by J. C. Cliff
BLYSS
Title Page
Content Warning
Published by
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Authors Notes
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF SUCH A GENRE—THE LIGHTER SIDE OF DARK?
Everyone will have their own definition of "Dark" vs. "Contemporary", and perhaps there is a mixture of the two. I like to call this the “Grey” genre.
However, there is one thing for certain; you haven't ever read this type of story before. Blyss is an original, one of a kind storyline in theme, circumstance, and character action.
You will definitely need all three books in order to put together the pieces of this puzzle, but isn't that what makes reading fun? Book one sets the stage while you begin to embrace the thrill, the suspense, and the anticipation. There is a romance story amongst all the turmoil…you will just have to hang on for the ride.
Warning:
**Mature Audiences Only** This book is intended for mature audiences only (18+) and contains explicit descriptions of sex, drugs, dirty talk, strong language, kidnapping, and violence.
Published by © J.C. Cliff LLC, 2014
Blyss
Copyright © 2014 by J.C. Cliff
All rights reserved
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Edited by Kayla Robichaux, Hot Tree Editing
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Cover Design © Sommer Stein
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Cover Photography of Colin Wayne
by Jason Ellis
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the author/publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Blyss is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and events portrayed in the book either are from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, establishments, events, or location is purely coincidental, and not intended by the author. Please do not take offense to the content, as it is FICTION. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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Except for the original material written by the author, all songs, song titles, lyrics, book titles, and excerpts mentioned in this novel are the property of the respective songwriters, authors and copyright holders.
Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to the awesome people who gave me their feedback, encouragement, and support without hesitation.
Mark: My loving, supportive husband, and soul mate of twenty-plus years. Thank you for NEVER complaining about my nose being in a computer constantly, and always allowing me to show up late to work. Even though you could never give me a metaphor on the fly, you’ve made up for it by giving me beautiful children and a strong, faithful, and loving marriage. I love you.
My lovely children: You never complained when you had to learn basic survival skills over the past year, especially culinary ones. Even though I will NEVER let you read this book, not even when you turn fifty, I love you all with everything I have.
My Editor Kayla Robichaux (who is hands down, a genius): You are to editing what Steven Spielberg is to movies. You are a well-kept secret, a sparkling gem among the rubble. You are priceless, and beautiful inside and out. You helped make this book come alive. Mwaah!
https://www.facebook.com/kaylathebibliophile
https://kaylathebibliophile.blogspot.com
https://www.hottreeedits.com
Soni Patton: Thank you for an outstanding job of Post Editing. Your skills were like putting icing on the cake!
Sommer Stein: Thank you for pulling me out of a design jam. You are incredible, and I can never thank you enough! Your professionalism and photoshop skills are matchless.
Mary Brown: My smut and rock’n’roll buddy! Thank you for being not only an awesome friend, but you were the first to read all of my chapters, and despite all of my verb tense screw-ups in the beginning, you valiantly plowed through the storyline, all while continuing to encourage me to keep writing the story and never allowing me to lose confidence.
Laurie Szoka: Thank you for being my bestest friend in the entire world. I love you.
A.C. Bextor: Thank you for always being there for me before I even put pen to paper. You are an awesome author, an amazing person, and I’m proud to call you a true friend.
To My Two Most Favorite Beta Readers:
Theresa Alberts and Jennifer Juers: They go together like peas and carrots. Hands down, they have been my biggest “think tanks” and have contributed to Blyss with such intellect, honesty, and dedication that I will forever be grateful to them. They’ve spent untold hours working diligently to provide me with feedback, which did nothing but provide enhancements to the storyline, thus allowing Blyss to reach its fullest reading potential.
I would also like to thank the rest of the “Blyss Beta's” for their incredible support; I don’t know what I’d do without them. Kiki Amit, Dawn Costiera, and of course, Kristine Marie with Up all Night Book Blog. Big Hugs and Kisses to you all! You guys rock!
http://www.sassydivasbookblog.blogspot.com / http://www.upallnightbookblog.com
A huge thank you
To the many other Beta readers and supporters, who are most definitely every bit as valuable and appreciated.
(In no particular order, because you all are wonderful and beautiful people)
Jamie Vest / John & Laurie / Brandi / Rebekah / Chelsea / Nina Afterdark, with The Literary Gossip / Kellie & Seena, with I love Story Time / For the Love of Books / Word Wenches / Myra Espino / Bookwhoreasaurus /
Tanya Drummond, with Submit and Devour
To My Father
First of all, nothing on this earth can compare to being a daddy’s girl. I thank my Father in heaven for his omniscience, grace, and blessing me with the most incredible man any girl could ever have wished for in a father. The important things he instilled in me over the years—teaching me the importance of acquiring a moral compass, exuding dogged determination, achieving a strong work ethic, and “taking a no bullshit attitude”—made me into the p
erson I am today.
But the most important lesson he imprinted on my soul during his time on this earth was to love my family with an unconditional love. Priceless.
He loved his God, country, and family with steadfast determination. He served first as a Marine, and then with the Air Force. Later, he became a mechanical engineer, taking his patriotism to a whole new level by designing flight and submarine simulators. He then designed classroom training facilities for such projects, while courageous people trained on this equipment daily to help preserve our freedom.
He was an invisible hero to America, but he was visible to me. I love you, Dad, my best friend and confidant; you were my everything.
Through pain comes creativity…
The pain was immeasurable…
CHAPTER ONE
“I’m going to miss you,” I whisper, and I can feel my eyes beginning to fill with unshed tears.
“Hey now, Jules, don’t cry. It’s only going to be for a couple of months,” he says as he takes a tendril of my long, blonde hair, tucking it behind my ear.
“Yeah, but it’s a couple of months too long. I’m going to be miserable,” I say sadly. Now that my junior year at college has wrapped up, my father has suddenly decided—no, demanded is more like it—he wants me home for the entire summer.
Adam’s lips gently brush over mine, and I close my eyes at the feel of his soft lips. I love his kisses, but this one is way too short and sweet. When he pulls away, I give him my best pout, and he gives me a knowing grin.
“I love you so much, Adam,” I say with total reverence. My heart begins to break, and I miss him already.
“And you know I love you with every fiber of my being.” He pauses, piercing me with a heated stare. “Next year at this time, we’re tying the knot.” I give this beautiful man my most heartfelt smile. “I’m making you mine once and for all. I’ve waited long enough.”
“How about the day after I graduate college?” I tease. Over the past year, it seems as if I’ve developed a bit of separation anxiety, and I’m trying desperately not to have a meltdown. When Adam pulls my body closer to his, he wraps his hands around my waist possessively and nuzzles his nose into the crook of my neck. Kissing me there, he then works his way to my ear, knowing this is my Achilles heel, my most-sensitive erogenous zone. It unravels me every time, and he uses it like a secret weapon. I shiver and feel goose bumps race across my arms.
“I’d marry you tomorrow, if I didn’t think your father would have me tied to a guillotine and serve my head on a platter for dinner,” he whispers, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.
A blaring voice interrupts our little interlude as the intercom speakers reverberate throughout the terminal of Logan Airport. “Flight 964 to Atlanta is now boarding.” The voice repeats its announcement again, and I close my eyes and groan. Not wanting to leave him just yet, I trap him by interlocking my fingers tightly behind his neck. Sighing, I lay my head against his hard chest in defeat. He strokes my back tenderly, trying to calm my nerves and ease me into our impending separation. I breathe in his scent, committing it to memory.
“It will be all right; two months is a drop in the bucket compared to a lifetime with you,” he whispers into my ear. Then I feel Adam reluctantly pulling away from me. I open my blurry eyes when he lifts my chin, and a single tear slips from the corner of my eye.
“You better get going. You don’t want to miss your flight,” he says huskily, and then he wiped away my tear.
“And how would that be a bad thing?” I sniffle, trying to be strong.
He expels a burst of air from his lungs and gives me a forced grin. “It won’t be that bad, Jules. Your dad cares in his own way. I don’t even think he realizes how restraining his demands are on you. It’s probably just his personality; since he’s running a global empire, he’s used to laying down rules at every turn. He’s had to be hardcore to become the success he is today.” He lets go of my chin and places his hand back around my waist, pulling me in tightly. “But you already know all that. You know he loves you, and I know he means well.” He pauses, giving me a dazzling smile. “Look at it this way: if he didn’t send you away to boarding school, we would have never met.” I nod my head in agreement. That is so true, and I give him a shaky smile.
I let my body relax into his as my fingers find themselves entwined behind his neck, and I lean in for a kiss. Adam stands over six feet tall and has the physique of a lean swimmer. He’s lithe and sexy, and I love running my fingers through his blond tousled hair every chance I get.
His leans in for a kiss, gently brushing our lips together, but I don’t want another chaste kiss. This one has to last me for almost two months. My tongue traces the seam of his lips, asking permission to deepen the kiss, and I hear him growl. He opens his mouth, and when his soft tongue meets mine, my belly dips. In a split-second, he takes over with a forceful and heated kiss. He’s so damn good at this; the way he’s kissing me, I expect to hear someone hollering out at any moment for us to go get a room. His breathing picks up, and I know he’s turned on. I let out a small whimper as I feel the familiar butterflies take flight low in my belly. My God, I love this man.
Adam breaks the kiss, breathing heavily against my lips. He chuckles as he leans his forehead against mine. “I have to be able to walk out of here, you know.” I grin; I love knowing I have this effect on him. “I will be there for your big birthday bash—your big two-one. You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“I will be marking the days off my calendar, Adam. You’ll call or text me every day, right?”
He gives me his megawatt smile, and I melt. “You know it, babe. Now, go on, get.” He playfully smacks my ass and I jump back with a squeal.
“Okay, okay.” I reluctantly turn around and make my way to the ticket counter. There is no longer a line, since I’ve procrastinated so long. I walk right up to the flight attendant, who presents me with a genuine smile I don’t feel like returning. I look down, digging into my purse in search of my ticket. “There you are,” I mumble to myself, and I hand it over to her. I swallow down the large lump beginning to form in my throat as I watch the attendant scan my ticket under the sensor.
“Have a great day, and thank you for flying with us,” she says cheerfully. My feet are frozen in place, so I have to force myself to take a few steps forward. I hesitate and turn around, needing a last glimpse of Adam. He forces a smile and holds up two fingers, wiggling them, indicating I’ll see him in two short months. I blow him a kiss and reluctantly turn around on my heels, dragging my feet down the narrow hallway. When I reach the threshold of the airplane, I steal a deep breath then trudge forward.
The one thing I am looking forward to this summer is that my father has planned an extravagant twenty-first birthday celebration for me. For those who couldn’t afford their own airplane ticket, my father is picking up the tab. Trust me—he can afford it. He’s owned his own global empire since way before I was born.
When people ask me what Dad does for a living, I take a deep breath and begin to rattle off a memorized spiel: his company offers innovative equipment, products, and services in applied sciences and medical diagnostics. Are you thinking, “Huh? Right now?” Yeah, exactly what I say! I don’t think I will ever be able to wrap my head around what it is he really does.
When people are further intrigued, I have another memorized pitch that should confuse anyone who isn’t a science professor. I toss in big words such as molecular biology, genetic analysis, proteomics, and so forth. You get the idea. I have no clue what I’m saying either, but it appears to put a lid on people asking me any more questions.
Dad doesn’t trust the digital age either, even though he has to use it for his line of work. Being the CEO of his own company, he goes to great lengths to protect his privacy and abhors any aspect of the government who uses their resources to infringe upon it. He even went so far as to tell me I couldn’t have a Facebook account. Really? I found myself creating one an
yway, under an alias. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?
I make my way down the crowded aisle looking for my window seat. I’m sure you’re wondering why a rich kid like me isn’t flying First Class. Better yet, why aren’t I flying in a private jet? It’s simple; I’ve never wanted to become the spoiled rich brat. I’ve had plenty of exposure; growing up in elite boarding schools, I had to rub elbows with those types of people. Geez, the things I dealt with—I swore an oath to myself I would never allow myself to become one of those shallow people. I lost count of how many times I’d been backstabbed by a rich snooty-patooty.
When I try exerting my own independent streak, my father and I seem to go round and round. Sometimes, he gets downright furious with me when I try bucking his authority for something I believe in. I do try to be respectful of his wishes, but sometimes he just goes so overboard and becomes unreasonably overprotective.
So, having to live at home during the summer is going to be a difficult challenge, to say the least. It just gets harder to deal with him the older I get. What does he expect anyway? With me having lived far away from home for so long, I’ve had no choice but to become independent. It quickly became second nature for me to make most of my own decisions.
I stow away my bag and slip over two sets of legs, trying not to fall on my fellow passengers. I sit down in the window seat, blowing the hair out of my eyes and buckling in.