“But you must need to - I can feel you -” she began.

He gave a short laugh. “Darling, I’m nearly always hard like this when you’re nearby. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t - or won’t - control myself long enough to let you recover.”

“I don’t mind -” she began tentatively.

Ian placed a finger over her lips. “I know you don’t. You’re the sweetest, most giving woman I could ever imagine. And I will most certainly take you back to my bed after I tend to your other needs. And as for tomorrow night.”

He paused, wrapping one steely arm around her waist while he tipped her chin up with the other hand. Tessa’s mouth fell open in a silent gasp as he met and held her gaze in the mirror, for the look in his eyes was blazing hot.

“After we return from dinner, I’ll bring you here, to this very spot, right in front of this mirror. You’re going to watch me undress you, strip you bare except for your shoes and stockings.” His hand caressed her belly, and she shivered in uncontrolled arousal as he continued to whisper in her ear, his voice low and sensual. “You’ll watch as I touch these beautiful breasts, make your nipples hard just like they are now, and then dip my fingers inside this sweet, hot pussy.”

Tessa gasped aloud this time as his big hand slid down to cup her sex through the lacy panties.

“And then I’m going to slide inside of you and fuck you until both of us are ready to collapse.” His voice was growing rougher, his breathing less steady. “And you’re going to watch the entire time, watch as you fall apart in my arms, and as I lose it and empty myself inside of you.”

He gripped her chin between his fingers and turned her head so that he could kiss her fiercely. She was groaning beneath his blistering kiss, until Ian reluctantly released her and stepped away to finish dressing.

Silently, they began to pick up discarded articles of clothing, Ian going to retrieve the things that had been carelessly tossed in the hallway, the staircase, and even the foyer, in their wild impatience for each other. He chuckled when he returned, his arms laden with clothing, as he noticed Tessa beginning to smooth the bed sheets and plump up the pillows.

“You’re wasting your time, you know,” he told her in amusement. “So save yourself the trouble, darling, because those sheets are just going to get tangled again, sooner than you might think.”

Chapter Ten

Tessa stared in some dismay at the amount of clothing, shoes, lingerie, and other accessories that had been strategically hung up and arranged around the oversized dressing room. She hadn’t realized that they had picked out quite so many items for her to try on while perusing the various racks earlier in the day.

She turned to face Ian, who’d taken a seat on the wide, padded bench that took up most of one wall of the room. “I can’t possibly need all of these clothes,” she told him firmly. “It will take me hours to try everything on.”

He raised a brow at her expectantly. “Well, then, you’d best get on with it, hadn’t you? I made dinner reservations for seven-thirty so there’s not much time to waste.”

Tessa frowned, glancing at the wall clock. “But it’s not even one-thirty, we have hours yet.”

Ian smiled meaningfully. “Ah, but I have other plans for you this afternoon as well. And you’ll likely need both a hot shower and a long nap afterwards.”

She felt her cheeks grow warm at his very pointed words. He’d made love to her again last night after carrying her upstairs to bed, but she’d been too sleepy and a bit on the sore side this morning for anything more than some cuddling. To her delight, the weather had been pleasant and sunny, and they’d been able to enjoy breakfast out on his secluded flagstone terrace. The gardens and backyard decks of his house were as beautifully designed as the interior, and Tessa was looking forward to exploring them in more detail with the approach of springtime in a few weeks.

By mid-morning they’d arrived at Neiman Marcus to meet with Marlene, who seemed very pleased to be helping them again. Tessa had struggled not to feel lost as Ian had taken her by the hand, examining an endless assortment of clothing for her to try on. Marlene had followed in their wake, tagging each item as they went along, and taking copious notes besides.

Ian seemed to have an innate sense for the styles, colors, and fabrics that suited her best, and she was more than happy to follow his suggestions. On the rare occasions that she didn’t like something he chose, he adhered to her wishes immediately. And if she spotted an item that caught her fancy, he instantly agreed with her choice. The one thing he strictly forbade her to do was even glance at a single price tag.

To give Marlene and her staff adequate time to assemble all of the items, Ian had whisked her off to the in-store restaurant for a quick lunch. Tessa hadn’t missed the way the mostly female patrons eyed him admiringly, and she couldn’t blame them in the least. He was so handsome, so compelling, that she couldn’t take her eyes off of him even for a minute. He was clean shaven this morning, but she knew that his five o’clock shadow would start appearing sooner than later. He wasn’t wearing a suit since it was a Saturday, but the perfectly pressed gray wool slacks and black fisherman’s sweater worn over a crisp white shirt were still elegant and classy, giving him the look of a 1940’s cinema star - a Cary Grant or Clark Gable. Tessa was glad she’d worn one of her new dresses - a gorgeous Donna Karan burgundy wool wrap-front, paired with taupe Jimmy Choo heels. The chic, expensive outfit made her feel worthy of being seen with Ian, and also of fitting in with the other well-dressed store patrons.

Marlene had raved about her outfit when they’d arrived this morning, complimenting the color and fit.

“But then, with your hair and skin tone you can really wear almost any color,” the personal shopper had acknowledged. “Not to mention the fabulous figure you have.” Then, in a hushed tone for Tessa’s ears only, she’d added, “It’s small wonder he’s so crazy about you, dear. He can’t keep his eyes off of you for very long.”

It was on the tip of Tessa’s tongue to reply that the feeling was mutual, but Ian had called her over at that point to look at a selection of cocktail dresses.

Now in the dressing room, Tessa glanced around in confusion. “I don’t even know where to begin,” she confessed.