Devi's Bliss: Books 4-6

by Mika Lane

  When she started to come down, he pulled her to his lap. She collapsed with her head on his shoulder, quaking.

  “You didn’t get much of a massage,” she said in a faint voice. “Sorry ’bout that.”

  “It’s okay. I got what I came for.” He took her by the chin and pressed a sweet kiss on her chafed mouth. She returned his affection with small nibbles and tastes until someone knocked on the door.

  “Guys,” a muffled voice called to them from the other side, “There’s another client coming in. You need to clear out.”

  They stood as quickly as their shaky legs would permit and gathered their scattered clothing. When they’d straightened the room and were presentable, they pulled open the door.

  Noelle faced them with a huge grin.

  “What?” Gaia said to her.

  Noelle blushed and avoided their gazes. “Nothing. Nothing.” She pushed past them into the room to make last minute adjustments before her own client session started.

  Gaia and Luke headed toward reception, but she stopped before rounding the corner. She turned to him. Glancing around to ensure their privacy, she pushed up on her toes to lay one more kiss on him.“I wanted to say goodbye to you in private.”

  “Good call,” Luke said. He pushed a lock of hair behind her hair. “You are freaking amazing.”

  Gaia felt a warm blush scream across her face. It was that damn redhead thing again, that she could never hide.

  “Thank you for coming,” she stammered. “It…it means a lot to me.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way. Because I plan to see a lot more of you.”

  Her heart went thump.

  “Talk later?” he said, planting one more kiss on her cheek.

  She smiled at him. “Yeah. ‘Course.”

  He headed for the front door, leaving her in the hallway. When it closed behind him, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

  Can I do this?

  After work, Gaia pulled up in front of her house and spotted her sister’s car in the driveway.

  Why is Tab home?

  She usually stayed late at the shop, going over the books, and merchandising for the next day.

  “Hello?” Gaia called when she’d closed the front door behind her.

  “Out here.”

  Gaia followed her sister’s voice to their small back deck where she sat in the dark, wrapped in a thick blanket to ward off the evening chill.

  “Tab? Why you sitting out here?”

  Her sister sniffled.

  Oh, shit.

  “Tab?” Gaia stood directly in front of her sister. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she could make out her red eyes and nose, and the crumpled tissue in her fist.

  Pulling over a chair, Gaia sat. She rubbed Tabitha’s shoulder through the heavy blanket.

  “What’s going on? Did something happen at the store?”

  Tabitha released her breath loudly. “No. Not really. I mean, the shop itself is fine. It’s the future of the shop that’s not fine.” Her voice quavered as she finished her sentence and buried her head in her hands.

  “Okay,” Gaia said. “I’m worried about it, too. But we’re gonna make this work, right?”

  Her sister sighed loudly. “I hope so. But I’m not as confident as I was.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “I was speaking with one of the investors today. He’s willing to back me, but he said it’s not going to be easy to compete. Real estate in the city is so expensive now.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to come up with enough money.”

  “But you said your investors would back you again.”

  They could not lose the shop…absolutely not.

  “They did.” Tabitha leaned her head back to look at the night sky. “But it’s not going to be enough.” Her voice got shaky again. “I’ve worked so hard. The shop is my dream. I love the customers, the product we sell. I even love doing the books. And I love that you help me.”

  They laughed at that one.

  “I love it, too.” Her heart threatened to break into a million pieces.

  Tabitha said, “It’s not easy to move a retail business. It’s like starting over. I don’t know if I can do that again.”

  Gaia swallowed, and then took a deep breath to share something she’d been contemplating.

  “You know, Tab, when Dan passed away, he left me pretty well taken care of. He had managed our insurance and investments really well.”

  “He was a good man.”

  “He was,” she agreed as her chest tightened. Two years and it was still hard to talk about him. “I want to help you. I think Dan would be very happy his money was going to help you with your dream.”

  A sob burst from Tabitha’s throat.

  “I…I can’t take what Dan left you.” Her shoulders shook with emotion. “But thank you, Gaia. You are a good sister, and I love you.” Tabitha shook off the heavy blanket and threw her arms around Gaia.

  Gaia stroked her sister’s hair as she trembled against her. When her breathing calmed, she wrapped the blanket around her sister and led her into the house. Tabitha leaned into her as they left the cool night behind.

  “Hey, why don’t you let me run a bath for you?” Gaia suggested.

  “Okay. Will you sit with me?”

  “Of course.” Gaia steered her sister through the house to the bathroom they shared. She settled her sister on the edge of the tub while she adjusted the water temperature, and poured lavender Epsom salts under the open faucet.“How ‘bout I get some wine for us?”

  Tabitha splashed some of the running water on her face. “Yeah. I could use some wine.”

  When Gaia returned with an open bottle and plastic wine glasses, her sister was in the tub with her strawberry blonde hair twisted into a messy topknot. Gaia settled herself onto the edge of the tub, and they clicked their plastic glasses together.

  After a long draw on her wine, Tabitha looked at her sister. “So what’s up with you? And the guy with the plane? What’s his name?”

  “Luke. And he’s…” her voice trailed off. “He’s great. Really great.” She shook her head as if that would make the discomfort go away.

  “Okay,” Tabitha said. “That is probably the least enthusiastic use of the word great I’ve ever heard. What’s going on?”

  Gaia shook her head as she looked at a spec of cork floating in her wine. “It feels wrong.”

  She watched Tabitha splash her feet out of the far end of the tub.

  “It must be so hard. I can’t even imagine. You know I’m here for you, Sis.”

  Tears threatened to breach Gaia’s eyelids, but she fought them hard. So tired of crying.

  She dashed her hand across her eyes. “Sometimes it feels like Dan’s been gone ten years. Sometimes, it’s like he passed only yesterday. And sometimes it’s like he never existed at all.”

  Tabitha took her hand. “Sweetie. He’ll never be completely gone. No matter how much time has passed.”

  “I lost him once, and I guess I’m afraid if I get involved with someone else I’ll lose him all over again.”

  But, as time passed, she’d seen one thing become abundantly clear. The grieving didn’t end. Like a scar, it became a permanent part of the landscape. It wasn’t going to go away, and truthfully, she wasn’t sure she wanted it to.

  And with that in mind, she needed to figure out how to keep living.

  To keep living with the grief.

  From where she sat on the edge of the tub, she trickled her fingers through the hot bath water.“I’m getting there. I mean, I think I’m getting there.”

  Tabitha nodded. “This Luke seems like a good one, from what you’ve told me.”

  “I’m still getting to know him. But he is smart and kind. Good looking. An inventor of some sort.”

  “An inventor?”

  “I know.” Gaia laughed. “It’s such an old-fashioned word. He develops gaming
technologies. But don’t worry. He already knows I don’t play video games.”

  “And…I don’t think you’re gonna start,” Tabitha laughed. “Anyway, what are you going to do about him?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t know. It’s such a cliché, but what do you do when something feels both right and wrong?”

  “You keep going. Just like you have for two years,” Tabitha said.

  Chapter 7

  “Oh my god. Look at this place!”

  Gaia whirled around Luke’s condo in the Two Bridges Tower, one of the chicest addresses in all of San Francisco. The building was also the tallest in the city, and since Luke had the top floor, there was not a single thing obstructing the view. Except for a couple daredevil seagulls.

  She rushed to the expanse of glass that faced the Bay Bridge, now lit up by thousands of LED lights. In the opposite direction was a view across town of the Golden Gate Bridge. In between were Alcatraz, Angel Island, the East Bay, and of course the city streets—far, far below.

  “It’s like we’re on top of the world,” she said, turning to him with wide eyes. “It’s incredible. No one can see us, we’re so high. With the exception of low-flying aircraft, I suppose.” She smiled and shook her head.

  “Don’t laugh,” Luke said. “I did see a news helicopter go right by my window not long ago. I can’t be certain, but I suspect they were trying to peek in my window.” He walked up behind her, and with a glass of bubbly in each hand, wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her hair. He took a deep inhale, and she was glad she’d worn her best perfume—something she’d not done in a long time. It had been a gift from Dan just a couple months before he died.

  No! Not now…

  “You smell so good. What is that?”

  Gaia spun in Luke’s arms until she faced him. Taking one of the champagne flutes from him, she sipped the bubbly.

  “It’s Caleche by Hermes.” She tilted her neck just enough for him to get a better whiff.

  “Delicious.” His lips wandered from her neck, across her jaw, and up to her mouth. “Just like you.”

  Yielding under his firm pressure, her lips parted to feel his exploring tongue and taste his champagne. She stopped long enough to take him by the hand and head for the sofa. “Thank you for dinner tonight. I love Boulevard. It’s probably my favorite restaurant in the whole world. So elegant.”

  “Like you.” He reached to untie her green silk wrap dress.

  But she stopped him.

  “Something wrong?” he asked.

  She took a step back, considering her plan. “No, not at all. I just want to try something a bit different tonight.”

  “Okay. What, then?”

  Gaia rose, poured them each more champagne, and sank into the leather chair opposite the sofa.

  It’s okay. It’s okay to enjoy this.

  He frowned. “What are you doing way over there?”

  “You’ll see. Now will you follow my instructions?”

  “Uh…sure, I guess.” His brow furrowed. He set down his champagne and placed his hands on his knees. “What do I have to do?”

  “You don’t have to do anything. But I hope you will want to.”

  “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

  “Glad you asked. Why don’t you start by removing your suit jacket?”

  Luke stood, removed his jacket and placed it over the back of the sofa.

  “While you’re up, you can take off your shoes and socks and belt.”

  “Damn. Getting a bit demanding, are we?” he remarked with a smile.

  When he finished his task, he plopped back down on the sofa, elbows on knees. “How’m I doing?”

  “Fine. So far.” Gaia leaned back in her chair and parted her legs, just a bit at a time. Luke’s gaze flew to the sheer silk thong barely covering her shaved pussy. His hand fell to his crotch and adjusted his growing erection.

  “Wait! No touching yourself. At least not yet,” she barked.

  “Jesus. What are you up to?”

  “Unbutton your shirt. Slowly.” She ran her hands over her bare thighs. A shiver blasted her from head to toe.

  He reached for his cufflinks and set them on the glass coffee table separating the two of them. He then began to work the buttons of his shirt, one by one. His gaze dropped from hers, to the hard nipples straining against her silk dress, down to the barely-there panties becoming more visible as she opened her legs wider. She let her fingers trail over the wetness between her legs, soaking the thin fabric.

  He sucked his breath in a sharp inhale, and he rose from his seat.

  “Wait. Stay there,” she commanded.

  “Huh?”

  “Please. Let me run the show,” she said.

  “Okay, okay.” He threw his hands in the air in mock drama.

  “Now, remove the rest of your clothes,” she directed.

  His eyebrows rose as he unbuttoned his trousers. They dropped to the floor. His fingers slid under the elastic waist of his boxers, and they crumbled at his feet, too.

  There he stood, gloriously naked. Oh, did she admire him. From his tousled hair to his cleft chin, past the perfect splay of hair across his muscular chest, to his cock—hard and standing at attention.

  She let him stay like that for a moment, his gaze drilling into hers. Moving closer to the edge of her chair, her knees parted even wider. She slipped one finger inside her silky panty, then drew it to her mouth for a taste. Her pulse quickened.

  “Stroke yourself,” she commanded.

  “Can I sit?” he asked.

  “Not until I tell you to.”

  He wore a sly smile. “This is kinda fun, you playing at boss lady.”

  “Yeah? And do you like seeing me finger my wet pussy?”

  He just smiled.

  Cock in fist, his strokes were slow and deliberate. His expansive palm slid from his base to the head and rested there. He then ran it over the large drop of precum on the tip, spreading it down his shaft.

  Her heart raced at his movements. Her breath caught and she lapped at her lips. She added another finger to the one already inside her panty, and both grazed her velvety pussy lips. To ensure Luke had a perfect view, she perched on the edge of her chair, dress hiked nearly to her hips, her four-inch stilettos under her feet. Everything between her legs was on beautiful display, and from the sound of his low moan, he found her performance riveting.

  His strokes were slow but he couldn’t fool her. The tension building was evident in the tendons straining from his neck.

  He wet his dry lips and gestured toward her with his chin.“Take off the panties.”

  Her hand stopped its stroking, but she did not withdraw it from the silk. Tilting her head, she considered his request. The pure fire in his eyes was dizzying, and thinking straight was getting harder. But she managed to lift her ass a couple inches from the chair, drag her panties down her hips, and pull them over her high heels. She chucked them at him, and he caught them with his empty hand.

  Bringing her damp panties to his face, he closed his eyes as he took a deep inhale of her scent. “Fuck, baby.” He moaned. “I’m so hard.”

  He crumpled them into one tight fist, and shuddered, his stroking hand picking up speed.

  Now that she was no longer hampered by the restrictive silk, her fingers dove in and out of her folds, spreading her juices up and down her slit, finally resting on her hard clit. Long past her erotic teasing, she was greedy for her own release, and her breaths were made ragged by her furious pumping. A whimper escaped her lips.

  “Oh fuck, baby,” he groaned, reaching his edge. Thick streams of cum flew from the tip of his cock onto the glass table below, leaving creamy white dots like careless graffiti.

  His gaze never broke from hers, and as she stroked herself for a moment longer, she could hear only the blood roaring in her ears. She cried out as her whole body trembled. Collapsing back into her chair, she closed her eyes. Her hand remained buried between her thighs and she rubbed
the hard knot that kept her orgasm washing over her.

  After a minute, she opened her eyes.

  Luke watched her. “Come over here, will you?” He’d fallen back into the sofa, cock still in hand.

  She pushed off the chair onto wobbly legs and, in three steps, sank to the sofa, snuggling into his arms, her head on his shoulder. Her wrap dress had come untied and hung off her like a limp rag. Her stiletto heels remained intact.

  “God, you look sexy with those fuck-me shoes and your dress half-falling off.” His gaze moved over her face. “And your hair looks like you’ve been freshly fucked,” he added, kissing her temple.

  He didn’t look so bad himself. Beautifully and unselfconsciously nude, he sat back on the sofa, legs spread wide to make room for his relaxing balls. He had an ankle crossed over his opposite knee, and his still-erect cock was wet and glistening from his explosive orgasm. During their zesty session, the moon had moved in line with one of the apartment’s huge windows. Both Gaia’s and Luke’s gazes were lured toward the irresistible sliver of white light that cut the night sky.

  “Are you spending the night with me?” He absentmindedly flicked a strand of her hair between his fingers.

  She hesitated.

  There’s nothing wrong with this…

  “Sure.” She snuggled deeper into him. “I have to get up early, though. I’ve got clients.”

  “Sure enough. I gotta get up early, too.”

  “It’s so wild you can sit here stark naked in front of floor to ceiling windows and absolutely no one can see you.” She shook her head.

  “Well, remember. It’s not absolutely no one. There’s the issue of low-flying aircraft.” He laughed. “And then there was the time the window washers came over the roof line, basically rappelling down the building in their boom. I was drinking coffee in the buff. It was pretty funny. But come to think of it, those dudes probably see crazy shit every day.”

  “Oh, god. I bet they do. Hey, it could be kind of fun to put on a little show sometime…”

  He ruffled her hair. “There are plenty of ways we can have fun. And doing it in front of window washers is not one of them.” He took another sip of the now-warm champagne and settled into the sofa to admire the night sky with her.