And I’m stunned by Sabine. Her grace, her willingness to not be center stage. She’s happy making music; she doesn’t care about the fame side of it. I’m a lucky man to have her by my side.
I notice J.D. watching Judy with warm eyes and can’t hold back a little grin. Maybe it’s something in the water. Both women are swaying in time, singing beautifully. They’re having fun, and it hits me that this feels more like fun than work. We’re all friends enjoying good music together.
Sabine seems to feel it too and holds out the mic. As a group, voices rise, and everyone is backing up while Judy and Sabine bump hips playfully.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so damn happy in my life.
The song comes to an end and the whole room erupts in cheers and clapping. Sabine takes Judy’s hand and they give a little bow. Judy instantly throws her arms around Sabine, who hugs her back.
Sabine’s sparkling green eyes meet mine over Judy’s shoulder. Her smile is huge and I’m struck. She’s beautiful, but beyond that, she’s happy. The joy shining in her face makes her even more beautiful. The sadness I’d seen in her is mostly gone. She’s like a new woman. Stronger. More sure of herself. More willing and able to say no when she needs to.
I know she’s still sad over her childhood friend, but it’s more the betrayal, I think.
“Thank you, Sabine Baptiste!” J.D. says into the mic to all the listeners. She leans back into him.
“It’s been my pleasure.”
He nods. “And to all the listeners out there, the release date for Sabine’s new album is …”
I tune my brother out as Sabine makes her way to me, her eyes on mine. She pulls me into a hug and her lips meet mine.
“You’re something special,” I growl against her lips.
She backs off, threading her fingers with mine. We step out of the studio room and Sabine starts moving. The office is in full celebration mode. There are drinks, food, and happy faces everywhere. But I have a feeling Sabine wants to go.
“You can’t leave yet!” Judy says from behind and I feel Sabine freeze. The look on her face says it all; she was going to try to slip out with me before anyone noticed. Instead, she turns, a wry grin on her face.
“I guess we could stay for a little while,” Sabine says, her throaty voice telling me exactly what she’d rather be doing right now. With me. Alone in the room we’ve been sharing. Sabine’s voice is playing on speakers overhead and people are moving, smiling and waving at us as the group shuffles out of the studio room.
Her hand is warm in mine, and she leans in on my shoulder as Judy stands on her other side.
“Want a drink?” Judy asks her, and Sabine shakes her head.
I couldn’t be prouder of her.
“I don’t want to be numb,” Sabine says softly to Judy, who nods, her expression chagrined.
“Sorry, I forgot.”
“Don’t be sorry, love,” Sabine says gently.
I kiss Sabine’s forehead. We haven’t been actively avoiding things like drugs and alcohol; there’s no draw. And Sabine’s words put it in perfect perspective.
I don’t want to be numb.
Life is too good to spend it numb.
Sabine guides me toward a table. She and Judy giggle and talk while grabbing snacks and J.D. bumps into my shoulder.
“You love her,” he says.
“You love her,” I say back to him.
He looks at me, his brows shooting up.
“You owe me an explanation. But I’ll let you off the hook for now,” I say.
He nods, relief in his face. “I’m happy for you,” he says as the women laugh, drawing our attention again. I study Sabine, the easy grin on her face, her sexy curves. Even now she heats up my blood.
“Thank you.”
“You look good,” He’s not looking at me.
I nod. “I feel good.” It’s the honest truth. I haven’t felt better, ever.
The women turn back to us and I see Sabine’s smile widen. Once at my side, she glances at my brother. “Thank you for this.” She gestures around.
The party had been his idea. He wanted her to feel at home for her visit here. He felt a celebration was in order.
He nods. “You’re very welcome.”
She sips her drink. “I might have to have you talk to my manager to do this again,” she says playfully.
“You do that,” he says, pulling her into a quick hug.
Past her, I see Judy’s expression and know she’s thinking about J.D.
And I grin. Yep, everything is working out in our favor. Funny how everything seems to fall into place.
Epilogue: Sabine
The salty ocean air kicks up and ruffles through my hair. Maman squeezes my hand and I glance at her. She’s almost a different woman. She’s put on some pounds. Her eyes are clear, as is her mind.
Under our feet, the warm sands shift, and we walk carefully.
Everything has changed. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But it feels like everything has changed.
Maman halts, and I stop beside her. She tilts her head back, lifting her face toward the sky as the wind brings the salty scent of the ocean over us in waves.
“I haven’t been to the ocean since I moved to France from Senegal as a child,” Maman says.
My throat chokes up. Hearing her voice, so strong and steady, hits me hard. She’s such so different than the broken woman she was just weeks ago. And the fact that she’s opening up to me and allowing me close to her changes our entire relationship.
We were never close.
We’re making up for that now.
“Is it as beautiful as you remember?” I ask.
With her eyes still closed, she inhales, filling her lungs with the breeze. She nods, and I sense it’s not just the visual beauty she’s soaking in, but the sun, the scents, the roar of the waves, and the sense of sharing this moment with someone important.
Overhead, a flock of seabirds streak across the sky and she opens her eyes. Her gaze slides to me and I see tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispers.
I can’t stop the smile that tugs the corners of my lips. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear, I search for some response.
But she’s not done talking. She takes both my hands, turning me to face her. Her eyes study my face like she’s memorizing every detail.
“You’re strong.” Her eyes soften, and a smile curves her lips. “Beautiful, and a fire burns brightly within you.”
“It’s your fire, Maman,” I say softly. “You lit it.”
But tears trickle down her cheeks. “I failed you. I failed to provide for you.”
I touch her chin. “Maman, steel is forged in fire. We wouldn’t be strong if we didn’t experience the heat from hell.”
I see the words click in her mind. See her little nod of agreement. And I continue speaking, the truth falling from my lips.
“You always loved me. I knew that. You didn’t love yourself, but you always loved me.” My voice lowers to a whisper. “I forgive you, Maman. Now let this burden go. You don’t have to carry it anymore. I’m happy. I’m living a good life.” It’s the truth.
And she knows it. She’s living it with me more and more as I slowly coax her back into my life full time. And as I lift her out of the horror she’s been dealing with, she’s grateful, graceful, and I see her blooming once more. It’s an incredible feeling to know I can care for her. There’s nothing I want more than her happiness.
I even forgive Bassirou. He wasn’t in control of himself. He was a slave to a drug that consumed him. I can only hope the rehab he’s in is helping him. I want the best for him.
“You’re the best daughter a mother could hope for,” my mother says, her fingertips tracing my jaw.
The past is done. I’m done letting it have power over me. I hold the power over my life, not my memories, not my experiences, not my tragedies. Just me.
Maman glances over my shoulder and I
turn.
Hayden is trekking across the sand, towels over one arm and a picnic basket in the other. I give Maman a quick kiss on the cheek and turn to rush the man I love.
He’s quick to set things down and throw open his arms.
I leap into his embrace and wrap my legs around him. He chuckles as his lips reach mine.
“I brought lunch,” he says.
I want to tell him he’s all I need, but my stomach grumbles in protest. “That sounds great,” I whisper, kissing him again.
Pressing my tongue to the seam of his lips, I beg for more. This man has become a partner to me. Someone to be by my side. Someone I can love without question. Someone who loves me regardless of my mistakes.
He allows me to be me. We travel together to shows, on tour, and he’s my champion when I need him to be, my friend when that’s what I need, and my confidant with whom I can share anything.
“I take it you missed me?” he murmurs against my lips.
“What makes you think that?” I ask, planting another quick kiss on his lips. He lowers me and my bare feet touch the warm sand once more.
“Just a hunch,” he says with a grin.
Of course, I missed him while he went back to San Francisco. Maman missed him, too. The two get along better than I ever imagined they would.
Side by side, we walk back toward Maman and he tells me about how boring the trip was, how glad he is to be back, and that SXz might be going public soon.
He stops in front of Maman and sets down the basket and towels once more. She pulls him in, kissing his cheek as he kisses hers.
They talk and I stare up into the sheltering sky, then gaze at the sea, feeling so lucky. Life is exactly what I want it to be. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Well, maybe there’s one thing I would change, but Hayden is just going to have to wait until tonight to find out what I learned a day ago.
But I’m not worried. He’s going to be an amazing dad.
“What’s with the smile?” he asks, gently nudging me.
I shrug. “Just happy,” I say, meaning it with my whole heart.
THE END OF BOOK TWO
Hard Copy
A Billionaire Second Chance Romance
Chapter One: Press Release
Wow. Those freakin’ camera lights. They nearly blinded me. Reporters and photographers were spread out before me. I stepped up to the microphone. Game on.
“Hey, everyone!” I spoke into the microphone and the gathered reporters stopped speaking to listen. “On behalf of my myself and my business partner, Miss Gigi Stevens, I’d like to thank you all for joining us. As you all know, Gigi and I founded So Good almost a year ago with the idea of providing a better way for people to find their soul mates, or just hook up, if that’s what you’re into,” I said with a suggestive wink. There were a few chuckles.
I saw J.D. slightly shaking his head out of the corner of my eye, while clearly fighting a grin. He was standing off to the right, as Gigi and I took center stage. He had told me to stick to the script, but he should have known better.
“We are happy to announce that the ramp up has been huge with nearly three million downloads of our app, thousands of hours of volunteer work for great causes, and people right here in Silicon Valley getting married left, right and center!”
The press had been buzzing almost from the moment we launched our company. It was a great story. We were making Tinder look bad. Yeah, hooking up was great, but we brought millennials together for the hook up and do some good in the world. And not even a year into this thing, and we had already documented some 200 marriages or engagements. At this pace, were going to start averaging one a day very soon.
“Due to the unprecedented success so far, we have moved on to a second round of funding, with plans to expand nationally.” I paused for more applause. “We have secured eight million dollars from new investors, as well as an additional million from our anchor investor, Mr. J.D. Stallworth.” I held my hand out to indicate J.D. and he stepped forward, waving to the crowd as Gigi, who was standing behind me, and I moved away from the microphone.
J.D. took our place and began speaking to the crowd with a practiced ease. As one of the founders of the music streaming behemoth SXz, J.D.’s investment and support of So Good had been invaluable. He wanted to speak at the event to show the world that he, one of our biggest investors, had faith in our product.
As he spoke, I watched him with a face that I hoped showed polite interest. In truth, I was thinking about how well his tailor-made suit draped his body and remembering how he looked unclothed. Particularly that time we were in my shower…
I forced myself to bury those thoughts and try to focus on the announcement. I didn’t know why I was even thinking about that in the first place. It was just a fling and had ended months ago, before So Good was even founded. This was a huge deal for me, for all of us, and I needed to keep my mind on the company. I tuned back into J.D.’s speech. He was naming our new investors for the press.
“…and Jason Foreman. These men have seen the same potential in the company that I have. They became new investors because So Good is an innovation that combines dating with doing good for the world. How better to find someone compatible than to bond over the things that are most important to us? It totally channels the millennial thing.”
Warmth filled my chest. J.D. had always believed in So Good. When I had approached him for the initial investment, a hefty sum of two million dollars, I had been worried that he would find the idea too idealistic. An app that sets people up on dates for charity-be it a cancer research walk, removing graffiti from an overpass, or whatever else a person is passionate about-had never been done before. He hadn’t hesitated to take the risk, though.
“Led by the amazingly talented team of Gigi Stevens and Judy Mixon, I have no doubt that the future of So Good will be bright and greatly benefit us all,” J.D. finished, lifting his champagne glass toward the group of five men gathered to the right-our new investors. They returned that gesture and drank to our success; it was an amazing feeling. All these powerful men that were part of this male-dominated industry were standing in front of dozens of cameras and showing that they had faith in our company.
Gigi stepped to the microphone, “Now, everyone, please, enjoy the party.”
It was done, the announcement had been made and I was sure that all our social media platforms were already blowing up. The coverage would be huge. Our initial launch had caught the media’s attention, but now we were making a big splash. We were going wide.
“That went well,” Gigi said, as we joined the crowd of reporters, investors, and other invited guests.
We left the hotel conference room as the party filtered out into the lobby. We had the entire hotel to ourselves, one of the fringe benefits of befriending billionaires, so we decided to throw a party immediately after the press conference. It was the perfect chance to celebrate our success. Our employees, investors, and even a few key clients were here. A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne flutes, so I grabbed two.
“Of course, it did. We’re a huge deal,” I said, handing her one of the glasses and sipping from my own.
“You’re starting to sound like Damian,” Gigi replied, referring to her live-in boyfriend who also happened to be one of the billionaire co-founders of SXz.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. It’s good, actually. At least one of us is comfortable with all this attention,” she said while gesturing to the photographer headed our way.
“I can’t believe you’re not used to it by now. You’ve been with Damian for how long now?”
“Almost two years,” she said.
The photographer stopped a few feet from us, “Can I get shot for the Mercury News, ladies?”
Gigi nodded, and we struck a pose, our bodies slightly angled in toward one another and practiced smiles on our faces. He snapped the picture and thanked us before wandering away, toward the investors. I took another sip of c
hampagne and continued our conversation as if we had never been interrupted.
“Yeah, you guys have been together for damn near two years and he’s constantly in the spotlight. Besides, the press loves you. What is it they say about you?” I asked, knowing the answer already.
“That I tamed the bad boy billionaire of Silicon Valley,” Gigi replied. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks and made me chuckle.
“Oh, dear Georgina. Don’t ever change,” I said, earning a grin from her.
“Oh, dear Judy, please don’t call me Georgina,” she retorted, laughing as she did.
My attention was suddenly diverted as J.D. walked past. His black, curly hair was slightly dishevelled, and I knew he had been running his hands through it, a habit of his. His smile was easy as he spoke with his brother and I let my gaze linger a moment too long. Gigi noticed.
“So, what’s the deal with you guys?” she asked shrewdly. I turned back to her and shrugged nonchalantly.
“Nothing. We’re friends.”
“I don’t look at my friends like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I want to jump their bones.”
“I appreciate the view is all. That is one fine specimen,” I replied, and it was the truth.
“You didn’t seem very happy when the two of you split up.”
“That was more than a year ago. Besides, we both agreed it was the best idea. Working for SXz at the time and all that. Could you imagine the scandal if it got out? Billionaire boss takes young, nubile, vixen employee. Oh, my.”
I eyed a cluster of reporters nearby. They would have had a field day with the news of J.D. Stallworth sleeping with his brother’s assistant. Though, if I were honest with myself, the risk made the sex even hotter.
“But you haven’t worked for them since we launched So Good.”
“No, but it’s still not a good idea. Look at his connection to So Good.”
“I don’t think that would be a problem,” Gigi persisted. I shook my head.
“It’s better this way,” I said before tilting my head back and swallowing the last of my champagne in one gulp.
Tech Titans: The Complete Billionaire Romance Series Page 21
