Splendor(69)

Tessa’s cheeks flushed when she recalled just how intimate they had been – the things he’d said to her, the way he’d touched and kissed her, how thoroughly he’d taken her. As if on cue, she felt an unfamiliar soreness between her legs, the muscles definitely not used to the sort of physical, demanding sex she’d engaged in.

And she was aroused again, simply from lying next to him as he slept. Her breasts felt swollen and heavy, the nipples already peaking, and she knew if she touched her cleft it would be moist and ready, despite her soreness.

Her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the darkness of the room, lit only by the glow of numbers from the digital bedside clock, and from the streetlights that shone in from outside. Tessa still couldn’t quite believe that she was really in Ian’s bed, or that everything that had happened in the past thirty-six or so hours wasn’t actually a dream. She gazed longingly at the handsome face in repose next to hers, his strong, masculine features sexy even as he slept. The lines of his firm mouth were softer now, and she noticed the dark stubble across his cheeks and chin. She was so used to always seeing him clean shaven that it was a surprise to realize how dark his hair really was. Tessa resisted the urge to press a kiss to his cheek, or run a finger over his lips, not wanting to wake him.

And then she belatedly became aware of another urge, and carefully slid out of bed to use the bathroom. Shivering without the heat of the duvet or Ian’s body, she looked around furtively for something to wear and decided on his white dress shirt. The rest of their things were scattered haphazardly around the bedroom, and the sight brought a smile to her lips. She knew from the extreme tidiness of his office that he must be something of a neat freak, and that this disarray of clothing was certainly not the norm for him.

She buttoned up his shirt as she padded into the bathroom, one room she hadn’t seen yet. Tessa was in awe of its size and extravagance – all black granite counters, marble floors and walls, and modern fixtures. The walk-in shower was enormous, more than big enough for two people, as was the sunken tub. She wondered if he would ever take her in either of those places – hopefully both – and then blushed anew as she realized where her train of thought had led her.

‘God, one night with him and you’ve turned into some sort of nymphomaniac!’ she scolded herself.

She took care of her needs swiftly, and then took an extra minute or so to wash off her makeup, making do with the soap she found by the sink. A quick check inside one of the multitude of drawers and cabinets revealed a tube of toothpaste. She squeezed a dab on her finger and gave her teeth a makeshift brushing.

Tessa left the bathroom and walked over to the bank of windows, peering out through the wooden blinds at the dark, stormy night. The grand house was so well insulated that the sounds of wind and rain were barely discernible but from what she could see the storm was quite fierce.

“Is everything all right, love?”

She whirled at the sound of Ian’s sleepy, sexy voice. He had risen onto one elbow, the duvet slipping down to bare his arms and chest, and she couldn’t help running her gaze longingly over his heavily muscled torso. He was so beautiful, so incredibly strong and – well, just so male – that it made her throat close up to look at him.

“Yes, it’s fine. I just needed the bathroom. I’m sorry if I woke you,” she told him, walking back towards the bed.

“You didn’t wake me,” he assured her. He smiled as his gaze flicked over her body. “Nice shirt. It looks much better on you than it does on me.”

Tessa laughed. “I disagree. I hope you don’t mind my borrowing it.”

His eyes twinkled at her mischievously. “Not at all. Though now I’m jealous of the shirt, even more so than your coat, because this is actually touching your bare skin.”

She placed her hand in his as he extended an arm towards her. “I may not give this back. It smells like you, after all.” She turned her face and inhaled deeply of the soft fabric.

Ian smiled. “You like the way I smell?”

Tessa nodded. “Yes, very much. I used to wish I could just bury my face against your chest and inhale your scent.”

His thumb brushed over her knuckles before he drew her hand to his lips. “So you were attracted to me at least a little?” he asked thoughtfully.

“More than a little. I confess to having quite a crush on you for a very long time.”

Even in the dimly lit room she could see how his eyes darkened at her confession. “Is that a fact? Well, it seems as though both of us spent far too much time pining for the other. We’d better start making up for lost time then, hadn’t we?”