CHAPTER FOUR
Ebony, wearing a dark red dress, her short, dark hair combed into a bob, and a long gold chain around her neck, was both nervous and excited about seeing Atlas again. She wondered if she’d somehow managed to imagine the sizzling chemistry between them, but then he walked in the door and the heat crackled immediately once again.
His green eyes met hers, warm with desire that he reined in as he simply leaned in and kissed her cheek. That small gesture alone left Ebony trembling with need.
She breathed in the scent of his expensive cologne, woody and spicy, and felt her pulse quicken. “Tomorrow night,” she whispered.
Atlas brushed his fingers over her jaw, leaving no doubt that if there hadn’t been an audience a few feet away he would have been kissing her thoroughly. “Tomorrow.”
At dinner, which was a fun, laid-back affair, Ebony sat with her friends and felt happier than she had in a long time. Atlas was sitting next to her and not hiding the chemistry between them as if they had known each other for years, and she was grateful to him for that.
“Listen,” he was saying to Romy and Blue now. “Christmas. Are you going to the cabin?”
Blue shook his head. “No, Arti and Dan are taking Grey up this year, and we didn’t want to intrude. So, it’ll probably be a quiet one at home.”
“In that case, I’d like to invite you all to come celebrate with us at the house. We have a houseful already – Stan’s there, and I believe the Angel of Death is showing his face as well.”
Ebony raised an eyebrow curiously and mouthed Death? to Romy, who shook her head.
“Well, you make it sound unmissable,” said Blue dryly. “I assume you’re speaking about the always delightful Cormac?”
“The very one.” Atlas grinned. “Mateo’s delighted as you might guess. But Vida is less annoying at Christmas, I’ll admit, and I know Fino, Mateo, and Stan would love for you to be there.”
“Done and done,” Romy said as Blue nodded.
Atlas looked at Ebony. “Yes?”
“Me what?”
“You, Christmas, us …” he gestured at everyone at the table. “Together.”
As elated as she was surprised, Ebony nodded slowly. “Of course. If I’m not imposing—”
“You’re part of our extended family now,” Atlas cut in, and the way he was looking at her, there was no way Romy and Blue didn’t notice, but Ebony didn’t care. “I’d love to, but I think Juno and Obe are coming from New Orleans.”
“Then they are invited too.” Beneath the table, his fingers grazed her knee. “Please come.”
Ebony couldn’t look away from Atlas’s gaze. “Then I’d love too.”
After dinner, Ebony noticed Romy and Blue excused themselves, a little pointedly, to take care of the dishes and left Ebony and Atlas alone in the living room. Atlas sat next to her, his arm along the back of the couch. Ebony had to resist the urge to snuggle with him.
Atlas glanced out of the room and risked leaning in to kiss her. “I thought about you all day,” he said softly, “and all night too.”
She traced her fingertip around his mouth. “Me too…when I wasn’t busy working with your band. What a great bunch of guys.”
“They are. Mike called me just before I left for here, telling me he’s never heard such a wonderful voice. Tomorrow night is going to be so special, Ebony…in more than one way.”
Ebony shivered in anticipation. Risking another kiss, she shimmied closer to him, and Atlas slid a hand up her thigh, his fingers coming perilously close to her hot sex. Ebony couldn’t help but grab his hand and pressed it between her legs.
“I want you so badly,” she whispered into his ear and heard his low rumble of laughter.
“If we don’t stop, I’m going to fuck you right here, right now, and that’s just not good dinner party etiquette.” But he kissed her back passionately, moaning when she squeezed his ramrod cock through his pants.
“Don’t make any plans for the day after tomorrow,” he said, “because we’re spending all day in bed and I’m going to kiss every inch of your heavenly skin, Ebony Verlaine. You have crept into my brain and the things I want to do to you…most of them are barely legal.” He said all this with a wicked grin on his face and Ebony felt herself getting wetter and wetter.
She leaned in. “The anticipation is killing me.”
“Me too.”
Romy and Blue made a lot of noise out in the hall to make it obvious they were about to join them, and when they came in, Ebony saw they were both grinning from ear to ear. Atlas didn’t move his arm, or make any effort to hide his desire for her, and Ebony smiled at him.
In the middle of the night the sickness returned, but this time, she tried to be as quiet as possible. Ebony threw up then rinsed her mouth out and sat on the cool tile, placing a hand on her belly. Was morning sickness supposed to hit this soon? Ebony drew in some deep lungfuls of air. How had she been so stupid that night, which was still only two weeks ago? A hot night out on the town with her friend Kate had turned into something else entirely.
Ebony could barely believe she’d done the things she had that night. Kate, always the more adventurous one, had dared her to go to that sex club. At first, Ebony had resisted, but then later on, after way too many drinks, she’d agreed. “Just to see what it’s all about.”
Kate nodded, grinning. But of course, what it was about was sex, and she’d found herself in a room, bound and being fucked by a man whose face was obscured by a rubber mask. He had a great, hard body, a little too ripped for her taste, but she liked his back tattoo, a red phoenix. He didn’t speak at all. He’d used a condom, so it was just unlucky that she’d gotten pregnant, but her shame at what she had done had overwhelmed her the next day.
Kate came to see her the next day, deeply apologetic. “I’m sorry, Ebony. I was just trying to get you to loosen up. I didn’t know that would happen.”
“It’s okay,” Ebony said, “I was fully consenting, it’s just…”
“I know. But I also know you’re not into that scene and I should’ve stopped you.”
“Who’s to say I would have listened?” Ebony reassured her friend. “It’s okay, you know, it’s life, it’s an experience, it’s not like I’m some virgin. I just generally like to be in control of when I’m going to sleep with someone.”
“I know, and I feel wretched.”
Ebony had hugged Kate, who genuinely seemed ashamed. “Dude, look, sex is great, and I’m sure there are people who dig that whole scene. It’s just not for me.”
She’d told herself that it was fine over and over, that sex clubs definitely had their place in the world, but she couldn’t help feeling a little dirty, a little sordid. She hadn’t even seen the guy’s face, and now she was carrying his child. God.
But the thing was…it was something she tried not to admit to herself, but a small part of her was excited to be a mother. Lots of women have children young, she thought to herself, but it’s just the timing sucks. If I hadn’t met Atlas…
But she had met Atlas, and she was so excited about where this could go. So excited that she refused to think about the complications pregnancy would add to an as-yet nonexistent relationship. Why worry before anything had actually happened?
Dragging herself up from the floor, she glanced at her phone. Just after 4 a.m. in Seattle, and she wondered if her brother, in New Orleans, would be awake. She went back to bed and texted Obe.
You up?
Hey, sis.
She called him immediately. “Hey Bubba, sorry to bother you so early.”
“No sweat. What are you doing up so early?”
“Just … stuff on my mind,” she deflected. “How’s our old hunting ground?”
“Stuff like your performance, I’m guessing. The hunting grounds are beautiful, but cold. You with Juno?”
“Yeah, she’s still asleep. I was about to go to the gym but I’d rather talk to you. Miss you, kiddo.”
Ebony smiled down the phone. “Miss you too. Listen, the guy who’s working with Romy is a sweetheart, and he’s invited us to spend Christmas with him and his extended family. So, it’s something to think about, thought I’d mention it. Juno knows him…Atlas Tigri.”
“Yeah, she’s mentioned him. That’s cool. I’ll talk to Juno about it, but I’m sure we can make it work if that’s what you want to do.”
“It is.” Ebony wondered if she should share the growing attraction between her and Atlas with her brother, but decided against it.
“So. Nervous about your performance at the fundraiser?” Obe asked again.
“A little,” she admitted, letting him keep thinking that was what was keeping her awake even though she didn’t know the meaning of stage fright. Never had. “I don’t want to let Atlas and Romy down.”
“Not possible,” her brother gave a short laugh, “you’ll kill it, sis.”
Ebony thanked him and ended the call. She lay in bed, her mind whirling with how much, in such short of time, her life was changing. She had no idea what was coming next, but she knew one thing for certain: This time tomorrow she would be in bed with the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on…and she couldn’t wait.