She gazed down at their clasped hands quietly, her expression almost brooding. “I wouldn’t be able to work at all if you want me to travel with you. You’d be - I’d have to be dependent on you to -”

“Support you. Yes, I’m aware. And that is certainly not a problem, love. I’m more than willing and capable of doing exactly that.”

Tessa shook her head. “Ian - as much as I appreciate that, I can’t do it. I can’t just be your - your girlfriend or whatever the correct term is for that sort of arrangement.”

He smiled wryly. “The very old-fashioned term you’re thinking of is a mistress. And that’s not at all what I’m proposing, darling. My thought was to have you travel with me and provide any administrative support I need. As you know, Andrew rarely travels with me, only a few times a year. The rest of the time I depend on the office staff at whatever hotel I’m visiting to provide assistance. But if you were along I wouldn’t need to do that.”

She instantly brightened at his suggestion. “Oh. So I would unofficially be your traveling PA, something like that. Just not officially an employee of the company.”

“Exactly.” He smiled to note how pleased - and relieved - she seemed with the idea. “And you can expect to work quite hard during those times. I work long hours, attend far too many meetings, go to incredibly boring dinners. But if you were along to help me, not to mention grace me with your beautiful company, it would make everything a great deal more pleasant.”

“That sounds reasonable,” she agreed. “I mean, I wouldn’t be earning a salary but I also wouldn’t feel like a - a kept woman, or something like that, so long as I could be doing real work.”

“I think it’s an excellent plan. In addition, I’d like for you to continue doing all of my spreadsheets, whether we’re traveling or not. I frankly don’t trust any of the others to do them correctly, even Andrew.” He gave her a conspiratorial smile. “But don’t you dare tell him that, he’d be quite offended. And truth be told, he can be very intimidating.”

Tessa laughed. “Not you, too? All of us try to walk on eggshells around him, not wanting to annoy him. Though poor Shelby seems to receive the brunt of his displeasure.”

“So, it’s settled, then? When you feel the time is right - after we’ve come to know each other a bit better and you’re more comfortable with the idea - you’ll give notice?”

She nodded. “Yes. I just need some time, as you said. And I want you to detail for me exactly the sort of things I’d be expected to do as your so-called traveling PA. I want to make sure I’m really doing something valuable, not just fetching you tea and sorting out your papers.”

He grinned. “Not to worry, love. I’ll find many ways to keep you busy all day long.” He bent his head and nuzzled her throat. “All night, too.”

Ian gave her a quick kiss, then set her down on the sofa before standing and offering her a hand up. “It’s still pouring outside, I’m afraid, so we’re stuck here. How does a workout in the gym sound?”

Tessa was more than agreeable and joined him a few minutes later in his small but well equipped home fitness room. Ian usually worked out at the private health club he belonged to, one that boasted two Olympic-sized pools, an expansive weight and cardio room, handball, squash, and tennis courts, and a boxing room where he could keep his skills sharpened. But his home gym more than filled his needs on those occasions when he didn’t have time to get to his club, or when the inclement weather made it preferable to stay at home.

During his condensed shopping spree yesterday, he’d thrown in a set of workout attire for Tessa almost as an afterthought. But as she walked inside his gym, he silently congratulated himself on his hurried choices.

She wore an exercise bra of dark blue piped in black, with a wide black zipper down the front. The Lycra fabric clung to her breasts lovingly, and sweat popped out on his brow even before he’d begun his workout. The coordinating shorts were even tinier than the ones she’d been wearing that day at the office gym, when that bastard Jason had dared to put his slimy hands on her. The dark blue cotton shorts bared a great deal of her long, shapely legs, and cupped the luscious curves of her rounded ass enticingly.

He was thankful that no other admiring eyes were around to see her dressed like this - or, more accurately, barely dressed. Ian made a mental note to buy her some other workout gear that wasn’t nearly as skimpy. He shuddered to imagine the reaction she’d receive walking into his club looking like this - all endlessly long legs, ripe tits, and glowing skin.

Over the next hour he tried - really tried - to focus on his own workout - lifting weights; doing several sets of crunches on the slant board while hefting a medicine ball; using the pull-up bar before dropping to the floor for as many push-ups as he could endure. But he found it impossible to stop sneaking glances at Tessa every five - or two - minutes, and then having to stifle a groan at the tempting sight she made. As she jogged on the treadmill, her breasts jiggled slightly, the exercise bra not quite as supportive as it ought to be. When she took her turn on the slant board, the waistband of her shorts dipped a couple of inches to reveal her navel. And as she bent over at the waist to stretch her hamstrings, flexible enough that her palms were flat on the floor, the hem of the tiny shorts crept up to bare part of her ass cheeks.

What made these frequent, furtive peeks at her even more alluring was the realization that she wasn’t even trying to seem enticing, and that she didn’t appear to even be aware of his gaze upon her.

After an hour, both of them were sweaty and fatigued. Ian took a long swig from a bottle of water before handing it to Tessa.

“Had enough for today?” he asked.

She nodded, swallowing a gulp of water. “I’m good. This is so awesome that you have your very own gym. You must work out here a lot.”

“I try to get in a workout at least five days a week, but I don’t actually use this room very often. The club I belong to is much larger and I like to use their pool and other facilities.”

She ran her palm up his arm under the sleeve of his workout shirt. “Is that where you box?” she asked in a husky voice, her big eyes seeming bluer than usual as she gazed up at him.

Ian stifled a groan as Tessa stepped closer, her breasts brushing up against his chest. “Yes, that’s the place.”