by E A Price
*
Marion watched as the girls rehearsed and Heather prepared to tear her hair out. The day was pretty… uneventful, at least by recent standards.
Marcus tried to call her again, but all her phone calls were intercepted by Tank, so Marcus stopped trying. She could almost believe it was a totally normal day. Apart from the fact that she was currently living with reindeer shifters. Plus, there was the fact that she currently had more bodyguards than some members of royal families. Not to mention her sexy as sin, humongous fiancé…
Yes, quite a few women around the center had congratulated her and then thrown longing looks at him. Yeah, he was pretty darn hunky.
Marion watched as Izzy – who had finally perfected the noise a chicken makes – strutted up and down, shaking her tail feathers. Sophie and Penny were actually practicing for the play.
“Hi, girls!” called Martha as she arrived with a large box of cupcakes decorated with pink frosting.
Izzy gasped as she saw them. “They’re beautiful,” she said wondrously.
Martha scanned the room and saw Marion – asking for permission.
“You can have one each,” called Marion.
Izzy’s greedy little eyes looked momentarily disappointed, but then she started inspecting all the cupcakes to see which was the largest. She finally settled on one and started wolfing it down – much to Heather’s exasperation, as the chick costume was now decorated with large clumps of pink frosting that somehow escaped her hungry mouth.
“Did you know, the giant’s going to be my dad,” said Izzy to Martha, looking very pleased with herself.
Martha knew about the mating but looked very interested in the news.
Marion chewed on her lip as mild worry clutched at her. It wasn’t just her being with Tank, or just her mating him to get away from Marcus – it meant Tank was going to be a father to her kids. He would need to act like a father - though he had already treated them better than Jack ever had. Jack had rarely paid any attention to Penny – luckily Marion had barely taken her eyes off her even for a second for the first two years of her life. Without feeling like she ought to, Marion gave her double love.
Tank sauntered into the room, and the twins threw themselves at his legs. He continued walking around the room with relative ease, pretending he didn’t see them. He gasped in shock as he noticed the twins on his legs. They screamed with happy laughter.
Would he grow to love them as a father? Would he grow to love her as a mate?
Nineteen
Marion flicked through the various TV channels. She wasn’t focusing on one program to the next. It was just a nervous habit. She was waiting for Tank.
The kids were in bed, and one of his sisters was technically on a date – though given that he wanted them all home at that time, the date was happening in the basement and Tank insisted on checking on the two of them every fifteen minutes. Trini was not pleased.
He was probably even worse when they were in high school she thought with a laugh. So protective, so sweet. Happiness stirred in her.
His mom was in bed, and Tamra and Teena were attempting a home perm. They were all holding their breath on that one.
Marion looked up expectantly as she heard him approaching. Jeez, if she were a puppy, she’d be wagging her tail by now.
“Hey,” he rumbled.
“Hey. How’s Trini’s date going?” she asked innocently.
Tank pursed his lips. “Well,” he replied grimly.
“You don’t seem pleased,” she teased.
“Humph.”
Given that the young man didn’t mind the lingering skunk odor still clinging to Trini’s skin, it was doubtful that Tank’s overbearing presence was going to bother him. She giggled as she realized that his sisters and mom drove away his girlfriends, and yet, he also did the same to their potential boyfriends.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He grunted and sat down next to her. His leg brushed against hers, and he felt a tiny jolt of electricity. She wondered if he was doing it on purpose, but given how big he was and how small the couch was, it seemed more likely it was an accident.
“What’s this?” he asked, nodding at the TV.
“I don’t know, some documentary.”
Marion winced as a lion pounced on a zebra. She muted the TV.
“Kids asleep?”
“Grudgingly yes – this house is still so new and stimulating for them. Perhaps I should have them running laps during the day.”
She used to make them help with the garden at her old house – all that digging and planting really tuckered them out. It didn’t do the garden any favors, and the twins were invariably covered in more dirt than was actually left on the ground, but it made for an easy bedtime.
Tank grunted. “They’ll get used to it after a few weeks.”
Marion blinked at him. She hadn’t actually considered that. Part of her was still surprised that she was no longer living in her rented house. The last few days had been a whirlwind. She couldn’t go back either. Her landlady wanted her out. She was blaming Marion for the break in – which was a little unfair. But the excuse she was using to get rid of her was that the house had a ‘no pets’ clause, and Marion had been keeping a fish – her landlady saw Fluffy’s abandoned tank. Marion didn’t particularly mind not being able to go back – she could live without the creaky floors, the damp in the utility room and the ghost in the attic – which was possibly just a product of Sophie’s imagination. But, she needed to think about where they would be living – as far as she could see, they were mating on Friday, but everything that happened after that was kind of hazy and undefined. She really wasn’t sure what to expect.
“So we’ll all be living here?”
He paused. “I thought we would until we can find somewhere else. Teena already agreed to move down to the basement. The girls can have her room if they don’t mind sharing.”
Marion nodded and rubbed her lips together. Which would mean she and Tank would be in his room. “Tank…”
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“You were going to ask me if I’m sure again.”
Marion drew in a breath, considering denying it, but realized there was no point. “Okay, I was, but this is such a big deal.”
“No, it’s not,” he said simply.
“It’s not?”
Because, gee whizz, she kind of felt that standing up in front of a whole herd of reindeer shifters and her daughters and saying ‘I do’ to vows of loving and protecting for the rest of her life was kind of a momentous life event.
Gently, he took the remote from her and switched the TV off.
“No, it’s not. I like being with you and the kids, and yeah, we’re doing this to keep the mad wolves at bay, but I can see a life for us.”
“Can you?”
She gave him a searching look, trying to see if he really meant it. Did he really want this to work, or could he not see past his own hero complex?
“Yeah.” His brow wrinkled. “What about you?”
“I suppose I can too,” she said slowly.
“You don’t need to sound so enthusiastic,” he teased.
She supposed she could see family Thanksgivings where they ate too much, and loud, jolly Christmas mornings invariably with fights over who got the most gifts, and lazy Sunday mornings where the girls ran in and jumped on their bed, and they ate pancakes while reading the paper, and family vacations where they rented a cabin and raccoons got into their trash… Okay, the last one was the movie The Great Outdoors, but she could picture it. She already had a beautiful little family, but having Tank in it too? Yeah, that would… that would be lovely.
“You know being a stepdad isn’t going to be easy.”
Tank took one of her hands in his, rubbing his thumb over her palm.
“Being a dad isn’t easy full stop. Neither’s being a mom; you just make it look easy.”
She tried to sense whether he
was being sarcastic, but all she could see in his expression was a touch of pride and a dash of awe.
Marion preened a little. “Only worthwhile thing I’ve ever done,” she admitted.
“They’re wonderful because of you.”
Her girls were wonderful – even if she thought so herself, and yeah, it was down to her and her grandmother, not to mention Temp and all the support she provided. She also considered that Tank’s sisters and mom were wonderful. But like her own family, there seemed to be one member missing.
“Where’s your dad, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Tank shrugged lightly. “He died when I was twelve.”
“Goodness, I’m so sorry.” She placed her free hand on his leg.
“Trini was just a few months old, and Tamra and Teena were barely out of diapers.”
“That must have been hard for you,” she murmured soothingly.
“The herd supported us – that’s what good herds and packs do,” he said censoriously.
Yes, she was well aware that Jack’s wolf pack was not supportive or kind. They didn’t deserve her girls as members.
“Your mom must have really needed you.”
He smiled. “My mom’s a strong woman, but yeah, I guess so.”
“Is that why you still live at home? Because they need you?”
She hadn’t asked, but she figured he was about thirty – same as her.
“I suppose, though it would take a lot to drag me away from my mom’s seven layer cookies – the recipe’s a secret she keeps threatening to take to her grave.”
Marion had tasted them – they were divine and she believed could hold enough power to keep offspring at home with promises of more.
“So you’ve been a knight in shining armor since you were twelve?”
“Hardly, back then I was a knight in short pants, and given that I was so tall, they were really short pants.” He gave her a deprecating look. “Mom kept having to get me new ones – short pants quickly became hot pants on me.”
Marion snickered and nestled a little closer to him. “I like that about you.”
His mouth quirked. “What, that I wore hot pants?”
“No! That you would stay home to look after your family. My family, my girls are everything to me – they come first no matter what.” She thought for a moment before adding, “We don’t have to move out and away from your family.”
“Whoa, don’t be hasty, you’ve only known them for two days. Stop and think about it before you agree to that. Perhaps live through one of Tamra’s break-ups before making that kind of decision.”
“It can’t be that bad, can it?”
Tank gave her a mock-harrowed look. “Don’t ask.”
“Okay, okay. But, can I know, is your real name actually Tank?”
“Nah.”
She waited expectantly, and he sighed.
“They just call me Tank because of my size. Actually started when I was about four – mom made a joke that I was as big as tank when I was born and haven’t stopped growing.”
“So, what is your real name?”
He sighed again. Ooh, this was going to be juicy!
“Robin.”
Marion frowned. “Robin? That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
“Jeez, I was expecting Eustace or something. What’s wrong with Robin?”
Tank just grunted, and it occurred to her, “So, we’re going to be Robin and Marion?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“I kind of like it. That is one of my favorite movies.”
“Robin Hood – Men in Tights?” he rightly guessed. “Saw the DVD at your house.”
“Yes! I love it!”
They chuckled for a few moments, and then everything went a little quiet.
Marion took a deep breath. “So on Friday, we’re going to mate and…”
Sexy stuff? Something down below – something that had been dormant for a few years now woke up excitedly.
“You don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want to,” he said lowly.
“I need to keep my girls safe,” she murmured. There really was no question of her not mating him. She just hoped he didn’t come to his senses before it happened.
“It’s a sacrifice though.”
“I know, and I’m grateful.”
Tank gave her an odd look. “I meant a sacrifice for you.”
“For me?!” she blurted in frank surprise. What on earth was she losing out on?
“It means you can’t find someone else.”
“I hadn’t even considered that to be honest,” she said. “I don’t...”
“What?”
“I don’t want anyone else,” she admitted, blushing furiously.
His eyes darkened. “No?” he growled.
Marion gulped. “No. I guess we’ll have to… you know.” She tried to get the word ‘sex’ past her lips, but the word just didn’t seem to want to budge. She sniggered at her own goofy behavior. “Jeez, I’ve got three kids, and I can’t even say it!”
“Yeah,” he rumbled.
His wonderfully huge, muscled chest seemed to expand, and her hand tightened on his thigh. He had spectacular thighs – she was sure he rocked those damn hot pants.
“If you don’t want to…” he started.
“No, I do!” she almost cried.
He gave her a thoughtful look. “Might be weird because we’ve never done it.”
“Oh, I suppose. Well, we could kiss to see whether it feels weird.”
Tank nodded fervently. “Yeah, good idea.”
His lips found hers, and he stole her breath in the most wonderful kiss she had ever had. She saw the moon, the stars, the sun – the whole solar system, heck, the whole galaxy. Her hands grasped at his chest, holding onto him for dear life. Were kisses supposed to be this exhilarating? Was this what other people felt? She certainly never had before. Maybe it was him – Tank. He was special, he was incredible, and he was going to be hers!
His hands curled around her waist, his fingers gently kneading her flesh, and she moaned into his mouth, her tongue dancing with his.
She whimpered as his lips dragged away from hers. Oh, it was too soon, too soon…
Marion blinked at him, realizing she was now straddling him. How the heck had that happened? His lips, they were magical – they had to be! No other explanation for it!
“Okay, so not weird,” she panted slightly.
“Not weird at all,” he said in a slightly strangled voice. With his wild eyes and swollen lips, he looked even more disheveled than she felt. If his hair were longer than a centimeter long, she was sure that would be mussed too.
“Ooh!” she cooed as he fluttered kisses along her jawline. “But umm, might be weird when you touch me.”
“You mean like this?” he growled.
“Ooh hoo!” She let out a double coo as his hands slipped down to her derrière.
“Weird?”
“No, I just haven’t been touched there in a while.”
Plus, she had never enjoyed being touched there quite this much. She let out a protesting noise as he removed one of his hands, though as he brought it up to her breast, she no longer had any complaints. He circled her nipple and gently squeezed her orb.
“How about here?” he drawled, his voice swimming with lust.
“That’s quite nice too,” she whispered, her heart racing excitedly.
“Yeah?”
“Oh yes!” she squeaked.
She could feel his hardness beneath her. They were still clothed, but she could feel his length pressing against her needy mound.
“Perhaps we need to…” she murmured.
“So it won’t be weird?”
“Exactly!”
Tank growled and claimed her lips even more passionately than last time. She moaned as he plundered her mouth, her hand desperately fumbling at his clothes.
It really had been a while since she had been with a man, but she couldn’t rem
ember ever wanting any man this much. It wasn’t just want - it was need, it was desperation, it was a fear that she would expire if she didn’t have this man – this wonderful male.
Her fingers finally freed his hot, trembling length and she clasped him in her small hands, marveling at the heat, at the length, at the girth! He was magnificent inside and out.
Tank grunted as she stroked his length, enjoying the way he quivered at her touch. His strong hands tore at her clothes, baring her to him. Ordinarily, she’d be self-conscious, worried about her body, but there was no time for that. No, she needed him that very second, and nothing could deter her.
A thick digit plunged into her weeping sheath. She desperately tried to clutch at his finger, tried to find the release she craved. He pressed another finger inside her, twirling them, opening her to him. Her hands tightened around his length, and he let out a strangled grunt.
“Marion,” he hissed.
“Please,” she murmured.
He growled and whisked his fingers away. He gripped her hips and slowly dragged her down in length.
Alternately, she gasped, and moaned and whimpered and her body sang with blissful joy. It was better than she ever could have imagined.
Marion rocked and rolled her hips over his, and he thrust and plunged inside her, their movements frantic and hurried and desperate for relief. And as a beautiful release washed through her, she knew that this was right where she should be.
Twenty
Breakfast the next morning was a little on the quiet side. Marion and Tank were darting little bashful glances at one another, and Tank’s sisters – somewhat aware that something had happened – were watching them carefully for clues. Course, it didn’t take them too long to figure it out, and then they started whispering to one another, making Marion blush even more than she already was.
“Why are you whispering?” asked Penny curiously.
“Okay, girls, time to brush your teeth!” said Marion with cheeriness that verged mildly on hysterical.
Izzy stopped licking the syrup off her plate long enough to give Marion a stubborn look. “I already did.”