“Well, that’s a pity, isn’t it?” he murmured in her ear. “Perhaps we can re-enact your dream sometime, only this time it won’t end nearly so abruptly.”

Tessa looked around the room wildly. “You’re not serious, are you? I mean, I’m not sure I could really do - that here.”

He slowly removed his hands from her body and stepped back to put some much needed distance between them, unable to walk back to his office with his fully engorged cock tenting his trousers. “I was thinking of this weekend actually. The bed we’ll be using at the resort is a four poster - one post for each of your limbs. Does that idea excite you, Tessa - being bound that way? Would you allow me to do that?”

Her eyes grew even bigger and rounder, her lips slightly parted. His gaze dropped briefly to her breasts, and he swore softly beneath his breath as he noticed how her nipples were poking against the fabric of her blouse.

“Yes,” she told him breathlessly. “I think - yes, I’d like that. You can do - whatever you like, Ian.”

“Jesus.” His pulse rate ratcheted up by several beats as she gazed at him with an expression of unabashed, naked desire on her face. “You make me want to spread you out on that table right now, just like in your dream, and fuck you until neither one of us can summon a single coherent thought.” He forced himself to walk over to the door. “And if I don’t leave now to take that phone call I might just act on that impulse.”

Ian was thankful to notice that no one was loitering in the hallway outside the conference room - not that any of his employees would have dared to inquire why the door might have been shut. No one questioned his authority here or at any of the hotels under his direction. He was the unequivocal leader, the “boss man” as he’d heard himself referred to on occasion, and the amount of power he could wield over his share of the family empire if he so desired was staggering. But Ian had learned a long time ago to never, ever abuse that power, to treat every employee with respect, and not act like some feudal lord of the manor. There was a very fine line that had to be walked in his position, and he prided himself on never crossing over it.

Though if anyone in this office began to suspect that he was carrying on a very personal and very passionate relationship with one of his employees, there would certainly be hell to pay. As he listened with barely controlled patience to the employee from the London headquarters drone on about the series of board meetings he’d be attending, Ian was rather appalled at the complete lack of control he’d just displayed. But then, ever since he’d revealed his attraction to Tessa and they’d become lovers, he seemed to be losing a bit more of his ironclad control every day. That was what she did to him - a girl fifteen years his junior; a sexual innocent despite her marriage of several years; and the only woman who’d ever come close to making him go crazy with lust, enough so that he’d just taken a very unwise risk, not particularly giving a damn if they were discovered.

And then she’d made everything ten times worse by telling him in that sexy as hell, breathy voice that he could do whatever he wanted to her. God, did she have any idea - even the slightest - what that sort of confession did to a man? Especially a man who already panted after her constantly, as though she were a mare in heat.

By the time the architect’s meeting was ready to begin a short while later, Ian had regained full control of his wayward emotions, assuming his formal Regional Director persona once again. He forced himself not to glance towards the back of the conference room where he knew Tessa would be, and instead walked directly towards the other extraordinarily beautiful woman in the room.

“Julia. How are you this morning?” He greeted the always smartly dressed interior designer with a firm handshake. He knew that she had befriended Tessa over these last few months, and was exceedingly grateful for the kindness she’d shown her.

Julia gave him a rather odd smile, her expressive green eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. “I’m very well, Ian, thank you. And I owe you a huge favor after you arranged for the wedding coordinator at your Pebble Beach resort to call me back. Not to mention mysteriously finding an open date for us in June.”

He winked at her. “It’s all in the way you ask the questions, my dear. And I’m very happy to be of help.”

“Nathan and I are actually heading down to Carmel this weekend to visit my parents, so we’ve set up a meeting at the hotel. Do you have any special plans for the long weekend?”

He was instantly on alert at Julia’s super sweet tone, not to mention the way her rose-glossed lips curled into a smirk. “Ah, yes, I’m actually headed to Lake Tahoe. The skiing is supposed to be quite good this weekend.” He intentionally didn’t mention that he was bringing Tessa along with him.

Julia wrinkled her pert little nose. “Hmm, not much of a fan of the snow. Something about being cold and wet just doesn’t appeal. But I hope you enjoy your weekend, Ian. By the way, is Tessa working the meeting this morning? I have something I need to ask her.”

Ian forced himself to remain impassive as he replied. “Yes, I believe I saw her here earlier setting up. Was there something you needed for the meeting, Julia? I’m sure Tessa can take care of it for you.”

Julia shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing like that. It’s not really business related. We - well, one of Nathan’s clients gave us four tickets to see The Book of Mormon next weekend, and I wanted to see if Tessa would like to go with us.” She lowered her voice as she added, “Nathan and I were thinking of setting her up with one of his friends. After all, she’s way too young and pretty to stay at home every weekend, don’t you think?”

Ian froze. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear that the innocent-looking Julia was quite deliberately trying to provoke him, or at least goad him into reacting. He wasn’t sure how she would know, but he had a very strong feeling that she suspected there was something going on between him and Tessa. He knew the two women had run into each other at their yoga studio last weekend, but he’d been extremely careful to park a couple of blocks from the studio when he’d picked Tessa up so as not to be seen. And he was confident that Tessa hadn’t breathed a word about their relationship to Julia, since she had taken his cautionary words about the need for secrecy to heart. She was even more fiercely protective about their privacy than he was.