Chapter Nine
Penny
“I’m so sorry.” I covered my mouth with my hand to hide the smile. There was no way I could hide otherwise.
Tiny scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
For the first time I noticed a tinge of pink on his cheeks above the beard.
“I mean, I expected that from Zelda. Not Kira.” The sight of the poor man looking so confused and slightly embarrassed made me give in to the mirth inside me.
The earlier bout of laughing had my belly still sore, but it felt so good to laugh. So fucking good.
Tiny tightened his arms around me and rested his chin on my head. “Might be at my expense, but I’ll take it. Anything to hear you laughing like this.”
I smiled up at him, out of breath and smiling so much my face hurt. “I swear I’m not laughing at you. I swear. It’s…”
“I know. The girls.” He sighed. “I have the feeling life is never going to be dull with them around. Just promise you won’t hold it against me if I have to violate my parole when some knucklehead comes around trying to date one of them. I’m not sure it’s going to go well when that happens.”
That got me laughing again and I hugged Tiny tight, nuzzling his neck with my face.
His skin carried a faint scent of clean sweat and maybe gasoline mixed with a hint of evergreen.
Like he’d been fiddling with the Christmas tree at Haven.
“I’m sure your brothers here will keep you out of trouble.
Besides, you honestly think Zelda is going to stand for anyone trying to date her sister? ”
“Right. I forgot who I was talking about. Because any boy brave enough to try to date Zelda has bigger cojones than I do.”
Again, I laughed. When was the last time I’d felt this carefree?
Like one of those Goddamned Christmas movies the girls kept on from November until January.
As I smiled up into Tiny’s face, I saw so much affection and satisfaction on his face I almost thought maybe he felt as much for me as I did for him.
Maybe he did. He’d promised to take care of us.
Unable to stop myself, I reached up and stroked his beard.
The big man leaned into my touch, his eyes shutting as if in bliss.
When he looked down at me with what looked almost like euphoria, I thought maybe this man needed me as much as I needed him.
I smiled back, urging him to meet me halfway with his kiss. He did.
His kiss was at once rough and gentle, like he fought hard for control and feared he was losing the precarious hold he had.
The rumble in his chest vibrated against me as he grunted his approval.
His strong arms felt so good as he squeezed me tight while he kissed me.
It wasn’t sweet. It was hunger and need and the kind of desperation that made me melt for him instantly.
I moaned into his mouth, clutching at his neck, digging my fingers into the solid muscle there.
Then he seemed to remember where we were. Which was a good thing because I was really too far gone to care. He pulled back slightly, pressing his forehead to mine, his breathing as ragged as mine. “Christ, Penny. Not here. Those little hooligans are probably watching.”
As if to illustrate his point I heard, “Get a room, you two,” from the vicinity of Kira’s bedroom door.
“I swear to God, Zelda, one of these days you and I really need to sit down and have a serious discussion about boundaries.”
“Says the woman lip-locked to the biker. Go do whatever icky stuff you adults do and seal this deal. Kira and I want Tiny to be our dad, so we’ve decided to force the issue.”
“Christ, my life,” I muttered. “Just keep thinking of it as icky stuff and everything will be fine.”
“Whatever.” She waved her hand dismissively as she turned back to Kira’s room and shut the door once again.
“Guess we have our marching orders.” I grinned up at Tiny.
He grunted, then stood with me in his arms. The guy didn’t seem to strain at all.
I mean, I knew he was strong, but this was on a whole other level.
There was no way to deny the thrill I got from his casual show of strength as he carried me to the master bedroom.
On the other end of the apartment from the girls.
Once safely inside the bedroom with the door shut -- and locked -- Tiny laid me gently on the bed before covering me with his deliciously large frame.
He settled himself between my thighs and I squeezed his hips reflexively.
He kissed me once more before resting his weight on his forearms and stroking my hair as he looked down into my face.
“I never expected this,” he said quietly. “When you showed up at Haven, I just wanted to help. I didn’t expect to… care so much. About all three of you.”
The admission hung between us, honest and vulnerable.
“I’m afraid to trust this,” I admitted, my voice barely audible. “But I’m going to trust in you. I’ve was wrong before. When I chose Andy. So wrong. If I’m wrong about you, I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be able to trust anyone ever again.”
Instead of being annoyed or even angry at a suggestion he’d do something to break my trust, Tiny smiled down at me. “I’ll earn your trust, baby. Until then, give me the benefit of the doubt. I swear I will protect you and the girls. Body and heart.”
My gaze traced the contours of his face, his thick beard, and his gentle eyes that belied his intimidating appearance. I felt safe with him in a way I hadn’t with anyone in years.
“Penny,” he said, his voice dropping lower.
“Can I kiss you again?” The directness of his question, the way he sought permission instead of assuming when I’d already kissed him before, made my heart swell.
This wasn’t a man to ever hurt any of us.
Hadn’t he already proven he would protect us with his life when he went to find Kira?
I nodded, unable to form words around the sudden tightness in my throat.
Tiny leaned down, closing the distance between us with careful deliberation.
His hand came up to cup my cheek, his touch featherlight.
And then his lips were on mine again, and the world narrowed to just this, to his gentle kiss and the feeling of finally coming home.
What began as a gentle kiss quickly transformed into something deeper, hotter, as if a dam had broken inside both of us.
His beard tickled my skin as his mouth moved against mine, no longer tentative but hungry.
I surprised myself with how much I fought for this, sliding my hands up his massive chest to grip his shoulders, feeling the solid muscle beneath his shirt.
I’m not sure I’d ever felt this level of desire and raw lust, of enjoying the simple pleasure of being touched by someone who treasured rather than hurt.
I shoved my hands under the hem of his shirt, tugging the soft material upward with trembling hands.
I wanted to see him, all of him. Tiny helped me, pulling the fabric over his head and tossing it aside.
The sight of his bare chest made my breath catch -- broad and powerful, covered in a tapestry of scars and tattoos as well as a dusting of light hair trailing from his chest to his navel.
I knew he wouldn’t strip me without my express permission. Not this first time. Not until he was certain I was all in with him. That’s who Tiny was.
Smiling up at him, I wiggled out of my T-shirt and bra, leaving my chest bare.
It felt right. I loved the hunger in his gaze as he shifted his weight off me so he could touch me easily without resting his full weight on me.
While I appreciated the thought, I was certain I’d be demanding otherwise at some point. Maybe not today, but someday.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, his eyes never leaving my face even as my bra was revealed, then discarded. The Viking-like braids in his beard swayed slightly as he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on my collarbone.
I’d never felt small before, not in the way I did with Tiny.
His hands could span my waist completely, his shoulders twice the width of mine.
Our size difference was almost cartoonish, yet somehow, this disparity didn’t frighten me.
Instead, the sense of safety I felt with him told me exactly how much I trusted him subconsciously.
Maybe it was time for the rest of me to catch up.
I moved my hands to the waistband of his jeans, popping the button free. “Off,” I commanded softly, and he smiled, moving from the bed to shed them along with his boxers.
I couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped me at the sight of him fully naked. He was proportional in every way, impressive and intimidating. Instead of calling a halt or pulling things back slightly, I found my mouth watering for a taste.
As if sensing my thoughts, Tiny knelt on the bed, keeping a small distance between us. “We go at your pace,” he said. “Always.”
That simple promise unraveled something in me.
I stood, shedding my remaining clothes. There was a strangely powerful feeling in my nakedness as his hungry gaze took me in.
I placed my hands on his chest and guided him back to the bed.
When the backs of his knees reached the mattress, I pushed gently.
He went willingly, lying back against the pillows, his gaze never leaving mine as I climbed over him, straddling his waist.