Tiny refused to drag in the fact they were not actually together, especially when he’d put the word out for no one to touch her because she was his.
“Fuck, you’re making me angry. See, this is why we’d never work. You say something that just pisses me the f**k off.”
“Baby, I love it when you’re angry.” Their life together would be passionate, fiery, and would never be a dull moment.
“You’re an ass**le.”
“I love you.” He’d never told her how he felt.
Tiny expected the silence over the line. He gave her time to process what he just said.
“Are you still alive?” he asked.
“You love me?”
“Yes.”
“Is this some kind of f**king trick?”
“No, no trick. I love you, Evangeline Walker. I’ll take the ass kicking your father is going to give me. I want you by my side … as my wife.”
She squeaked, and he heard something crash to the floor.
“Eva? Eva, are you all right?”
“Shit, I just fell off the bed.”
He laughed. No wonder this woman and Tate got on so well. They were like two peas in the pod.
“Is this for real?” she asked.
“Pinch yourself, and you tell me.”
“Ouch, crap this is all real.”
“Well, will you?” He tensed, waiting.
“I really don’t know, Tiny.”
She hadn’t said she loved him back.
Nodding his head, Tiny thumped his forehead, remembering she couldn’t see him. “Okay, I’m not going to beg for an answer right now. I want you to take some time to think about everything. Promise me, Eva. Promise me when you have an answer, I want you to think about it clearly.”
“You’re the first man to ask me to marry you, Tiny. I’m not going to jump in.”
“I love you. Our life would be here. I’d want you to wear my ring and my cut. This will not be a quiet affair, baby. We’ll have it all, the wedding, the honeymoon, and I’ll have your name inked on my skin.”
“Oh, Tiny.” From the sounds she was making, he knew she was sobbing.
“Think about it. I’ll be waiting, and you know how to reach me.” He hung up the phone, staring straight ahead as he thought about what he’d done.
Eva was the first woman since Patricia that he admitted to being in love with, and she hadn’t said anything to give him hope. From the first moment he saw Patricia he’d been in love with her. She had been everything he needed at the time, sweet, innocent, pure. For most of his early years he’d only dealt with anger, rage, and death. Being part of The Darkness had guaranteed that. When he’d gone to Alex for help in taking over Fort Wills, he’d fallen for her and never looked back. But with Eva the feelings were even more intense, and he’d denied them for so long. He knew deep down that she had to love him.
It’s Eva. She loves me.
Chapter Eight
Two weeks later
Eva stared at the phone on the desk in her father’s office. She’d been talking with Tate off and on along with Tiny. Nothing else was mentioned of his proposal. She still couldn’t believe he’d proposed.
Looking down at the envelope, Eva didn’t know why she was holding back. She loved the man, and he’d sent her a ring. A f**king engagement ring glinted at her from the envelope she’d opened. Inside lay a letter on plain white paper.
They talked on the phone every night, the phone sex occurring every night, and her body was alive with what he could ask her to do. She pulled the sheet of paper out of the envelope and opened it up. Tiny had written the letter himself.
Eva,
I love you with my whole heart. Words have never been great with me nor to speak them. I’ve been married before, and I had to bury her. I’m not looking for a replacement wife. I want you, no one else. If you turn into a bitch, then I’ll trade you in J (joke). I know you still haven’t answered me, and this is not me trying to force you to answer.
You’re the first woman I ever wanted since my wife. You’re good through and through. What I’ve done over the last eight years of us knowing each other, is wrong. I should be f**king castrated for what I’ve done to you. I hope you won’t tell your father to cut my dick off. I’m quite partial to it. Also, you cut my dick off and our wedded life won’t be much fun, just saying.
Anyway, try the ring on. See how it feels. I want to do right by you. There is no other woman for me. The sweet-butts are over. You have all of me, Eva. My heart, body, mind, and soul are yours, no matter how jaded I am.
I love you, and that will never change.
Tiny (Maximus)
“What are you doing?” Gavin asked, walking into the office.
She held the letter close to her chest, staring down at the silver band with the small diamond in the center. There was nothing large or garish about it. Picking the ring up, she slid it onto her finger, ignoring Gavin. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge in the corner, taking a seat on the only sofa near the door. From his position he wouldn’t be able to see what she was doing.
“Earth to Eva.”
Glaring at him, she glanced in his direction. “What?”
“You’ve been staring down at the desk. I was wondering what has your attention.”
In the last two weeks Gavin had been trying to woo her. She really wasn’t interested. Lifting her hand up, she showed him the ring, which happened to fit perfectly on her finger. “Tiny has asked me to marry him.”
The mouthful of what he’d been sipping spat out of his mouth. She was far enough away so she wasn’t covered.
“Holy shit,” Ned said, walking into the office. “Has Gavin proposed?”
“No, Tiny has.”
She dropped her hand to the desk, staring at the note then at the ring. Circling the ring on her finger, she started to take it off and then realized she didn’t want to. Licking her lips, she read the note again. She would keep it on to see how it felt.
You’re torturing him without an answer.
Time, he’d offered her time, and it was time she needed to get her thoughts together. Marriage was a big step.
“Eva, you better not make a rash decision,” Ned said.
“I’m not going to.”
“Gavin, get the f**k out of my office.”
“Gladly.” The other man stormed out as Ned closed the door.
She wasn’t scared or startled by the way he was reacting. “What’s this about, Dad?” she asked.