Tessa smiled. “He’s always been good to me, ever since the night of our first date.”

Ian slid a hand to the nape of her neck, giving it the sort of little massage that always made her purr with pleasure. “Ah, but ever since you asked him to give you away, his protectiveness has soared to new heights. Not to mention the fact that you made him a very happy man. In all the years he’s worked for me, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile the way he’s been doing for weeks now.”

She had taken Ian by surprise several weeks ago when she’d asked his opinion about who should give her away at the wedding - in lieu, of course, of the father she’d never known.

“I thought about asking your father,” she’d mused. “Your mother actually brought up the idea, and assured me he’d be honored. Julia also mentioned the possibility of Nathan giving me away, since he isn’t one of the wedding party. And while both of those are wonderful ideas, I was actually thinking about asking, well, Simon.”

Ian had been startled but definitely not disapproving of the idea. “I think that Simon would be beyond thrilled at such an honor,” he’d assured her. “We’ll ask him tomorrow morning when he picks me up for work.”

But what Tessa hadn’t expected was the way the tall, austere, and rather standoffish chauffeur nearly teared up when she had posed the question to him.

Simon had cleared his throat, and then given her the warmest, most genuine smile she had ever seen cross his normally reserved features. “Miss Tessa, I - I’m at a loss for words right now,” he’d stammered. “And since I’m typically a man of a few words anyway, well - I don’t know what to say except that I would be honored to give you away to Mr. Gregson. In fact, I can’t think of anything that would give me greater pleasure.”

Impulsively, Tessa had pressed a little kiss on the older man’s cheek, resisting the urge to grin when he blushed in reaction. “Thank you, Simon,” she’d told him earnestly. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have with me on my wedding day. And since I never knew my own father, I’d like to have it be someone who’s looked out for me and kept me safe the way you always do.”

Simon had given her shoulder a squeeze. “And I was never blessed with children of my own, but if I’d ever been so lucky to have a daughter I would have wanted her to be exactly like you, Miss Tessa - sweet and kind and loving. It has been my pleasure, and my privilege, to look after you this past year. And I’ll continue to do so until I’m too old and feeble for the job. You’ve made me very, very happy, Miss Tessa. Thank you for such a wonderful honor, my dear.”

She supposed to a degree that Ian was right. Ever since she’d had that conversation with Simon some weeks ago, he’d been even more attentive than usual, going out of his way to help her out, offering to run errands for her, rushing to open doors and carry her bags.

Tessa had surmised some time ago that Simon was far more than just Ian’s chauffeur, and that he also served as his unofficial bodyguard. Ian hadn’t denied the fact when she’d asked him point blank a few months ago, merely nodding in response to her question.

“You’re usually so quiet that I tend to forget how observant you can be at times,” he’d admitted with a chuckle. “I was actually wondering how long it would take you to come to that conclusion about Simon. Not that I really need a bodyguard per se. I’m not a politician or celebrity, and my face isn’t exactly recognizable among the general population. But I am from a very wealthy family, as you know, and it’s always a wise idea to take precautions. And Simon, of course, is extremely discreet. He worked in covert operations for most of his military career, so he’s very skilled at becoming more or less invisible at times.”

Tessa had hesitated to ask the next question. “Does he, um, carry a gun?”

“No. At least not on his person. He does keep one locked away in the town car, strictly as a precaution. And fortunately the need has never arisen where he actually needed to use it. But now that we’re discussing the subject, love, you can be reassured that Simon is also acting as your bodyguard. He’s very devoted to you, after all, and would risk his own life to keep you safe. And when the time comes, he’ll do the same for our children. As will I, of course.”

“I’m glad that the thought of giving me away next week has made him so happy,” commented Tessa. “I never really thought before about what kind of a man my real father was. It just seemed pointless to even think about it, given that there was no way to figure out who he was. But I would have loved to have someone like Simon for my father, so asking him was definitely the right decision. And I will tell him about Jason when I see him tomorrow morning. Thank God we won’t have to worry about that slimebag saying or doing something to spoil our wedding.”

Ian shook his head. “He wouldn’t have been allowed the opportunity, darling. The plan was for the men Simon hired to follow that bastard Jason around during his entire stay, and especially during the wedding. One hint that he was going to approach either you or me and he would have been prevented from doing so. But you’re quite right. It will be a relief not to have to deal with him at all this week.”

They were now only nine days away from their wedding, and Tessa was thanking her lucky stars that all of the plans they’d made seemed to be falling into place perfectly. She was in daily contact now with the wedding planner, who continued to assure her that every tiny detail had been arranged, half-joking that Mr. Gregson wouldn’t have it any other way.

That statement hadn’t been very far from the truth, however, acknowledged Tessa with a secret smile. Ian had been as controlling, demanding, and precise with the plans for their elaborate, elegant wedding as he was with every other aspect of his life. He’d encouraged Tessa to make whatever arrangements she’d liked, insisting that money was no object, and that he wanted this to be the wedding of her dreams. But he also hadn’t hesitated to offer up his opinion whenever she’d asked for it - on everything from the flowers to the music to the menu for both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself.

“After all,” he’d told her, “I’m only planning on getting married once, so I want this to be the most special, perfect day of my life. Correction. Our lives.”