The rest of the morning went by quickly. Tessa had received the data she needed from Andrew, and was busily constructing the intricate spreadsheets. Though she didn’t consider herself to be especially brainy and wasn’t exactly a math whiz, she did enjoy working with the Excel program and the more detailed the worksheet the better.
But as she was reviewing the completed sheets before sending them on to Andrew, she frowned, for one of the pie charts didn’t look quite right. Remembering Mrs. Carrington’s teachings to proofread everything at least three times, Tessa checked and re-checked the data Andrew had sent her and was flummoxed over where the chart discrepancy was originating from. She hated to bother Andrew with anything, fearful that he would see her as incompetent. But she wasn’t about to send an incorrect file to Mr. Gregson, either, so she printed out the offending sheet along with the back-up data, knowing that Andrew would prefer looking at the physical sheets rather than a computer monitor. It was already past the noon hour, and half the team was at lunch. Marisol was off making photocopies, which left just Shelby and Tessa to mind the fort.
“I need to ask Andrew about one of these reports,” Tessa told her co-worker. “Are you okay here by yourself for a few minutes?”
Shelby visibly trembled at the mere mention of her tormentor. “God, poor you, having to deal with the Ice Man. Maybe you should put a sweater on so he doesn’t give you frostbite.”
Tessa merely smiled and headed towards Andrew’s office. The PA had his own private space just outside of Mr. Gregson’s commanding office suite, and the space was as tidy and organized as it always was. Except that Andrew himself was nowhere in sight. Tessa knew that he took his lunch break at precisely one p.m. every day, so she guessed he was off doing some task for Mr. Gregson.
She bit her bottom lip uncertainly, not wanting to just hang around as though she had nothing better to do. She was in the middle of jotting a detailed note to leave for Andrew with the reports when a voice from just behind startled her.
“Tessa. This is a surprise to see you here. Was there something you needed?”
She dropped the pen she’d picked up from Andrew’s desk abruptly, and looked up as Ian Gregson appeared by her side. Tessa felt like all of the air had been sucked out of her lungs, and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. He had this effect on her every single time she was within a few feet of him, and she felt her cheeks flush.
“Um, I was just leaving a note for Andrew, sir,” she murmured. “There’s a bit of a discrepancy with one of the spreadsheets he asked me to do for you.”
“Ah, well, we can’t have that, can we?” he replied in a gentle voice. “Why don’t you show me the problem and let’s see if we can figure it out, hmm?”
“All-all right.” Tessa struggled to maintain her composure, for she was hyper-aware of the man standing right next to her. With her sensible heels on, she stood at five ten, but he still towered over her by a good six inches. He had removed the aforementioned custom tailored dark blue suit jacket and hovered next to her in his shirt sleeves. She stole a quick glance sideways and had to stifle a gulp when she noticed how the fine linen fabric stretched across his broad shoulders and the wide expanse of his chest.
And she thought faintly that no one had ever smelled as good as Ian Gregson did. It was an irresistible combination of soap, aftershave, and pure male, and it made Tessa long to burrow her face against that strong, muscular chest and take a long, luxurious sniff. Even without making any sort of physical contact, she could feel the heat pouring off his big body, and her nipples hardened automatically in response against the thin fabric of her dress. Hoping fervently that he didn’t notice, she self-consciously smoothed down the pleated skirt of her pale peach polka-dot dress.
She pointed to the pie chart in question. “This isn’t accurate, Mr. Gregson. But I’ve checked the input data four times and it’s all correct.”
Ian studied the two sheets of paper for a long moment before pointing to the one with the background information. “Except that you were given the wrong report. This is the previous quarter’s report, even though someone put the current quarter’s date on it. Who prepared this report anyway?”
Tessa feigned ignorance, even though she knew that Shelby was usually the one who was in charge of the report in question. Andrew would figure that out soon enough on his own and give Shelby yet another icy admonishment.
“I’m not certain, sir. But it should be a simple matter to fix this. And now that you’ve identified the discrepancy, I can go ahead and adjust the spreadsheet. It will only take a couple of minutes.”
The smile he bestowed on her made her knees go weak and her panties grow damp. “I don’t know what I’d do without you here, Tessa,” he told her earnestly. “You’re the only one I trust to get all of these done correctly. Thank you for all of your diligence.”
She couldn’t resist smiling at him in return and hoped faintly that her cheeks weren’t too red. “It’s – I’m happy to help, sir. I’ll – um, just take these back to my desk and fix the problem. I’m sorry to have bothered you, sir.”
“It was no bother at all, Tessa,” he assured her kindly. “I appreciate your conscientiousness in catching the error.”
Trying in vain to conceal her flustered state, Tessa quickly picked up the papers from Andrew’s desk and spun around to make a hasty exit. Except that Mr. Gregson hadn’t moved an inch and she bumped smack into him. He placed a hand on her arm to steady her, and her cheeks grew even hotter to realize that her breast was crushed up against his iron-hewed arm.
He released his grip on her arm immediately and took two steps back. He didn’t say another word but his hazel eyes had darkened noticeably, and the smile on his face had faded as he gazed at her somberly.
With a hastily mumbled “thank you”, Tessa almost bolted out of the office back towards her own desk. ‘Oh, God,’ she pleaded silently. ‘Please do not let him have noticed my nipples were hard.’
She was both mortified at what had just happened, but also incredulously, ridiculously aroused. It upset her to realize that her own husband failed to arouse those same types of feelings in her, and that she was so unsuitably attracted to her gorgeous, debonair boss.
She made it back to her desk on shaky legs and sunk down gratefully into her chair. She closed her eyes, and the image of Ian Gregson’s ruggedly handsome face filled her thoughts despite her best efforts to dispel it. He was more striking than classically good looking but his strong, masculine features were irresistible – the intelligent, all-knowing hazel eyes; broad cheekbones and square chin; the firm, full mouth that rarely smiled but when it did his whole face softened and became even more compelling. His face was framed by his expertly cut dark hair, the back and sides cut short and close to the head while the top was left longer.
It was the return of Kevin and the others from lunch – all giggling and gossiping together – that jolted Tessa out of her almost trancelike state. She swiftly located the correct report she needed from their file sharing system, and made the required changes to the spreadsheet before emailing it to Andrew.
But as busy as she strived to keep for the rest of the workday, she couldn’t completely forget about the brief but disturbing encounter with her boss earlier in the day. And each time she did her cheeks would flush anew and she’d curse herself for having such a strong and unsuitable reaction to him. She had no reason at all to believe that Mr. Gregson found her attractive, or even gave her a second thought. She was simply one of his many employees, and not a very important one at that.
The unwanted sexual attraction she felt for him was only because of the frustration she was currently experiencing due to Peter’s long and frequent absences, she told herself fiercely. She was young and healthy and craved affection and physical contact, a perfectly normal state for a woman her age. Especially a woman who was alone as much as she was, and whose sexual relationship with her husband was as messed up as hers. It was only natural, Tessa assured herself with a confid
ence she didn’t really feel, that her body would react to a man as virile and physically appealing as Ian Gregson. From what she’d heard from gossip and such, most every woman he came in contact with had the same sort of reaction to his charm and extreme good looks, so she was far from the only one.
‘So it doesn’t mean a thing, silly,’ she told herself with a sense of relief. ‘It doesn’t mean that you don’t love Peter or that you’d ever think of cheating on him. Especially since Mr. Gregson certainly doesn’t think of you that way. I’m sure he hasn’t given you a single thought the entire day.’
Chapter Three
Ian cursed softly as he tried for perhaps the fifth time to concentrate on the report in front of him. He’d had a ridiculous amount of work that needed to get done today, starting with the speaking engagement first thing this morning, and due to wind up with a business dinner this evening. In between, he’d had reports like this one to review, phone calls to return, employees to meet with, and plans to make for an upcoming trip to visit several of the properties in his region.
But it was as if all of his brain function had become stuck in quicksand ever since the all-too-brief encounter with the constant object of his desire – Tessa.
He shut his eyes, rubbing at a tense spot at the back of his neck. Christ, what a muddled-up mess this entire situation was with the woman he’d become positively obsessed with over the past two years. Ian thought rather sourly at times that he ought to have followed his instincts the first time he’d seen her, and arranged for a swift transfer to another department where he wouldn’t have to see her every day. It might not have completely stopped his infatuation with her, but he would have had an easier time of it day to day.
But he’d been too weak – or too kind, not wanting to hurt the girl’s feelings – and as a result had condemned himself to the hell of having to see his golden girl every day and know she was not his to claim.
He’d tried to fight his attraction to her, of course, using a variety of methods – none of which had worked. Ian had dated a string of beautiful, desirable women until he’d realized that none of them interested him in the least. He kept his distance from Tessa as much as possible, relying on Andrew to delegate assignments to her. And he had made it quite clear to Andrew that he did not want Tessa filling in as his PA whenever Andrew was out of the office. Passing by her cubicle en route to and from his office was one thing – it would be beyond the limits of even his ironclad control to have her sitting directly outside his office for hours and days at a time.
Ian was quite sure that his very perceptive PA knew of – or at least strongly suspected – his attraction to Tessa. He knew that he’d given Andrew more than adequate cause for such suspicions and really only had himself to blame. In addition to his refusal to have Tessa work as his fill-in PA, Ian had also given Andrew very strict instructions to do whatever was necessary to keep that bastard Jason away from her. Fortunately, Andrew took his duties very seriously and he’d done an admirable job at subtly looking out for Tessa. However, Andrew would also be well aware that his boss had never asked him to keep a watch over any of the other female employees on this floor before, and Ian would be shocked if the sharp as a tack PA wasn’t supremely confident that his boss lusted after the beautiful Tessa something fierce. But Andrew was also wise enough to not so much as hint at the idea. The two men did not discuss personal issues, and Ian knew very little about what Andrew did after hours. Ian did know that Andrew had a longtime girlfriend, disputing the rumors floating around the office that he was gay, and that he originated from Seattle. Beyond that, much of Andrew’s life was a mystery.
Ian was usually able to keep his attraction towards Tessa well under wraps, never betraying even a hint of it to anyone. But today he’d come perilously close to letting her know just how much desired her, to dragging her into his arms and kissing her senseless. For starters.
She was wearing one of his favorite dresses today – the pale peach one with tiny white polka dots, belted at the waist, and a pleated skirt that fell to just above the knee. The silky fabric clung lovingly to her ripe breasts, the belt nipping in at her small waist, and the skirt draping softly over her gently curving hips. The color flattered her creamy skin and golden hair, and she looked as delicious as a sweet, juicy peach.
He was quite familiar, in fact, with nearly all of her outfits, especially since her wardrobe was anything but extensive. He’d overheard those two little cats – Gina and Alicia – make fun of Tessa’s inexpensive, limited array of clothing behind her back, and he’d longed to sternly admonish the nasty little gossips.
He also longed to shower Tessa with all of the things she had to do without – dress her in beautiful, expensive clothes and shoes; buy her fabulous jewelry; make sure she was as pampered and indulged as a princess; protect and spoil her to her hearts content. He wanted her with him constantly – living in his home, sleeping in his bed, traveling with him wherever and whenever he had to go. But, instead, he continued to experience the frustration of not being able to betray his feelings for her – not while she was still a married woman.
Ian had been more than a little surprised when he’d met Peter Lockwood for the first – and only – time at last year’s office Christmas party. Given that Tessa was such a knockout, he’d fully expected her husband to be a tall, well-built and equally good-looking young man. Instead, Peter had been a bit shorter than his wife, boyishly slim, and no more than average looking. It had been very obvious that he was uncomfortable at such a formal event, and certainly not used to dressing up. As Ian recalled, Peter had worn ill-fitting, mismatched trousers and jacket, a wrinkled shirt and skinny tie. His light brown hair had been on the longish side, secured back in a short ponytail, and one of his ears had been pierced.
Tessa’s husband had been so completely unlike what Ian had imagined him to look like that it had been a struggle to contain his shock when she had briefly introduced them. Still, Tessa had seemed entirely devoted to him, sticking to his side like glue, and listening intently to his every word.
Ian had been almost overwhelmed with jealousy that night, and he’d had more to drink than was usual for him. But no amount of alcohol had dimmed the empty ache in his heart as he’d watched Tessa hold hands or link arms with Peter. He’d been consumed with envy over a pale, skinny boy who had somehow managed to claim the most beautiful girl Ian had ever seen.
That was the only time he’d ever seen Tessa’s husband, and he had learned from Andrew that Peter was out of the country a great deal for his job. Ian thought passionately that if Tessa was his there was no way in hell he’d leave her alone for even two or three days, much less weeks.
His traitorous thoughts refused to let go of the memory of how it had felt – albeit very briefly – to have her lush body pressed up against his earlier today. His arm still burned from where one round, firm breast had been crushed against it. If he closed his eyes he could still feel the warm, silky skin of her arm where his hand had wrapped around it to steady her. He could smell the delicate, barely perceptible scent of her perfume or soap, a light, fleeting fragrance and not some overpoweringly strong odor. He’d been close enough to notice the charming blush on her cheeks, the wide roundness of her china blue eyes, and the way that decadently full mouth had trembled slightly. He didn’t know if she was physically attracted to him, or simply terrified, but she had definitely been aware. The knowledge of her reaction to him had given him a least a small measure of satisfaction.
‘What an ass you are, mate,’ he chastised himself. ‘So pathetically grateful for any imagined little reaction from her. You’re ten times worse than a schoolgirl with a mad crush on her favorite movie star. And just as hopeless.’
***
The feeling that something bad was going to happen had gradually subsided as the day went on, and by the time Tessa got off the bus two blocks from her apartment, she was very nearly convinced that her premonitions had been all wrong. This was in spite of the fact that she had
n’t received any sort of text or phone message from Peter confirming that he’d arrived home safely. She had reasoned that oddity away by assuring herself that he was undoubtedly exhausted after such a long flight, and had probably fallen asleep as soon as he’d walked in the door.
And then any worries she might have still been harboring flew away the moment she walked through the door of their apartment. The sound of one of Peter’s favorite songs – Hemorrhage by Fuel – greeted her as she dropped her purse and slipped out of her shoes, leaving them by the tiny entryway table as was her norm.
“Hey, Tess.”
Tessa smiled broadly and rushed to give her husband an eager hug. “Hey, yourself. I was starting to worry when I didn’t hear from you. What time did you get in?”
Peter gave her a quick hug in return and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I actually arrived in early this morning. We probably just missed each other.”
Her smile faded rapidly as he gently disengaged her arms from about his neck. “What? I had no idea you were getting in so early. Why didn’t you let me know?”
He shrugged, the shaggy, uneven ends of his light brown hair now long enough to reach his shoulders. “I was flying standby and literally didn’t get on the flight until the last minute, so no time to text you before I left. And then when I got here I was pretty wiped out, I guess, plus I had some stuff to take care of. Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay,” she assured him. “It’s just – I’ve been a little unsettled today. I woke up with one of those weird premonitions – you know, it is a Wednesday after all. And I always worry when you have a long flight home from some of those places you travel to.”
Peter gave her hand a squeeze. “Well, I’m okay, as you can see. Come on, I ordered pizza and it just arrived. Let’s eat while it’s hot.”
Splendor (Inevitable #2) Page 4
