Page 22 of Purrfectly Kissed

“Oh my gods! Really? I mean, I have no idea how to start this. I only just moved here and don’t have a lawyer---”

“Look, I would be dumb not to invest in you when you are so obviously a genius. And I already told Hunter to call the Pride lawyer on your behalf. His services are for everyone in the Pride. You can meet with him at your convenience, and he will help you with my offer and any counter offers you might make. Then he can draw up a contract, so we are both protected.”

“OMG! I am stunned, really!”

“Honestly, Ky, this is gonna be awesome. You are really gonna start building your brand, and I will just be lucky to get to sell you before you get bought up by some crazy big department stores,” Jess said and laughed as her friend tackled her again.

“I am so happy, Jess, thank you.”

Kylie jumped up and down in her excitement.

“Listen, I am so into this, but I don’t want to sell out to some big corporation. At least, not yet. I am thinking, I can start that affiliate program you talked about and other small boutique owners like you can sellKisses by Kylietoo.”

“Sounds amazing,” Jessica replied, excited for her friend.

“You think so?”

Kylie sounded so elated, and Jess was thrilled for her. It was a good move. Jessica was happy to help. She always thought money should work for the person who had it, and she hardly had to do anything here at all.

It would be work, of course, and she would make sure Kylie was not being taken advantage of. The woman was too kindhearted sometimes. But ever since she came to town, Jessica had a good feeling about her. She had a past, something about her old Pride, but she was safe in Maverick Point under the Neta’s protection.

The two females had hit it off immediately, and Jess even offered her a place to stay. Now, Kylie lived over the shop in the tiny attic apartment above Jessica’s. The three story building was just the thing she’d wanted when she’d returned from college. Lucky for her to have an inheritance that allowed her to buy the property without any issues.

“Of course, I think this is awesome,” Jessica replied, answering Kylie’s whispered question.

She ran her hands over the silver silk and lace confection the designer still held, wondering if a certain Bear would like something like that or if he were more a cotton panty sort of guy.

Not that she would be finding out anytime soon. Or would she?

Ugh.

Damn the man for confusing her so.

“Alright, what went down with you today? You seem up one minute and down the next. Come on. Spill!” Kylie demanded for the second time.

She was a pretty woman with her short blonde curls and big green eyes. She’d moved to Maverick Point after spotting their own little mountain in her rearview mirror. Jessica loved hearing that story.

The she-Tiger had left her old Pride and was driving across the country, looking for a place to start over after she’d finished her first design course at a community college back in South Carolina.

Jessica had found her just a half mile out of town with a flat tire and brought her to see Hunter immediately. Ever since then, they’d been friends, and the woman had never looked back. Which was fine with Jess. She could not picture life without her.

“Fine,” she said, knowing Kylie was like a Tiger with a bone when it came to wanting information.

“I went on a date.”

“Shut up!” she gasped aloud. “OMG. Tell me more, girl,” screeched Kylie.

Her cute little Southern twang made itself known in her excitement, and Jess grinned. Her excitement was positively contagious.

“It’s no big deal. I mean yeah, I visited Uncle Uzzi, you know the Witch who runs the matchmaking service. He was at the Pride House today as you know, and don’t think we won’t talk about why you skipped it, anyway, he sort of suggested Brayden ask me out,” she explained hastily.

Jessica felt Kylie’s eyes boring into her with curiosity. She looked down, pretending to study her cuticles, and felt her cheeks burning under her friend’s scrutiny.

“Wait? How did she know you had the hots for Brayden?”

“What do you mean? I don’t have the hots for Brayden,” Jessica replied, and the stink of her lie burned her own nose hairs.

Uh oh.

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