Splendor(134)

Tessa felt guilty accepting the things but realized it was necessary in order to keep up the charade, so she merely thanked all of them profusely.

Getting back to work a day earlier than planned turned out to be the best decision she could have made, for it was so busy that she didn’t have time to dwell on her recent trauma. With both Ian’s and Andrew’s blessings, she had elected not to tell the rest of the team about her impending resignation just yet. Word would get out soon enough, since Andrew was already hard at work searching for her replacement.

It was so busy, in fact, that Gina and Alicia didn’t have time to indulge in one of their usual gabfests until mid-afternoon, when the frantic pace of the workday had finally begun to ease up just a bit.

“Oh, my God, it’s been so crazy today that I forgot all about the news my mother gave me this morning,” Alicia began breathlessly. “She and my father were out at dinner last night with some friends from their club when they saw His Hotness. They were all at Harris Steakhouse and evidently the Boss Man was there with his new amour.”

Tessa’s fingers froze in midair poised over her keyboard, and she forced herself not to betray even the slightest reaction to Alicia’s gossip. She’d been dreading this moment of revelation all day, and had expected Alicia to bring up the subject long before now. Ian had warned her that it was extremely likely the news would travel very quickly to Alicia, once her parents had spotted him at the restaurant last night.

She’d been instantly concerned when he had rather casually mentioned that Alicia’s mother and father were seated a few tables away with two other couples.

“Aren’t you worried?” she’d whispered urgently. “Alicia talks to her mother every single day and the subject is sure to come up.”

Ian had shrugged, not seeming in the least concerned, and had merely taken a sip of his wine. “Not especially, no. They won’t have the nerve to actually walk over here and say hello, particularly if I continue to ignore them. And you’ve never met her parents, have you?”

She’d shaken her head. “No. Alicia meets her mother for lunch quite a bit but she’s never brought her back up to the office.”

“Then there’s no problem,” he’d replied in a calm manner. “All she’ll be able to tell Alicia is that she saw me here with a young, beautiful blonde who I appeared to be extremely taken with. Alicia is such an egotistical little witch that she’d never begin to imagine that you were the woman I spent the entire evening staring at like a lovesick boy.”

He’d taken her hand in his, bringing it to his lips, and smiled fondly as her cheeks had flushed rosily. He had insisted on taking the seat next to her, instead of across the table, and so their shoulders had brushed up against each other continually during the meal.

The pre-dinner cocktail and glass of wine she’d already consumed had given Tessa a heady sensation of boldness as she leaned closer against him.

“Maybe we should really give her mother something to gossip about then, hmm?” she’d murmured in his ear, sliding her hand up his muscular thigh beneath the table.

He’d hissed as her fingers brushed teasingly against his crotch before clamping his fingers around her wrist. “Not just her but the entire restaurant,” he’d growled. “And you are entirely too tempting, my love. Especially since I know what you’re wearing underneath that dress. Did Julia help you select what to wear?”

Tessa had nodded. “She said to tell you that you have wonderful taste in clothing, a gift in fact.”

“Did she?” He’d leaned over and given her a soft, lingering kiss on the lips. “I agree that I have exceptional taste – after all, I chose you, didn’t I?”

Gina and the others were all ears at Alicia’s big news, instantly clamoring for more details.

“Another brunette, I take it?” asked Gina. “He does seem to favor them.”

Alicia shook her head. “Uh, uh. A blonde this time. And young. My mother said she’s at least ten years younger than he is, maybe more.”

“Ooh, His Hotness is doing some cradle robbing, is he?” cooed Kevin. “Well, he’s such a stud it’s little wonder he needs a piece of sweet young ass. An older woman probably doesn’t have the stamina to keep up with him.”

Tessa couldn’t help the flush that seemed to spread throughout her entire body at Kevin’s ribald comment. At fifteen years Ian’s junior, she was constantly amazed at his sexual prowess and at the way he wore her out in bed.

Last night had been a revelation. Given free rein to take her any way he chose, Ian had twisted and contorted her body into sexual positions she hadn’t dreamed existed. Tessa fidgeted in her chair and felt her panties grow damp when she remembered how he’d dragged her to the edge of the bed – her back on the mattress, her long legs locked at the ankles around his neck, as he’d fucked her while standing on the side of the bed. He’d been so deep that way, had been able to thrust into her so hard, that she’d very nearly blacked out for a few moments.