Crave (Splendor Book 2) (57 page)

“It’s because that girl loves him for who he truly is,” replied Joanna softly. “She sees far beyond the man that everyone else sees, beyond his obvious attributes like good looks and wealth and power. And that is why there will never be anyone else for either of them. Because deep down, where it really matters, they are two of the kindest, purest souls you’ll ever meet, and somehow they’ve managed to find each other.”

Alicia stared rather sullenly at her shoes, refusing to acknowledge what Ian’s mother had just said. She knew, just knew, that bitch Tessa was most likely telling Ian all the awful things she’d just said to her, and wondered wildly how she was going to talk her way out of this, especially when his mother had apparently overheard every word.

“How long have your worked for our company, dear?”

Alicia was a bit startled at the question but replied, “Almost five years, Mrs. Gregson.”

Joanna nodded. “Ah, well, that will look impressive on your resume, won’t it? And if you don’t have it up to date, I’d strongly advise polishing it up, dear. Maybe at the same time you’re typing up the letter of resignation I’ll tell my son to be expecting on his desk tomorrow morning. Now, do be sure and enjoy the rest of your evening, Alicia. And lay off the alcohol, dear. Otherwise your complexion will start to look like your father’s before you know it.”

With a charming smile, Joanna exited the lounge, allowing Alicia the dignity of sobbing her heart out in private.

Chapter Twenty-Two

June

“Hmm. Good morning.”

Ian glanced up from his newspaper and smiled at the sight of the gorgeous blonde framed in the doorway. Her hair was rumpled and she was in the middle of a very wide yawn. He knew that beneath her long white cotton robe with its ruffled neckline that she would be nude, and his blood immediately started pumping a little hotter at this realization. Even with a severe case of bedhead and not a scrap of makeup, Tessa never failed to arouse him, often just by being in the same room.

“Tired?” At her nod, he gave her an indulgent look. “You should have kept sleeping then, love. After all, we were up a bit late last night and will probably be so again tonight.”

Tessa shrugged, causing the gaping neckline of her robe to slide over her bare shoulder. “I got lonely in there without you. Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Ian chuckled. “For the same reason I ought to be tucking you back into bed right now. You obviously need your rest, darling. We have plenty of time until the wedding, you know. Why don’t you go back to sleep for a bit?”

She shook her head and started walking over to where he sat on the sofa. He sat up a little straighter, watching with unabashed interest as her robe parted with each step, revealing the endlessly long length of her legs. Ian held out his arms as she sat down next to him, cuddling her close and kissing the top of her head.

“Mmm, this is so nice,” she purred, burrowing her head against his shoulder. “I missed waking up with you.”

He stroked her tangled curls lovingly, and couldn’t prevent the way his body responded all too quickly to the feel of her unbound breasts crushed against his ribcage. “I promise to stay in bed with you tomorrow morning. We’ll sleep in as late as possible, all right? After all, another perk of owning this place is that I don’t have to worry about trivial details like check-out times.”

They were spending the weekend at the company’s luxury resort in Pebble Beach, the gated community adjacent to the quaint coastal town of Carmel. Today was Julia and Nathan’s wedding, and Ian was glad to see that the couple would be enjoying warm, sunny weather on their special day.

Ian nearly always used the owner’s suite when he visited one of the company’s properties, unless there was some dignitary or celebrity who’d requested it. At those times he would simply stay in another, smaller suite, much like the one he and Tessa were occupying now. As part of their wedding present to the couple, Ian had arranged for them to stay in the owner’s suite, though Nathan had had the plush accommodations all to himself last night. Even though he and Julia had been living together for almost a year, she’d insisted on sleeping apart the night before their wedding as tradition called for, and had stayed at her parents’ home in nearby Carmel Highlands. Ian gave Nathan a great deal of credit for abiding by his bride-to-be’s wishes; for himself, he honestly didn’t think he could ever willingly spend a night without Tessa in his bed.

“Why don’t you let me fix you some tea, love? Then we can call down for breakfast when you’re ready,” he offered.

Tessa gave another yawn. “I can get it. Why don’t you go back to your newspaper?”

“Hush. I’ll read it later. I’d much rather spend time with you. Be right back.”

Their suite was equipped with a state of the art beverage bar that included a Nespresso single serve coffeemaker with a wide assortment of brews, and a sophisticated electric kettle and selection of Tazo teas. He brewed them each a cup of their favorite Darjeeling blend, then carried the two steaming mugs back into the living room area.

“Mmm, thank you,” murmured Tessa after taking the first sip. “Just what I needed.” She had tucked her legs up under her, and he ran his hand up and down the back of her calf.

“My pleasure, love. And the least I can do, considering how many other times you’re the one brewing our morning tea.”

She gave him a sweet smile, the sort that never failed to make his throat catch just a little. “You know I don’t mind, know how much I love taking care of you.”

Ian’s fingers moved to her ankle, then her instep, giving her the sort of little foot massage he knew she adored. “The feeling is very mutual, my sweet.”

Tessa gave a satisfied little groan as he continued to rub her foot, the sound she made more than enough to interest his already semi-hard cock. “Oh, and that feels so good. You’re way better than a professional masseuse, you know. Magic hands.”

He cocked his head at her. “Even better than Sasha?”

Tessa’s yoga teacher slash massage therapist had been to the house on several occasions by now, and had worked her magic on both of them. Ian had been a bit skeptical when Tessa had raved about how good she was. He’d mostly been used to receiving massages from men, largely because he didn’t consider a female quite strong enough to be able to dig deep into the thick layers of muscle that covered his body. His skepticism had only grown stronger when he’d met Sasha for the first time - a slender, graceful young woman of no more than medium height. But it had become apparent within five minutes that she was an exceptionally skilled masseuse, with the knack of finding spots he hadn’t even known were sore. She also had a calm, serene nature about her that soothed the mind and the spirit as well as the body.

Tessa gave him an impish grin. “Well, she might have more experience, but you’re way hotter. I’d much rather have your hands on my body than anyone else’s.”

He gave a low growl and tightened his hand around her ankle. “Well, I would most definitely second that opinion, darling. And no other man had better even think of putting his hands on this body of yours.”

She blew him a kiss. “Same here. Except for Sasha, of course. At least I know when she touches you, it’s to make you scream with pain and not pleasure.”

He laughed as he reached for the room service menu. “Feel like eating breakfast now?”

“In a minute.” She sat up straight, and he could tell by the way she was worrying her bottom lip that something was on her mind. “I, um, wanted to talk to you about something first.”

Ian lounged back against the sofa cushions, his arm draped along the back. “Go ahead, love. You know you can always talk to me about anything, don’t you?”

Tessa nodded. “I know. And, well, we’ve discussed this subject before, but I just thought of a different approach to it. It’s, well, about school.”

He frowned. “We
have
had this discussion, several times. And I already know what you’re going to say, Tessa. You don’t want to start college in the fall because it will keep us apart when I have to travel. Darling, nothing has changed since the last time we had this talk. As awful as it will be not to see each other as often, it’s also important for you to get your degree. We’ll work it out, don’t worry.”

She lifted her gaze to his, giving a slight shake of her head. “You don’t understand. Listen to me, Ian, please?” At his assent, she continued. “I was looking at the university’s website the other day, mostly doing some more research on courses, when I realized they have an entire online program. All of the classes I’d need to get my degree are offered via distance learning. I’d still have to go to the campus in person for mid-terms and finals and for a couple of meetings, but that’s it. So I could still travel with you while getting my degree. What - what do you think?”

A slow smile crossed his features. “I think you’re a very sweet and generous woman to be willing to do something like that for me - correction, for us. But, darling, part of the whole college experience involves being on campus, sitting in lecture halls, making friends. You’d miss out on all that if you chose this other option.”

“I don’t care about that stuff,” she declared firmly. “I mean, let’s face it. It’s not like I’m eighteen years old and fresh out of high school any longer. Most of the students will be anywhere from five to seven years younger than I am. Plus, it’s still hard for me to talk to people and make friends most of the time.”

Ian cupped her cheek in his palm. “I don’t want you choosing this other option because of me. I want what’s best for you, Tessa.”

She turned her face into his palm and pressed a kiss there. Her blue eyes were filled with tenderness. “This
is
best for me. For us. We can still be together this way, Ian, it’s the perfect solution.” She rose up on her knees, slipping her arms around his neck as she gazed down at him. “You told me on the night of our very first date that there wasn’t anything you wouldn’t do for me. Well, I’m telling you now it’s the same for me. There is nothing - absolutely
nothing
- I wouldn’t do for you. And if that means taking my classes online rather than in person so that we don’t have to be separated - my darling Ian, that’s the easiest decision I’ll ever have to make in my life.”

He was speechless at her impassioned words, and at the way she was looking at him. He stared at her for long seconds, scarcely daring to breathe because his heart was brimming over with so much love, so much desire, and so much need. He was powerfully, immensely aroused, to know that this gorgeous, giving, loving woman was his, and that she had just sworn steadfast devotion to him.

His hands were trembling as they moved to the sash of her cotton robe, the gaping neckline giving him a generous glimpse of her cleavage. He needed her naked right now, needed to bury himself inside of her as deeply as he could get, to mark her as his in the most primitive way possible.

“Take this off.”

At his hoarsely muttered words, her eyes grew big and round, her mouth parting in a lush “O”. But she was quick to do his bidding, untying the robe and pushing it off her shoulders to bare her ripe, glowing body to his devouring gaze.

His hands slid up her arms and into her hair, tilting her head back as his gaze bored into hers. “I need to take you, Tessa. Just - let me, all right? I won’t hurt you, but I can’t be gentle right now either.”

She gave a quick nod, and he groaned, even as he stripped off his T-shirt and pajama bottoms. She gasped at the sight of his immensely swollen erection and reached out to touch him, only to have his fingers clamp fiercely around her wrist.

“No. Like this. I need you like this.”

He flipped her onto her stomach, spreading her thighs apart. He stretched both of her arms above her head, placing her hands on the arm of the sofa.

“Hold on to that tight. Don’t let go,” he ordered.

“O-okay,” was all she seemed capable of saying in response.

Then, with one dominant surge, he mounted her and drove deep inside her tight, clenching pussy. The cry of surrender that escaped Tessa’s throat was one of the most erotic sounds he’d ever heard, and he groaned as he took her hard, his chest flush against her back. This was what he’d needed to do so desperately after she’d so sweetly declared her devotion to him - to fuck her hard, to brand her with his possession, with intense and utter domination. She was the only woman in his entire life that he’d ever felt this way about, the only one in his forty years of living that he’d ever wanted to claim.

Tessa was mewling against the sofa cushions, clutching the arm rest for dear life, as he continued to pound into her with hard, powerful strokes. He worked a hand between their co-joined bodies and found her clit, hearing her gasp as he rubbed the hard little nub.

He was too far gone, too consumed with lust and need and love to care if he was crushing her or not, his body so much heavier and muscular than hers. But if he was hurting her she gave no indication, didn’t try to resist his domination of her body. She whimpered when he sucked hard on the back of her neck, marking her with his love bite, and the blood roared in his ears at the little sounds she made.

Feeling himself drawing ever closer to release, he reared back onto his knees and pulled her up with him, his chest pressed against her back. Tessa’s head fell back limply onto his shoulder as she gasped for breath, and then she was panting as his fingers plucked at her engorged nipple while the other hand stimulated her clit, all while he continued to fuck her with barely controlled force.

Her orgasm shook her whole body, and she would have collapsed onto the sofa if he hadn’t banded an arm around her waist to hold her in place. Ian shouted incoherent, raw words of pleasure as he followed her over the edge, continuing to pump into her body long after he was empty. When he could breathe again, though not necessarily think, he folded her into his arms, dragging her onto his lap.

Tessa spoke first, her voice whisper soft. “I assume since you own this hotel that the staff will overlook the big wet stain we’re leaving on this sofa.”

His shoulders shook with mirth. “Let’s put it this way, love. Not a one of them would have the nerve to bring the subject up.”