Page 15 of Bliss

Alex

It was 8:15 p.m. by the time Alex finished with her last client at the gym and had politely and promptly excused herself from several conversations with friends and colleagues on the way out the door, apologizing and letting them know she had somewhere she had to be. When she started her car, she was excited that she would be seeing Callie soon, but she also felt guilty for her having to wait so long to eat dinner for the second Monday in a row, despite the fact that Callie had offered to cook both times. Before she pulled out of the parking lot, she sent a quick text to let Callie know she was leaving the gym.

Alex: Hey, babe. I’m leaving the gym now. I need to stop at home to feed Daphne and take a quick shower. I should be able to get to your place in 20-30 minutes.

Callie: Okay. No problem. That’s about when I figured you’d be here.

Alex: Do you need me to bring anything?

Callie: Nope. But you can bring Daphne if you don’t want to leave her alone.

Alex: Rule #4 — No stealing my cat, remember?

Callie: Damn. I thought that would work.

Alex chuckled at the joke.

Alex: Daphne would love to see you and explore your place. But I know she’ll be temperamental if I make her wait to eat at your place, and if I feed her before I leave, she may have an accident in the carrier or in your apartment. It would be better to bring her over earlier in the day on a weekend between meals.

Callie: I didn’t think of that. Okay, another time. Please drive carefully and don’t rush.

Alex: Okay, babe. See you soon.

Thankfully, traffic moved at or above the speed limit, and Alex only caught one red light, so she made it home in record timing in under ten minutes. She spent a few minutes giving Daphne the love and attention she wanted, trying not to rush the feline, whose need for physical contact was already very minimal. After she’d dished up her food and filled her water bowl, she smiled at her little diva.

“Callie is smitten with you, kitten.” Daphne looked up at her with a tilted head and slightly narrowed eyes. Holding up her hands, Alex apologized, “Okay, okay. You’re not a kitten anymore. But come on. How can I pass up that rhyme?” Daphne did a slow blink, then went back to eating, clearly not amused, and Alex chuckled. “It’s a compliment, you silly cat. Okay, I’m going to get a shower.”

Almost everyone who met Daphne immediately fell for her appearance, loving the cloud-shaped patches of muted orange and burnt sienna over her snow-white coat and her dual eye colors. But when they learned that Daphne had very strong boundaries that she protected with unmerciful razor-sharp claws that Alex refused to have removed, the attraction was lost for most. Joselynn had immediately formed a damn-near identical bond to Daphne as Alex had with her after she’d found the kitten in the stream, and Daphne seemed to be warming up to Callie much the same way. But her beloved cat did not want or tolerate physical contact from most people. She especially didn’t like Tina, her ex, and her parents, as well as a few friends, had told her that should have been all she needed to know to end it with Tina early on in the always tenuous relationship. Animals seemed to be able to use their senses to detect bad or untrustworthy people, picking up on whether they were agitated, aggressive, or held resentment in their hearts. Animals knew if you didn’t want them around or meant to do harm to their humans. But Alex had been in denial. Tina wasn’t a terrible person, but she wasn’t Alex’s person, and it wasn’t until after Tina had left her that she’d realized she’d been holding onto a dream that could never become reality, not with Tina.

When she arrived at Callie’s, she was glad she’d opted for charcoal slacks and a long-sleeve light gray button-down, instead of jeans and a tee. Callie answered the door wearing a beautiful tan summer dress with a pattern of large, frilly, cream-colored roses. The dress perfectly complimented her pale skin, caramel eyes, and silky brown hair.

Alex’s breath caught in her chest, and she stuttered, “Hi. You look … amazing. Wow.” She swallowed hard and held out a bottle of red wine, still standing out in the hallway. “This is one of the wines Kat brought back from Italy for us.”

Instead of taking the bottle of wine, Callie said, “Get in here,” as she gripped the front of Alex’s shirt and tugged her across the threshold. After Callie pushed her back against the door, causing it to slightly slam closed, Alex’s smile spread ear to ear.

“Hi,” Alex repeated, and Callie giggled.

“Hi.” Callie inhaled deeply as she dragged her hands over Alex’s shoulders and down her torso. “You look really nice.”

“I’m a slob next to you.”

Callie lightly slapped both solid pectoral muscles, and narrowing her eyes, she harmlessly threatened, “Insult my girlfriend like that again, and I’ll have to kick your ass.”

Alex’s chest warmed as she released a small laugh and nodded. “My apologies. It will never happen again.”

“Good.” Callie firmly kissed her lips for several moments, but she didn’t try to deepen the kiss, somewhat to Alex’s disappointment. As she leaned away, she trailed her hands down Alex’s chest, momentarily pressed her fingertips into her abs, igniting a fire of desire in Alex’s core, then slipped her right hand into hers, entwining their fingers together. “I just need to cook the spaghetti, then we can eat. I didn’t want to start it too soon and it turn to mush or get cold.”

“Can I help with anything?”

“You can open and pour the wine.”

When they reached the kitchen, Callie pulled a wine key from a drawer, handing it to Alex, before she went to the stove to carefully drop a bundle of fresh spaghetti noodles into a pot of gently boiling water.

While working the corkscrew into the cork, Alex asked, “Did you make the noodles?”

Callie looked over her shoulder with lightly blushing cheeks. “Yes. I wanted tonight to be special.”

Alex was both impressed and touched. After wrangling the cork from the wine bottle, she crossed the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Callie from behind, eliciting a sweet sigh and Callie leaned back against her chest, layering her arms over Alex’s. Alex kissed the top of her head, then bent and kissed her temple, cheek, and the side of her neck, before Callie tilted her head to capture her in a tender kiss. While their lips suckled each other’s, and their tongues danced, Alex tightened her embrace. When Callie released a shuddering whimper, she broke from the kiss and captured Alex’s chin when she tried to come in for more.

Smiling, Callie breathlessly said, “Fresh pasta only takes a few minutes to cook.”

“Oh, right. Sorry. I’ll pour the wine.” Callie released her chin, so she darted forward to get one more peck on her lips, making Callie laugh.

In just a few minutes, the wine was poured, and Callie had drained the pasta, tossed it with a fragrant red sauce that made Alex’s mouth water, and ladled more sauce and several ping pong ball-sized meatballs on top. After topping the bowl with gently torn fresh basil leaves, they sat down to eat in the dining area between the kitchen and living room.

The atmosphere Callie created with the burgundy tablecloth and matching cloth napkins, the flickering votive candle and small vase with a single red rose in the center of the table made Alex feel warm and fuzzy and a little emotional. Callie’s efforts to make tonight special were easily evident, and Alex wanted so badly to take her into her arms and show her appreciation. But that would have to wait. She didn’t want Callie’s efforts to go to waste.

“Callie, this is… Thank you. The table is beautiful and the food looks and smells divine.”

Callie bashfully smiled, cheeks lightly blushing, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, briefly looking down, before meeting Alex’s gaze. Her expression matched the way she’d looked at Alex multiple times over the weekend, especially while they’d made love and when they were at the bookstore and arboretum. It was a look that was weighted with deep, powerful emotions and affection.

“You’re welcome.”

Callie picked up a pair of salad tongs and dished up a mound of fresh greens mixed with shaved carrots, sliced cucumbers and bell peppers, and halved cherry tomatoes. They drizzled their salads with a homemade vinaigrette, then added a generous helping of spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread to their plates.

As Alex was lifting her glass of wine to make a toast, Callie gasped, “Oh, wait. I almost forgot.” She skipped back into the kitchen, and a minute later, smooth jazz music started softly playing from a little speaker on the end of the counter closest to them.

Alex couldn’t stop smiling at Callie as she skipped back into the little dining nook and sat down across from her. She was glowing and radiated all of the emotions Alex was feeling. The urge to take her into her arms and ravish her was growing stronger by the minute.

When she lifted her wine glass, Callie matched her, and Alex said, “To a beautiful and incomparably special night. Thank you for cooking and creating this moment for us, Callie.”

Callie momentarily bit her bottom lip, said, “I… I like cooking for you.”

Alex could tell that wasn’t exactly what Callie had wanted to say, but the statement still did wonderful things to her heart. They lightly clinked their glasses, took a sip of the delicious Italian wine, then tucked into their dinner.

Groaning with food still in her mouth, Alex’s head swayed on her shoulders, and her eyes closed in bliss. After swallowing, she complimented, “Oh, babe, this is incredible. Easily the best spaghetti and meatballs I’ve ever had. It’s heavenly. You really are a fantastic cook.”

Blushing, Callie took a smiling sip of her wine, before answering, “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.” The rouge in her cheeks deepened, and she momentarily bit her bottom lip, before explaining, “Nana Mora refused to teach me how to make her sauce and meatballs until I was eighteen because she called her spaghetti and meatballs Cupid’s dinner. She said I wasn’t allowed to shoot that arrow until I knew I was sure about someone, and she said I wouldn’t be mature enough to decide that until I was at least eighteen. I’ve cooked this meal for myself countless times, and I’ve shared it with my family and Hannah, my best friend. But you’re the first partner I’ve cooked this meal for.”

The impact was immediate, and Alex literally felt like she’d just been shot through the heart with a harpoon and Callie held the rope secured through the line hole. It wasn’t until Callie broke eye contact and looked down that Alex realized she’d placed her hand over her own heart. When Callie looked up, smiling the most stunning and meaningful smile yet, the tears stinging Alex’s eyes were mirrored in Callie’s gorgeous caramel eyes.

“Alex, I love you. I know we haven’t been dating for very long, but I know how I feel. You don’t have to say…”

Standing on wobbling legs, Alex rounded the table and knelt next to Callie, taking her right hand in both of hers. She gently kissed her knuckles, then turned her hand and planted a soft kiss on her palm and the inside of her wrist. When she looked up, seeking Callie’s gaze, her trembling smile melted her.

“Callie, thank you for giving us another chance. I have enjoyed every moment we’ve been together, and every conversation we’ve had through text or on the phone. We’ve had a few rough moments, but I think our bond is stronger for having experienced them and for how we handled them. This is the fastest it’s ever happened for me, but I know how I feel. I love you, Callie Davenport. And I’m honored that you love and trust me enough to share Cupid’s dinner with me.”

Alex couldn’t help but wonder if Callie’s reaction to the man buying them the Cupid’s Broken Arrow cocktail at the bar on their first date — not officially a date at the time — had been influenced by the history and meaning behind her grandmother’s special Cupid’s dinner and the fact that she had yet to meet someone she felt deserving of the meal. But she didn’t want to ruin the perfect evening by bringing up a moment that Callie felt ashamed of. The answer wasn’t important. This moment and what it meant was what mattered.

Callie’s chest rose with a deep inhalation, then she placed her other hand on Alex’s cheek and bent to kiss her. It was slow and soft at first, but the kiss quickly deepened. Callie slipped her other hand from Alex’s to hold both sides of her face, and Alex ran her hands up her thighs to grip her hips, eliciting a moan from her girlfriend.

Gasping for air, Callie broke from the kiss, caressing Alex’s cheeks and over her hair. “I really want you to carry me to my bedroom right now.” When Alex tried to stand up, Callie breathlessly giggled and pushed down on her shoulders. “You need to finish eating. You’ve had a long, busy day, and I know you haven’t eaten much since lunch.”

Nodding, Alex ceded, “You’re right. And I don’t want your efforts to go to waste.”

After sharing a chaste kiss on the lips, Alex returned to her chair. While they ate their fill of Cupid’s dinner, and drank a couple glasses of wine, they told each other about their day. When they couldn’t eat another bite, Alex coaxed Callie up from her chair, holding her left hand in her right and her hip with her left. Looking as happy as Alex felt, Callie matched the rhythm of Alex’s hips and small steps, and they danced to the smooth jazz still softly playing in the background. When Alex spun her, then pulled her in flush against her body, Callie released a cute laugh, then sighed as she gripped the back of her shoulder.

“This is nice.”

Alex hummed her agreement, placing a lingering kiss on her temple. Callie slowly turned her head, capturing Alex’s lips with her own. The gentle push and pull of their mouths matched their leisure dance. But when Callie sucked Alex’s bottom lip into her mouth, giving it a firm bite, the passion that had been growing in Alex’s core from the moment she arrived was quickly becoming an overwhelming inferno.

When Callie whispered, “Take me to the bedroom,” against her mouth, Alex allowed the fire to fully consume her.

Wrapping her arms around Callie’s middle, Alex picked up her girlfriend, and Callie wrapped her legs around her waist and her arms around the back of her neck. Smiling at Alex, Callie scratched the back of Alex’s head, threading her fingers through her hair and gently tugging on the strands.

Callie already had candles lit on the dresser and nightstands, their warm light much softer and more romantic than the harsh white of the flashlight that had given them just enough light to make love during Friday night’s thunderstorm. Callie really had thought of everything tonight, making this one of the most beautiful nights of her life, and Alex was eager to show her appreciation for all of her efforts.

When Alex reached the foot of the bed, Callie stepped down from her waist and started unbuttoning her shirt for her. Alex dragged her hands up Callie’s sides, then around to her back, finding the zipper for her dress and slowly pulled it down. While she waited for Callie to finish unbuttoning her shirt, Alex grazed her fingers up and down Callie’s exposed back, relishing in the smoothness of her skin. As soon as Callie pulled her shirt from her slacks and shoved it off her shoulders, discarding it on the floor, Alex hooked her fingers under the wide shoulder straps of Callie’s dress, pulling them to the sides. Callie smiled as she pulled her arms free, allowing the dress to pool around her ankles. Their bras quickly followed, and after Alex kicked off her shoes, the rest of her clothes and socks joined the growing pile at the foot of the bed.

As Alex gripped the back of her thighs and easily lifted her into the air, Callie released an adorable squeal and quickly placed her hands on Alex’s shoulders and threw her legs around her waist. Between the mixture of joy and arousal in Callie’s eyes, and the way her thighs and back contracted while crawling up the bed with Callie’s light, trim body wrapped around her, Alex’s entire body was tingling with anticipation and happiness. When she lowered Callie onto the bed, her smiling girlfriend grabbed the back of her head, tugging her down into a fervent kiss.

With every flick and twist of their tongues, their breathing increased, and Callie’s body rose against Alex, her need for friction growing more obvious by the second. Still on her knees with Callie wrapped around her, Alex palmed the sides of her slightly twitching thighs, gliding down their length and pressing under her, grabbing both small, firm cheeks in her hands. Callie’s mouth stalled with a shuddering whimper. Smiling, Alex gently nipped her bottom lip with her teeth, then bowed her head, latching onto the side of her neck. She was rewarded with another sound of pleasure, and Callie’s arms and legs slowly loosened their bearlike embrace.

Like a cartographer studying a new landscape, trying to capture every little detail, Alex slowly and methodically traversed every inch of Callie’s body, her lips and fingers tasting and tracing every curve, dip, and freckle. Callie’s heavy breathing, stuttered moans and whimpers, and grasping hands helped Alex finetune the mental map of her body and her most sensitive areas.

When Alex settled between Callie’s trembling thighs, she already looked like they’d gone several rounds. She could barely hold her eyes open, and her heavy, irregular breathing was almost concerning.

Alex gently kissed the inside of her thighs, and while holding her glossy, slanted gaze, she asked, “May I? Or do you need a break?”

“No. No, please, don’t stop,” Callie stuttered, and her chest rose with a deep breath. “Oh, God, Alex, I can feel you everywhere. Please. I need you.”

“Okay, baby. I’ll trust you to tell me when to stop.”

Without further delay, Alex placed a soft kiss on Callie’s clitoris, holding her lips in place, while slowly and firmly dragging her thumbs through her slick arousal on the inside of her labia. As she wrapped her lips around Callie’s sensitive bundle of nerves, sucking the little bud into her mouth, she eased one thumb inside her to the first knuckle, eliciting a stuttering whimper and Callie’s hips bucked against her. Using an even pressure, Alex circled her opening, pressing against her flesh with each rotation.

“Oh, Alex. Oh, that feels … amazing.”

Smiling with Callie’s clit firmly held between her lips, Alex eased her other thumb inside her, both making firm half-moon swipes up and down, pressing out against the hot, wet walls and stretching her open. As Callie groaned and her legs and hips spasmed, Alex felt her flesh contract, trying to pull her deeper inside. After a few more passes, she granted the silent request, slowly pulling her thumbs out and replacing them with her three middle fingers on her right hand. While slowly pressing her fingers deep inside, Alex released Callie’s clitoris with a gentle nibble, then began licking up her slightly sweet and tangy nectar.

With every stroke of her tongue and fingers, Alex continued building her mental map of Callie’s body, her own joy and arousal growing with each new discovery. Callie’s sounds of pleasure continued to escalate in volume and frequency, as did her ragged breathing. And her body kept arching and twitching, so Alex had to wrap her left arm around Callie’s right thigh to hold her hips down to be able to maintain her ministrations.

“Alex!” Callie’s right hand slapped down on her own hip, fingers blindly searching for Alex while her head was tilted back. “Alex. Hand. I need … your hand.”

Alex released Callie’s trembling thigh and took Callie’s hand, which quickly clamped down on her fingers like a vise grip.

“Oh, God. Alex, baby, I’m…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Callie released an earsplitting scream that both aroused Alex and made her wince in sympathy, wondering if she’d hurt her throat.

“Alex! Alex. Oh, yes. Oh, mmm.”

Gasping and lightly trembling, Callie fell boneless on the bed. She tried to lift her other hand, but it fell limp at her side.

“Alex.” She spasmed and gasped a breath. “Come hold me.”

Using her mental map as a guide for the journey from the foot of the bed to the pillows, Alex revisited several of Callie’s most sensitive spots, giving them kisses and gently sucked the warm, slightly sweaty skin, making her girlfriend sigh and sleepily smile. When she lied down next to her, Alex took Callie into her arms, pulling her over to snuggle against her. With a long, wistful sigh, Callie rested her head on Alex’s chest and draped an arm and leg over her. When Alex pressed a firm, lingering kiss on the top of her head, Callie sighed again.

“I love you, Callie.”

“Mmm.” Callie kissed Alex’s breast, before responding, “I love you so much, Alex. That was… I don’t know what you did to me. That was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. I felt like I left my body. I felt like you had become a physical part of me.” She sighed and Alex felt her lips smile against her breast. “I just need a minute.”

The last sentence came out as a barely intelligible breathy whisper, and when Alex looked down at her girlfriend, her eyes were closed. She looked so relaxed and peaceful that it caused a flutter in Alex’s chest, her heart happy to be the one to make her look that way and to cause her so much pleasure.

Alex kissed her head, and whispered, “Sleep, my sweet girl.”

Callie’s lips curled into a smile, and she tried to voice a protest, but her words were lost to her exhaustion.