Ian knew he should let her sleep, but he was impatient to hold her, to make love to her again. And he was especially eager to hear her sweet, soft voice tell him over and over how much she loved him.

The breathless confession he’d wrung from her last night during the very heights of their passion still thrilled him, even after she’d repeated those three magical words to him several more times before they’d fallen asleep. He had fully intended to tell her last night just how much she meant to him, but Tessa had beaten him to the punch.

He brushed aside the soft blonde curls at her nape, caressing that tender spot with his lips. At the same time he gently stroked his hand up and down her bare arm, all the way from wrist to shoulder. Tessa mumbled incoherently in her sleep, slowly turning her head from side to side, until her blue eyes opened lazily.

“Hmm. What time is it?” she asked in a drowsy voice.

Ian smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Just before eight. I’m sorry I woke you. I just needed - wanted - to hear you tell me again that…”

“I love you.” She pulled his head down to hers for a kiss.

He groaned, pulling her into his arms and giving her a much longer and deeper kiss. “God, I’ll never get tired of hearing you tell me that, love. And you’ll have to be sure and say those words to me several times a day.”

She sighed happily, resting her head on his shoulder. “I promise. But only if you agree to reciprocate.”

Ian traced the outline of her lips with his index finger tenderly. “Trust me, my love, you’ll never have to remind me of that. In fact, you’ll likely get tired of hearing it. Tessa, I’ve never even come close to loving anyone the way I do you. What I feel for you - it’s a once in a lifetime kind of love.”

“For me, too, you know.” Tessa kissed his bare chest, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling closer against him. “This is so nice,” she purred in contentment. “So warm and cozy inside while we watch the snow falling outside. Thank you for bringing me here, Ian. And for last night. Everything was so perfect - the roses, the massage, dinner, and, well, the, um…”

He chuckled, brushing his knuckles over her flushed cheek. “How shy you still are, and after all the naughty, wicked things you’ve let me do to you. And, yes, it is perfect, beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.”

She nuzzled her nose against the dark stubble on his chin. “I love making love with you,” she told him guilelessly. “I never knew I could feel so much, Ian. Or feel so good.”

Ian trailed his fingers lightly up and down her arm, smiling in satisfaction as she shivered in reaction. “I’m very, very glad to hear that, love, because I have plans for you. Plans that call for making you feel very, very good. As often as possible.”

Tessa giggled, moving her hand caressingly across his taut abs. “Well, I’m in complete approval of your plans.”

She kissed a slow, sensual path across his pectorals, her tongue flicking out to lightly tease his flat male nipples. Her lips continued to travel down his chest and abs, pulling the duvet off his body as she did so. But when her mouth reached his navel, and then began to descend even lower, he threaded a hand into her hair and halted her progress.

Ian stifled a groan as she gazed up at him, her big blue eyes glazed over with desire as she gave him a puzzled frown.

“Don’t you want me to - I mean, it’s very obvious you need…” her voice was hesitant, uncertain.

This time he couldn’t hold back a long, low groan as Tessa’s hand began to tentatively stroke his throbbing, fully erect cock.

“God, darling,” he rasped. “I want your hands and mouth on my body constantly. Don’t ever doubt that. Or hesitate to do whatever you like to me. And that’s precisely what I want to talk to you about. So stop tempting me for just a bit while we discuss a few things, hmm?”

Reluctantly, she removed her hand from his erection and slid back up his body until she was cuddled up against his side, his arm around her shoulders. “Okay,” she agreed sweetly, kissing his throat. “But make it quick, because I’m having a very hard time keeping my hands to myself.”

He cursed softly beneath his breath as his cock continued to throb painfully. “Christ, Tessa, you’re not making this easy for me, love. Especially when you say things like that. If it was up to me, we’d spend every waking hour this way.”

“Yes,” she breathed, her lips moving up the side of his throat to his cheek. “I want that, too.”

“Do you, love?” His voice deepened and grew serious. “Tessa, I never, ever want you to feel obligated to make love if you don’t want to. If you’re tired, or not feeling well, or just not in the mood - you must tell me. Do you promise?”

Tessa gave a naughty little laugh as her hand slipped down his chest. “I can’t ever imagine not being in the mood for this,” she whispered. “It’s probably going to be the other way around.”

Ian’s chest rumbled with the sound of his laughter. “The only circumstances I could ever envision not being in the mood to have you would be if I were dead or unconscious. Now, do you promise me, Tessa? Promise that you’ll always be honest with me about this? I would never, ever force you or make you feel that I expected sex from you if it isn’t what you want, too.”

She rose up on an elbow, gazing down earnestly at him as the duvet fell away to bare her breasts. “Yes, I promise,” she murmured, reaching down to give him a soft kiss. “But I still can’t imagine any situation where I wouldn’t want this.”

“Mmm.” He sighed with pleasure as the erect points of her nipples brushed against his chest. “God, you are irresistible, you little witch.” He cupped her full, lush breast briefly before reluctantly moving his hand. “Now, let me finish what I need to tell you, and then I’m going to ravish you for hours.”

At Tessa’s nod, he continued. “I also want you to tell me if there are things I do or say that make you uncomfortable. Though I confess to always having been rather on the bland, straitlaced side when it comes to sex. You, my darling, have evidently been bringing out my adventurous side.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied teasingly. “And I would never, ever use the words bland or straitlaced to describe you. Especially not in bed. You’re - God, so sexy, so amazing.” Her voice trailed off with a breathy sigh of pleasure as his hand slid down her back to caress the high, tight curves of her ass. “So hot.”