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 aggressively 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 craved anything the way 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 be with 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 moa
n. “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, Ian.”
“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. But then, ever since he’d revealed his attraction to Tessa 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 Regional 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 couple of blocks from the studio when he’d picked Tessa up so as not to be seen. And he was confident that Tessa hadn’t breathed a word about their relationship to Julia, since she had taken his cautionary words about the need for secrecy to heart. She was even more fiercely protective about their privacy than he was.
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.”
Nathan 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 fiancée. 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.”
Chapter Twelve
Tessa couldn’t hide her awestruck reaction as Ian drove up beneath the porte-cochere of the hotel. The mountain lodge in Lake Tahoe was of a much different design than either the opulent high-rise hotel in San Francisco, or the sprawling Mission-style resort in Tucson, the only other two Gregson properties she’d ever set foot in. Situated high on top of a mountain, the lodge was majestic and grand with its stone façade and high windows. Pristine banks of carefully groomed snow surrounded the property on all sides. Tessa had read on the lodge’s website that it offered ski-in/ski-out accommodations, as well as a ski valet and highly rated ski shop on premise. She knew Ian was an accomplished skier, and that he had plans to get her out on the slopes this weekend, a prospect that she was admittedly a little nervous about.
The drive up from San Francisco had been smooth and relatively traffic-free. Ian had rushed home from work as soon as his meeting had ended, and was behind the wheel of his sturdy, four-wheel drive Range Rover by late morning. It had been just past three o’clock when he’d exited the highway for the lodge.
Tessa was more than a little amazed at the way the hotel staff mobilized so swiftly, evidently having been informed to expect Ian and his guest. In quick succession, a valet had taken his car keys, a bellhop was unloading their luggage, and the doorman rushing to hold the massive front doors leading to the lobby open for them. Ian kept a hand on the small of her back as they walked through the sprawling lobby with its vaulted, wood beam ceilings, flagstone floors, and imposing stone fireplace. Tessa didn’t miss the way almost every single person passing through turned and stared at him, the admiration evident on both female and male faces. She was beginning to get used to the effect her handsome, debonair lover had on people, how he attracted attention no matter where they went, and also how he seemed to be so completely nonchalant about it. For her part, she couldn’t help the thrill she felt at knowing this magnificent man was really hers, and that for reasons she still couldn’t fathom as yet, he’d chosen her out of the thousands of other women around the world who’d give anything to be by his side right now.
Crave (Splendor Book 2) Page 22
