Chapter Seven
January
“Mr. Gregson’s office. How may I assist you?”
As Tessa attended to the caller on the other end, she still couldn’t quite believe that she was actually filling in as Ian’s PA this week., even though this was already nearing the end of the fourth day. She’d been astonished when Andrew had first approached her with the news a few weeks ago.
Tessa had blinked at him in disbelief. “Excuse me. You want me to do what?”
Andrew had sighed with barely contained impatience. “You heard me. I’ll be out of the office the second week in January, and it’s been decided that you’ll be filling in for me during that time.”
She had still not quite believed what she was hearing. “But – you’ve never had me fill in for you before. It’s always been Marisol or Gina or sometimes Alicia. Even Kevin once or twice.”
Andrew hadn’t been in an especially good mood that day, and had dismissed her concerns brusquely. “Well, consider this your turn. I assume you have no objections to the assignment?”
“Oh, no. Of course not. I’d be honored to fill in for you, help out while you’re away. I just hope I don’t screw something up,” she’d confessed nervously.
Andrew had given a roll of his eyes, which usually meant his patience was wearing extremely thin. “You’ll be fine. It’s not brain surgery, after all. And of course you’ll need to spend several days learning my routine and what will be expected of you.”
That had been the understatement of the year. Tessa had been wide-eyed and slack-jawed – not to mention exhausted and emotionally drained – at the end of her week long training session with Andrew. But at least spending so much time with him had greatly allayed her fears about working for Mr. Gregson, for she had realized that nothing about Andrew’s job was really all that difficult or complicated. And of course she’d took copious notes on top of the multi-paged and extremely detailed list of information Andrew had left for her.
Mr. Gregson had still been away for the holidays - visiting his family in England - during her training period. In a way, that had been a relief for she’d been able to learn the ropes without the added pressure of his presence. But then, when he’d arrived back in the office on Monday morning – her first day of filling in for Andrew – her nerves had almost consumed her with the fear that she would fail miserably, or anger him in some way. So far, she was rather astonished to realize that nothing could be farther from the truth.
Ian had been graciousness personified these past four days, and so easy to work with that she’d found herself breathing a huge sigh of relief. He was patient and kind, and always exceedingly grateful for her assistance. Tessa had been thrilled at his appreciation and acknowledgment of her hard work, and she made sure that everything she did for him was completed to perfection.
And of course it had been the sweetest sort of torture to work in such close proximity to him. Several times she’d found her hands trembling in reaction simply from standing across his desk as he signed a report she’d prepared. She had watched him discreetly from beneath her lashes, taking in every strong, masculine feature of his face, noting how his finely tailored dress shirts stretched across the breadth of his shoulders and emphasized his toned, muscular torso. Once she’d almost swooned at his arousing scent – a perfect combination of his light cologne, soap and pure maleness. And on more than one occasion she’d had to resist the urge to sway against him, or run her hands through his hair or over the firmness of his jaw.
Each night this week when she’d arrived home, she had been alarmed to realize how aroused she was – her breasts full and heavy, her nipples peaked, her sex wet and swollen and oh, so needy. She’d had increasingly explicit dreams about Ian, not able to recall too many specific details, but it had only taken the lightest stimulation of her nipples and clitoris upon waking to come long and hard. Her young, healthy body was almost starved by now for affection, and she craved physical contact almost more than she did food and sleep.
But of course she didn’t dare to so much as touch Mr. Gregson, or betray her ever growing physical attraction to him in any way. She was the epitome of professional decorum, always careful to keep her conversations with him brief and businesslike, and never discuss anything personal with him. Andrew had, after all, put the fear of God in her about even considering such a thing.
“Do not,” he’d warned her ominously, “ask him how his evening was, or what he had for lunch, or anything at all that doesn’t have to do with work. He’s not one for idle chatter, and sticks to his schedule religiously.”
But Tessa hadn’t been able to keep her pulse rate from accelerating any time she was near Ian, or all the other ways her body reacted to him involuntarily. Earlier today she’d cursed beneath her breath to realize her nipples were hard and poking very noticeably against the thin fabric of her blouse. And, unfortunately, she was pretty sure he had noticed, too, since she’d been placing a steaming mug of tea on his desk at the time. She had made a hasty exit, and had struggled to control the reaction of her treacherous body for the rest of the day.
She couldn’t believe how quickly the past four days had flown by, and she wished that Andrew was taking two weeks off instead of just the one. Of course, he’d sent her several emails, both to check in and also to remind her of the various tasks she needed to do. Tessa realized that even when Andrew was on vacation he was really still at work.
The reactions of her co-workers had been mixed when they’d learned she would be the one to fill in for Andrew this time. Marisol, who most often subbed for him, was actually relieved because she’d been battling a nasty case of bronchitis for over two weeks and was worn out. Gina had seemed a little miffed at the news but not overly concerned. Kevin had teased her about moving up to the big time, while Shelby had shuddered at the very thought of having to train so closely with Andrew for a whole week. And Alicia had been downright catty about it, wondering how Tessa was going to cope with such a high profile assignment given her lack of experience and education.
It was nice to be away from the rest of the team this week, to have all this space and privacy, and to finally know what it felt like to work at the top level of this company. She would miss it a lot when she had to return to her small cubicle on Monday.
And she loved being able to take care of Mr. Gregson in subtle little ways – hanging up his suit jacket; preparing his tea the way he preferred – Darjeeling blend with one lump of sugar, which, very coincidentally, was exactly the same way she took hers; answering his phone and managing his appointments. And he always smiled his thanks whenever she did something, making her feel like a million dollars.
She’d spent the better part of this afternoon preparing a complex spreadsheet that Mr. Gregson needed for a late afternoon meeting. She’d finished printing it out mere minutes before he had to leave, noticing with a grimace that the printer was now flashing a low ink warning. Since she had a slew of reports to print out first thing in the morning, it seemed that she would need to change the printer cartridge before leaving for the day.
Tessa had just finished collating and stapling a dozen copies of the spreadsheet when Ian emerged from his office, shrugging into his suit jacket.
“The copies are all ready, Mr. Gregson. Just let me put them in a folder for you.”
She reached into a file drawer and extracted an empty folder, then neatly slipped the papers inside.
Ian took the folder and slid it into his leather briefcase. “Thank you, Tessa. An excellent job as always,” he told her with a warm smile.
She smiled back, the pleasure of his complement making her feel like the most special girl in the world. “I hope the meeting goes well, sir. And the dinner reservations are all set. I just called the restaurant a few minutes ago to confirm everything again.”
He reached across the desk and gave her a light squeeze on the shoulder. “You’ve been doing a marvelous job filling in for Andrew. I’ve barely noticed he’s gone. Except,” he added with a wink, “you look far better sitting behind that desk than he does.”
Tessa stared up at him, too flustered by his teasing to think of an intelligent reply. “Um, thanks” was all she could think of to mumble.
Ian chuckled. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Or blush. But it seems I’ve managed to do both so I’d best head out before I say anything else. Have a pleasant evening, Tessa, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night, sir.”
She groaned softly after he left, burying her face in her hands in mortification. God, could she be any more of an idiot when he was around? It was obvious that her shyness and tendency to blush at the drop of a hat amused him, and she guessed her very perceptive boss was aware of her silly crush on him. She was going to have to do a much better job of managing her reactions to him.
But that was proving to be extremely difficult, given the close proximity they’d been working in this week. Tessa had seen facets of both his work and private persona that she had never before been given the opportunity to observe. She’d already known that he was a man who was always in complete control, who commanded and received respect from everyone around him, but who also treated each person fairly and with the same amount of respect they gave him. But she had never seen him like this – like a king managing his vast empire, dealing smoothly and efficiently with telephone calls, meetings and correspondence without missing a beat. He was precise, organized, and highly efficient, the sheer amount of work he managed to get through each day staggering. Ian was not a man content to rest on his laurels, or rely solely on others to take care of things for him. He worked harder than anyone else in this office, even though he could have easily delegated a great deal of his responsibilities to his very qualified management team. Tessa was in awe of his strict work ethic, and how he refused to take advantage of his family’s name and prestige by shirking his duties. He was extremely intelligent, with most of the conversations she’d heard him engage in way over her head, and about subjects she had very little knowledge of, mostly involving finance and marketing. She had also heard him speaking in at least three different foreign languages – Spanish, French, and Italian – and wondered with some astonishment if he knew any others.
And she had also seen a much lighter-hearted side of him this week, too. He’d been in an excellent mood all week, looking relaxed and well rested, and had smiled and laughed more in the past few days than she could ever remember him doing before. Of course, up until this week she’d had little to do with him day to day, mostly just seeing him walk past her desk or observing him conducting meetings when it had been her turn to set up the conference room.
Ian’s manner towards her had been mildly teasing, almost – well, flirtatious at times, though Tessa figured that had to be her overactive imagination playing tricks on her. Ian Gregson did not flirt – he was far too dignified and regal for that sort of behavior, and he most certainly didn’t flirt with silly little admin assistants like herself. She told herself that he was simply being kind, and probably felt sorry for her after learning about the divorce.
The divorce that was going to be final very soon now. Tessa had tried very hard not to dwell on that fact, or that she hadn’t corresponded with Peter since Christmas. She knew this was his way of cutting her loose for good, for giving her that much needed push to stand on her own and not depend on anyone else to take care of her.
She’d spent Christmas alone, for Kevin had gone out of town to visit his family and she really didn’t have any other friends who might have invited her. Julia had tentatively suggested spending the holidays with her family down in Carmel, but Tessa had refused, especially since she’d had to work the day before and after the holiday.
Being alone hadn’t been so bad, anyway. She’d spent the day watching movies, reading a book, and making herself comfort food. But she’d missed Peter terribly, and hadn’t been able to completely hold back the tears at the end of the day.
She had spent New Year’s Eve alone, too, even though Kevin had returned by then and urged her to attend a party he and Terence were hosting. She hadn’t felt in the least like celebrating anything, and instead had taken the time to write down any number of New Year’s resolutions – the top one simply reading Be Happy.
Tessa frowned as she recalled another resolution a little further down the list – this one involving finding a cheaper place to live before the lease expired in April. She’d already started to do some research and had been appalled at the skyrocketing cost of rents in San Francisco. Unless she lucked out and found some fabulous deal, she was most likely going to have to settle for a shared rental with two or more roommates, or consider moving out of San Francisco and having to commute. But she still had a little time before having to get serious about moving, so she pushed that troubling thought out of her head and returned her focus to work.
It was drawing close to five-thirty before she finished and began shutting down the computer and tidying up. And then she remembered about needing to change the ink cartridge for the printer and groaned. The printer that Andrew and Mr. Gregson used was a much more expensive, high-tech one than she was used to, and she’d kept her fingers crossed all week that nothing would go amiss with it.
Fortunately the directions on the package for the replacement cartridge were fairly straightforward, and she was able to install it without much trouble. But then, as she went to dispose of the old cartridge, she realized it had leaked and that she now had black printer ink smudged all over her hands and on her blouse as well.
“Crap!” she muttered loudly, grateful that no one else was around to hear her outburst. Not only had everyone else left by now, but these offices were set far apart from all the others down their own private hallway.
Almost without thinking, Tessa dashed into the private washroom in Mr. Gregson’s office. She doubted he would mind, especially since she didn’t want to risk getting ink on any other surfaces in the office. She scrubbed her hands thoroughly, relieved to see the ink had all washed off. Then she turned her attention to her badly stained blouse.
‘Oh, no!’ she thought in dismay as she saw the black blotch that covered far more of the fabric than she’d initially noticed. Not only was this silvery gray blouse one of her favorites, but she’d just recently had to discard two other items from her already limited wardrobe – a sweater that she’d snagged on something and torn an irreparable hole in, and a blouse that had simply become worn and frayed from so many washings. She’d stretched her budget far too thin after buying the dress and shoes for last month’s Christmas party, and certainly couldn’t afford to buy anything new for some time to come.
Tessa bit her lip uncertainly, for the stain would be almost impossible to get out, especially given its location along the side of her torso. How the ink had landed in that particular spot was a puzzle but if she had any chance at all to salvage the blouse she was going to have to do some serious – and swift – scrubbing.
Quickly, she unbuttoned the blouse and stripped it off, shivering a little as she stood there in a pale gray lace bra and her navy skirt. She pumped some liquid hand soap directly onto the offending stain and dampened it before scrubbing the fabric almost desperately.
“Darn it!” she cursed, as the ink stain seemed to be spreading rather than disappearing. Not willing to give up hope just yet, she applied more soap and continued trying to wash the stubborn blotch away. But after a third application of soap, Tessa had to regretfully admit defeat. The stupid ink stain wasn’t budging and she was going to have to throw out the blouse. She could try to have it dry cleaned, of course, but that would likely cost almost as much as the bargain rack blouse was worth.
She was wringing the water out of the garment since she still had to wear it home, stained or not, when she froze in horror at the sound of Ian’s deep voice as he walked inside his office.
“Are you still here, Tessa? It’s well past time for you to have called it a day. What – ”
His voice trailed off abruptly as he caught sight of her framed in the doorway of his washroom. Tessa felt like a deer trapped in a hunter’s scope, knowing she ought to move or look away but too shocked to do so. He stared at her in stunned disbelief, his gaze raking over her nearly nude torso, her full breasts almost spilling out of the fragile lace bra.
Horrified, she clutched the damp blouse to her chest, her cheeks on fire as she glanced away and began to babble almost incoherently. “I’m – I’m so sorry, Mr. Gregson. I – ah, got printer ink on my blouse and I was just trying to rinse it out. I didn’t know you’d be returning and, oh, God, just let me put – ”
“Look at me.”
Startled, she responded immediately to the commanding tone of his voice, one that didn’t allow for disobedience. She raised her gaze to his and gasped when she saw the barely controlled lust on his handsome face – eyes blazing, nostrils flaring, his cheeks darkly flushed. She was petrified and enthralled at the same time, and dimly became aware of how badly her legs were shaking.
“Come here.”
Another of those brief, succinct commands. He was a man of a few words but they were more than enough to make himself understood. Slowly, her gaze remaining transfixed on his, she walked across his office until she was standing a few inches away, still holding her ruined blouse up to cover as much of her breasts as possible.
But Ian apparently had other ideas, for he clasped both of her wrists, forcing her to release the blouse as it fluttered to the carpet. His eyes took in every inch of her bare skin, lingering on the heavy swell of her breasts, and Tessa closed her eyes in embarrassment as she felt her nipples harden in reaction.
“No. Look at me. Open your eyes and look at me, Tessa.” Another command from him that she didn’t dare resist.
She was starting to tremble all over as she forced herself to open her eyes and meet his intense, burning gaze. Without breaking eye contact, he backed her up until she was standing against a wall of the office, effectively trapped between it and Ian’s tall, powerful body.
He drew both of her arms above her head, then pinned her wrists against the wall with just one of his big hands. He used his other hand to caress her cheek, his thumb brushing gently over her lips and causing her mouth to gape open in surprise. His hand continued its downward path, brushing over her collarbone and shoulder, traveling down her arm and the side of her ribcage and then, ever so slowly, back up her abdomen until it stopped just below her breasts.
“Christ, look at you.”
His voice was guttural, barely recognizable, and filled with so much raw need that Tessa was nearly swooning.
“Ah, God.” That was her voice, more like a long, drawn out moan, as his hand cupped one swollen breast. His thumb expertly manipulated the taut bud of her nipple through the lace of her bra, and his touch was like an electric shock that pulsed through her entire body.
With a low growl, Ian leaned into her, shoving her further back against the wall. His mouth descended towards hers, and her head fell back helplessly as his warm, firm lips caressed a sensuous path from her temple to her flushed cheek to the soft spot just below her ear. His hot mouth continued moving across her throat, to her chin, and then finally to claim her mouth in a blistering, domineering kiss.
Tessa felt as though she’d been in a dreamlike sleep state for twenty four years, and was just now awakening into the real world. The few times she’d been kissed in her life had never come close to anything like this – this sensation of drowning, of being devoured – and she realized faintly that this was the first time she had ever truly been kissed. Ian’s mouth was hungry and demanding, his tongue parting her lips with ease and thrusting possessively inside her mouth.
He released his grip on her wrists and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his body closer into hers and silently urging him to take even deeper possession of her mouth. She was growing dizzy from the almost brutal demand of his kiss, and was only vaguely aware when he began to slide a bra strap off her shoulder. It wasn’t until his hand closed over the bare, warm flesh of her breast that she realized what he’d done, and then she was far too overwhelmed with the pleasure his touch brought to care.
“Ohhh. Oh, please, yes.”
Tessa didn’t realize the high, desperate whimpers had come from her lips. Ian’s long fingers were splayed over her breast, the tips rolling her nipple, plucking it to an even harder peak. He swore softly beneath his breath but otherwise didn’t speak, his mouth nuzzling again at that tender spot beneath her ear. With one hand still fondling her breast, he used the other to lift her leg, wrapping it around his hip. This movement brought their bodies flush against the other, allowing Ian to nestle his immensely swollen cock into the juncture of her thighs. At the same time, he reclaimed her lips in another of those all-consuming kisses, his tongue now ravenous as it plundered her warm mouth.
She was rapidly threatening to overload on sensation as her entire body was being stimulated at once – by his hot, hungry mouth eating at hers like a starving man; his hand at her breast, twisting her engorged nipple between thumb and forefinger, the pleasure traveling directly to her womb; and the feel of his hard, thick penis rubbing against her cleft, where she was wet and needy and far more aroused than she had ever come close to being before. With each movement of his groin against hers, she could feel the friction against her ultra-sensitive clit, even between the layers of their clothing. He was surrounding her with pleasure, using his mouth, his hands, his cock, and it was suddenly too much for her as a very unexpected orgasm rippled through her body.
Ian stilled as he lifted his mouth from hers, murmuring in awe, “My God, Tessa. Christ – you’re so beautiful, darling. I can’t believe you just - ”
Whatever else he was going to say was abruptly halted by the ringing of his cell phone. Tessa’s eyes were tightly shut, too wrecked from what had just happened to even think of opening them yet. She dimly heard Ian curse impatiently as he answered the phone with barely restrained annoyance. As he eased his body away from hers to take the call, she felt suddenly bereft without the hard warmth of him pressed against her.
And then, as the glowing haze of her orgasm began to slowly fade, her mortification returned tenfold. She glanced down and had to stifle a moan when she saw her exposed breast, the nipple still red from his touch. Hastily, she jerked the cup and strap back into place, then grabbed the discarded blouse and pulled it on, her fingers fumbling with the buttons.
Ian’s call ended and he gazed at her from the other side of his office. She knew she must look a sight, with her flushed cheeks, mussed hair and stained, wrinkled blouse that she wasn’t sure had even been buttoned up correctly. The only thing that helped her retain a bit of her composure was the realization that Ian seemed as shook up as she was by what had just happened. His tie was askew, his hair rumpled, and he appeared to be at a complete loss for words.
He glanced at her, then at the ship’s clock on his credenza before grabbing an envelope from his desk.
“I need to go,” he muttered brusquely, and then strode out of the office without a moment’s hesitation.
Tessa stared after him, too shocked at what had just occurred to even move. Just a few short minutes ago her body had been burning up, every part of her on fire for Ian’s touch, the heat of his big body almost smothering her. And now, devoid of all that, she began to shiver almost uncontrollably, shaking in reaction, and she had to wrap her arms about her torso to steady herself.
“Oh, my, God,” she uttered in disbelief. “What in the world have I done?”
***
Ian was echoing almost the same exact words as he very nearly ran out of his office, grateful when an elevator arrived almost immediately and even more so when it proved to be empty. On the ride down to the lobby, he forced himself to take several deep breaths, trying to still the frantic beat of his heart. At the same time he swiftly restored order to his rumpled hair and clothing, and offered up a silent thanks that his raging erection had subsided, for there was no way he could have walked across the lobby to meet his associates in that sort of condition.
His meeting had ended earlier than expected, and he’d agreed to have a quick drink with two of his associates before they headed off to dinner. But then he’d realized he had left a report he needed to give someone in his office, and they had been obliged to make a quick stop to retrieve it.
He hadn’t expected anyone to still be at the office when he arrived, and indeed the floor had been empty when he’d walked through. But Tessa’s purse and coat had still been on top of Andrew’s desk, and then he’d heard her voice as he walked inside his office.
What had happened next was still completely surreal to him, like a dream he had yet to wake from. She’d been standing in the doorway of his private washroom, the upper half of her body unclothed except for that rather insubstantial lace bra, and she had been so tempting, so sexy, and so completely desirable that he’d had trouble remembering his own name. Her smooth ivory skin had glowed, her long golden hair tumbling about her bare shoulders, and – oh, Christ – those beautiful, ripe tits spilling out of the low-cut bra. They had been bigger, rounder and firmer than his very dirty imagination could have ever pictured – or hoped for – and he’d been instantly, violently aroused.
Ian hadn’t been able to stop what happened next, any more than he could have stopped breathing. He’d waited too long, denied himself for far too many months, and couldn’t wait even one more day to have her. He’d barely recognized the dominant, forceful commands that had come out of his mouth, but Tessa had responded instinctively to them, obeying him without hesitation.
He’d fallen on her like a starving man, kissing and touching her with absolutely no finesse, grinding himself against her like a horny teenager. He’d never been so hard in his life, had never felt his blood pump so hot, or had the need to fuck like an animal. The sounds she’d made – her groans, the breathy little pants, her husky words of encouragement – had only served to make him harder.
And then, with astonishing, jaw dropping swiftness, she’d come – her body quivering in reaction. He’d never been with a woman who could orgasm that quickly, and certainly not without far more stimulation. His head was still spinning with the recollection of how she’d looked and sounded when she had climaxed, and he was hard again.
“Damn it!” he cursed, for the elevator was nearly at the lobby level. He had to forcibly remove all thoughts of Tessa from his mind as he exited the elevator and located his associates.
If one of the men hadn’t called his cell – wondering what was keeping him – God knows what might have happened next. Christ, he’d been so far gone, so consumed with pleasure and need, that he had little doubt he would have taken Tessa then and there – on his sofa, his desk, or the floor – maybe all three. It had shaken him badly, for he was always, always in control of his emotions. Except, it seemed, when it concerned his startlingly responsive, sexy as sin, golden girl.
He felt like an ass for having just walked out on her like that – without an apology or explanation or even an acknowledgment – but he’d been in panic mode by then. The very last thing he’d wanted to happen was for his associates to come upstairs looking for him, and so he’d made a hasty departure before that could happen.
But it was probably all for the best, since he badly needed some time to compose himself and think about what had just happened. One thing was for damned sure – he could no longer keep his attraction towards Tessa a secret, not after the way he’d dry humped her against the wall and come within minutes of fucking her senseless. God damn it, this was not the way he’d wanted things to unfold, to let her know of how he felt about her. He had intended to woo her gently, to take things slowly and show her exquisite tenderness and patience. But all it had taken was one glimpse of her nearly naked breasts and his carefully planned seduction of her had been escalated at breakneck speed.
Ian agonized all during dinner about where things went from here, barely touching his food or saying much of anything. He was vaguely aware that the others at the table were regarding him oddly, asking if he was all right, and he mumbled some excuse about being a bit under the weather.
He had difficulty falling asleep that night, his body hard and throbbing when he recalled how soft Tessa’s lips had been, how sweetly passionate her response. It had been far too long since he’d been with a woman, resorting to jacking off in the shower to find some temporary relief. But now that he’d finally touched and kissed her, he knew no one else would ever do.
As he eventually drifted off into a restless slumber, he still had no idea of what he was going to say or do when he saw her again tomorrow. He should be annoyed that a sweet, shy girl like Tessa had him feeling as rattled and uncertain as an adolescent boy, but instead the realization only brought a smile to his lips as sleep finally claimed him.