I woke like a kid on Christmas morning, filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing Callie today. When I catch my reflection in the window pane of Callie’s front door, I don’t recognise the nervous man who is staring back at me. My hair is ruffled, having gone a few bouts with my hands on the drive over.

I can’t ever remember a time I was nervous or excited to be seeing a woman. I’m not that kind of guy. I love women, all shapes and sizes. My small circle of friends outside of the club refer to me as ‘the player’. I’m a ‘love them and leave them’ kind of guy, I don’t go back after I get what I want. I don’t date, and I certainly don’t agree to welcome new bar clientele to town.

If my father, the notorious Crude Souls MC President, knew what my plans were for the day, he’d read me my rights. With his fists to my face. I’ve never wanted the life he’s wanted for me. The club, the guys are my family, but it’s not my life and it never will be.

After wiping the sweat from my hands on my denim clad thigh, I knock. And wait. It’s only a few moments before Callie comes into view. Her ginger curls are long and bouncing around her delicate features as she walks toward me. Her taut little body is hidden under a loose-fitting top and ripped jeans. Yet my body reacts as if she is making her way to me naked.

What I wouldn’t give to wrap the lengths of those curls around my hands and rock into her. Naked. My body fuelling with lust and my dick straining against the zipper, I mentally curse that I went commando today, of all days.

What is with this woman?

“Malakai, hi.” My name drips from her lips with a sweetness that has me licking my lips in response. Her subtle frown is a reminder that I am staring at her, my mind occupied by naked thoughts of her and her lips around my dick.

“Um, hi. Good morning,” I reply, my words broken and weak. With a quick shake of my head, I offer her my best smile to help settle the awkwardness. “Are you ready for the big day?”

“Can’t wait,” she tells me with the smallest hint of excitement in her eyes.

Missy bounds down the hall, clearly keen to get on with the day. “Hi, Kai, thanks for picking us up,” she cheers. “Where to first?” she asks, handing Callie her bag and hustling us out the front door.

“Hi, Missy,” I answer, leading the way to my old Polly Blue 55 F100 pickup. “I thought we might get acquainted with the town centre, grab some lunch then head to my place. I think I might have some furniture in storage you could put to good use.”

I open both passenger doors for the girls to climb in, making sure Callie climbs into the front seat. The smell of lavender and roses swarms my senses. Once she’s settled in, I have to stop myself from reaching over and buckling her in like a child.

What is it about this woman that has me wanting to look after her?

Thank God for the brief walk to the driver’s seat, I need a moment to readjust myself in my jeans. This was going to be a long as fuck kind of day.

*****

AS MUCH AS I’D BEEN looking forward to my day as a tour guide, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy myself quite so much. I can’t remember laughing so much in all of my twenty-seven years on this earth as I have today. My favourite part of the day was watching Callie come out of her shell. She’s a quiet one, not the attention seeking type I’d normally be attracted to, but there’s something about her. And it’s more than just her good looks and sexy physique.

There’s an innocence about her that intrigues me.

I swear though, innocent or not, that arse is made for spanking. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to be the only guy doing the spanking. I watch her as she kneels down to assess a cabinet in the back of my three-bay-shed behind my house.

“How long have you lived here for, Malakai?” she asks, her voice muffled.

“I was born in Coomera, moved away for a number of years as a teenager, with my mother, and bought this place when I returned a couple of years back,” I tell her as my eyes begin to undress her from the waist down. I live on a few acres out by the river. I like my space, and my privacy. My old three-bedroom Queenslander was run down when I first bought it, but I’m satisfied with all the work I’ve done to it in the few short years I’ve owned it. It’s my own personal masterpiece. A lot of sweat, blood and tears has gone into the renovations and I’m proud as shit with what I’ve achieved so far in life.

“How long have you had all this stuff stored out here? There’s a house full of furniture in here.”

My stirring erection goes limp as if she’d just poured a bucket of ice over me. The memories of why I have all this shit stored here are too painful. “It’s actually my mum’s furniture. She passed away a couple of years ago, that’s why I returned home. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of anything so I moved her entire house contents here.”

With that revelation, she stands and approaches me where I’m standing, leaning against a built-in shelf filled with packing boxes. My mum’s life is all boxed up.  Missy is outside playing with my Ridgeback Grunt, and is yet to join us.

Callie’s eyes, filled with sadness, burn into mine as she places her soft palm over my bicep. It’s the first time she’s touched me, and the closest she’s been to me voluntarily. Sparks ignite from her touch, sending a welcomed warmth through my veins.

“I’m so sorry, Kai. I didn’t mean to pry.” Her words are weighed down with sympathy. I usually fucking hate that, but Callie’s words are genuine. Her eyes soften when she tells me, “I lost both of my parents many years ago now, but there’s not a day that goes by I don’t think of them.”

In that moment, it’s like we reconnect on another level. Deeper. A mutual understanding of the pain left behind by those we love, who left us too early. I palm her face softly, slowly tracing my thumb over the underside of her full lips. The silence is easy, only the sound of our beating hearts can be heard above our jilted breaths. She leans into my hand before she turns away shyly.