Ian’s hands rested on Tessa’s hips as she bent forward, her breasts brushing against his chest. The tight fitting skirt of her dress had ridden halfway up her thighs, exposing the lacy tops of her sheer stocking, and causing another, far more spirited, round of whistles from the men.

“I hope I don’t make a fool of myself,” she whispered urgently in Ian’s ear. “I’ve never done this before, you know.”

“I should hope not,” he whispered back. “And I’m afraid I can’t be of much help here, love, since this is the first lap dance I’ve ever enjoyed. And don’t worry about what anyone here thinks. From what I can see, they’re all so drunk they won’t remember a thing tomorrow morning. But I’ll remember. For the rest of my life, in fact.”

“All right, then.” She heaved a sigh. “Here goes nothing.”

Someone - probably Lauren or Colin, the two biggest rabble rousers in the room - had asked the DJ to play Naughty Girl by Beyoncé, and the sensual beat of the music began to stir up some equally wicked impulses in Tessa. Looping her arms around Ian’s neck, she began to rotate her pelvis in a slow semi-circle against his lap, changing directions midway through. Operating on pure instinct now, she switched to an undulating motion with her hips and ass, her thighs spreading a bit wider apart with each roll of her crotch against his.

Ian was instantly hard, his cock bulging against his suit pants, and if she hadn’t been sitting on top of him, his erection would have been clearly visible to every pair of voyeuristic eyes in the room. The music was loud enough that no one but Tessa could hear the increasingly shallow pants of his breath, and the lighting was dim enough that only she noticed the beads of sweat that misted his forehead and upper lip. As she leaned forward just far enough to rub her breasts against his chest, he emitted a long, low growl.

“You’re playing with fire now, darling,” he rasped. “And unless you want me to erupt into flames, you might want to, ah, finish up soon.”

Tessa shook her head, causing her tousled mane of blonde hair to tumble over her shoulders. “But I’m just getting warmed up,” she pouted teasingly, bending her head toward his until her tongue traced along his upper lip. “And another song has started.”

The new song was Kiss by Prince, and the throbbing bass spurred Tessa on, as well as the increasingly louder, bawdier cheers from their guests who continued to watch the action with great interest. She guessed that everyone had their phones out, taking pictures and possibly even videos, but she was way beyond the point of caring. And as she continued bumping and grinding against her man, she grew more and more aroused. Her breasts swelled beneath the fragile lace bodice of her dress, her nipples poking against the fabric each time she pressed herself against Ian’s chest. And she was so wet that she could feel the pearly drops of vaginal fluid begin to trickle down her inner thighs, leaving them sticky, and her pussy aching for relief. She thought faintly that if she kept this up for a minute or so longer that she might come right there on Ian’s lap, in front of everyone. Normally, the very idea would have repelled her, the thought that so many people might witness such an intimate moment. But she was so aroused by now, so caught up in what she was doing, that she ceased to care what anyone else saw or heard or thought.

Ian, however, had just a bit more self-control than she apparently had. Just when she was sure she was on the verge of climaxing, when it was right there, he clamped his hands down on her hips, stilling her increasingly frantic motions.

“Enough,” he whispered sternly. “You are not going to come in front of an audience. And if you keep this up, you aren’t the only one who’s going to embarrass themselves in front of this bunch of horny, drunken fools.”

“But -”

Whatever protest she might have made, though, was quickly and decisively swallowed up by the fierce, demanding pressure of Ian’s lips upon hers, kissing her with a near-savage force, much to the delight of their guests. Tessa made a little sound of surprise beneath his mouth as he scooped her up to lay across his lap, bending her backwards as the kiss went on and on, ignoring the gleeful whoops and whistles as it did so.

“Now that,” declared Lauren in satisfaction as Ian finally lifted his lips from Tessa’s, “was what I’d call a kiss. Hot damn, you two, I thought we were going to have to turn the fire extinguisher on you.”

Colin was grinning from ear to ear. “And looks like I can’t very well call you old man anymore, can I? Or Professor Prude. Guess I’ll have to dream up a new nickname for you, Ian.”

Tessa grinned at her very rumpled, very handsome, and very hot fiancé. “I’ve got one,” she said softly. “How about His Hotness?”

Chapter Sixteen

The Gregson Resort, Napa Valley

“As usual, you were right.”

Ian hooked an arm around the neck of the woman who, in less than twenty-four hours, would be his wife, and pulled her close. “About what, darling?”

Tessa rested her head on his shoulder, waving an arm about to encompass their surroundings. “Holding our wedding here. It’s so lovely, Ian. Just like a Tuscan villa. And we’re so lucky that all of the construction was completed more than a month earlier than scheduled.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I might have pushed Nathan and the construction crew a bit to get that done, actually. But you’re right. Everything turned out beautifully, beyond my expectations. I expect Nathan and his team are going to win several design awards for this.”

She slipped her arms around his waist. “And the weather is going to be perfect as well. Not too hot and no wind. I re-checked the forecast before dinner.”

“Well, of course it’s going to be perfect,” he teased. “As if I would allow it to be anything but for our wedding.”

Tessa cupped his cheek in her hand. “Or anytime, for that matter,” she corrected dryly. “Just admit it - you’re a perfectionist.”

Ian laughed. “I’ve never denied that. And the fact that I chose you to be my wife only proves that point. Because in my eyes you are the most perfect woman I could have ever imagined.”

He dipped his head to kiss her then, intending it only to be a brief peck. But the feel of her lips beneath his, still tasting faintly of the raspberry tart that had been served for dessert, tempted him to linger awhile. And when Tessa gave a little “mmm” of pleasure deep in her throat, he thought he could happily remain just this way for another hour or two.