Page 15 of Her Dark Melody
“Apparently his family is wellconnected.”
Romy looked angry. “God. Preppy entitled assholes. Dacre was thesame.”
Atlas squeezed her head. “Dacre’sdead.”
“I know.” Romy sighed. “But there’s always another one andanother…”
“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 smiledagain.
“God, I love thissong.”
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 ather.
“You’re smitten,” she said, nudging him with her shoulder and helaughed.
“I admit, I am,” he saidhonestly.
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, believeme.”
“I hope so. It’s the very beginnings ofsomething, Romy. I hope it becomes more but at themoment…”
“I know, I know. Just enjoy it. God, her voice is like velvet, isn’tit?”
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. Utterlysensational.”
ChapterSix
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 friendsaround.”
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 happyto.”
“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 heresomewhere.”
“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 noother.
“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 9thand Pine, a Seattle rock band she and Obe loved and had been to see play live manytimes.
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 formyself.”
Atlas and Blue laughed, and Romy squeezed Ebony’s hand. “Darling, the second you opened your mouth up there, that was your introduction, believeme.”
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 theknees.
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 reallyhappening?
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 kissedher.
“You were amazing, the party was a success…but, god, I’m glad it’sover…”
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 Idreamed.”
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 barebelly.
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 thebedroom.
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 hersex.
