He held her tight. “It’s okay. You should cry. It’s healing to get it out.” He kissed her head, soothing his hand down her back, wanting to bear her pain for her and knowing she needed to experience it.
She tipped her face up. “Will you stay, and just hold me?”
He framed her beautiful face in his hands, kissing her softly. “Baby, I’ll do whatever you need, whenever you need it. Why don’t you get ready for bed?” He lifted her off the counter and set her on her feet.
She went into the bathroom, and then she went into her bedroom and closed the door. Tank sat on the couch to take off his boots and pushed to his feet, shrugging off his vest. He laid it over the back of a chair and was taking off his dress shirt when she came out of the bedroom in skimpy white sleeping shorts and a white cotton tank top with a red heart on it. Pain sliced through him at the bruises on her shoulder, arm, and leg. Their eyes collided, and her nipples pebbled against the thin cotton. Her eyes traveled down his bare chest as she closed the gap between them. Her tongue slid across her lower lip; then she trapped that succulent lip between her teeth, her sexy innocence wreaking havoc with his restraint.
Fuuck. He gritted his teeth, telling his throbbing cock to behave. He hadn’t been with a woman since he’d first set eyes on Leah in early May. This was going to be torture.
He touched his shirt. “Want me to leave this on?”
She shook her head, and with shaky hands, she pushed his shirt over his shoulders, going up on her toes to push it the rest of the way off. It fell to the floor as her fingers trailed over the tattoos on his shoulders and chest as if she were reading braille. She traced Ashley’s name over his heart and ran her fingers lightly over one pierced nipple. A low sound of appreciation escaped before he could silence it.
Her brows knitted, and her eyes flicked up to his as she whispered, “Do those hurt?”
“They’re for pleasure, not pain.”
She seemed to think about that for a second, nibbling on her lower lip and making him ache even more. Her fingers trailed down the tattoos between his pecs, and she traced the ink on his stomach, stopping abruptly, eyes trained on his newest tattoo—RIVER—across the left side of his abs.
Her eyes flicked up to his, and the emotions in them did him in. She didn’t say a word as she pressed a kiss over Ashley’s name and another over River’s. With a small smile, she took his hand and led him into the bedroom. They left the bedroom door open and climbed onto the bed. He gathered her against him. His thighs pressed against the backs of her legs, her slim body against his chest, her ass nestled within the curve of his hips. She laced her fingers with his, holding them against her chest. He was twice her size, but they fit together as if he were built solely for her. He was still wearing his jeans, and there was nothing sexual about the moment, but he’d never felt so in tune with and connected to another person.
He held her tight, burying his face in her curls and breathing her in, whispering, “Rest, baby. You’re safe with me,” but she’d already drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Ten
WAKEFULNESS DRIFTED IN slowly, bringing two consecutive thoughts to Leah’s groggy mind. River was gone, and she was lying in bed alone. She rolled onto her back, feeling like she’d slept for a month and knowing it was because of Tank. She stared up at the ceiling with a heaviness in her chest for the absence of that split second of thinking River was still alive. She had thought that moment was painful when she’d experienced it these last few days, but waking up with the certainty of knowing he was gone was just as agonizing.
The sounds of giggles sailed in through the closed bedroom door, and Leah bolted up to a sitting position. Had they seen Tank in her bed, shirtless? She thought about his thickly muscled, tattooed body and pierced nipples. She practically salivated over the image blooming before her, but he was a whole lot of man for her, much less for her baby girls to see.
She scrambled out of bed, threw on a sweatshirt, and pulled open her bedroom door. Tank and the girls looked over from where they sat on a blanket in the middle of the living room floor. Junie was wearing Tank’s black leather vest over her pajama top, Rosie was sitting on her knees, holding a spoonful of yogurt next to Tank’s mouth, and Tank was wearing his dress shirt from last night with a pink bib tied around his neck. He had yogurt in his beard and on his shirt. His raised brows and crooked smile told her he wasn’t quite sure how he’d gotten himself into that situation, but his eyes gave away his enjoyment.
“We havin’ a tea pawty!” Junie announced. “I’m the papa!”
“I Mama!” Rosie shoved the spoon toward Tank’s mouth, dumping more yogurt on his beard. “Feedin’ baby!”
Leah snort-laughed, and covered her mouth.
“They found me on the couch when they woke up,” Tank reassured her.
She had no idea how he knew she needed to know that, but she was relieved not to have to explain why Tank was in her bed.
“Wanna play?” Rosie asked.
“You can be Gwampa and ask Tank to get you cookies,” Junie said.
Tank patted the space beside him.
She lowered herself to the blanket and whispered, “You should have woken me up.”
“And miss all this? Not a chance.”
AFTER A MORNING of yogurt spills and baking cookies—because Gwampa needs them—Tank went home to shower and change, while Leah and the girls got ready for the day. As she bathed and dressed them, they chatted about all the people they’d met yesterday at Wiver’s pawty, which brought a wave of sadness. But the girls didn’t miss a beat, begging to see Gracie and Patience again, go on a hike with Zeke, and do about a dozen other things with people they’d met. Leah wished it was as easy for her to move forward as it was for them, but wishing for that brought guilt, so she tried not to think about it and focused on the girls instead. She had exchanged numbers with Starr, Steph, and the rest of the Girl Squad, and although she wasn’t ready to deal with a playdate just yet, Junie and Rosie were. She texted Starr, and they set one up for next week, which gave Leah time to deal with the aftermath of the accident that she’d been putting off.
The sound of Tank’s truck pulling up out front stirred butterflies in Leah’s stomach and sent the girls scampering to the window.
“Tank!” Rosie cheered, adorable in her floral leggings and bright pink long-sleeve shirt with a ruffled hem.
“Ginger and Conwoy are heah!” Junie yelled as they ran out the front door.
Leah followed them out, wondering why Tank’s parents were there and why they’d brought separate cars. Conroy scooped Junie up and tickled her belly. Junie giggled and squirmed in her black-and-white leggings and a long-sleeve black shirt with SWEET, SASSY, AND SOUTHERN emblazoned down the front. Ginger picked up Rosie, and Rosie smushed a kiss to her lips, but Leah lost her breath at Tank stalking toward her like a lion coming back to the den, confident and hungry. His thick thighs strained against worn denim as his powerful legs ate up the distance between them. Leather bracelets circled one wrist, silver rings glittering in the sunlight. Now that she knew about his piercings, she recognized their outline through the thin cotton shirt hugging his muscular chest, sending fire through her core. They’re for pleasure, not pain. She didn’t even know what kind of pleasure those piercings could bring, but she wanted to find out. There must be some kind of sin wrapped up in wanting a man so badly at a time like this, but as his beard lifted with a smile and he kissed her cheek, it was all she could do to tamp down those desires.