Splendor (Inevitable #2) (36 page)

Tessa looked around the room wildly. “You’re not serious, are you? I mean, I’m not sure I could really do –
that
here.”

He slowly removed his hands from her body and stepped back to put some much needed distance between them, unable to walk back to his office with his fully engorged cock tenting his trousers. “I was thinking of this weekend actually. The bed we’ll be using at the resort is a four poster – one post for each of your limbs. Does that idea excite you, Tessa – being bound that way? Would you allow me to do that?”

Her eyes grew even bigger and rounder, her lips slightly parted. His gaze dropped briefly to her breasts, and he swore softly beneath his breath as he noticed how her nipples were poking against the fabric of her blouse.

“Yes,” she told him breathlessly. “I think – yes, I’d like that. You can do – whatever you like.”

“Jesus.” His pulse rate ratcheted up by several beats as she gazed at him with an expression of unabashed, naked desire on her face. “You make me want to spread you out on that table right now, just like in your dream, and fuck you until neither one of us can summon a single coherent thought.” He forced himself to walk over to the door. “And if I don’t leave now to take that phone call I might just act on that impulse.”

Ian was thankful to notice that no one was loitering in the hallway outside the conference room – not that any of his employees would have dared to inquire why the door might have been shut. No one questioned his authority here or at any of the hotels under his direction. He was the unequivocal leader, the “boss man” as he’d heard himself referred to on occasion, and the amount of power he could wield over his share of the family empire – if he so desired – was staggering. But Ian had learned a long time ago to never, ever abuse that power, to treat every employee with respect, and not act like some feudal lord of the manor. There was a very fine line that had to be walked in his position, and he prided himself on never crossing over it.

Though if anyone in this office began to suspect that he was carrying on a very personal and very passionate relationship with one of his employees, there would certainly be hell to pay. As he listened with barely controlled patience to the employee from the London headquarters drone on about the series of board meetings he’d be attending, Ian was rather appalled at the complete lack of control he’d just displayed. He was damned lucky no one had come looking for him, or tried to enter the conference room when he’d been locked inside there with Tessa. But then, ever since he’d revealed his attraction to her and they’d become lovers, he seemed to be losing a bit more of his ironclad control every day. That was what she did to him – a girl fifteen years his junior; a sexual innocent despite her marriage of several years; and the only woman who’d ever come close to making him go crazy with lust, enough so that he’d just taken a very unwise risk, not particularly giving a damn if they were discovered.

And then she’d made everything ten times worse by telling him in that sexy as hell, breathy voice that he could do whatever he wanted to her. God, did she have any idea – even the slightest – what that sort of confession did to a man? Especially a man who already panted after her constantly, as though she were a mare in heat.

By the time the architect’s meeting was ready to begin a short while later, Ian had regained full control of his wayward emotions, assuming his formal Managing Director persona once again. He forced himself not to glance towards the back of the conference room where he knew Tessa would be, and instead walked directly towards the other extraordinarily beautiful woman in the room.

“Julia. How are you this morning?” He greeted the always smartly dressed interior designer with a firm handshake. He knew that she had befriended Tessa over these last few months and was exceedingly grateful for the kindness she’d shown her.

Julia gave him a rather odd smile, her expressive green eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. “I’m very well, Ian, thank you. And I owe you a huge favor after you arranged for the wedding coordinator at your Pebble Beach resort to call me back. Not to mention mysteriously finding an open date for us in June.”

He winked at her. “It’s all in the way you ask the questions, my dear. And I’m very happy to be of help.”

“Nathan and I are actually heading down to Carmel this weekend to visit my parents, so we’ve set up a meeting at the hotel. Do you have any special plans for the long weekend?”

He was instantly on alert at Julia’s super sweet tone, not to mention the way her rose-glossed lips curled into a smirk. “Ah, yes, I’m actually headed to Lake Tahoe. The skiing is supposed to be quite good this weekend.” He intentionally didn’t mention that he was bringing Tessa along with him.

Julia wrinkled her pert little nose. “Hmm, not much of a fan of the snow. Something about being cold and wet just doesn’t appeal. But I hope you enjoy your weekend, Ian. By the way, is Tessa working the meeting this morning? I have something I need to ask her.”

Ian forced himself to remain impassive as he replied. “Yes, I believe I saw her here earlier setting up. Was there something you needed for the meeting, Julia? I’m sure Tessa can take care of it for you.”

Julia shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing like that. It’s not really business related. We – well, one of Nathan’s clients gave us four tickets to see
The Book of Mormon
next weekend and I wanted to see if Tessa would like to go with us.” She lowered her voice as she added, “Nathan and I were thinking of setting her up with one of his friends. After all, she’s way too young and pretty to stay at home every weekend, don’t you think?”

Ian froze. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear that the innocent-looking Julia was quite deliberately trying to provoke him, or at least goad him into reacting. He wasn’t sure how she would know, but he had a very strong feeling that she suspected there was something going on between him and Tessa. He knew the two women had run into each other at their yoga studio last weekend, but he’d been extremely careful to park a block or so away when he’d picked Tessa up so as not to be seen.

His right hand curled into a fist as he waged an internal struggle to remain calm. “You should – ah – discuss that with her, Julia.”

Julia smiled brightly, looking too much like a cat who’d swallowed the canary to put him at ease. “I believe I will. Oh, there she is. Oops, better go rescue her from Jake the Snake. God, that man does not understand the concept of taking no for an answer, does he?”

Julia actually had the audacity to give him a saucy wink just before sauntering off in search of Tessa. Ian’s steely gaze followed her progress, his mouth tightening in mingled annoyance and anger as he noticed how closely Nathan’s associate architect Jake was standing next to Tessa. And when the prick actually dared to put his hand on Tessa’s lower back as he murmured something in her ear, Ian was about five seconds away from losing it.

“Nathan.”

Julia’s fiancée – and the lead architect on the new hotel project - was at Ian’s side in an instant, a look of concern on his face.

“Is there a problem, Ian?” he asked.

“Two of them actually.” Ian inclined his head towards the back of the room. “You need to call your boy Jake off. At once. And tell him I have a very strict hands off policy when it comes to my – employees.”

Nathan gave a curt nod. “I’ll take care of it. What was the other problem?”

Ian glared at Julia, who was even now approaching Tessa with a perky smile. “Your very charming but extremely nosy fiancé. Tell Julia that if she persists in playing with fire that someone besides herself might get burned.”

Julia waved at both of them cheekily before returning her attention to Tessa, elbowing Jake aside at the same time. She had an extremely satisfied smile on her face.

Nathan sighed. “Aw, hell. I think I’ve got to go shoe shopping with her after work.”

Chapter Sixteen

Tessa couldn’t help the rather awestruck reaction she had as Ian drove up beneath the porte-cochere of the hotel. The mountain lodge in Lake Tahoe was of a much different design than either the opulent high-rise hotel in San Francisco, or the sprawling Mission-style resort in Tucson, the only other two Gregson properties she’d ever set foot in. Situated high on top of a mountain, the lodge was majestic and grand with its stone façade and high windows. Pristine banks of carefully groomed snow surrounded the property on all sides. Tessa had read on the lodge’s website that it offered ski-in/ski-out accommodations, as well as a ski valet and highly rated ski shop on premise. She had never been on skis before, and the only time she’d ever seen actual snow had been one winter years ago when she had lived in Sedona with her mother. She knew Ian was an accomplished skier, and that he had plans to get her out on the slopes this weekend, a prospect that she was admittedly a little nervous about.

The drive up from San Francisco had been smooth and relatively traffic-free. Ian had rushed home as soon as his meeting had ended, and was behind the wheel of his sturdy, four-wheel drive Range Rover by late morning. It had been just past three o’clock when he’d exited the highway for the lodge.

Tessa was more than a little amazed at the way the hotel staff mobilized so swiftly, evidently having been informed to expect Ian and his guest. In quick succession, a valet had taken his car keys, a bellhop unloaded their luggage, and the doorman held the massive front doors leading to the lobby open for them. Ian kept a hand on the small of her back as they walked through the sprawling lobby with its vaulted, wood beam ceilings, flagstone floors, and imposing stone fireplace. Tessa didn’t miss the way almost every single person passing through turned and stared at him, the admiration evident on both female and male faces. She was beginning to get used to the effect her handsome, debonair lover had on people, how he attracted attention no matter where they went, and also how he seemed to be so completely nonchalant about it. For her part, she couldn’t help the thrill she felt at knowing this magnificent man was really hers, and that for reasons she couldn’t really fathom as yet, he’d chosen her out of the thousands of other women around the world who’d give anything to be by his side right now.

The pretty brunette desk clerk who checked them in appeared to be as susceptible to Ian’s charm as anyone else, staring up at him with unabashed interest as he signed in and took the card keys to the owner’s suite. Tessa gave the brunette a tiny frown before sidling up closer against Ian’s side, silently staking her claim. He smiled down at her, dropped a kiss on top of her head, and slid an arm around her waist. Tessa’s frown quickly changed to a very satisfied smile, and she was pleased to note that the clerk was suddenly all business, averting her gaze as she finished the check-in process.

Tessa’s jaw dropped open again as the private butler assigned to their suite opened the double doors and ushered her inside. She could Ian speaking to the man in a low tone as she stared in disbelief at the splendor of the lavishly appointed rooms.

Here, too, were the vaulted wood beam ceilings, and a huge stone fireplace, though these floors were covered in a thick, plush carpet. Floor to ceiling picture windows offered a breathtaking view of the snow-covered mountains outside, and French doors opened out to a private patio where she could see a fire pit and hot tub. The furnishings were a combination of rustic comfort and understated luxury.

A quick inspection of the suite revealed a spacious living room, separate formal dining area, and a fully equipped kitchen. There were two bedrooms, each with their own en suite bathroom. The suite was easily large enough to live in comfortably for days or weeks at a time, and it suddenly dawned on her that this was exactly the sort of opulent lifestyle she could expect to live when she moved in with Ian permanently. And as thrilling as that idea was, it also gave her renewed cause for concern, bringing to the surface all of her fears and insecurities that she just didn’t fit into this world of privilege and extreme wealth.

“Does this meet with your approval?”

Tessa turned to face Ian, who was just now closing the door to the suite. Her heart caught in her throat as she thought of how handsome he looked, how mouthwateringly sexy. He was more casually dressed than usual, clad all in black – wool slacks, a turtleneck sweater and a heavy leather jacket worn in deference to the cold weather. He looked dangerous and sophisticated at the same time, an irresistible combination.

At his urging, she’d dressed in a similarly casual manner – dark skinny jeans, black cashmere sweater, black ankle boots and a black knit cap pulled over her ears. Tessa didn’t want to think about how much money such a seemingly laid back outfit like this had cost, though she knew from performing a quick Google search that just the little cashmere cap had cost over a hundred dollars.

She walked over to Ian, sliding her hands up his chest to clasp around his neck. “Are you referring to this room or to yourself? Because if it’s the latter, I would have to say a very emphatic yes.”

“Is that right?” he asked lazily, his hands sweeping down the sides of her hips to cup her buttocks. “Well, I’d say you also have my wholehearted approval. Especially the way your gorgeous arse looks in these tight jeans.”

Tessa smiled, burying her face against the strong, warm column of his neck and inhaling deeply. “Mmm, you smell even better than usual. Must be the added touch of the leather.”

He kissed her temple, his hand keeping her head pressed to his shoulder. “Would you like the butler to unpack for you, or would you prefer to do it yourself?”

She looked up at him in surprise. “He would do that – actually hang my clothes up and put my shoes away? Not to mention unpacking all my – ah, more personal stuff. I think I’d rather do it myself, actually.”

He grinned, giving her a playful chuck on the chin. “To answer your question – yes, Tyson would certainly be happy to perform that task for you. You’ll begin to see as we travel together that each of our hotels offers this sort of private butler or concierge service for occupants of the larger suites. You’ll need to get used to them doing things for you and letting yourself be pampered. It’s one of the many perks you’ll enjoy as my companion.”