Bria and the Tiger (The Shifters Series Book 5)

by Elizabeth Kelly

  “Dead serious.” He already had the chalk out and was swiping the top of the cues with it. “Here, hold these.”

  She held the long wooden sticks as he racked the balls. “I’ll break since you’ve never played before.”

  “I don’t even know how to hold the stick properly.”

  “I’ll show you.” He took the longer of the cues from her. She watched as he bent over the table and took the shot. Three of the balls went in and she gave him an admiring look.

  “That was pretty good.”

  He just grinned at her. “Your turn. Come here and I’ll show you what to do.”

  * * *

  “I think we need to admit that I’m not meant to be a pool player.” Bria straightened and stared at the way the white ball slowly rolled across the table. It didn’t hit any of the other balls and she rolled her eyes.

  Jace took a swig of beer. “You just need to practice.”

  “It’s been an hour and I haven’t hit a single ball.”

  “It’s because you’re still not holding the cue properly. Here, let me help you.”

  He moved behind her and pushed on her upper back. “Bend over and put the cue in position.”

  She bent over the table. “Okay, how’s this? It doesn’t feel right. It feels…”

  Oh shit. Jace had bent over her and she was immediately turned on by the feel of his hard, naked chest pressing against her back. His big hand covered hers and manipulated it into the proper position on the stick.

  “How’s that feel?” He asked.

  “Good.” Her voice was breathless, and she couldn’t help rubbing her ass against his growing erection.

  “Behave, Bria.”

  “Me? I’m pretty sure that’s not a pool stick poking me in the ass.”

  His laughter made her flush all over. Or maybe it was the way his hands were suddenly tugging up her skirt. He bunched it around her waist and she spread her legs wide when he ran his hand over her ass. She purred, and he rumbled an answering purr before squeezing her ass. “Take the shot, Bria.”

  She aimed the cue and hit the ball, jerking wildly when Jace’s hand slipped between her thighs and cupped her pussy through her panties. The white ball careened to the right, bounced off the side of the table and sunk into the end pocket.

  “Dammit.”

  “Try again.” Jace reached under her with his other hand and fished the ball out from the the pocket.

  He set it in front of her, his other hand rubbing and stroking her clit through her panties. She moaned and rocked her pelvis against his hand. “Jace.”

  “Try again, little tiger.”

  She pouted at him and he pressed a quick kiss against her mouth. “Go ahead.”

  She reached to set the ball where she wanted it. Her hands were shaking, and she purred again when she heard the sound of Jace’s zipper. His cock brushed against the back of her thighs and she moaned when he stopped touching her.

  “Jace, please.”

  His long, delightfully talented fingers were tugging her panties down her legs. She stepped out of them and spread her legs even wider as he nestled his big body between them. Her hand clenched around the cue and she trilled in excitement.

  “You’re not taking the shot, sweetheart. It’s like you don’t even want to learn how to play pool.” Jace’s hands slipped under her shirt and he unhooked the front clasp of her bra and cupped her breasts.

  “I don’t.” She dropped the cue on the table.

  He laughed and tugged on her nipples. “What do you want?”

  “You know what I want.”

  “Say it, little tiger.”

  “I want you to fuck me.”

  “I want to fuck you too.”

  “Then fuck me!” She pushed back against him and he moved one hand to her shoulder as the other one reached between them.

  He guided his cock into her pussy and she purred with pleasure when he sunk in deep. Her walls stretched around him, and he cupped her hip with his other hand and waited until she made a mewling sound of need.

  “Bria?”

  “What?” She gave him a disgruntled look over her shoulder when he didn’t move.

  “Don’t put gouges in my pool table with your claws.”

  She gaped at him and then burst into giggles. He groaned when it made her tighten around him and he made two hard thrusts before regaining control. “Jesus, stop laughing. You’re gonna make me come.”

  “Are you really still thinking about your damn pool table?”

  He grinned at her. “It’ll cost a fortune to fix it.”

  “I won’t scratch it.”

  “Do you promise?”

  “Oh my God, yes. I promise. Fuck me!”

  He drove into her with a hard thrust that made her stomach dig into the side of the pool table. She pushed back, meeting each of his strokes with an embarrassing amount of enthusiasm.

  “Your little pussy is so tight,” he muttered as he drove in and out. “I love how wet you are for me.”

  She moaned in reply and he reached between her legs. He rubbed at her clit with sure, smooth strokes. She gripped the pool table and was careful not to let her claws out. He held her shoulder with his other hand and pounded into her.

  “I’m so close,” she gasped. He stroked her clit faster. His other hand threaded through her hair and he pulled her head back as he fucked her hard.

  “Don’t hold back, baby. Come on my cock.”

  She cried out and her entire body shuddered as she climaxed. Behind her, Jace made a low growl before shoving her forward until her upper body was plastered on top of the pool table. He growled again and thrust in and out until he came with a low howl. He shuddered above her, his big hands holding her tightly against the pool table as he rocked back and forth until he softened inside of her.

  “Okay?” He breathed into her ear before pressing a kiss against her throat.

  “Really good.” She purred to him and he purred back before easing out of her.

  She straightened, and he wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed another kiss against her neck. “Thank you for not scratching my pool table.”

  She laughed and leaned against his hard warmth. “You’re welcome.”

  They stood silently for a few moments. She was waiting for Jace to invite her to stay the night and as the minutes ticked by, she began to feel stupid. Why would he invite her to stay? They weren’t dating. Besides, she could try and deny it all she wanted, but she had basically invited herself to his house tonight for this exact thing. He’d given her what she wanted and now she needed to leave.

  “It’s getting late. I should go.” She tugged at his arm.

  He let her go and she pulled her panties on and fixed her clothing before patting self-consciously at her hair. “Um, thanks for the drink and for, uh, teaching me how to play pool.”

  “Thanks for putting the salve on my back.”

  “You’re welcome.” She waited a beat and when he still didn’t invite her to stay, headed for the stairs. He followed her up the stairs and into the kitchen, watching silently as she grabbed her purse.

  “Okay, well, I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”

  “Yes.”

  Oh God, could this be any more awkward? She hurried to the front door and slipped on her shoes.

  “Bria?” He caught her arm and pulled her into his embrace. “Thank you. I really enjoyed tonight.”

  “I did too.” She smiled up at him and tried not to read too much into it when he bent his head and gave her a soft kiss.

  “See you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Jace.” She stepped out of his embrace, opened the door, and slipped out into the cool night air.

  * * *

  “Hey, I keep meaning to ask why you didn’t drive your car today.” Rosalie wandered into reception and leaned against the desk.

  “Uh, it needed an oil change, so I left it at the shop for the day and had my friend Kat drop me off at work.”

  “O
h. Any exciting plans for tonight?”

  “No, not really.” Bria ignored the surge of guilt she felt at lying to Rosalie. She liked the sweet human a lot and was beginning to think of her as a friend. She didn’t lie to friends.

  You really think telling Rosalie that you’re going with Jace to his cousin’s engagement party is a good idea?

  Nope, she didn’t. “How about you? What are you doing tonight?”

  “Oh,” Rosalie traced her finger along the top of Bria’s desk, “not much. Just going to the movies with Lincoln.”

  Bria’s eyes widened, and she sat forward. “You have a date with Lincoln?”

  “No. Yes. I mean, I’m not really sure.” Rosalie was trying to act casual but she was almost vibrating with excitement. “He didn’t actually say it was a date when he asked me this morning if I wanted to go to the movies, but he’s picking me up at my house and driving me to the theatre.”

  “That sounds like a date to me.”

  “Do you think so? Because I thought so too but then…”

  “I think it’s a date.” Bria wished she could be happier for Rosalie, but she had a very bad feeling that Lincoln was going to break her heart.

  Rosalie pulled on a lock of her curly hair. “I was thinking of wearing that blue dress. Do you know which one I mean?”

  Bria nodded. “It looks really good on you.”

  “Thanks. I’ve worn it a couple times to the office, but Lincoln hasn’t seen me in it. I think it’s dressy but not too dressy, you know. Like it says I want to look good but I’m not desperate about it.”

  “I think it’s perfect for a date at the movies,” Bria said. “Hey, Rosalie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Just be careful around Lincoln, okay? He’s a nice guy, but he’s a lion shifter, and they’re players.”

  “Not all of them. You said that yourself. Your lion shifter wasn’t a player.”

  “No, he wasn’t but -”

  “Bria?” Betty walked into reception. “Would you mind scanning and emailing a document for me? I hate to ask but I’m already running late for Jay’s band recital.”

  “I don’t mind.” Bria took the document from the raccoon shifter.

  “Thank you. I’ve put the email address on the stickie on the front. If you could cc me on the email, that would be great. Bye, ladies, have a great weekend.”

  Betty waved as she ran out the door. Rosalie glanced at her watch and Bria said, “Why don’t you leave a little early?”

  “I left early last Friday.”

  Bria laughed. “I don’t mind. I promise. Go home and get ready for your date.”

  “Are you sure? Jace is still here and so is Sam. If you have any questions, she can help you.”

  “It’ll be fine. Go. Have fun tonight, okay?”

  “Thanks, Bria.” Rosalie smiled happily at her. “Have a good weekend. I’ll talk to you on Monday.”

  * * *

  Jace closed down his laptop and checked his watch before shutting the lights off and locking his office door. Sam had left five minutes ago, and he was alone in the office with Bria. He carried his coffee mug to the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher before leaning against the counter and closing his eyes.

  He was feeling jittery and anxious, and not even his therapy appointment with Dr. Martin this afternoon had helped. Of course, he hadn’t been very truthful with her about what was wrong. She’d known something was upsetting him, but he had skirted around the truth. He should have been open with her. He should have told her that his tiger wanted Bria as its mate, and his human side wanted her too, and it was freaking him the fuck out.

  It had taken all of his willpower Wednesday night not to ask Bria to spend the night. He’d been shocked and uneasy by how strong the urge was to have her sleep in his bed with him. If she had lingered even a minute longer, he would have asked her to stay.

  He rubbed at his forehead. If his parents knew how he was feeling, they would be the ones freaking out.

  So why exactly did you invite Bria to Ash’s engagement party?

  “Jace? What’s wrong?” Bria’s scent drifted to him and her soft voice made his tiger purr happily.

  He opened his eyes and smiled at her as she walked into the kitchen. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He knew she could smell his confusion and his anxiety, and he did what Dr. Martin kept telling him not to do. He pushed it down deep and masked it with a false sense of cheerfulness.

  “I am. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes. I left my car at home today so that if one of the agents came into the office tomorrow, it wouldn’t be still in the parking lot. Do you think you can drop me off at home tomorrow night?”

  “Of course.” They walked to reception and he watched as Bria fished out an overnight bag from under her desk.

  “Here, I’ll take that.” He took it from her and slung it over his shoulder. Bria set the alarm and they left the office. He put her bag in the trunk next to his and they climbed into his car.

  “Are you hungry?” He started the car and drove out of the parking lot.

  “Not starving. Why?”

  “I was thinking we’d go out to eat after we checked in at the hotel, but it’s a two-hour drive to Langden.”

  “That’s fine, I can wait.”

  He turned left and headed toward the freeway. “I also, uh, booked us together in the same room. It’s the only hotel in Langden and a bunch of my family are driving up tonight and will be staying there too. No doubt we’ll run into some of them in the hotel. It would look odd if they saw us going into different rooms. But if you’re uncomfortable with sharing a room…”

  “It’s not a problem,” she said. “I assumed we’d be sharing a room, we are dating after all.”

  He wondered if he should tell her that he’d booked a room with only one bed. He could have booked a room with two doubles, he’d just deliberately chosen a room with one queen bed.

  “Jace?” Bria was giving him a nervous look. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make this awkward with the dating comment. I know we’re not actually dating. I was just making a stupid joke.”

  “You didn’t,” he said. “Really. I’m just a bit distracted. The house showing didn’t go well today, and the clients are getting frustrated.”

  “It’s only the fourth house you’ve shown them, right?”

  “Yeah, but they’re impatient to find a place. Anyway, let’s talk about something not work related.”

  “Okay. Tell me about your cousin and the rest of your family. It’ll be easier to sell the idea that we’re dating if I know a bit about your family.”

  “Sure. But before we start, you have to promise you won’t judge me based on what I tell you about my slightly crazy family.” He grinned at her as she laughed.

  “I promise not to judge. Now, you’ve got two hours to give me a crash course in the Shepherd family. Start talking.”

  * * *

  Rosalie smoothed her dress down and fluffed her hair a bit. The woman standing at the sink next to her smiled. “Love your hair.”

  “Thank you. That’s a great lip colour.”

  “Isn’t it?” The woman shook drops of water from her hands. “It’s called Voluptuous Violet which, between you and me, is the stupidest name ever but I love the colour.” She grabbed some paper towels and dried her hands. “Have a great night.”

  “You too.” Rosalie checked her teeth for lipstick before leaving the bathroom. She could see Lincoln ordering at the snack counter and she made her way through the crowded lobby of the theatre.

  Stupidly, she still wasn’t entirely sure if they were on a date or not. Lincoln was wearing jeans with a dress shirt, so she didn’t feel overdressed, but it wasn’t like he was holding her hand or anything. He told her she looked beautiful when he picked her up, and they chatted about his plans for the rest of the weekend on the drive to the theatre. She paid for her own ticket, but he offered to buy her a drink at t
he snack bar.

  Her steps slowed. Was Lincoln flirting with the woman behind the snack counter? She took a deep breath. Probably. Lincoln was a flirt. If she was going to have a relationship with him, she needed to remember that and not act so jealous. She’d read the lion shifter sex book from front to back, and it had an entire chapter devoted specifically to the lion shifter’s flirtatious nature.

  “Hello, human.”

  She stared up at the polar bear shifter who had appeared in front of her. He was holding a giant tub of popcorn in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. “Hudson, hi. What are you doing here?”

  “Watching a movie.” She decided his usual look of irritation was maybe just a touch less irritated. “What else do people do here?”

  “I just didn’t think you liked crowds very much.”

  “I don’t. But I like movies.”

  “Me too.” She cleared her throat. “Are you here with someone?”

  “No.”

  “Oh. I’m here with, um, Lincoln.”

  He didn’t reply, and she cleared her throat again. What movie are you -”

  “Oh my God! Hudson, you’re here too. Like, what are the odds of us both having a Friday night off, and being at the same theatre?”

  The polar bear scowled fiercely at the high-pitched voice, before grunting, “Hey.”

  Rosalie’s stomach sunk to her feet. Lincoln had come up behind them carrying a bag of popcorn and two bottles of water. The waitress from Bud’s Bar was hanging off his free arm. Lincoln grinned Rosalie. “Look who I ran into, Rosalie. You remember Tori, right? She works at Bud’s.”

  “I do. Hi, Tori.”

  “Hi.” The rabbit shifter wiggled her nose at her. “You’re the tallest female human I’ve ever met. I’m jealous. I hate being so tiny and short.”

  “Being tall does have its advantages.” Rosalie ignored her urge to punch the tiny little shifter in her tiny little face.

  “Are you here on a date with Hudson?” Tori asked brightly.

  A look of alarm passed over Hudson’s face. “No.” He turned and trudged away.

  “I’m here with Lincoln,” Rosalie said. “If you’ll excuse us, we should probably get our seats before - ”