CHAPTER TWO
Ebony stepped off the plane and walked quickly through the airport. In the Arrivals hall, she saw Romy waiting for her and waved excitedly. Romy threw her arms around her. “Hey, girl. Thank you so much for doing this.”
“So good to see you, Romy.” Ebony hugged her back. She’d only met Romy a few times since Juno had married her brother, but she liked the petite brunette very much. “And I’m so flattered to be asked to perform for you.”
“You’re going to blow them away. Now, I do have to warn you, Zach and Rosa are screaming the place down at the moment. We’ve put you at the far end of the house, but we can always arrange a hotel suite for you.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble.”
Romy rolled her eyes and smiled. “Girl, I’ve been dying for some girl talk. Grace tries, but you know, she’s five.”
Ebony laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
Sitting around the Allende’s dinner table over homemade lasagna, surrounded by three gorgeous kids and her two friends, Ebony felt a pang of longing. This family was so happy, so loving, that Ebony wondered if she would ever find anything as good.
“Child, calm yourself. Jeez.” Romy wrestled with a very wriggly Zach.
Blue took his son from his wife and immediately Zach chilled out, smiling up at his father. Romy rolled her eyes. “I swear you’re the child whisperer, Blue.” She grinned at Ebony. “Are you excited about tomorrow?”
Ebony nodded. “Excited and nervous. I hope Mr. Tigri approves of the set list.”
“I’m sure he will, especially when he hears your voice. And he’ll insist on you calling him Atlas, by the way.”
“That’s different,” Ebony remarked. “What’s he like?”
“Atlas? The sweetest. When we were at school together, he and Arti’s husband Dan were everybody’s school crush – along with Mateo. That’s Atlas’s identical twin, and when you see Atlas, you’ll know why that’s only a good thing.”
“Ahem,” coughed Blue.
“You’re still my number one,” snickered Romy, then groaned as Rosa spit up on her. “Oh, great timing, kiddo.”
“I’ll get the cloth, Mama.” Grace Allende, a shy, intelligent girl with a concerted crush on Ebony, darted off and came right back.
“I don’t know how you do it all, Romy,” Ebony said, watching her friend tidy herself up and wipe her younger daughter’s mouth.
“We are a well coiled machine,” Gracie said proudly, making the adults laugh.
“Oiled, not coiled, sweetie.” Romy said, kissing the top of Gracie’s head. “But she’s right. It just works. Sure, it’s exhausting with newborns, but worth every moment. And I have the two best helpers in the world.”
Blue grinned at Ebony. “What about you? Anyone on the horizon?”
Ebony shook her head. “Happily single. Concentrating on my career.”
“Good for you,” Blue said, but then stroked a hand down Romy’s hair, twisting a lock of it around his fingers. Ebony could have cried at the love in his eyes as he gazed at his wife. Oh, to have that, she thought.
She woke up early the next day and found the whole family in the kitchen. Romy grinned at her. “Atlas just called. He’s sending a car for you at ten a.m. and wondered if that was too early. I heard the shower running, so I told him that was okay – was I right to?”
“Definitely.” Ebony felt nervous all of a sudden.
“I must give you a key,” Romy said, grabbing her purse. “We’re heading out about nine to drop Gracie off at kindergarten.”
“I can count this much!” Gracie informed her, holding both hands out. “One, two, three …”
“Don’t get her started or we’ll never leave the house,” Romy warned, handing Ebony a key. “Help yourself to anything you need. You have my number – I’m sorry I can’t be there for your meeting with Atlas.”
“It’s no problem. Honestly, you’ve done enough.”
As the various members of the family were rounded up, Ebony sat quietly in the kitchen, sipping a cup of decaf in deference to the pregnancy she was trying not to think about. The sudden lack of chatter was peaceful, but at the same time, oddly lonely.
At ten a.m. sharp, a navy-blue Mercedes pulled up to the gates of the Allende home and Ebony buzzed him through. She went slowly down the front steps of the mansion, feeling oddly out of place. The driver got out of the car and Ebony drew in a sharp breath. If even the chauffeurs were this gorgeous…he was tall, had wild dark curls and merry green eyes and a smile that lit up his handsome face.
“Miss Verlaine?”
Ebony smiled at him. “That’s me. Nice to meet you.”
The driver opened the passenger door for her and Ebony was relieved. She would hate to sit in the back seat like some rich mukety-muck. The driver helped her in, and she thanked him.
As he sat in the driver’s seat, she breathed in the scent of his cologne: clean linen and fresh air. He grinned around at her. “I hear you’re from these parts.”
Ebony nodded, hearing an accent in his voice, but unable to place it. “Born and bred, although sadly, all my family is either gone or scattered. My brother lives in New Orleans.”
“I know – he’s married to Juno, Romy told me.”
Ebony was a little confused. He was very forward to be a driver. Maybe that’s how it worked in Atlas Tigri’s world—Romy had said he was a sweetheart—unless…
“I’m really sorry, I should have asked your name. Forgive my rudeness.”
The driver laughed, and something flipped in Ebony’s stomach. God, he was gorgeous…
“No problem. Atlas Tigri, at your service.”
Ebony felt her face burn. “God, I’m sorry, Mr. Tigri, I thought…Romy said you were sending a car, not picking me up yourself.”
Atlas grinned. “Atlas, please. I changed my mind, thought it would break the ice faster to come get you myself. I hope that’s okay.”
Oh, god, yes. Ebony smiled at him. “That explains the accent. Italian.”
“Yes, indeed. So, now that we’ve met officially, would you spend the day with me, Miss Verlaine? I thought I would show you the facility then take you to lunch. After that, we can go to the party venue and talk more about your performance.”
“Ebony, please, and that sounds perfect.”
On the way to the Haven facility, Ebony was impressed even more with Atlas Tigri – it became apparent very quickly that he wasn’t just a rich, pretty boy, but someone really passionate about helping victims of domestic abuse. “I wanted somewhere, a safe space for abuse victims to go and get the medical help they needed, but also the psychiatric help, the comfort, compassion,” he told her as they pulled up to the building. It was sleek and modern, but also had a warm atmosphere to it, which Atlas commented on as they walked up the steps, greeted by various employees with friendly nods.
“I want this placed to be somewhere they feel secure, well fed, warm. It needs to be somewhere they can regroup and plan the next steps in their lives. A kind of home, if you will.” He smiled at her ruefully. “It’s grown far beyond what I envisioned, and quickly, too. We now have lawyers on hand, as well as top surgeons, such as Romy. I’m also hoping, eventually, to be able to rehouse people, but at the moment, my accountants won’t let me fund that.”
There was a flash of real frustration in his green eyes and if Ebony had missed it, his next words made it clear it wasn’t imaginary. “It’s my money. I should be able to use it for any purpose,” he muttered, sounding distinctly less rich financier than frustrated philanthropist. “But that’s why I have financial counsel, to make sure there’s money available for many years.”
She nodded, walking inside the building as he held the door for her. “Long-term planning instead of a flash in the pan.”
“Precisely.” He stepped in and smiled at one of the residents as she walked by, a look of tension on her face that relaxed under Atlas’ warm smile. “We’re not struggling by any means, but this fundraiser will bring in vital money for supplies, food, medicine. If it goes well, we may make it a regular thing.”
Moved beyond words, Ebony looked around as they walked through the clean, freshly painted hallways, to some of the residential halls. The rooms, though dormitory style, were painted in warm colors, decorated with carefully curated artwork that made them feel simultaneously homey and stylish.
Ebony’s eyes glistened at the obvious care that had gone into the smallest detail. “It’s incredible, Atlas…wow.”
“We never have enough beds,” he told her soberly, “and it breaks my heart.”
Impulsively, she rested her hand on his forearm and looked up into his handsome face. “What you’ve done here—beside the physical appearance of things, all the programs you offer, the highly trained staff, the overall dedication to helping them help themselves—” she shook her head. “It’s incredible, Atlas. Far and beyond the expected or even the usually possible. But you can’t save everybody.”
Atlas laughed softly, lightly covering her hand with his own and sending a tendril of warmth straight into Ebony’s heart. “Romy tells me that all the time.” His smile faded. “We had an emergency brought in the other night, and Romy had to operate. The victim didn’t make it. That’s the hardest part of all of this.”
“But you’re making a difference,” she said intently, keeping her gaze locked with his. He was mesmerizing, this man; a mirror of sorts to this facility where the exterior was as handsome as everything inside. Ebony felt a surge of adrenaline, inspired by this man’s heart, by his vision. “It’s incredible, Atlas, it really is. Any way I can help, even if it is just by singing for you, I’d love to be a part of it. I know, from working with GRF, how a foundation can change a life. It changed mine when I met Livia Chatelaine. It changed forever, and I’m just a singer.”
“You’re not just a singer, Ebony. You bring pleasure to people with your natural gift.”
“You haven’t even heard me sing yet,” she flushed but felt the shift in atmosphere between them. Suddenly there was a tension, and she could feel his body heat. For a long moment, they gazed at each other, then Atlas smiled, his eyes soft.
“I can’t wait to hear you,” he said softly and touched a finger to her cheek. Her skin burned where he made contact, and her stomach was filled with butterflies. “I can’t wait.”
He took her for lunch to an independent burger joint, and she loved that he had no airs, enjoying the fast food as much as she did, chatting easily. She took her time to study him; the way he dressed, a dark blue sweater which brought out the color of his green eyes, blue jeans which highlighted his long, slim legs and – much to Ebony’ approval – a firm, tight bubble-butt. It was his eyes which really drew her, though. The color of them, so bright against the thick, long, black eyelashes which she wanted to brush her fingers across. They were so dark that they made him look as if he were wearing eyeliner. His face, boyish, with rounded cheeks, and his smile which made her weak.
Do not get a crush on him, she warned herself, then realized it was too late. To be fair, Atlas Tigri was flirty, funny, and held her gaze for a beat too long when they talked. She was used to being noticed by men, but this was somehow totally different.
Built like a pocket Venus, Ebony was all curves, her dark skin glowing with vitality, her face a callback to 1940’s glamour; something she played up by styling her hair in the style of Josephine Baker. When she performed, she would slip into skin-tight flapper dresses which highlighted her curves. But off-duty, she was pretty much a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.
Now, as she looked at this man in front of her, she felt her entire body ache for him. She wondered what he would be like in bed; if he unleashed all that wild Italian sexuality or was more reserved. She wondered how he would look naked, how his cock would feel inside of her…
Jesus, stop. She could feel herself getting wet and tried to distract herself by talking about her set list for the party. It was difficult when Atlas was looking at her like he wanted to fuck her right there, though.
Somehow she forced herself back into the conversation. “I have a mix of jazz standards and original pieces planned, but we can arrange them any way you want. If you’d prefer a set of songs that your guests would recognize, we can do that. Or, as another idea, I could do jazz versions of modern classics.”
“I love that idea,” Atlas nodded. “I can see you doing some jazz Pearl Jam.”
They both laughed, and Ebony nodded. “I never thought of them as classic, but if that’s your jam, so to speak, I can make it work.”
“I bet you could.”
There was a pause, a beat where they just smiled at each other. Ebony laughed softly. “How is it I feel I’ve known you for more than a few hours, Atlas?”
He smiled. “That crazy thing called chemistry.”
“That must be it.”
They gazed at each other for a long moment before Atlas leaned over and kissed the side of her mouth. “Mustard.”
Ebony snickered, her body tingling with anticipation. “Of course, thank you.”
Atlas cupped her face in his palm. “Can I tell you you're beautiful without sounding like a creep?”
“You just did,” she whispered and moaned softly as he pressed his lips to hers again. This time, the kiss went on and on until they were both breathless and trembling. Atlas drew away, taking her hands in his.
“I don’t want to take advantage,” he said in a low voice. “Nor do I want to behave unprofessionally or put you in a position where you feel uncomfortable. The party is in two days…”
He didn’t have to finish his sentence. As much as Ebony wanted him right here, right now, she agreed with him. They needed to press pause on whatever this was until after the fundraiser. She kissed him again. “I understand, and I agree, Atlas.” She grinned. “After all, isn’t anticipation sexy?”
He nuzzled his nose to hers. “It is. As sexy as you are, and that’s so goddamn sexy I could cry.”
They both laughed then. “Come on, Tigri, let’s go see this party venue.”
As they were walking out of the restaurant, Atlas stopped her. “We might be being grown-up and sensible about this, but I have to warn you. I’ll be stealing kisses whenever I can.”
Ebony laughed, feeling so at ease with this gorgeous man. She slipped her hand into his. “You can’t steal something that would be given willingly.”
He immediately pressed his lips to hers. God, he tasted so good, and the way his lips moved against hers sent vibrations through her entire body. She wanted to tell him to fuck her now and fuck her hard, but she kept her countenance – just. The thought of after the party, of being naked with him, of his cock plunging into her. She shivered. Atlas smiled at her. “Cold?”
“No. Just…anticipation.” Summoning her courage, she slid her hand down to his groin. God, he was huge and ramrod-hard.
His green eyes were now dark and hungry as he lifted her hand away and turned it palm-side up, kissing it heatedly. “Soon, baby.”
Her skin went up in flames at the touch of his lips and she immediately imagined them so many other places. “Soon.”
They made it across town somehow, their hands increasingly wandering over one another, their lips meeting frequently. Walking into one of Seattle’s most exclusive and expensive hotels, they were forced to stop until the elevator, at least, which they took full advantage of.
By the time they reached the penthouse, Ebony’s legs were like jello from his passionate, tender kisses. He held her hand with warm possession as they walked into the beautiful space and she immediately spotted the small but well-situated stage. Not much could have derailed her thoughts from Atlas at that point, but music had always held the upper hand in Ebony’s world and it reasserted itself just enough now that she managed to step away, assessing her performance space.
Walking back and forth, she mentally mapped where she would stand, where instruments might be, the distance between herself and the audience…“Will I meet the band beforehand?”
“Oh, yes, I’ve arranged for you to spend the day with them tomorrow if that’s okay. The hotel will bring you all food and refreshments all day, but Juno said you might need the day to arrange things with them.”
“That would be great, thank you. Just perfect—” Her eyes found the magnificent piano at last and she gasped. “Is that a Bösendorfer Imperial Grand?”
As she spoke, she was already walking over to run her fingers over the keys and knew as soon as she heard the depth of tone color that she hadn’t been mistaken. Swooning for an entirely different reason now, Ebony slid onto the seat and played a few bars.
“My accountants had fits,” he whispered into her ear. “But after Romy told me about your magnificent voice—and when I heard it for myself—there was no way I could stand for anything less.”
She sank into a slow melody, losing herself in the magic, as always, until he trailed his lips across her shoulder.
“Romy and Blue have asked me to come to dinner tomorrow night.”
Ebony moaned slightly, the collision of music and man—this man—making her dizzy with need.
“If you do that, I’m not going to be able to control myself.”
Atlas tipped her chin up and kissed her softly. “Come to dinner?”
“Oh God.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again and reaching up to cover his hand with her own. “I want you, Atlas Tigri, but we made a deal. Unless you want me to leave you with blue balls,” she added with a mischievous grin.
Atlas groaned and rested his forehead against hers. “Woman, you just wait until the party is over. I’m going to rent a room in this place, and take you there. And believe me, you won’t be able to walk straight the next day.”
The marble floor suddenly looked like the most inviting mattress ever, but Ebony managed to get up and avoid the thought of being tumbled onto it. “I think we’d better go mingle with other people before we break our rule.”
Atlas stood but pulled her to him. “One last thing.”
Ebony smiled up at him, feeling his erect cock pressing against her belly. “And what’s that?”
He bent his head and kissed her thoroughly. “When I get you into bed, I’m going to fuck you so hard, woman, that you’ll see stars.”
She shivered. “You’d better keep that promise, Atlas Tigri.”
Her body felt as if it had been electrified, but later, back at Romy’s house, she had a stark reminder that her body was no longer just her own. Lying in bed, reading, and trying not to think about Atlas Tigri, a wave of nausea hit her just as she switched off her lamp, and she staggered to the little en-suite bathroom and threw up. She groaned, leaning her head against the cold tile. The nausea kept coming for the next two hours and eventually, Ebony heard the door to her bedroom creak open and Romy’s soft voice calling her.
“In here,” Ebony croaked, her throat sore from vomiting. Romy, her sweet face creased with worry, came in and crouched next to her.
“Sweetie, are you sick?”
Ebony tried to smile as Romy swept a hand onto her forehead. The coolness of Romy’s fingers felt nice against her hot skin. “Must have eaten something at lunchtime that didn’t agree with me.”
“Hmm. I don’t think you’re feverish, but you feel hot. Can I get you some Pepto?”
Ebony didn’t know if Pepto was good for pregnant women, so she shook her head. “Honestly, I think it’s just a bad oyster.”
“You had oysters?”
“No.” Ebony suddenly laughed. “But I’m okay, really. My stomach’s settling down now.”
Romy helped Ebony back to bed, but Ebony could see she was worried. “Honestly, Romy, I’m fine.”
Romy hesitated. “I’ll be just down the hallway if you need me.”
“Thanks, honey. I’m sorry to wake you.”
“No problem, I was awake for the twins anyway. I won’t miss the midnight feeds, I can tell you. Night, sweetheart.”
“Night, Romy.”
As her friend slipped away, leaving Ebony alone once more, she wondered if she should confide in Romy about her pregnancy. She hadn’t told anyone yet, and it was eating away at her. Today. Atlas had been a wonderful distraction, and she couldn’t wait to see him again – and certainly, the thought of a night with him was making her excited. But she couldn’t ignore what was happening to her for much longer.
No, I don’t want to think about this, she thought resolutely. Not tonight. Give me these next few days and then I promise, we’ll figure it out. Ebony realized she already thought of her child as a person, as them both as a team, and sighed. It would make it so much harder for her to decide what to do about the baby.
She turned onto her side and closed her eyes, and dreamed of Atlas Tigri, smiling at her as if he loved her, and holding their child.