2. Domino

2

DOMINO

S he smells like Honeycrisp apples and coming home after a long day on the road.

What the fuck does that even mean?

I saw the woman start to fall and moved on instinct to protect her. Now that she’s secured in my arms, I have the strangest feeling. I don’t want to let her go. Not when she fits so perfectly with her soft, generous curves pressing against the hard slats of my muscles. I love that she’s not a tiny little thing. Makes me want to scoop her up and toss her down on the nearest surface and…

I clear my throat and untangle myself from who I assume is my new real estate agent. It’s more difficult than I’d like to admit to take a step back, but if I don’t get my hands off of her smooth skin, I may have a bit of an awkward situation down below.

Jesus Christ, so inappropriate, I chastise myself as well as my dick.

Seriously, when was the last time I got hard from a mere touch? Hell, now that I'm thinking about it when was the last time I was hard in general? With all the club shit that's been going down lately, getting off is the last thing I'm worried about. Even before all the drama with Deviant Souls MC, I didn't mess around with women or relationships. Too much trouble.

“Uh, so, thanks. Sorry. I, uh…” she rambles a bit, blinking her eyes against the harsh sun as she tilts her head up to meet my gaze. “Hi. I-I mean, hello. I’m… whew .”

The woman blows out a breath and then inhales while closing her eyes. I hold my breath with her, exhaling at the same time. I watch in real-time as she resets and pastes on a convincing yet fake smile that makes me want to know what she’s really hiding.

“I’m Calista Rink, your real estate agent.” The woman holds her hand out for me to shake, this time, her smile is genuine. There’s a hint of pride behind her words that makes me want to wrap her up in my arms again.

Again, what the fuck does that even mean?

“Marsha,” I blurt out. Calista drops her hand, cocks her head to the side, and furrows her brow in question. What is wrong with me? My brain is short-circuiting the longer I stare into her bright green eyes. With delicate, porcelain skin, dark brown hair, and long lashes framing those mesmerizing eyes, Calista is truly captivating.

“I’m Calista, actually,” she replies slowly. God, I must look like a drooling idiot. “Marsha had her baby a little early, so I’m filling in for her.”

I know I’m losing my mind when an image of Calista round with my baby, sitting on the couch while I feed her whatever weird pregnancy craving she’s having at the moment flashes across my eyes. Get it together. Say something you caveman.

"Calista," I say. More like a grunt, really. I've never claimed to be a well-spoken man or even a particularly intelligent one, but I'm usually more articulate than this.

“And you’re Mr. Gabriel?”

“Domino.” Nailed it. Me, Domino. You, pretty lady. Me take you to cave now.

Instead of finding me off-putting or frustrating, the curvy bombshell nibbles on her bottom lip to hide her smirk. Why is that so sexy?

“Now that the introductions are over, would you like to take a look at the place?”

“After you,” I say, gesturing toward the walkway leading up to the front doors. Good job. That’s two whole words , I think to myself sarcastically.

I try not to stare at Calista’s hips as they sway back and forth in front of me, focusing instead on her silky, chocolate-colored hair. Damn, I bet I could wrap those long locks around my fist and tug her head back, exposing her neck to my greedy lips…

I grunt, wiping the image from my brain. Well, trying to, at least. What the actual fuck has gotten into me today? Is the stress of the club, the pressure of being the new prez, the lingering threats… is all of it finally starting to break me?

“... And I’m sure Marsha probably already told you, but this property is free and clear and ready to scoop up whenever you have an offer,” Calista says, her warm, enthusiastic voice bringing me back into the moment.

“Moving a little fast, don’t you think?” My words come out harsher than I intended, but it’s for the best. Calista caught me entirely off guard. Totally sidelined me with her emerald eyes and curves for days. Add in that smile - the real one - and any guy would go crazy.

I’m not giving in that easily, though. Especially since this is the first big move I’m making as the newly elected President of Deviant Souls MC. I’m going to find us the perfect property for our fresh start. We need to leave the past behind and focus on rebuilding trust within the club. Starting with the clubhouse itself.

“Sorry, I’ve never done this before,” Calista says a second before covering her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t mean to tell you that,” she mumbles from behind her hand. If I were a man prone to smiling, that might have pulled one from me. As it is, I don’t know how to react to this woman or her adorable confession.

“Me neither,” I whisper-shout. I didn’t mean to say that. It sounded almost… playful? Am I winking at her right now?

I don’t have more than a second to think about it before Calista shows me her brilliant, genuine smile. Well, fuck me if that’s not the most beautiful fuckin’ thing I’ve ever seen.

“Your secret is safe with me,” Calista whispers back.

“Same.”

She grins at me, a slight blush spreading across her cheeks. Calista turns her attention to her purse, pulling out a set of keys. Her hands are shaking slightly and I wonder if I make her nervous.

“Here we go!” she calls out over her shoulder as she unlocks the double doors and throws them open in a dramatic fashion, revealing the wide open space of the first floor.

What is this tugging sensation in my chest? Why is my heart pounding so damn hard? Are my hands sweating right now? This woman has cast some sort of spell. Or maybe she poisoned me. All I know is that I’m not flirting and she doesn’t give me butterflies when I catch a glimpse of her sparkling green irises.

Calista clears her throat as if preparing for a speech. “This beautiful four thousand square foot building is nestled right between Old Highway Sixty and Plymouth River. As you can see, the open floor plan will allow for unlimited modifications depending on what you’re looking for.”

“Sounds like work,” I say flatly, trying to suffocate the wildfire that this woman apparently ignited in my soul.

“Do you mean it sounds like a space you can customize and tailor to your exact needs?”

My nostrils flare as I think about my exact needs at the moment. The woman flashes me a playful look, one that has me wondering what her lips taste like.

"What other spaces are here?" I ask, not sure I'm liking this property after all. I mean, it's fine. It would serve the purpose of a clubhouse somewhat removed from town while still having easy access to major roadways as well as a river and a massive forest in the backyard.

However, I don’t like all the windows on the first floor. I’m focusing on cleaning up the club and going straight, but we still have some shady dealings with contacts who operate in the gray area of the law. People like that don’t want floor-to-ceiling windows for obvious reasons.

“I’m so glad you asked,” Calista exclaims. “Upstairs there are several conference rooms that can be converted into studio apartments.”

“Converted?”

“ Customized ,” she says, looking at me over her shoulder with a sassy little grin.

“I’m starting to hate that word,” I grumble under my breath. Calista laughs, the sound doing something funny to my heart. It feels like my chest is too small for all the things this woman is making me feel.

Twenty minutes later, we completed a walk-through of the property. Calista is clutching a clipboard to her chest and rocking on her heels a bit as we stand in the entryway of the building.

“So, um, any questions?” she asks, clearly unsure how to land the sale or even end this conversation.

I’m suddenly irrationally angry at whoever sent her out here alone when she’s so inexperienced. Not just with selling properties, either. Calista has to be in her early twenties. Who the hell sent this curvy goddess to a property in the middle of nowhere to meet a strange man she’s never talked to? I’m not exactly a peach to deal with, either. I’m aware of how much space I take up and how intimidating my presence can be. What if I had ill intentions?

“Mr. Domino?” Calista asks, more softly this time. I told her not to call me Mr. Gabriel, implying for her to just call me Domino. Mr. Domino was the closest we got. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find it kind of cute. Goddamnit.

Instead of asking her a battery of questions about who her boss is and if they care about her safety at all, I simply shake my head no. “I’d like to see another property if you have one available.”

“I will go back to the office right after this and start the hunt,” she promises. “You didn’t like the windows,” she says more to herself than to me as she scribbles something down on the clipboard. “And the river was more of a selling point than the highway.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask. I’m pretty sure I never disclosed either of those opinions.

“You were a lot grumpier down here when you were glaring at the windows than you were upstairs where things were more private.”

“And the river versus the highway?”

Calista tries and fails to hide her smile. “That was just a guess based on the hatred of the windows and want for privacy.”

I look away from her before I do something stupid like pull her into my arms again and show her exactly how private I’d like to be.

“I have your email in my notes here–”

“Give me your phone,” I demand, startling myself as much as Calista. The idea of emailing this woman pisses me off. She should have my number. More importantly, I should have hers.

Crazy fuckin’ caveman, I tell myself as I type my number into her phone and call myself.

“Okay, then,” Calista says, taking her phone back. “So I’ll call you when I have the next property all lined up. It shouldn’t be too long.”

I nod, shoving my hands in my pockets as I walk out to my bike, leaving Calista standing in the doorway. I shouldn’t want to throw her on the back of my bike. I shouldn’t want to hear more of her laughter or see how sassy she really is. I sure as hell shouldn’t be distracted at a time like this.

And yet, as I mount my bike and rev the engine, the only thing on my mind is when I’m going to see Calista again.