Page 68 of Bria and the Tiger

“Why does he get so grossed out when I bring up sex around him?” Bobby said to Velma with a grin. “It’s like he thinks we don’t have sex or even know what it is.”

“Keep talking about sex and I’m kicking you out of my house,” Jace said.

His father laughed as Velma patted Jace’s arm. “It’ll be fine, honey. Maybe Marilyn has a mate now.”

“Maybe I should just skip the engagement party.”

“You have to go,” Velma said. “You and Ashley have been close since you were kittens. She’ll be so upset if you miss the party.”

Jace dropped into his chair and drank more coffee as his father stole the bacon from his plate. “Yeah, I know. I’ll be there.”

* * *

“Kat? What are you doing here?” Bria stared in surprise at her best friend.

Kat lifted the bottle of wine she was carrying. “Sorry to just show up, but I bring wine.”

Bria laughed and stepped aside so Kat could come in. “You know you can come by whenever. Where’s Ronin tonight?”

“He joined Garth’s monthly poker game.”

“It’s on a Sunday night?” Bria hung Kat’s coat in the closet.

“They had to reschedule from last night. Garth’s mom needed his help with something. So,” Kat followed her into the kitchen of her small apartment, “have you found anyone?”

“Found anyone for what?” Bria grabbed a couple of wine glasses and the corkscrew.

“Your heat. It starts tomorrow.” Kat plopped down in a kitchen chair. “Wait, am I getting your cycle mixed up with my sister’s? I could have sworn yours started tomorrow because it’s always a week before mine.”

“No, you’re right. Only, it came early for the first time in my life.” Bria poured wine into the glasses. She handed one to Kat and sat next to her. She winced and shifted on the chair before taking a sip of wine.

“It came early?”

“Yep. Friday afternoon.”

“Shit, were you at work?”

“Yeah.” She crossed her legs and winced again before rubbing at her thighs.

“That’s not good.”

“It really wasn’t.”

“So, who was the shifter from Heat Me Up that helped you?”

Bria took another drink of wine. “Why do you think someone helped me? Maybe I took care of it myself.”

Kat laughed. “Sweetie, no cat shifter winces like that when they’ve taken care of the problem themselves. Also, you look both unbelievably tired and satisfied at the same time. You had loads of sex this weekend. I know it. You know it. Why are you being so secretive about who helped you?”

“I’m not being secretive.”

“Uh, yeah, you are. Who was it?”

“Fine. It was Jace, all right?”

Kat stared at her. “Jace. Your boss helped you through your heat cycle again.”

“It’s not like we planned it.” Bria drained her glass of wine and poured herself another glass. “It was starting, but I didn’t believe it. You know? My cycle never comes early. So, I kept telling myself it wasn’t happening. Only it was. By three I couldn’t deny it anymore, and by five, I was in agony. I couldn’t even think straight, and my tiger kept yowling at me for relief.”

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