Crave (Splendor Book 2)

by Janet Nissenson

  Tessa was beaming when he pulled her chair out for her. “Julia just had the most wonderful ideas for me, Ian. I was telling her how I didn’t want to just sit around and feel useless until our next business trip, especially since the college classes I’d need to take don’t start until late August. And she’s thought of some ways I can keep busy and still learn something useful.”

  Nathan smirked as he pushed Julia’s chair in. “Baby, tell Tessa that shopping is not exactly cultural enrichment.”

  Julia rolled her eyes at him. “Seriously, Nathan? What I actually suggested to Tessa is that she ought to take some cooking courses. There’s a place over on Francisco Street that offers a whole series of one day to one week classes. The other idea I had for her was to take a course at the Berlitz Language School.”

  Tessa nodded and smiled a bit shyly at Ian. “Since you offered to take me to Tuscany one day, I thought it might be nice to learn some Italian.”

  Ian smiled back and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. “I think both of those ideas are absolutely wonderful. I want you to sign up for both classes.”

  “I think I will,” she agreed. “In fact, Julia said there’s even a cake decorating class available. That way, I can bake you a cake next year instead of having to rely on your chef to do it for me.”

  He couldn’t hide his surprise at the sight of half a dozen waiters and busboys who suddenly surrounded their table, and at the elaborately decorated cake ablaze with at least a dozen candles.

  But the real thrill came after a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday when Tessa whispered to him naughtily, “You know, the real celebration begins when we get home.”

  ***

  Simon had the weekend off so they took a cab home. Not that Ian was anywhere near being inebriated - he was as disciplined and in control about the amount of alcohol he consumed as he was with everything else in his life. But he preferred not to drive himself when he’d been drinking more than a glass or two, just in case. Besides, not having to concentrate on driving meant that he could focus all of his attention on the luscious blonde cuddled up against him.

  “Did you enjoy yourself tonight, darling?” he asked.

  Tessa nodded, her blue eyes glowing. “It was wonderful. Julia and Nathan are good company.” She ran a finger over his mouth before whispering, “But the night is really just beginning, you know. I hope you aren’t sleepy.”

  Ian chuckled, giving her waist a squeeze where his arm held her against his side. “Not in the least, my love. And it sounds as though you have special plans for the rest of the evening, hmm?”

  Tessa gave him an impish grin and nodded. “I’m going to seduce you,” she announced a bit tipsily. “I hope that meets with your approval.”

  He glanced up at the cab driver, who was thankfully immersed in a cell phone conversation, yakking loudly in what sounded like Tagalog. Relieved that they hadn’t been overheard, he looked back at Tessa.

  “Considering that all you really need to do to seduce me is be in the same room, I can say with complete honesty that I wholeheartedly approve of your plans, love.” He captured her wrist as her hand began to slide up his thigh. “And you can seduce me all the way until dawn, so long as you wait until we’re at home to begin.”

  Tessa pretended to pout, but seemed content to sit beside him rather primly and merely hold hands for the remainder of the ride.

  Once inside the house, she took him by the hand and led him up the long, winding staircase. His gaze was fixated the entire time on the tantalizing curve of her ass in the form fitting dress before traveling down the long, shapely length of her legs. Her sheer black stockings had a seam up the back, and were quite possibly the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. Unless, of course, one considered the sexy black and silver stilettos on her feet, with their seductive ankle strap. He really, really hoped she planned to keep both the stockings and the shoes on while she had her wicked way with him.

  At the doorway to the master bedroom, she released his hand but shook her head as he would have followed her inside. “Wait. Just give me a minute or two.”

  Ian hovered in the doorway with barely controlled patience. He was primed and ready for whatever “festivities” she had planned for tonight, his body already hard and throbbing just from being near her. And that wasn’t even taking into consideration the many times this evening they had touched and kissed and cuddled. It seemed, in fact, that the entire evening had been one long, slow seduction.

  Tessa appeared back in the doorway, a sultry, mysterious smile on her face. She grabbed hold of his tie - a brand new, dark red Hermes that she’d given him as a birthday gift - and pulled him inside the room.

  She’d lit a dozen or more candles, and they filled the room with their golden glow and subtle jasmine scent. The duvet had been turned down, and some soft jazz music was playing from the new iPod he’d given her recently where it rested in its docking station.

  “What, no rose petals strewn over the sheets?” he asked in a teasing voice.

  Tessa laughed softly. “I knew there was something I forgot. Maybe next time. Now, you have too many clothes on for what I plan to do to you. Let’s start with this.”

  He smiled indulgently as she slid the suit jacket off his arms and draped it carefully over a chair back. “Can’t have anything happen to my favorite suit,” she chided. “In fact, maybe you should buy two or three more just like it - you know, as back-up.”

  Ian grinned, loving this playful side of her. “I’ll make a note of it, love.”

  Tessa deftly undid his tie, before starting on the buttons of his shirt. He gasped as she nuzzled her face against his bare chest, her hands splaying over his abs.

  “What a beautiful man you are,” she murmured huskily. “And you always smell delicious. I’ll never, ever get enough of your scent.”

  He groaned, his hands sliding into her hair as he attempted to kiss her, but she playfully swatted him away as she took a step back. “Tsk, tsk, Mr. Gregson. No touching until I say so. Otherwise, I might have to punish you.”

  He laughed in delight and acquiesced, letting his hands fall to the side. “Very well, my little Dominatrix. After all, the last time anyone spanked me was when I was a boy of five, and I made the very unwise mistake of sassing my nanny. Though I expect I’d enjoy your brand of punishment far more than I did Nanny Warner’s.”

  Tessa laid a finger over his mouth. “Shh. No more talking. And definitely no sassing.”

  Ian’s barely controlled mirth swiftly faded away as Tessa’s hands unbuckled his belt and unzipped his suit pants. Her fingers fluttered teasingly against his hugely swollen cock before she shoved his pants down his legs. She helped him remove pants, shoes, and socks, kneeling before him as he was now clothed only in his snug fitting black briefs.

  She slid her hands up the sides of his legs, squeezing the hard muscles of his thighs before her hands inserted themselves into the waistband of his briefs. Ian grit his teeth, struggling mightily for control as she slowly peeled the cotton underwear from his body, freeing his throbbing cock.

  “Mmm, look at you,” purred Tessa, her hand closing over his penis. “You have got to be the most magnificent man in the entire world. I want this big, beautiful cock to fuck every part of my body. My mouth.” She sucked just the tip of him, licking off the thick beads of pre-cum. “My breasts.” She traced the tip of his cock between her lush tits, rubbing it up and down her cleavage. Ian was already breathing hard, his body so primed and ready he could come at a moment’s notice.

  “My pussy.” Tessa stood and ground her fully clothed crotch against his straining dick. She took a couple of steps back so that their bodies were no longer touching, but continued to pump his cock with the long, slow strokes she knew he liked best.

  “Tessa.” His breath hissed out her name like an invocation, as though she was a goddess he was praying to.

  “Hush, my love. Come with me now. And don’t forget - you’re all mine to do with as I wish tonight.”r />
  Ian let her lead him to the bed, where he laid down in the middle of the huge, king-sized mattress. He dared to run a hand along her hip.

  “You have too many clothes on,” he rasped.

  But Tessa only laughed and removed his hand from her body, only to stretch his arm out towards the slatted headboard. “Hmm, I warned you about talking, remember? You’re a very disobedient boy, Mr. Gregson. Guess I’ll have to punish you after all.”

  And then, as she opened the nightstand drawer and drew out the long strips of satin, he knew what her little game was and struggled not to laugh. He permitted her to tie his wrists and ankles to the bed in the exact same manner that he had done to her on Valentine’s Day. Except that her flimsy knots couldn’t have held a kitten in place, much less a man with two hundred pounds of hard, solid muscle on his body.

  But as turned on as he was at this particular moment, there was no way in hell - correction, no bloody way in hell - he would ever dream of letting her know that. Instead, he gazed up at her expectantly, his heart thudding wildly, his cock hard and straining and practically begging for her touch.

  Tessa stood by the side of the bed, gazing down at him carnally. With one fingertip, she lightly traced along the thick length of his penis. “I think he likes me,” she teased in that breathy little voice he loved.

  Sweat broke out on his brow as he struggled not to come right there on the spot. “He fucking worships you,” he hissed. “And he would be very, very grateful if you would put him inside one of the aforementioned orifices of your very tempting body.”

  She removed her finger as her hands went to the back of her dress. “So impatient, Mr. Gregson. I always thought you to be the most controlled, disciplined man I ever met. Lately, though, you seem very - um, impetuous?”

  Ian gave a low growl. “I’d like to discipline you, you wicked, tempting girl.”

  Tessa very deliberately ran her tongue over her red, glossy lips. “And you’ve developed this rather alarming tendency towards violence, too. You’re really going to have to watch that, my love.”

  As he watched her in stunned, slack-jawed disbelief, she unzipped her dress and peeled it off her lush, alluring body. Ian feared his heart would burst right out of his chest cavity, it was pounding that hard, as his eyes devoured the provocative picture she made.

  Her big, round tits were almost spilling out of the lacy black bra, the cups so shallow there was barely enough fabric to conceal her nipples. The flirty, ruffly little garter belt held up those cock-teasing stockings, and the matching thong was so insubstantial she might as well have left it off entirely. As she crawled up on the bed next to him, her slow, deliberate movements like those of a hungry lioness, his cock felt like it might shatter into a thousand pieces it was that hard.

  “Untie me,” he croaked. “Christ, Tessa, I need to touch you. You look -”

  “Later.” She was crouching near the headboard, her face mere inches from his. “We have all the time in the world, all night long. This first time - let me worship you, Ian. Just - surrender.”

  He groaned as her lips took his in a long, searching kiss, her tongue tangling greedily with his. She was quite deliberately imitating exactly how he’d seduced her up in Lake Tahoe, taking her time with him, lingering over him. Only he was quite certain he wouldn’t be able to last even half as long as she’d managed to do.

  Her lips moved to his throat, tracing a path down to his chest, her hands following along. His body bowed off the bed, and he pulled on the flimsy excuses for restraints as her tongue flicked over his nipples. Tessa continued to kiss her way down his body, her hands touching him everywhere.

  “Tessa. Jesus,” he cursed as her hands squeezed his ass. “Darling, you’ve got to - I’m going to come if you keep touching me like this, that’s how much I need you. Please.”

  “Shh. Poor baby. I’ve made you wait too long, haven’t I?” she crooned, using the exact same words he’d said to her once. “Let me take care of my baby now. Mmm, yes.”

  Ian gave a shout as her lips closed over the head of his cock, sucking just the tip into her warm, willing mouth. Her hand stroked him at the same time, taking him a little deeper inside her mouth with each slow, deliberate movement. His hips bucked up in sync with the eager pulls of her mouth, and he felt his release inching closer with each thrust. And then, when he was very nearly there, ready to come long and hard down her throat, she shocked him to the very core by pressing her finger down on his prostate gland.

  He cried out in a guttural, raw voice. “Jesus. Fuck, ah, God, fuck!”, alternately cursing and crying out her name as his back bowed off the bed. He came instantly and violently, spilling himself into her waiting mouth with uncontrolled gluttony. And when he thought himself drained, sucked dry, he kept coming, her hands and mouth coaxing him to continue spurting his hot, sticky cum down her throat as fast as she could swallow it. With a loud bellow, he wrenched his wrists free of the flimsy bonds and shoved his hands into her hair, holding her head still as his body kept shuddering with the brutal force of the climax.

  And when he was finally, completely sated, he fell back limply on the pillow, his heart racing madly. He was utterly helpless to do anything but watch as Tessa crawled up his body until she was straddling his hips. Her ripe tits were within one deep breath of falling out of that fragile bra, the silk of her stockings rubbing sensually against his bare legs. Her blue eyes were smoky, half-shut, her cheeks flushed, but the single most erotic sight had to be the thick bead of cum that still clung to her chin.

  She was beyond a mere goddess, more like a succubus, a sex demon here to steal the very soul from his body. And astonishingly, even though he’d just had the most intense orgasm of his life, he was getting hard again just looking at her.

  Ian knew then, in that very moment, that he would never, ever give this woman up. College boys be damned, he would fight any other man to the death for her, beat them to a bloody pulp if they dared to try and take her from him. Tessa was everything he’d ever dared to hope for, and far more than he had ever permitted himself to even dream about. She was his, and he planned to keep her with him for eternity.

  Ian reached up and brushed away the spot of semen from her chin. She clasped his wrist, pressing a kiss to the inside before gazing down at him sultrily.

  “Naughty man, breaking free of your bonds. We might just have to tie you back up.”

  “Not a chance in hell,” he retorted, as he easily held both of her hands still. “And speaking of naughty, you really did almost kill me this time, love. I think we ought to start keeping a tank of oxygen by the bed. And make certain we have 911 on speed dial.”

  Tessa dissolved into a fit of giggles, lowering her head to his chest as his arms wrapped around her. “Does this mean you didn’t like your birthday present?”

  He tipped her chin up and gave her a resounding kiss. “Ah, but I haven’t even finished unwrapping it yet, have I? And by the way. I like the gift wrap. Very, very much.”

  She laughed. “I thought you might.”

  With almost no effort, he scissored his ankles free of the satin straps before rolling her underneath him. “And where, my very naughty little miss, did you learn that particular trick? Don’t give me that innocent look - you know exactly what I mean.”

  She blushed, then fidgeted beneath his intense regard before admitting in a whispered tone, “Um, Julia sort of, well, suggested it. She told me in the ladies room it would drive you wild. Did it, um, work?”

  Ian laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes, rolling onto his side and wrapping her in his arms. “Good God, wait until I tell Nathan that his very wicked fiancée was giving my girl tips on blow jobs while they were visiting the loo. And, yes, my little wanton, it worked very, very well.” He nuzzled the side of her neck. “Remind me to send Julia a dozen roses tomorrow as a thank you for sharing her little, ah, tip.” He slid one of her bra straps down, baring her breast. As his fingers plucked the hardened peak of her nipple, he whispered i
n her ear, “And if your very naughty friend has any more advice she’d like to share with you, it might even be worth a new pair of those very expensive shoes she loves so much.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  May - Tucson

  “Now, don’t be thinking that just because you’ve brought Tessa along with you that I’ll be willing to forgive the fact it’s been a very long time since your last visit.”

  Ian and Tessa exchanged a knowing look as Francine Carrington regarded both of them sternly. Mrs. C. hadn’t changed one bit since the last time either of them had seen her. Over the years far too many people had assumed from her small, almost delicate appearance that she was also fragile in nature. It usually took less than a minute in her presence to realize that nothing could be farther from the truth.

  Even in the heat of a late Arizona spring, Francine insisted on wearing one of her proper, severely tailored tweed suits and a high-necked blouse. Ian wondered if this particular beige suit had been one she’d worn while still working in London. He couldn’t help but think it seemed oddly familiar to him. Her hairstyle hadn’t changed in twenty years either - her obviously dyed auburn hair scraped back into a tight bun from which even one errant strand didn’t dare escape. And even through the thick lenses of her glasses, her gaze was as sharp as ever, never missing a trick or the tiniest detail. Ian wasn’t certain he would ever truly get over being terrified by one of her scathing glances.

  But it seemed that after all these years he had finally discerned Mrs. C’s one soft spot, which by some fortunate coincidence was also his own weakness - Tessa. He could have sworn he’d seen Mrs. C’s eyes looking a bit moist when he and Tessa had entered her office just a few minutes ago, and the older woman had actually given Tessa a brief hug. Not so himself, of course. She would never dream of being so familiar with a superior, and had instead given him one of her surprisingly firm hand shakes.