His hand grasped her arm firmly. “Let me see you out.”
She let him guide her down the wide, sweeping staircase that led from the mezzanine level where the ballroom was located down to the lobby. “I don’t want to keep you from your guests, sir. I’ll be fine,” she assured him, while still being thrilled at his concerned attention. Even through the fabric of her coat she could feel the warmth of his hand around her upper arm, and she longed to lean into his big, hard body, to rest her head on his broad shoulder and feel his arm slide around her waist and hug her close.
“I’m not worried about my guests. They can look out for themselves for a few minutes while I see you safely on your way. Do you have your valet ticket?” he asked.
Tessa shook her head. “No, I don’t own a car, sir. I took a cab here.”
“Then we’ll get you a cab.”
They had reached the front doors of the hotel, which Ian held open for her as she stepped outside. The night air was biting cold and she shivered as she belted her raincoat about her.
Ian gave her a brief, assessing glance. “It’s freezing out tonight with these winds, Tessa. You should have worn a warmer coat.”
“I don’t have – I mean, you’re right,” she stammered, refusing to admit this was the only coat she owned but she feared he had already suspected that.
His mouth tightened with displeasure. “Let’s get you that cab so you can get inside and keep warm.”
He motioned over a valet who was extremely eager to provide assistance to the regional director. An idling taxi pulled up directly in front of Tessa mere seconds later.
Ian opened the back door and handed her inside. “Hold on just a moment, Tessa. I need to speak to the driver.”
She watched curiously as he walked over to the driver’s window and spoke to him in a low voice. Tessa’s eyes widened in surprise as Ian reached into the pocket of his tuxedo trousers and drew out a money clip. He peeled several bills off and handed them to the driver before walking back around to Tessa’s side of the car.
“The driver has instructions to walk you to your door and make sure you get in safely. And the fare has been taken care of, you’re not to worry about it,” he told her firmly.
“Mr. Gregson –” she started to protest, until she saw the steely look in his eyes. “You don’t – thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Tessa, the least I can do. Now, you get home safely and I’ll see you in the office on Monday.” He hesitated, still holding her door open, and then added, “I’m sorry again to hear about your divorce. I hope you’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you through this difficult time.”
Tessa gulped and stared up at him, touched by his kindness and generosity. “I appreciate the offer, sir. Good night.”
Ian closed the door to the cab and stood watching as it pulled away. Tessa felt a warm glow spread through her whole body, and couldn’t help the smile that teased at the corners of mouth. It was almost a certainty that he had only been acting out of concern for one of his employees, but for tonight at least she could pretend it was because he was as attracted to her as she was to him.
***
Ian remained rooted in place for long seconds after Tessa’s cab had disappeared from sight. He stood there so long, in fact, that the same valet who’d hailed the cab asked if he needed anything else. Pulling himself out of his daze, Ian almost brusquely shook his head before striding back inside the hotel.
Tessa was getting a divorce. After all this time, she was going to be a free woman. Free to date other men, to be pursued by other men, and – most importantly – free for this man to finally claim her for himself.
He paused at the foot of the staircase that would take him back up to the ballroom, where the party was still in full swing, reluctant to be around so many people right now. He badly needed a few minutes alone to ponder the startling news he’d just received, so he made his way to the small, intimate bar tucked in a back corner of the hotel. The bar was rarely ever crowded, and most patrons didn’t even know it existed, but it definitely suited his needs at this particular moment.
Ian ordered a snifter of brandy from the very attentive bartender, who apparently recognized him, his greeting a respectful “Good evening, sir.” He was grateful to see that the bar was nearly empty, and settled himself into a small, darkened corner of the room where he could be alone with his chaotic thoughts for a bit.
God, he had feared for so long that this day, this opportunity, would never come along. He wasn’t enough of a bastard to have actively wished that Tessa’s marriage would one day be in trouble, or that she and her husband would decide to part ways. And there was no way – no possible way – that he would have ever tried to seduce her away from her husband. But now he couldn’t deny his joy at knowing she was unattached, and finally within his grasp. However, the tricky part was just beginning – figuring out how to pursue her without scaring her off or coming on too strong.
Ian sipped the fine brandy slowly, savoring the taste on his tongue and the way the expensive liquor warmed his throat. As he did so, he considered all of the obstacles still in his way at this point and how to navigate around them. He was fairly certain that Tessa hadn’t already begun seeing other men, based on the facts that she had attended tonight’s party alone, and then wisely declined to accompany her inebriated co-workers to some club. Tessa was also too fine, too loyal, to enter into another relationship so soon after her marriage ended. She had seemed sad tonight, especially when she’d quietly admitted that she and her husband had split, and Ian guessed she was having a difficult time in getting over the breakup.
She was still far too young for him, of course, the age difference between them a good fifteen years. But Tessa was very mature and composed for her age, not seeming in the least bit frivolous or silly like the other girls on the team. As for himself, he was just a few months from his fortieth birthday but thought he didn’t look half bad for his age. He worked out frequently and with even more intensity that he had a decade ago; ate a healthy diet and didn’t overindulge in alcohol; and generally took excellent care of himself. He had never been vain or egotistical – not like that horny bastard Jason – but at the same time he didn’t miss the interested, assessing looks he received from women wherever he went.
And perhaps it was wishful thinking on his part, but he didn’t believe Tessa was completely immune to him as a man. She was so sweetly, adorably shy that he couldn’t picture her ever trying to flirt with him or attract his attention – not like that very obvious and annoying pair Gina and Alicia. But there had definitely been times when he’d caught Tessa’s very blue, wide-eyed gaze upon him and he could swear there had been something there – awareness, attraction, adoration. It had given him hope that one day those discreet little glances might deepen into something far more serious.
His cock hardened immediately as he recalled how beautiful and utterly tempting she’d looked this evening. Her dress and shoes were obviously inexpensive, especially when compared to so many of the other women at the party who’d been garbed in designer clothing. But Tessa had still managed to outshine every other female present tonight. The sapphire blue color of her dress had been perfect for her gleaming ivory skin and thick golden hair, a fact that he stored away for future reference. The strapless bodice of the dress had bared a delectable amount of cleavage, just enough to let his rather filthy imagination run rampant. His hands had itched to plunge inside the neckline of her dress and cup her full, lush breasts, to see for himself if they were as firm and round as they looked.
Ian had felt badly for her when he’d noticed she was at the party alone, never having imagined at the time that she and her husband were divorcing. He had wanted nothing more than to approach her on multiple occasions this evening and ask her to dance, to luxuriate in the rare opportunity to hold her closely against his body and be able to touch her. But he’d had to restrain himself, knowing full well how it would
look for him to single out one of his employees. The only women he’d dared to dance with this evening had been Rebecca, his mother, and his cousin Charlotte.
Thank God Rebecca wouldn’t be a problem when he began his pursuit of Tessa in earnest. The lovely brunette banker was an old friend and business associate, and any romantic involvement between them existed only in the gossip columns. Ian was one of the very, very few people who knew that Rebecca had been carrying on a secret affair for almost a dozen years with a very prominent – and very married – member of the U.S. Congress. Ian had never judged her, or attempted to offer his advice, but had always thought it foolish and naïve for a woman as beautiful, intelligent and accomplished as Rebecca to waste her best years on a man she could never be seen with in public. They rarely discussed her affair with the man, but Ian knew she was hopelessly in love, and hadn’t given up hope that the politician would eventually divorce his wife upon retiring from public office one day. Personally, Ian found Rebecca’s choice to not only be morally wrong but also tragically sad.
Still, her clandestine love affair had made her available to act as his escort – and vice versa - on numerous occasions, with the clear understanding that they were only friends. It had been convenient for him, especially when his obsession with Tessa had begun to grow to such an extent that it had been impossible for him to even consider having a romantic or sexual relationship with anyone else.
No, Rebecca would be genuinely happy that he had found someone and would support him all the way. Ian wondered a bit grimly if he could expect a similar type of understanding and acceptance from other friends and his family. His parents, for one, would be sure to think Tessa too young and too gauche, but he had rarely allowed their opinions to influence his important life choices, and he certainly wasn’t going to let that change now. Not when he was this close to finally snaring the girl of his dreams.
He would have to move slowly, he thought, to gradually let her know of his interest. He would also have to deal very soon with the added complication of her being his employee, especially given his very strict rules on that same subject. And particularly since he had just made a very emphatic point to Jason that he wouldn’t tolerate any form of sexual harassment in his office. The last thing Ian was prepared to do was give Jason even the tiniest bit of ammunition to protest his unwanted transfer out of regional headquarters. The bastard wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to call Ian the worst sort of hypocrite and demand that he, too, be disciplined for breaking the rules.
Ian almost snarled when he recalled the sight of Jason once again daring to put his filthy hands on Tessa this evening. He’d been keeping a close eye on his cousin’s husband all evening, not trusting the little shit to behave himself. And when he’d seen Jason sit down next to Tessa and start whispering in her ear, he’d had to exercise incredible self-control to stop from marching over there and breaking the scum’s jaw just as he’d promised he would. And because he simply couldn’t afford to make a scene in front of all these people– one that would have greatly upset his family and more, importantly, betrayed his attraction to Tessa – he’d been forced to send Andrew to handle the problem.
But he hadn’t been able to resist the opportunity to finally be alone with Tessa, even for a few minutes, when he’d spotted her leaving the party a short time ago. He’d followed her discreetly from the ballroom, intending only to wish her a good night, but then she’d walloped him with the shocking news of her divorce. God, if he hadn’t been obliged to see Rebecca home – and if his parents weren’t staying at his house for the duration of their visit – Ian was not at all sure he could have stopped himself from taking Tessa home himself. Or, if she had been agreeable, taking her to his house and persuading her to spend the night. Fortunately, he’d remembered his obligations in time, not to mention the continued need for discretion among his employees.
No, he and Tessa were going to have to be very, very discreet, at least until he could persuade her to quit her job. Ian was fully prepared – and very much looking forward – to supporting Tessa and taking exquisite care of her.
He would start, he thought rather dourly, by getting rid of that appalling coat she’d been wearing this evening. He would gladly buy her a dozen others, ones that were far more worthy of her stunning beauty. And that was just for starters.
As he finished his brandy, Ian made a mental note of all the ways he planned to spoil and indulge Tessa once she was truly his. The first step, though, was going to be the slow seduction of his golden girl, treating her like a princess the whole while, and making her feel protected and cherished at every turn. With that in mind, he took his phone out and pressed the most frequently used number on the speed dial.
“It’s me,” he said when the call was answered after just one ring. “Yes, I’m on my way back up now, a small matter I had to attend to. Now, remind me please what dates in January you’ll be on vacation. All right, that’s what I thought. Make a note for Monday for us to discuss who’ll be filling in this time while you’re away. I have an idea and I don’t intend to be talked out of it.”
Ian ended the call, pocketed the phone, and strode confidently out of the bar. The very first step in what would be his extremely pleasurable wooing of Tessa had just been taken.
Chapter Seven
January
“Mr. Gregson’s office. How may I assist you?”
As Tessa attended to the caller on the other end, she still couldn’t quite believe that she was actually filling in as Ian’s PA this week., even though this was already nearing the end of the fourth day. She’d been astonished when Andrew had first approached her with the news a few weeks ago.
Tessa had blinked at him in disbelief. “Excuse me. You want me to do what?”
Andrew had sighed with barely contained impatience. “You heard me. I’ll be out of the office the second week in January, and it’s been decided that you’ll be filling in for me during that time.”
She had still not quite believed what she was hearing. “But – you’ve never had me fill in for you before. It’s always been Marisol or Gina or sometimes Alicia. Even Kevin once or twice.”
Andrew hadn’t been in an especially good mood that day, and had dismissed her concerns brusquely. “Well, consider this your turn. I assume you have no objections to the assignment?”
“Oh, no. Of course not. I’d be honored to fill in for you, help out while you’re away. I just hope I don’t screw something up,” she’d confessed nervously.
Andrew had given a roll of his eyes, which usually meant his patience was wearing extremely thin. “You’ll be fine. It’s not brain surgery, after all. And of course you’ll need to spend several days learning my routine and what will be expected of you.”
That had been the understatement of the year. Tessa had been wide-eyed and slack-jawed – not to mention exhausted and emotionally drained – at the end of her week long training session with Andrew. But at least spending so much time with him had greatly allayed her fears about working for Mr. Gregson, for she had realized that nothing about Andrew’s job was really all that difficult or complicated. And of course she’d took copious notes on top of the multi-paged and extremely detailed list of information Andrew had left for her.
Mr. Gregson had still been away for the holidays - visiting his family in England - during her training period. In a way, that had been a relief for she’d been able to learn the ropes without the added pressure of his presence. But then, when he’d arrived back in the office on Monday morning – her first day of filling in for Andrew – her nerves had almost consumed her with the fear that she would fail miserably, or anger him in some way. So far, she was rather astonished to realize that nothing could be farther from the truth.
Ian had been graciousness personified these past four days, and so easy to work with that she’d found herself breathing a huge sigh of relief. He was patient and kind, and always exceedingly grateful for her assistance. Tessa had been thrilled at his appreciation and ackno
wledgment of her hard work, and she made sure that everything she did for him was completed to perfection.
And of course it had been the sweetest sort of torture to work in such close proximity to him. Several times she’d found her hands trembling in reaction simply from standing across his desk as he signed a report she’d prepared. She had watched him discreetly from beneath her lashes, taking in every strong, masculine feature of his face, noting how his finely tailored dress shirts stretched across the breadth of his shoulders and emphasized his toned, muscular torso. Once she’d almost swooned at his arousing scent – a perfect combination of his light cologne, soap and pure maleness. And on more than one occasion she’d had to resist the urge to sway against him, or run her hands through his hair or over the firmness of his jaw.
Each night this week when she’d arrived home, she had been alarmed to realize how aroused she was – her breasts full and heavy, her nipples peaked, her sex wet and swollen and oh, so needy. She’d had increasingly explicit dreams about Ian, not able to recall too many specific details, but it had only taken the lightest stimulation of her nipples and clitoris upon waking to come long and hard. Her young, healthy body was almost starved by now for affection, and she craved physical contact almost more than she did food and sleep.
But of course she didn’t dare to so much as touch Mr. Gregson, or betray her ever growing physical attraction to him in any way. She was the epitome of professional decorum, always careful to keep her conversations with him brief and businesslike, and never discuss anything personal with him. Andrew had, after all, put the fear of God in her about even considering such a thing.
“Do not,” he’d warned her ominously, “ask him how his evening was, or what he had for lunch, or anything at all that doesn’t have to do with work. He’s not one for idle chatter, and sticks to his schedule religiously.”
But Tessa hadn’t been able to keep her pulse rate from accelerating any time she was near Ian, or all the other ways her body reacted to him involuntarily. Earlier today she’d cursed beneath her breath to realize her nipples were hard and poking very noticeably against the thin fabric of her blouse. And, unfortunately, she was pretty sure he had noticed, too, since she’d been placing a steaming mug of tea on his desk at the time. She had made a hasty exit, and had struggled to control the reaction of her treacherous body for the rest of the day.
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