Chapter 4 - Callum
four
Callum
I wake up with Kelly in my arms and the worst case of blue balls in recorded history.
Sunlight streams through the guest room windows, highlighting the golden strands in her hair where it's spread across my chest. She's still naked, soft and warm against my side, and the memory of last night – her taste, her sounds, the way she came apart calling me Daddy – makes my already painful erection throb with renewed interest.
Kelly stirs against my chest, making a small sound of contentment that goes straight to my groin. Her hand moves over my stomach and I bite back a groan.
"Morning," she says, voice drowsy.
"Morning, sweetheart."
She tilts her head up to look at me, cheeks flushing pink when she takes in our position – her naked body draped over mine, my arm wrapped possessively around her waist.
"Any regrets?" I ask.
Kelly considers it seriously. "No. You?"
"None."
She smiles, tension leaving her shoulders. "Good."
"The only thing I'm thinking about," I say, rolling her onto her back, "is how beautiful you look in my bed."
"Your bed?"
"My bed. My room. My girl."
The words slip out before I can stop them. Kelly's eyes widen, but instead of pulling away, she arches up to meet my kiss.
"Am I?" she asks against my lips. "Your girl?"
"Do you want to be?"
Her hand cups my cheek. "Yes. I want to be yours."
The words hit me like a punch to the chest. I've wanted to hear her say that for so long.
"I know this is complicated," she continues. "I know Tyler's going to lose his mind. But I don't care. Last night was everything I didn't know I needed."
"What did you need?" I ask.
Kelly's cheeks go pink, but she holds my gaze. "Someone to take control. To tell me what to do. To make me feel safe and..." She trails off.
"And what?"
"Small," she whispers. "But in a good way. Derek always made me feel small like I was stupid. You make me feel small like I'm precious. Worth protecting."
Something fierce rises in my chest. "You are precious. Never doubt that."
Kelly pulls me down for a slow, deep kiss full of promise.
"I should probably get up," she says eventually, though she doesn't move. "Shower. Be a functional adult."
"Should," I agree, but my hands are already moving over her body. "Or you could stay here and let me take care of you."
Kelly shivers. "What would that involve?"
"Well," I press kisses along her throat, "first I'd make you come on my tongue again. Then I'd run you a hot bath. Make you breakfast and watch you eat every bite, because you're too skinny and probably forget to eat."
"I'm not too skinny."
"I can feel your ribs." I run my hands along her sides and Kelly squirms. "When's the last time you had a proper meal?"
"I had a sandwich yesterday."
"Before that."
Kelly goes quiet, thinking too long.
"That's what I thought. From now on, I'm making sure you eat regular meals."
"From now on?" Her voice is soft, hopeful.
"From now on. If you'll let me."
"I'll let you," she says quickly, then blushes. "I mean, if you want to. I don't want to be a burden—"
"Stop." The command makes Kelly go quiet immediately. "You're not a burden. Taking care of you is a privilege."
Kelly stares at me with wide eyes, understanding what I'm offering. Not just sex, but something deeper. A dynamic where she can surrender control.
"Okay," she whispers.
"Okay?"
"Yes. I want you to take care of me."
The trust in her voice makes my chest tight. "Good girl."
Kelly practically melts at the praise. I lean down to kiss her, cupping her face with both hands.
"Can I..." she starts, then stops.
"Can you what, baby?"
"Can I call you... what I called you last night?" Her cheeks are red. "Or was that just a heat of the moment thing?"
"You can call me whatever feels right," I tell her. "Callum. Sir. Daddy. All of it. Whatever you need in the moment."
"Daddy," she tests the word, and I can see her processing how it makes her feel. "It sounds weird saying it in daylight."
"Does it feel weird?"
She considers. "No. Just... new. Good new, though."
"Then don't overthink it." I kiss her forehead. "We're figuring this out as we go, remember? There's no rulebook."
"What if I'm bad at it?"
"At what?"
"This. Being... yours. What if I don't know how to be a good—" she stumbles over the word, "—good girl?"
I can't help but smile at her earnestness. "Baby, you already are. You think too much. That's the whole point – you let me do the thinking."
"That's going to take practice."
"Then we'll practice." I roll her onto her back again, settling between her thighs. "Starting now."
"Now?" Kelly's breath catches.
"Now. Open your legs for me."
She obeys without hesitation, and I grin. "See? You're already doing great."
I'm just lowering my head when the sound of a car door slamming outside makes us both freeze.
Kelly's eyes go wide with panic. "Is that—"
"Tyler," I finish grimly, recognizing the sound of his truck.
Shit.
I move to the window and peer through the curtains. A familiar red pickup truck is parked in the driveway, and Tyler is walking toward the front door with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
"Yeah, that's Tyler."
Kelly sits up quickly, clutching the sheet to her chest. "What's he doing back? He said three weeks!"
"Job must have finished early," I say, grabbing my jeans from the floor. "Get dressed. Quickly."
Kelly scrambles out of bed, looking around frantically for her clothes. I toss her the t-shirt I was wearing yesterday, and she pulls it on over her head just as Tyler's voice echoes through the house.
"Kelly? Callum? You guys here?"
"Upstairs!" Kelly calls, her voice slightly higher than usual. "Give me a minute!"
I'm pulling my shirt on when Tyler's footsteps start up the stairs. Kelly looks panicked, her hair still mussed from sleep and my t-shirt hanging to mid-thigh in a way that clearly broadcasts what we've been doing.
"Bathroom," I mouth to her, pointing toward the en suite. "Fix your hair."
Kelly nods and disappears into the bathroom just as Tyler appears in the doorway of the guest room. He takes in my rumpled appearance, the obviously slept-in bed, and raises an eyebrow.
"Morning," he says mildly. "How'd you sleep?"
"Fine." I try to sound casual, but I can hear the roughness in my own voice. "Power went out during the storm last night."
"Yeah, I saw the crews working on the lines coming into town." Tyler leans against the doorframe. "Where's Kelly?"
"Bathroom."
As if summoned by her name, Kelly emerges from the en suite looking slightly more put together. She's managed to smooth down her hair and wash her face, but she's still wearing my t-shirt and nothing else, and Tyler's eyes narrow as he takes in her appearance.
"Hey, Tyler," Kelly says, trying for cheerful and missing by about a mile. "You're back early."
"Job finished ahead of schedule." Tyler's gaze moves between Kelly and me, and I can see the exact moment he puts the pieces together. His expression goes carefully neutral, which is somehow more terrifying than if he'd started yelling.
"I should go get dressed," Kelly says quickly. "For real clothes, I mean. Not that this isn't real, but you know what I mean."
She's babbling, which is never a good sign. Tyler steps aside to let her pass, and she practically runs down the hall to her own room, leaving me alone with her brother.
Tyler doesn't say anything for a long moment, just stands there looking at me with an expression I can't read. Finally, he pushes off from the doorframe and steps into the guest room, closing the door behind him.
"So," he says conversationally. "That happened."
"Tyler."
"How long?"
"How long what?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Callum. How long have you been sleeping with my sister?"
I could lie. I could tell him it just happened, that it was a one-time thing brought on by the storm and too much proximity. But Tyler knows me too well, and besides, I'm tired of pretending I don't have feelings for Kelly.
"Last night was the first time," I say. "But I've wanted her for years."
Tyler nods slowly, like this confirms something he already suspected. "Since she turned eighteen?"
"Yeah."
"And you never said anything."
"She was off limits. You made that clear."
"I did." Tyler moves to look out the window, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "I also said if she wasn't my sister, I'd think it was sweet. The way you look at her."
I remember that conversation, the night Tyler got drunk and told me he knew about my feelings for Kelly. I'd assumed it was a warning to stay away from her.
"Was it a test?" I ask. "Asking me to stay here?"
Tyler shrugs. "Maybe. Maybe I just wanted to see what would happen if I stopped getting in the way."
"Tyler."
"She's happy," Tyler says, still looking out the window. "I haven't seen Kelly really happy in... I don't know how long. But she was glowing when she came out of that bathroom, even though she was embarrassed."
I don't know what to say to that. Part of me expected Tyler to punch me in the face, not analyze Kelly's emotional state.
"She's been through hell with that jerk Derek," Tyler continues. "I was ready to drive up there and kick his teeth in when she called crying. If you can make her happy, if you can give her what she needs..." He turns to face me. "Then I guess I can live with it."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." Tyler's expression hardens slightly. "But if you hurt her, if you break her heart or make her feel like garbage about herself, I will end you. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good." Tyler heads for the door, then pauses with his hand on the knob. "For what it's worth, you're probably the only guy I'd trust with her. Just... try to keep the PDA to a minimum around me, okay? I'm not ready to see my baby sister getting mauled by my best friend."
"Deal."
Tyler nods and leaves, closing the door behind him. I sink down on the edge of the bed, running my hands through my hair. That went better than I expected, but it also makes this whole situation more real. More permanent.
Kelly's mine now. Officially, with Tyler's blessing.
There's a soft knock on the door, and Kelly peeks her head in. She's changed, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and she looks young and nervous and absolutely beautiful.
"Is it safe to come in?" she asks.
"It's safe."
Kelly slips into the room and closes the door behind her. "I heard voices. Angry voices."
"Not angry. Just... clarifying some things."
"What kind of things?" Kelly comes to sit beside me on the bed, her hands twisted together in her lap.
"The kind where your brother tells me he'll kill me if I hurt you, and I promise him I won't."
Kelly's eyes widen. "He's okay with this? With us?"
"He's okay with it."
"Really?"
I reach over and take her hands, untangling her fingers and holding them in mine. "Really. He wants you to be happy, sweetheart. And apparently, I make you happy."
"You do," Kelly says softly. "Happier than I've been in a long time."
"Good. Because you make me happy too." I bring her hands to my lips, pressing kisses to her knuckles.
Kelly's smile is soft and hopeful and everything I never knew I wanted. "Will you make me breakfast like you promised? And then we figure out what forever looks like."
Forever. The word should scare me, but it doesn't. With Kelly looking at me like I'm her whole world, forever doesn't seem nearly long enough.
"I can do that," I say, pulling her in for a kiss. "I can definitely do that."