31. Calista

31

CALISTA

U sually, it's my alarm clock rousing me from sleep, but this morning, it's Vex's hands. I love the way the rough, calloused palms glide over my skin with just enough friction to start a fire deep in my belly.

And it's wild, because for the last three days, I've been writing a business plan for my expansion. Sometimes, I've worked at the kitchen table at Mom's house while she and Melanie putter in the kitchen. Other times, I've been on the sofa with Ti, trying to brainstorm with him how it would work.

I love his body, but I've always loved his brain more. And I can't believe I get to have conversations like this with him for the rest of my life. Assuming the decision to stay here with him leads to that.

I've had great ideas, like offering training to organizations' cyber teams and creating a CEO circle for leaders with large-scale cybersecurity concerns.

I've had terrible ideas, like putting the office in New Jersey so my commute wouldn't be such a grind.

Ti said if I'm doing this, I need to be in New York, where all the big clients will be. We brainstormed ideas to make it work. I can work from home a couple of days a week and hire a driver on the other days so I can work and take calls on the car ride. Or I could buy a small apartment close to wherever my new office is and stay over a night or so every week to cut the commute.

Ti said he has no problem driving over to stay with me there. Said it would be like going to meet a side piece in a hotel for some wild and dirty sex. That he'd have a boner all the way there on his bike, thinking about the ways he was going to fuck me when he arrived.

We ended up role-playing it while he fucked me on the sofa.

Tonight is a big night. Apparently, Ti gets to officially patch in, by choice, as an Outlaw. This, apparently, means biker rituals and much drinking. Women are not invited, and I find I don't mind. It's good we each have our own thing, at times. So, I asked Sophia and Catalina if they wanted to hang out with me.

Because I realized when I saw all the old ladies doing their thing—watching Rae try on dresses, waiting for Iris to give birth, commenting on the meal train idea that went through the group chat—I'm now officially a member of one giant mismatched family.

And nobody gives a shit what you're worth or what you do.

They just care that you're good people.

That you know how to look after your friends.

Plus, Catalina and Sophia are both shining examples of women who already thrived in a world built for men before they met their Outlaws.

Ti's lips brush my neck. "On a scale of one to ten, how hard would I have to work to convince you to let me fuck you right now?"

I grab the wrist of the hand currently cupping my breast and slide it down the plane of my stomach to the aching spot between my legs. "Zero."

I feel the puffs of air as he chuckles. "Knew you were perfect for me."

His fingers dip between my lips where moisture already pools, and I sigh.

He pauses for a moment to lift my leg back over his thigh. It's a stretch. I can feel my aching muscles pull. But it also opens me to him. And this time when he slides his fingers to my core, every part of me is open to him to play with.

Skillfully, he draws wetness up to my clit, circles it, then dips back into me.

My hips twitch involuntarily at the sensation.

"Love that you're sensitive," he says.

His cock lengthens along the crack of my ass, and as he moves, he grinds against me. I wonder what it would be like to do that until he came. What his ropes of cum would look like spread over my cheeks.

I begin to move, and the fingers swiftly move from within me to grip my hip. "Did I say you could move?"

I grin as I think through his exact words. "Pretty sure you asked me to give you a number on an arbitrary scale as to how much I wanted to have sex with you."

He squeezes my hip. "No, babe. I asked if you would let me fuck you. Didn't say anything about you fucking me."

I glance over my shoulder at him. "You just want me to lie here and let you do what you want?"

"Yup. My cock agrees. It's that kind of day, where you need to just lie back and take it."

As always, his words somehow still my mind and my body eases.

"I have a theory," Ti says. "You're always so busy and in charge when it comes to your business and your mom that you like it when you don't have to think during sex."

I consider the words for a moment as he releases my hip, gently bites my neck, and slides his finger into me.

"I think I do. But I never want you to get fed up with me because I'm not…I don't know…instigating? Or reciprocating? Do you know what I mean?"

Ti grips my chin and turns my head, kissing me firmly. It's messy. Teeth and lips clash because of the angle.

"You underestimate what I get from the power exchange, babe. I love the feeling of control. I love that you'll stay still because I said so. I love that I can get you out of your head enough to fully enjoy what's happening between us, and I love that you trust me enough to get you there. You couldn't move when you were tied up, but it was fucking hot. Which should have been obvious by the way I came about a minute after I cut the knot covering your clit."

I turn around in his arms. "Then restrict me again."

He smiles. A big goofy grin. It's almost out of place with the sex talk. "Fuck, I love you," he says.

His lips are on mine before I have a chance to reply.

My tongue meets his, and I sink into him in a way I've never been able to with a man before. Before, I've always felt the need to be…perfect. To get it right. To be sexy enough. Womanly enough. Desirable enough.

But with Ti…just being here with him, loving him, is enough.

There is no perfect version of me required.

Because he accepts me, all of me, exactly as I am.

I'm not too much for him. I don't need to have the answers. He's not expecting anything from me, yet is enjoying me, enjoying this all the same.

And the thoughts are liberating.

He tugs my wrists behind my back and holds them in one hand. I try to separate them, but he holds me tight.

"Steady, Cal," he encourages. "Be still for me."

His words brush over me like a whisper, and I do as he says. I let him own and control my body at will. He moves us, flipping me onto my stomach and repositioning his hands on my body.

"You're being such a good girl for me," he says, his breath warm by my ear.

The words of praise cover me like a warm blanket.

He runs a finger down my spine. "Gonna have fun with this praise kink of yours, babe."

After he removes his sleep bonnet and puts a condom on, he shifts over me and eases the tip of his cock inside. The sensation still takes my breath away. He's thick, and it's always a stretch to take him. There's a delicious feeling of fullness that comes with it.

"You feel so good," I say.

"Ditto, babe. Ditto."

He holds my wrists over my head, crowding my body with his. His whole body presses against me. His chest firm against my back.

And then, he begins to move more insistently. Nudging farther. Spreading my wetness.

The hairs on his chest tickle my back.

It's a struggle to breathe. I can't focus on anything other than my breath and the way he feels, thrusting deep into me.

I open my legs a little wider and try to tilt my hips until…

Oh. God.

"Please," I whisper.

"You want me to make you come, baby? Ease the ache you feel?"

I nod. It's hard to find the breath to make more words. Everything in me wants to burst open, seeking that ultimate feeling of fulfilment.

"What if I just fucked you until I came? What if I didn't care whether you came or not? What if I just fucked you like my little toy until you milked all the cum from my cock?"

I shiver at his utterly filthy words.

I don't want him to come without me. But the thought he might is bringing me closer to the edge. Like I'm chasing something that's about to leave.

Desperation kicks in.

But I have no way of helping myself. My hands are held tightly above my head in his. The weight of his body over mine prevents me from moving.

As if he senses my need, Ti speeds up his thrusts.

Deeper.

Harder.

I cry out in frustration.

Ti says nothing but bites gently on the side of my neck so I can't even move my head. My cheek is pressed down into the mattress.

The world reduces until it's just the feel of his cock inside me.

Nothing else matters.

And then, I feel my orgasm start. A deep shivering sensation in my lower back.

"Oh, Ti," I gasp into the mattress.

"Yeah, baby girl. I'm right here. Come for me, because I'm about to fill you up."

The world shatters.

I close my eyes, lost in a feeling of fullness and nothingness.

My body shakes.

"Ah, fuck. Yes, babe. You come so fucking beautifully," Ti says.

I'm almost too lost in the things I feel, but his words manage to cut through. Everything I do in this bed will be appreciated by this man.

Just as my orgasm starts to recede, Ti loses his rhythm, grunting as he comes.

"Fuck," he says finally on a long breath of air.

He releases my hands and slides his arms around my stomach before rolling us onto our sides.

His cock twitches inside me as he peppers my neck and jaw with kisses. "Fucking blessed I get to wake up with you like this for the rest of our lives."

"Mmm," is all I can muster.

He slips his hand between us and pulls out of me, the slide causing delicious aftershocks.

He kisses my shoulder, my neck, and my cheek, then climbs out of bed.

I hear the shower come on, but instead of reaching for my phone, I doze. His lips on my forehead make me jump. Strangely, he's dressed.

"Why are you…?" I gesture to his cut.

"You fell back to sleep, and I thought it was best to leave you until I had to go."

I reach for my phone and check the time. "I never sleep this late."

Vex rubs his hand over the bulge in his denim. "It's my magic cock, baby. It's got medicinal purposes. I'm the prescription you didn't know you needed."

"I might need another dose in four hours."

Ti's laughter booms through the bedroom. "You want it three times a day after meals?"

"Three times might be too much. You're a big boy."

"Might be the sweetest thing you've said to me this morning." He presses his lips to mine. He tastes of coffee and peanut butter. "Don't forget. I won't see you tonight. I have the patching in ceremony. You sure you're going to be okay?"

"I have plans with Sophia and Catalina that, apparently, involve us plotting world domination and me learning how to fire a gun. I told them about the stalker, both of them think I should learn self-defense. I got invited to classes with Niro."

Ti grins and shakes his head. "The brother started a revolution when he formed that club at King's request. But it would be a good idea for you to go."

"Fine. I'll go. Might be fun to hang out with the other old ladies some more. Rae was right, you know."

Ti perches on the edge of the bed and takes my hand. "What did she say?"

"When she came to persuade me to go with them to try on wedding dresses, she said that she had a strong feeling I'd be an old lady one day. She told me that they'd win me over with their, and I quote, eclectic charm and chaotic adventures."

Ti chuckles. "Eclectic and chaos. Good words to describe them. Remind me to tell you about the night we had to ride and get them from a nightclub some time. Found ‘em all drunk on the curb outside."

"They might be more my kind of people than I thought. But she said something else. That in ten or fifteen years, we'd all be sitting in the clubhouse laughing about something, and someone will say, ‘Remember that day we went looking for Rae's wedding dress?' And she said she would answer, ‘Yeah, it was the first time the nine of us all did something important together.' I think she was right."

"She's a good woman. Sees straight through shit. And Niro and those other women, they'll help keep you safe." Ti pushes my hair off my face in a move that makes me feel cherished. "Has Orson found anything else out? About that wealthy dude who gave you shit advice?"

I shake my head. "Not yet. But I have some really smart people working on it."

Last night, I received another message. It was weird. Like it was written by a machine. Too many adjectives. Flowery. Inconsistent with the other menacing messages.

"I'm gonna do some digging of my own when I get to the clubhouse. Can't help but think there's something to the way that message was written. And don't forget to check the cameras before you leave the house for that fucking car or woman."

"I will."

"And leave the alarm on when you're home."

"I'll do that too."

"And call me if anything happens."

I smile. "Ti. I'll be fine. Go."

"Good." He kisses me, taking a moment to tease my tongue with his own. I sigh into the kiss and mentally consider that I'm a liar. I could have sex with him right now and three times a day might not be enough.

An hour later, I stand facing something more intimidating than a stalker. And the flowers in my hand do little to ease the tension.

"Mrs. Williams," I say when I look at Vex's mom, the woman who created my second home. "Do you have a minute to talk with me, please?"

Mrs. Williams looks up and down the street, then lets me in. What she's looking for, I don't know. Perhaps Ti told her about the stalker. Or she doesn't want anyone to see her let me in.

She takes me straight through to the kitchen, and I hand her the flowers.

"I'm sorry."

Her shoulders soften as she sighs. "Sit."

She points to my spot at the kitchen table.

My spot.

The one I sat at when Ti and I did homework together. The one where I cried on the anniversary of my father's death. The one where I drank hot chocolate when Ti took some other girl to prom when I was hoping and wishing he'd pick me.

After he'd left, Malik had told me to go get dressed because he was going to take me to prom because his brother was an idiot.

When a mug of hot chocolate is placed in front of me, interrupting my thoughts, I almost cry.

"Always was your favorite," she says, as she sits down opposite me.

Now that I'm here, I don't know where to start. How much has Ti told her? How much should I tell her? Can I tell her?

"You broke everyone's heart," she says. "But Ti tells me that your reasons for leaving were big and valid."

I wrap my hands around the hot chocolate. "They were. But maybe…I should have written. Tried to explain what little bit I could."

Mrs. Williams tuts. "You were an eighteen-year-old. Technically an adult, but in reality, still a child, despite all your bluster at that age that you knew everything about the world."

The hot chocolate is a hug in a cup. Sweet, sugary, and warming. I know she isn't letting me off the hook, but it shows me there's a path back to the relationship we once had.

"I was. But over time, I've learned better. There wasn't a statute of limitations on writing you a letter at any time since then. I'm back, Mrs. Williams, and I have a lot of relationship rebuilding to do. With my mom, with Ti, with you."

Mrs. Williams nods. "With yourself?"

Those two words stop me in my tracks. I've lost me over the last decade. Not the businesswoman. But who I am when the business world isn't watching. I don't have hobbies. Barely have time for friends. "You always were too astute."

She smiles at that. "It's easy to run rings around your kids because you always have the benefit of age and hindsight." Her hand reaches across the table for mine, and I take hold of it like I'm drowning. "I look forward to getting to know who you are now, Calista. And maybe it's time to let go of the formalities I've always held dear. Perhaps now you're an adult in a relationship with my son, perhaps you should call me Omari. Or Auntie. Maybe one day it will be Mom."

"I'd like that."

"You're always welcome in my kitchen."

We sit and chat for another half an hour. In those thirty minutes, she offers me more hot chocolate, some cookies she made earlier, leftovers from a stew she made yesterday, and a scarf she thinks suits my skin tone.

As I let myself into Vex's home, I think about how sharp Omari still is and how fragile Mom is. In some ways, the world isn't fair, but I am lucky I have a second chance at a relationship with both of them.

It makes me even more determined to stay.

My phone rings and I see Becca's name on the screen asking for a video call.

I quickly check my hair in the hallway mirror. "Hey, Bec. What's up?"

Her eyes are wide, and she's grinning so hard I worry for the safety of her cheeks. "You're never going to believe it." Her voice is super-high energy, giving me clues that whatever it is must be big.

"What?"

"You got an invitation to speak at a Women's Economic Forum." She follows it with a deafening squeal, and I can't help but laugh.

"Oh my God. For real?"

"Yes. They want you as their Friday lunch keynote speaker. I'm assuming it's a yes."

It's a huge honor. "Yes. Definitely. Is my calendar free?"

Becca rolls her eyes. "Cal, you're free. This is the kind of thing you clear your calendar for. They said they were inspired by the Forbes article. Perfect timing that you appeared in an article one of them decided to read."

A feeling of déjà vu washes over me. Timing. The Forbes article.

"Are you okay, Cal?" Becca asked.

"When did the Forbes article come out?"

When she rattles off the month and day, it hits me. The first text message came three days after. Three days after I'd been asked how I felt about Walt Timberlake taking credit for my business idea. I'd set the record straight. Not about the indecent proposition he made, but the rest.

That there was a chance conversation at a public event that lasted less than ten minutes. And that no useful advice or guidance was given.

"That's it. Of course it is. Walt Timberlake. I need to call Orson. I have to go. I'll?—"

My phone cuts out. I try to turn it on, but the battery must be dead. With a sigh, I jog up the stairs to get my charger.

And all I can sense is the smell of something sickly sweet and the rough texture of a cloth pressed over my face before I crumple to the ground.