It’s late afternoon and I’m dying to get home to Malakai and enjoy some birthday drinks. Missy surprised me with a brunch date for two this morning, followed by a hectic shopping expedition

resulting in months’ worth of new lingerie, stilettos and black leather pants to go with the sexy black and red lace bodice for the party tonight.

Face down on a massage table beside Missy, I fill her in on the ins and outs of life in the bedroom with Kai until our masseuses finally enter the room. Like young teens again, we giggle playfully until strong hands meet our backs and laughter turns to moans of pleasure and relaxation.

“Best fucking idea ever,” Missy purrs from her face rest.

“Fuck yes,” I agree.

The time passed too quickly and we are now heading back home. A few miles from the house, we slow to check out a black SUV parked on the side of the road beneath a few tall gum trees. The hood is up, but when we realise the occupants are all male we figure they’ll be fine without us stopping to offer a hand. I mean, what do two chicks with no experience with engines have to offer anyhow?

The three guys, all dressed in jeans, plain tees and dark sunnies watch like hawks as we approach slowly and continued on our way. My chest squeezes and dread lurks in the pit of my stomach. An odd feeling of déjà vu hits me without warning and my skin chills.

“Callie, are you okay?” Missy asks, as she makes it warmer in the car by increasing the heat. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost and you’re shivering.”

I wrap my arms around myself and reassure her I am fine. “Just thinking about tonight. Kai has gone all out organising this party, I only hope I don’t disappoint him.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she shrieks. “Girl, do you remember how sexy you looked in your party getup?” I laugh. Yeah I remember. I’ve never felt sexier in my life. “There ain’t nothing you could say or do while dressed like that, that could possibly disappoint him.” Missy rubs my knee reassuringly and I relax. Excitement starts to trickle in as we pull into the drive.

Officially the party doesn’t start for a few hours but there are bikes and cars scattered about the front of the house, men bustling around out by the shed, setting up the bar area. Missy has barely stopped the engine when Kai opens the door and drags me out. Wrapping my legs around him he crushes my lips to his. A few of the guys whistle and cheer, another yells, “Get a room.” Kai flips them the bird behind my back and carries me up the stairs to our room.

“Kai, baby. I’ve missed you too, but I can’t leave Missy to bring in all our bags.” He kisses me again, his hand snaking up my back beneath my blouse.

“The guys will look after that, don’t you worry. Right now, I need you, in all your oily glory.” I chuckle into the side of his neck.

“Hmm, my back wasn’t the only thing getting all slippery and wet during my massage,” I tease, biting his neck softly.

“The fuck?” He throws me down on the centre of our bed, unbuttoning my jeans and removing them hastily. “You let another man touch your body today, baby?” he asks, a tormented look in his eyes.

“I did,” I whisper, after he unbuttons my top. “What are you going to do about it?” I love teasing him; it has quickly become my favourite pastime.

Upbeat and playful, that’s how I used to be when I first met Randall. Now with Kai, I’m feeling more of my old self come back, the parts I lost through my years of marriage and abuse. Kai makes it easy to remember who I was before any of that, he accepts me for me and my life is so much fuller because of his love and acceptance.

“I’m going to do what I do best; make you forget everything other than me. Now, get the rest of those clothes off, woman, I can’t wait a minute longer to be inside you.”

Kai stands near the bed and makes quick work of stripping off. He runs his tongue over the crest of his lip and the anticipation of what is to come sets my body on fire.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he rasps, placing a kiss on my forehead as he positions himself over me. I can feel the wetness pooling between my thighs as his weight presses down on me and he positions the head of his cock at my slippery entrance.

“Kai, everyone is outside—” My voice is heavy with desire.

“They’ll wait, this will be the quickest fuck of your life baby, I’ve been dreaming of taking you again since you left this morning.”

Without another word, Malakai drives himself deep into my pussy. My eyes roll back in my head at the assault. He gives me a few seconds to adjust before bringing my legs up over his shoulders. It forces him deeper and he lowers himself to take possession of my mouth. Our tongues dance to match the rhythm of his thrusts. Our breathing is heavy, neither one of us willing to break the kiss. I buck my hips beneath him, syncing with his every movement. I’m writhing in pleasure and completely at his mercy. Exactly where I’m supposed to be.

“Oh fuck, Callie...what you do to me,” he moans into my mouth. My hands caress his biceps, running over the ridges of muscles amplified by holding his weight above me.

The coolness of his wet lips make a path from my mouth, down my neck and to my nipples. Tweaking one between his fingers, his teeth clamp down slightly over the other, causing a groan to erupt from my throat.

“Please, Malakai,” I moan through jagged breaths. I have no idea what I’m begging for. I need a release but I also don’t want this to end.

“Please, what?” he asks, his voice gravelly with need. “Did you beg your massage therapist for more today, baby? Is that what you did?”

I smile at his question. He knows full well I didn’t. “Only for you, Kai. Only ever for you.”

He speeds up his movements and I match his ferocity, my feet biting into the sides of his back for better purchase. My moans are louder, his grunts are bolder. I can feel his cock swelling inside of me. All rhythm is lost as we give in to the pleasure. “You want to come on my cock, sweetheart?”

“Yes, Kai. Please.”

He fills me so perfectly, stretching me in ways I could never have imagined. It doesn’t take long before we both come undone. I bite back a scream as my orgasm washes over me and I feel Kai’s hot seed pumping into me. My legs twitch around his shoulders as my pussy clenches his girth, milking every last drop from him.

“Holy fuck,” Kai says, releasing my legs and crashing over me.

Our sweaty bodies lay together like that for a few minutes, our breaths slowly returning to normal. When he kisses me, I open my mouth to invite him in, threading my fingers into his hair at the back of his head so he can’t escape. My body tingles, hums a new beat beneath him. Need starts to build in my depths again. He’s soft, still inside me but I feel him growing with excitement again too.

A knock sounds on the door. “Hey, birthday girl, it’s about time we get you ready for your party,” Missy bellows out from the hallway. She waits for a response while we struggle to come down from our high.

Eventually, Kai answers as he slowly pulls out of me and stands on shaky legs. “We are about to shower, Missy. I’ll get out and let you two do your thing after that.” Kai winks at me and lifts me from the bed. Cradled in his arms, he walks me to the bathroom, sits me on the vanity and turns on the shower.

*****

“OH. MY. GOD.” MISSY swoons when I walk back into her bedroom in my party get up. I feel sexy as fuck in my leather and lace, but I can’t help the blush that spreads across my chest and face at Missy’s reaction. After my shower with Kai, and another toe-curling orgasm, Missy tamed my hair and painted my face with a huge selection of products I’m not yet familiar with.

“Callie...” I turn to Missy who is a little choked up.

“Don’t you dare make me cry on my birthday. You’ll ruin my make-up,” I joke. Missy laughs, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. She shakes her head in defeat and drops her eyes to the floor before meeting my gaze once again.

“I’m so fucking proud of you, Callie. After all these years, you finally get to be you. Nobody deserves that more than you do.” Missy throws her arms around my neck and holds me tight. “Your parents would be so fucking happy to see you right now. I just know they’re looking down, proud as fuck.”

We stand like that and hold each other, sharing a few silent tears before footsteps are heard bounding up the stairs. “Your guests are starting to arrive, birthday girl!”

“Almost ready, babe,” I yell to Kai, pushing away from Missy to find a Kleenex to clean up any evidence of our emotional moment.

Missy takes my hand and leads me toward the kitchen, out onto the back deck so we can make our way downstairs. I didn’t really think through the whole wearing stilettos thing and having to take the stairs. This could be an epic disaster. As if reading my thoughts, Missy clutches my arm tightly and assures me, “I got you. Together we’ll conquer these motherfucking stairs.” I can’t help but laugh at her and I nod in agreement.

Music is wafting over the yard where twenty or thirty people I don’t know or recognise mingle with drinks in their hands. There are some women too, some are clearly club whores, hanging off their bikers like rabid animals waiting to be fed, but there are a few others who look slightly familiar. They must be staff from the bar.

I stumble elegantly as I step foot in the soft grass at the bottom of the stairs. Missy ensures I regain my footing without missing a beat and the music stops abruptly. I looked out across the yard, the silence is deafening, and all eyes are on us. I can feel Malakai’s heated stare before I see him. When our gaze finally meets, everything else falls away. Suddenly, it is just him and I as he strides across the lawn and lifts me in his arms.

He kisses me deeply, taking possession of me right there for his whole world to see and I’ve never felt so wanted. So needed. This is home for me.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any fucking hotter, you walk out looking like this,” he whispers in my ear, setting me back on the ground. He steps back, his hands still clutching my shoulders and looks me up and down. All my feelings of discomfort and uncertainty are stripped back. In that moment, I know I hold all the power and I am so absolutely in love with this man.

“I love you, Kai.” His eyes soften and he takes my face in his hands and kisses me gently. Sighing, he repeats the words he’s said to me only once before.

“I love you too, Callie. With everything I am.”

Over by the bar, men cooed and women cheered. All except Malek and Fury. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see them standing staunch, arms crossed, their expressions serious.

Missy returns with a tequila sunrise for each of us. “I told you he’d be impressed,” she smiles, handing over my drink.

“Impressed? Hell, I’ll be walking around all fucking night with a boner and blue balls,” he laughs, adjusting himself. “How about we wrap this party up and call it a night already?”

I wind my arm around his waist and snuggle into his side. “Not so fast, bad boy, you promised me a night of drunken dancing first,” I tease.

Malakai kisses the top of my head. “That I did. So let’s get you drunk, have a dance and get the fuck back to our room.” I throw my head back laughing. Missy rolls her eyes in fake disgust. I feel bad for Missy that Jed was unable to make it. He’s working out of town with a new developer and couldn’t get back in time. It’s a good thing she’s confident without him by her side.

“You’re insatiable,” I tell Kai, flattered that I make him feel that way.

“Only with you, baby. Happy birthday.”

The music cranks out around the yard, Nickelback's ‘S.E.X’, I smile to myself at the lyrics. Kai whisks me off to the makeshift dance floor he’s installed just for tonight, and we dance for the first time. Darkness falls and the fairy lights come alive all over the yard. They cover the trees and shrubs, dangling from the balcony and lining the roof of the shed. Disco balls cause a myriad of colours to sweep across the expanse of paddock surrounding the house as the drinks keep coming.

“I suppose I should introduce you to everyone now,” Kai says regretfully. Taking my hand and pulling me off the dance floor toward the closest group of Crude Souls’ members, Goat is the only one I recognise. He greets me with a warm hug, “Happy birthday, Callie.”

“Thank you, Goat. For all your help too,” I add.

Introductions were less awkward thanks to the copious amounts of tequila I had already consumed. Even Malek didn’t rile me up the way his presence usually did, even though he looks less than happy to be here.

“You into music, sweetheart?” I turn at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Missy eyeballs the meathead, who looks about sixty on a good day.

“Umm, I guess,” I offer uneasily. There is something about his drawl that didn’t sit well with me and Malakai has gone to restock the bar.

“How about you play the slobber blues on my meat whistle?” The old codger laughs like he is the funniest thing in the world. My skin crawls and my stomach turns. But I manage the sweetest smile I can conjure up.

“I’m sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. Grandpa’s aren’t really my style.” The group erupts into a fit of laughter. Missy almost chokes on her drink.

“Damn straight, baby!” Kai pulls me protectively into him, amusement dancing on his lips. “You’d give this old bastard a heart attack in thirty seconds,” he laughs, punching the man on the arm playfully. “Don’t mind old Chucky, he’s one of the Souls originals. Nobody listens to him.” The banter continues and I feel oddly confident in my new surroundings.

Chucky steps forward with his hand out. I grip it and he brings it to his lips. “Lovely to meet you, Callie. Malakai is a good boy, I hope he treats you right. If not, you come see me, I’ll sort him out for ya.”

I smile. “Thank you, Chucky. I’ll be sure to let you know if I have any troubles.”

The night is beginning to mellow out and I’ve had enough, maybe too much, to drink. I am secretly hoping for Kai to whisk me away to bed now that the speeches, cake and toasts are out of the way. I’ve long since shunned my stilettos and was dancing my way around the yard, mingling with the guests barefoot. Missy and I are deep in conversation with Nate, one of the security guards from the bar and his on again, off again girlfriend, Keisha, who recently started working the bar too.

“Seriously though, the guys would love you. It might not be your ideal job, but I’m sure Kai could help you sort out your licences and give you some easy shifts until you’re comfortable with the night crowds.” Keisha is filling me in on life as a publican. I don’t know what Kai would think of me working behind the bar, but the idea of working, earning my keep and learning some skills, is exciting.

“I think it’s a great idea, Callie. You should go for it,” Missy says, nudging my shoulder.

“Go for what?” Kai asks, flicking my curls to one side and kissing below my ear. His heated breath on my delicate skin causes goosebumps to rise all over my exposed arms. I relax back into his chest.

“Keisha suggested I work for you behind the bar,” I answer, posing it more as a question than a statement.

“Did she now?” Kai says, looking between Nate and Keisha, then back at me. “Is that what you want? To work behind a bar?”

“What I want is to earn my keep, baby, and learn some skills. I’ve never been allowed to work before and yeah, I guess I want to give it a go.” Kai nods complacently.

“Then we’ll get everything sorted next week and make it happen.”

I smile up at him, my heart full of love. “Thank you, Kai. I’d appreciate that.”

“No need to thank me, love. Unless...” I shake my head, knowing exactly where he is going with that. Kai grins at me. “I haven’t given you your present yet.”

“Kai,” I say warningly.

Kai winks and places a square box in my hand, wrapped in a white ribbon. “Happy birthday.”

“I thought the party was my present?”

“Open it,” Kai demands.

I tug on the bow and it falls away. Inside the box is a gold charm bracelet. Kai lets out a loud whistle and the music stops. He grabs my hand and moves me further into the backyard so we are in the centre of the crowd.

“Today is Callie’s birthday. The first of many we will all celebrate here together,” announces Kai. The crowd cheers and I look for Missy in the sea of faces. She’s near the back door, smiling. I wave nervously at her.

Kai grabs my hand and the bracelet, and as he fastens it around my wrist he continues, “This bracelet has three charms on it. A heart to represent us and the life we are going to lead, the Crude Souls insignia...” This gets loud cheers from the crowd, causing Kai and I to smile. “And the last one is something I had specially made, it represents new life.”

I look down at the chunky gold bracelet hanging off my wrist, my fingers go to the new life charm. It’s a circle with a swirl coming off it in the middle. It’s perfect. This entire day has been perfect.

Kai is given a beer and holds it up. “To Callie, my girl, happy birthday, baby!”

The crowd cheers, Kai takes a sip of his beer, and I kiss him in front of everyone. My heart is full of love. The music restarts and I look into his eyes.

“Thank you.” Kai kisses me again. “I love my present.”

“Missy may have helped me. But the ‘new life’ charm is all me,” whispers Kai.

I grin at him, hold my hand up and twist the bracelet so it jingles around my wrist. “I love you.”

The grin falls from Kai’s face; he drops the beer and grips my face, kissing me passionately. After what feels like an eternity he breaks it and looks into my eyes. “I love you too, Callie Harper.”