Splendor (Inevitable #2) (32 page)

This time when she slid off his lap, Ian didn’t protest, merely taking her hand in his.

“Thank you.” She leaned over to whisper in his ear. “I’ll, um, return the favor later.”

He chuckled before whispering back, “We’re not keeping score here, love. But I’ll certainly take you up on your very inviting offer before the weekend is over. Quite possibly before this night is.”

For the remainder of the drive to his house, they were on their best behavior, their linked hands the only parts of their bodies touching. They talked about work, his trip, the weather forecast for the weekend which was supposed to be pleasant and warmer than was the norm for this time of year.

Tessa’s interest was piqued. “Can we have breakfast out on the terrace? I don’t mind if it’s a little cool in the morning, do you?”

He smiled at her indulgently, as though she were a little girl who’d just asked for a new doll. “Not at all, darling. Especially since the terrace is nicely sheltered from the wind. Not to mention all the patio heaters I have outside.”

She beamed at him. “So, it’s a date, then? Will you let me cook for you again?”

Ian brushed his thumb over her lips. “If that gives you pleasure, then, yes, of course. But you’re going to spoil me very quickly if I allow you to keep doing things like that.”

“I like doing things for you,” she told him guilessly. “And you deserve to be spoiled, especially after everything you’ve done for me. Has no one ever done that for you?”

“Spoiled me, you mean?” He shook his head. “Not that I’ve lived a deprived lifestyle by any means. But my parents were determined that my brothers and I not grow up to be pampered, snobbish brats so we weren’t overly indulged as children. As far as another woman spoiling me – I can honestly say that you’re the only one who’s ever offered to do so.”

Tessa smiled in delight. “Once again I’m very happy that I was the first for you in some small way.”

Ian’s expression was one of incredible tenderness, so much that it made her heart soar. “Tessa, you have no idea how many firsts you’ve already given me. When the time is right, I’ll tell you exactly what they are.”

They arrived at his house moments later, not giving her an opportunity to quiz him on his mysterious comment. And then, almost the very second the front door was shut behind them, she wasn’t given the chance to do anything but submit willingly to his very urgent desires.

“Hurry,” he urged, leading her up the stairs to his room. “It feels like four years since I’ve had you instead of only four days.”

Clothes were shed in between hungry, passionate kisses, a trail of coats, shoes, shirts, and other garments left in their wake as they stumbled into his bedroom. Tessa still wore her lingerie and shoes as he all but flung her onto the bed, while he was splendidly nude save for his snug-fitting black briefs. Her blue eyes grew round and huge as he swiftly divested himself of his last remaining article of clothing, baring his truly magnificent body to her eager gaze, the sight of his massive erection causing her to pant in anticipation.

She hadn’t expected him to be gentle, given the near-desperation of his kisses, but she still cried out in shocked surprise as he fisted one hand in her panties, yanking them down her legs, just before surging as deep inside of her as possible in one masterful stroke.

“Ah, ah, oh, my God,” she wailed, feeling the head of his cock battering against the tip of her womb. “Ian – oh - ”

Her voice trailed off as he began moving inside of her roughly, his voice low as he uttered a series of brusque instructions.

“Lift your legs up onto my shoulders. Yes, like that. God, that’s good.”

“That’s it, love, wrap those beautiful long legs around my neck.”

“Ah, Christ, you’re so damned tight. I’m not going to last long this first time.”

Just when Tessa didn’t think he could possibly fill her even one more inch, couldn’t get any deeper inside of her, he slid his hands beneath her buttocks and lifted her several inches off the mattress. At his first hard thrust from this position, she came instantly, sobbing out his name as the pleasure rocked through her body.

He continued his hard, almost brutal thrusts until she heard him curse vividly, “Jesus, fuck,” and then he was coming uncontrollably, his body jerking over and over. Tessa gazed up at him, spellbound by his erotic male beauty – his dark hair damp with sweat, his eyes tightly shut as he continued to spill himself inside of her. Even as she felt the hot, sticky bursts of semen begin to trickle down her inner thighs, he was still coming, still filling her with his seed.

He groaned as he collapsed on top of her, crushing her much lighter body into the mattress as he buried his damp face against the side of her neck. She stroked his head soothingly, her lips touching his temples and brow. They remained just that way for several minutes, until the weight of his heavily muscled body was too much and she began to gasp a little for air. Ian quickly slid off of her onto his side, drawing her close.

“Sorry, sorry,” he murmured, his hand tilting her head back. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? Not just now, but, well, before when - ”

“No.” She gave him a brief kiss. “You didn’t. But I think I might have seen some stars there for a few minutes.”

Ian chuckled. “I know the feeling, love. Except I think I was in another solar system entirely. God, the way you make me lose all control, Tessa – that’s never, ever happened to me before.”

She ran her hand up and down his arm, squeezing his bulging bicep along the way. “It’s hard to imagine you ever losing control. At the office you’re always in total command, everyone’s more than a little intimidated by you.”

He captured her roving hand, running his tongue over the knuckles. “Ah, but I don’t have a mostly naked, entirely tempting goddess to entice me into losing control there. Well, I do, but you’re not - ”

“Mostly naked there,” she finished. “Except for one very embarrassing time.”

He laughed in recollection. “I have to keep the door to my washroom closed most of the time, you know. Otherwise, every time I look in that direction all I can see is the vision you made standing in the doorway that night, these gorgeous breasts almost spilling out of that bra. Speaking of which.”

Tessa gasped as his hand slid up her bare hip past her ribcage to squeeze one breast. In the next moment she’d been tumbled onto her back and he was straddling her thighs, his gaze locked hotly on her breasts still encased in the black lace bra.

He dipped a finger into her deep cleavage. “I’ve been imagining you all day long in this bra, you know,” he told her huskily. “But no fantasy is quite as remarkable as the real thing. Let me see you now, Tessa.”

He unhooked the bra with ease and peeled the cups away, baring her full breasts. Their groans were simultaneous as he filled his palms with her warm flesh, his fingers plucking the nipples into even harder peaks. She whimpered as his caresses grew more aggressive, his fingers twisting and pinching the nipples, his large hands palming her breasts roughly.

“Do you like this?” he asked in a voice that demanded a reply.

“Y-yes,” she breathed. “S-so good.”

Ian slid down her body, his lips tracing a hot path from the base of her throat down between her breasts. Then his tongue was licking a slow, deliberate circle around one reddened nipple, as her back bowed off the mattress, her hands clutching at the sheets.

“Easy, love,” he soothed her, stroking her hip. “You’re so responsive, Tessa, so naturally uninhibited.”

“Ummm.” She sighed in bliss as his mouth closed over her nipple, sucking it until she was squirming. He shifted his lips to the other breast, while his hand slid down over her quivering belly into the soft nest of her pubic hair. Two long fingers thrust deep inside her slit, where she was still sticky from his very recent orgasm.

“You’re all creamy from my cum,” he purred in her ear, his thumb brushing over her clit and making her thrash wildly beneath him. “It feels as though I’ve marked you, claimed this tight little pussy as my own.” His fingers thrust as deeply inside her as they could reach. “And you are mine, Tessa, make no mistake about it. You belong to me now, and I’ve no intention of letting that change.”

“Yes, yours,” she sobbed as he continued to arouse her, the thrust of his fingers and the rasp of his thumb twin assaults on her already over-stimulated senses. She cried out almost plaintively as he brought her over the edge yet again.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, holding her tight. “You’re magnificent when you come, Tessa. It makes me want to see how many times I can bring you that sort of bliss.”

She felt limp and replete, almost boneless as her arms twined loosely around his neck. “Okay,” was all she could manage in response.

Ian gave a low laugh. “Perhaps just one more, hmm? Then I’ll get us fed so we can keep our strength up. After all, our weekend has barely begun.”

Tessa was so lightheaded and sated from her most recent orgasm that she didn’t think it was possible for her to even move, much less make love again. But then Ian was gently rolling her onto her side, his hard body spooning her, and she gasped when he eased inside of her from that position.

“All right there, love?” he hummed, even as he lifted her leg to wrap around his hip. “You’re not too sore, are you?”

“Mmm, no.” She expelled a breath as he slid in and out of her, gently this time, as though he were savoring each slow, careful thrust.

“You feel so good, Tessa,” he groaned. “God, I’ve never felt this much before, felt like I could keep fucking you for hours. It’s perfect, you’re perfect.”

He grasped her chin and tipped her head back just far enough so he could kiss her long and hot, his tongue sweeping lazily through her mouth until she was mindless with the pleasure.

Her climax this time was as gentle and tender as his lovemaking had been, but no less satisfying. Ian held her within his arms for a long time after he came, until they were almost falling asleep.

After a leisurely shower, they dressed in comfy loungewear and picked up their discarded clothing from the hallway and stairs. Ian ordered in Chinese food for them, from a restaurant that was light years better than the greasy takeout places in her neighborhood. They ate in the kitchen, sharing a bottle of perfectly chilled Chardonnay, before settling in to watch a movie in the library.

Mrs. Sargent had stocked their favorite ice cream flavors for them – Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough for her, Haagen Daas chocolate peanut butter for him.

Ian grinned as Tessa licked ice cream off the back of her spoon. “Remind me to add whipped cream to next week’s shopping list. Maybe some chocolate or caramel syrup, too.”

Tessa wrinkled her nose. “The ice cream is rich enough for me. I’m not sure I want to spoil the taste with that other stuff.”

He leaned over and licked a dab of ice cream off the corner of her mouth. “Ah, but it isn’t for the ice cream, love,” he teased. He trailed a finger around one of her breasts. “I think this would taste even more delicious with some syrup drizzled on it.” His hand drifted over her belly to cup the juncture of her thighs. “And I could get very inventive with a can of whipped cream.”

Her head fell back against the sofa, her spoon clattering to the floor as he rubbed her clit through her yoga pants. “Sounds – ah, messy. We might – ooh – get the sheets sticky.”

His tongue traced over her lips, his mouth cool from the ice cream. “That’s the plan, darling.”

***

Tessa stared in some dismay at the amount of clothing, shoes, lingerie, and other accessories that had been strategically hung up and arranged around the oversized dressing room. She hadn’t realized that they had picked out quite so many items for her to try on while perusing the various racks earlier in the day.

She turned to face Ian, who’d taken a seat on the wide, padded bench that took up most of one wall of the room. “I can’t possibly need all of these clothes,” she told him firmly. “It will take me hours to try everything on.”

He raised a brow at her expectantly. “Well, then, you’d best get on with it, hadn’t you? I made dinner reservations for seven-thirty so there’s not much time to waste.”

Tessa frowned, glancing at the wall clock. “But it’s not even one-thirty, we have hours yet.”

Ian smiled meaningfully. “Ah, but I have other plans for you this afternoon as well. And you’ll likely need both a hot shower and a long nap afterwards.”

She felt her cheeks grow warm at his very pointed words. He’d made love to her again last night after carrying her upstairs to bed, but she’d been too sleepy and a bit on the sore side this morning for anything more than some cuddling. To her delight, the weather had been pleasant and sunny, and they’d been able to enjoy breakfast out on his secluded flagstone terrace. The gardens and backyard decks of his house were as beautifully designed as the interior, and Tessa was looking forward to exploring them in more detail with the approach of springtime in a few more weeks.

By mid-morning they’d arrived at Neiman Marcus, and meeting with Marlene who seemed very pleased to be helping them again. Tessa had struggled not to feel lost as Ian had taken her by the hand, examining an endless assortment of clothing for her to try on. Marlene had followed in their wake, tagging each item as they went along and taking copious notes besides.

Ian seemed to have an innate sense for the styles, colors and fabrics that suited her best, and she was more than happy to follow his suggestions. On the rare occasions that she didn’t like something he chose, he adhered to her wishes immediately. And if she spotted an item that caught her fancy, he instantly agreed with her choice. The one thing he strictly forbade her to do was even glance at a single price tag.

To give Marlene and her staff adequate time to assemble all of the items, Ian had whisked her off to the in-store restaurant for a quick lunch. Tessa hadn’t missed the way the mostly female patrons eyed him admiringly, and she couldn’t blame them in the least. He was so handsome, so compelling, that she couldn’t take her eyes off of him even for a minute. Ian did everything with a masterful touch, whether it was directing his division of the company, choosing clothes for her, or ordering their lunch. She envied him his easy confidence; the way he commanded respect and attention – both male and female – without much more than a glance; and the natural charisma that drew admiring looks even when he went out of his way to be discreet.