pictured her in a silk camisole that barely contained her lush breasts, maybe bikini panties baring most of her butt. Or not a camisole, but a tiny lace bra that pushed her breasts up and barely covered her nipples.
Stockings, not panty hose. With a garter belt. She'd walk around her house in that, loosening up after work, pouring herself a glass of wine. Or maybe she was a down-home Texas girl who'd reach for a cold beer.
Liam imagined the beads of moisture on the beer bottle in the humid summer evening. Kim's lips would skim the bottle's mouth until she upended it and poured a cool stream of beer down her throat.
He imagined it so vividly that Sean's and Connor's burgers traveled way past rare to well done before Liam could rescue them.
Kim got out of her leisurely bath and went back to her bedroom with one towel around her torso and the other turbaned over her hair.
She'd gotten used to living by herself--unless Abel came over--no parents or siblings or anyone else. No dogs or cats, either, because she was gone most of the day, and she didn't want to subject a pet to so much neglect. Or maybe she just didn't want to mourn when it grew old, died, and left another hole in her life.
Tonight she felt the emptiness. She'd tried to fill it by e-mailing her friend Silas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist doing research for a documentary on Shifters, and then taking a luxurious soak. She'd tried to lose herself in a delicious novel in the tub, but her thoughts kept drifting and she gave up.
She reached for an emery board and started sanding her nails. Maybe she felt the emptiness because in Shiftertown she'd noticed the fullness. The kids playing in the front yards, neighbors waving at Sean and Liam, the easy bond between the two brothers.
She thought about how she'd spilled her guts to Liam and let him massage her aching feet. The rubbing had felt good . She could still feel his touch, the warmth, the sensual firmness of his strong fingers.
Even better had been his lips on her neck. The man was hot. She had no idea whether Shifters did it like humans, but she knew that if she were a Shifter woman, she'd be working to get him into bed.
Strangest of all, Liam had listened to her. Kim had told him more in ten minutes than she'd told Abel in the year she'd been dating him.
Did that say something about Liam or something about Abel?
Kim set down the emery board and picked up her cell phone. She punched Abel's number and listened to his phone ring.
"Yes?" he answered. He sounded rushed.
"Hey, it's me."
"Kim?" He sounded baffled. "What is it? Was I supposed to meet you tonight?"
"No. I just thought we could talk."
"Oh." Pause as he rustled something on the other end of the phone.
"Can I call you back? I'm in the middle of about ten things."
Kim waited for her anger to come. But she felt--nothing. "Sure."
"Tomorrow. Sleep tight, honey." Click.
"Yeah. Sweet dreams, babe." Kim keyed off the phone and dropped it on the table. Abel was a workaholic trying to make a name for himself at the firm. Of course he was in the middle of ten things. He always was.
Maybe it's time to cut that tie, a little voice in the back of her mind said.
Maybe it's beyond time.
You know you didn't think that until you met Liam...
Kim picked up the phone again and scrolled to where Liam had typed in his name and number. It looked so normal, the four letters of his name, then an area code and seven-digit phone number like everyone else had.
You call me, any time of the day or night.
Had he really meant that? Or was it a mere platitude? Call me, honey.
Except when I'm busy, watching TV, out with my friends, or not interested inyou right now.
Just to be a pain in the ass, Kim pressed the button to call the number.
One ring, and then Liam's warm voice filled her ear.
"Kim!" As though this was the best call he'd received all day. "You all right, love?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Kim said, her entire body warming. "I was..."
"Checking to see if I'd
Stockings, not panty hose. With a garter belt. She'd walk around her house in that, loosening up after work, pouring herself a glass of wine. Or maybe she was a down-home Texas girl who'd reach for a cold beer.
Liam imagined the beads of moisture on the beer bottle in the humid summer evening. Kim's lips would skim the bottle's mouth until she upended it and poured a cool stream of beer down her throat.
He imagined it so vividly that Sean's and Connor's burgers traveled way past rare to well done before Liam could rescue them.
Kim got out of her leisurely bath and went back to her bedroom with one towel around her torso and the other turbaned over her hair.
She'd gotten used to living by herself--unless Abel came over--no parents or siblings or anyone else. No dogs or cats, either, because she was gone most of the day, and she didn't want to subject a pet to so much neglect. Or maybe she just didn't want to mourn when it grew old, died, and left another hole in her life.
Tonight she felt the emptiness. She'd tried to fill it by e-mailing her friend Silas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist doing research for a documentary on Shifters, and then taking a luxurious soak. She'd tried to lose herself in a delicious novel in the tub, but her thoughts kept drifting and she gave up.
She reached for an emery board and started sanding her nails. Maybe she felt the emptiness because in Shiftertown she'd noticed the fullness. The kids playing in the front yards, neighbors waving at Sean and Liam, the easy bond between the two brothers.
She thought about how she'd spilled her guts to Liam and let him massage her aching feet. The rubbing had felt good . She could still feel his touch, the warmth, the sensual firmness of his strong fingers.
Even better had been his lips on her neck. The man was hot. She had no idea whether Shifters did it like humans, but she knew that if she were a Shifter woman, she'd be working to get him into bed.
Strangest of all, Liam had listened to her. Kim had told him more in ten minutes than she'd told Abel in the year she'd been dating him.
Did that say something about Liam or something about Abel?
Kim set down the emery board and picked up her cell phone. She punched Abel's number and listened to his phone ring.
"Yes?" he answered. He sounded rushed.
"Hey, it's me."
"Kim?" He sounded baffled. "What is it? Was I supposed to meet you tonight?"
"No. I just thought we could talk."
"Oh." Pause as he rustled something on the other end of the phone.
"Can I call you back? I'm in the middle of about ten things."
Kim waited for her anger to come. But she felt--nothing. "Sure."
"Tomorrow. Sleep tight, honey." Click.
"Yeah. Sweet dreams, babe." Kim keyed off the phone and dropped it on the table. Abel was a workaholic trying to make a name for himself at the firm. Of course he was in the middle of ten things. He always was.
Maybe it's time to cut that tie, a little voice in the back of her mind said.
Maybe it's beyond time.
You know you didn't think that until you met Liam...
Kim picked up the phone again and scrolled to where Liam had typed in his name and number. It looked so normal, the four letters of his name, then an area code and seven-digit phone number like everyone else had.
You call me, any time of the day or night.
Had he really meant that? Or was it a mere platitude? Call me, honey.
Except when I'm busy, watching TV, out with my friends, or not interested inyou right now.
Just to be a pain in the ass, Kim pressed the button to call the number.
One ring, and then Liam's warm voice filled her ear.
"Kim!" As though this was the best call he'd received all day. "You all right, love?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Kim said, her entire body warming. "I was..."
"Checking to see if I'd
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