The stripes Fergus had laid on Liam’s back had already closed, though the bruises remained. In a couple of days, Kim guessed, no one would be able to tell he’d been beaten.

She gently touched the closing wounds. “How is this possible?”

“I told you, we heal fast.” Liam gave her a smile. “That’s not what’s hurting me, love.”

“What is?”

His pants came off a little slower than his shirt but only because he had to unzip them. His underwear followed in a flash, and then Kim found six feet, six inches of aroused male Shifter in her arms.

“You hurt me,” Liam whispered. His skin was hot and satin smooth under her touch, glistening with sweat. “I need you, Kim. It’s killing me.”

“What’s the matter with you?” she asked, worried.

“Mating instinct. It makes me want to f**k or die.”

“You smooth-talker, you.”

“I can’t help it. I claimed you as mate, and my body wants to complete the process.”

No kidding. Kim curved into his embrace, not unhappy to flow against his body. He might call it “mating instinct,” but Kim called it desire, one so strong there wasn’t a cure but to give in to it.

Liam kissed her forehead and dropped kisses in her hair. Kim let her hands rove his shoulders and then his back, down to his fine, firm bu**ocks.

“You feel good,” she murmured.

“You feel good touching me. Your hands are so cool.”

She went on stroking his bu**ocks, the muscles as strong as she thought they’d be. “You have a nice ass.”

“So do you.” Large hands clasped it.

“I shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Most natural thing in the world, mating. The Earth goddess and Earth father joining to make the seasons continue. We’re a part of that.”

She couldn’t help laughing. “You know, I think that’s the best pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”

Liam licked the side of her neck. “Is it working?”

“Conflict of interest. I could compromise the case.”

Liam kissed her, fingers loosening her blouse. He didn’t answer, and she remembered Fergus’s parting words, that Kim was to drop Brian’s defense and leave the poor guy to take the fall.

The fall for what?

Kim had expected Liam to tell Fergus to stuff his terms, but Liam hadn’t protested. Did Liam join Fergus in wanting to throw Brian to the wolves?

“Liam, we need to talk about this.”

Talk was obviously not on Liam’s agenda. He kept up the scalding kisses, hands stroking. Her body became pliant, the space between her legs moist and needy.

His hardness pressed her abdomen, the feel of it making her ni**les tight. She slid her hand down before she could stop herself and closed it around his penis.

Damn. He was frigging enormous. The shaft pressed her palm, moving a little with his pulse. His skin was hot, and she’d never felt a man’s need so obviously before.

Not a man. A Shifter.

What women speculated about Shifter men was obviously true. They were bigger. And stiffer and hotter. Kim rubbed her thumb over his tip, feeling it slick and needy.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she asked.

Liam didn’t appear to hear her. His eyes flicked to slits, cat’s eyes, and he growled low in his throat.

“Don’t you dare turn into something while I’m holding you.” Kim squeezed his shaft, and Liam let out a soft groan. “That would be just too weird.”

“Humans.” Liam nipped her ear. “Teach me more about kissing.” His tongue moved to her mouth, slid briefly between her lips.

Liam might not know how to kiss with finesse, but he did it with fervor. He licked her mouth from corner to corner, hands roving her back. Downstairs, Sean and Connor gave another whoop of victory, and Kim wanted to echo it up here. Liam’s teeth scraped her mouth, his kiss clumsy, but his hands were skilled.

He loosened her blouse and brushed the tops of her br**sts with callused fingers. Her lacy bra parted.

“Let me see you.”

Kim let go of Liam long enough to pull her blouse open, to let her bra fall to the floor. Liam’s gaze roved her, his cheeks flushed, eyes dark.

Abel had never looked at Kim like this, as though she were some Greek goddess. Liam cupped her breast almost reverently and slid his thumb across the areola. The nipple rose and tightened, and Liam leaned down and tugged it lightly with his teeth.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered into her skin.

Abel had never said that, either. “For a human?”

“For an anything.”

“I don’t disgust you, then?”

Liam laughed softly. “Stand still and take a compliment, love. Your body is made for loving.” He moved his hand down her abdomen and unbuttoned her jeans. “I like that your hips are so curved.” The zipper went down, the jeans slid past her butt, cool air touched her thighs.

“Fat-assed, you mean.”

“I’m not meaning that, and you know it.” Liam’s hands eased her jeans to her ankles. “So you wore the thong, then.”

His big hand found her bare butt cheek, betraying the truth of the statement. He softly kneaded, and Kim shivered. Here she was, in nothing but a thong in the middle of her bathroom, pressed against the hottest man she’d ever seen in her life.

Liam kissed his way down her neck and licked up between her br**sts, and Kim’s thoughts ceased being coherent. Liam bit her lip, then her cheek, strong hand moving to her nape and holding her there.