Claim

by Janet Nissenson

  Their schedule for the days leading up to the wedding were packed solid with a whole host of activities - three separate family dinners, a joint bachelor/bachelorette party, a girl’s only tea, the rehearsal dinner, and of course the wedding itself. With Julia’s help, Tessa had been shopping like mad in order to put together new outfits for each occasion, as well as buying clothes and accessories for the two week honeymoon she and Ian were taking to the British Virgin Islands.

  Julia had smirked knowingly as Tessa had looked through a rack of pricey bikinis. “You probably don’t need more than two or three, you know,” she’d joked, elbowing Tessa in the ribs. “If your honeymoon is anything like mine was, the bathing suit won’t stay on for very long. And I, ah, managed to get rid of my tan lines after just a few days.”

  But now, with just over a week remaining until she became Ian’s wife, all of the shopping was done. Her suitcases for their honeymoon were nearly packed. All of the arrangements for pre-wedding events had been made, and the wedding itself was ready to go off like clockwork. Tessa was still in disbelief that everything was so well organized that all she needed to do at this point was simply show up.

  She gave a sigh of pure contentment and rested her head on Ian’s shoulder. They had gone for a walk in their neighborhood after dinner, enjoying this time of the year when it stayed light until well past eight o’clock each evening. Afterwards they’d cuddled in bed while watching a movie that had just ended a few minutes ago.

  Ian touched his lips to her temple. “Happy, darling?”

  Tessa nodded, wrapping her arms about his torso and nuzzling her nose against his throat. “Deliriously so. Especially since I just realized I have barely anything left to do until our wedding. I may be the only bride in history who will actually be able to enjoy herself on her big day.”

  He grinned at her. “Sometimes it pays to be extra diligent, doesn’t it? Are you willing to admit I was right all those times when I insisted we followed up on a weekly basis with Zara?”

  She poked him in the shoulder. “You’re always right,” she grumbled good-naturedly. “But especially about this.”

  Ian dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “I knew with so many friends and family members flying out for the wedding that it would be bedlam here for at least a week. And I wanted to be certain that both of us were free to enjoy ourselves at all of these dinners and parties. That’s why it was so important to get all of the wedding details firmed up ahead of time. Now we can relax a bit and enjoy ourselves. Speaking of which.”

  Tessa gasped in surprise as he pulled her astride his hips, then swiftly divested her of the black silk nightie trimmed in pink lace that she’d changed into after their walk. His hands skimmed up her outer thighs, continuing up her ribcage, until he was filling his hands with her breasts.

  “You do realize,” he murmured in a husky voice, his fingers tugging at her nipples, “that this is the last evening we’ll be alone until we leave for the hotel in Napa. Your last chance to moan and scream as loudly as you like without having to worry about my parents overhearing you, and wondering what sort of a wanton their son is marrying.”

  “Ohh.” Her head fell back as he sucked a nipple into his mouth, and she felt the rapid hardening of his cock between her legs. She began to stroke him persuasively through the thin cotton fabric of his gray briefs. “Then I guess we’d better, ah, take ad-advantage of the - oh, God, that’s good - situation, hadn’t we?”

  Without warning Ian tumbled her onto the mattress, grinning down at her lasciviously. “Since taking advantage of you is my very favorite pastime, I was hoping you’d suggest that.”

  “I hope I’m not calling too early, Charlotte. But I wanted to make sure and catch you before you headed out for the day. Your father mentioned to Ian that he and your mother were going to do some sightseeing with you and the children today.”

  On the other end of the line, Ian’s cousin seemed both surprised and delighted at Tessa’s unexpected call.

  “Oh, no. Not at all, Tessa,” assured Charlotte. “Between the jet lag and three young ones, I’ve been awake for over two hours. And it’s so lovely to hear from you. Tell me, are you a bundle of nerves with the wedding less than a week away?”

  “Maybe a bit,” admitted Tessa. “But fortunately Ian keeps me grounded. There’s very little that seems to rattle that man.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “You’re probably wondering why I’m calling like this. I mean, we don’t really know each other all that well. And, well, things were always a bit awkward with, um…”

  “Jason?” finished Charlotte wearily. “Yes, I’m well aware. It wasn’t a big surprise to learn from my father that you were one of many women he harassed or propositioned over the years. And I’ve also been aware of his infidelity for a long time, probably since the very beginning. I’m just sorry it took me so long to wake up and realize I was throwing my life away on a louse like him. And forcing my children to settle for a father who wasn’t the least bit interested in them. That, more than anything, is what finally opened my eyes. I want something better for them, Tessa. Someone better.”

  “For yourself, too, Charlotte,” added Tessa gently. “You deserve someone far better than Jason Baldwin in your life. I was sorry to hear about your divorce, but not sorry that he won’t be part of this family any longer.”

  “My parents are over the moon,” remarked Charlotte with a wry chuckle. “My poor mother always had to bite her tongue around him. And given how much Mother loves to chatter, she suffered for years whenever Jason was in the room. As for my father - well, he was much wiser than I ever was where Jason was concerned. He tried to warn me about him from the beginning. But I was young and foolish and in love, thought Jason was the most handsome and charming man I’d ever met. All along, though, he never loved me, never wanted children or a family. All he cared about was marrying into the Gregson family so that he could worm his way into the business.”

  “In the end, that hasn’t worked out so well for him, has it?” asked Tessa.

  Charlotte snickered. “I’ll say. Father was rubbing his hands with glee, like the villain in one of those silent movies, at the thought of tossing Jason out on his arse. It wasn’t quite that simple, however, at least not until Father offered him a one-time payout and helped him secure a job with another hotel chain. The rat bastard will be their problem now. As for me - well, I suppose it’s time for me to start over. And to finally start living.”

  “What are your plans? Or have you figured that out just yet?”

  “For now, at least, the children and I will continue to live with my parents,” explained Charlotte. “Honestly, their place is so huge that we more or less have an entire wing to ourselves. Plus, having Jason move out is enough of an adjustment for them right now. So we’ll stay put, and they can continue attending the same school. Speaking of which, I’m going to go back to school myself in the fall. I’d only finished two years at university when I met Jason. I want to complete my degree, and then take a position of some sort in the company. My parents are so pleased about that, and I’m terribly excited. Even though the thought of being a student again after all these years is more than a little intimidating.”

  “You’ll do just fine,” assured Tessa. “I just completed my first year of college classes, and it went so much better than I’d anticipated. And it will be good for you, Charlotte. It will be something just for you. Not for your children or your parents and definitely not for Jason. And since we’re talking about doing something just for yourself, Ian and I would like to invite you to our joint bachelor/bachelorette party tomorrow night. I know it’s short notice, but I thought you might enjoy an evening out without the children.”

  “I’d love to be there, Tessa,” declared Charlotte warmly. “And I’m sure my parents will agree to watch the children. Especially since they’ve been giving me little nudges to go out on my own ever since I kicked Jason out. I’m nowhere near ready to start dating again, of course, but a party
like that sounds like a lot of fun. And you’re a dear for asking me. No wonder Ian’s mad about you. And as soon as I met you in Hawaii last year, I knew exactly why Jason had been transferred so abruptly out of the offices in San Francisco to that hotel. I knew somehow that he’d made a pass at you, and that Ian had put a stop to it right away. I’m also guessing,” she added soberly, “that something similar happened during the conference in Hawaii. Something bad enough to send us back to England nearly overnight.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” offered Tessa sincerely. “Making a move like that couldn’t have been easy on you and the children.”

  “Are you kidding?” asked Charlotte in disbelief. “My dear, it was the best thing that could have ever happened. I was awfully lonely in California, never really settled there. I missed my parents and family and friends something terrible. And if we hadn’t been obliged to move back to England that way, I might never have found the guts to end things with Jason. Being back with my parents and my friends - well, they gave me the support and encouragement I needed to leave him. So all’s well that end’s well, as the saying goes.

  “I just hope that one day I meet a man who will love me the way my cousin so obviously adores you,” she confided. “Though from what I’ve seen among my friends and acquaintances, that sort of love is very, very rare. You’re a lucky woman, Tessa, to have a man like Ian. But, then again, that goes both ways. I wish you both every happiness, my dear. And I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at dinner this evening. Not to mention that party tomorrow night!”

  Charlotte rang off after that, needing to tend to her three demanding children, but Tessa was feeling very pleased with herself as she set down her phone. After Ian had told her the news about his cousin’s impending divorce, she’d felt the need to reach out to Charlotte, especially since they had tended to avoid her during their visits to London, unwilling to be in Jason’s presence even for a minute. Ian had offered to call and extend the invitation to the party, but Tessa had impulsively volunteered to do it instead.

  She’d always felt guilty about how the quick, unexpected move back to England must have impacted Charlotte and her children. As much as Tessa had been relieved to see the last of Jason on this continent, she’d known that none of what had occurred could be blamed on Charlotte. But it seemed that Ian’s cousin had been all too happy to return home, where family and friends had evidently given her the push she’d needed all these years to divorce her cheating, no-good husband, and make a better life for her and her children.

  And now there was the added bonus of not having to suffer Jason’s revolting presence at any of the family dinners that had been planned, plus the wedding itself. All in all, thought Tessa with a sense of satisfaction, it seemed that Charlotte’s impending divorce from that bastard was good news for everyone concerned.

  “This is such a fantastic party, Tessa! Nathan and I had talked about having a joint bachelor/bachelorette party, but let ourselves get talked out of it. Mostly by you know who.”

  Julia inclined her head towards the sleek, leather-topped bar, where her twin sister Lauren was entertaining a group of Ian’s friends and relatives with stories of her escapades as a photographer for National Geographic. She was also, noticed Tessa with a grin, more than keeping pace with most of the men in terms of her alcohol consumption. Tessa had previously witnessed just how many tequila shots Lauren could put away, and she guessed that while most everyone else gathered around her would be shit-faced before too much longer, Julia’s sister would still be stone-cold sober.

  “I remember,” replied Tessa. “I also recall how Lauren got all of us kicked out of a club when she picked a fight with a group of guys.”

  Julia shuddered in recollection. “I was furious with her that night. And of course, she claimed to be the innocent in all of it, as usual. Fortunately, since she married Ben, she’s stopped all bar brawls. He might be a quiet guy, but my brother-in-law knows how to control Lauren. I think he’s the only person on the planet who can. Did you ever read Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew?”

  Tessa shook her head. “No. But I watched Kiss Me Kate with Ian a few months ago. He said it’s based on the novel.”

  “I love that movie!” declared Julia. “And, well, my dad always says that Ben and Lauren are like a modern day version of Petruchio and Katherine, and that Ben was finally the one to tame the shrew.”

  “Hmm.” Tessa took a sip of her blackberry mojito. “Ian told me about that dinner party he attended at your old flat, the one Lauren was also at. I think he briefly thought about asking her out on a date, but decided pretty quickly that she was more than he could handle. What was it that he said - ah, that he didn’t think there was a man alive capable of taming her. I guess there was at least one man.”

  Julia chuckled. “Ben’s got her number all right. But he’s also made her incredibly happy, so she isn’t as cranky and argumentative as usual. It was good of you to invite them tonight, Tessa. And my parents are so delighted that you asked them to the wedding. My mom just adores you, you know.”

  “Spending last Thanksgiving with your family was one of the best nights of my life,” she told Julia. “I knew then that I wanted all of them here at the wedding. And I’m thrilled that your aunt and uncle are going to be able to make it after all.”

  “It’s so weird to think of my Aunt Maddy as a married woman after all these years,” acknowledged Julia. “And to realize I have an Uncle James now. But those two are like a pair of teenagers in love. I’m just dreading the day she retires from Bergdorf’s, because that will mean the end of my quarterly shipments of goodies from the store. Nathan keeps teasing me to stock up now because once Maddy retires I’m cut off.”

  Tessa laughed as she linked arms with Julia. The potent mojitos she’d been drinking all evening were making her feel carefree and giggly.

  “I think you have more clothes in your closet than an entire department store,” she teased. “Speaking of which, is this a new addition?”

  Julia nodded, smoothing her hands over the short silver gray cocktail dress. The V-neck bodice was covered in sparkly silver sequins, while the multi-tiered tulle skirt ended several inches above the knee. The sequined silver pumps had a heel so high that Tessa had no idea how her petite friend was managing to stay upright, especially given how many of the delicious, fruity mojitos she had been drinking.

  “Isn’t it adorable?” she cooed. “Aunt Maddy just sent it to me last week, and I knew right away it would be perfect for this party. But it’s nowhere near as dynamite as your dress, Tessa. You look - well, like sin. It will provide quite a contrast to your wedding gown in a few days - the devil tonight, the angel on Saturday.”

  Tessa hadn’t been able to decide on the image she wanted to present at tonight’s party. On the one hand, she’d wanted to look classy and refined, to reinforce the belief of Ian’s close friends here this evening that she was a worthy match for someone like him. But, on the other hand, this evening was also about having fun and maybe getting a little wild, and not looking as though she were attending a symphony fundraiser ball.

  In the end, it had been Ian who’d made the decision for her about what to wear. He had entered their enormous walk-in closet as she was trying on dresses, and had immediately declared, “That one. Don’t even try anything else on. You’ll have the tongue of every man in the room hanging out when they see you in that, while I’ll get to gloat the entire evening.”

  The Oscar de la Renta black lace slip dress was one of the most provocative things she’d ever worn. The sweetheart neckline revealed only a modest amount of cleavage, but that was the only thing modest about the dress. It clung to every curve of her body, ending just below the knee in a sheer lace panel. With it she was wearing ultra sheer black seamed stockings, and black suede Louboutin stilettos. Her hair had been blown out into a full, tousled style, her makeup darker and more dramatic than usual with smoky eyes and red lips. The only jewelry she wore was a pair of black and white diam
ond drop earrings, and her engagement ring.

  And she was glad now that she’d decided on this particular dress, given that nearly every other woman here this evening had also dressed a bit more daringly than usual. Tessa gave a little sniff to notice the way Lindsey Bennett was once again showing off her surgically enhanced, gravity defying boobs to every half-drunk male who was interested in sneaking a peek. Poor Matthew, as usual, had been left to his own devices over by the bar, chatting with Jordan and his date. Tessa decided at that moment that she really, really disliked Lindsey, and rather spitefully wished that Matthew would give her a taste of her own medicine one day soon by flirting with one or more of the women here.

  “And I absolutely love this club!” gushed Julia. “It’s sophisticated, but warm at the same time. And the food and drinks have been to die for. I didn’t even know this place existed until you sent us the invitation. Is Ian a member?”

  Tessa shook her head. “Even someone with his connections is on the waiting list, if you can believe that. No, Jordan’s a member here and arranged for us to have the party. He’s been so sweet, so helpful, offering to take care of everything. I didn’t even have to make a phone call. He arranged for all the food and the bartender and even the DJ.”

  “Humph.” Julia arched a brow scornfully. “He’s also got the hots for you big time, girl. That’s probably why he’s been so sweet.”

  Tessa stared at her matron-of-honor in disbelief. “That is so not true, Julia! Just because you were right about Ian being attracted to me doesn’t mean Jordan is as well. My God, he has a different woman with him every time Ian and I see him. And, yes, he flirts with me a little but he flirts with everyone. Besides, Jordan is very well aware that I’m crazy in love with Ian.”