Page 76 of Tiny's Law

Oh, hell no.

Chapter 22

Kourtney

Why does his mom have to be so sweet? Why do Ben and Matt have to ruin my life again? He couldn’t just leave it at running me out of Phoenix. He has to take it as far as taking the only man I’ve ever loved away from me, too?

I left Tiny’s house tonight with the excuse of one of my world-famous headaches, which is slightly true. Although I definitely exaggerated, I still have a dull throbbing at the base of my head. Meatball must sense my foul mood as he purrs against me, kneading his head against my upper arm as I finger my way through his long, soft fur.

I took my medicine as soon as I walked in the door, and just like I thought, within thirty minutes, it has definitely calmed the pounding in my skull. But with the release of the headache, a whole new pain arose. The thought of losing Tiny is tearing my heart in two. I’m not even sure when the tears started, just that they have, and I can’t seem to get them to stop.

Meatball’s purrs get stronger, and I rub his back, letting him know I’m okay.

Opening my eyes, a bright light catches my attention. I turn to my bedside and realize my phone is vibrating. Tiny’s face illuminates the darkness in my room.

For a second, I contemplate ignoring the call. I could pretend I was sleeping. Deciding against it, I answer the call and put the phone to my ear. “Hello?” I sniffle and then curse myself because he definitely just heard that.

“Come open the door, honey.”

“What?”

“Door. Come open it.”

I scramble up in bed, wincing when Meatball scatters away and into the bathroom. Tiny hangs up before I can say anything else.

Looking down at the pajamas I threw on, I decide they are fine enough to answer the door in, but for safe measure, I grab my silk robe before leaving my room.

With how paranoid I am after my run-in with Ben today, I go so far as checking the peephole before opening the door for Tiny.

I barely have time to take a breath, say hi, or literally do anything before Tiny shoves his way inside. I’m in his arms in a millisecond, and he’s running his hands all over my body, but not in a sexual way. It’s more like he’s making sure I’m really here.

“Tiny?” I squeak as his lips press at the slip of skin between my neck and shoulder. He breathes heavily into my neck and holds me to him like I’m seconds from disappearing into thin air.

“Nathan?”

Pulling just a fraction away from me, he holds my hands gently in his face, pressing kisses to my forehead and both cheeks. Then he gently runs his fingertips along my cheeks where Ben so roughly squeezed. If I’m honest with myself, my cheeks are most definitely sore from the encounter.

“Why didn’t you tell me someone hurt you?” Tiny asks with the gentlest voice I’ve ever heard from him.

I look up into his whiskey eyes curiously. “What do you mean?”

“Who was that man, honey?”

I pull back even more, searching his face for any answer I can find. “What man? What are you talking about, Nathan?”

Taking me by the hand, he leads me into my kitchen and guides me to sit on a stool while he stands next to me, caging me in. “The man at your office, Kourtney.”

My brows furrow, and I shake my head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I watched the cameras at your office, honey. I saw a man in a suit come into the office and attack you. Who was it?”

My eyes widen, and I pull away from him. “You watched the cameras at my office?”

My heart rate speeds up at the thought of him watching me. Just how often does he watch me? What the hell?

I can’t tell if my heart races in fear or out of appreciation. Is this a major red flag, or deep down, do I like the thought of him watching me when we aren’t together? That’s crazy, right?

He runs his hand along the back of his neck, and I can’t help but notice as his shirt sleeve raises and shows off the intricate lines of his muscles.

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