“Or you could just be straight with me and say ‘Hey Bliss, I live in San Francisco and just crash in Sonoma sometimes. Thought you should know’,” I say in my best version of his deep and sexy timbre.
He laughs again, grabbing my hand and leading me out into a corridor when the elevator stops. He uses an electronic key fob to unlock the last door all the way down at the end of the hall. He pushes the door open and motions for me to enter the sleek entryway of his condo.
It’s all modern and manly, floor-to-ceiling windows and concrete countertops, sparse furnishings and industrial style. It’s so beautiful and perfect, I couldn’t have imagined anything better for Talan if I tried. I let my bag and heels drop at the door under a framed poster of a vintage racecar. I pad barefoot across the cool slate tile floor further into the condo. The kitchen is to the left of the entry, with an island dominating the open space. The dining room and living room have beautiful panoramic views of the Bay Bridge, lit up and beckoning through the wall of windows that take up two sides of the condo. A patio opens off the living room, with accordion doors that reveal a space that probably functions well both indoors and out.
I revolve on the spot slowly, taking in the space in its entirety. Talan is leaning against the wall, watching me with his arms crossed. I hold my arms out, indicating the condo. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
Talan laughs at my outburst. “You like it?”
“This place.” I shake my head and gesture around. “It’s incredible.”
“I’m looking at incredible.” Talan’s voice is all sex and awe, sending a thrill through my body as he crosses the room to stand in front of me.
I close the small distance, looking at him from under my lashes and sliding my hands up his chest slowly. His breathing quickens, the rise and fall of his ribcage pressing into me while his lips part in anticipation. “Make me forget, just for a night, that my life sucks.”
Talan lifts me quickly, hands firm on my ass as my legs easily close around his hips. He forces a gasp from my throat as he pushes me against the cool glass of the nearest window. His lips crash against mine, stealing my breath with his passion. I breathe in shallow pants, tilting my head back to allow his mouth to slide over my skin, marking me with tongue and lips and teeth. I fist his hair, pulling him closer, and arch my back to grind against him. A moan escapes me when he bites my neck, licking the pain away as it registers. His mouth finds mine, his tongue teasing until my lips open and delving inside to caress, suck, and breathe me into nothingness. The cool of the glass fades from my skin as he leaves the main space.
A soft bed cushions our landing as we fall backwards, still tangled in arms and legs and breath. I am dying to touch more of him. I work his jacket off, unsatisfied by the layers separating me from his skin. Talan breaks away, shedding his jacket and pulling his shirt over his head in one swift movement. I drag my nails down his sculpted chest, making him hiss through his teeth before I pop his belt open and fumble with his pants. His hands replace mine, making short work of my arduous task. He leaves the bed for a moment, stepping out of his pants and returning to his home between my legs in only his underwear. He hooks his fingers under the straps of my dress, sliding them down my shoulders roughly, freeing my chest of restricting fabric. I lift my hips and let him pull the dress down my legs, shivering as he follows the material with his lips.
I suck in a breath as he bites my inner thigh, inching his way toward the apex of my legs. I fall open for him, wanting nothing more than to be completely consumed. My back jerks off the bed when his lips find me through the wet silk of my panties, nibbling and pulling at the material. His hands slide beneath my ass, gathering my panties and drawing them down my legs with a jerk. I am completely naked below him. The thought makes me writhe in the tortured absence of his hands on me. He puts me out of my misery, lifting my legs over his shoulders and burying his face in my hot, wet core, his tongue sliding along my folds, hungrily lapping at my clit.
I clutch the duvet beneath me, gathering and twisting as he works me higher toward that place where nothing exists but pure feeling. It’s where worlds explode and fires consume. A place you can be burned clean of the dross, at least for the night. I pant, barely able to gulp the air my lungs scream for as the pressure builds. He slides two fingers inside me, beckoning me home. For a moment my body goes rigid before my hips start to buck wildly. A cry bursts from my lips as he throws me over the cliff of release where I spin, helpless and hungry and exploding like the stars that paint my eyelids.
Light kisses along my hip bones bring me back to the soft bed and the hard man who just gave me a new reason to live.
“Feel good?” he asks from his spot between my legs, now splayed with liquid bones beside him.
“Mmmhmm,” I manage, throwing an arm over my face and smiling.
Talan slides away, rummaging in the low nightstand beside the bed. “Want to feel even better?”
“Oh, yes, definitely,” I say, lifting myself gingerly onto my elbows to watch him.
His smile is sexy and filled with manly pride. The last of his clothes are now gone. I finally get to see him in full-frontal goodness, standing straight and proud and getting the latex condom treatment as I watch. I lick my lips and pull myself further onto the bed, allowing him space to crawl over me.
“Do you know what I want to do to you, Bliss?” he asks, his stubbly chin caressing my chest as he nuzzles my boobs.
“I hope it includes fucking me senseless.”
“Dirty girl. Is that what you want?” He sucks my nipple into his warm mouth, swirling his tongue around the pebbled skin until it points sharply. He bites the flesh he’s mounded with his hand, teasing and licking me into a frenzy of desire once again.
“You didn’t answer me. Do you want me, baby?” I have a feeling he’s asking for more than permission to have sex with me.
“Yes. Oh my god, yes,” I reply, knowing full well the dual questions I’m answering. I want everything Talan is offering me, in the moment and beyond. I‘m choosing him.
Talan skims his hand down my body, finding my thigh and hitching my leg over his hip as he slides slowly inside. He manages to stretch and fill and make me feel like home. I rock my hips to meet him, finally satisfied when he’s fully inside me. I let out the sweetest sigh of contentment, knowing this is what I’ve been waiting for. What I’ve been missing and wanting and needing.
“Damn, baby, you feel so fucking good,” Talan grits out, holding himself steady above me, his eyes shut tightly.
I pull his face down to mine, drowning in his kiss as he begins to move within me. Slow at first, he finds a rhythm that has me humming and gasping quickly. I desperately need every wild ounce he’ll give me. I meet his thrusts with my own, holding onto his shoulders as he once again drives me to the abyss where I exist in nothingness.
Sweet. Salty. And so close. I sit on the edge, perched for a high-dive into a drop of water. He changes his position slightly, running himself over and through me and, oh god, there it is. My release buckles me, twists me, and turns me inside out. He has exposed my very being to light and air and explosions that leave me breathless. He is water to my parched soul.
His release quickly follows mine, a few hard thrusts with my tight heat milking him forces a groan from his mouth. We both collapse, shaking and spent, gasping for breath.
I run trembling fingers lightly along Talan’s back as he breathes heavily with his head resting on my chest.
“Incredible.”
“Mmhmm,” he replies, nuzzling my breast with his nose, placing a kiss on my skin. He rolls to his back, sitting up and glancing at me. “Be right back.” He heads to the attached bathroom, but returns quickly.
He lies down next to me, holding his arm out in invitation for me to crawl up next to him. I slide under his arm, resting my head on his chest and tentatively reach my arm over his stomach. He closes his arms around me, trapping me in a post-coital cuddle that feels fantastic and eases any trepidat
ion I might have had about what would happen next.
He’s intent on keeping me around for the evening.
I close my eyes and lose myself in this place that exists outside of my world’s problems. Here, my mom is not sick and my father has not turned my life inside out.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Hey baby, I think it’s time to wake up now.”
I keep my eyes shut and roll away from the offending words, hell-bent on not acknowledging what they ask. Soft fingers trace along my spine, making their way into the nape of my neck and running through my hair. I relax instantly. If this is how he plans to wake me up, he’s going to be disappointed.
He chuckles. “Sweet girl, your phone has been buzzing for the last hour. I think you’re wanted.”
That snaps my eyes open and makes me sit up, pulling the soft white duvet with me. I look around and see sunlight softly diffused by light gray pull-down blinds, which is why I have been able to sleep as late as I imagine even though there’s an entire wall made of windows.
“Here.” Talan hands me my phone, lit up with notifications and texts.
I rub my eyes and imagine I’m quite the sight—hair mussed up from sex and sleep, last night’s makeup still on. I scroll through my messages, seeing updates from Willa letting me know the fundraiser was far more successful than we imagined. We brought in thousands of dollars more than we hoped, and that they had closed down when the party ended.
I click on another text, this one from Mom. She’s apologizing for Andy showing up, asking that I give him a chance and understand she would like him in her life while she can. I snort ungracefully, wanting to give life the middle finger for how their lives turned out. I get it though, and tap a reply letting her know I love her and want her to have whatever happiness she can. I may not be as thrilled to have him around as she is, but I can respect this much. Maybe I’ll like him more after I get to know him. I finally check the time and see it’s barely nine o’clock. That’s not nearly as late as I thought it would be. Talan totally could have let me sleep later, as this was the first night in a week I have managed to feel rested after sleeping.
Must be the fantastic sex and mighty orgasms.
I imagine how much better life would be if that happened every day, and set a goal to find out. I lay my phone on the bed, wrapping my arms around my bent legs, and rest my head on my knees as I look at Talan. He’s wearing loose pajama bottoms and looking like sin as he lounges on the bed beside me.
“I liked waking up with you in my bed, even if you’re not much of a morning person,” he says with a grin. “I bet I could turn you into one with a few well-placed kisses to wake you up.”
“You could definitely try, but this is a life-long struggle. Mornings and I don’t get along well. If I had my way, they would start at ten a.m. and no earlier.” My voice is husky from sleep.
“Challenge accepted.” The devilish grin on Talan’s face sends my pulse racing as he pulls my blankets over his head and parts my legs. He gives me a good morning like I’ve never experienced. I think he’s right. I could definitely learn to like mornings if they started out like this every day.
Talan finally lets me out of bed once I am satisfied, and gives me a t-shirt to wear as we walk barefoot to the kitchen in search of food. He seems to enjoy the taste of me, but my stomach growls in need of something a little more solid. I let him cook eggs—“just whites, as dry as you can get them”—and toast—“with peanut butter, if you have it”—for me while I sit at the island and watch him. His kitchen is modern and sleek like the rest of the condo. The concrete countertops are cool under my arms, but he makes me warm just watching him move around the kitchen with ease. I nibble the toast when he sets a plate in front of me and eye his own, heaped with scrambled eggs and buttered bread.
“What are your plans today?” he asks, forking eggs into his mouth.
“I have a job later in Pac Heights. A socialite wants hair and makeup for an event.” I wipe peanut butter from the corner of my mouth with my thumb.
“Pacific Heights is close to the Villa Sonoma tasting room. Want to meet up for dinner after?”
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll get tired of me if you see me so much?” I tease to mask my underlying apprehension.
“Not at all.” Talan looks down at his plate, his grin fading. “I’m more afraid you will change your mind about me and disappear. I plan to spend as much time with you as I can to try to avoid that.”
“Aren’t you revealing your cards too soon? Don’t guys like to keep an air of mystery about them when they start seeing a girl? You know, that ‘wait three days to call her back so she doesn’t think you are too interested’ thing?”
“I waited an entire week to text you, remember?” He shakes his head at me, turning to look down at the countertop with the hint of a smile. “I actually find that with you, things feel different. I don't want to play stupid games that waste my time or yours. I want you to know my intentions. Besides, I don’t want you jumping to conclusions and running away.” He laughs at the look of mock disdain I give him.
“I was serious, Talan. Hell yes, okay? I made my choice, and I’m sticking to it. I want you.” His face softens with understanding. “I don't want to waste another minute being afraid that I will drown in you if I give in. Even if I do drown, I know you’re going to be there with me, helping me breathe underwater.”
“Why would you drown, baby?”
I scrub my face with my hands, not sure how exactly to explain to this beautiful man the battles I have been fighting. I go for simple honesty.
“I’ve been so worried that I won’t be able to give my mom all the time and attention she deserves while she lives out what time she has left. I thought I wouldn’t be able to balance working enough jobs to pay my bills if I made one more addition to my life in the form of a relationship.” I look down at my hands, fiddling with my fork and breathe deeply, ready to reveal all of my fears and doubts. “You suck me in when I’m with you. I can’t seem to see what’s around me, because you’re so bright and shiny.”
He smiles at me, but stays quiet, expecting I have more to offer.
I do.
“I don’t want to live in the rest of my crappy life when you’re so much better. But that makes me feel selfish and ungrateful because I would rather be in your orbit where things are awesome and rosy than dealing with my mother dying. I think my biggest fear and what holds me back the most is not knowing how I would cover all of her expenses now that she can’t work. She may only have three months left to live, but that’s a lot to take on when I’m barely making enough to cover my own bills. The fundraiser was super successful, but I don't know if it will be enough to cover life, as well as her bucket list items that I want so badly for her to experience. And who knows what will happen at the very end, when I will just want to be by her side every moment I can in case it’s her last.” I peek at Talan from under the weight of my shame and insecurities. I hope he doesn’t see me revealing my financial burdens as a cry for him to fix everything for me with his money.
“Do you want my help?” he asks without hesitation.
“Not in the financial sense, I couldn’t ask that of you. I will need your help with balance, and figuring out creative ways to spend time with you in the process. If you can respect my need to give as much of myself and my time to my mom right now, and not resent me for it, it would be the best kind of help you could offer.”
“Of course, Bliss, that’s not even a question. I want to be here for you, and your mom. I can definitely respect what you are willing to give to me. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll do whatever it takes to support you and make sure you get what you need, as much as you find ways to support your mom. We all need someone watching our backs.”
I regard Talan with a new respect, the hope I feel for something with him growing in my heart with his easy acceptance. “How can you be so perfect? You’re hot, you explode my panties with amazing orgasms, and you are incredibly ki
nd.”
Talan grins wickedly. “Baby, this has only just begun. If you think the orgasms are good now, just wait.”
I shake my head at him and roll my eyes. “But seriously. Thank you for understanding. And being perfect. Although, I don't think I can live up to this precedent you have set. I’m a hot mess most of the time, crying my eyes out, worrying about things, not sure what direction I’m supposed to be going.”
“As long as this hot mess ends up in my direction, I’ll take the bad with the good.” He pulls me off my stool to stand between his legs. “I promise to give you all the orgasms if you stay with me.”
I laugh at him and kiss him sweetly. “I think I can agree to that offer.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Talan dropped me off at the warehouse so I could drive the Mini back to my apartment.
When I get home, Willa pounces on me, literally knocking me to the floor where she straddles my hips and shakes my shoulders.
“Tell me everything! I want to know about your new daddy. I want to know what went down with your man-candy. I need all of the details.” She is yelling in my face out of excitement and anticipation.
“Get off me, you hag,” I tell her playfully. I’m feeling generous after multiple amazing orgasms in the last twenty-four hours. “Did you have too much coffee today? You know that drinking more than one cup makes you crap like crazy. You better hope you don’t have to leave the house or you’ll probably shit yourself.”
Willa smacks my arm lightly, but climbs off me and helps me to my feet. “I didn’t have any coffee, actually. I’m just dying to know what is going on with you. There is way too much I missed, and no one else is able to tell me a thing.”
I follow Willa to the sectional couch, each of us grabbing throw pillows and getting comfy.
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