Ian rarely engaged in outward displays of temper, but he could almost feel the steam escaping from his ears as he exited the elevator and headed for his office. He couldn’t recall a single time in his life when he’d felt so much rage, such an uncontrollable urge to slam his fist through the wall, or curse vividly and loudly. That prick Jason had gone too far this time, had dared – dared – to touch his golden girl, his beloved, precious Tessa, and the randy bastard was going to pay dearly for that very unwise act.
He felt like a caged beast as his long legs covered the distance between the elevator and his office in record time. Rage shimmered through every muscle in his body, and he clenched his fists in a futile attempt to stem his anger. Every time he pictured Jason’s filthy hand touching Tessa, or recalled the look of panic on her sweet, lovely face, he wanted to roar like a lion in the jungle. There was no punishment too severe for what that horny little bastard had done.
His anger was not diffused even a bit as he found Jason loitering around Andrew’s desk. His cousin-in-law was in the middle of tapping out a text, and didn’t look to be in the least concerned about the severe tongue-lashing he was about to receive.
Jason glanced up as he heard Ian approach, and actually had the balls to offer up a cheeky grin. “Ah, there you are, mate. I was starting to wonder where you were. Now, I managed to persuade Charlotte to be patient for a little while, but I don’t have much time. What - “
“Get the fuck into my office and keep your bloody mouth shut,” Ian spit out, longing to put his fist very capably into Jason’s smug face.
Jason almost jumped at the icy anger in Ian’s tone, but obediently didn’t say a word as he followed him inside the office.
“Close the door and sit your sorry arse down. This won’t take long.”
Jason was beginning to feel more than a little uneasy. He’d known Ian for a good ten years now and had never seen him this pissed off, the rage pouring off of him in waves.
“Take it easy there, old chap,” soothed Jason. “No need to get your knickers in a twist. I was just having a bit of harmless fun with the girl. Hot little thing like her must hear that kind of stuff all the time. That husband of hers is a lucky bloke, isn’t he? Can you imagine having someone like that to tap whenever you get the urge?”
Jason did jump this time, as Ian slammed the office door shut almost violently. And then Jason was the one being slammed, as Ian grabbed hold of his shirt and shoved him up against the nearest wall.
“I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut.” Ian ground out every word with ill-concealed malice. “Did you think I was joking, Jason?”
Jason could only shake his head, his fear rendering him suddenly mute.
“Good. Now listen and listen carefully because I’m not a man who likes to repeat himself.” Ian gave him a shake as though he were a repulsive gutter rat. “I’m sick to death of your manwhore behavior in this office. I’ve already had to transfer one employee off of my team in order to prevent her from filing a sexual harassment lawsuit. I’m not prepared to take that risk any longer, or lose another member of my team.”
Jason was wide-eyed and listening very carefully to every word as Ian continued.
“Consider this your last day in this office. Tomorrow you are to report to your new assignment – as the manager of our hotel in the Silicon Valley. Fortunately we’ve just had an opening so you won’t have to move the family elsewhere in the country.”
“Silicon Valley!” burst out Jason. “But – but that’s in bloody Scotts Valley! Do you have any idea how long it will take me to commute there and back from San Francisco every day?”
Ian smiled, but it was not a pleasant look. “I don’t give a holy fuck how long it takes you. If you don’t like it, Jason, then the other three options you have are Atlanta, Palm Springs, or – oh, yes - looking for employment somewhere else besides this company.”
“But you can’t do that!” protested Jason. “My father-in-law will never allow it. All it would take is a phone call to him.”
Jason squealed as Ian shoved him even harder against the wall, his grip on the front of Jason’s shirt tighter.
“I can do whatever I goddamn please.” He enunciated each word with careful precision. “My uncle can’t – and won’t – do a bloody thing about it. And do you know why that is, Jason?”
Jason had to look away from the ferocity in Ian’s eyes for fear he might piss his pants. “N-nnoo. I – I don’t.”
“Uncle Richard is well aware of the fact that you can’t keep your dick in your pants, but for reasons of his own he chooses to turn a blind eye to your little escapades. However, brief, meaningless flings are one thing but a permanent girlfriend is quite another. I doubt Richard would be especially understanding of the arrangement you have set up over on Pierce Street.”
The shocked expression on Jason’s face would have been priceless had Ian not been so enraged with him.
“I see you don’t even begin to deny it.” Ian shook his head in revulsion. “And it’s only for the sake of your three very small children that Charlotte isn’t being made aware of – is it Greta or Gretchen, I don’t recall exactly.”
“Greta,” replied Jason in a barely audible voice.
“Ah, that’s right. A very pretty little blonde if I recall from the photo I saw. Swedish, is she?” asked Ian mockingly.
“How did you -” began Jason.
Ian regarded him in disbelief. “Do you really need to ask me that, Jason? I know everything. Or at least the things I need to know. And for obvious reasons I’ve kept very close tabs on you over the last few years.”
Jason’s expression was sullen as Ian finally released him. He straightened his rumpled shirt and tie, and ran a hand through his sun-streaked hair. “So what am I supposed to tell Charlotte about the reason for this sudden transfer?’
Ian shrugged. “Tell her whatever the hell you want. I’m certain it won’t be the truth. But then, you must have become quite the expert at lying to her after all this time.”
Jason glared. “What I can’t quite figure out is exactly what provoked these extreme measures. With the others, they were the ones who got transferred. Why can’t you move Tessa somewhere else? She’s just a fucking secretary while I’m part of the family.”
The expression on Ian’s face was scathing. “You’re sure as hell not my family. At least not that I’d acknowledge. And frankly, that girl is a far more valuable member of my management team than you could ever be. So she stays – you go. Now, I’ve got a dinner to attend so you can leave now. I’ll have your personal belongings packed up and delivered to you at your new office. Best get a good night’s rest, Jason – don’t forget you’ll have a bit of a drive tomorrow.”
But Jason wasn’t quite through, and a mischievous smirk turned his mouth up at the corners. “I get it now. The real reason you’re sticking up for Tessa is because you fancy her for yourself. You’re pushing me out because I dared to put my hands on her when you want to do the exact same thing. Is that it, mate? You’re getting the competition out of the way so you can shag the hot little bitch to your heart’s content?”
The grin on his face was abruptly replaced with a grimace of pain as Ian twisted his arm behind his back and held it pinned in an iron grip. Ian brought his face so close that Jason could have counted his eyelashes if he had been so inclined.
“First of all,” began Ian in a not so pleasant voice, “you would never be competition for me in any way, and especially not with a woman. Second, you are beyond offensive, beyond reprehensible. Tessa is a married woman, and unlike most of the others in this office – like your little fuck buddy Morgan – she’s also a lady. Lastly, if I ever see you speak to her or – God forbid – touch her again, or even hear that you’ve done so, I’ll break your jaw, all ten fingers, and kick you so hard in the balls you won’t be able to fuck anything for a year. And if you think I’m not capable of all of those things, don’t forget I was the heavyweight champion at Oxford fo
r three years in a row. Now get out of my sight, you miserable piece of shit.”
As Jason made a swift exit, Ian paced furiously around his office, finally stopping in front of the wet bar in one corner. He poured himself three fingers of a very rare single malt Scotch and bolted it down in two gulps.
He was on his third drink – which he was now sipping – before he felt the rage begin to subside. He had never come close to displaying this sort of anger before, to losing control of his ironclad emotions. But then he’d never felt this way about a woman before, and every protective instinct in his body had risen up automatically when Jason had tried to accost Tessa.
‘I should have broken the slimy bastard’s wrist,’ Ian thought furiously. ‘For starters.’
There had been no question in his mind – and zero delay in making it happen – that Jason simply had to go. Ian knew his uncle wouldn’t be pleased but it was just tough shit. The family had stuck Ian with the horny little prick when he’d been appointed to this post, so it ought to be completely his decision on how to manage him. If it meant Jason now had an hour’s commute each way to his job, then in Ian’s opinion it was nothing less than he deserved. When Ian thought of how frightened Tessa had looked when he’d been fortunate enough to walk by the fitness room at the right time, he wanted to drag Jason back into this office and use him like a punching bag.
Christ, she had looked delectable – and very, very fuckable – in those tiny little shorts that had bared the long, streamlined length of her shapely legs. And that top she was wearing – more like a longer length exercise bra – had been molded to her lush breasts like a second skin. He hadn’t missed the way her nipples had pressed against the Lycra fabric, either, and hadn’t been able to resist ogling them for several seconds. He’d never seen her so scantily attired, and he knew the image of her toned, curvy figure would be impossible to dismiss.
And under different circumstances, he would have found it very, very difficult to resist stripping that snug fitting top off her body, baring those sumptuous breasts to his searing gaze. He wondered what size and color her nipples were, if she preferred to have them sucked or licked or both. Were her breasts as firm and high and round as they looked, or had her exercise bra just made them look that way? Was her ivory skin as soft all over as her arm had felt from that all too brief touch? Did she -
‘Damn it!’ He cursed softly to realize he was hard and throbbing, no better than that rutting rake Jason. But unlike his amorous cousin-in-law, Ian would never, ever harass Tessa or even give her the slightest hint that he was attracted to her. Not while she still belonged to another man.
He cursed again, for attracted was far too mild a term to describe what he felt for the beautiful girl who could never be his. Obsession was more like it, and he wondered in near desperation how much longer he could keep his hands off of her.
Tessa’s nerves were still in something of a shambles when she arrived at the office the next morning. The troubling scene with Jason Baldwin, followed by the very timely arrival of Ian Gregson, had continued to play out in her mind throughout the rest of the evening. She’d been so shaken up by the incident that the very thought of eating dinner had made her stomach churn, and all she had been able to keep down had been a cup of hot tea and some cinnamon toast.
She’d been alternately distressed by the ugly encounter with Jason, and deeply touched by the kindness and concern that Mr. Gregson had shown her. She would never have imagined someone as cool, calm, and controlled as he always was could exhibit that sort of raw emotion. She shivered a bit as she pictured the fiery rage in his eyes as he’d dealt with Jason, rage that had instantly softened when he’d directed his gaze on her. With her he had been uncharacteristically gentle, soothing, and, well, almost passionate – at least in his declaration to look out for her. No one had ever said anything like that to her before, not even Peter, and she had never, ever felt as safe and protected as she had during those few brief minutes in his presence. She sensed that he would defend those he loved the most with his very life, and she envied the woman who would one day claim him for her own. That woman would be the absolute luckiest female ever born to have a man like him to take care of her.
‘I wish - ‘ Tessa shook her head firmly before even allowing herself to complete such a foolish and pointless thought. Just because Mr. Gregson had taken her part last night certainly didn’t mean he was attracted to her. He’d only stepped in to prevent Jason from causing trouble, to make sure there weren’t any further harassment incidences. She was willing to bet that the next time she saw him – probably within the next hour or so – he would be as cool and distant as ever, as though the incident in the fitness room had never happened.
But she couldn’t help feeling a little thrill as she recalled the way he had looked at her in those brief, clingy workout clothes. He might be her boss, and someone who was a master at keeping his emotions and reactions in firm check, but he was also very much a man. And while Tessa had never been vain or conceited, she also knew that men generally found her attractive. She had a good body, especially after all of the workouts she’d been putting herself through lately, and she gave a tiny smile of satisfaction to realize that Ian Gregson evidently thought so, too.
Tessa had to work harder than usual to maintain her focus this morning, and couldn’t help glancing up nervously each time someone arrived on the floor. She dreaded, positively dreaded, seeing Jason again, even from a distance, and could only hope that whatever Mr. Gregson had said to him last night would ensure he stayed far, far away from her in future.
As more and more people began to arrive into work, Tessa gradually became aware of some sort of buzz going on around her. Here and there she would see three or four employees clustered together speaking in hushed tones, or notice the startled expression on someone’s face, and she wondered what was going on. As it turned out, she didn’t have to wait very long at all to learn the news, since the biggest gossip hound of the entire office sat right beside her.
“Omigod,” gushed Kevin as he addressed the rest of the team. “Have you girls heard the news? Jason Baldwin has been transferred – effective immediately – to the hotel down in Silicon Valley. Though it’s probably more like demoted. His office has been cleaned out, down to the name plate on his desk. I am dying to find out what provoked a move like that!”
“Humph.” Gina made a little sound of disgust. “Betcha I can guess that one. He grabbed one ass too many and someone actually had the guts – or common sense – to file a complaint about him. And it’s about damned time, that’s all I can say.”
“I agree,” replied Alicia coolly. “Let’s face it. If his father-in-law wasn’t one of the co-CEO’s of this company he would have been fired a long, long time ago. But I guess the old man isn’t going to let the father of his grandchildren go without a job. At least he’s out of our hair.”
Kevin grinned. “I’ll bet Petra is doing cartwheels right about now. She hates his guts, you know, especially since he dumps ninety percent of his workload on her and never offers to pay her a dime of overtime. And she told me once that he also expected her to cover for him whenever his wife called and he was – ahem - out at a quote unquote “business lunch”.”
Petra was – or, more accurately, had been – Jason’s long suffering PA. She wasn’t a particularly attractive woman, somewhat on the plump, frowsy side, one of the reasons she had likely been chosen as Jason’s PA. Tessa had always felt sorry for her, even though the rather stuffy older woman – with her upper crust British accent and snooty mannerisms – had seldom even acknowledged Tessa’s attempts to say hello. But anyone who was tasked with working for Jason merited Tessa’s sympathy, and she was certain that Petra was greatly relieved that her swine of a boss had been transferred.
‘And she’s not the only one,’ thought Tessa in relief. The realization that she wouldn’t have to see her tormentor any longer was like a huge weight being lifted off her chest.
And she knew, just
knew, that Ian had been behind this extremely sudden move. That he hadn’t hesitated for very long at all to make good on the promise he’d made her yesterday – that Jason wouldn’t be permitted to harass her again and would be taken care of swiftly. The matter had been taken care of so swiftly, in fact, that Tessa’s head was spinning in reaction.
She was overwhelmingly grateful to Mr. Gregson for what he had done, and wished that she could thank him personally. But Tessa dismissed that thought as quickly as it had come to her, knowing that he would never actually admit what he’d done – or that it had been for her benefit. Mr. Gregson was too prim and proper, too intent on following all the rules and adhering to company policy, to ever let his guard down enough to acknowledge that such actions had been deliberate.
And when he arrived in the office a short time later, her earlier instincts had been entirely correct, for he walked past their cubicles as briskly and authoritatively as always, barely sparing the team a brief glance and an almost brusquely murmured “good morning”. But even the realization that he had returned to his usual formal self didn’t diminish the joy Tessa felt at knowing he’d thought enough of her feelings to engineer Jason’s overnight transfer from San Francisco.
He was wearing her favorite suit today, she thought dreamily, the black pinstriped one that made his broad shoulders appear even wider than usual. With it he wore another of those crisp white dress shirts that probably never got even one tiny wrinkle, and a perfectly knotted silvery gray tie. His thick, dark hair was neatly styled, his ruggedly handsome face clean shaven. As always, he was suave and elegant and perfectly put together, though Tessa doubted he ever fussed over his appearance. It would be something that came naturally to him, just like being able to speak several languages fluently, or knowing as much as he did about finance and business and marketing.
A soft smile played at the corners of her lips as she thought of how different he had looked in the dream she’d had of him last month. The suit jacket and tie had been missing, with the pristine shirt unbuttoned nearly halfway down his powerful chest. A five o’clock shadow had darkened his chin and cheeks, and his normally perfect hair had been slightly mussed. His typically cool and collected façade had been absent, replaced by the passionate, seductive lover she sensed was lurking just beneath the surface. How she wished –
Covet (Splendor Book 1) Page 35
