Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
AARON
Y ou having second thoughts?” Abby has been fidgeting the entire ride over to Grand Hotel Azure. Her being in the car with me suggests she’s not still mad at me, but it’s impossible to know if she’s having second thoughts about this or if she’s just nervous. The Rockin’ Hearts Ball is the premiere industry event of the year and the guest list is a powerhouse of top musicians and executives. It’s been compared to the Oscars for the music industry, which isn’t a bad comparison.
“I think I’m fine.” Abby blinks rapidly, her gaze shifting from me to the window at the back of our limo. We’ve arrived at the Azure, and the red carpet and dozens of photographers and reporters are just on the other side of the car door. “Are you really sure about this?”
“Of course I’m sure. Why wouldn’t I be sure when the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen is on my arm?”
Abby’s blushes and looks back at me. Her smile is shy, but she glows and her pale, bare shoulders lose some of their tension – it’s like watching an exquisitely rare flower go into bloom. Every moment, it’s me pinching myself to wonder how I was so lucky to have her walk into my office and my life.
Arriving at the Rockin’ Hearts Ball with the most beautiful woman in the world makes me indescribably proud. Abby is radiant in a red dress that is a delicious tease of accentuating her curves and teasing me with an unbearable need to explore what I can’t see. She takes my breath away, completely unaware of just how singularly beautiful she is. She is utterly captivating.
I can’t wait to share the surprise I have planned for her.
“This is just…I don’t even have words for this!” Abby’s face is flushed with the purest happiness I’ve ever seen in another person. She is the embodiment of joy and everything that I want in a woman. More than anything else, I know she must be mine. She’s the key that unlocks the happiness I didn’t even know could exist in my world. I want to make her this happy every day of her life.
“Where did you get off to?” I ask, sweeping her into my arms. “Tell me as we dance.”
Dancing, Abby fits perfectly in my arms and is a beautiful dancer. We dance together like we’ve been doing this for years, with her body responding to mine with a naturalness that lights a fire in me. I want to learn how she responds when she’s naked in my bed and I’m giving her orgasm after earth-shattering orgasm.
Abby’s eyes are bright with happiness as I pull her close to my body and we continue to dance. Her skin is soft and silky, and a great deal of satisfaction fills me when she shivers as I run my hands across her bare skin. She’s holding back…but I want to be the one she doesn’t hold back with. I want to be the one to push her to places and experiences she’s never even dreamed about. I want to make her as happy as she’s already made me.
“I ran into – and I mean I literally ran in to – Dylan Magenta when I was going to the bar. He was so kind and funny, and so unlike the scowling persona he has online. Otherwise…”
Abby catches her breath as I spin her on the dance floor, her full red skirt brushing against my legs and her auburn hair brushing against my face as I spin her. Her hair is as silky as her skin and I’m already envisioning what it will look like on the pillow next to me, for a lifetime to come.
“Yes?” I smile at her, my cock tight from desire. Every nerve ending in my body is lit up like an electrical grid. My desire for Abby increases every second that she’s in my arms. I won’t be able to last much longer without claiming her as mine. I want to savor this night, this first night I claim her for my own, but I’m also ready to blow.
“It’s just…this is so unreal. Like I suppose for you it’s all normal no-big-whoop to be around all these amazing musicians and celebrities. But to me, this is an entirely different world. I just…”
The light in Abby’s blue eyes changes and I know what’s on her mind.
“Your mom?” I run my fingers along her jaw, tilting her pretty face up to mine.
“Yes. I wish she could have come to an event like this, to have really been recognized. She really was talented, you know.” There’s a defensiveness and fierce pride in her voice, which I respect. Family is the most important thing of all and I respect how passionate she is about her mom and wishing her mom could have gotten her due as a musician.
“I do, too, Abby. Truly I do. This can be a cruel, cutthroat business. If I could change things for your mother, I would.”
“I appreciate that, Mr. Bry—”
“I think it’s about time you stopped with that, don’t you?” I smile at Abby, pulling her closer to me and placing a light kiss on her sweet, plump lips. “Call me Aaron.”
A screech of feedback slices through the ballroom, making everyone wince. You’d think that a ballroom of industry professionals would know better, but it’s always like this – rookie mistakes with the equipment.
“Yo where’s my man Aaron Bryant?” Carlos King bellows out from the stage. “Get your ass up here.”
I don’t want to leave Abby for a moment, but I’m obligated to deliver a speech.
“I’ll be back soon. I swear.”
The smile Abby gives me goes straight to my heart. We didn’t start off well, Abby and me, but I’ve managed to melt some of her facade.
Now, I’m going to show her I mean business.
“Many of you will remember the great eighties hit Pussycat Royale. I recently found out that a key member to that group, one who was directly responsible for the band’s greatest hit, was never acknowledged, and that her musical legacy was stolen from her.”
I take a long pause, looking around the room. The people before me are quiet and watchful, most looking at me like they have no fucking clue what I’m talking about. When my eyes land on sweet Abby, her face is openly pained and shocked. She meets my gaze with an intensity that actually makes me nervous. Her eyes glisten as she stares at me in a challenge.
“I’ve also found out,” I continue, standing up straighter as every eye in the ballroom is on me. “That our own Morris Orange blocked the initial release of an album by this artist, in addition to making it exceedingly difficult for Ophelia Moore’s daughter to buy back the masters and rights to her mother’s music.”
Now, Abby’s face is flaming red, matching the bright color of her dress, her eyes not hiding her anger. She’s fidgeting and I know I have to say my piece or she’s going to leave forever.
“Now, I know her daughter – who by the way is here tonight – wanted to work to reclaim her mother’s musical legacy by her own hard work. After hearing the story, it was impossible for me to stand by and not step in. And so, Abby Moore,” I say, turning to her and addressing her directly, “I am humbled and honored to announce that the masters and full rights to your mother’s solo album are now yours. It would be a great honor if you would allow me to produce this album and give it a launch to rival any of our launches. I have listened to the music and it stands up today as well as it did when your mother originally recorded these magnificent songs.”
Abby’s cheeks are still red, but now there are tears streaming down her face. I hold my hand out to her, my heart beating so hard it scares the living daylights out of me. If she doesn’t come forward, I have no idea what I’ll do, how I’ll go on without her. In just a few short days, she’s completely captured my heart and the very essence of my being. Used to be I couldn’t imagine spending my life with another woman, because no woman even came close to being compelling enough to capture my attention for more than a few days. But now? Abby has completely captivated me and the thought of not having her in my life terrifies me.
My knees nearly buckle as I wait for her reaction, and then I exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, the moment she takes a step forward, a smile building on her beautiful face.