In the high-profile position he held within his family’s company, Ian made crucial decisions, dealt with multiple levels of managers within his region, and met with patrons and potential new customers of his hotels on a daily basis. It was during these times that he was most grateful for what the years in boarding school had instilled in him – supreme self-control and the ability to mask his emotions when needed. He seldom if ever lost his temper, but it typically only took a slightly raised eyebrow or the merest hint of a frown to signal his displeasure, and those barely imperceptible gestures were often all it took to get his message across loud and clear.

But no amount of schooling or years of experience dealing with argumentative employees or difficult customers had prepared him for the very unexpected – and very compelling – reaction he had to the young woman who now stood framed in the doorway of his office.

During the years he’d boxed at Oxford, Ian had always been at the top of his game, something he credited to training extremely hard, listening intently to his trainers, eating a proper diet, and having been gifted with superior height, strength, and coordination. Very, very few of his opponents had ever successfully landed a punch, and he had been both a dominant and feared opponent. Therefore, he’d never felt the effects of a sucker punch to the jaw, or a jab to the solar plexus, or a blow to the gut. And yet, never having known how any of those physical sensations must feel, he was experiencing all three of them – and more – as he met and held the very wide, very blue gaze of the gorgeous girl who continued to hover uncertainly at the threshold.

Andrew ushered the girl inside the office, but Ian paid scant attention to what his assistant was saying. Instead, his gaze was fixated on the arresting face and figure of the stunningly beautiful blonde who was approaching his desk hesitantly, hanging back behind Andrew shyly.

“Mr. Gregson, may I introduce you to the newest member of our Management Support Team?” asked Andrew briskly. “This is Tessa Lockwood, sir. She’s just transferred here from the Tucson resort two weeks ago.”

He rose to his feet smoothly, automatically, and extended his hand across the desk. The smile he pasted on his face was, he hoped fervently, one of polite welcome and nothing more obvious.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tessa,” he told her gently. “I trust you’re settling in here without any difficulty?”

Tessa placed her slim, smooth hand in his rather tentatively and returned his smile sweetly. “Yes, sir. Everything has been just fine, thank you. I’m – it’s an honor to be working here for you.”

Her voice was breathy, a little high-pitched, and astonishingly the sound made him instantly and uncomfortably aroused. Their gazes remained locked, her hand still clasped in his, and he wondered if the noise he heard in his head could possibly be bells ringing.

Ian was shocked at his uncharacteristic reaction to this girl, and he drew his hand away almost brusquely. “Well, I’m pleased to hear that. And I’m certain you’ll be a fine addition to our team here.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gregson. I’ll do my very best, I promise,” she told him in that sweet voice that went right to his groin.

There was a somewhat awkward silence for a few moments, until Tessa glanced down at the carpet uncertainly. “Um, well, I should get back to work,” she mumbled awkwardly. “Thank you for your time, sir.”

As Andrew began to steer her authoritatively out of the office, Ian called out to him, his tone uncharacteristically stern. “Andrew. A moment, please.”

His usually unflappable assistant looked a bit rattled but merely nodded. “Of course, sir. Just let me get Tessa some data she needs for a spreadsheet and I’ll be right back.”

While Ian awaited the return of his PA – who would definitely have some things to answer for – the image of young Tessa Lockwood refused to erase itself from his mind. For a man who could easily have his pick of beautiful, desirable women around the globe, it was unheard of for him to be rendered virtually speechless by the mere sight of one. And rarer still that he was instantly and almost uncontrollably aroused after less than three minutes in her presence. Ian was as controlled and in command of his sexual needs as he was of every other aspect of his life, so it was more than a little unsettling for him to have this sort of reaction to a woman.

And Tessa Lockwood was barely a woman. ‘Christ,’ he thought in near-disgust. ‘She looks like a damned teenager.’ But the fact that he was likely almost twice her age did absolutely nothing to diminish the sudden, overwhelming attraction he felt for the breathtakingly beautiful girl who, by some rather unfortunate set of circumstances, was now working for him.

The red sheath dress she’d worn had skimmed over a tall, slender figure with curves in all the right places. A thin black patent leather belt encircled her slim waist, setting off the fuller curves of her breasts and hips. Ian knew without having to glance at the label that the dress was inexpensive, as were the plain black patent leather pumps on her feet. Ian had grown up among fashionable, well-dressed women – his mother, grandmothers, aunts, cousins – not to mention the countless number of women he’d met over the years in his business and social circles, all of whom dressed in expensive designer apparel. But it didn’t really matter that Tessa’s simple dress had likely been bought at a discount store or off a sale rack, for she had the sort of figure that would look stunning in anything she wore.

As if the lush curves of her body weren’t attraction enough, she also had a classically beautiful face – high, sculpted cheekbones; big blue eyes framed by long, curly lashes; a full, kissable mouth; and the sort of flawless, porcelain complexion that only the very young or the very rich could boast of. And the cherry on top of the most delicious sundae he’d ever seen was the thick, lustrous fall of golden blonde hair that spilled over her shoulders and halfway down her back.

Tessa was stunning – young, ripe and sexy – and yet she somehow seemed to be unaware of how tempting she was. She had been shy and uncertain, and more than a little nervous when being introduced to him just a short time ago, behavior that was not in the least bit typical for a female who was supremely confident of her looks and sex appeal. It made him wonder anew just how young she was.

‘Too damned young for you, mate,’ he told himself almost angrily. ‘You’re as bad as that bastard Jason, except at least you’re not a married father of three.’