Chapter 18
The kiss started gentle, but it didn’t stay that way. The moment Lina’s lips parted under his and her hands fisted in his shirt pulling him closer, the careful control Liam had been maintaining shattered like glass.
He backed her against the wall of the entryway, his body pressing against hers as he deepened the kiss. She tasted like moonlight and wild things, and the small sound she made in the back of her throat drove him absolutely crazy with need.
Her hands touched him everywhere, sliding under his shirt, her trimmed nails scraping lightly across his skin in a way that made him growl. His own hands mapped her body through her clothes, learning curves he’d only glimpsed, feeling the lean strength of her muscles beneath soft skin.
“Upstairs,” she gasped against his mouth. “Liam, we need to—”
“Yeah.” He could barely form words. His inner lion was roaring in triumph and possessive satisfaction, demanding he claim what was theirs.
But his human side held on to enough sense to know they needed a bed.
He wanted their first time together to be a bit more civilized than a frantic coupling against a wall.
Though that held its own appeal. They’d save that for later, he promised himself.
Liam pulled back just enough to look at her. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her eyes dark with desire, her breathing as ragged as his own. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“You’re really sure about this?” he asked one last time, giving her an out even though it would kill him if she took it.
“If you ask me that one more time, I’m going to hurt you.” But she was smiling, fierce and certain. “I want this. I want you. Now stop talking and let’s go upstairs.”
That was all he needed. Liam bent and swept her up into his arms, ignoring her surprised laugh as he headed for the stairs. She was lighter than he expected, fitting perfectly against his chest, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he climbed.
“Showing off how strong you are?” she teased, but her voice was breathless.
“Maybe a little.” He shouldered open the door to his room, which was closer than hers, and carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind them.
What was left of the moonlight streamed through the window, painting everything in silver.
He set her down beside the bed, his hands already reaching for the hem of her shirt.
She beat him to it, pulling the fabric over her head and tossing it aside, revealing smooth skin and black lace that made his mouth go dry.
He kissed her again, slower this time, trying to pour everything he felt into it. His hands found the clasp of her bra and freed it, tossing the scrap of lace aside so he could finally touch her the way he’d been dreaming about for days.
She was perfect. Soft and strong all at once, her body responding to every touch, every caress.
When he bent to take her breast in his mouth, his tongue circling the peaked nipple, she arched against him with a gasp that made his control slip another notch.
He lavished attention on first one breast, then the other, drinking in every sound she made, every tremor that ran through her body.
Her hands fumbled with his belt, and he helped her, shedding the rest of his clothes with desperate efficiency. She did the same, kicking off her pants and underwear, and then, they were both naked, skin to skin, the heat between them almost unbearable.
His hand slid down her flat stomach, between her thighs, finding her wet and ready.
She gasped as he stroked her, learning what made her moan, what made her hips buck against his hand.
She was responsive and uninhibited, her pleasure written across her face, and watching her lose control was almost enough to make him come right there.
“Liam,” she panted, her hand wrapping around his hard length, stroking him in a rhythm that made his vision blur. “Bed. Now.”
He walked her backward, unwilling to break contact, even for a moment. When the backs of her knees hit the mattress, she pulled him down with her, their bodies tangling together on the sheets.
Liam wanted to take his time. He wanted to explore every inch of her with his hands and mouth.
He wanted to taste her until she screamed.
But Lina had other ideas. She wrapped her legs around his hips in invitation, positioning him right where she wanted him, and when she spoke, her voice was low and commanding.
“I don’t need gentle, Liam. I need you. All of you. Inside me. Now.”
His lion roared its approval, demanding he claim their mate completely. “You’re sure you’re ready for that?”
Her eyes flashed, wild and feral. “Try me.”
He kissed her hard, pouring all his pent-up need into it as he positioned himself at her entrance. She was slick and hot, and when he finally pushed inside her tight heat, they both groaned at the sensation.
She fit him perfectly, gripping him like a fist, her body welcoming him home. Like they’d been made for this moment, this joining. Liam held still for a heartbeat, letting her adjust to his size, letting the rightness of it sink into his bones.
Then she shifted her hips, taking him deeper, her inner muscles clenching around him, and coherent thought fled.
He moved, withdrawing almost completely before thrusting back in, setting a rhythm that had them both gasping.
Her nails raked down his back, leaving marks he’d wear with pride.
His hands gripped her hips, holding her steady as he drove into her again and again, each stroke harder than the last.
“Yes,” she hissed, meeting him thrust for thrust. “Just like that. Don’t stop.”
He had no intention of stopping. The sensation of being inside her, of her body yielding to his, of the slick friction and mounting heat between them was stunning.
It was primal and perfect and everything he’d never known he needed.
The mate bond sang between them, growing stronger with every thrust, every kiss, every gasping breath.
He could feel her pleasure as if it were his own, could sense when she was climbing toward the edge.
“Touch yourself,” he commanded, his voice rough. “I want to feel you come around me.”
She obeyed without hesitation, her hand sliding between their bodies to where they were joined. He could feel her fingers working, could feel the moment she found the right pressure and rhythm because her entire body tensed beneath him.
“Liam,” she gasped, her body tightening around him, her inner walls fluttering. “I’m going to—”
“I know. I’ve got you.” He shifted the angle slightly, driving deeper, hitting that spot inside her that made her cry out. “Come for me, Lina. Let me feel it.”
And she did. She shattered beneath him, her body clamping down on him in rhythmic pulses, his name torn from her lips in a sound that was half scream, half sob.
The sensation of her climax surrounded him.
The way she gripped him overcame his desire to hold off just another few moments. It was all too much.
His own release hit him like a freight train.
He buried himself as deep as he could go, and then he just let go, his body shuddering as he emptied himself inside her, the bond snapping into place with an almost audible click.
The connection between them blazed bright and permanent, tying their souls together in a way that could never be undone.
Mine, his lion snarled with deep satisfaction. Ours. Mate. Forever.
He collapsed beside her, pulling her against his chest, both of them breathing hard. Lina’s hand rested over his heart, and he covered it with his own, holding her there.
For a long moment, they just lay together in the moonlight, letting their breathing slow, letting the magnitude of what they’d just done sink in.
“So,” Lina said finally, her voice slightly hoarse. “That was—”
“Yeah.” He couldn’t find better words either.
She tilted her head to look at him, and the smile on her face was soft and genuine and devastating. “I can feel it. The bond. It’s like you’re right here.” She pressed her hand more firmly against his chest. “Inside me, even though you’re beside me.”
“I feel it too.” Liam brushed a strand of hair from her face. “My lion is ridiculously smug right now.”
“My lynx is purring so loud I’m surprised you can’t hear it.” She laughed softly. “I can’t believe we waited this long.”
“Professional distance,” he reminded her, his tone dry.
“Overrated.” She stretched against him like her cat, all sleek muscle and satisfied feline grace. “We should have done this days ago.”
“If we had, we might never have left the bedroom long enough to do our jobs.”
“Fair point.” Lina sobered slightly. “We still have to deal with Mrs. E.”
“We will.” Liam pulled her closer, tucking her head under his chin. “But right now, you’re mine, and I’m yours, and nothing else matters.”
She hummed contentment. “Possessive much?”
“You have no idea.” He could feel his lion settle deep and content in a way it had never been before. “My cat has opinions about letting you out of my sight now.”
“My lynx has similar thoughts.” She pressed a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. “Good thing we’re partners on this mission. We don’t have to be apart.”
“Good thing,” he agreed, already drowsing, the combination of the long stakeout and spectacular sex catching up with him.
But before he let sleep claim him, Liam made himself a promise. They’d stop Mrs. E, and then he’d spend the rest of his life making sure Lina never regretted choosing him. She was his mate, his partner, his everything.
And he was never letting her go.
Lina woke slowly, drifting up from sleep in layers.
She was warm, comfortable, and wrapped around something solid and male that smelled absolutely divine.
For a moment, she didn’t open her eyes, just let herself luxuriate in the sensation of being held, of strong arms encircling her, of a steady heartbeat beneath her ear.