CHAPTER FIVE
It was a habit of hers to always check out a venue early on the day of the performance, just to get the vibe. A place felt so different the day of something than on any other day.
Ebony walked into the party venue and stopped. Talk about a different vibe. “Wow.” Though elegant as ever, the large room had been transformed into a white and silver Christmas wonderland, with thousands of tiny, twinkling white lights. Ebony looked around the room as the staff set dinner tables and prepared the room.
The money Atlas had put into this – his own money, Romy had told her – was a little unsettling. The man was rich – very rich, and it freaked her out a little.
On the stage, there was a curtain of crystals hanging like rain behind where she would sing. Ebony suddenly felt overwhelmed, an unfamiliar feeling she didn’t enjoy in the slightest.
“Miss Verlaine?”
She turned to see a young woman smiling at her. “That’s me, hello.”
“Hi there, I’m Felicity. Mr. Tigri suggested you might drop by early.”
Ebony looked at her in surprise. “He did, did he?” The way he seemed to know her so well when they’d barely just met could have been unnerving, but she found it somehow only amplified how hot the man was.
“He asked whether you’d like any changes made. Any at all, and I’ll make them happen.”
Ebony didn’t even need to look around. The place was easily the nicest venue she’d ever been in. “No. It all looks fantastic. Just make sure the jazz drummer has a screen, please.” She elaborated at Felicity’s confused look. “The plastic cage you see around them sometimes. Helps avoid drowning out quieter instruments, and my voice. It’s not standard use in jazz, but at rehearsal this morning the drummer requested one.”
Felicity made a note on her phone. “I’ll take care of it,” she promised. “Mr. Tigri also said you might want a new outfit for tonight. Because it’s special, he asked me to tell you specifically.”
For one second Ebony found herself offended at the suggestion that she didn’t have the right outfit for this upscale joint, and then Atlas’ ‘because it’s special’ hit home and she realized he was flirting with her. Through his unwitting assistant, no less.
“I love dress shopping,” Felicity confided with a shy smile. “Especially with no budget. I’d be happy to help you pick out something. Mr. Tigri told me to take the day to help and to warn you to spare no expense.”
Ebony smiled. “He said that, did he? Well, all right, then. Take me to your favorite place, Felicity.”
Standing in the exclusive boutique a short while later, Ebony’s eyes widened at the designer clothes. “This is too much.”
Felicity laughed. “Not at all. Now, what’s your aesthetic?”
Ebony hesitated then said. “I’m a retro girl. I love anything from the Twenties, Thirties or Forties.”
Felicity nodded. “Then we’re in the right place. Carmen is one of Seattle’s up and coming designers, and she loves anything retro. This is going to be amazing…”
Over the next hour, they talked with the designer herself, who brought out several pieces that Ebony almost swooned over. Eventually, she chose a form-fitting gold dress which skimmed her curves and looked sensational against her dark skin. Felicity then took her to a beauty salon where they worked on her hair, shaping it into pin curls around her face. Ebony had to admit – she didn’t recognize the stunning woman in the mirror.
“Now,” Felicity said, “Underwear?”
Ebony flushed. “Um…”
Felicity grinned impishly. “Top to toe was what Mr. Tigri suggested, but only if you wanted it. He’s not trying to Eliza Doolittle you – his words.”
New, sexy underwear was definitely appealing, but Ebony felt awkward. “On one condition…I’m allowed to pay for my own underwear.”
“Entirely up to you.”
They went to a small boutique, and Ebony picked up some sultry, dark red underwear that cost way too much for something that just might end up shredded in three seconds. But God, she hoped it did end up in pieces on the floor. It’d be worth the expense. Every cent of it.
“Good choice.” Felicity approved, then smiled. “Okay, lunch?”
Ebony enjoyed Felicity’s company at lunch, getting to know the young woman. “How long have you worked for Atlas?”
“Five years,” Felicity said, her mouth full of sandwich, “he recruited me as an intern – a paid intern at that – and after his long-time secretary left, I became his assistant. I think he likes me because I’m not star struck by him. I tell him the truth.”
Ebony smiled. “I get that about him. He’s a good guy.”
“He really is.” Felicity studied Ebony. “He told me you come from Seattle originally?”
Ebony nodded. “Born and bred. I moved away from Seattle when my brother moved to New Orleans. Serendipitously, it turned out, because the Foundation who mentored me and my career is based there.”
Felicity nodded. “My girlfriend’s brother is involved with them too. Ben Faldo.”
“I know Ben, he’s a wonderful musician and a sweet guy.”
Felicity beamed. “He is, thank you.”
Ebony decided she liked Felicity very much and after Felicity dropped her back at the venue, she gave her cell phone number to her. “In case you want to go for drinks sometime.”
Felicity grinned. “Would love to. Knock them dead tonight.”
“You’re not coming?”
“Sadly, not this time, I have a family thing, but I have no doubt you’ll rock it.”
Ebony hung her performance dress up behind the door of her dressing room and, covering her hair with a cap carefully, stepped into the shower. She wasn’t sure if all dressing rooms had showers, but it sure was convenient. She scrubbed off, shaved, massaged moisturizer oil into every part of her body, then slipped her new underwear on. The oil had a gold shimmer to it which made her dark skin glow, and the dark red underwear was the perfect color for her. She slipped her day dress back on, not wanting to get her performance dress rumpled – it was a couple of hours until she was on.
Happily, she began to warm up her voice, even though the performance was way too far away for it to make a difference yet. In the middle of a scale, there was a knock on the door.
Opening it, her heart began to beat faster. Atlas grinned at her. “Hey, gorgeous.”
She couldn’t help herself; she grabbed his tie and pulled him into the room, pressing her body against his as he bent his head to kiss her. She tangled her fingers in his dark curls, savoring every moment of the kiss, his lips firm and gentle, but with a fierce passion.
Breaking away finally, gasping for air, Ebony laughed. “God, Atlas Tigri…what you do to me.”
“What I’m going to do to you later tonight,” he said, sliding his arms around her waist, “will put even a kiss like that in the shade.”
Ebony moaned in anticipation. “Am I in a dream? I think I must be.”
Atlas laughed, his green eyes shining. “Then I’m in it with you, beautiful. Now, tell me, did Felicity spoil you like I asked her to?”
It was Ebony’s turn to laugh. “Yes, she did. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, except for the whole hooker thing.”
“Just as long as you weren’t offended. I tried to have her explain, without giving it away.”
“I got the message,” she promised as he kissed her again, then swept a lock of her hair over her ear. “Are you nervous?”
Ebony shook her head. “No. Not about anything, Atlas.”
He groaned. “I’ve never wanted a party to be over so badly. I’m just going to be the worst host.”
Ebony smiled. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
Atlas grinned. “Hey, you hungry? I have pizza coming.”
“You read my mind.”
Somehow they kept their hands to themselves as they ate, and Ebony figured they both qualified for some kind of sainthood by the end of the hour when Atlas kissed her cheek and left her alone to get ready. “Get dressed.” He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “So I can undress you later.”
Leaving her utterly on fire, he departed.
Pulling herself together after he’d all but melted her bones, Ebony slipped into her couture dress and went through a full vocal warmup as she prepared to be called by the floor manager. As she approached the stage, she heard the chatter of the guests and peeked out at the crowd. Scores of beautifully and expensively dressed people, none of whom she recognized, were milling around, glasses of champagne in hand, talking and laughing with each other.
She saw Atlas, breathtaking in his Armani suit and bow-tie, step up to the microphone. Ebony felt another curl of desire in her stomach as she listened to his low, sensual voice thanking the guests for coming. He talked with such passion about Haven and what his ambitions for it were that Ebony was almost moved to tears.
She realized Atlas was coming to the end of his speech and was about to announce her. Her skin tingled as she registered the fondness in his voice as he talked about her, and when he announced her, she walked onto the stage to warm applause. Atlas kissed her cheek, winking at her. “Go get ‘em, kiddo.”
Adrenaline pumped through Ebony’s system as she greeted the crowd and introduced her band, and then, as the music swelled, she began to sing.
Atlas stood to the side of the stage, unable to take his eyes off of Ebony. Her voice, low, tremulous and sensual, sent shivers down his spine. The way the gold dress clung to her body was driving him crazy, and when she glanced over at him and smiled as she sang, his heart thudded against his chest.
Atlas had questioned himself over the last two days whether he was doing the right thing, getting involved with Ebony. Not because of who she was, but because of who he was. Was he taking advantage? He would hate to think so, but Ebony was very young. His gut was telling him that she was special though and for now, he would go along with that. He had dreamed of her creamy dark skin and deep brown eyes since the moment he met her, and when he kissed her, he’d never been so sure about anything.
Last night, he’d told Mateo how he felt about her, and Mateo, ever the romantic, had been delighted. “Brother, as long as neither of you gets hurt, what’s the harm? Live, Atlas. You’ve been surrounded by sycophants and gold-diggers all your life. If your instinct is telling you this girl is different, go with it. Leap.”
Now, Atlas closed his eyes for a moment, immersing himself in the sound of her voice. It wrapped him as smoothly and softly as he imagined her body would later. Ebony made even much-performed standards sound fresh and original, her smooth voice with that touch of gravel entrancing the gathered party-goers. After every song, they applauded her loudly, some even whooping their approval, and Atlas could see the confidence in Ebony’s eyes growing. Her sweet smile, the friendly, easy way she chatted with the audience between songs…she was a star, that much was obvious. Atlas made a mental note to talk to Stanley – his step-father, with all his contacts, could help Ebony immeasurably, and she deserved every opportunity.
He felt someone touch his arm and found Romy, beautiful in a midnight blue column gown, smiling beside him. “Girl did good, huh?”
“Unbelievably good,” Atlas agreed, still half wrapped in Ebony and her song. “How’re you doing?”
“Very good. Blue’s grabbing us some drinks. Listen, I wanted to thank you for not spilling about the guy at Haven yesterday. I don’t want Blue worried about me every second – he does that enough, anyway.”
Atlas’s smile faded. “The detective called. Dude was bailed. Keep your security team close.”
Romy didn’t look worried. “We will, don’t worry. I can’t believe they bailed that motherfucker. He killed her.”
“Apparently his family is well connected.”
Romy looked angry. “God. Preppy entitled assholes. Dacre was the same.”
Atlas squeezed her head. “Dacre’s dead.”
“I know.” Romy sighed. “But there’s always another one and another…”
“Which is why we do what we do.” He put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. Ebony was about to start another song, and Romy smiled again.
“God, I love this song.”
It was a cover of Etta James’ At Last, always a crowd pleaser, and the audience began to sing along with Ebony, who grinned and encouraged them. She had them in the palm of her hand, that was obvious, and Atlas felt a surge of affection. In a life and career where he saw so much pain, so much of the worst of people, it was a salve to the soul to see someone connecting with others so much. He felt Romy grinning at him and looked down at her.
“You’re smitten,” she said, nudging him with her shoulder and he laughed.
“I admit, I am,” he said honestly.
Romy smiled and gave him an affectionate sideways hug. “I’m happy for you, Atlas. I adore Ebony, and you both deserve happiness. She feels the same way, believe me.”
“I hope so. It’s the very beginnings of something, Romy. I hope it becomes more but at the moment…”
“I know, I know. Just enjoy it. God, her voice is like velvet, isn’t it?”
Atlas was spellbound – as was the audience – as Ebony finished up her set and he, like them, applauded her long and hard. He got up onto the stage as she shyly took her bow. “Ladies and gentleman, it’s a cliché, but tonight, I think, a star was born. Miss Ebony Verlaine, everybody.”
Ebony chuckled, her face red as Atlas kissed her cheek. “You were sensational, baby. Utterly sensational.”
CHAPTER SIX
At the dinner after the show, Atlas had seated her next to him, with Romy and Blue at their table too. “I thought you might want some friends around.”
Ebony smiled at him gratefully. “I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity,” she said to him and Romy. “If there’s any more I can do to help, please, just ask. I’d be happy to.”
“I think you’ll be fighting the offers off now,” Blue said, with a wink. “In fact, if I’m not mistaken, Roman Ford is here somewhere.”
“Of Quartet?” Ebony almost squeaked. Quartet was one of the biggest record companies in the world – but they were very, very picky about who they had on their roster. To be a Quartet Artist was to have a cache in the business like no other.
“That’s him…I can introduce you if you’d like.” Atlas nodded to a table where Ebony saw Roman laughing with a beautiful blonde woman who looked familiar. Ebony recognized her as Kym Clayton, the guitarist in The 9th and Pine, a Seattle rock band she and Obe loved and had been to see play live many times.
Ebony swallowed nervously. She’d just spent hours working out her voice, but her throat was suddenly dry as sand. “Maybe another time, I don’t want to use this night to shill for myself.”
Atlas and Blue laughed, and Romy squeezed Ebony’s hand. “Darling, the second you opened your mouth up there, that was your introduction, believe me.”
Romy wasn’t wrong. After a luscious dessert of champagne sorbet with strawberries, Roman Ford came over to their table and shook her hand. It was all Ebony could not to stutter when he complimented her. “That voice is astonishing, Ebony.” And when he casually added, “Call me. I’d like you to meet my partners,” if Atlas hadn’t been discreetly propping her up with a hand on her back, she might have sagged at the knees.
He handed Ebony a business card, then stayed to chat with them for a time. Ebony sat, listening to her friends talking and laughing, feeling Atlas’s fingers stroking up and down her bare back, Quartet’s business card in her purse and surrounded by friends. A small twinge of something fluttered in her belly – a new life in more ways than one. Is this all really happening?
As the guests started to drift away toward the end of the night, Atlas and Ebony said goodbye to their friends and hand-in-hand rode the elevator to the penthouse suite. They gazed at each, no words needed, and when they walked into the suite, Atlas took her in his arms and kissed her.
“You were amazing, the party was a success…but, god, I’m glad it’s over…”
Ebony gave a moan as he buried his face in her neck, his lips against her throat, his fingers gently pulling the straps of her dress down her shoulders. The gold fabric slithered down her body to the floor and it was Atlas’ turn to moan at the sight of her curves. “Even more beautiful than I dreamed.”
Ebony’s trembling fingers pulled at his tie, then unbuttoned his shirt. She pressed her lips to his chest, his hard pecs with a smattering of black hair, trailing her fingertips down his flat stomach, feeling it contracted with desire under her touch. As she unzipped his pants, Atlas stroked her stomach. She gazed up at him as she freed his huge, diamond-hard cock from his underwear, and stroked it against her bare belly.
Atlas muttered something in Italian and cupped her face as he kissed her passionately. His hand slipped between her legs, caressing her through her panties, then gently sliding them down her legs. With an expert twist, he unclasped her bra, letting her full, ripe breasts fall into his hands. Stroking a rhythm over them with his thumbs, Atlas kissed her again, then swept her into his arms and into the bedroom.
On the bed, he covered her body with his, kissing her, then moving down to take her nipples into his mouth one by one. Ebony tangled her fingers in his dark hair as he moved down her body, rimming her deep navel with his tongue, then, making her gasp, his mouth found her sex.
Teasing, biting, tasting her, he expertly brought her to a mellow orgasm, flooding her sex with desire. “I want to taste you too.”
Smiling, she pushed him onto his back, as she took his cock into her mouth. He really was so big that she couldn’t take him all, and so with her hand, she fisted the root of him as her mouth worked, her tongue running up and down the silky skin, feeling the hardness underneath.
“God, Ebony…”
She knew he was close, but she didn’t pull away until he shot his cum onto her tongue, shuddering and groaning her name. She swallowed him down, salty sweetness on her tongue, then moved up to straddle him as he recovered.
Atlas stroked her belly, cupped her breasts. “Your body is heaven,” he said breathlessly and laughed as she bent to kiss him, pressing her breasts and belly to his.
He flipped her onto her back. “I’m going to fuck you so hard, Ebony, all night long.”
Ebony smiled. “Tell me more,” she purred as he sat back and grabbed a condom, rolling it onto his stiffening cock. “You’re so big, baby.”
“And you’re going to take it all, my darling.” He slipped his hands between her legs. “You’re so wet, sweetheart.”
“I’ve been wet all day, thinking about this moment,” Ebony whispered. “Thinking about you, how you’ll feel inside me…oh…god…”
Atlas slid into her slowly, filling her silky cunt with his rock-hard cock. For a moment he paused as they gazed at each other, savoring the moment, then a frenzied need took over them both, and they were fucking hard and fast, tearing at each other, Ebony’s nails digging into the skin of his back and his buttocks as she urged him on, gasping and panting.
Atlas slammed his hips against hers, forcing her legs wider until her hips burned, but Ebony loved the pain of it. She wanted him, wanting all of him, the feeling of his cock driving deeper and harder inside her was ecstasy. Her head swam with delirious desire as Atlas pinned her hands to the bed, reaming her harder until she cried out, her orgasm hitting, making stars explode in her vision. She felt Atlas’ cock throb hard inside her, and he groaned her name as he too reached his peak. They collapsed together, breathing hard.
“Stay inside me for a while,” she said, and Atlas grinned.
“I’d stay inside you forever if I could, beautiful.” His mouth was gentle on her lips now, tender, loving. Ebony swept damp black curls away from his forehead.
“God, you’re one gorgeous man,” she said, chuckling. She still couldn’t believe he wanted her, but she adored the soft look of love in his eyes. “I hope I didn’t disappoint you.”
Atlas laughed aloud, rolling his eyes. “Baby, disappointed is not even in my vocabulary tonight. Call it overwhelmed, call it blown away…even better than what I’ve been thinking about solidly for the last forty-eight hours. Man…I love the way your body fits perfectly next to mine…do you get that?”
Ebony wiggled, reveling in the fact his cock, still semi-hard, was still buried deep in her cunt. “Fuck me again,” she said, nipping his bottom lip with her teeth. “Make me scream.”
Atlas grinned. “Your wish is my command…”
He excused himself for a moment to get rid of the used condom, then returned quickly to her arms. He hooked her knees over his shoulders then sat up. “Is this uncomfortable?”
Ebony shook her head. Atlas retrieved a new condom, and as he buried his face in her sex, Ebony rolled the condom down his long, thick shaft, feeling the steely muscle inside quiver at her touch. She cupped his balls in her hands, tickling them, teasing them until Atlas groaned, his voice resonating against her clit, then he was inside her again.
This time was even more intense. Their gazes at each other never faltered as they fucked, Ebony bucking up against him, Atlas’s hands rough on her skin. They came again and again, fucking on the floor, against the walls, and even up against the wall-to-ceiling glass window, Atlas taking Ebony from behind as her breasts and belly pressed against the cool glass.
Even in the shower, as dawn approached, they couldn’t get enough of each other, Atlas parting her pert, rounded buttocks and easing into her ass as Ebony urged him on. They explored every inch of each other with their eyes, their hands, their mouths. For the few times they were recovering, they talk and laughed and joked, and Ebony felt something shift in her soul. She had never had this kind of connection, this chemistry with anyone before.
Atlas stroked her face as dawn broke outside the window. “I cleared my schedule for today. Are you free?”
“I am.” She wiggled closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around her.
“Would you like to come to my home, meet my brother and nephew?”
Ebony smiled. “I would love to.” She loved the hopeful look in Atlas’s eyes – he really wanted her to be part of his family, didn’t he? The feeling touched her on a totally different level than he had for hours just now, but no less deeply.
“First, though, being an old man…”
“At thirty-four…”
Atlas laughed. “But, as jazzed as I am, how about we try and get some sleep? I want to hold you in my arms and rest.”
Ebony tucked her head into his shoulder. “I’m always up for a nap.”
Atlas chuckled, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I knew we had a lot in common.”
“Sweet dreams, Atlas.”
“Sweet dreams, baby.”