Claim

by Janet Nissenson

  “Not to mention the fact that Ian would break his face if he ever did more than a little harmless flirting,” said Julia dryly. “Hey, maybe I’m imagining it. After all, the guy has got to be the biggest player I’ve ever met. At least he didn’t try to hit on Lauren. I would have paid good money to see how that scene played out!”

  The two women giggled together at the very thought, then turned their attention to the middle of the room where Sasha and her date Miguel had started to dance. The DJ, who’d been spinning a mix of standards, oldies, and contemporary hits, had evidently been requested to play some sultry salsa music instead. And it became apparent within seconds that Sasha and her partner were skilled pros at this type of dancing.

  “Wow!” Tessa whispered to Julia, as Miguel spun Sasha around and around rapidly, their feet moving as quickly as their swaying hips. “I had no idea she could dance that way. I mean, you can tell from our yoga classes that she’s had major dance training at some point in her life, but I didn’t expect her to be this good.”

  Julia nodded. “Her mom is a ballroom dance teacher down in Los Angeles. And Katya used to compete when she was younger, won a bunch of competitions. Sasha doesn’t talk about her parents much, but I do know her mom is originally from Russia, while her dad is Portuguese. Or maybe Brazilian, I’m not sure. But, damn, that girl sure can dance, huh?”

  Every pair of eyes in the room was focused on the two dancers, and when they finished, Miguel dipping Sasha so low her hair brushed the floor, a raucous round of applause started up. As the crowd clamored for more, Miguel signaled to the DJ. Moments later a slower, sultrier song began to play, and Miguel started to lead Sasha through a sensual rhumba. Sasha’s date/dance partner was an extremely attractive Spaniard, with olive skin, chocolate brown eyes, and longish jet black hair tied in a ponytail at his nape, and Tessa hadn’t missed all of the admiring feminine gazes directed his way this evening.

  “Well, that seemed to liven things up a little, didn’t it? Sorry to break the news, sweetie, but this party of yours has been awfully dull until now.”

  Tessa grinned as Lauren sidled up beside her, slipping an arm about her waist as she did so. Even the free-spirited, outdoorsy Lauren had dressed up tonight, in a short, strappy red cocktail dress that probably belonged to Julia, since her usual attire consisted of jeans, T-shirts, and hiking boots.

  “Sorry, no bar fights allowed in this place,” teased Tessa. “And I know it’s a little stuffy, but Ian isn’t exactly the sort who enjoys wild parties. Neither am I, for that matter.”

  Lauren looked mildly disgusted. “Good thing they serve top shelf booze at this place. Otherwise, I probably would have slipped out two hours ago to watch the baseball game at the closest pub. Come on, Tessa, let’s liven things up a little, huh? I swear I haven’t heard so many upper crust British accents since I was forced to watch an episode of Downton Abbey. The longest three hours of my life.”

  Julia frowned. “One episode should have only been an hour.”

  Lauren grimaced. “Guess it just felt like three hours. And this party is almost as boring as that show was. Hey, I know how to spice things up! We can play a game of strip poker. I know for sure Ian’s brother Colin would be up for that. Plus your friend Isobel. That girl’s a hoot after she has a few drinks. Not really digging the purple hair, but she has some great tats.”

  “No strip poker,” rebuked Tessa. “Ian and I just want to have a fun evening with our friends, with good food and drinks and music.”

  Lauren stuck her tongue out. “What you really meant to say is that His Lordship over there would have a royal cow if you even considered playing strip poker. I can’t imagine him being cool with you stripping down to your undies in front of all these people. And - hey, I know! Since you refused to have strippers tonight – and you could have had a female and a male one, you know - then I think you ought to give your man a little lap dance. Now, that I’d pay good money to see!”

  Tessa felt her cheeks flush furiously. “No,” she denied emphatically. “No, no, no! That is not happening, Lauren. Not now, not ever. So forget about it.”

  Julia smiled. “I tried to give Nathan a lap dance after my bachelorette party. Unfortunately, I’d let myself get conned into Lauren’s little drinking contest earlier in the evening, apparently had one tequila shot too many, and passed out right there on his lap. The, uh, evening didn’t quite turn out the way I thought it would.”

  Lauren grimaced. “That’s nothing. One night before Ben and I got back together we wound up, uh, making out a little. And since I’d been mixing alcohol - never a good idea, girls - I sort of barfed right in front of him. Though at least I made it to the kitchen sink in time. Now that was mortifying. And of course the smug bastard never lets me forget it. Good thing I’m crazy about him, otherwise he’d never get away with it. But, hey. Enough little trips down memory lane. I want to see a lap dance, dammit. Hey, who else here wants to see the bride-to-be give her honey a lap dance?”

  Tessa cringed as Lauren’s very loud voice carried to everyone in their vicinity, and then groaned as she was quickly descended upon by Victoria, Selina, Sasha, Isobel, Charlotte, and half a dozen other squealing, giggling women.

  “You have to do it, Tessa!” insisted Victoria, who was far tipsier than Tessa had ever seen her before. “We’re not going to take no for an answer!”

  “Victoria’s right,” declared Charlotte, who’d been celebrating her newfound freedom by belting back martinis all night. “There’s no way out of this, Tessa.”

  Panic-stricken, Tessa turned to her two bridesmaids. “Help me,” she mouthed to Julia and Sasha.

  But Julia, who was grinning like a madwoman, would be of no help whatsoever it appeared. And Sasha merely assured her, in far too serene a manner for Tessa’s liking, “Relax. You’ll do fine. I’ll even give you a few tips.”

  Tessa’s eyes widened. “Please don’t tell me you’ve got experience doing this sort of thing. I mean, it’s obvious you’re a fantastic dancer, but, uh, hopefully not that sort of dancer.”

  Sasha shook her mane of corkscrew curls. “Not me, silly. But one of my roommates worked as an exotic dancer for awhile. She even had a pole set up in the living room. And she’d practice her lap dancing on one of our gay roommates. I might have picked up a few things from watching them. Just to give my opinion, that is.”

  Julia stared at her yoga teacher/friend. “All of a sudden, it’s like you’ve got this whole other secret life I never imagined. The hot Latin lover, the ballroom dancing, some very interesting roommates. Who are you, anyway?”

  Lauren waved a hand impatiently. “Who cares? And the only dancing I want to see is Blondie here grinding her ass on Big Bad and British’s lap. Speaking of which.”

  Tessa emitted a little squawk as Lauren took a startlingly firm grip of her upper arm, propelling her forward with determination. For additional reinforcement, Isobel took hold of her other arm and helped march her over to where Ian was chatting with a circle of his friends.

  He glanced up as the posse of a dozen or so women approached with Tessa firmly in tow, and grinned as he observed the way she was squirming with embarrassment.

  “Something you need, darling?” he asked, his hazel eyes twinkling merrily.

  She had rarely seen him this relaxed, this carefree, and knew that he’d been enjoying the evening every bit as much as she had. He’d hardly left her side all night, and Tessa wished now that she hadn’t gone to the ladies room with Julia a few minutes ago. If she’d remained by Ian’s side, then this very awkward situation might not have developed.

  “Um, well,” she stammered, uncomfortably aware of a dozen or more pairs of male eyes gazing at her expectantly. A quick glance revealed Hugh, Colin, Andrew, Matthew, Jordan, Clive, and several others nearby, all looking very, very interested. “The, um, girls think that I should - oh, my, God, this is so embarrassing. They think I should give you a - a lap dance. You know, because it’s your bachelor party. And -”

/>   “Oh, hell yes!” shouted Colin gleefully. “I’d pay a thousand pounds to see that happen. Anyone else agree?”

  There were whoops and cheers and words of encouragement from pretty much everyone in the room. Tessa’s cheeks were burning with mortification as she glanced up at Ian uncertainly, and while his gaze was sympathetic, his grin was rather unholy.

  “I certainly wouldn’t say no to that offer,” he drawled, taking Tessa’s hand in his and giving it a little squeeze. “That is - if you’re offering.”

  Behind Ian’s back, Colin gave her a mischievous wink. “I’m not sure I’d bother if I were you, darlin’,” he teased. “Ian would probably prefer to play a game of chess. More in keeping with his idea of a fun evening. That’s what happens when you get to be an old man like my brother here.”

  Incensed at his teasing, and at the laughter of the others around him, Tessa gave Colin a sharp poke in the shoulder, hard enough for him to wince. “He’s not old,” she hissed. “And if you think we play chess or read books every night, you are way, way off base. You talk a good game, Colin, but you’d never be able to keep up with Ian. In or out of the bedroom. Now, someone get us a chair.”

  Ian was laughing so hard by the time someone brought over a chair that his eyes were watering. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, whispering in amusement, “Sometimes I forget what a tigress you can be, darling. And I don’t think Colin will ever dare try to taunt you like that again. I think you left a bruise on his shoulder from the way he keeps rubbing it. Now, are you sure about this? I realize most everyone here is well on their way to being drunk, but don’t let yourself get badgered into this if it makes you uncomfortable.”

  In response, Tessa merely gave him a little push until he had no choice but to sit down on the high backed chair. But the grin quickly froze on his face as she straddled his lap determinedly, ignoring all the catcalls, whoops, and cheers that rose up from men and women alike.

  “You go, girl!” yelled Julia. “Give it to him good!”

  “Don’t wuss out on us, Tessa!” yelled Lauren. “If you lose your nerve now, you’ll regret it!”

  “Come on, darlin’. Give us a show. The old man’s never had a thrill like this in his life!” taunted Colin.

  Ian’s hands rested on Tessa’s hips as she bent forward, her breasts brushing against his chest. The tight fitting skirt of her dress had ridden halfway up her thighs, exposing the lacy tops of her sheer stocking, and causing another, far more spirited, round of whistles from the men.

  “I hope I don’t make a fool of myself,” she whispered urgently in Ian’s ear. “I’ve never done this before, you know.”

  “I should hope not,” he whispered back. “And I’m afraid I can’t be of much help here, love, since this is the first lap dance I’ve ever enjoyed. And don’t worry about what anyone here thinks. From what I can see, they’re all so drunk they won’t remember a thing tomorrow morning. But I’ll remember. For the rest of my life, in fact.”

  “All right, then.” She heaved a sigh. “Here goes nothing.”

  Someone - probably Lauren or Colin, the two biggest rabble rousers in the room - had asked the DJ to play Naughty Girl by Beyoncé, and the sensual beat of the music began to stir up some equally wicked impulses in Tessa. Looping her arms around Ian’s neck, she began to rotate her pelvis in a slow semi-circle against his lap, changing directions midway through. Operating on pure instinct now, she switched to an undulating motion with her hips and ass, her thighs spreading a bit wider apart with each roll of her crotch against his.

  Ian was instantly hard, his cock bulging against his suit pants, and if she hadn’t been sitting on top of him, his erection would have been clearly visible to every pair of voyeuristic eyes in the room. The music was loud enough that no one but Tessa could hear the increasingly shallow pants of his breath, and the lighting was dim enough that only she noticed the beads of sweat that misted his forehead and upper lip. As she leaned forward just far enough to rub her breasts against his chest, he emitted a long, low growl.

  “You’re playing with fire now, darling,” he rasped. “And unless you want me to erupt into flames, you might want to, ah, finish up soon.”

  Tessa shook her head, causing her tousled mane of blonde hair to tumble over her shoulders. “But I’m just getting warmed up,” she pouted teasingly, bending her head toward his until her tongue traced along his upper lip. “And another song has started.”

  The new song was Kiss by Prince, and the throbbing bass spurred Tessa on, as well as the increasingly louder, bawdier cheers from their guests who continued to watch the action with great interest. She guessed that everyone had their phones out, taking pictures and possibly even videos, but she was way beyond the point of caring. And as she continued bumping and grinding against her man, she grew more and more aroused. Her breasts swelled beneath the fragile lace bodice of her dress, her nipples poking against the fabric each time she pressed herself against Ian’s chest. And she was so wet that she could feel the pearly drops of vaginal fluid begin to trickle down her inner thighs, leaving them sticky, and her pussy aching for relief. She thought faintly that if she kept this up for a minute or so longer that she might come right there on Ian’s lap, in front of everyone. Normally, the very idea would have repelled her, the thought that so many people might witness such an intimate moment. But she was so aroused by now, so caught up in what she was doing, that she ceased to care what anyone else saw or heard or thought.

  Ian, however, had just a bit more self-control than she apparently had. Just when she was sure she was on the verge of climaxing, when it was right there, he clamped his hands down on her hips, stilling her increasingly frantic motions.

  “Enough,” he whispered sternly. “You are not going to come in front of an audience. And if you keep this up, you aren’t the only one who’s going to embarrass themselves in front of this bunch of horny, drunken fools.”

  “But -”

  Whatever protest she might have made, though, was quickly and decisively swallowed up by the fierce, demanding pressure of Ian’s lips upon hers, kissing her with a near-savage force, much to the delight of their guests. Tessa made a little sound of surprise beneath his mouth as he scooped her up to lay across his lap, bending her backwards as the kiss went on and on, ignoring the gleeful whoops and whistles as it did so.

  “Now that,” declared Lauren in satisfaction as Ian finally lifted his lips from Tessa’s, “was what I’d call a kiss. Hot damn, you two, I thought we were going to have to turn the fire extinguisher on you.”

  Colin was grinning from ear to ear. “And looks like I can’t very well call you old man anymore, can I? Or Professor Prude. Guess I’ll have to dream up a new nickname for you, Ian.”

  Tessa grinned at her very rumpled, very handsome, and very hot fiancé. “I’ve got one,” she said softly. “How about His Hotness?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Gregson Resort, Napa Valley

  “As usual, you were right.”

  Ian hooked an arm around the neck of the woman who, in less than twenty-four hours, would be his wife, and pulled her close. “About what, darling?”

  Tessa rested her head on his shoulder, waving an arm about to encompass their surroundings. “Holding our wedding here. It’s so lovely, Ian. Just like a Tuscan villa. And we’re so lucky that all of the construction was completed more than a month earlier than scheduled.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “I might have pushed Nathan and the construction crew a bit to get that done, actually. But you’re right. Everything turned out beautifully, beyond my expectations. I expect Nathan and his team are going to win several design awards for this.”

  She slipped her arms around his waist. “And the weather is going to be perfect as well. Not too hot and no wind. I re-checked the forecast before dinner.”

  “Well, of course it’s going to be perfect,” he teased. “As if I would allow it to be anything but for our wedding.”

  Tessa cupped
his cheek in her hand. “Or anytime, for that matter,” she corrected dryly. “Just admit it - you’re a perfectionist.”

  Ian laughed. “I’ve never denied that. And the fact that I chose you to be my wife only proves that point. Because in my eyes you are the most perfect woman I could have ever imagined.”

  He dipped his head to kiss her then, intending it only to be a brief peck. But the feel of her lips beneath his, still tasting faintly of the raspberry tart that had been served for dessert, tempted him to linger awhile. And when Tessa gave a little “mmm” of pleasure deep in her throat, he thought he could happily remain just this way for another hour or two.

  It was only the none-too-discreet clearing of a throat that finally forced him to break the kiss, and take a step back from her. And even though he was a full grown man of forty-one, Ian nonetheless felt more than a little embarrassed at the way his father was grinning at him knowingly.

  “Getting in some last minute practice for when the minister pronounces you man and wife?” joked Edward. His hazel eyes, so like Ian’s, twinkled merrily, and from the flush on his cheeks it was apparent that he’d been tippling a bit too much Scotch this evening.

  Ian returned his father’s grin, wrapping his arms around Tessa’s waist and drawing her back against his chest. “We don’t need to practice, Father,” he laughed. “I’d say we’ve got that particular part of the ceremony down pat, wouldn’t you, darling?”

  Tessa winked at Edward. “I’m not so sure. In fact, I think we ought to call it an evening so that we can get in a little more practice.”

  Edward guffawed. “If you’re going to do that, my dear, I suggest you sneak off quietly before Joanna sees you. Or Francine, for that matter. I overheard both of them a few minutes ago going on about how improper it is for the bride and groom to share a bed the night before the wedding. They might actually be plotting to kidnap Tessa and lock her away in a different room for the night.”

  Ian rolled his eyes. “Are they still on that? I thought that subject was closed once and for all. I’m as much of a traditionalist as the next man, Father, but on this one issue I’m setting my foot down. And it’s a tad ridiculous, don’t you think? After all, we’ve been living together for over a year now. I don’t care what anyone has to say on the matter - Tessa stays with me tonight.”