“Is that all? You know Fergus would never let that happen,”

“That’s why I’m asking you.” Kim smiled up at him, trying to look impossibly sweet.

Liam’s gaze softened. “You’re a crafty lass, Kim. You want these stories to switch public opinion to Brian’s side, don’t you now?”

“It couldn’t hurt.”

Liam laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. “And you know if I say yes, I won’t tell Fergus.”

“Something like that. Or your father?”

“Or my father, who would feel obligated to pass on the information. Bring this Silas to the party and let me meet him. No cameras, no notebooks. Strictly off the record until I get to know him.”

“Of course. He’s fair, Liam, which is why I thought of him.”

“But if I don’t like him…”

“I tell him no. Promise.”

“All right then.” Liam leaned down, resumed nibbling her earlobe. “But enough talking. I’m thinking about the fact that we’re alone in this house.”

“Having someone in the house didn’t stop you yesterday,” she pointed out in a shaky voice.

“That was mating frenzy. Today I want to take it slow. To give you everything I want, in my own time.” Liam ran his fingers down her spine, trailing fire. “I want to see if you’re wearing garters under that sexy skirt.”

Kim leaned against the kitchen counter and slid her skirt up a few inches. “I am.”

Liam’s warm hands covered her thighs, his thumbs hooking into the tops of her stockings. “That’s my girl.”

Chapter Seventeen

Kim found herself seated on the counter with Liam standing between her legs. Liam’s warm lips played on hers while he slid his hands to the insides of her thighs. “Could this be a thong?” he murmured, touching it. “The thing you said you couldn’t be wearing?”

“Could be.”

“Did you wear it for me, Kim?”

“Yes.”

Liam nuzzled her cheek. “I like that.” He licked where he nuzzled. “It’s easy to move aside.”

“That’s the point of it.”

“You’re wet for me,” he said.

“I am.” Kim drew her hand along his zipper. “You’re ready too, I see. Either that or you shoved a baseball bat down there.”

“I’m thinking that would be painful.”

“I’m thinking you’re in pain now,” Kim whispered in his ear. “I would be, if I had something that big in my pants.”

“Want to find out what it’s like?”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

She’d never done it leaning back on a counter, her skirt up, her panties shoved aside, and her lover letting his jeans drop around his ankles. But then, she’d never had a lover like Liam, a large, raw-muscled Irishman with beautiful eyes.

She found herself with her legs locked around him, his hands cradling her head while she felt the burn of them joining. His lips were all over her, face, throat, hair, mouth.

“You feel so good, Kim. You feel so f**king good.”

Kim didn’t answer. She sensed desperation in him, the need to bury himself in sex and forget the strange argument he’d had with his dad as well as Fergus’s ultimatum. Liam seemed the most unnerved of all of them, even Dylan.

The untamed joy of what they did made Kim want to shout out loud, and so did the danger that someone could walk in and catch them. Her partners had always practiced safe sex—not only in the sense of using condoms, but in ensuring the lights were out, the doors locked, and the windows shaded, so no one would ever know what they were doing.

Liam wanted Kim and didn’t care who knew. He’d broadcast the fact far and wide, proudly. Instead of being embarrassed, Kim’s heart swelled with joy.

Another part of her did too. She rocked her hips, loving the sensation of him deep inside her.

“Liam,” she groaned. “I want you to do dirty things to me.”

“Happy to, love,” he said, his face against hers. “You name them, I’ll do them.”

She moved faster, and he did, and she did again. “I’m loving this right now.”

“I love what you make me feel,” he whispered.

Kim tried to think of something sexy to say, but words fled her brain. “Just shut up and do me.”

Liam laughed. He rocked into her swiftly, until they were both breathless with it. Liam held her tightly as he came, his seed scalding, his mouth hard on hers. His kisses were still unpracticed, but Kim didn’t care. She caught his tongue, his lips, his teeth with hers, kissing him back with joyous abandon.

Liam smiled into her mouth, and Kim laughed with him. Sex didn’t get better than this.

Her heart beat wildly when she thought that maybe it did—with Liam. The idea triggered her orgasm. She gyrated against him, unsure how much noise she was making and not really caring.

When she wound down, Liam backed out of her, still hard, pulled up his pants, and carried her to the sagging living room sofa. He collapsed onto it, Kim on top of him, both of them panting.

“Oh, man, that was good.” Kim lay against his shoulder trying to get her breath. Laughter didn’t help.

Liam ran his fingers through her hair. “Not what I had in mind, but not bad.”

“What do you mean, not bad?”

Liam regarded her with half-closed predator’s eyes. “I told you, I wanted to take it slow. Love you like you deserve. Not screwing you quick-time on a kitchen counter.”