Splendor (Inevitable #2)

by Nissenson, Janet

  He glanced at her, then at the ship’s clock on his credenza before grabbing an envelope from his desk.

  “I need to go,” he muttered brusquely, and then strode out of the office without a moment’s hesitation.

  Tessa stared after him, too shocked at what had just occurred to even move. Just a few short minutes ago her body had been burning up, every part of her on fire for Ian’s touch, the heat of his big body almost smothering her. And now, devoid of all that, she began to shiver almost uncontrollably, shaking in reaction, and she had to wrap her arms about her torso to steady herself.

  “Oh, my, God,” she uttered in disbelief. “What in the world have I done?”

  ***

  Ian was echoing almost the same exact words as he very nearly ran out of his office, grateful when an elevator arrived almost immediately and even more so when it proved to be empty. On the ride down to the lobby, he forced himself to take several deep breaths, trying to still the frantic beat of his heart. At the same time he swiftly restored order to his rumpled hair and clothing, and offered up a silent thanks that his raging erection had subsided, for there was no way he could have walked across the lobby to meet his associates in that sort of condition.

  His meeting had ended earlier than expected, and he’d agreed to have a quick drink with two of his associates before they headed off to dinner. But then he’d realized he had left a report he needed to give someone in his office, and they had been obliged to make a quick stop to retrieve it.

  He hadn’t expected anyone to still be at the office when he arrived, and indeed the floor had been empty when he’d walked through. But Tessa’s purse and coat had still been on top of Andrew’s desk, and then he’d heard her voice as he walked inside his office.

  What had happened next was still completely surreal to him, like a dream he had yet to wake from. She’d been standing in the doorway of his private washroom, the upper half of her body unclothed except for that rather insubstantial lace bra, and she had been so tempting, so sexy, and so completely desirable that he’d had trouble remembering his own name. Her smooth ivory skin had glowed, her long golden hair tumbling about her bare shoulders, and – oh, Christ – those beautiful, ripe tits spilling out of the low-cut bra. They had been bigger, rounder and firmer than his very dirty imagination could have ever pictured – or hoped for – and he’d been instantly, violently aroused.

  Ian hadn’t been able to stop what happened next, any more than he could have stopped breathing. He’d waited too long, denied himself for far too many months, and couldn’t wait even one more day to have her. He’d barely recognized the dominant, forceful commands that had come out of his mouth, but Tessa had responded instinctively to them, obeying him without hesitation.

  He’d fallen on her like a starving man, kissing and touching her with absolutely no finesse, grinding himself against her like a horny teenager. He’d never been so hard in his life, had never felt his blood pump so hot, or had the need to fuck like an animal. The sounds she’d made – her groans, the breathy little pants, her husky words of encouragement – had only served to make him harder.

  And then, with astonishing, jaw dropping swiftness, she’d come – her body quivering in reaction. He’d never been with a woman who could orgasm that quickly, and certainly not without far more stimulation. His head was still spinning with the recollection of how she’d looked and sounded when she had climaxed, and he was hard again.

  “Damn it!” he cursed, for the elevator was nearly at the lobby level. He had to forcibly remove all thoughts of Tessa from his mind as he exited the elevator and located his associates.

  If one of the men hadn’t called his cell – wondering what was keeping him – God knows what might have happened next. Christ, he’d been so far gone, so consumed with pleasure and need, that he had little doubt he would have taken Tessa then and there – on his sofa, his desk, or the floor – maybe all three. It had shaken him badly, for he was always, always in control of his emotions. Except, it seemed, when it concerned his startlingly responsive, sexy as sin, golden girl.

  He felt like an ass for having just walked out on her like that – without an apology or explanation or even an acknowledgment – but he’d been in panic mode by then. The very last thing he’d wanted to happen was for his associates to come upstairs looking for him, and so he’d made a hasty departure before that could happen.

  But it was probably all for the best, since he badly needed some time to compose himself and think about what had just happened. One thing was for damned sure – he could no longer keep his attraction towards Tessa a secret, not after the way he’d dry humped her against the wall and come within minutes of fucking her senseless. God damn it, this was not the way he’d wanted things to unfold, to let her know of how he felt about her. He had intended to woo her gently, to take things slowly and show her exquisite tenderness and patience. But all it had taken was one glimpse of her nearly naked breasts and his carefully planned seduction of her had been escalated at breakneck speed.

  Ian agonized all during dinner about where things went from here, barely touching his food or saying much of anything. He was vaguely aware that the others at the table were regarding him oddly, asking if he was all right, and he mumbled some excuse about being a bit under the weather.

  He had difficulty falling asleep that night, his body hard and throbbing when he recalled how soft Tessa’s lips had been, how sweetly passionate her response. It had been far too long since he’d been with a woman, resorting to jacking off in the shower to find some temporary relief. But now that he’d finally touched and kissed her, he knew no one else would ever do.

  As he eventually drifted off into a restless slumber, he still had no idea of what he was going to say or do when he saw her again tomorrow. He should be annoyed that a sweet, shy girl like Tessa had him feeling as rattled and uncertain as an adolescent boy, but instead the realization only brought a smile to his lips as sleep finally claimed him.

  Chapter Eight

  In the five years she had worked for the Gregson Hotel Group, Tessa had never truly considered calling in sick – even when she’d been so ill with the flu she could barely lift her head off the pillow. But today she seriously toyed with the idea, even as she dragged herself out of bed and started getting ready.

  Even if she had somehow been able to get the damned ink stain out of her blouse, Tessa knew she’d never be able to wear it again. At least not without remembering in explicit, excruciating detail everything that had happened last evening in her boss’ office. Her cheeks still burned with embarrassment as she recalled the way she’d responded to his kisses and expert caresses, how she’d moaned in arousal, and, most shocking of all, had she’d had an orgasm right there on the spot, her body evidently so starved for physical contact that it had taken less than five minutes for her to go off like a skyrocket.

  ‘Oh, God, he must think you’re some kind of man-hungry slut,’ she despaired as she searched through her ever-diminishing wardrobe for something to wear. ‘Letting him touch you like that, moaning like you’re in a bad porn flick. How in the world am I going to face him today?’

  Tessa had barely slept a wink last night, tossing and turning as she worried about the consequences of last evening’s fiasco. It was all her fault, she thought wildly, for using his private washroom and then foolishly deciding to strip off her blouse in what had been a futile attempt to get it clean. She should have just used the ladies room in the office, or at the very least had enough sense to close the door to Ian’s private washroom.

  He would unquestionably be angry with her, that much was for certain. The look on his face when he’d stormed out of his office had been ferocious, and she only hoped he’d had the opportunity to calm down overnight and deal with this awful mess in a rational manner.

  She chose one of her oldest outfits – a black turtleneck sweater and a black and white checkered wool skirt. The skirt was a little loose since she’d lost some weight, but after unintenti
onally exposing herself yesterday she was anxious to present a conservative image this morning. She wore minimal makeup and considered pulling her hair back into a knot but ran out of time.

  During the bus ride to work, Tessa continued to fret about what Mr. Gregson was likely to say or do after their encounter in his office. It was possible that he was as horrified by his impulsive actions as she was about hers, and that he would very tactfully say nothing, acting as though it had never happened. They would finish out the week with her working for him, and then it would likely be a cold day in hell before she was ever asked to fill in for Andrew again.

  That was actually the best case scenario. In other, less desirable ones, Mr. Gregson would give her a severe reprimand, arrange for her immediate transfer to another department or location, or, in the absolute worst case, terminate her employment.

  Tessa honestly didn’t think Mr. Gregson would go so far as to fire her. He was a kind and fair man, and knew she was on her own now. She simply couldn’t see him putting her out of a job.

  No, the first and second options were the most likely, and she feared he would in fact arrange for her to be transferred as soon as possible. Of course, her co-workers would immediately begin to speculate that she must have screwed something up big time while filling in for Andrew to suffer such a swift and severe punishment. They wouldn’t guess that what had almost been screwed was Tessa herself.

  The bus left her off a couple of minutes earlier than usual due to the “Friday lite” traffic. She was grateful for the extra time to get to her desk and somehow compose herself before Mr. Gregson arrived.

  The first thing she noticed when she arrived at her temporary office was the damned printer. Tessa glared at it darkly, thinking it and its faulty ink cartridge the root of all evil.

  But then she felt a huge sense of relief when she booted up the computer and looked over the master schedule for today. By some fortunate stroke of luck, Mr. Gregson wouldn’t be arriving at the office until almost noontime. He had a breakfast meeting with the same group of worldwide business associates he’d met with yesterday, followed by a conference he was addressing at the Gregson Hotel up on Nob Hill. Those two appointments would take up most of the morning, giving Tessa some badly needed time to compose herself.

  The morning went by quickly as she downloaded and printed a stack of reports, updated some weekly spreadsheets she was in charge of preparing, and answering several emails. She was surprised when she glanced at the clock and realized it was almost noon, and then the butterflies in her tummy really kicked in for Ian ought to be arriving any minute now.

  But as the minutes ticked by and he didn’t appear, she assumed he’d just gone to lunch or had a personal appointment. There was no way she was going to call or text him to see where he was and when he might be arriving in.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that she’d barely eaten any dinner last night, far too shook up to have an appetite, and that so far today had only been able to stomach some tea and half a protein bar. But she honestly didn’t think she could keep any food down right now, as edgy and nervous as she felt.

  It was past one o’clock before Ian made an appearance, and her heart almost stopped beating when she saw him striding down the hallway towards her desk. God, he looked magnificent, she thought almost desperately, so incredibly handsome and sexy in a charcoal gray suit and burgundy tie. He was as poised and regal as ever, betraying no sign of the passionate, aggressive lover she’d seen all too briefly last evening.

  Their gazes locked and held until he inclined his head towards his office. “I’d like to speak with you in my office please, Tessa.”

  She shot to her feet in agitation. “Yes – of, of course sir.”

  Tessa clasped her hands in front of her, anxious to still their trembling, and preceded him inside his office. She’d been mentally preparing herself for this moment since last night and just hoped she wouldn’t do something foolish, like start to cry.

  But what she absolutely hadn’t prepped herself for was the way Ian swiftly shut and locked the door behind him, and then swept her into his arms. She gasped in surprise, her hands drifting up to rest on his upper arms as he gazed down at her with an almost desperate look in his eyes.

  “Just tell me,” he pleaded, “that you don’t regret what happened last night. And that whatever this is between us – that you feel it, too.”

  Tessa was astonished at his impassioned words, the very last sort of thing she had expected him to say. Despite her shock, she was still able to whisper, “No. I – I don’t regret it. And yes – I feel it, too.”

  “Thank God.”

  And with those fervently uttered words, he took her mouth in a hungry, possessive kiss, his arms banding about her so closely that she could hardly breathe. She slid her arms inside his suit jacket, holding on to him tight, and a groan rose up from her throat as he continued to plunder her mouth with his seeking tongue.

  She heard him give a soft chuckle as he finally released her mouth and murmured in her ear, “Easy, darling. We don’t want the whole office to hear you.”

  Tessa gazed up at him in bewilderment. “What?”

  Ian smiled at her tenderly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re very vocal when you’re aroused. You didn’t know?”

  She was horrified, not realizing how loud her moans of pleasure must have been, and shook her head. “No, I had no idea. Oh, God, I’m sorry. How embarrassing.”

  He threaded both of his hands into her hair, holding her head still as his eyes bored into hers. “I’m not complaining, love. In fact, those little sounds you make are extremely sexy and a tremendous turn-on. And when I take you to my bed, with all of this beautiful hair spread out on my pillow, you can moan as loudly as you like. In fact,” he added huskily, as he kissed his way down the side of her neck, “I look forward to exploring a hundred different ways to make you moan in pleasure.”

  “Mmm.” She sighed with delight as he kissed her again, his mouth moving on hers more slowly this time, lingering, savoring the taste of her. She was very quickly becoming addicted to his masterful kisses, loving the way he held her so tightly in his strong arms, and the hunger he displayed with each embrace. She hadn’t had the opportunity as yet to process the mindboggling notion that this dynamic, brilliant man was for some reason attracted to her. But for now, Tessa didn’t let herself think about that, and instead gave herself up completely to Ian, kissing him back with every pent-up ounce of passion in her body. She was wild for him, desperately needy, clutching the fabric of his shirt in her hands as she tried to get even closer to him.

  Ian was gasping for breath as he gently eased her away from him, his eyes wide with astonishment. “Christ, Tessa. Have a care, darling. I’m a lot older than you are, after all, and not at all certain that I’ll be able to keep up with you.” He ran a long finger over her trembling lips. “What a passionate little thing you are. I would never have guessed that someone as shy and sweet as you was really a tigress in disguise.”

  She felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment and glanced away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s just – been a long time for me. I didn’t mean - ”

  “Hush.” He placed two fingers over her lips, silencing her. “I wasn’t complaining, love. Far from it. My God, you’re probably going to wear me out very quickly but it will damned sure be worth it. And,” he added severely, “I don’t ever want you to apologize for anything. Especially not for wanting me. Understood?”

  She nodded and he removed his fingers before taking her hand in his.

  “Let’s sit over here, shall we? In separate chairs, I think,” he said dryly. “We have a few things to discuss and if you’re within arm’s reach talking is going to be the very last thing on my mind.”

  Ian lead her over to the sitting area in one corner of his expansive office, urging her to sit in one of the large leather chairs while he took a seat a safe distance away on a sofa.

  “How are you today, Tes
sa?” he asked gently. “I’m arriving at the office a bit later than I’d planned, and I’ve been worrying about you all morning.

  “You have?” she asked in surprise.

  “Yes, quite worried after what happened last evening. Especially since I ran out of here like the place was on fire. I can’t even imagine what you must have thought of me when I did something like that.”

  Tessa picked nervously at a piece of lint on her skirt. “I thought – well, that you probably regretted what had happened and - ”

  “No.” His denial was emphatic. “Not even the slightest regret. What happened, Tessa – it’s what I’ve wanted for a long time now.”

  Startled, she glanced up at him. “How long?”

  “Forever, it feels like. Specifically, though, two years and four extremely long months. In other words, darling girl, I’ve wanted you from the first moment we met. You’ve been my obsession, my one desire, ever since you started working here. And I never imagined that I could be in a position to tell you how I felt. Not when you were a married woman.”

  Tessa stared at him in disbelief. “All this time? I can’t – I mean, I never even thought you noticed me, I always assumed I was just one of your employees. And not a very important one at that.”

  Despite his vow not to touch her, Ian reached over and grasped her hand firmly in his. “I noticed you every damned day. Too much. I’ve memorized almost every article of clothing you own, noticed that you drink the same blend of tea that I do, and that you tend to wrap a strand of hair around your finger when you’re trying to concentrate on something. I think it’s gone far beyond noticing you, darling, and moved into obsession.” He raised her hand to his lips. “And in my opinion, you’re the most important employee I’ve ever had.”