Covet (Splendor Book 1)

by Janet Nissenson

  “Jason, aren’t you supposed to be at the two o’clock meeting?” he’d asked haughtily. “Mr. Gregson was very insistent that everyone arrive exactly on time today since there’s a very lengthy agenda.”

  Jason had rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I’ll bet he was,” he’d muttered darkly. “But the old chap can cool his heels for a minute longer.”

  Andrew had looked down from his superior height at the other man. “Shall I pass that message along to him? Or would you prefer to deliver it in person? Tessa, when can I expect to receive that spreadsheet I asked you to update?”

  Silently blessing her supervisor for unwittingly rescuing her from a very uncomfortable situation, Tessa had assured him that she would have it finished within the next half hour, and took the opportunity to practically scurry back to her desk. She’d vowed to be extra diligent when she was away from her desk in the future, and made a mental note to never walk past Jason’s office again, even if it meant taking the long way around each time.

  Tessa took a quick peek at the master calendar – the one Marisol updated on a regular basis and showed at a glance where each member of the executive staff was on any given day. She breathed a little sigh of relief to notice that Jason had evidently been on vacation this entire week, and was not due back to the office until next Wednesday. It was highly unlikely, therefore, that he would have taken the time out of his holiday to order such an expensive gift for her. And he was such an arrogant ass that surely he would have happily taken credit for the act, instead of sending an anonymous, untraceable present. With his egotistical mindset, Jason would have assumed that she would owe him something in return – the something quite obviously being the gift of her body.

  Tessa shuddered in revulsion as she recalled some of the ugly, nasty things he’d whispered to her, and she longed to work up the nerve to confide in Andrew about the whole sordid mess. She honestly didn’t think someone as prim and proper as her supervisor would side with Jason, especially since the two men seemed to be constantly at odds with each other. But she couldn’t take the chance, couldn’t risk losing her job when it was the only dependable means of support she and Peter had. So she decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being, and simply renew her efforts to avoid Jason like the plague that he was.

  But making that resolution didn’t give her any clearer idea of who might have sent her such an exquisite bouquet. Had it possibly been Andrew? Had he detected that she was the only one of the team without flowers? It was certainly something he would have noticed, as he never missed a trick, and Tessa often swore he had eyes in the back of his head. But Andrew was also not especially emotional, and definitely not the least bit romantic, so it was hard for her to believe he had sent the flowers.

  One other person who could have possibly sent the bouquet was her very formal, very standoffish boss. He could certainly afford the cost of such an extravagant gift, and the elegant vase and hothouse roses practically shrieked class – just like Mr. Gregson did.

  But even as such a thought popped into Tessa’s head she dismissed it automatically. After all, Ian Gregson barely acknowledged her from day to day, and she wondered sometimes if he even remembered her name. There was no possible way he would have sent her a gift like this – not when he didn’t even know she existed.

  “Bad day at the office, Ian? It’s not like you to drink at this hour.”

  Ian offered up a small shrug and an apologetic smile to Matthew Bennett, who sat across the table from him. “Not exactly a bad day, Matthew. Just – well, a way to forget what day this is.”

  Ian very seldom drank alcohol before the cocktail hour, so ordering a glass of merlot with his lunch today had been out of character. He and his good friend Matthew tried to meet for lunch at least once a month, something that wasn’t always possible given their equally hectic schedules. Matthew didn’t have to travel nearly as much as Ian did, but did have an enormous amount of responsibility on his shoulders as the CEO of a billion dollar software company that he’d taken public just a few years ago.

  Matthew grimaced. “Yeah, well, there’s no possible way Lindsey would ever let me forget that today is Valentine’s Day. She’s gone way beyond throwing hints, and actually gave me a list of what she expected from me today. So far I’ve sent her flowers, made dinner reservations at Le Mistral, got tickets for Phantom of the Opera, and bought her a mucho expensive set of emeralds.”

  Ian let out a low whistle. “Quite impressive. She should be pleased with all of that, no?”

  Matthew made a dismissive motion with his hand. “You’d think so, huh? And hopefully it will be enough to pacify her, considering what she really wanted to do was jet over to Paris for a long weekend. But there’s no possible way I can get away right now, not with the launch of a brand new product line in less than two weeks. Not to mention Casey’s basketball team is playing for the championship this weekend. Wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

  Casey was Matthew’s son, and from what Ian recalled the boy was around ten years old. Matthew and his wife Lindsey also had a daughter who was a few years older.

  “You’re a good father, Matthew,” assured Ian. “And Paris will always be there. I’m sure Lindsey understands that there are other priorities at the moment.”

  Matthew sighed. “You’d like to hope, wouldn’t you? This was actually one of the developments I feared most when I decided to take the company public. I knew there’d be constant demands on my time, continual conflicts with my personal life and the family. But Lindsey just dismissed all of that, told me over and over again that we’d work it out, and that the important thing was being able to improve our quality of life. And now that it all turned out exactly as I figured she’s constantly nagging me about how little time we spend together. Go figure, huh?”

  “Balancing work with one’s personal life is a constant struggle,” acknowledged Ian. “And having a wife and young children does tend to complicate matters that much further. At least I’m single, so there’s no one to complain if I work fourteen hour days, or travel three weeks out of every five.”

  “But the drawback of that is the loneliness,” pointed out Matthew. “And I know that you must be lonely at times, Ian, even with your involvement in all those performing arts and charitable organizations. Friends and social acquaintances are no substitute for a family. Or even a special someone in your life. Especially on Valentine’s Day.”

  Ian took a slow sip of his wine, savoring the excellent vintage. “I know,” he replied soberly. “Being a bachelor is definitely not all that it’s cracked up to be. Particularly since I’m not the sort for hopping from one bed to the next, and definitely not a fan of singles bars or clubs.” He couldn’t repress the little shudder he gave at the latter thought.

  Matthew grinned. “You know my offer stands anytime. Lindsey’s got a virtual hoard of single girlfriends she’s dying to set you up with. Not to mention the hundreds of available women who work for my firm. Though I imagine you’re more than capable of getting any woman you want without anyone’s help.”

  Feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on – no doubt the result of too little sleep and far too much stress – Ian pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Not quite any woman,” he muttered gruffly.

  Matthew arched a brow inquiringly. “Ah, so that’s the real crux of the matter. Not to mention difficult to believe. What woman in their right mind would turn down the dashing Ian Gregson?”

  Ian was silent for several seconds as he stared into his wineglass. “One who’s all wrong for me for too damned many reasons. One,” he counted on his finger, “she’s far too young, not much older than a teenager. Two, she works for me – on my management support team, no less. And three – well, that’s the real non-negotiable. She happens to be a married woman.”

  Matthew frowned. “You’re not having an affair with this woman, are you?”

  “God, no,” denied Ian vehemently. “You know me better than that, Matt
hew. And if my younger brother was here at the moment, he’d be laughing hysterically at the very idea. Colin insists I’m the biggest stuffed shirt he’s ever met.”

  “Hmm.” Matthew swallowed a bite of his steak sandwich. “Not to mention that there’s no way I could ever see you voluntarily taking the back seat to some other man. Does this woman know how you feel about her?”

  Ian gave a caustic laugh. “Hardly. I’m sure as far as she’s concerned I don’t even know she exists. I’ve made it a point to keep my distance, to treat her impersonally. Otherwise, I would have little to no confidence in my acting skills, Matthew, and zero hope of keeping my feelings hidden.”

  Matthew bit into a pomme frite. “Have you considered approaching her, telling her how you feel? Maybe she feels the same way for all you know. You’re an attractive dude, Ian, a real catch as Lindsey’s overly fond of saying.”

  “No.” Ian shook his head. “I’m not about to try and come between her and her husband. I’m not a homewrecker, Matthew, nor would I ever try and seduce her into an affair. What I am is a blithering idiot, having this ridiculous crush on a girl I barely know. Even if she was free, she could in all likelihood turn out to be completely wrong for me.”

  “Nah.” Matthew took a long drink of his iced tea. “Without knowing a thing about this girl, I’m convinced she’s perfect for you, Ian. Because out of all the people I’ve ever known or worked with, you have the best instincts of any of them. I’m guessing you took one look into this woman’s eyes and, well, just knew somehow that she was the one for you.”

  Ian smiled wistfully. “That’s exactly how it happened, mate. For so long I was convinced I’d never meet anyone that I would have that sort of reaction to. Colin says I’m far too picky, that this dream woman doesn’t exist. But the moment I met Tessa – well, you hit the nail on the head. I just knew.”

  “Tessa? Pretty name,” commented Matthew. “And I’ll just assume that she’s a knockout. You wouldn’t be in this sort of state if she wasn’t a real looker.”

  “She’s beautiful,” said Ian quietly. “Perfect. I wouldn’t change one thing about her appearance. But it’s her inner beauty that makes her so attractive to me. She’s quiet and on the shy side, but also sweet and kind and genuine. And I know I haven’t spent any real time with her to make that sort of judgment, but it’s rather obvious.”

  Matthew nodded. “You’re also the best judge of character I’ve ever known as well. That’s one of the many reasons I asked you to be one of my board members. Every single prospective employee I’ve asked you to vet has turned out to be top-notch. So if you say this woman is your soulmate then I’m willing to bet she is.”

  “Except for one small problem, mate,” drawled Ian. “There’s apparently another man who feels the same way – the one she’s married to.”

  “You need to forget about this woman, Ian,” advised Matthew. “Hey, you know I’m far from being the expert on women and relationships – Lindsey was my first serious girlfriend, after all, and we’ve been together almost twenty years. But you’re too nice a guy to be alone this way. You deserve a wife and kids of your own, the chance to have a happy family. And if you keep pining after someone else’s wife that’s never going to happen. So take my inexpert advice, will you? Until you find someone else who makes all the bells and whistles go off in your head, take a few women out on a date and then to bed. Some good, hot sex is probably just what you need to put this Tessa out of your mind.”

  “You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?” asked Ian wearily. “Believe me, mate, I’ve tried. Dated half a dozen or so different women, all of them beautiful, all of them willing. I even looked up a former flame when I was back in England over the holidays. And with every one of them – zilch. No passion, no connection, no – nothing. Frankly, I didn’t even try to get them into bed because I was more or less convinced I wouldn’t have been able to, er, you know.”

  “Seriously?” Mathew gaped at his friend in disbelief. “You expect me to believe that a studly guy like you was afraid he’d develop a case of ED? You really do have it bad for this girl, don’t you?”

  Ian emitted a long, drawn-out sigh. “I’m afraid so. And I’m beginning to think the only solution is to have her transferred. Not just from my team but from the entire building. Possibly to the Nob Hill hotel. Or get her a job at a different company altogether. Maybe you could do me a favor and hire her away from me,” he joked weakly.

  “If I thought that would do the trick, I’d do so in a heartbeat,” assured Matthew. “But I doubt it’s that easy, my friend. Besides, how would you manage to pull off a feat like that without her learning about your feelings for her?”

  “I haven’t quite figured that one out yet,” admitted Ian. “And it would be a very tricky situation, given that she’s been an exemplary employee from day one. It would arouse all sorts of suspicions if I just removed her from the team for no good reason. So it seems that I’m stuck playing the part of the lovelorn fool for the foreseeable future. Or, as far as Tessa is concerned, the cold, uppity bastard who barely gives her the time of day. But better she thinks that way than ever knowing the truth.”

  “If you say so, Ian,” said Matthew in a tone that indicated he was very far from being in agreement. “I just hate to see someone as deserving as you wasting your life on a woman who’ll probably never be yours.”

  Mercifully, Matthew changed the subject after that, providing Ian with a much needed distraction. But during the brief drive back to his office after lunch, his thoughts couldn’t help returning to the woman who haunted his dreams on a regular basis.

  He wondered if the flowers had been delivered yet, and figured they must have been considering the extra money he’d paid for the last minute order. He wished that he could have been there to witness Tessa’s reaction upon receiving the bouquet, hoped that the unexpected gift had pleased her.

  He had been poised in the doorway of one of the executive offices – the one closest to the support teams’ group of cubicles – and finishing up a conversation with Ford Stillman, his Finance Manager, when he’d overheard one of the girls making some snide comment about Tessa being the only one without flowers. It was only then he had recalled it was Valentine’s Day, and a brief, discreet glance over at Tessa’s desk confirmed the absence of a bouquet.

  It had been sheer impulse – or perhaps temporary madness – that had compelled him to place a call on his way to lunch to the very exclusive florist he used on occasion. Fortunately the florist was also extremely discreet, and had assured him that the roses would be delivered with complete anonymity. There would be no way for the recipient to trace the bouquet back to him.

  And even though Tessa would never suspect that he had been the one to send her the exquisite vase and flowers – both of which had cost more than five hundred dollars – the idea that his secret gift might bring her some well-deserved pleasure had thrilled him to no end. After all, it wasn’t as though he could take her out to dinner or fly her to some romantic spot for the long weekend or give her a more expensive gift.

  Ah, but if she was his, thought Ian as the Town Car approached his office building, he would certainly go out of his way to sweep her off her feet this Valentine’s Day – not to mention every other day of the year. He longed to show her the world – taking her to meet his family in England, or on some wildly romantic vacation to a European destination like Venice or Lucerne or Barcelona, or to a more exotic locale like Tahiti or Buenos Aires or New Zealand.

  But for now he had to content himself with the knowledge that at the very least she hadn’t been forgotten or neglected on this most romantic of days. As he walked past her cubicle on the way to his office, he dared to glance in her direction, and a warm feeling spread through his heart when he saw her take a sniff of the pink-tipped white roses, her slender hand touching the delicate buds with reverence. Tessa might never know who her secret Valentine was, but it was enough for Ian – at least for now – to see that his gift had
made her smile.

  Chapter Sixteen

  June

  Tessa gave the food and beverage display one last critical inspection, rearranging a tray here, a stack of napkins there, until she nodded in satisfaction. The caterers who delivered the supplies for these meetings actually did all of the hard work, so that all she really had to do was make sure everything was set up according to standards.

  Today’s meeting was due to be a lengthy one, as it was the initial sit-down with the firm of architects who had been selected to design a brand-new Gregson resort to be built in the Napa Valley. As such, heartier fare had been ordered - trays of sandwiches and bowls of assorted salads – instead of the usual breakfast pastries and fruit that were served at the majority of the morning meetings. There were also trays of assorted cookies, brownies, and macarons, and Tessa’s mouth watered at the sight of them. She’d been in a rush to get to the office early, knowing how much work there would be to prepare for this meeting, and had only eaten half a slice of toast thus far today.

  She had also been skipping meals again lately, she realized somewhat guiltily. Not intentionally, of course, but as a result of being extra busy at work, and also because of Peter’s increasingly long absences from home. By the time she arrived back at their apartment each night, she was worn out from the long days at the office, and too lonely and morose to have much of an appetite. Dinner most nights these past couple of weeks had been a bowl of soup or a grilled cheese sandwich, and she’d had to force even that down.

  She’d lost a few pounds as a result, evidenced by the loose waistband of her taupe linen skirt. The skirt was part of the work wardrobe she’d brought with her from Tucson, the lightweight fabric ideal for the hot Arizona climate. And after a colder than average spring here in San Francisco, it seemed that summer was finally beginning to take hold, given the warm, sunny weather outside today. Tessa had paired the simple skirt with a pretty blouse of pale pink cotton. It was sleeveless, and buttoned down the front with a row of ruffles. With it she wore low-heeled taupe pumps, and had pulled her hair back into a thick knot at the nape of her neck. Mrs. Carrington, thought Tessa wryly, would be in complete approval of the conservative ensemble, even though all of the pieces had been purchased at various discount stores.