Splendor (Inevitable #2) (37 page)

“Okay. It’s just – well, it might take some getting used to. I never thought I’d let a complete stranger – a male one at that – unpack my underwear for me,” she admitted shyly.

“Ah, well, that I understand. You could consider packing all of your lacy bits in a separate bag from now on, and simply instruct the butler not to touch that one.” His lips caressed the soft spot behind her ear. “In fact, I’d probably prefer that. Hell if I want another man to touch your lingerie.”

Ian lifted his head and took her firmly by the hand. “Come, let me give you the grand tour. I gave Tyson instructions to bring up an afternoon tea service in a few minutes, so we don’t have much time.”

As he showed her around the grand suite, she belatedly noticed the beautiful vases of roses arranged in several different locations – the showy red ones on the coffee table; the delicate pale pink blooms in the dining room; a gorgeous arrangement of rich apricot blossoms filled the master bedroom with their fragrance; and the exotic lavender bouquet that had been placed in the en suite bathroom.

Tessa sniffed appreciatively of the last bouquet, which Ian told her were officially called sterling silver roses.

“How beautiful they are,” she murmured. “Did you arrange for all of these?”

He smiled, seeming pleased at her reaction. “I did, yes. I didn’t know which color you preferred so I ordered several different one. Of course, red roses are traditional for Valentine’s Day but – well, the lavender ones in particular reminded me of you.”

Tessa touched the delicate petals with care. “And these just happen to be my favorite of all of them. Thank you, Ian. Once again you’re spoiling me rotten.”

“Ah, and the weekend is just beginning. I have a whole string of surprises planned for you.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his chest to her back, his voice husky in her ear. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.”

She caressed his hands where they rested just above her belly. “I’m sorry my little gift to you was so – simple. I had no idea what to get you since you already seem to have everything.”

“Shh. I already told you that having you here with me is the best gift I could ever hope for. And a batch of homemade cookies is icing on the cake, so to speak. Especially since they’re my favorites.”

She had fretted over what to buy him for Valentine’s Day, knowing that she couldn’t possibly afford to buy him anything extravagant, given that he wore two hundred dollar Hermes ties, had a library bursting at the seams with first edition volumes, and a well-stocked wine cellar where the cost of even a single bottle would likely make her shudder.

But she did know he liked snickerdoodles, since Mrs. Sargent had left a bakery bag for them after a recent shopping trip. Fortunately, they’d been easy to bake, given her tiny kitchen and limited cooking skills, and Ian had seemed genuinely thrilled when she had presented him with the festively beribboned bag filled with three dozen cookies.

Having skipped lunch, they both ate hungrily of the sumptuous afternoon tea service that Tyson delivered to their room. Tessa couldn’t quite stifle a yawn, however, despite the twin jolts of caffeine and sugar her system had just received.

“Sleepy, are we?” asked Ian in amusement.

She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. It’s just – well, we didn’t get much sleep last night what with - ”

“I know,” he interrupted. “I hope I wasn’t too – that it wasn’t - ”

“No.” She shook her head firmly. “You were perfect. It was perfect. I needed you just as badly, Ian.”

Tessa had been waiting for him in the library when he’d returned home just after ten o’clock the previous evening. By now she was becoming use to the hungry, almost desperate way he made love to her, the blatant carnality of his kisses and caresses, the all-consuming manner in which he possessed her body. But when he’d strode boldly into the library last night, she’d been left breathless and unable to even think with the fierce, primal way he’d taken her right there, bent over the arm of the leather sofa. He’d tossed off his suit jacket and unzipped his trousers before yanking the hem of her robe up past her waist and literally ripping the fragile silk and lace panties from her body. He’d surged into her with one powerful thrust, wrenching a cry from her throat and leaving her helpless to do anything but willingly submit to his domination of her body. They had both climaxed within minutes, the entire encounter having taken place without either of them uttering a single word. She had been shaken to the core at such a display of raw, undisguised passion on his part, and astonished that her body could so readily respond to his without even the slightest amount of foreplay.

He’d carried her upstairs to his bed then, and this time had made love to her with exquisite thoroughness, prolonging the ecstasy for what had felt like hours. And then he’d woken her again towards dawn, already imbedded deep inside of her, and wrung another shattering orgasm from her exhausted body.

She was grateful she’d taken the day off from work, because she’d been far too drowsy and pleasantly sated to do more than give him a sleepy kiss as he’d left for the office just before eight a.m. She’d slept until ten, a rare luxury for her, and had had to scramble a bit to shower, dress, and eat breakfast before he arrived home.

But Ian still didn’t look convinced at her assurance. “That first time – in the library – I was like a rutting bull, Tessa. No finesse, no control. I was - ”

“Wild.” She swiftly straddled his lap, twining her arms around his neck. “Like a beast. Or a barbarian.” She nipped his earlobe lightly with her teeth before whispering, “And I loved it. I like it when you lose control.”

He growled, shoving his hand up beneath her sweater and roughly groping her breast, making her gasp as his fingers slid inside her bra cup to pinch the nipple. “You make me lose control just by being in the same room,” he rasped. “It’s never been that way for me before, not even close.”

“Good.” She caressed his cheek, which was just beginning to show some dark stubble as the day began to draw to a close. “I like that I’m the only one who can make you do that. And,” she added playfully, “let’s make sure to keep it that way, hmm?”

He gave a short laugh. “Darling, I’ve told you on multiple occasions that you’re far more than I can handle as it is. Why on earth would I notice other women when I have all my heart desires right here?”

The sweet, wildly romantic things he seemed to have a knack for saying made her feel all gooey inside. Still, she couldn’t resist teasing him a bit more. “So you’re telling me you didn’t notice the way that very pretty front desk clerk was checking you out?”

Ian frowned. “Unless you had just mentioned it, I wouldn’t have been able to remember if the clerk had been a man or a woman. That’s how little attention I paid. But since we’re on the subject, I should mention the very interested stares you were receiving from the valet. And the bellhop. Not to mention the doorman. Ah, and I’m forgetting the dozen or so – at least – admiring males who were staring at your very sexy body as we walked through the lobby.”

“I didn’t notice any of them,” she murmured. “Nowadays, the only man I ever notice is you.”

He smoothed her sweater back down over her belly. “Well, let’s make sure to keep it that way, darling,” he said, teasing her with her own words from just moments before.

A knock sounded on the door to the suite, and he deftly lifted her off his lap. As he stood, he gave her a little wink. “That will be the next in the string of surprises,” he told her as he walked towards the door. “And this one is for both of us.”

The next surprise he’d arranged was a couple’s massage. Ian had whispered to her as the two masseurs were setting up their tables and equipment that he’d specifically requested a female to work on Tessa and a male on himself, adding that he wasn’t about to let another man put his hands on her, whether it was in a clinical manner or not. The folding massage tables were set up over by the grand picture windows so that they could look outside at the snow falling as the sun gradually began to set. One of the masseurs turned on the state of the art sound system and some relaxing classical music filled the room softly. A candle was lit and the subtle fragrance of bergamot scented the air, lending to the atmosphere of complete relaxation.

Tessa had never enjoyed the pure luxury of a massage before, and couldn’t suppress a little moan or two as the masseur found a tight spot here and there. She turned her head in the direction of Ian’s table, and gave him a sleepy smile as their eyes met. She thought blissfully that she could easily get used to this sort of pampering, and wondered if he indulged in massages on a regular basis.

When the massage ended an hour later – far too soon for her liking – she felt boneless and limp and so relaxed that Ian had to help her tie the belt of her robe.

“Hmm, I hope the next surprise is a nice long nap,” she mumbled sleepily.

He chuckled, wrapping her in his arms and dropping a kiss on her forehead. “I didn’t realize I’d worn you out quite so badly last night. I can loan you some of my vitamins,” he teased. “And you might want to consider ordering an extra- large portion of protein with your dinner this evening. Speaking of which, our reservations are in just over an hour and I’d like to have a cocktail with you first. Trust, me, you’ll like where we’re going.”

Tessa yawned, stretching her arms wide. “Umm, okay. But it’s not my fault if I suddenly start nodding off. That massage was incredible. I’ve never felt that pampered before.”

“That was the general idea, darling. To have you feeling relaxed and pampered all weekend long. Though I didn’t intend for you to be quite this relaxed,” he retorted. “Perhaps I should order you a triple espresso – or two.” He leaned forward to murmur huskily, “After all, I plan to keep you awake for hours tonight. Another part of the surprise.”

She couldn’t help trembling just a little at his heated words. “I can’t wait,” she told him a little dazedly. “Maybe we should just get room service and, ah, stay in.”

He grinned at her, shaking his head. “And ruin all of my plans? Hardly, love. Besides, the anticipation will enhance the pleasure ten times over. Trust me on this. Now, time for the next surprises. Come with me.”

Ian led her into the master bedroom, where several boxes of varying sizes had been laid out on the huge four poster bed. She looked at him expectantly, not sure what she was supposed to do next.

“And where did all these just materialize from?” she inquired. “They weren’t here earlier when I unpacked my things.”

But he only gave her a mysterious smile before telling her, “I’d like you to wear all of the items you’ll find in the boxes to dinner this evening. I’ll leave you in here while I change in the other bedroom.”

Tessa regarded him curiously. “There’s plenty of room in here for both of us, you know.”

Playfully he tugged at the belt of her robe. “Yes, but if I watch you put on some of the items you’ll find in the boxes we’ll never get out of here this evening. You might not even get to order room service. Let’s just say it will be much safer all around if I use the other room.”

His rather cryptic words suddenly made perfect sense as she removed the lids from each box and spied their contents. Her mouth dropped open in a round “O” as she drew out the gorgeous bustier of cream silk and lace shot through with red satin ribbons. There was a matching pair of tiny white silk panties tied with red satin ribbons on the sides, and sheer, silky stockings that would attach to the bustier’s garters. She now understood why Ian was changing in a separate room.

She gasped when she drew out the beautiful cocktail dress from the largest box. It was of red lace, with an off the shoulder sweetheart neckline. The label read Marchesa but of course no price tags were attached to anything. She shuddered to imagine how much it had cost.

She struggled a bit with the back hooks of the bustier but eventually managed to get them all fastened. Once she pulled on the panties and hooked the stockings to the garters, she glanced at herself in the bathroom’s full-length mirror, her eyes widening at the image that stared back at her. The wired bustier pushed her breasts up into even more generous proportions than usual, until they were nearly spilling out of the low-cut garment. The undergarment nipped in at the waist, making it look tiny, and the silky stockings made her legs look longer than ever.

The alluring red dress fit her perfectly, as did the red patent leather heels. The final two boxes held a stunning bracelet of rubies and diamonds, and a matching pair of drop earrings. Tessa touched up her makeup and brushed her hair until it shone, placed a few items into her clutch bag, and then tentatively walked into the living room.

Ian was sending a text and didn’t hear her come in, so she was able to look him over at her leisure. He was wearing a dark gray suit and a crisp white dress shirt opened at the neck, but no tie. His five o’clock shadow was more prominent now, giving him a dangerous look. He was so sexy, so mouthwateringly male, that her new panties immediately grew damp as she imagined running her hands up his body or pressing a kiss to his cheek.

He looked up then, and his gaze upon her was so smoldering that she could almost feel it burning into her skin. He stuck the phone in his jacket pocket and walked towards her, never breaking eye contact. He threaded a hand into her hair, tilting her head to one side, and brushed a kiss on her cheek.

“Hello, beautiful,” he told her huskily. “You look sinful.”

She toyed with the open neckline of his shirt for a moment before unbuttoning one more button. “So do you.” She nuzzled her nose against the exposed skin of his throat. “And you smell even better.”

He trailed his fingers up her bare arm. “I assume everything else fits – er, adequately?”

Tessa smiled. “It does, yes. Though I almost had to call you in to help me fasten up one of the – ah, items.”

Ian’s hands grasped her hips, yanking her up against him. “I trust you were able to take care of the matter yourself?”

At her nod, his gaze dropped to her cleavage, which was partially bared by the cut of the dress. She whimpered as he traced along the neckline of the dress, his long finger brushing her bare skin.