Calix (Areion Fury MC, #6)

by Esther E. Schmidt

  We choose to grab a bite to eat at some fancy restaurant Calix picked. I actually like it because I’m so out of my element it’s good to have some sort of trial run before I have to go inside a ballroom. Calix explained how these parties go. At first, I was nervous and yet knowing he’s right beside me, I feel like I could face anything.

  It’s also made it very clear to me that Calix would be able to handle a lot of things. Some might say he’s got different faces, a mask, never showing the real him but personalities he slips into...a detective, a biker, a bartender, a freaking Dom. How wrong they would be. In the short time I’ve known him, there’s one thing very clear. He’s all of it.

  There is no act or mask. If I’d have to pick anyone who would have all the abilities to rule a country, it would be him. He’s got the strength and the knowledge to handle anything and I’ll gladly follow him. Though with knowing and realizing all of this...I can also see a hint of his pain. A struggle. Something he hides deep and doesn’t show and yet I see it. It’s in his eyes, the small line that slides in even though he hides it pretty well.

  We just got back from dinner and changed into the perfect clothes for this charity. I’m loving my purple dress. It feels like a second skin that flows around me so freaking gorgeous with every step I take. Calix ordered the complete outfit, from the dress to the underwear, and the perfect strappy heels along with it. I’ve styled my hair, let it hang loose so it’s slightly curly.

  “You’re stunning, Ten. Stop fidgeting.” Calix chuckles and places a hand at the small of my back, guiding me onto a carpet that guides us toward the entrance.

  Camera flashes are everywhere and this is something Calix also mentioned. The one time a year he attends charity parties is to indulge his parents, show his face enough to keep them happy until next year.

  “And you should smile instead of looking grumpy,” I tell him.

  A photographer is shouting Calix’s name. Calix turns and pulls me closer, taking a moment to pose for the camera. I can’t help but place a hand on his chest while looking at his beautiful face that’s now got a seductive smile he’s directing right at me. My heart beats faster and I’m tempted to get on my toes and kiss the hell out of him.

  Calix chuckles as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking. Instead of pulling away, he decides to give everyone a little show when he leans in and kisses me fiercely. For a moment I think we’re about to take it to the next level but thankfully Calix pulls back and brushes his nose gently against mine.

  “So damn tempting.” His voice is loaded with emotion.

  “Let’s get this party over with,” I croak.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Calix growls and guides me inside.

  In this moment, I feel like a princess. A princess who’s been swept off her feet by a prince who is willing to give her everything she needs. And this has nothing to do with the massive ballroom I’m standing in, the expensive dress I’m wearing, or how much money Calix has in his bank account. We could be naked and living in a dump for all I care. It’s him. It’s us. It’s the way he handles himself, and me.

  He makes me want to be a better person. Think through steps to make the right choice and grab hold once I’ve made a decision. In a short period of time he’s shown me that he has my back, wants to have a future with me and has dragged me off to meet his parents and the world that’s woven into his background.

  “I see my parents. All the way in the back on the left,” Calix murmurs into my ear as we move through the large space.

  Though it’s a large room, it’s very crowded. People beautifully dressed, women in all kinds of formal dresses, men with black suits. Inside I’m smiling huge because not only does Calix stand out in his white suit...he’s also the only one who’s got ink creeping out underneath his suit.

  Yet he fits in with his grace, finesse, perfect suit, and manners. He makes me feel ten inches taller just being here with him. Leaning in some more, I whisper, “I adore your hot ass.”

  Okay. That came out a little different than it sounded in my head.

  Calix comes to a stop and chuckles. “Just my ass, sweetness?”

  I groan and roll my eyes. “No, silly. Not just your ass, although that is freaking perfect. I wanted to say I adore you. All of you.”

  “That’s a very nice thing to say, miss. Calix, will you please introduce me to your guest?” a woman’s voice interrupts us.

  I’m captivated by the way Calix’s face fills with love and warmth for this woman. If I thought he was handsome in all the ways he was around me? He’s absolutely breathtaking now.

  “Mother.” He leans in and kisses her cheek, briefly gives her a hug before stepping back. “May I introduce Tenley. My future wife.”

  Oh. My. Personal. Hell. On. Earth. I’m sure my cheeks are flaming red. But no one will notice because I’m suddenly pulled into a tight hug by Calix’s mom. And judging by her shaking and the wetness I feel on my shoulder...I swear she’s crying.

  “Aw, ma...give her a little room to breathe and I’m sure father will flip if he sees you’ve ruined your makeup,” Calix groans.

  The woman releases me, steps back but just as quickly cups my face. “Oh, look at you. You’re so beautiful.” Her eyes meet Calix. “You’ve done very well for yourself son. She’s breathtaking.”

  She gives me another smile through teary eyes before she hugs Calix and excuses herself to go to the bathroom to make herself presentable again.

  “Fuck. Here it comes,” Calix mumbles and I don’t even have time to look at him to see what he means before I hear a very harsh voice.

  “What did you do now, Calix? Why is your mother leaving our guests?” The man in the black suit might look pristine but there’s an underlying cruelty simmering in his eyes that gives me the chills. He leans closer to Calix, keeps his voice low and yet I pick up on it. “And let’s forget about the disgusting way you’ve mutilated your skin for all to see.”

  What the hell? It’s the devil in disguise. I can’t state it any other way.

  “That would be my fault, seeing your wife was ecstatic to know her son is getting married so she was overwhelmed with joy...for us,” I quip and lean against Calix who’s turned to stone.

  The man looks at me as if he’s running me through a quick CT scan.

  Reaching out, I attempt to break the frost that has settled in around us. “Hello, I’m Tenley Cerise Oaks. Please to meet you, sir.”

  He stretches out and takes my hand. They say you can tell a lot about a person from their handshake and yet this one freaks me out. I don’t like the softy shake because my own is firm and this makes him tighten his hold on my hand. This man is either trying to intimidate me or he thinks this is the start of an arm wrestling match because my fingers are getting squished. Whatever. I don’t give one freaking bleep but plaster a smile in place instead.

  “What do you do for a living, Tenley? Or have you put your hooks into our family name so you can,”

  “I co-own a company in the automotive industry, sir. And only recently I’ve started up a car wash to branch out. With only a few months into it, it’s turned out very profitable. So, you might say Calix put his hooks in me, not the other way around.” I give him a wink and a warm smile while in the meantime I would like to throat punch the man and poke my fingers into his eyes. Twice in case I don’t shove them hard enough the first time.

  “A business woman. That’s somewhat admirable, I guess,” the man says in a condescending tone.

  Calix’s mom returns and the man in front of me morphs into a perfect gentleman, taking his wife’s hand, kissing it before pulling her close. “Eliza, there you are. I hear you’ve met Calix’s fiancée already.”

  “Yes,” Eliza gushes. “I can’t believe the day has come that our son is finally settling down.”

  All this time, I’m holding a statue. Anger is radiating off Calix and the way his fists are clenching is a show and tell he would like nothing more than to kick his father’s ass and show him e
very corner of this ballroom. Somehow the thought hits me that the reason he doesn’t act on it is because of his mother.

  How can this woman not see what kind of person this man is? Or...hell. For real? Would Calix’s father be someone who will only become vicious when his wife’s back is turned? Why? Why would you do that? I take a close look at Calix’s father and the way his eyes light up when he looks at his wife is in utter adoration. I get the feeling that this woman just might be the only living soul on earth this man respects. Fucker.

  “Better believe it,” Calix says and I can tell he’s putting in the effort to make it sound nice.

  “I’ll believe it when we get the invitation to the wedding,” Calix’s father states with a hard voice.

  I would like to kick this man off the damn throne he thinks he’s sitting on. Who the hell does he think he is talking to his son like that? But most of all? I think there’s more to it than that because the hatred Calix has for this man is rolling off him in waves. Not to mention the fact that Calix didn’t want to talk about it beforehand.

  Makes sense because I think I would be tempted to punch him on sight. Smart thinking on Calix’s part. But I’m not related so I can shock this man, sneer right back or whatever I feel like doing.

  “We might not invite anyone and go for a quick Vegas wedding.” I look up at Calix just in time to see the corner of his mouth twitch in amusement.

  Calix’s mother gasps. “Oh, you wouldn’t dare take my only son’s wedding away from me.”

  Shit. My mind is running to think of something to say but I don’t have to because Calix seems to jump on the ‘let’s shock the parents boat too. “Tenley is only speeding things up, mother. Since I might have gotten a little excited after she said yes...enough to make a condom snap straight through the middle.”

  “Calix,” his father scolds while his mother’s eyes flare in shock.

  “Oh. You’re not kidding me, are you, son? Please.” Calix’s mother turns to me. “Tell me he’s not kidding. Are you two starting a family? So soon?”

  “Did you knock her up? Did she punch a hole in the condom to bind your fortune to her?” Calix’s father’s true colors start to shine through...maybe his mother does know what kind of person her husband really is.

  “Henry,” Calix’s mother scolds. “Be civil.”

  Henry nods and gives her a muttered apology, but his regret doesn’t last long.

  Calix chuckles and gives me a kiss on the top of my head. “I hope I knocked her up, but since I just took her mere hours ago we won’t know for sure until at least a few weeks from now.”

  Henry tenses and his face is starting to turn red. As if he’s reaching boiling point and can blow at any time. Eliza places her hand on Henry’s chest. Raising on her tiptoes she kisses his cheek and whispers something in his ear. Tension visibly drains his body.

  Eliza turns to us. “Come on you two. Let me introduce you to a few of the guests.”

  We let her lead us away from Henry and around the ballroom, stopping here and there to shake hands and have some small talk with people I have no clue who they are and will most likely never meet again.

  A guy stalks toward us and shakes Calix’s hand. It looks like they’re old friends the way Calix openly smacks the guy’s shoulder and gives him a warm greeting. I’m caught staring at the two when Calix reaches over and pulls me close.

  “Jag. Let me introduce you to my fiancé, Tenley,” Calix says with a grin and I must say, it’s infectious.

  At first, I thought he threw that little act out there to tease his mother. Or put me on the spot. Or hell, bug the shit out of his father. But the way he says it now? It’s like he’s proud and wishful. Within this moment I choose for it to be real because a longing spikes inside me and warms my chest. I would be damn proud to belong to him. Even if he’s already claimed me as his ol’lady and all of this is jumping from seed to fully grown.

  Jag takes my hand in both of his, bringing it to his mouth to place a kiss on it while his eyes are locked with Calix’s. Jag’s eyes are filled with amusement, he’s clearly taunting Calix and that somehow snags me. There’s been enough stress tonight, I don’t feel like adding another brand of aggravation.

  I rip my hand away, wipe it off on my dress and place it on Calix’s chest while I cuddle closer to him. Calix grasps my chin, tilts my head and places a gentle, swift kiss on my mouth.

  “Jag is an asshole, Ten. But he’s the right kind. He’s one of the idiot friends I went to high school with back in the states,” Calix tells me.

  “You can shut up now before you start to spew shit about the time we were at that bar with the,” Jag starts but Calix punches him in the shoulder.

  “Yeah, shutting up would be good.” Calix shakes his head. “Where is your lovely wife anyway?”

  “Back home. Milli is sick. She was puking her four-year-old guts out, so we flipped a coin who would stay home and who would attend the party. But I think I’ve shown my face long enough. I was about to head out until I saw you. I had to come over and say hi.”

  “Be sure to say hi to Stella and Milli for me. We’re heading out as well,” Calix replies.

  “Ah.” Tag chuckles. “Overstayed your welcome, or are you hightailing out of here?”

  “Both I guess,” Calix answers.

  The two say their goodbyes and right after we make sure to acknowledge Calix’s mother one more time before we slip out the front door and head back to the hotel.

  Chapter 11

  ***Calix***

  Anger and irritation are still flowing through me. Though some already faded due to Tenley, but still...I need to punch something. Go to the gym or do anything to shake this feeling. Fuck. Why in the hell did I come here anyway? Especially with Ten by my fucking side. No one knows the entire truth. Well, Big Oaks knows because he pulled me out of the dark pit I was slipping into when I turned sixteen.

  I might have tipped over if it wasn’t for him. My mom left to spend three weeks alone with her sister for God knows why. Luckily my father turned a one eighty after that, but it didn’t matter. I left and didn’t look back, went into the Navy straight after and only kept in contact with my mother until I got out and maintained a brief meeting once every year since then. That’s the only time I face my father. My mom and I do keep in contact through phone calls and texts.

  I look toward the bed I just slipped out of. Ten drifted off to sleep right after I took her hard the second I closed the door. I shoved her against it, pulled up her dress, ripped away her thong, unleashed my hard cock and didn’t stop pounding until I emptied myself inside her.

  Like a madman heading for a goal. It wasn’t just to blow off steam or to get off for that matter. I needed to possess her. She was right there with me tonight. For the first fucking time I didn’t face him alone. I didn’t fucking tell her anything but somehow she knew or figured out enough. She knew exactly what I needed and stepped up. And I fucking loved it. I love her.

  Fuck. I love her. That realization hits. And when I glance over that angelic face, all carefree, and sated...there’s no denying the fact that I do. Hence the reason I didn’t even think to throw on a condom. Even if I fucked her bare before, I know now that I won’t ever be wrapping up again. No need since I’m going to slide a ring on her finger as soon as I’ve bought one.

  Ten stirs, her lashes flutter and her eyes meet mine. A sensual smile spreads her lips as she holds out her hand to me. “Come to bed, honey. I need you.”

  My feet move automatically. My mind doesn’t even think. She calls, I fucking come. That’s how shit like that works. Our fingers entwine and yet again some of the anger inside me fades. It’s as if she keeps me grounded.

  “You know,” she mutters, sitting up and suddenly she doesn’t look as if she was still sleeping a moment ago. “We did agree to have sex and have a discussion. We had the sex...just so you know we’ll be doing that again in just a bit...but we haven’t had the talk yet. I’m fine if you don’t want to but y
ou seem so tight, and it’s because of that asshole, I know...but...you know. If you want, I’m right here.”

  “If it wasn’t for your father, I don’t think I would still be walking the Earth,” I tell her in all honesty.

  Sliding into the bed beside her, I actual revel in the fact that she doesn’t say anything but only cuddles close.

  “My whole family tree is old money with high class status. Meaning my father, grandfather, his father before him, and so on were hard bastards who had a mindset they drilled into their sons. They needed to be ruthless to handle any situation. No pussies but hard businessmen who don’t back down. Inside as cold as stone and don’t allow emotions to overtake you. That shit isn’t taught in schools but it’s taught behind closed doors, with a belt to the back. Something that’s kept well buried...something the wives don’t need to know because they soften up the sons.” Staring straight ahead, I take comfort in stroking Ten’s hair as I continue. “I wanted to tell my mother so many times. Yet I knew I couldn’t. According to everything I’ve been taught by my father that would be a weakness. Women were to be kept out of men’s business. I had to be strong. If I fucked up or wasn’t acting accordingly, I was reprimanded. Meaning my father would whip me with his belt. And if I’d really pissed him off he’d use the buckle side of it. One night I couldn’t take it anymore and screamed. I never fucking screamed because that also was considered a weakness. A man never cried or screamed, but the buckle sliced my back up a few days before already.” Twisted, I fucking know, but a chuckle leaves my throat at the memory why I had to endure so much. “I wasn’t an easy teenager. I acted up a lot. Fuck...I even challenged my father many times with my mother in the room, knowing he couldn’t do anything until my mother left to visit a friend. And when she did I’d be long gone but that was only prolonging the inevitable. I’d get the whipping either way.”

  I feel wetness sliding down my bare chest and when I look down, I can see Ten’s tearstained face.

  “Aw, sweetness, don’t spill tears for my fucked-up past. It’s just that...the past,” I tell her and even if this shit is rooted inside me, it’s just that...a part of me I’ve learned to live with. “The hatred I have for that man lights up once a year when I have to endure a charity or two. But it’s worth it because I get to see my mother. I damn well know his father did it to him, as his father before him. Maybe he doesn’t think it’s wrong to raise a child that way, I damn sure never asked. But as a kid I knew it wasn’t normal and hell...I’ve pulled a lot of children out of homes for that exact reason during my law enforcement years.”