Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Almost a week later, The Refuge was in a whirlwind. Even though there were no guests, there were still people at the retreat. Now that Harold Lodge was behind bars and the threat to their livelihood was gone, everyone was throwing themselves into the preparations for Alaska and Brick’s wedding.
As far as Tiny was concerned, the couple was the cornerstone of this place. The people who’d made the rest of the owners see for themselves that love was possible. After Ryleigh’s dad had canceled an entire month of reservations just to be a dick, they’d rescheduled most of the stays, but kept a week clear and were going ahead with the decision to throw one hell of a weekend party for the couple.
Tiny and the rest of the guys had also discussed it, and decided that since there were no guests, they wanted to serve alcohol at the reception. Not enough for everyone to get completely drunk, just so that those who wished could have a glass of wine or two, or a beer, and of course, toast to the married couple’s happiness with a glass of champagne.
The mood around The Refuge was almost giddy. The staff members were happy to relax before getting back into the swing of having paying customers once more. And all of Brick and Alaska’s friends had been encouraged to invite whoever they wanted to the wedding.
Henley asked her previous neighbor, Cheri Singleton, and her daughter to come up from Albuquerque. Jasna was allowed to invite Sharyn, a friend she’d made in art camp, and her mom. Reese had of course invited her brother Jack—also known as Woody—and his new wife, Isabella, to come back. Maisy invited the cook in her previous home, Paige, who’d been more like a mom to her. Brick’s mom was attending; Tonka had asked if it was all right for him to invite his former partner, Raiden, and his wife, Khloe. They were coming to New Mexico from the small town of Fallport, Virginia.
And Tiny invited someone he’d actually only met a couple of times, but chatted with via phone and email plenty. A man named Matthew Steele, otherwise known as Wolf, and his wife, Caroline. Wolf was a retired SEAL very well known in Navy circles. He and his wife had been through their own hell, and Tiny couldn’t wait for her to meet his Ryleigh. From what he knew of both women, they’d be like two peas in a pod. Sweet, considerate, and strong as hell when things went sideways.
Most guests had already arrived and were having a great time. It felt right to give Brick and Alaska this huge celebration for their wedding ceremony. Robert was outdoing himself in the kitchen, cooking up a storm, and Stone and Owl had been busy giving aerial sightseeing trips to their friends and family.
Cora and Pipe also had their hands full with their new fosters. Joyce, Kason, Shannon, and Max had arrived two days ago, and were still adjusting to life at The Refuge. They seemed like good kids, just unsure and shy, which hopefully would fade as they realized they weren’t going to be separated. Jasna was in the same grade as Kason and it helped that the two already knew each other.
Tiny had been busy himself…with Ryleigh. After taking a couple days to recover from her first time, she’d been insatiable. Almost desperate to know everything she’d been missing out on when it came to sex, and Tiny was more than happy to oblige her curiosity. She was his perfect match, both in and out of the bedroom.
She gave him space to do the things he enjoyed, like hiking with their friends, but made sure he knew how much she missed him when they saw each other again. And she’d been busy as well, babysitting for Reese and Henley, entertaining Jasna after school, helping make sure the cabins were ready for everyone’s arrival, and generally pitching in wherever and whenever she was needed.
But when they arrived back at their cabin at the end of each day, Tiny had her complete attention. They made love over and over, deep into the night, and she was thrilled to learn that he’d been right. Sex hadn’t hurt since that first time. Of course, Tiny made sure she was soaking wet each and every time before he entered her. They’d already made love in every position he knew, and some he’d never even heard of. But since Ryleigh was a master at all things computer, she’d unearthed some kinky things that Tiny was happy to try. Some worked, others hilariously didn’t, but adding laughter to their lovemaking was another bonus, and something Tiny hadn’t experienced before.
He loved her. So much it was almost scary.
Ryleigh tried to hide her continued worries about her father, but she wasn’t very successful. Tiny didn’t begrudge her the few hours in the mornings when she obsessively searched the web for signs that Harold had left behind any last-minute surprises, but now, nearly a week after he’d been taken into custody, she still hadn’t found anything. Which was a relief for everyone.
They’d just finished with some wedding prep and were back in their cabin, making a quick lunch. Wolf and Caroline would be arriving in about an hour, and he couldn’t wait to introduce them to Ryleigh. She’d heard a little about them from Tiny already, but Tex had actually reached out when he heard the couple would be coming to The Refuge, and he’d told Ryleigh even more. Everyone was a little disappointed when Tex himself couldn’t come, but they understood. One of his daughters had a ballet recital he didn’t want to miss. Family first, always.
“What if they don’t like me?” Ryleigh asked nervously.
“They’re going to love you,” he reassured her.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m thinking you’re biased.”
Tiny chuckled. “Maybe, but I’m not wrong. You’re likable, sweetheart.” He didn’t like the doubt on her face, or the fact she looked away from him.
He stepped in front of her, giving her no choice but to look at him. “You are,” he insisted. “The first day you were here, you had Jess and Carly wrapped around your little finger. You won over Alaska in your interview, and no, don’t even try to tell me you somehow managed to sway Alaska’s opinion of you with your internet skills. You might have gotten the interview with some fancy finger work, but you got the job on your own. The guys all respect and love you, and don’t think I’ve missed how close you and Jasna are.”
Tears filled Ryleigh’s eyes, but he went on.
“And you know how hard I tried not to like you…and failed completely. Even when I was trying to convince myself you were here with bad intentions, I still couldn’t keep my distance. I didn’t need you to move in here to keep my eye on you. There were a dozen different ways I could’ve done that…but I wanted you here. Under my roof. Even when I was mad at you, there was something about you that I just couldn’t resist. Didn’t want to.”
“A dozen different ways?” she asked with a small sniff. “Like what?”
Tiny’s lips twitched. “I don’t know, but I could’ve figured something else out. My point is…Caroline and Wolf are gonna love you. With my luck, they’ll probably try to get you to move to California so they can see you more often. Set you up with one of the SEALs they work with out there—which isn’t happening, by the way. I hope it doesn’t embarrass you, but they know the gist of your story, why you’re here, about your dad. Wolf was pissed and Caroline wasn’t much better. They’re going to adore you, hon. You just need to be yourself.”
She still looked skeptical—and Tiny made a decision.
He put down the spoon he’d been using to stir the tuna salad he was making and placed his hands on her shoulders. He pushed her backward until she was leaning against the counter. “Jump up,” he ordered.
“Why? ”
“Because. I want to eat you out, then fuck you from behind right here in our kitchen.”
And just like that, their previous serious conversation was forgotten and anticipation filled the air.
“I have a better idea. Why don’t you take a step back and let me give you a blow job? Every other time I’ve tried, you’ve gotten impatient and haven’t let me finish.”
The thought of her mouth around his dick had his erection pressing against his jeans. His woman may have been a virgin a week ago, but she’d certainly been making up for lost time—fast.
“You sure?” he asked.
In response, she reached for his belt. Tiny took a step back, as she’d requested, and watched as she went to her knees in front of him, taking his pants and boxers down with her as she went.
The sight of her fully dressed, kneeling at his feet, made Tiny so hard, he hurt. And when she took his cock in her hand and opened her mouth, it was all he could do not to haul her up and have his wicked way with her. But she wanted this, and he’d already denied her more than once. Not because he didn’t want it, but because he didn’t think he’d have enough restraint to let her explore him for very long.
He figured because it was the middle of the day, and he was standing in his sunny kitchen, maybe he’d have more control.
He was wrong.
The sight and feel of Ryleigh touching his cock with her fingers and mouth was way too much. She wasn’t skilled, her movements were sloppy and uncoordinated as she figured out a rhythm, but her enthusiasm alone made it all the more erotic.
Still, Tiny thought he might be able to keep himself in check—until she took him deep in her mouth and moaned. The reverberations caressed his cock in a way he’d never felt before. And he was done.
Reaching down, he pulled her off his dick and spun them both, practically shoving her toward the table.
He wrenched her leggings and underwear down, more than thankful he didn’t need to fumble with a belt or zipper, then pressed her upper body down. He’d fantasized about this more than once, taking her from behind at the very table where she’d spent so many hours fiddling with her computer. His cock dripped precome impatiently as he used his hand to make sure she could take him without pain. He never wanted to see her flinching the way she had when he’d entered her that first time.
“Do it!” Ryleigh coaxed, her cheek resting on the table and her hands gripping both sides as he played with her pussy.
Tiny was beyond words. He lined his cock up and pressed inside her with one long push.
They both groaned in ecstasy. After that, their lovemaking was hard and fast. With Ryleigh encouraging him and holding on for dear life as he pounded into her like a madman. Her ass jiggled with each of his thrusts, and nothing he’d experienced before had ever been this good.
Colors exploded behind his closed lids as Tiny desperately fought off his orgasm. He wanted, needed her to come first. Hunching over, he sought out her clit with his fingers, and he could feel his cock sliding in and out of her soaking-wet pussy as he stroked her .
Ryleigh bucked back against him, not content to simply lie there and take what he gave her.
“Come, Ryleigh. Now .”
She didn’t, not right away, which made Tiny have to desperately hold off his own orgasm even longer. But soon enough, he felt her inner muscles fluttering around him. Immediately after, she clamped down on him so hard, it almost hurt.
Tiny flexed his ass and planted his cock as deep inside her as he could get, which felt deeper than usual in this position, and let go even as her muscles were still spasming around him.
He saw stars, then could’ve sworn his vision went dark for a moment. When he came back to himself, he realized he was probably squishing Ryleigh by lying against her back on the table. He eased upward and found his arms were shaking.
“Holy crap,” he mumbled. “I think you just turned me inside out.”
“That’s my line,” she panted.
As soon as he pulled all the way out of her body, Ryleigh turned, practically throwing herself at him. Tiny caught her and held her against him. He mentally chuckled at the picture they probably made. Shirts on, pants and underwear around their ankles, stopped by their shoes.
“I want to say something, but I don’t want you to freak out,” he said.
Ryleigh pulled back and looked up at him with a quizzical and worried expression.
“I love you,” he blurted. “You don’t have to say it back, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove that my asshole days are behind me, and I can be a man you both trust and love back. I never thought I’d be here again, not after my ex and what she did. But not once have I been afraid to fall asleep next to you. In fact, I’m not sure I can sleep all that well without you anymore. You’ve ruined me for any other woman, and I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. But I’m not telling you all this to pressure you. I just needed you to know.”
Her eyes were huge in her face and her fingers were digging into his biceps as she clung to him.
“Ryleigh? Am I freaking you out?”
“Yes. No. Maybe?”
He chuckled. “Sorry. Probably not the best timing, huh? Let’s get you cleaned up and finish making our lunch. Then we can go to the lodge and meet Wolf and Caroline. Tonight, we’re all eating up at the lodge, as a kind of rehearsal dinner thing and so everyone can visit.” Tiny was babbling, and he knew it, but he didn’t want Ryleigh to feel awkward about his confession.
She lifted a hand and placed it over his mouth. “I know about dinner, I helped organize it, remember?” She didn’t give him a chance to respond, and since her hand was over his mouth, he couldn’t talk anyway. “I love you too,” she told him softly, blushing slightly. “I have for quite a while.”
Tiny grabbed hold of her hand and tore it from his mouth. “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it. I can’t handle you saying it then taking it back.”
“No take-backs,” she whispered.
“Damn, now I want you again,” he said with a pout.
Ryleigh giggled.
Tiny loved the sound. Loved it. She hadn’t had nearly enough opportunities to laugh, to be carefree in the time she’d been here. He made a mental vow to change that.
“You didn’t let me finish giving you a blow job,” she told him in a mock annoyed tone.
“Sorry, but the second you touch me, I lose all control.”
“Whatever,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Come on, shuffle your beautiful ass over to the sink so I can clean us up.”
That made her giggle again, but she let Tiny hold on to her as they both made their way to the sink. It was Tiny’s turn to kneel at Ryleigh’s feet as he ran a wet paper towel up her inner thighs, wiping his come that had leaked out of her. He’d never done this for any woman before—hadn’t needed to, since he’d always worn condoms—but he found it unbearably intimate and extremely erotic, seeing their combined juices on her skin.
He also loved the slight blush on her cheeks as he cared for her. It was just one more reason why he swore to always make sure this woman knew how precious she was to him.
They managed to get their clothes back on and finish preparing lunch. Sitting at the table he’d just fucked her on was difficult, just made him want to repeat the process immediately, but he promised himself he’d do so as soon as feasibly possible. The juxtaposition of taking her from behind, bent over the table, with the similar image in his head of her hunched over her laptop was a kinky turn-on for him. She was a nerd…but she was his nerd. His sexy-as-hell nerd.
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” she asked when they were almost finished eating .
“I was just wondering if I got you a pair of black librarian glasses, if you’d wear them while I fucked you on this table.”
His love for her grew when, instead of calling him weird or a pervert, she simply rolled her eyes and chuckled.
“Is that a yes?” he pushed, suddenly desperate to make the fantasy in his head come true.
She shrugged. “Sure.”
Tiny had to adjust his cock in his suddenly too-tight jeans.
“You’re so weird,” she told him, reading his mind, but since she was smiling when she said it, Tiny didn’t take offense. Then again, he didn’t think he could be offended by anything she said.
“Yup,” he agreed. Then he sobered. “Did you mean it? You weren’t just saying it because I did?” Where this uncertainty was coming from, he had no idea.
“Did you ?” she countered, looking uneasy.
And that was unacceptable. “I’ve never meant anything more in my entire life. I love you, Ryleigh. Always will.”
“I love you too.”
Hearing the words for the second time soothed something deep inside him that Tiny didn’t realize needed soothing.
They smiled at each other. There was nothing he wanted more than to take her into their bedroom and make long, slow love to her, not like the quickie they’d just had on the table.
As if she could read his mind, she said, “We should go talk to your friends.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a sigh .
They cleaned the kitchen and headed up to the lodge twenty minutes later. Tiny immediately saw Wolf and his wife and headed toward them.
Wolf was taller than Tiny by a few inches, and older by about a decade or so. He had gray hair at his temples, and even though he was big and muscular, anyone looking at him might think he was nothing but a middle-aged accountant or something, but Tiny knew better. The man might be retired from the Navy, but he was still a SEAL through and through.
As if he could feel Tiny looking at him, Wolf turned, and a grin formed on his face. He leaned down and said something to the woman standing next to him, and she turned in their direction as well. Then Wolf was striding toward him.
He held out his hand to Tiny, and they shook before Wolf gave him a man-hug and pounded on his back in greeting.
“Damn nice to see you again,” Wolf said.
“Same,” Tiny agreed with a smile. The first time he’d met the former SEAL, they’d hit it off immediately.
Caroline smiled at Tiny from beside her husband. Wolf immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her against him. She was almost a foot shorter than her husband, but seemed to fit against him perfectly. Her light brown hair wasn’t done up in any special hairdo and it didn’t look as if she was wearing any makeup. Her jeans and blouse were casual and comfortable-looking. When she looked up at Wolf, her eyes came to life and she seemed to shine from the inside out. This was a woman who was deeply loved, and blossomed as a result.
“This is my wife, Ice. ”
Caroline mock-slapped his chest and shook her head in exasperation. “Caroline. My name is Caroline . It’s very good to meet you, Tiny. And you too, Ryleigh. It is Ryleigh, right?”
“Most people call me Ry,” she told the other woman.
“Ry it is, then.”
“You have a chance to look around yet?” Tiny asked.
“Just got here, so no,” Wolf said.
“I’ll be glad to give you a tour,” Ryleigh volunteered.
For all her nervousness at meeting the couple, Ryleigh seemed completely at ease, and Tiny was so proud of her. She might think she wasn’t a people person, or that she couldn’t make friends easily, but that definitely wasn’t the case.
“I’d love that!” Caroline said. “Matthew, you go and do your thing with the guys. I’ll go with Ry. She can show me around.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll bring our stuff to our cabin later,” Wolf told her.
“I’m sure it’s probably already there,” Tiny informed him.
“And I’ll show Caroline which cabin you guys are in during our tour,” Ryleigh said.
“You guys run a smooth ship,” Wolf said with a grin.
“Hell yeah, we do,” Tiny agreed.
Wolf dipped his head to his wife and said something softly, and Tiny took the opportunity to sidestep with Ryleigh. “You good?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
He couldn’t stop himself from saying, “Told you that you’d be fast friends. ”
Ryleigh rolled her eyes. “I’ve known her for like two seconds. I think the jury is still out.”
“Nope. You’re in. Besties. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was inviting you for a visit to Riverton before the evening’s out.”
Instead of rolling her eyes again, Ryleigh whispered, “This place never fails to surprise me. People don’t usually like me when they first meet me.”
Tiny hated that for her. “Then you’ve simply been meeting the wrong people.”
She considered his words for a beat. “You’re probably right.”
Tiny kissed her forehead gently and squeezed her hand. “Have fun, but be careful walking around.”
“We will.”
“Meet you back here in an hour or so? Is that enough time?”
“Plenty. The Refuge isn’t that big,” she told him with a laugh.
“Right.” Tiny squeezed her hand as they turned back to Wolf and Caroline.
“Ready?” Ryleigh asked the woman.
“Definitely. I can’t wait to see this place. I couldn’t believe it when Wolf said we were coming here. I’ve heard all sorts of wonderful things. Is the cow really named Melba?”
Tiny smiled as Caroline and Ryleigh walked toward the kitchen side-by-side. He almost forgot where he was for a minute…because he was staring at his woman’s ass, remembering how it looked as he pounded into her from behind less than an hour ago .
Wolf cleared his throat, and Tiny glanced over at him with an apologetic look.
“How long have you two been together?”
“Ryleigh and I? Together -together, not long,” Tiny admitted.
Wolf’s eyebrow rose. “Really? You two have a connection, it’s easy to see. I’m surprised it’s been that short of a time.”
“We’ve known each other for over a year now, but I had to get my head out of my ass before anything could happen.”
“Ah, yeah, I’ve seen that more than once. Well, for what it’s worth…you guys seem like a great match. She’s the computer genius that has Tex’s panties in a twist, yeah?”
Tiny laughed. “Yup. The things she can do…” He shook his head. “It’s pretty scary. She told me the other night that she used to hack the CIA firewalls just to see if she could do it—at fourteen.”
Wolf whistled.
“Right? I’m torn between not wanting to know and needing to know,” Tiny said.
“A bit of advice? You don’t want to know,” Wolf said.
“You’re probably right.”
“I’m always right, just ask my wife,” Wolf said.
Tiny chuckled. “You want a tour too?”
“Absolutely. The reputation of this place is legendary. I’ve recommended quite a few sailors and people I know spend a few nights here. I hear your psychologist is top-notch.”
“She is. Henley’s a miracle worker. If you’d known Tonka before and after he got together with her, you’d agree with me,” Tiny said.
“I don’t have to, the reviews online say it all. Happy for you, man. I wish all our veterans had this kind of place to fall back on when they need it.”
“Me too. We’re working on a no-fee program for those who can’t afford the prices. And we’ve had enough donations to make something like that happen sooner rather than later.”
“Good news. I’ll definitely keep recommending this place on my end too,” Wolf said.
“Appreciate it. Come on, let’s get this tour started. I’m sure you and Caroline will want to freshen up or rest before dinner tonight. Warning, the next couple of days are gonna be kind of crazy.”
“Can’t be any crazier than when my crew all gets together. I can’t keep all the kids straight anymore.”
Tiny knew Wolf was full of shit. The man was sharp as a tack; there was no way he’d ever forget whose kid was whose and what their names were.
“We’ve only got two babies now, but there are two more on the way, and Cora and Pipe just had their first four foster kids move in. Plus, Jasna and the pets. So things will just get more crazy around here. We used to think having children around would be a negative thing…because some people are triggered by babies crying or screaming children. But honestly, it’s been okay, at least in the short time we’ve had to observe before Harold Lodge started messing with our reservations.”
“I’m sorry about the trouble he’s caused, but can I admit that I’m not sorry we’re here now as a result?” Wolf asked .
Tiny chuckled as they headed for the front doors. He gave Brick a chin lift as he headed out with Wolf. His friend returned it and pointed at his watch, then held up four fingers. Tiny nodded, acknowledging the reminder about when dinner would start. He didn’t need it, but he realized Brick was under some stress, wanting to make everything perfect for Alaska.
“Only if I can admit that it’s kind of nice to be able to relax a little, not worry about tiptoeing around the guests while we have a celebration for our friends. We’ve had a couple of weddings here, but since we don’t want to disrupt people’s vacations, or make it seem as if we aren’t paying the kind of attention to them that their money has bought with their stay, it’s nice to not have to worry about that kind of thing this week.”
“I understand. It’s a delicate balance…making sure your guests are doing all right mentally, but living your lives as well, since this is your home.”
“I suppose it’s what we took on when we decided to live on the property,” Tiny said with a shrug.
“Again, you’ve all done an amazing job. The Refuge is the perfect place for those with PTSD to come and unwind. To live without having to worry about the world judging them.”
Wolf’s praise meant a lot to Tiny. He and his friends had worked their asses off to make this a safe place for anyone who needed it. Hearing from a third party, another vet, that they’d succeeded made him feel proud.
As he took Wolf around and showed him The Refuge, a part of Tiny was always thinking about Ryleigh. Hoping her own tour was going well. He had no reason to think it wouldn’t be, but he knew she always stressed about meeting someone new. He was counting down the minutes until he saw her again. She centered him. Grounded him.
And he couldn’t wait to hear how things with Caroline had gone. Couldn’t wait to see her smile. Hear her laugh.
He was completely besotted, and he didn’t feel an ounce of trepidation about it.