CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
One year later…
Romy grinned as she watched Ebony struggling with a very wriggly five-month-old. Even still tiny, Matilda knew how to twist her mother around her finger. Romy’s own twins, now almost two, were chasing their big sister around with the help of Fino.
“Can you manage?” She finally asked Ebony, who rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, just about…she’s a little monster.” She blew a raspberry on her daughter’s belly which made her giggle and chirrup. Ebony kissed her soft, downy cheek and hugged Matty to her. “But I do love you, squishy girl.” She kissed her again, then handed her off, somewhat reluctantly to Cormac, who swung the child up in his arms, the usual look of elation all over his face. There was no question the man was totally besotted.
Atlas watched them, smiling. “What a weird family I have,” he said, not for the first time, and laughed as they all groaned.
“Every time, you say that.” Ebony touched his cheek, and he pulled her onto his lap, pressing his lips to hers.
Their extended family – Atlas and Ebony, Matty and Fino, Cormac and Lydia, Stanley and Vida, plus the Allende’s – were enjoying a late summer barbeque together before Atlas and Ebony flew off for their long-awaited and well deserved honeymoon in the Seychelles.
“Two weeks of fucking you is all I want right now,” Atlas murmured softly into Ebony’s ear, and she shivered with excitement. “I’m going to have you as soon as we get to that villa on the beach, in every room, in every way, baby.”
Ebony hid a groan of desire. “Well, you better keep that promise.”
They both chuckled. Since Ebony had given birth to their daughter – Atlas still regarded Matty as his as well as Cormac’s – they had grown even closer. When Ebony had woken after days of being in a post-surgery-induced coma, Atlas had spent hours apologizing to her until she stopped him and told him to kiss her instead. He happily obliged.
Ebony, in turn, was delighted that some good had come out of the horror of her and Fino’s abduction. Cormac and Atlas were working on their relationship, Cormac dropping his custody suit. A devastated Stanley and Vida buried Bella – Ebony had defended the young woman and Stanley, in particular, had been grateful for that. “It’s what Vida needs to hear now,” he said softly, kissing Ebony’s cheek. They found out from Mateo’s murderer that he had tricked her into letting him into the grounds that day, and that the shame of it had led her to panic when Carson Franks began to blackmail her.
“Bella was simply too naïve,” Stanley said, and Vida nodded. Vida herself had changed, become almost unrecognizable as the slightly annoying, vapid woman she had been. The loss of her only child had made her realize what she had with Stanley was precious, and as a result, they had never been closer.
Romy had recovered from her stabbing, although she still walked with a limp and used a cane. After months of rehabilitation, she was eager to get back to work at Haven. Knowing Blue was reticent, Atlas had made sure that Haven was a safe place to work for all of his staff as well as the residents. The move appeased Blue a little, but Romy was insistent on returning.
Carson Franks, knowing he was finished, made a plea-deal – he would plead guilty to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the chance of parole. He would die behind bars. The relief they all felt that Romy, Atlas, Ebony and probably Fino would not need to testify was palpable.
Later that night, Ebony kissed her daughter and held her tightly. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with her?”
Cormac rolled his eyes and Lydia – who, surprisingly, Ebony had become very close to over the months – smiled. “We can’t wait, Ebs, don’t worry. Matty is going to be spoiled rotten over the next two weeks.”
Ebony grinned. “That’s what I’m afraid of, Lyds.”
Lydia laughed and took Matty from Ebony. “Look at this chubby face…adorable. Now, say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy, freckle.”
Matty grinned and waved a hand at them, making them laugh. Matty was the happiest child Ebony had ever known – but then again, she was biased.
Atlas kissed his daughter. “Be good for Poppa and Lydia, little one. Love you.” He turned and grabbed a passing Fino, swinging the laughing boy up into a hug. “And love you too, kiddo. Look after your sister for us.”
“Will do, Pa.” Fino kissed Atlas’s cheek then went to hug Ebony. “Bye, Ma.”
Ebony hugged him tightly. “Love you, pickle.” She met Atlas’s gaze over the top of Fino’s head, both of them moved beyond words. It was the first time Fino had called them Ma and Pa.
They talked about it later on the plane, and then in the taxi as they travelled over the island. Outside, the ocean was a sparkling blue, the flora and fauna colorful, and the sun’s heat soaked into their skins.
Atlas kept his promise. The moment the taxi driver had brought their bags into the villa and left with a generous tip, Atlas swung Ebony into his arms, making her giggle as he bore her off to the bedroom. It took two tries to find it, but as soon as she saw the huge bed, swathed in white mosquito netting, she grinned at him. Atlas dropped her onto the soft mattress and dropped between her legs, pushing up her dress and yanking her panties from her.
Ebony hardly had time to catch her breath before his mouth was on her, his tongue lashing around her clit, tasting and biting down on the sensitive bud until Ebony came, her body writhing beneath his as he moved to kiss her mouth. Atlas hitched her legs around his waist and thrust into her, making her moan with desire as he began to move, his rhythmic thrusts measured and deep. Ebony crushed her lips against his as they fucked hard, clawing at each other, the intensity increasing until they were both coming, moaning each other’s name.
Making love late into the evening, they eventually collapsed from hunger and exhaustion, and enjoyed some food out on the veranda. Atlas stroked his hand through her hair and she leaned into his touch. “You know what’s strange? I feel this is the first time we’ve really been alone since we met.”
Ebony laughed. “Well, technically, we are. I had Matty in my belly the very first time we met so, yeah, you’re right.”
They both laughed. “You know what this means?”
“What?” Ebony was grinning, seeing the lascivious look in his eye, and knowing exactly what he was going to say.
“It means, my beautiful, sexy wife, that we can do very, very dirty stuff, all day, every day…”
Ebony leaned over and kissed him gently. “Just how dirty are we talking, Mr. Tigri?”
“Well,” he said, pulling her onto his lap, “why don’t we go back to bed and I’ll show you exactly how dirty?”
Ebony giggled and stroked his face. “I love you so much, Atlas. So very much.”
And he lifted her into his arms and took her back to bed.
It was the middle of the night when she woke to a deep blue moonlight. Getting up, she went to the window and gazed out at the ocean, lapping at the little beach outside their villa. One year, six weeks, four days. Her life had completely changed in that time. Not only had she met Atlas, married him, and had her first child – their first child – she had become an adoptive mother and had survived kidnapping and injury.
All that…and now she was on the cusp of a major moment in her career. Over the last few months she had been working with Quartet record company and was about to release her first album. After this holiday, she would start to promote the record and then, in a few months’ time, a tour. A tour of the best jazz clubs in America, starting with Alley Cats in Seattle down on 6th Avenue.
Ebony shivered in anticipation, then sighed happily as she felt Atlas’s arms slide around her waist and he pressed his lips down on her shoulder.
“Bed got cold,” he said and she chuckled.
“I doubt the temperature here drops below eighty degrees even at night.”
Atlas laughed softly, “Okay, then, bed got empty.”
Ebony turned in his arms and gazed up at him. He made her heart beat faster, just with that gorgeous green-eyed gaze. She smoothed her fingers over his features, drinking him in.
Atlas smiled down at her. “You’re so beautiful. What were you thinking about?”
Ebony smiled, pressing her naked body against his and her lips against his mouth. “Tomorrow,” she said, and led him back to bed.
The End.