“He’s head over heels in love with you, too, Miss Tessa,” he said kindly. “I’ve never seen him this way with another woman, not even close. And you’re definitely the only person who’s ever seen him off at the airport before.”

Tessa sniffled. “Oh. Well, thank you for telling me, Simon. And I - I love him very much. I hope - that is, I know how all this must look to you. I mean, he’s so distinguished and handsome and, well, rich. And I’m just an ordinary office employee, no one special.”

“You’re special to Mr. Gregson,” declared Simon. “And he’s an excellent judge of character. If he thought for one minute that you were some type of fortune hunter, he wouldn’t have bothered with you. He told me soon after the two of you began seeing each other that he was crazy about you, and not just because you’re a very pretty young lady. He said that your real beauty was deep inside of you, and that your kindness and goodness were what really drew him to you.”

Tessa felt a warm glow spread through her at Simon’s words. “He really said that?”

“He did, Miss Tessa. And he meant every word. And he’s absolutely correct. You’re a good girl, I can tell, not like all the others who would only be after his money or his looks. You truly care for him, too - for the man he is inside and not just the image he projects. You two make a lovely couple.”

Impulsively, she reached forward and squeezed him on the shoulder. “That’s so kind of you to say,” she told him tearfully. “It will help me get through these next two weeks without him.”

Simon gave her hand a reassuring pat. “Trust me, my dear, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him and he knows it. He’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him. I hope you realize he would do anything for you, absolutely anything.”

“I do, yes. And the feeling is mutual.”

As instructed, Simon let her off a short distance from the office, mindful that none of her co-workers would see Tessa alighting from Ian’s car. Before she began to walk away, he reminded her yet again to get in touch with him if she needed anything during Ian’s absence.

“I’ll be visiting my sister and her family up in Oregon for about a week,” he told her, “but I’ll be back in town next week. Even if I’m not around I can easily arrange for anything you might need, so please don’t hesitate to call.”

Tessa thanked him but assured him she’d be fine, that she was used to taking care of herself, and wished him a pleasant vacation. Then she was off to work, where she hoped to keep busy enough over the next two weeks so that she didn’t feel like crying nonstop.

She knew that if she didn’t want to endure any more painful separations like this one that she would have to remain firm in her resolve to resign. But it was one thing to know it, and quite another to actually accept it. As much as she loved Ian and wanted to be with him all the time, she couldn’t quite let go of the feeling that she needed to depend on herself and not simply rely on him for everything. It had eventually happened that way with Peter, and when he’d left it had felt like her whole world had caved in.

And, if she was being completely honest with herself, she was still having doubts that her relationship with Ian would last. Her misgivings had nothing to do with her own feelings. No, those were rock solid and she couldn’t imagine ever loving another man the way she cared for him. Rather, it was her fear that he would tire of her, that perhaps having a much younger girlfriend was only a novelty for him, and maybe something of an ego booster - not that someone as undeniably hot as Ian would ever need to pad his self-esteem. What if she became an embarrassment to him once they went public with their relationship - if he determined that she simply wasn’t refined or educated or mature enough to live in his world full time?

He would never abandon her, or leave her to fend for herself. That she knew without a shadow of a doubt. He was too good of a person, too much of a gentleman, to ever think of doing something like that. No, if he ever decided to end things between them he would make sure she was taken care of, settled with a good job and a place to live. But there would be nothing at all he could do to heal the gaping wound in her heart that a breakup like that would cause.

As the workday ended and she headed to the office gym for her workout, Tessa forced herself to stop being such a pessimist. Ian had made his feelings for her very clear, and she ought to be doing cartwheels of happiness right now that such an incredible man was in love with her. Instead, she was letting herself fall back into her old, bad habits, and starting to imagine the worst. If she was going to get through the next two weeks without her lover, she was going to have to keep as busy as possible and, more importantly, maintain a positive attitude, and not succumb to the depression that still tried to lure her into its dark depths.

The workout helped block out a lot of the insecurities and worries that tormented her, as did the call that came through from Ian shortly after she arrived home. He sounded tired, and she knew it was already the middle of the night in England. Even though she longed to keep him on the phone, she didn’t prolong the conversation when he bid her good night.

She kept herself busy the rest of the evening by starting to inventory her kitchen and living room, beginning the process of packing up the apartment. By the time bedtime rolled around, she was sufficiently tired to actually fall asleep fairly quickly.

But the next morning, which, naturally, happened to be a Wednesday, started out on a sour note when she discovered her period had started. Making sure her purse was well stocked with tampons, Tessa swallowed two Tylenol with her breakfast to lessen the pain of the severe cramps she knew would follow shortly. She would need to lay low during her cycle, cutting back on her exercise routine, trying to get some extra sleep, and eating as healthilyas she could.

The timing of her period with Ian’s absence was just about the only positive note. She was reluctant for him to see her this way, especially when she felt bloated and uncomfortable and on edge. Her periods also tended to make her weepy and depressed, and she knew she’d have to force herself more than usual to get through the days.

It didn’t help a bit that things at the office were slow. Not only was Ian away for two weeks, but several of the other managers were either traveling on business or attending a conference somewhere. However, it seemed that Tessa was the only one of her co-workers who wasn’t pleased at the lack of work assignments. The others took full advantage of the lull by arriving late and leaving early, taking longer than usual lunch hours, and spending the better part of the day gossiping, searching the Internet, and making personal calls. Of course, Andrew was still very much on top of things, and they had to exercise at least a little caution. But Tessa was quietly convinced he knew exactly what was going on, and was making very careful notes of who was slacking off. Determined not to take advantage of her relationship with Ian, she kept to her normal schedule and routine, not permitting herself to slack off.