Page 38 of Bria and the Tiger

“Well have fun, tiny tiger,” Lincoln drawled. He still had his arm around Rosalie’s shoulders and Jace hated how happy and flushed she looked. He loved his best friend, but Rosalie deserved better. Lincoln would never be the man she wanted him to be.

“Thanks,” Bria said. “I’ll see you guys on Monday.”

She left and Jace smiled at the rabbit shifter who bounced up to the table. “Hey, handsome. I’m Tori and I’m your waitress for tonight. You guys need anything,” she traced one finger down his biceps, “just holler and I’ll hop on over. What would you like to drink?”

“Just a beer,” Jace said.

“You bet, hon.”

“Holy crap!” Derek’s mouth had dropped open and he was staring at the bar. “What the hell kind of shifter is that?”

They all turned and stared at the bar. Jace studied the giant shifter standing behind the bar. He was massive, the glass of beer in his hand looked more like a shot glass, and he had short blonde hair and broad features that practically screamed ‘I like to fight’. His arms were covered in tattoos and he somehow looked both bored and pissed off simultaneously.

“That’s Hudson,” Tori said. “He’s, like, a polar bear shifter and so grumpy. But he’s, like, a really good bartender so Porter won’t fire him.”

“Wow,” Sam said. “Why is he working here? Polar bears hate being around crowds.”

Tori just shrugged. “Even a polar bear’s gotta make money, right?” She winked at Lincoln. “Hey, Lincoln. You’re looking good tonight.”

Lincoln dropped his arm from Rosie’s shoulders.” Hey, sweet bunny buns. How’s my favourite server?”

“Can’t complain,” she said. “You want your usual?”

“Yeah.” His gaze drifted over the rabbit shifter’s small but perky tits and Jace could almost see Rosie’s good mood deflating.

As Tori took everyone else’s order, Jace stole another quick glance at Bria. The wolf shifter was holding her hand again. His tiger roared and tried to surge forward. Sweating, he pushed it back and tore his gaze from Bria and her date.

Fuck, he was in trouble.

* * *

Rosalie studied herself in the bathroom mirror. Her cheeks were too red, and it was obvious that she was close to tears.

Get it together, Rosie!

She was surprised that Lincoln had paid so much attention to her when she’d first arrived. Surprised but also flattered and a little turned on and stupidly happy. The first ten minutes, she had even let herself fall into a little fantasy that she and Lincoln were dating. He’d made it easy to slip into fantasy, what with his arm around her shoulders and the way he had whispered to her that she looked pretty tonight.

It hadn’t lasted long. There were a lot of shifters at the bar.

A lot of very pretty, female shifters.

Twenty minutes after they’d sat down, Lincoln was gone. Saying he spotted a friend, he’d left their table and hadn’t returned. She’d seen him over the next hour or so, talking and chatting with other male shifters and flirting with every female shifter that drifted into his view. She wasn’t surprised that Lincoln would ignore her and flirt with every woman at the bar. So why did it hurt so much?

It’s because you’re a human. Lincoln isn’t ever going to date you, Rosie. Get it through your head!

“No, it’s because you’re not kinky enough in bed,” she muttered to her reflection. “Change that and you have a chance. You’re too shy and too timid, Rosalie. Be different!”

Yes, be different. Simple. Easy. No problem.

She was suddenly exhausted, and she grabbed her purse from the counter before leaving the bathroom. She didn’t want to watch Lincoln flirt anymore. She opened her purse as she walked down the hallway and started rummaging for her keys. She wanted to go home, get into her pajamas, and curl up on the couch with Mr. Pibbles and not think about –

She ran head first into a solid wall of muscle. There was a loud grunt above her and she staggered back. She stared up at the wolf shifter that Bria was on a date with. “I’m so sorry.”

He sniffed at her before sneering, “Watch where you’re going, human.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated as she scooted around him.

“You know,” the shifter grabbed her arm and she squeaked in alarm when he turned her to face him, “Bud’s bar is a shifters only bar.”

---