Lovell, Cooper - Tessa's Highlander (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Cooper Lovell

  How dare he?

  * * * *

  After Gavan pulled the paperwork from the protective cardboard tube, Tessa described the modifications and improvements she wanted. In the working area in her library, she pointed out that since the wall-to-wall bookshelves were twelve feet high and were all full of reference and research books she used regularly for her writing, she wanted rolling ladders on each wall for easier access to the higher shelves. The solarium, just off the library, required some step-stool type installations so that various plants could be reached with ease. All the while, Gavan silently nodded and took notes, only speaking when absolutely necessary.

  The silent, pensive Golden God.

  As they moved through the house and Tessa further explained her needs, she tried her best to be charming and gracious, for which she received only nods, steely looks, and a twitching jaw muscle.

  While they were in the kitchen, Gavan turned to her to finally speak and said, “You require a lot of work tae make your life easier. You could just get a smaller house.”

  It took all of Tessa’s strength to smile sweetly while inside she raged. Gorgeous or not, this guy was a jerk and she needed to get away from him before she offended him, for Jaime’s sake.

  Tessa stood up as straight as possible and thrust her chin out in defiance. “Mr. Murdoch, you have all of my brother’s specs as well as the original blueprints from the renovations two years ago. I believe that should be sufficient for you to do your job here. If you have a question, I’ll be in my library working. Please knock before entering.”

  With that, she retrieved the dustpan and brush from the pantry and went to clean up the idiotic mess she’d made at the feet of the gorgeous but obnoxious ogre, mumbling curses under her breath the whole time.

  * * * *

  Hours later, Tessa stared at the computer monitor, not working at all. Instead, she sat thinking about the hulking hunk of man currently wandering about her home. She’d known he existed. Jaime had met him, what was it? Seven or so years ago? They’d been working on the same job and had remained friends. She could always tell that Jaime had immense respect for Gavan as a person and for his work, which definitely counted for something. But Jaime had said more than once that Gavan was a loner, which was probably why he’d never accepted invitations to parties she and Jaime held or even just joined them for dinner occasionally when asked. Granted, sometimes he was away on business for extended periods of time or just plain busy. But other times, Jaime had told her he knew he was declining because he just didn’t want to come. So, in seven years, she’d never met this man that Jaime considered one of his very best friends.

  Her mind wandered to Gavan’s lips. His lips were sinfully beautiful. She imagined him pressing them to hers to possess her mouth, then moving down, concentrating on her neck then finally on to her breasts. Her real nipples, not just the ones in her mind, tightened at the thought of him pulling them between his teeth to lightly graze them as he suckled. Her own hand came up to pinch herself through her sweater to assuage some of the pressure building there because of her fantasy. Oh, she wondered how it would feel if those lips wrapped around her clit and suckled while pumping one or even two of those big, manly fingers in and out of her cunt until she screamed. After that, he would pull out what was hiding, or not, as the case may be, behind the fly of his jeans and push it into her till she flew into oblivion.

  Another gush in her panties.

  She squirmed in her seat and wondered why she was suddenly suffering such attacks of lust and desire. She couldn’t recall ever experiencing such physical longing in her life. Yeah, she wrote really graphic scenes regularly for her books and did some crazy research to do it. From romance novels to how-to books to outright porn, she collected information wherever she could. And while she knew on some level her books were super hot, she just never felt that way herself. Basically, nobody did it for her like that.

  After one last valiant but fruitless effort to concentrate on work, she gave up to make lunch.

  Tessa decided that since the work on her house would most likely take several weeks, she should make nice and decided to offer an olive branch in the form of lunch. When she walked into the kitchen, though, she saw Gavan on the patio eating a sandwich from his lunch box like it was seventy-five degrees outside instead of twenty-five. She pursed her lips and rolled back the sliding door. He didn’t turn to look at her so she cleared her throat a little and saw that he ceased his chewing, which she figured was going to be it, as far as acknowledgement was going to go.

  “Um, it’s awfully cold out here and I’m about to make myself some lunch. Would you like to come in and join me? I could make you some soup to go with your sandwich.”

  Without turning, Gavan quietly said, “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  Tessa slowly and deliberately slid the door shut with all the control she had in her body in order to keep from slamming it, turned, and mumbled under her breath as she strode into the kitchen to make lunch. She slapped two pieces of salami on a roll as she muttered under her breath about rude jackasses. The addition of a slice of cheese was accompanied by a diatribe regarding the arrogance of some people. The spreading of the mustard earned a list of conditions and behaviors she simply would not tolerate.

  This big oaf was supposed to be one of Jaime’s best friends, and she wondered how a fun-loving goofball like her brother managed to be friends with such a morose boor. Obviously, the man didn’t have a sense of humor or a courteous bone in his body. Talk about tall, dark, and brooding.

  * * * *

  By the time she finished lunch, the effects of getting less than two hours sleep were creeping up on her. She retreated to her bedroom to grab a much-needed catnap in the hope she’d be less irritable. Throughout the afternoon, she could hear the sounds of Gavan working and she alternated between working on her laptop and dozing in and out around the noise.

  Just before five, the noise stopped completely. She rolled off the bed and padded downstairs. As she reached the last step, she saw Gavan slipping his massive shoulders into his jacket.

  “I’ll be back tomorra’ then,” Gavan said without looking at her as he bent to pick up his things and left. She followed him to the door and closed it behind him. Tessa leaned back against it and listened as Gavan loaded his tools into his truck and finally drove away.

  “Arrrrgggghhhh! What a brute! What a Neanderthal! Was that man raised in a cave, or what? No manners at all!” Tessa complained as she stomped away from the door. She snatched up the phone with a vengeance, shouting “Rude!” with each punch of a number, intending to give Jaime hell for sending that obnoxious giant to her house, but got his voice mail.

  Grrrrrr…talk about unsatisfying.

  “Jaime, it’s Tessa. Please call me when you get this. This thing with Murdoch isn’t going to work at all.”

  She stood in the middle of her great room and tried to decide what to do to burn off some of the nervous energy that anger and annoyance was stirring in her. She glanced toward the library and knew work was out of the question. She considered curling up with a book in front of the fireplace, but with her level of agitation, no book would hold her interest. Finally, she settled on a nice, decidedly large glass of burgundy accompanied by a soak in the tub.

  After pouring her favorite lavender bubble bath into the hot water, she slipped off her clothes and stepped into the tub. Leaning back, wine glass in hand, she luxuriated in the bubbles and warmth that submerged her up to her chin. Grabbing the remote that lay on the shelf next to the tub, she turned on the fireplace. A fireplace in every room was her biggest luxury, and she never took it for granted.

  She realized she was so frustrated she wanted to cry, frustration being the emotion that brought her to tears faster than any other, but knew that would have been completely silly. Oh, sure, when she opened her door this morning, for some bizarre reason, she had seen her entire future in the carpenter’s beautiful eyes. She’d never had anything resembling a real rel
ationship—she’d never really wanted one. Maybe it was because she’d always been so preoccupied with writing. In high school, she spent her time jotting down stories in every spare moment. That habit continued when she attended Brown, where she had managed to complete her first manuscript that eventually got published. Then, once out of college, writing became a profession and subsequently an obsession. There’s nothing like an obsession and the pursuit of higher education to occupy your mind and your time.

  She’d had two boyfriends in college, both relatively short-term and both utterly forgettable. The first had clumsily taken her virginity, and the second was the last lover she’d had. Neither of them left a lasting impression on her sexually or emotionally. Since then, she’d dated occasionally, but no one really interested her enough to make her want to spend time she could otherwise use writing, reading, riding, shopping, or just staring into space. And all this time, she’d been fine with that, never even gave it a second thought, until this morning.

  The minute she’d opened the door she’d actually felt a physical pull toward him. But apparently, the only thing the man felt for her was revulsion. He could barely manage civility toward her. Hell, he wouldn’t even look at her, despite several attempts on her part to draw a friendly reaction from him. Now, she found herself unable to take her mind off him, surly disposition and all.

  Fingers tinkling on the surface of the water, flicking and making shapes out of the bubbles, Tessa wondered how it would feel to run her fingers through and grab a handful of Gavan’s chocolate-colored hair. How prickly and ticklish his stubble would be on her lips as she placed light kisses all over his tan face and settled her lips on his, opening her mouth to feel his tongue rub against hers. The biggest mystery, she thought with a smile curving on her lips as her fingers slid down and located her already-swollen clit, is just how much man is behind the fly of those jeans? That morning, she had feasted her eyes on a pretty unbelievable bulge, and he couldn’t have been hard, so how much would there be once he was full and ready to enter her? He was such a big, strapping man. She just knew that if he wrapped his arms around her, she could completely disappear from the world and feel utterly protected from anything. So it seemed logical that big man meant big, um, parts, right?

  Drawing circles around her clit with one hand, she slid the index and middle finger of her other hand in and out of her pussy as she pictured herself on her knees behind Gavan, gently but firmly taking bites and nibbles out of his luscious ass. Then, he would turn around, his heavy cock bobbing in front of her. While fucking and stroking herself, she pictured herself wrapping both of her petite hands around his shaft and slowly stroking the silken skin. As she imagined herself leaning forward to lick the pearly drop already on the head of his cock and look upward to gaze into his sweet, amber-colored eyes, she felt her cunt begin to spasm, and water sloshed over the rim of the tub as she shook with her release. She laid her head back against the rim and let the afterglow of her orgasm envelop her.

  * * * *

  With the hot spray of the shower hitting him in the face, Gavan reflected on the day. He knew that he had overdone it with the aloof act, bordering on rude, but it was a gut reaction. It was a defense mechanism that kicked in out of habit. When Bonnie, his high school sweetheart, left him standing at the altar, having run off with one of his supposed closest friends, he swore to himself that she would be the last woman who would ever hurt him. She’d been a wild child, and he’d mistakenly thought he could settle her down by marrying her. He learned after the fact that he was the only person who hadn’t known that she’d never been faithful to him. Being branded a complete fool at the age of twenty was a tough pill to swallow. Hell, over ten years later, he still hadn’t completely recovered. Once in a while, the pain resurfaced just as sharp as it was when it first happened. He’d gotten over her long ago, but that didn’t do anything to diminish the hurt and embarrassment. Since then, he scratched the itch with female companionship when necessary, but that was the extent of it. He’d never even come close to developing the slightest feeling for any one of them. That was the best way to do it. No feelings, no commitments, no pain.

  Never again.

  Then Tessa opened her front door.

  Somehow, he’d managed to keep his mind on the road while driving home. He wasn’t sure how he did it, but he did. He wasn’t sure how he’d managed to keep his mind off her cute-as-hell smile and the seven freckles right across the bridge of her nose. Or her dark gray eyes that made him think of the sky just before the rain lets loose from the clouds above. Her rich, light olive complexion never crossed his mind. Definitely didn’t think about tangling his hands in her mane of blonde-brown hair that had a tousled, just-rolled-out-of-bed look. It was even better that while driving home he didn’t think about her breasts that, despite being under a bulky sweater, were full enough to be appreciated. He guessed they were easily a handful, quite sizeable considering her tiny frame. And oh, that compact little body with the sweetest little heart-shaped ass. Didn’t waste a second pondering the surge of possessiveness that raged through him at the thought of how he could completely encircle her tiny body in his arms and make her his own. Aye, he didn’t give any of that a second, third, or even fourth thought.

  Automatically, his hands glided down his abdomen to grab his cock, large and rock hard. He let out a hiss as his right hand wrapped around it and began to pump slowly up and down.

  How tiny and vulnerable she would feel as he lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist…

  His right thumb rolled over and over the bulbous head of his dick as his left hand took hold at the base.

  …first taking her right nipple into his mouth to suck it, sliding his tongue back and forth across the tip of it until she moaned…

  Both hands pumped up and down in unison.

  …then he would capture her left nipple and subject it to the same treatment, once again eliciting a moan from her sweet lips…

  Up and down, up and down while his hips rocked forward and back, the hot water sluicing down his chest and stomach.

  …thrusting his cock forward and up so that he could slowly lower her until he was buried within her tight, hot sheath to the hilt, then push in and out and in and out of her until both of them were panting and wildly reaching for release…

  Up and down his hands pistoned, his hips thrusting forward and up.

  …and they exploded together, the muscles in her cunt milking the cum out of him until stars burst in his vision.

  One last stroke, his hips jerked and his cum spewed upward into the spray of the shower. He rested his head on the cool tile wall of the shower and stood panting, wondering what in the world he was going to do about Tessa Danvers.

  Chapter Three

  “Baby love! You ready to hit the road?” Alex called, letting himself in. “It’s a great day to run. Nice and crisp, just the way you like it.”

  Tessa yelled down from the top of the stairs, “Be there in a sec. Help yourself to some juice or something.”

  He was gulping down his second glass of pomegranate juice as Tessa rounded the corner saying, “I was thinking we’d jog the park, then wander around town. We haven’t done that in forever.”

  Alex nodded. “Whatever you want, babe. I’m back from Europe and I’m all yours,” he said as he hugged her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “Let’s get going,” he said, picking up her bag and pulling her by the hand out the door as she struggled to grab her purse and keys on her way past the hall table, her laughter echoing behind her.

  * * * *

  Gavan swore out loud as the car drove away. He had been pulling lumber from the back of his truck when the sleek, red Jag screeched to a halt in the driveway. A tall, elegant man emerged from the vehicle dressed in what Gavan assumed was workout gear, tight, shiny running pants, emphasizing his lean, muscular legs, tight shirt in some kind of technologically advanced fabric, and running shoes. His dark blond hair with impeccabl
e highlights was cut and styled to perfection. With far too much confidence, the man opened the door and walked into the house without so much as a knock.

  Gavan followed, supplies in hand, in time to hear the exchange between the man and Tessa. The ease and familiarity with which they spoke to one another grated on Gavan’s nerves. Who was this slick-looking bastard who used such endearing nicknames when speaking to her? She beamed at the sight of him, accepted his embrace and kiss, and reciprocated with enthusiasm. And now she was gone, spending the entire day, from the sound of it, with him.

  “Ah. Good. No distractions today,” he muttered to the empty house. It was a pathetic lie and he knew it.

  A week had passed since he’d rung her doorbell for the first time, and he was expending a great deal of energy to maintain his stony disposition. There was no denying it, every aspect of the woman appealed to him.

  She’d made several attempts during the first few days to break the ice with him, so to speak. Each day, there were offers of coffee, home baked snacks, and lunch. Of course, he declined. Frequently, he caught her watching him intensely, and when he did, she’d ask intelligent questions about the project. Other times, she tried to engage him in discussions about his work in general and other projects he’d done. Obviously unsatisfied with his consistently terse responses, she brought up their common ground, Jaime. Still, her questions were met with nods, single syllables, or silence. Her tireless and inventive efforts to engage him were intriguing, though, and he was tempted to put his tools down and talk with her for hours.