Tessa's Temptation(28)

"Are you saying I should leave my pajamas on?"

"Absolutely not." She always came to bed dressed in pajamas but somehow  he managed to take them off in a matter of minutes. "I want you naked  and in my arms."

"Are you ready for dinner? It's in the slow cooker. May turned it off before she left but it's still hot."

"In a few minutes." He removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie. "I  need to check on a package. Seth had it messengered to the office this  morning but no one has seen it. I have to call and see if I can track it  down before five." He checked his watch hoping to resolve this issue in  a timely manner. "I have about ten minutes before their office closes."                       
       
           



       

"Audra dropped off a package this morning. It's on your desk."

"Really?" Why would she intercept a delivery at the office and bring it to his house? "That's odd."

"She made it sound as if she'd helped with the deal and wanted you to have the papers when you got home."

"Hmm..." He draped his jacket over a kitchen chair. "She didn't draw up  the papers for this one. I'm not sure why she would come here." He  wasn't sure why Audra did most things these days. "I'll be back in a  few. I want to make sure it's the envelope I'm looking for."

"It's about the property on Hollow Lake." She followed him to his study.  "Audra told me she thought you were making a mistake when you went  after it."

Of course she did. Audra had a way with tracking down information. That  was why she was such an asset to him. She could research any situation  and turn the information into an advantage. She had enough access to  Chase and his contacts, so he wasn't surprised she'd figured out what he  was doing.

"My dad's cabin was on that lake."

"I know." He picked up the envelope from his desk and quickly read the note Audra had left him.

These must be important because Seth was so quick in getting this  settled. Let me know if you need me to go over anything for you.

Audra

What could she be up to? Why would she care if he bought land on a lake?  It had nothing to do with the firm. If her search was extensive enough  –   and he was certain it had been  –  she would have learned that Tessa's  father once owned the cabin. He was getting tired of the games.

"Is the cabin near the property you bought?" Tessa interrupted his unpleasant thoughts about his attorney.

"Come here." He beckoned her over to the desk. Sitting in his chair, he  pulled her into his lap. "Take a look at the deed and the land survey."

As he spread the papers across his desk, she studied the property.

"Look familiar?" he asked.

"Is this … " She picked up the survey to get a better look. "The cabin  –  it's my dad's."

"Yeah." He pointed to the square on the plans that indicated the small  fishing cabin. "It's still there and it sits on my newly acquired land."

"I don't understand. You bought the old place?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because it's a good investment no matter what Audra says. I got it for a steal."

"Why didn't you tell me you were buying it?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise for you and your dad. I was hoping to  give it to you for Christmas." He shifted her in his lap so she had to  look at him. "I wanted you to have the cabin back. I thought maybe we  could restore it. You could do whatever you want to make it a place  where your dad could be comfortable and enjoy it. I'm also thinking we  could build a summer home next to it. There's plenty of space to do  whatever we want."

"It's too much." She looked pale like she might be sick. "I don't... Why would you do this?"

"Well, that's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for." He took her  hand in his. "I thought you'd be excited. You always tell me what great  memories you had there and how it was a good time in your life. I  thought this would be something you and your dad could share."

"I think it's wonderful that you bought the property, but I don't understand why."

"It belonged to your family and I wanted you to have it back." He  twirled her hair around his fingers, trying to calm her. "You could  design the whole thing. This can be your project. You told me that's  what you wanted to do. Why you were pursuing real estate."

She took a deep breath, looking at the survey again.

"I've overwhelmed you."

"A little." She looked into his eyes; her own glistened with tears. "I  love that you did this, but it's too much. I know you have so much but I  feel like I can't give anything back. You just keep giving. It doesn't  seem fair."

You have no idea how much you've given me. "Do you remember how hard I fought us? How much I tried to resist you?"

She nodded.

"I had so many reasons for why we couldn't work. When I finally gave in  and let things happen, I decided it was all or nothing. We're together  and that means I want to share everything I have with you."

"Everything is happening so fast."

"That's the way my world moves, sweetheart." She was going to have to  get used to his way of life. "Things have never been this way for me  before. I've been throwing everything I have into my career, leaving  little time for much else. I know we moved fast but it feels right. I  don't think I could slow down now."                       
       
           



       

She had become his whole life in a matter of months. He couldn't imagine  falling asleep without her in his arms or not waking up beside her. He  looked forward to her greeting him every evening when he came home and  having her sit across from him at the dinner table each night. Life  without her had been boring. He'd had every luxury available to him.  He'd traveled, had expensive cars and a huge house, but what did any of  it matter? Without Tessa it was all empty and meaningless.

"I don't want you to slow down." She turned and straddled his lap. "I  want to be here with you in this moment." She trailed her lips down his  cheek. "Just the two of us."

"I'm going to give you the world, my gorgeous girl." He threaded his  fingers through her hair. "You just have to sit back and enjoy every  second of it."

"Thank you for getting my dad's lake house back."

When she cupped his jaw between her hands, he pulled her lips to his,  kissing her slowly, carefully. Tightening his grip on her hair, he  savored how even their lips fit together perfectly. He thrust his hips  upward when she sighed into his mouth. The ache in his balls intensified  when she slid her hands down his neck to his chest. He held her head  back, never releasing her hair as he gazed into her eyes. His attention  traveled to her lips when she ran her tongue across them.

"Do you know what you're doing to me?" His cock hardened when he thought about her skilled mouth.

"Tell me?"

"I'll show you." He scooted her out of his lap and stood. "Upstairs."

"What about dinner?" She twirled a stand of her silky red locks around her finger. "Don't you want to eat?"

Oh, I want to eat. "Do you honestly believe I'm thinking about food?" He  guided her out of the study and down the hall. "You know exactly what  you're doing to me, don't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said as they climbed the  staircase. "I can't help it if you can't keep your pants on."

"Most of that is your fault." He opened the bedroom door and followed her in. "Care to help me with that?"

"Undressing you?" Her soft voice was unsteady, uncertain. "Like, everything?"

He could always sense when she wasn't feeling bold. She played a good  game and she could be very convincing when she was acting the part of  his siren, but he knew deep down she was learning as she went. He'd  grown fond of her daring side. It turned him on and ignited a flame  inside him. Her boldness drew him to her, but now that he knew there was  more to show her, things she had never done, it electrified him to his  core.

"Everything," he whispered.

He guided her over in front of the big cheval mirror just inside the  changing room where he kept all of his suits, shoes and ties. He'd  offered to split the space with her, but she said she was already set up  in her old bedroom and didn't want to disrupt him. That amused him  because she had been nothing but a disruption since moving in. But  damned if she wasn't the best disruption he'd ever encountered.

He held her in front of him, taking in her toned, fit form, then he  turned her to face him. She'd been using the home gym since moving in.  Not that she was out of shape before but he'd seen the changes in her  body.