The deepening hunger she felt must have been obvious in the way she kept staring at him, for he took her hand in his at some point and drew it to his lips.

“That look on your face - my God, you have no idea what it’s doing to me,” he told her in a husky voice.

“Oh.” She glanced down at her plate, suddenly shy. “Sorry. I just…I guess I just like to look at you.”

“Hush. Don’t look away from me, Tessa. Ah, there’s my girl,” he crooned as she lifted her gaze to his. “I wasn’t complaining, darling. Far from it. I love that I can put that particular look on your face - the one that tells me how much you want me. It’s so honest and open. I don’t ever want you to pretend with me, or try to hide your emotions. Understood?”

She nodded, spellbound by his deep voice and the way his hazel eyes glittered almost dangerously. “I won’t,” she breathed. “And I do want you, Ian. So much that it’s all I’ve been able to think about all day. It’s - too much at times, I think.”

“No.” He shook his head emphatically. “Never too much. You have so much passion, Tessa, far more than we’ve even begun to uncover as yet. I knew it the first time I kissed you, when you came so easily and so quickly. We’re really just beginning to awaken you sexually. But I’ll warn you now - I’m the only man who’ll be assisting you in that particular endeavor.”

She cupped his cheek in her hand. “I don’t want anyone else, just you. You know that.”

“Do I? Sometimes I’m not always certain. That’s still one of my greatest fears, you know,” he admitted. “I’m terrified that you’ll wake up one morning and realize you’ve made a huge mistake, that you’ll want your freedom to meet other men, younger men, or play the field a little and have the sort of fun girls your age ought to be doing. You never had the opportunity to do that, after all, and I’m worried that you’ll regret passing it all up.”

“Why in the world would I want to do that?” she asked in bewilderment. “That doesn’t sound like much fun to me.”

“Try telling that to your friends,” he replied darkly. “Yesterday it felt like some sort of bizarre conspiracy theory was unfolding - one that involved all of them setting you up with other men.”

Tessa was startled at the note of desperation in his voice, the way he looked and sounded so insecure - he, the most confident, self-assured man she’d ever met. “If you’re worried about what Kevin said, please don’t be. He means well but he’s a total airhead most of the time. I hardly ever take what he says seriously. And,” she added gently, “I have no intention or any interest in letting him fix me up with anyone.”

“It wasn’t just Kevin. That was bad enough, but then scarcely an hour later I had to bite my tongue when that little scamp Julia asked my opinion about setting you up with a friend of Nathan’s. How did you manage to fend off that very persistent little mischief-maker anyway?”

“What?” Tessa couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Julia? She didn’t say one word to me about meeting any friends of Nathan’s. This was at the office yesterday you’re referring to? All she really talked about was the new pair of shoes Nathan was going to buy her after work.”

A slow smile spread across his face, and he shook his head in exasperation. “I think I’ve been had by a very devious interior designer. And I believe Nathan is quickly discovering he’s got his hands full with that little devil he’s engaged to. Not to mention several hundred dollars poorer after buying the aforementioned shoes.”

She was more perplexed than ever now. “I really have no idea about any of that. But I’ve got no interest in dating other men. Why would I, when I’ve already got my Prince Charming?”

Her answer seemed to please him tremendously, as well as relieve any doubts he might have still been harboring. “Well, every princess deserves a prince, darling. And I’m going to work very hard to make sure you’re every bit as pampered and cherished as a queen.”

She let him coax her into sharing dessert, even though she was already full from the superb meal. He fed her bites of warm chocolate lava cake and salted caramel ice cream while they both sipped coffee - an espresso for him, a foamy cappuccino for her. She didn’t drink coffee very often, but was already beginning to feel a little drowsy from all the champagne and rich food, and decided the extra caffeine would be a wise idea. There was no way she was going to fall asleep before they had the opportunity to play out her fantasy.

“Are we going back to our room now?” she asked hopefully as he finished signing the guest check.

“Impatient, are we?” he asked in amusement.

“Yes,” she replied in a breathless voice. “The - ah - anticipation is getting to be more than I can bear.”

He slid his hand to the back of her head and brought her mouth to his for a soft kiss. “Good. I want you wild with need, so aroused that you’ll come at the lightest touch.”

Tessa groaned. “I’m already there.”

“Are you wet?”

“God, yes,” she whispered. “So much that I think I might leave a spot on this chair.”

Ian closed his eyes, muttering something beneath his breath, before standing abruptly and pushing his chair back. “Let’s go,” he said roughly, stepping around the table to pull her chair out. “Otherwise, I’m going to kiss you right here in front of all these people, and it will take an awful lot to make me stop.”

She was certain he would take her back to the suite after that, but gave a little sigh of frustration when they stopped at the piano bar in the lobby instead. He noticed the little huff she made as they sat at one of the tables and smiled at her.

“Remember what I told you earlier, love? The anticipation builds the pleasure,” he reminded her gently. “Don’t pout, Tessa, it won’t sway my decision. Trust me, darling, this will all be worth it in just a very short while. Meanwhile, relax and enjoy the music for a bit, hmm?”

He ordered them each a brandy, the Camus label she knew he preferred. She still found the taste of the fine liqueur a little bitter for her liking, but nonetheless sipped her drink daintily. Ian held her hand loosely in his as they listened in companionable silence to the vocalist and her accompanying pianist. Several couples in the bar were already dancing in the small space in front of the piano as Ian pulled her to her feet and out onto the dance floor.