Tiny's Sweet Obsession

25: Sunshine in a Kitchen

Lily POV

I woke up around seven and saw Tiny passed out on the floor. A true gentleman. Carefully, I stepped around him and went to the bathroom before heading downstairs. Ginger and Ellie were awake, playing in the living room, and I sat on the couch.

"How did you sleep? Was Tiny a gentleman, or do we need to talk to him?" she cooed at Ellie.

I smiled and shook my head. "No, he slept on the floor. Wouldn't even share the bed with a barrier between us," I laughed. "Is anyone else up?"

"No, they got home late, so most are still sleeping. But Whiskey came down to make food for Kayla. Although I'm sure he's asleep again and didn't make anything for the rest of us. Breakfast is usually free for all around here," she said.

Free for all. I can handle that.

"Mind if I make something for us, then?" I offered. Her huge smile told me the kitchen was all mine.

I worked on making the dough for my favorite breakfast, tripling the recipe. Knowing if I didn't we would run out before everyone got some. I cut it into rounds and placed them on a baking sheet. While the dough rose, I did the dishes and preheated the oven.

An hour later, Tiger trickled in with Kota, and I was shocked she was up this early. She made a pot of coffee and sheepishly smiled. "If you don't tell them it's decaf, I won't tell them you're making cinnamon rolls."

I laughed and agreed. "Oh, we were thinking of heading out around one today for a girls' day if you're up for it," she whispered.

"Works for me," I smiled, and Tiger shuffled out of the kitchen.

I hadn't forgotten about today. There was one other place I wanted to stop, and I was hoping they didn't mind. I told Tiger I would be ready by then, and she disappeared again. Placing the dough in the oven, I made the icing and waited for the rolls to finish baking.

Fifty minutes later, I pulled the cinnamon rolls from the oven and let them cool slightly before drowning them in icing. There were still some leftovers in the bowl, and I dragged my finger through it as a tired Tiny appeared in the doorway, smirking.

"Well, I can see someone likes sugar for breakfast," he commented, staring at my finger.

Tiny stalked over to me and gently grabbed my hand, wrapping his lips around my finger with the frosting. I sucked in a breath, and my heart raced as his brown eyes bore into mine, but I couldn't look away. His tongue swirled around my finger until he let go with a popping sound.

"I love sugar for breakfast, mixed with a little sunshine, of course," he huskily said, making my knees weak.

With my finger still in his hand, he looked at the stove and saw the cinnamon rolls. He led me to a stool, and I sat down while he served up two rolls on one plate and grabbed us forks. Tiny bit into it and let out a small moan, sinking back into his chair.

I'll take that as a compliment.

Tiny licked the plate clean, and my heart felt full. "Sunshine, if you keep baking like this, I'm going to need to work out with Ace a lot more, and I hate when he kicks my ass," he grimaced, rubbing his arm.

"Well, I can always make low-calorie, sugar-free baked goods, but I'll admit they're not as good," I giggled, grabbing his hand. Tiny's eyes snapped to my hand, and I quickly moved it back to my lap.

He reached for it, but Killer called for a meeting, and he rolled his eyes, groaning. "I'll be back."

"Don't worry, the girls and I are going out for the day, remember?" I smiled, grabbing the plate and forks and rinsing them off.

Tiny reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, placing some money on the island. "I'm sure the girls will take care of everything, but if not, I don't want you missing out on all the fun," he winked.

"Tiny, no I-" but he headed to the meeting, leaving me stunned.

I decided to get ready before cleaning up the kitchen, and I could feel the money staring at me, but I refused to take it. Kayla and the other girls walked in.

"Ready?" Kayla asked, but when I tried to respond, nothing came out. "Let me guess, Tiny," she nodded towards the cash on the counter.

I nodded.

No one has ever given me money to spend on myself. It feels wrong to take it from Tiny, even though he gave it to me. What if he wants me to pay it back later? To the girls, this is normal, but this is far from the world I live in.

"Sounds about right. Come on, I want to see the coffee shop first," Tiger beamed, heading out the door with Kota trailing behind.

Inside the coffee shop, demolition already started, and some walls had drywall while others were still bare. Kayla walked around or waddled, showing us her designs as she drew for the space. They were a perfect mix of modern and cozy, with blue as the primary color.

Kayla flipped through design options for each wall, and Ginger and I helped virtually place where the coffee bar, registers, tables, and chairs would fit in the space. Tigers' passion for the shop was abounding, and I loved it.

"So, have you thought about my offer?" Tiger asked, stepping into the imaginary back office with Kota.

Have I? Yes. But I still don't know about the diner.

"Yes, but I'm still worried about the diner and Pops," I sighed. "If you can get one more server, guaranteed full-time, then-" Tiger cut me off, squeezing me in a hug.

"You met Hope, the single mom. She works full-time, but if you want one more, Tiny and I will work on it tomorrow! We won't be open for a few months, so you have time to train everyone and make sure they work out long-term for the diner and Pops," she beamed.

She turned to the others, still clenching my waist, and yelled, "We have a baker!!" The others squealed, hugging me, and we planned a bit more before we piled back into the truck.

"Hey, can we um, make another stop before heading back?" I nervously asked. They all looked at me, and I didn't know if this was a good idea, but I wanted to do something for myself.

It's time to shed the past and embrace a future I'm building for myself. Not someone else.