talk and catch up? To laugh and wallow in memories of friendship? Too long. One of them had moved out of state since the last time the group had met, and the others were caught up in their own lives. Kim hadn’t talked to most of her friends for more than a minute in months. Silas was the only exception and that was only because of his interest in Brian’s case for his documentary. But even his e-mails were brief.

She put down her fork. “I really should get back home. Your friends have probably repaired my door by now, and I have to work tomorrow.”

“You’re working on a Sunday?”

“I’ll work at home, but I have a lot to do. Cases to prepare, appeals to file. Brian’s only one of my responsibilities.”

Liam piled his silverware on his plate, pushed his plate and hers aside, and clasped Kim’s hands. His movements were jerky, and his skin was hot. “You need to come home with me first.”

“Why?” Not that, with his hands warm on hers and his sexy blue eyes gazing at her, she wanted to argue much.

“Sean will have told Dad what happened, but Dad will want to hear your side of the story.”

“My side of the story? I don’t have a side. I saw what you saw.”

“This is a Shifter problem. Dad needs all the information he can get.”

Kim let herself squeeze his hands in return. “All right, but not for long. I really have work to do.”

“Dance first?”

“Sorry?”

The jukebox was going full blast, some country music tune Ellison had keyed in. “I need to work off some energy. Are you too much of a city girl that you can’t do a Texas two-step?”

“You’re Irish,” she said as he pulled her up. “Don’t you—you know, jig?”

Liam laughed, a sound so warm that everyone around them who heard it smiled. His eyes crinkled, and his laugh drove out the lingering horror of the wolf Shifter’s attack.

Something should bother Kim about what had happened—something more than dead Shifter wolf and Sean with his sword and Liam being a snarling wildcat, that is. She needed time to sit, think, let her adrenaline shut down while her brain took over.

Liam didn’t want to let her shut down. He pulled her out of the booth and to the middle of the floor. Other couples were already dancing—very close—but they were Shifters, so Kim couldn’t tell the difference between couples who were lovers and those who were friends. Shifters liked to touch.

Liam pulled Kim into an embrace, his feet finding the rhythm of the dance. Kim knew the steps, but she hadn’t danced in a long time, and she moved stiffly.

Liam ran his hand along the curve of her waist. “Relax, darling. I’ll take care of you.”

Kim’s eyes were so blue, Liam thought. If he were into poetry, he’d say blue like an Irish sea. But he hadn’t seen Ireland in such a long time that he couldn’t be sure if the waters around it were still so pure blue they would break your heart.

Kim set his already pounding heart to racing. Her lips were red, full, luscious. Liam didn’t kiss—when he bedded women he was too busy to do any kissing, and besides, he and the female were usually in animal form. But touching Kim’s lips with his suddenly seemed like a good idea.

His libido was getting ahead of his brains. This woman wasn’t, and could never be, for Liam. She was here temporarily, dragged into Shifter troubles she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand how deeply she was in them, either. When she figured it out, she’d sure as hell not be in the mood for any kissing.

His libido told his brains to shut the hell up. Her scent was exciting, sweet. She looked up at him and smiled, and her small hands moved to his waist.

Warm supple woman slid against his body, and Liam’s blood flowed toward his groin. He imagined her under him, hips lifting as he slid into her. Her blue eyes would close, her round br**sts would press his chest, and her legs would rise to twine his waist.

Gods, he needed sex. After a fight he always ran in his cat form to get it out of his system, before he paid the price. He hadn’t had the chance to run tonight, so his body urged him to do an even better thing, take this woman home and love her.

If he’d been doing what Sean suggested, having a good night’s shag with a Shifter woman every night, Liam wouldn’t be sweating now, fighting his urges and his Collar. He’d never, ever had urges to be with a human woman.

Then again, he’d never met Kim.

Liam pulled her closer, hands moving to her hips. I’m the Shifter who doesn’t need anyone, who puts the good of Shiftertown before everything else.

Right.

Kim laughed. “I forgot how much I liked to dance,” she said over the music.

“Doesn’t your man ever take you out on the town?”

“Abel? We go to fancy dinners, usually with a group of lawyers he’s trying to impress. No dancing.”

“His name is Abel, is it?”

“Yeah, Abel Kane. Can you believe his parents named him that?”

“He could change it. I hear humans do that.” As though a name were a mutable thing. Humans were crazy.