Tessa gave a little moan as he continued to fondle her breast. “I’ll do whatever you want so long as you keep touching me like that.”

His fingers splayed open over her breast before giving it a squeeze. “You are quickly becoming a lusty little thing, aren’t you?” he purred. “But I’m afraid you’ve wrung me dry for the moment, love. Christ, I’ve never had this much sex in such a short amount of time. You’re like a constant aphrodisiac. Now, it’s time to take care of other appetites, hmm? Let’s find you some clothes so we can head out for breakfast.”

She ran a hand up over his pectorals, loving this opportunity to touch his bare skin. “Is it still raining?”

“Absolutely pouring. It eased up a bit during the night, I believe, but a second front is passing through right now. Why do you ask?”

Tessa rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers plucking at the towel wrapped around his waist. “Would you mind very much if we just stayed here today? I’d love to cook for you. I mean, my skills are pretty basic but I can manage breakfast.”

“I don’t want you to have to work at all this entire weekend,” he declared. “That is - I hope you can stay with me the rest of the weekend. Am I interfering with any plans you’d made?”

She grinned. “Just a hot date with my laundry. And a very fun afternoon at the grocery store. Nothing that won’t keep a couple of days. Staying with you all weekend would be wonderful, Ian. And I really don’t mind making breakfast. You have such an amazing kitchen that I’d love the chance to use that stove. Provided I can figure out how to operate it, that is.”

“Ah, so now the real truth comes out,” teased Ian. “It’s my kitchen you’re really interested in, not me. I’ll tell you what, love. We’ll cook breakfast together, all right?”

She raised a brow in surprise. “You know how to cook?”

He shrugged. “Well, I’m no Emeril Lagasse but I can manage some basics. My brothers and I were required to work our way up from the bottom in the company, and for me at least that included a stint or two working in hotel restaurants. My housekeeper usually restocks supplies on Friday, so we’ll see what we can put together. Now, I suggest you get some clothes on, love. If you stay in that robe, it will be far too tempting - and easy - for me to slip it off you at a moment’s notice.”

Tessa tugged playfully at his towel. “Not as easy as it would be for me.” Then she squealed as his big hand swatted her bottom.

“Behave,” he admonished. “I think we’ll both be safer if you dress in here while I go shave. And don’t even start looking at price tags. I should have had them all cut off.”

“When exactly did you have time to put all these things away, anyway?” she asked curiously.

“I’m afraid I had to leave that task to my housekeeper,” he admitted. “Fortunately, Mrs. Sargent is both accommodating and discreet. Though I could sense she was very anxious to ask me several questions about who all these things were for.”

“So you don’t normally buy things for your overnight female guests?” she asked pointedly.

Ian shook his head. “Except for family members, I have never purchased clothing - much less very fetching lace undies - for a woman. Same thing with overnight guests. The only women who have ever been in this house are Mrs. Sargent and family members.”

Tessa was extremely pleased at this revelation. “So I’m a first for you in at least a couple of ways, too.”

He held her face between his palms and kissed her forehead. “More than a couple, love. Let me grab some clothes now and I’ll go change outside after I shave.”

She clasped his wrist. “Wait.”

As he gazed at her expectantly, she asked him shyly, “Would it bother you not to shave today? I, um, like you this way for a change. The stubble, I mean. It’s very sexy.”

Ian grinned as she caressed his cheek. “I don’t mind at all, Tessa. In fact, I don’t always shave when I’m home on the weekends. And if you find it sexy, then I definitely won’t do it today.”

She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”

Sweat broke out on his brow and his eyes darkened. “Christ, I feel like a horny teenager whenever I’m near you. I’d better get my things before I check another item off your list of firsts.”

She regarded him curiously as he efficiently selected clothing from the racks and drawers. “What item would that be?”

He winked at her cheekily. “Shagging in the closet.”

Chapter Seven

The quiet, mellow morning was one of the most enjoyable that Ian had ever spent in this big, often lonely house. He typically spent so much time traveling on business, attending meetings or social events, that he wasn’t actually here all that much.

But he could certainly make a strong case for spending a great deal more time at home provided that Tessa kept him company as she was right now.

They had cooked breakfast together, Tessa wide-eyed and almost awestruck at the assortment of pots, pans, and cooking utensils the kitchen cabinets revealed. It had been a quiet, companionable meal, the two of them gazing out the kitchen windows as the storm continued to bring heavy rain and winds outside. Tessa had been delighted to discover that there was a secluded terrace just outside of the kitchen’s sliding glass doors, and was even more pleased when he’d promised her they could have breakfast out there another time when the weather allowed.

After cleaning up the dishes, they spent a couple of hours in his home office. Ian worked on preparing notes for yet another trip he was taking week after next, while Tessa happily curled up on the sofa with a short stack of books he’d helped her select from his library.

He glanced up at one point and smiled fondly as he watched her unobserved. She was wearing the gray yoga pants and pink thermal sweater he’d bought for her, her bare feet tucked beneath her. She was avidly looking through a thick, glossy book with beautiful photographs of Tuscany, wrapping a lock of her hair around her fingers as she did so. She was enchanting, enthralling, and he thought he could happily stare at her for hours on end.

She looked up then, as if feeling his gaze upon her, and returned his smile a little shyly. “Hi. Taking a break?”

Ian pushed aside the reports he’d been reviewing. “Calling it quits for the day, actually. I don’t want to spend even one more minute of this weekend with you doing work. But speaking of work, we ought to get that issue resolved while we’re able to think rationally.”