To give Marlene and her staff adequate time to assemble all of the items, Ian had whisked her off to the in-store restaurant for a quick lunch. Tessa hadn’t missed the way the mostly female patrons eyed him admiringly, and she couldn’t blame them in the least. He was so handsome, so compelling, that she couldn’t take her eyes off of him even for a minute. Ian did everything with a masterful touch, whether it was directing his division of the company, choosing clothes for her, or ordering their lunch. She envied him his easy confidence; the way he commanded respect and attention – both male and female – without much more than a glance; and the natural charisma that drew admiring looks even when he went out of his way to be discreet.
He was clean shaven this morning, but she knew that his five o’clock shadow would start appearing sooner than later. He wasn’t wearing a suit since it was a Saturday, but the perfectly pressed gray wool slacks and black fisherman’s sweater worn over a crisp white shirt were still elegant and classy, giving him the look of a 1940’s cinema star – a Cary Grant or Clark Gable. Tessa was glad she’d worn one of her new dresses – a gorgeous Donna Karan burgundy wool wrap-front paired with taupe Jimmy Choo heels. The chic, expensive outfit made her feel worthy of being seen with Ian, and also of fitting in with the other well-dressed store patrons.
Marlene had raved about her outfit when they’d arrived this morning, complementing the color and fit.
“But then with your hair and skin tone you can really wear almost any color,” the personal shopper had acknowledged. “Not to mention the fabulous figure you have.” Then, in a hushed tone for Tessa’s ears only, she’d added, “It’s small wonder he’s so crazy about you, dear. He can’t keep his eyes off of you for very long.”
It was on the tip of Tessa’s tongue to reply that the feeling was mutual, but Ian had called her over at that point to look at a selection of cocktail dresses.
Now in the dressing room, Tessa glanced around in confusion. “I don’t even know where to begin,” she confessed.
Ian gestured at the far end of the room. “Just begin down there, darling, and work your way across. If there’s something you don’t like, you can leave it on the rolling rack they brought in.”
She sighed. “Okay, here goes. But I’m telling you right now – there is no way you’re buying me all of this stuff.”
He gave her an indulgent smile. “We’ll see.”
Tessa was very aware of his gaze upon her as she stripped off the burgundy dress and stood there in her lacy lingerie – a sumptuous bra of blush colored lace and matching lacy panties that bared half of her ass, along with the sheer lace topped thigh-highs that Ian seemed to be fascinated with. She heard him mutter something indecipherable under his breath and glanced his way inquisitively.
“Something the matter?” she asked, reaching for the first dress on the rack.
His gaze was fixated on her breasts as he shook his head slowly. “Not one damned thing, no. You look – Jesus, it’s going to be a bloody long afternoon watching you dress and undress.”
She gave him a cheeky smile. “Hey, this was your idea. I wasn’t the one who picked out enough clothes to fill two closets.”
Ian scoffed. “Darling, what’s on these racks won’t even make a dent in the space set aside for you in my closet. Correction, our closet, At least it will be when you move in. And you’ll need all of these things plus a great deal more when you start traveling with me.”
Tessa shook her head in disbelief, even as she zipped up the Roland Mouret dress of jade blue wool. “This is an obscene amount of stuff. I’ve never needed more than a few blouses and skirts and a handful of dresses before.”
He gave her a quick look-over in the classy dress with its asymmetrical neckline and fitted waist before nodding in approval. “That one for sure. The color is perfect for you. And yes, I’m aware you’ve made do with a limited wardrobe before and think all of this is unnecessary. But if you’re going to live in my world, darling, you’ll have to get used to this sort of thing. Like it or not, you’ll be somewhat in the public eye, certainly photographed when we attend events, and dressing well is something of a requirement.”
She gave a reluctant nod “I understand. And I don’t want to embarrass you, Ian. I already feel awkward and completely out of your league. I’m sure everyone is wondering what in the world you see in me.”
“Tessa.” He beckoned her over and she walked to stand between his spread legs, his hands resting on her waist. His voice was stern but gentle as he told her, “You could never embarrass me. I’ve told you that already. And it’s absolutely no secret what I see in you – the most gorgeous, sexy and enchanting woman I’ve ever known. On the contrary, they’re all wondering what a hot young thing sees in this old man.”