A Taste of Bliss

by Adrian R. Hale

  “Oh fuck, Bliss.”

  With his hips pressed as tightly to my ass as he can get, his release is hot and wet inside me. The pulses of his climax keep me coming, the sensations building and releasing long after they should. I am left panting, clutching the oak below me as the sensitivity sets in and leaves my muscles jerking when he pulls out. His come slides down my inner thighs, marking me as his in the most primal way. I oddly want to savor the feeling, parade it around for all to see. I am Talan’s. I have his essence all over me.

  “Fuck,” Talan says again, resting his head against my stomach from his position on his knees in front of me. “You’ve ruined me, Bliss. I need that, all of the time now,” he says.

  He steadies me by the hip and uses my panties to wipe my trembling legs. He kisses my thigh and helps me back into my jeans, now commando as he stuffs the soiled scrap of fabric into his pocket. Setting me against the barrel, he stands to place my tank top over my head. I pull my arms through as he does up his own shirt buttons.

  Once he is fully dressed, he pulls me back into his arms, softly caressing my hair as he kisses my forehead, my eyelids, my cheeks, and finally he lightly presses his lips to mine.

  “Thank you,” I tell him simply. My hands cover his where they rest against my cheeks, full with my smile and flushed from exertion.

  “Baby, I haven’t had that much fun at this winery, ever. You have made this my new favorite room in the whole place. If your mom wasn’t waiting on us, I’d do it again.”

  I laugh at his comment, fully believing him. “You should name a wine after me,” I joke, gesturing around at the barrels.

  He smiles widely. “That’s a great idea.” He points me toward the barrel I was just draped over. “That moscato is sweet, has delicate floral aromas with lively citrus notes. I think it fits you perfectly.” He tips my face up so he can kiss me again.

  “I was kidding, Talan. You don't have to name anything after me. Now let’s go find Mom. I’m sure she’s starting to wonder what kind of trouble we’re up to.”

  I lace my fingers with his and lead him back up the stairs and through the barrel room into the hot sunshine outside. I shade my eyes with my hand as I adjust to the change in light. A nagging doubt enters my mind as we walk, our shoulders pressed together.

  “Do you…” I falter, not sure how to ask, but can’t stop the question from burning right through my mental barricade. “Do you, you know…do that with a lot of girls here?”

  Talan stops walking, pulling me to face him. “Never. I don’t mix business with pleasure.” He shakes his head. “Until you came along, I guess. You do something to me; make me want you everywhere, at any time. Please don’t think I’m treating you like I would any other girl. You are so much more than that to me.” He draws my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles.

  My insecure, jealous side satisfied, I nod and let him lead me back to the tasting room. Mom is hanging out at a table in the cafe, an empty plate in front of her and her glass half full of a white wine. She’s chatting happily with another patron, a brunette woman about her age, dressed casually in crisp black shorts and a sleeveless white shirt.

  She waves us over when she sees us enter. “Oh, there she is, my daughter. Bliss, come meet Coralee. She lives in Los Gatos, can you believe that? Such a small world.” Talan and I shake Coralee’s hand and sit near them at a table.

  “Bliss, it’s so nice to meet you. My daughter Amelia is getting married here at Villa Sonoma, this fall. I was up here picking the wines for the reception and Lisa has told me so much about your work. I want to hire you to do the hair and makeup for the wedding party.”

  Coralee gives me the date of the wedding so I can check my availability. Thankfully, the day is still open, so I can agree to work with them.

  “Bliss is actually the winery’s preferred hair and makeup artist, so you are making a wise choice,” Talan says, running his hand along my thigh unseen under the table.

  “Since when?” I stop his hand between my thighs when he gets dangerously close to making my eyes roll back while I’m trying to be professional.

  “Since the owner met you and decided he only wanted you to be working events here.” He stares at me, a crooked grin splitting his face as he wiggles his fingers, still within the vice grip of my thighs.

  “Well that settles it, then. I know Amelia will be so happy to have this taken care of. She really can’t be bothered with the details of the wedding planning.” Coralee waves her hands dismissively, shaking her head in distaste. “She would have preferred to not even have a big wedding, but has graciously allowed me to turn it into something other than what she had in mind. A courthouse ceremony and backyard reception just wouldn’t please the family.” She chuckles and waves the idea away with her hand. “Her fiancé works for Apple, some sort of engineering position. They have a lot of friends and family that would have been disappointed to not be a part of this wedding. After all, they have dated for ten years.”

  “What’s her fiancé’s name?” Talan asks, his curiosity piqued.

  “Alan Rothman. I believe he’s in development or something. Do you know him?”

  Talan laughs. “Actually, I do. He and I worked together at Stratus.”

  “What’s Stratus?” I ask, leaning away to study him. He looks a bit guilty. I feel another surprise coming. It sets my teeth on edge.

  “It was a start-up company I put together while in college. We started out with cloud-based apps. We developed a low-power fingerprint scanner that a few companies adopted for their cell phone interfaces. That finally put us on the map.”

  “Oh, I knew about the scanner because Alan worked on them, but I didn’t know about the apps. Did you just make fingerprint scanners after that?” Coralee asks, resting her chin in her palm as she stares at Talan in dreamy interest. I wonder if I look at him like that.

  Probably.

  But not right now.

  “Stratus changed a lot in the few years I was working on it. We brought in fresh talent all the time that took the company all over the map, both in engineering and the end result of our products. We made a few other things that sold well, like chips, but most notably a rechargeable battery that was smaller, more flexible, and far more powerful than anything on the market. I sold Stratus to another company a few years ago.”

  “Well that’s quite wonderful for you, young man. I do remember when Alan was working at Stratus. He seemed to like it quite well. I don’t think I quite knew the scope of the products he was working on back then.”

  My jaw is hanging open unattractively, my mind completely blown over this new revelation. How could he have not said anything about this to me? It absolutely explains how he had the money to buy a freaking winery at twenty-three. And the beautiful condo in South Beach. Hell, it explains a whole lot, but not why he kept this from me. I smack Talan’s shoulder a little harder than would be considered playful.

  “Are you kidding me?” I ask, keeping my voice lower than my incredulity would warrant.

  Talan tries to hide his sheepish smile. “I was going to tell you…eventually.”

  Coralee and Mom laugh. “It’s a new relationship for them. She still has a lot to learn about Talan,” Mom says to Coralee in explanation.

  “Oh, new relationships are the best.” Coralee clasps her hands together and smiles sweetly. “Enjoy it, you two. The newness wears off too quickly, and you will find yourselves comfortable and in a routine very soon.”

  I highly doubt Talan will allow us to fall into a comfortable routine, if he plans to keep dropping new information on me like this. Surprises seriously throw me for a loop. I hate them.

  “Don’t look so unhappy, Bliss. Here, have some of this moscato, you’ll love it.” Mom holds out her glass of wine to me.

  I clamp my hand to my mouth as laughter sputters through my fingers. I look at Talan, his own tight smile just barely containing the laughter that’s shining in his eyes.

  “I was stuffed on that moscato
earlier.” I barely manage to suppress the laughter that wants to break free. “But yes, I actually love it, and the barrels it’s fermented in.” I wave off her offer while thinking of our very recent moscato experience.

  Oh my god, that poor barrel. I snicker as I think that at least now it will be made with love.

  Mom looks at me curiously while returning the glass to her table. Thankfully, she doesn’t pry into my poorly hidden innuendo. Instead, she engages Coralee in more talk of the wedding planning.

  Mom can make friends anywhere. It’s the gift of a hair stylist, being able to engage a person, to get them comfortable as soon as they sit in your chair. Half an hour later, we say our goodbyes to Coralee. She is quite excited to have me on board for the wedding, and I’m happy to have another booking.

  “I guess it’s about time for us to leave, too.” I pout my lips, sliding my fingers through Talan’s. He keeps our hands clasped as he draws his arm over and around me, pulling me back to his chest as we walk out to the parking lot.

  “I’m going to turn the car on and let the AC get cool. You two take your time.” Mom takes the keys from my hand and walks to the Mini. “Bye Talan and thank you. You are a sweetheart for everything you arranged today,” Mom says over her shoulder.

  “Bye Lisa, have so much fun this week.” She just waves over her shoulder, giving us privacy. Mom is truly a classy, understanding lady. Talan turns me around in his arms, his hands resting on my hips. “Now.” He brings his gaze to my face, his eyes tracing my lips. “I hope you can remember what you have waiting for you at home while you’re off having fun in Vegas.”

  His hands follow the curves of my waist, his thumbs brushing across my breasts. My nipples instantly rise to his touch. He rubs circles around them, my entire body tightening in response as a breathy sigh escapes my lips. My eyes flutter closed as his hands slide down my back, coming to rest on my ass as his lips meet mine. My arms lift under his, grasping his shoulders as I rise onto my toes to deepen our kiss. I want him to be the last thing I taste at the winery.

  There’s an urgency to our tongues. Our lips bruise in the punishing pressure we both apply. All too soon, it’s over and he’s walking me to the car.

  “I’ll miss you.” I look up at him, back-lit by the sun, a blazing halo of light around him. I trace the outline of his face, softly blurred by the brightness behind him.

  He gently kisses my lips, his thumbs running laps along my jaw. “I’ll be here. Come back to me in one piece, still the girl I’m crazy about.”

  “What do you actually think I’m going to do in Vegas? Nail mob bosses and take enough drugs to addle my brain?” The smile dies on my lips when I see his face take on a strained expression. “Talan, seriously. I’m going with my sick mother. We’re going to eat a lot of delicious food and see some shows. There is no room for boozing and banging on this trip. Besides, you give me all the screwing I can handle. I’m not the kind of girl who would mess around on my boyfriend.” I kiss him again and hope my reassurances are enough to put his mind at ease.

  As much as I don’t like it, I completely understand where his brain is right now. My own is quite familiar with that dark place. This is a hard spot to be in so early in a relationship. We don’t know each other well enough to know if we have anything to actually worry about. All we can do is insist that we are committed, and do our best to back that up with actions.

  Talan rubs his face with his hand. “I’m not the jealous type, Bliss, but I would break some fucking skulls if anyone touched you. It’s probably best I’m not going. I can’t control what douchebags do when they’re on vacation, even though I know you will be your perfect self.”

  I give him a Boy Scout salute. “I will be on my best behavior and thinking about you when I touch myself.”

  “Holy shit, Bliss.” Talan looks stunned, which is better than worried. “Baby, you better get out of here before I take you back to that barrel room.” He smiles and kisses me goodbye, pushing me in the direction of the Mini.

  I get in and sigh, looking over at Mom who is studiously ignoring my rather public exchange with Talan. She covers her smile with her hand and looks out the window.

  “What?” I ask, driving away from the winery and Talan.

  “It just makes me really happy to see you falling in love.”

  “Mom, seriously, it’s too early to be in love. I like Talan, a lot, but we’re nowhere near that yet. I barely know him.”

  “Mmmhmm,” Mom says, clearly not believing a word I say. “Just enjoy it, sweetheart. Whatever it is.”

  My mom is crazy. I’m not falling in love.

  Am I?

  “Look Mom, the sun is setting,” I say as we cross the Golden Gate Bridge back into San Francisco. I drive to the beach instead of straight home, miraculously finding parking within an easy walking distance to the cold sand. For August, the sky is relatively clear of the San Francisco summer haze that settles on the city and makes it feel colder than it should be. The few clouds that dot the sky are wispy and lend a perfect canvas for the sunset to paint its sherbet colored hues across the sky. We take a seat on the low stone wall that separates the constantly migrating sand from the street and watch the glowing orange ball sink into the Pacific Ocean.

  “It seems you perfectly orchestrated the day to be able to begin with a stunning sunrise on a mountain top and end with this beautiful sunset at the beach.”

  “I didn’t plan it that way, but I’m really glad it happened to work out. It totally fulfills one of your bucket list items.”

  “My perfect baby girl created the perfect day. Thank you sweetie, this has been wonderful.”

  I wrap my arm around Mom’s shoulders and rest my head against hers as the last rays of the sun sink below the horizon.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Wow, check out that view,” Mom says as we enter our room at The Paris. The floor-to-ceiling windows look out directly on the Eiffel Tower and the lake at The Bellagio across the street.

  “It will be awesome to watch the fountain show from here tonight. It was nice of Willa to request this view for us.” I roll our suitcases into a corner and wander into the bathroom. My shoes echo across the marble floors as I check out the fancy digs.

  This is my first trip to Las Vegas, and so far it’s been hot, crowded and smoky. The last was something I hadn’t factored in. I started worrying immediately about Mom’s lungs, and if the temptation would be too much. Mom quit as soon as she was diagnosed with cancer, but as a smoker of 30 years, I know it must be hard for her to not smoke when she’s around it like this. Just walking through the casino, and on the street outside the hotel, we went through so many clouds of smoke that choked me and made her cough.

  “How does it feel to be in the presence of an Eiffel Tower, in Paris? I know it’s not the Eiffel Tower, and we’re not in the real Paris, but this is pretty sweet, right?” I walk over to where Mom is standing by the window.

  “It’s great, Bliss. I know we’ll have so much fun.”

  And we do. We have a late lunch at Mon Ami Gabi, eating crepes and drinking French wine like we’re really in France. A nap is in order after our day of travel and rich food. That evening we have dinner in the Eiffel Tower restaurant, watching the Bellagio water show from our coveted window seats. Another thank you is in order for Willa’s perfect planning.

  When Mom makes to head back to our room, I tell her we have more planned. We head across the street to watch “O”, the Cirque Du Soleil show at the Bellagio. We’re both amazed by the acrobats and wildly impressed by the whole spectacle. That night, when we have both crawled back into bed, bellies full and faces sore from smiling, I know I did the right thing to bring Mom here. As long as we manage to avoid the toxic clouds of smoke in the casinos and don’t attempt to walk far in the heat, Mom does really well. Even her coughing is staying to a minimum.

  The next morning is another story. Mom wakes up early, coughing so hard I think her lungs will fall out. She’s used tissue aft
er tissue and still they come away stained red. I grab a bottle of water and her medicines, and after a few minutes, she finally manages to control the coughing fit.

  She may have her coughing under control, but she’s physically exhausted, curling up on her side, barely able to lift her head off the pillow. It’s so hard to see her in this much pain. It’s a small glimpse into what life will be like for her shortly, and it breaks my heart into a million pieces. I lay next to her quietly so she can rest.

  I shouldn’t have brought her here. I should have foreseen how badly the smoky atmosphere and the heat would get to her. This is my fault. I’ve made Mom’s sickness worse.

  When she wakes up an hour later, she smiles at me and pets my hair, fanned out on the pillow where I have kept vigil over her sleeping form. I even held my finger under her nose a few times to make sure she was breathing.

  “Do you want to go home today? I can get us on the next plane out. There’s one leaving in two hours; I checked.”

  “Oh, no sweetie, I just had a bad coughing spell. It happens every few days. I’m feeling better now. We can leave tomorrow like we planned. Isn’t there something you wanted to do today?”

  “Mom, I just want you comfortable and happy. Anything here is totally unnecessary if you’re not feeling well.”

  “No Bliss, I’d like to stay. I know you have something nice planned for today, and I’m feeling well enough to have some more fun with you. Let me just go shower and we can do anything you want.”