Splendor(87)

She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled a little closer. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For listening to me and understanding.”

“I will always be here for you, Tessa,” he told her earnestly. “You’re never going to be alone again. Or frightened. And definitely not homeless. I can’t even process that idea yet – it makes me want to hit something when I think about it. But you can be damned certain nothing or no one is ever going to hurt you again, so long as I’m alive and kicking.”

She fell asleep in his arms not long afterwards, emotionally exhausted from everything she’d just told him. He carried her upstairs to his room and undressed her carefully, leaving her clad only in the black lace bra and panties she’d obviously worn to please him. But as beautiful and tempting as she was, he kept his libido in check, for this was not a night for amorous activity. Not when she was so vulnerable, so in need of comfort and support. Instead, he covered her with the duvet, brushing her hair back with a tender hand, before returning to the library.

It was a long time and two more snifters of brandy later before he felt the least bit sleepy. What Tessa had just told him – the sad picture she’d drawn for him of her life – made him feel sick at heart when he tried to imagine how lost and lonely she’d been. Unbidden, images of her at various points in her life flitted through his mind – one of a small, innocent child left to fend for herself while her mother was too deeply mired in depression to even get out of bed; the next of a shy, lonely adolescent girl beginning her first day at what was her third new school that year, desperately trying to catch up with the lessons; and the last – and most disturbing image – that of a teenaged Tessa, alone and forced to sleep in her car because she had no family or friends to take her in.

And yet she’d come through all of that without any obvious emotional scars, save for the shyness she still exhibited and her fear of succumbing to the dark depression that had ultimately been responsible for her mother’s death. She had taken the required steps to acquire a good job, to support herself and make certain she would never again be a victim of poverty. And throughout the telling of her story, Tessa had never once complained about the lot life had dealt her, or expected sympathy because of it. It was remarkable, really, what she and her soon-to-be ex-husband had made of themselves, given their unfortunate upbringings. From what he’d surmised, Tessa and Peter had both worked hard to support themselves with multiple jobs and had lived a very frugal lifestyle.

And learning about the abuse Peter had suffered as a boy, and the subsequent effect it had had on his relationship with Tessa explained quite a bit. Peter’s seeming inability to be intimate with his gorgeous young wife made it clear to Ian why Tessa was so inexperienced sexually.

‘Christ,’ he thought in some amusement, ‘she’s practically a virgin, mate.’

He felt nothing but empathy for what Peter had suffered, and great appreciation for how the boy had helped out an innocent young girl, but he was also selfish enough to feel elation that he – and not Tessa’s ex – would be the one to bring her true sexual fulfillment.

Ian finished the last of his brandy, made sure the fire was doused, and went upstairs to bed. Tessa was sleeping peacefully, her cheeks flushed becomingly as he undressed and slid into bed beside her. And as she turned towards him automatically in her sleep, his heart sang with the joy of finally having her exactly where he’d always dreamed of for so long.

***

Tessa’s hands were a little unsteady as she unlocked the door to her apartment. She’d rather foolishly hoped that Ian would agree to just drop her off and not expect to come inside, but she really ought to have known better. Ever since she’d told him about her past last night, he’d seemed extra protective, even more solicitous of her, and when she’d told him just now that he really didn’t have to see her inside the look he had given her was almost scathing.

“Don’t be silly,” he’d told her firmly. “Tessa, after hearing how you’ve had to struggle for so many years I’m not expecting that you’ll be living in a penthouse somewhere.”

But she honestly didn’t think he had any idea of just how humble her tiny apartment was. Ian was used to Georgian brick mansions and Tuscan villas and staying in the owners suites of luxury hotels. Not a dark, poorly insulated and shabby little set of rooms inside an old building located in a not so nice part of the city.

Tessa offered up a silent thanks that at the very least the place was as clean and tidy as possible. After the shocking turn of events in Ian’s office last Thursday evening – which now seemed as though it had happened three months ago as opposed to a mere three nights – she’d been so rattled and unable to sleep that she had cleaned the entire apartment from top to bottom.