"Hey... oh for God's sake get a room. The party's starting!" Kathleen declared.
Sera pulled reluctantly away to face Kathleen. She stood in the doorway with her hands planted on her hips as she grinned at them. "Hi, Kathleen," Liam greeted.
She shot him a disgruntled look before turning back to Sera. "Well, come on."
"We're coming, we're coming," Sera assured her.
"Sera," Liam growled in her ear.
She frowned at him as she cast a glance out the window. "The sun has set."
His head jerked to the window. "Fuck!"
Sera stroked his cheek in an attempt to soothe him. "It will be all right," she assured him.
"You stay close to me."
"I will," she promised, but the tension in his gaze didn't ease.
"Come on!" Kathleen urged.
Sera turned toward her, but Liam grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back against his side. Resentment sparked through her again. She rounded on him, but the look in his eyes silenced any further protest. He was angry, but he wasn't mad at her, he was annoyed with himself for not realizing it had become so late. He was also apprehensive. It radiated from him as he held onto her.
She couldn't be angry at him, not when he was looking at her like that. "God, you guys are going to kill each other if you keep this up!" Kathleen took hold of her other arm. "Come on, Sera; you can part with him for a few minutes."
"Just hold on, okay? I'll meet you out there."
Kathleen's eyes darted between them before she gave Liam a scathing look and left. "What is the matter with her?" he asked.
"She thinks you beat me."
"What?" His eyebrows jumped into his hairline.
She grinned as she playfully bumped his hip. "Yeah, she thinks you're too possessive, and you're going to start beating me."
Liam's eyes flashed with humor as the corner of his mouth quirked. "Maybe I should start; you might listen to me then."
Her mouth pursed. "Just try it."
He grinned cockily as he kissed her. "Stay near me, I mean it."
"I will," she promised.
He let go of her arm and followed her out to the packed main room. The room was huge, with massive cathedral ceilings, and about fifty chandeliers hanging from the beams running across it. The bar took up the entire side of the left wall, while the main desk took up half of the right. A massive stone fireplace covered the other half and crackled noisily. A small band was set up on the stage jutting out from the back wall.
There were about a hundred people in the room, but they were all moving around the large space. Kids ran around, dashing by people, and disappearing through the doors leading to the arcade. Longing stabbed through her chest as she watched them go.
Liam squeezed her arm. She forced a smile as she turned to look at him. His eyes were troubled as they searched her face.
"Okay, let's go!" Kathleen clutched her arm and pulled her into the crowd before she could even form a protest.
She glanced over her shoulder at Liam, who was watching her. Sera turned away as Kathleen pulled her along.
Liam's eyes were focused upon Sera as she stood with Kathleen at the bar. A young man had approached them and was now leaning entirely too close for his comfort. Liam shifted as annoyance began to rise inside him. Sera's gaze met his, and she smiled at him. He managed a nod in return as his gaze shot pointedly to the man.
"She's not going anywhere with him," Mike informed him.
"I know that," he grated through clenched teeth.
"Then stop looking as if you're going to rip out his throat."
"Speaking of throats," Jack drawled. "I'm hungry."
"We all are," Liam replied coldly.
A group of people dancing by in a conga line momentarily blocked his view of Sera. He watched the line as he picked out the girls who could be possibilities for later. He lifted his gaze to find Sera studying him out of narrowed eyes. It was now his turn to smile sweetly. Her eyes filled with fire as her mouth compressed into a flat line. He had only a second of supreme satisfaction before the guy touched her arm.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked her.
"Oh, no thanks," she replied as she sipped her drink. "I'm sure Kathleen would love to though."
Without thinking she grabbed his arm and propelled him toward Kathleen. She turned back around to find Liam glaring across the dance floor. She wanted to feel satisfaction at his anger, but she didn't. All she felt was the powerful need to go to him, to be with him. She put her drink down and began to wind her way across the floor to him. She paused as the conga line went by with arms and legs kicking in a rush of different directions. She couldn't help but smile and laugh as they shouted and danced along.
Liam's hands settled on her waist, and he pulled her in front of him. She laughed happily as her hands settled upon the chubby woman before her. The music continued to play as they wound their way through the arcade, into the sunroom, and back out to the main floor.
She cast a grin over her shoulder to find Liam smiling down at her. His hands seemed to sear into her waist. The music came to a halt, and the line broke up. Sera whirled into Liam's arms and lifted onto her toes to kiss him.
His grin was cocky and slanted. "I'm hungry." His whispered words sent a mixture of yearning for him, and a craving for blood through her. "So are you, love."
She smiled as she lifted a shoulder. "Maybe."
"For more than one thing," he teased as he rubbed his erect shaft against her provocatively.
Her eyes sparkled as she grinned saucily at him. "Maybe," she teased.
"Well then, I guess I'll have to fulfill both of your hungers."
His nip on her lower lip sent a firestorm of want rushing
