by A. L Long
I wanted to laugh, but I knew that it would only frustrate Tessa more. Doing the unthinkable, I offered to take her dress shopping myself. I didn’t know that much about dresses, but I did know what I liked. I also knew that whatever Tessa chose, she would look absolutely gorgeous.
When the morning came, Tessa was up before anyone else in the house. I had never seen her so excited to go anywhere. Tugging on my arm, she willed me to wake up, but all I really wanted to do was lay in bed with her in my arms. Hearing a knock on the door, Tessa went to answer it while I remained in bed, covering my naked body with the comforter.
Agnes was at the door, holding a tray which had two of everything on it. Walking into the room, she placed the tray on a small table in front of the window and said, “You two have a busy day today. Thought I would save you time by bringing breakfast to you. You better hurry though, the shops will be filling up quickly and you don’t want to miss out on any great sales.”
With that, Agnes left the room, smiling mischievously as she closed the door. I knew exactly what she had been thinking, because I had been thinking the same thing. Scrambling to the end of the bed. I wrapped my arms around Tessa and pulled her onto the bed. Taking her in my arms, I lowered my lips to hers and weaseled my tongue between her soft lips.
I thought for sure I was going to get what I needed, but instead, she broke the kiss and said, “Xavier, you heard Agnes, we need to hurry.”
There was no way I was going to win. Lifting the covers off, I looked down at my groin and knew that a cold shower was the only thing that was going to save me. I only hoped that she wasn’t planning on wearing those sexy shorts that I love so much.
~*~*~*~
Agnes was right about one thing; the shops were crazy busy. I had never seen so many women in one place at one time. I kind of felt out of place, and I think Tessa did too given the way the women were gawking at her. Most of them were wearing designer clothes and carrying designer handbags. I guess Rodeo Drive is more for the uppity, snooty types, even though I belonged here as much as they did and so did Tessa. She had more class than any of them.
After waiting for what seemed like a lifetime, a store clerk finally came over to assist us. With a great smile and a lot of charm, she held out her hand and introduced herself. “Hey guys, my name is Alexa, how can I help you today?”
Giving the young lady a gorgeous smile, Tessa replied, “I need to find a dress, something for a formal party.”
“Wonderful. Follow me and I will show several dresses that fit that category. Are you looking for a gown, or perhaps something shorter?”
After the clerk narrowed down what Tessa had in mind, they both headed back to the other side of the shop where the dressing rooms were. I, of course, remained outside and waited to see what Tessa had chosen. A little while later, the young clerk brought over a tray of Mimosas along with a few hors d’ oeuvres, which consisted of berries and cheese. It was a very sweet gesture on her part. If there was a way to leave her a tip she would definitely get one.
Minutes later, Tessa appeared with her first choice. It was a yellow dress that fell just above the knees. There really wasn’t anything spectacular about it except that it fit her perfectly, hugging her curves in all the right places. I gave her my opinion of the dress, by shaking my head in a ‘no’ manner. Tessa turned on her heels to try on the next dress.
Two Mimosas and five dresses later, Tessa appeared before me looking like a goddess. The dress she wore was breathtaking. The neckline was conservative, but the back of the dress hung just above her beautiful ass and with the red and black accented with tiny black beads, it was the perfect combination against her soft creamy skin. Never had an angel of this magnitude stood before me. My mouth must have fallen open, because the only thing she said was, “I guess that’s a yes.”
“Hell, yeah, it is,” I stated, standing to my feet and walking toward her.
Pulling her close, I placed my lips on hers and said, “You are gorgeous beyond belief, baby. No man in the house is going to be able to take their eyes off you.”
While Tessa picked out accessories to match her dress, which included black satin Jimmy Choo’s, a black clutch, and a pair of ruby and diamond stud earrings, I took the opportunity to make a call to Jonathan. Even though he trusted that Colin wouldn’t try anything at the party, I wasn’t so trusting. I knew that he wanted Tessa and even though he expressed his opinion of her, there was no way I was going to trust him.
~Twenty-Two~
It was the day of the party. It never ceased to amaze me the number of steps a woman had to go through to look beautiful. Tessa trusted Agnes to go with her to get her hair done as well as treating her to the spa. It was Jonathan’s treat, but only because he also felt the uneasiness that Tessa was having about the whole thing.
While the girls were doing their thing, Jonathan and I decided to go over a few things before the night's festivities. We didn’t want any surprises, and knowing Colin, this wasn’t just an investor meeting. He had something much more insidious planned, we were sure of it. In the middle of our discussion, my phone began to ring, displaying an unknown number. Everything inside me told me to let it go to voicemail, but I had a funny feeling that if I didn’t answer, these calls were just going to continue.
Excusing myself from the living room, I headed toward the kitchen and exited to the back deck. Swiping the screen to answer the call. I hesitantly said, “Hello.”
“Don’t hang up. Please just hear me out,” a familiar voice stated.
Looking over to the wooded area, I didn’t say a word and waited for Ryan to continue. “Josh, I know it’s you on the other end. Whatever the reason you had to fake your own death and run away, I get it. I want you to know I don’t care about that. Please just let me help you out of this mess. Even though we aren’t brothers, I feel we are. I know you better than anyone. Please Josh, don’t shut me out.”
I wasn’t sure how he managed to find my number, but his words hit me hard and I had no idea what the hell to say to him. All I could think about was what happened a year ago that led me here. How could I have been so obsessed to steal all that money and then to do what I did to him and the other guys? They did everything they could to make me feel like part of the team. Running away was only an excuse not to face the consequences of getting caught. Now, my past mistakes and regrets would be something I would have to live with. I didn’t deserve their friendship and I certainly didn’t deserve Ryan’s help. Taking the phone from my ear, the last thing I heard was, “Josh, please,” before I hung up the phone. Maybe one day when I could forgive myself for what I had done, I would be able to accept Ryan’s help.
Heading back into the house, Jonathan was still in the living room. I hadn’t been gone very long, but long enough to see that Kyle and he were in a heated discussion. Hearing only bits and pieces of the conversation, I interrupted their dispute and said, “If you two are talking about Tessa, I think I have a right to know what it is about.”
Sliding his hand down the back of his head to his neck, Jonathan inhaled and exhaled deeply before answering, “Kyle, why don’t you tell London what you just told me.”
“You may want to brace yourself,” Kyle suggested with his eyes pinned to mine.
Taking a seat on the couch. I spread my arms along the back of the couch while resting my ankle on the opposite knee. Whatever Kyle had to say, I wanted to make sure I was as comfortable as possible. “I’m all ears,” I stated clearly.
“I heard Colin talking with one of the guys. He said something about taking both of you down. He has no intention of introducing you to his investors. He wants you both out of the way so that he can have Tessa. He doesn’t want anyone in his way to get her and keep her for good,” Kyle explained.
Everything that he said didn’t surprise me in the least. I knew the minute I met Colin that he was a man who could never be trusted. Just like I said, with him there was always an agenda, and to think I almost fell for it. Gazing over at
Jonathan, I asked, “Any thoughts?”
Scratching his head, he was silent for a moment as he contemplated a plan. I, of course, had one of my own, but I wanted to hear him out to make sure we were on the same page. When his silence finally broke, he stated confidently, “I think that we should still make the party. I also think that Tessa needs to be wearing a tracker in the event we get separated. I will get a hold of my security team to get her set up with one. I also think that we need to have additional reinforcements to cover our backs. I am seeing now that Colin hasn’t changed a bit. He is still the same bastard he was ten years ago.”
Saving an argument, his suggestion was right in line with what I had in mind. Actually, even more so. If anything went south and I ended up separated from Tessa, at least we would know where she was at all times.
We continued to hash out the details and Jonathan made a quick call to his security team. For the most part everything was in place, other than letting Tessa know of our plans. Even Kyle was on board with the plan, which surprised me. The women were still in the city doing their girly thing, and even though there were still five hours until the party, I wanted to make sure everything was ready. More than anything I need to make sure that Tessa was going to be protected. It was for this reason that I suggested we make sure that everything would be in working condition.
Heading to the warehouse, we met up with the head guy that ran the security for Jonathan. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he was one of the guys back in New York. There was such a strong resemblance between him and Peter Hewitt, who was the head of the security company that I had been a part of. Seeing him work jarred so many memories of working with the team.
Pushing my thoughts away and concentrating only on Jonathan’s security chief, I listened as he began explaining how the tracking device worked and the best place to hide it. I knew every inch of the dress that Tessa had chosen for the party, and the best place to hide the small device would be in the lining, which stopped just above the knees.
Feeling more confident that Jonathan’s security was more than capable of protecting Tessa, we headed back to the cabin to put the final touches on our plan, namely getting the tracking device sewn into Tessa’s dress. Hopefully the women would be home by now since another hour had passed. Given the fact that women in general took a long time to get ready, it would be cutting it close.
When we pulled up to the house, the Audi was parked out front, which indicated that Tessa and Agnes were finally home. Parking the Rover behind Jonathan’s car, we both exited and headed inside the cabin. There was no one in sight when we opened the door, which meant that Agnes was probably in the kitchen and Tessa upstairs in the bedroom.
Climbing the steps two at a time, I could already smell her scent as I made my way to the bedroom. It must have been my male instinct, but I would know Tessa’s scent anywhere and the onset of my erection was proof.
Adjusting myself, hiding what I could of my hard-on, I pushed open the door to be greeted by her soft voice singing. I didn’t know the artist, but the words hit home, because everything she sang replicated my feeling for her. Leaning against the doorway, I didn’t want to move. All I wanted to do was to watch her bathe and focus on the way she slid the soapy sponge up her leg and back down again, paying attention to her perfectly painted pink toenails. She was perfect in every sense and she looked like heaven with the bubbles caressing her soft skin.
Pushing from the wall, I made my way to the tub, letting her know exactly what she was doing to me. As I sat on the rim, I couldn’t help but smile as she looked at me, moving her body closer to mine. I would have loved to join her, but I knew that would mean it would make us late for the party. Bending over, I placed my hand behind her neck and pulled her closer. Her lips were soft and tasted of champagne as I pushed my tongue between them.
Nibbling on her lower lip, I said, “If we continue, we are never going to make it out of this bathroom.”
Kissing her way down my neck, she said mischievously as she began unbuttoning my shirt, “Would that be so bad?”
Hating to break this perfect moment, I reached behind her and grabbed the towel she had placed on the vanity. “Hurry and dry off. There is something we need to discuss about the party.”
~Twenty-Three~
Tessa handled what I had discussed with Jonathan a lot better than I thought she would. She had been uneasy about going to the party in the first place and it took some convincing on my part for her to agree to go. Knowing that she would be protected with a tracking device made her feel better about going, and with Jonathan’s men as added protection, I reassured her that she would be safe.
Leaving her to finish getting ready, per her request, I figure this would be a great time to clear my head before I began preparing for the party myself. The trail that Tessa had introduced me to seemed like a good start. Closing the door as I left the room, I headed down the stairs and out the front door. Just like every other day in California, the day was beautiful, and being up in the mountains vs. the city made it even more beautiful.
Checking the time, I placed my phone in my back pocket knowing that I had about an hour to enjoy this glorious weather. Heading down the path, my phone began to vibrate. Pulling it from my pocket, I looked down at the screen to find that a text message had arrived. Swiping the screen, I opened my messages to find that it was from Ryan. Shaking my head, I knew he was never going to give up, and there was no way that I could afford to keep changing my number without drawing attention. Opening the text, I held my breath and began to read what he had to say.
Ryan: You can’t keep avoiding me, Josh. Sooner or later you are going to have to talk to me. I am not going away.
Me: I don’t know what you want, but you need to leave me alone. I have a new life now and I don’t need you to fuck it up.
I knew my words were harsh, but it was the only way to get through to him. I wasn’t going to give him an explanation, especially since I hadn’t told Tessa who I really was and what I had done. Placing my phone in my back pocket, I headed further down the trail, trying to think of nothing more than how beautiful Tessa was going to look tonight.
~*~*~*~
Exactly one hour later, I was in the shower regretting that Tessa wasn’t here to accompany me. I still couldn’t believe that she had locked the door to the bedroom we had shared in an effort to keep me from seeing her until she was finished getting ready. The only person she would allow inside was Agnes, who also wouldn’t give in so that I could at least kiss Tessa before I took a shower. The only thing I got from them was that they had placed all my things in the bedroom across the hall. Women were funny creatures, and I would never be able to fully understand them, but this particular one, I loved more than anything.
The half an hour I spent underneath the hot spray of the water did nothing to relieve the tension that had built up around my neck and shoulders. The only thing that would help would be for this night to be over and Colin out of our lives forever. I knew it was wishful thinking. As long as Colin was alive, he would forever be a thorn in my side.
Doing the final adjustment on my bow tie, I went to check to see if Tessa was finally going to allow me to see her. When I knocked lightly on the door, Agnes appeared with a smile from ear to ear. As she took a few steps back, opening the door wider, Tessa came into view, almost knocking me completely off my feet. My eyes were transfixed on her and there were no words to describe how beautiful she looked.
Finally able to move, I walked over to where she was standing and took hold of her hands. As she looked up, my eyes met hers as I confessed, “You are absolutely breathtaking. Why has God been so kind to bring such an angel to me?”
Her cheeks turned slightly red as she stood on her tiptoes and whispered in my ear, “Because he knew we were made to be together.”
Agnes’ voice rang in the background as she said, “I feel like the fairy godmother looking at Cinderella and her Prince Charming.”
It was the funn
iest thing I had ever heard. The room filled with laughter as I placed my hand on Tessa’s cheek and said, “I would love nothing more than for you to be my Cinderella.”
Our lips met in the most passionate of all kisses. Once again, Agnes could be heard in the background as she cleared her throat. Getting carried away in the moment, we both lost sight of her being in the room.
As we headed down the stairs, Jonathan was already waiting for is in the living room. He seemed very tense, even more than I was, if that was possible. Tessa also showed a sign of uneasiness as she rubbed her palms together. Handing each of us a glass with a shot of vodka, Jonathan held his glass high and said, “Here is to everything going well tonight with no unexpected surprises.”
“Here, here,” I responded as we all toasted and downed the shot.
