Chapter Fifteen
February
Sasha Fonseca glanced up from the conversation she’d been having with one of her students as half a dozen others filtered inside the already packed yoga studio. It was nearly time for her Sunday morning class to begin, and the popularity of her grueling Vinyasa practice never ceased to amaze her.
She nudged the petite woman standing next to her. “Isn’t that your friend over there? The pretty blonde in the purple top? You brought her to class with you a couple of times.”
Julia looked in the same direction that Sasha was pointing, and was more than a little taken aback to see who her teacher was talking about. “Yes, that’s definitely Tessa. I had no idea she was going to be here today. I’d better go say hi.”
Because the room was so crowded, Julia didn’t dare move her mat for fear she wouldn’t be able to find another spot. As it was, Tessa seemed to have nabbed one of the very last spaces, stuck back in a corner of the jammed room. She looked more than a little flustered as she rolled out her mat, her cheeks flushed and wisps of blonde hair escaping her rather messy braid.
“Hey, it is you,” greeted Julia, dropping down into a squatting position. “I didn’t know you were planning to come today. You should have called me and I would have picked you up.”
Tessa’s gaze flew up to hers in alarm, and she looked almost guilty. “Oh, Julia, hi. Um, sorry, I – I was running really late and didn’t even know if I’d be able to make it here in time. And I thought you were in New York.”
Julia nodded. “I was, trying on wedding gowns and going quietly insane finding a bridesmaid dress that my sister would actually approve of. But I got in late yesterday and really needed some yoga to decompress.”
Tessa seemed unnaturally distracted and merely nodded, offering up a nervous smile. Tactfully, Julia patted her on the arm and stood. “Well, class is about to begin so I’ll catch you afterwards, okay?”
As tough as the class was, demanding her powers of concentration be at their peak, Julia still couldn’t help but wonder what had brought Tessa here this morning. She knew her friend was on a really tight budget, and was surprised that Tessa had been able to afford the class. SF Flow was pretty much the top yoga studio in the city, and the cost of even a single class was pricey.
At Sasha’s instructions, everyone turned to face the back of the room for the next sequence. Julia glanced in Tessa’s direction, noticing for the first time the stylish new yoga apparel the blonde was wearing. The gray cropped pants and purple racerback tunic were from the new Prana collection the studio had just received in less than two weeks ago. Julia frowned, knowing that the outfit would have cost well over a hundred dollars, and recalled how Tessa had fretted over spending too much on her Christmas party dress.
Julia temporarily forgot about Tessa as the class got progressively tougher. During the time she’d spent in New York, she had admittedly overindulged in food and alcohol, and hadn’t been able to squeeze in even one yoga class. Combined with her jet lag, she was really feeling the burn as Sasha pushed her students harder and harder. Sweat poured down her forehead and trickled along her spine, and she kept telling herself it was good for her, to detox all the poisons she’d ingested on her trip. With each sun salutation, each arm balance, and all the twisting poses, she visualized making up for every bite of cake, every spoonful of cream sauce, and – damn her – every shot of tequila that Lauren had dared her to bolt.
By the end of the ninety minute class, Julia felt wrung out, but definitely in a good way, and resolved to drink a ton of water, and subsist on salads, grilled fish and veggies for the next week. Especially if she hoped to fit into the gorgeous Badgley Mishka wedding gown she’d decided on.
She hurried over to Tessa, anxious to chat her up a bit. But the blonde was already rolling up her yoga mat – which Julia recognized as a Manduka, the most expensive brand the studio sold – and stuffing it into a chic purple-print carry bag.
“Hey, do you want to get coffee?” offered Julia. “Nathan should be waiting for me outside and I know he’d love for you to join us. We can give you a ride home later.”
“Oh.” Tessa looked rather disconcerted by the offer. “Um, normally I’d love to but I – ah, I’m sort of meeting – someone.”
Julia grinned. “You little devil. You have a new boyfriend, don’t you?”
Tessa’s cheeks were already flushed pink from the exertion of the class, and they deepened to a much brighter shade at Julia’s frank question. “Ah, I – I guess that’s what – yes, you’re right. I do.” She looked down at her bare feet shyly. “I’m just – it’s pretty new, so - ”
“You can’t really talk about it yet,” finished Julia. “I get it, honey. But I think it’s great. You really deserve some happiness. So, go meet your new guy and we’ll have coffee another time.”
Tessa looked relieved. “Okay, thanks. I’ll give you a call this week.”
Julia watched her friend dash out of the studio hurriedly, wondering who this new boyfriend was and hoping that he was treating Tessa right. But at least the existence of a new man in her life explained why she was suddenly able to afford yoga classes plus the new clothes and equipment. Julia hoped he wasn’t some sleazy creep who was just using Tessa, dazzling her with nice gifts and expensive dinners. She knew Tessa was rather naïve about men, despite the fact that she’d been married for seven years, and kept her fingers crossed that she wasn’t in over her head.
Julia spent a couple of minutes chatting with Sasha before grabbing her things and heading out to meet Nathan. Her super-hot fiancée was lounging against the side of the building, his thick dark brown hair still damp from the laps he’d just swum at his health club’s indoor pool. Nathan had played water polo during high school and college and still liked to get a vigorous swim in a few times a week.
“Hey, baby.” He pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick but still semi-dirty kiss.
“Hi.” She snuggled close as he took her yoga bag from her, slinging it over his own shoulder as they walked down the block to one of their favorite cafes.
“You look a little sweaty. Did Sasha kick your cute little ass again?”
Julia nodded. “Always. I swear I don’t know where she comes up with some of her moves. If you think I’m flexible, you ought to see her in action. She’s like Elasticgirl, or whoever that character is from The Incredibles.”
Nathan squeezed her ass cheek under cover of the thigh length cardigan she wore. “You’re plenty flexible for me, baby. Especially last night. I, uh, didn’t know you could actually get into that sort of position.”
She raised a brow. “Complaining?”
“Oh, hell, no. You can get, ah, all bendy and twisty like that anytime. Hey, was that Tessa I saw leaving the studio? I was just getting out of the car when I saw her turning the corner.”
Julia nodded. “That was her all right. Sounds like she has a new boyfriend. I just hope he’s a good guy and treats her right.”
Nathan stopped in his tracks, a frown on his handsome features. “Wait a second. Now that you mention it, I did notice her getting into a car. And – holy shit.”
She shook his arm. “What? What is it? And why are you grinning like an idiot?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “That sneaky sonofabitch. Let’s just say I’ve got a very good idea of who Tessa’s new boyfriend is.”
Her eyes widened in surprise “Who? Did you see him? What kind of a car is he driving? God, don’t tell me it was a pickup truck. Or a Prius. I’m not sure which one would be worse.”
Nathan was full out laughing now. “Oh, not even close, baby. No, your friend was getting into a vintage Jaguar E-type. It’s a very expensive and very rare car. In fact, there’s only one person I know of who owns a car exactly like that one. I even rode in it once – en route to the new hotel site in Napa.”
It took Julia a moment or two for his words to register, and then she gasped, clutching his arm so tightly that he winced. “You mean – Tessa’s new boyfriend is – is Ian?”
He was grinning from ear to ear. “Yup. He denied being attracted to her when I brought the subject up once, but when you’re right, you’re right, baby.”
“I knew it!” she squealed. “Didn’t I tell you, Nathan? I knew he had his eye on her the first time I saw them together.” Then a sudden thought instantly sobered her up. “You don’t think – I mean, Tessa never told me why she and her husband broke up. You don’t imagine she and Ian were - ”
“No.” Nathan’s denial was emphatic. “I know Ian pretty well after all. He would never mess around with a married woman. Trust me, he and Tessa were not having a sordid affair. That is not why she and her husband are divorcing. I think this relationship with Ian is very new.”
Julia nodded. “I think so, too. She seemed really nervous to see me there today, like she expected I was still in New York.”
“Well, if she’s still working for Ian it goes without saying they want to keep this quiet. And you, my little devil, are not to breathe one word about this to anyone. Got it?” he told her sternly.
She reached up and gave him a smacking kiss. “Yes, I’ve got it. And I won’t say a word to anyone.” She took Nathan’s arm and placed it around her shoulders as she leaned against him. “God, they make a really gorgeous couple, don’t you think?”
Nathan smiled wickedly. “I’m guessing she’s keeping him, uh, busy. There’s a pretty big age difference between them, after all. He’s probably keeping his fingers crossed that he’ll be able to keep up with her.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” replied Julia airily. “Ian looks like he keeps himself in very, very good shape. Though Tessa did look a little, um - ”
“Well fucked?” he whispered in her ear. “Kind of like you do this morning?”
Her cheeks flushed. “You are so bad,” she whispered back as they entered the crowded café. “But, yeah, now that you mention it, she might have looked like she’d just tumbled out of bed. And she did say she was running late.”
“Told you.” He was grinning as they got in line to place their orders. “Hmm, Ian and I will have to compare notes sometime, see which one of us is getting more action.”
Julia gasped in outrage. “Oh, my God, don’t you dare! You wouldn’t seriously do that, would you?”
“Relax, baby.” He rubbed her low back soothingly. “What goes on in our bed stays there, okay? No matter how many times my buddies try to pry details out of me. I would never in a million years tell anyone how much you like it when I - ”
She clapped a hand over his mouth. “Quit while you’re ahead, Nathan. And you’d better take that last photo of me off your Facebook page. You know exactly which one – your disgusting friends have already given it a bunch of likes.”
“Okay, I’ll take it off,” he acquiesced reluctantly. “It’s just so cool that all of my buddies are really eating their hearts out now. The consensus is unanimous that I’ve got the hottest girl by far among the whole group.”
Julia just glared at him, pulling his phone from the side pocket of his track pants. “I’ll order for us while you delete that photo. Now.”
Over breakfast, they chatted about their upcoming work weeks – due to be busier than ever with all the projects they had going on; about the wedding plans that were quickly starting to take over their lives; and about Julia’s very recent trip to New York. She’d spent almost a week there, accompanied by her mother, sister and girlhood friend Angela. They had all met up with Julia’s Aunt Madelyn as well as Nathan’s mother Alexis, who’d been overjoyed to be invited to the girl-getaway. Madelyn, the head buyer at Bergdorf Goodman, had arranged for Julia and her two bridesmaids – Lauren and Angela – to select their gowns for the June wedding.
“So your sister was even more of a pain in the ass than you feared?” asked Nathan.
Julia nodded. “Way worse than I expected. In fact, she was in a really bad mood for almost the entire trip.”
He smirked. “When exactly is Lauren in a good mood? Anything in particular that got her pissed off this time?”
“Now that you mention it, things seem to get noticeably worse after we ran into her boss the first morning out at breakfast. She was actually okay at dinner the night before, but as soon as Ben stopped by our table she just seemed – I don’t even know how to explain it.”
Nathan took a sip of his coffee. “Bitchier? More terrifying? And you didn’t tell me you’d finally met Ben the Bastard.”
Julia frowned. “He’s actually a really nice guy. Not to mention totally Lauren’s type. Not the tattooed, pierced rocker type but the other kind she goes for – the chiseled, outdoorsy hunk with three-day stubble.”
“You think there’s something going on there? Though I’d truly feel sorry for the dude, especially given the way your sister flies into these rages whenever she mentions him.”
She shook her head. “Lauren made a point of telling me that Ben has a live-in girlfriend. And there is no way my sister would ever hit on a guy who’s already taken. She’d figure it was his loss if he preferred someone else over her.”
Nathan grinned. “Wouldn’t that be something, though? Your twin having a thing for a guy and not being able to do anything about it? There may be some justice in this world after all.”
Julia scooped up a dollop of foamed milk from her cappuccino, licking it off her fingers. “You know, the more I think about it, Lauren wasn’t necessarily just in a bad mood. She seemed – now don’t laugh at this, okay? – kind of - well, sad and depressed.”
He gaped at her in disbelief. “Baby, I’m not laughing but those two words sure as hell don’t fit the Lauren McKinnon I know. Now Angela, she’s the fucking poster child for sad and depressed, but your sister is still the ballsiest babe I’ve ever met. There’s a reason she scares the shit out of almost everyone who meets her.”
“I just can’t put my finger on it, Nathan, but there’s something off there. I know my sister – she’s literally the other half of me, don’t forget. And you might have something there about Ben. I’ve never seen Lauren as moody and – God, almost vulnerable after he stopped by our table.”
Nathan squeezed her hand. “You seem to have pretty good instincts about this stuff, baby. After all, it looks like you might have been right about Ian and Tessa.”
“Might have?” She arched a perfectly plucked brow at him. “Oh, no, there is no “might”. I know I’m right, there’s way too much circumstantial evidence to support my cause. And if I’m right, you owe me a pair of very expensive new shoes.”
“Crap. I forgot all about that stupid bet,” grumbled Nathan. “I have so got to remember not to make any bets with you when a) I’ve had a little too much to drink, and b) you’ve just blown me so hard I can’t walk straight. Besides, I’m going to require more than circumstantial evidence before I shell out eight hundred bucks. And why the hell do you need more shoes anyway?”
Julia batted her lashes at him flirtatiously. “Because this really hot architect I know is building me this awesome waterfront house in Tiburon, complete with the biggest walk-in closet I’ve ever seen. I don’t have nearly enough stuff to fill it up.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have let your father talk me into making that damned closet so big,” he replied darkly. “And you haven’t won yet, baby. I need more proof before I whip my credit card out.”
She gave him a dangerous smile. “Leave it to me. I’ll get you all the proof you need.”
***
Ian knew that Tessa would already be in the conference room setting up for the architect’s meeting due to start in less than an hour. He had far too much work to get through today, did not have even ten minutes to spare for anything not already on his packed schedule, and yet he still found himself walking in the direction of the conference room where he knew she would be. He’d mumbled some harebrained excuse to Andrew about where he was going, and received a disapproving frown from his by-the-book PA. But it had seemed like an eternity since he’d been alone with Tessa, even though in reality it had only been three days ago.
He’d convinced her to stay over at his home on Sunday night rather than bringing her back to that god-awful apartment of hers. Still intent on keeping their relationship a carefully guarded secret, he’d sent her off to work on Monday in a taxi while Simon had driven him to the office as usual. And even though he and Tessa had only been together for just over a month’s time, he was already at the end of his rope with this very unsatisfactory arrangement they had. He wanted her with him constantly, sleeping in his bed every single night, and was extremely displeased with this elaborate pretense they had to keep up.
Thank God there was a long weekend beginning tomorrow, when they would be spending some quality time together. Tomorrow, Friday was Valentine’s Day, and the President’s Day holiday three days later. Tessa was taking a vacation day tomorrow, but he had a morning meeting that would be impossible to re-schedule. But once the damned meeting was over he was whisking her off to the Gregson resort in Lake Tahoe for the holiday weekend – three and a half days of skiing, relaxation, and a whole lot of sex.
The phone calls and texts they’d exchanged since Monday morning weren’t nearly enough to make up for not having her in his arms, and he badly needed to see her alone, even for a few minutes. Ian realized this was uncharted territory for him – this almost stalker-like behavior he was engaging in – but he couldn’t help this obsession he felt for her. He was taking a risk, of course, with so many people in the office this morning, but he was more than ready to throw caution to the wind just for five minutes with her.
‘Jesus, mate, you’re acting like a thirteen year old schoolgirl,’ he chastised himself. ‘What the hell are you going to do when you’re away from her for two bloody weeks?’
Less than a week from now he had to fly to London for a mind-numbing series of board meetings and other matters that required his presence at worldwide headquarters. Under normal circumstances, he’d actually be looking forward to spending some time with his parents and brothers and the rest of his family. But the very thought of being away from Tessa for so long was eating away at him, and he honestly had no idea how he was going to bear the separation. If she hadn’t been so stubborn, she would have quit her job by now and be spending the full two weeks in England with him.
But even as that thought crossed his mind, Ian knew in all fairness that Tessa simply wasn’t ready for that. She was still so shy and uncertain around him, still getting to know him really, and it wouldn’t be especially considerate to overwhelm her so completely by having to meet all of his family at once. He knew she was terrified of embarrassing him, and that she didn’t feel worthy to be seen out in public with him – two ridiculous matters he was determined to resolve sooner than later. If he brought her to meet his family now – when she was very much like a skittish, frightened fawn – she could very well decide to end their relationship, fearful that she could never be what he needed.
Ian wasn’t going to do a damned thing to risk losing her at this point, not after he’d longed for her for so many months. What he was going to do – in a very persuasive manner – was convince his surprisingly stubborn little love that if he had her with him permanently she would be all he would ever need. His plans for this coming weekend revolved around convincing her of just that.
As he approached the conference room, he frowned in irritation to realize she wasn’t alone. He recognized the rather whiny, nasally tone as Kevin’s and stopped in his tracks, quite intentionally eavesdropping on the conversation the younger man was having with Tessa.
“Got any hot plans for Valentine’s Day tomorrow?” asked Kevin cheerily. “Or the long weekend?”
There was a pause before he heard Tessa reply, her answer thankfully vague. “Oh, nothing specific. Just relaxing, maybe a yoga class, the usual.”
“Well, that just won’t do,” declared Kevin. “It’s not right that a hot babe like you doesn’t have a date for Valentine’s Day. And don’t feed me that BS about not being ready to move on. It’s been months, Tessa, way past time for you to get out there and find a new man. Maybe several of them.”
Ian was furious, outraged, to hear that little shit trying to convince Tessa – his Tessa, god damn it – that she ought to be dating other men – lots of other men. He had to clench his fists to keep from slamming one into the wall, and counted to ten instead to calm himself down.
“Thanks for thinking of me, but I’ll know when the time is right,” Tessa replied casually.
“Well, maybe I can change your mind. One of the attorneys who works with Terrence is recently divorced and on the prowl. And let me tell you, sweetie, he is H-O-T. Looks just like Ryan Gosling. Or is that Ryan Reynolds? I always get those two mixed up. Anyway, he saw the photo that Terrence took of you and me at the Christmas party and he is very interested in meeting you. His name is - ”
Ian had had quite enough, and chose that moment to enter the conference room, his strides long and purposeful. Kevin and Tessa looked up as he all but burst inside, and the expression on his face must have been murderous judging from the looks on their faces.
“M – Mr. Gregson. Can I – ah, help you with something?” stammered Tessa.
Ian glared pointedly at Kevin. “Yes, I need to review some data on one of the spreadsheets before our meeting. Kevin, would you excuse us please?”
Kevin looked as though he was about to faint – or piss his pants – but merely gulped and nodded. “Uh, sure. I need to get back to work anyway. See you after the meeting, Tess.”
Ian drummed his fingers on the table impatiently until Kevin slinked out of the room. Mere seconds later he was quietly shutting and locking the door, and then he very nearly flew across the room until he was jerking Tessa into his arms.
“Just so we’re perfectly clear,” he bit out, each word enunciated slowly, “you are not going on a date with any lawyers, doctors, or anyone else that little fucker offers to set you up with. You are not “getting out there” to find a new man. Because you already have a new man in your life, and he’s damned sure not willing to share you.”
“Ian - ” Whatever she was about to say was quickly swallowed up by the fierce, desperate way he kissed her. She whimpered beneath the force of his lips and tongue, especially when his hand slid down her back to cup her ass. Tessa clutched the lapels of his suit jacket as he ground himself against the cleft of her thighs.
They were both gasping for air when he finally lifted his head, half-afraid he’d come in his pants if he continued to dry hump her a second longer. He slid his hands into her thick, glossy hair instead, gazing into her huge blue eyes, and frowned when he saw the way her lips were trembling.
“Did I frighten you?’ he asked in concern, making sure to keep his voice low, belatedly aware that anyone could try to enter the room and wonder why it was locked. “God, please tell me I didn’t do that, darling.”
Tessa’s hands were resting lightly on his chest. “No. You just – ah, surprised me. I didn’t expect you to walk in like that and then – well, we’re at the office after all.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know. This is possibly the most insane thing I’ve ever done, there are dozens of people on the other side of that door. If any one of them suspect we’re locked in here together - ”
Her hands smoothed down his lapels, adjusted his tie. “It would be very bad, wouldn’t it? So we should really look at that spreadsheet so we can - ”
Ian chuckled. “Ah, my beautiful, naïve girl. There is no spreadsheet. At least none that I have a question about. I just needed an excuse to get rid of that little – pimp, for lack of a better word. And I wanted a few minutes with you. It’s been three entire days since we’ve been alone.”
Tessa sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. “I know. I’ve missed you, too.”
He held her against him gently, his hand stroking her back. “This is quickly becoming an obsession for me, Tessa. You are becoming my obsession. I think about you constantly, can’t focus on work half the time. These days and nights away from you are just too damned hard. It’s not nearly enough to see you around the office briefly, or exchange texts or phone calls. You need to - ”
“To quit my job and move in with you,” she finished. “I’m working on that, I promise. Please be a little patient with me, Ian. I promise it won’t be very much longer.”
He sighed. “I find when it comes to you that I have no patience whatsoever. At least not in terms of how long I have to wait before I can see you again. I’ve never been craved anything like I do you, love. It’s a feeling of utter desperation at times.”
She nodded. “It’s the same for me. I can’t even begin to think about next week when you have to leave for London.”
“Well, trust me, I have, and I’m damned sure not looking forward to it, to say the least,” he growled.
“At least we have this long weekend coming up,” she consoled him.
Ian hesitated. “Would you consider – that is, I’ve got this bloody dinner tonight with those German tourist board members. But I was hoping you’d be agreeable to spending the night? I can have Simon pick you up at your place and bring you to the house. The thought that you’d be there waiting for me when I got home – I can’t tell you how much that would mean to me.”
“Yes.” She agreed easily, without the slightest fuss or argument, a trait he adored about her. “I’ll spend the night – happily. Just tell me what time to expect Simon.”
Ian grinned broadly, his good humor instantly restored. “Probably around eight, but I’ll text you with the exact time.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Thank you, darling. I’m just – especially needy for you today. The thought of having to wait until tomorrow night to have you again was driving me mad.”
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” she teased. “Especially after you terrified poor Kevin that way. I’d hate to think of you fixing that glare on anyone else today.”
His phone buzzed at that moment and he dug it out of his pocket impatiently. “Andrew,” he mouthed to Tessa before asking brusquely, “What is it? Yes, I’ll be right there. No, everything’s fine now.”
He ended the call and pocketed the phone, shaking his head. “At times I wish he wasn’t quite so damned efficient. I have an overseas call I need to take. I’ll see you at the meeting shortly, hmm?”
Tessa nodded. “Of course.” Then, as she glanced over at the massive conference table, an odd expression crossed her features.
He regarded her curiously. “And what does that particular look mean?”
She looked away hastily, as though embarrassed by her train of thought, and resumed setting up for the meeting. “Oh, nothing, just something silly. You’d – ah, better go take that phone call.”
Ian waved a hand dismissingly. “It’s only some annoying clerk from the London offices calling to go over the schedule of meetings with me. He can damned well cool his heels for a minute longer. Now, I want to know what this silly thought of yours was. That look you had on your face – as though you were remembering something.”
Tessa fidgeted, clearly ill at ease with this topic. “It was just – kind of a strange dream I had once. A few months ago, actually. I don’t even remember most of it.”
“Liar,” he taunted. “You know you need to tell me about it now. My curiosity won’t be appeased until you do.”
She was completely flustered now, refusing to look at him as she reluctantly replied, “I was – God, this is really embarrassing.”
He leaned back against the table, crossing his arms and raising a brow. “I don’t have all day, Tessa. Out with it now.”
She began to twirl a lock of hair around her fingers. “I was laying on the table. On my back. With – ah, with my arms and legs spread out.”
Ian was instantly intrigued. “Nude?” At her nod, his voice deepened. “Bound?”
Her eyes flew up to his. “Not exactly. I mean, it felt that way but the bonds were – well, invisible, I guess.”
“And were you alone in the room during this dream?”
“No.” She shifted from one foot to the other in agitation. “Er, you were here, too.”
His smile deepened. “Was I naked?”
“God.” She closed her eyes. “No, you – you were dressed. Except for your jacket and tie.”
He stepped in close to her, trailing his fingers up and down her arms. “And what was I doing to you? Was I touching you? “ She nodded and he pressed on. “Kissing you?”
“Yes.”
“Where? Here, perhaps?” He touched her full, lush mouth. “And I think of course here.”
His hands cupped her breasts, squeezing them lightly. Tessa gasped, even as he slid one hand down to gently cup the juncture of her thighs.
“And here. Was I kissing you here?”
Her cheeks were a deep, rosy pink as she uttered a small moan. “You were – just about to. Then I woke up.”
“Well, that’s a pity, isn’t it?” he murmured in her ear. “Perhaps we can re-enact your dream sometime, only this time it won’t end nearly so abruptly.”
Tessa looked around the room wildly. “You’re not serious, are you? I mean, I’m not sure I could really do – that here.”
He slowly removed his hands from her body and stepped back to put some much needed distance between them, unable to walk back to his office with his fully engorged cock tenting his trousers. “I was thinking of this weekend actually. The bed we’ll be using at the resort is a four poster – one post for each of your limbs. Does that idea excite you, Tessa – being bound that way? Would you allow me to do that?”
Her eyes grew even bigger and rounder, her lips slightly parted. His gaze dropped briefly to her breasts, and he swore softly beneath his breath as he noticed how her nipples were poking against the fabric of her blouse.
“Yes,” she told him breathlessly. “I think – yes, I’d like that. You can do – whatever you like.”
“Jesus.” His pulse rate ratcheted up by several beats as she gazed at him with an expression of unabashed, naked desire on her face. “You make me want to spread you out on that table right now, just like in your dream, and fuck you until neither one of us can summon a single coherent thought.” He forced himself to walk over to the door. “And if I don’t leave now to take that phone call I might just act on that impulse.”
Ian was thankful to notice that no one was loitering in the hallway outside the conference room – not that any of his employees would have dared to inquire why the door might have been shut. No one questioned his authority here or at any of the hotels under his direction. He was the unequivocal leader, the “boss man” as he’d heard himself referred to on occasion, and the amount of power he could wield over his share of the family empire – if he so desired – was staggering. But Ian had learned a long time ago to never, ever abuse that power, to treat every employee with respect, and not act like some feudal lord of the manor. There was a very fine line that had to be walked in his position, and he prided himself on never crossing over it.
Though if anyone in this office began to suspect that he was carrying on a very personal and very passionate relationship with one of his employees, there would certainly be hell to pay. As he listened with barely controlled patience to the employee from the London headquarters drone on about the series of board meetings he’d be attending, Ian was rather appalled at the complete lack of control he’d just displayed. He was damned lucky no one had come looking for him, or tried to enter the conference room when he’d been locked inside there with Tessa. But then, ever since he’d revealed his attraction to her and they’d become lovers, he seemed to be losing a bit more of his ironclad control every day. That was what she did to him – a girl fifteen years his junior; a sexual innocent despite her marriage of several years; and the only woman who’d ever come close to making him go crazy with lust, enough so that he’d just taken a very unwise risk, not particularly giving a damn if they were discovered.
And then she’d made everything ten times worse by telling him in that sexy as hell, breathy voice that he could do whatever he wanted to her. God, did she have any idea – even the slightest – what that sort of confession did to a man? Especially a man who already panted after her constantly, as though she were a mare in heat.
By the time the architect’s meeting was ready to begin a short while later, Ian had regained full control of his wayward emotions, assuming his formal Managing Director persona once again. He forced himself not to glance towards the back of the conference room where he knew Tessa would be, and instead walked directly towards the other extraordinarily beautiful woman in the room.
“Julia. How are you this morning?” He greeted the always smartly dressed interior designer with a firm handshake. He knew that she had befriended Tessa over these last few months and was exceedingly grateful for the kindness she’d shown her.
Julia gave him a rather odd smile, her expressive green eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. “I’m very well, Ian, thank you. And I owe you a huge favor after you arranged for the wedding coordinator at your Pebble Beach resort to call me back. Not to mention mysteriously finding an open date for us in June.”
He winked at her. “It’s all in the way you ask the questions, my dear. And I’m very happy to be of help.”
“Nathan and I are actually heading down to Carmel this weekend to visit my parents, so we’ve set up a meeting at the hotel. Do you have any special plans for the long weekend?”
He was instantly on alert at Julia’s super sweet tone, not to mention the way her rose-glossed lips curled into a smirk. “Ah, yes, I’m actually headed to Lake Tahoe. The skiing is supposed to be quite good this weekend.” He intentionally didn’t mention that he was bringing Tessa along with him.
Julia wrinkled her pert little nose. “Hmm, not much of a fan of the snow. Something about being cold and wet just doesn’t appeal. But I hope you enjoy your weekend, Ian. By the way, is Tessa working the meeting this morning? I have something I need to ask her.”
Ian forced himself to remain impassive as he replied. “Yes, I believe I saw her here earlier setting up. Was there something you needed for the meeting, Julia? I’m sure Tessa can take care of it for you.”
Julia shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing like that. It’s not really business related. We – well, one of Nathan’s clients gave us four tickets to see The Book of Mormon next weekend and I wanted to see if Tessa would like to go with us.” She lowered her voice as she added, “Nathan and I were thinking of setting her up with one of his friends. After all, she’s way too young and pretty to stay at home every weekend, don’t you think?”
Ian froze. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear that the innocent-looking Julia was quite deliberately trying to provoke him, or at least goad him into reacting. He wasn’t sure how she would know, but he had a very strong feeling that she suspected there was something going on between him and Tessa. He knew the two women had run into each other at their yoga studio last weekend, but he’d been extremely careful to park a block or so away when he’d picked Tessa up so as not to be seen.
His right hand curled into a fist as he waged an internal struggle to remain calm. “You should – ah – discuss that with her, Julia.”
Julia smiled brightly, looking too much like a cat who’d swallowed the canary to put him at ease. “I believe I will. Oh, there she is. Oops, better go rescue her from Jake the Snake. God, that man does not understand the concept of taking no for an answer, does he?”
Julia actually had the audacity to give him a saucy wink just before sauntering off in search of Tessa. Ian’s steely gaze followed her progress, his mouth tightening in mingled annoyance and anger as he noticed how closely Nathan’s associate architect Jake was standing next to Tessa. And when the prick actually dared to put his hand on Tessa’s lower back as he murmured something in her ear, Ian was about five seconds away from losing it.
“Nathan.”
Julia’s fiancée – and the lead architect on the new hotel project - was at Ian’s side in an instant, a look of concern on his face.
“Is there a problem, Ian?” he asked.
“Two of them actually.” Ian inclined his head towards the back of the room. “You need to call your boy Jake off. At once. And tell him I have a very strict hands off policy when it comes to my – employees.”
Nathan gave a curt nod. “I’ll take care of it. What was the other problem?”
Ian glared at Julia, who was even now approaching Tessa with a perky smile. “Your very charming but extremely nosy fiancé. Tell Julia that if she persists in playing with fire that someone besides herself might get burned.”
Julia waved at both of them cheekily before returning her attention to Tessa, elbowing Jake aside at the same time. She had an extremely satisfied smile on her face.
Nathan sighed. “Aw, hell. I think I’ve got to go shoe shopping with her after work.”