And if the rest of the week went according to his plans, Ian was going to take a leap of faith on Friday afternoon and invite her out for drinks after work. He had never invited one of the support staff out before, whether on a personal or professional basis, except for a few times when he’d taken Andrew out to lunch for his birthday. Such an offer would be certain to shock Tessa, since she would be well aware of his strict hands-off policy when it came to dating employees, and would definitely give her cause to wonder about his intentions in issuing such a request.
“Mr. Gregson?”
Ian glanced up at the sound of her sweet, high voice, taking in the very tempting, delectable picture she made framed in the doorway of his office. On most any other woman the classic black pencil skirt would have merely looked professional, and completely in keeping with the conservative image he preferred all of his employees to present. But on Tessa, the wool fabric emphasized the seductive curve of her hips and high, firm buttocks, and he wondered if her sheer black hosiery was pantyhose or a far more alluring pair of stockings.
And while the ivory sweater certainly wasn’t snug, it nonetheless didn’t fail to call attention to the lush roundness of her breasts. His hands clenched into fists as he imagined running his palms over the firm, ripe globes, just before sliding up beneath the hem of the sweater until they encountered the lace of her bra. He felt tiny beads of sweat form along his upper lip, at the same time that his cock began to harden and press insistently against the zipper of his trousers.
“Yes, Tessa?” he asked, smiling at her warmly.
Her cheeks pinkened yet again, probably the tenth or twelfth time today he’d seen her blushing. “Um, I just wanted to see if there was anything else you needed, sir,” she mumbled, looking down at her shoes uncertainly. “That is, I’m more than happy to stay longer if -”
He glanced at his computer monitor, visibly started to realize how late it was. “Good Lord, is it really that time?” he asked in amazement. “You should have left half an hour ago at least. And no, there’s nothing else I need. You’ve done an astounding amount of work today, Tessa, and done all of it exceptionally well.”
Tessa raised those enormous blue eyes to his, the smile that lit her beautiful face revealing how much his praise had pleased her. “It was my pleasure, Mr. Gregson,” she replied softly. “I - I hope everything was up to your standards, sir.”
“Very much so,” he assured her in a gentle voice. Relieved to notice that his erection had subsided enough for decency’s sake, Ian rose to his feet and walked around the side of his desk until he was standing right in front of her. He couldn’t resist touching her, just for a moment or two, and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. The brief touch, however, was more than enough to arouse him anew, and also to cause Tessa’s eyes to widen in surprise.
“Now, you should head home and enjoy the rest of your evening,” he told her, removing his hand reluctantly. “It’s going to be an extremely busy week, I’m afraid, and I don’t want to wear you out after the first day.”
She shook her head, making him all too aware of how long and soft her blonde curls were, and how he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in all of that glorious hair and inhale her sweet, seductive scent. “You won’t. I promise,” she assured him. “I’m not afraid of hard work, Mr. Gregson. I’ll be ready for whatever you ask of me.”
Ian’s mouth quirked up at the corners, wondering if she had any idea, any idea at all, of exactly what he wanted to ask of her. “Nonetheless,” he admonished, “it’s been a very long day and well past time for both of us to head home. Do you have any plans for this evening?”
He asked the question with forced casualness, not at all certain what his reaction would be if - God forbid - she admitted to going out on a date, or to a club with some friends.
But to his great relief, Tessa merely gave a small shrug and replied, “Nothing except hitting the employee gym downstairs for an hour or so, and then heading home.”
Ian was pleased that her plans didn’t involve spending time with another man, but at the same time he couldn’t help but be concerned for her safety, especially since he was well aware of the rather dicey neighborhood she lived in. “Are you sure that’s a wise idea, Tessa?” he inquired, not particularly caring if he sounded worried. “It’s already past six p.m., and you wouldn’t be leaving the building until seven-thirty or so. Do you have a ride home?”
She shook her head. “But the bus doesn’t leave me off very far from my apartment, sir. It’s just a short walk.”
He scowled as the image of her walking through the dark, rather menacing streets of her community filled his head. “I’d be worried sick about you all night if you took a bus home at that hour,” he told her. “And since it’s my fault that you’re here at the office so late, I’m going to arrange for a car service to drive you home. You go along and enjoy your workout, and the car will be waiting for you downstairs when you’re finished.”
Tessa’s soft pink mouth fell open in surprise at his announcement. “Mr. Gregson - really, sir, that isn’t at all necessary. I’m used to taking the bus home even at this hour. And I’m always careful. I promise.”
Ian shook his head authoritatively. “I insist, Tessa. Tonight and for the remainder of the week you’ll be driven home each evening, especially if you’re going to be working this late. As my PA, temporary or not, you’re my responsibility, and I take such things very seriously. So, no more arguments, hmm?”
“I’ll just skip my workout, Mr. Gregson,” she offered. “It’s not that important. That way I’ll get home much earlier and there won’t be any need for you to worry.”
“No.” He was aware that he was starting to sound like something of a dictator, evidenced by the way Tessa’s eyes widened in response, but her stubbornness in accepting a favor was a challenge he hadn’t anticipated.
“You deserve to spend some time on yourself today,” he added in a softer tone. “I’m guessing you arrived in the office at - what time? Seven-thirty? Seven?”
The guilty look on her face was almost comical, and thoroughly adorable. “Um, six-thirty, actually,” she mumbled. “I, ah, wanted to make sure I had everything ready.”
Ian gave her a look of mock severity. “All the more reason, then, why you shouldn’t skip that workout. You owe it to yourself after such a long day. I’m very disciplined about my own fitness regime, and rarely skip a day.”
Tessa nodded, her gaze flickering over his body. “I - I assumed you worked out a lot. I mean, not that - um, well, I mean -”
He gave her another of those deliberately flirty winks, and followed the gesture up with a knowing smile. “I know what you mean,” he assured her teasingly. “And I’ll assume the same about your own workouts. You appear to be very, very - ah,
fit
.”
This time Ian was half-afraid that Tessa would faint dead away, given the thoroughly shocked expression on her face as he gave her tall, shapely figure a
very
assessing look. He took pity on her after a few more seconds, though, well aware that he was flirting with her rather outrageously and that she had no idea at all of how to respond.
“Off with you now, Tessa,” he bade her firmly. “Enjoy your workout and don’t worry about getting home. I’ll rest much easier knowing you’ll get there safely.”
She gave a little sigh of resignation before nodding. “All right. And - thank you, Mr. Gregson. It’s very kind of you, sir, and I appreciate it. Have a pleasant evening.”
“You, too. See you in the morning.”
Ian didn’t add that his evening would be a far more pleasant one were she to be spending it with him. After all, he reminded himself, he’d already made a considerable amount of progress in his all-out quest to claim Tessa Lockwood as his own. He couldn’t afford to get greedy, to push his agenda along too aggressively, and risk scaring her off.
But as images of how Tessa might look in her workout gear flooded his rather dirty mind - wearing shorts that bared most of those incredibly long, toned legs and cupped the most spectacular ass he’d ever seen, and perhaps a T-shirt or tank top that clung to those awe-inspiring breasts like a second skin - Ian had to wage a mighty battle with himself not to follow her down to the employee fitness room three floors below.
So before he lost what little control he still had remaining after a full day in her company, he powered down his computer, grabbed his briefcase and coat, and headed out the door. Tomorrow, after all, would present him with additional opportunities to put all of the plans he had for Tessa into play.
Chapter Two
Tessa was usually glad to realize it was Thursday, with only one more day remaining until the weekend. But on this particular Thursday, she found herself wishing that the week was just beginning since it meant that tomorrow – Friday - would mark the end of her temporary assignment as Mr. Gregson’s PA. Andrew would be back in the office on Monday, Tessa would return to her cubicle out on the main office floor, and these past few days would only be a pleasant memory for her.
She’d loved every minute of the past four days, relished each and every assignment she’d been given, and felt a true sense of accomplishment in the job she’d done. Mr. Gregson had lavished praise on her, had expressed his thanks and appreciation for her hard work, and for perhaps the first time in her life Tessa hadn’t felt stupid or unworthy. Surely a man as intelligent and accomplished as Ian Gregson wouldn’t have gone out of his way to compliment her if he hadn’t truly believed she deserved it. She had seen first hand how exacting he was, what high standards he set not just for himself but for every employee under his direction. And the thought that a little nobody like herself had been able to live up to such lofty expectations made her feel warm all over.
And, of course, there was the
other
perk of working for him - that of being in regular proximity of the handsomest man she’d ever seen. She hadn’t been able to keep her pulse rate from accelerating any time she was near Ian, or all the other ways her body reacted to him involuntarily. Earlier today she’d cursed beneath her breath to realize her nipples were hard and poking very noticeably against the thin fabric of her blouse. And, unfortunately, she was pretty sure he had noticed, too, since she’d been placing a steaming mug of tea on his desk at the time. She had made a hasty exit, and had struggled to control the reactions of her treacherous body for the rest of the day.
It was nice to be away from the rest of the team this week, to have all this space and privacy, and to finally know what it felt like to work at the top level of this company. Tessa didn’t miss all of the chatter and gossip that went on almost constantly among her co-workers, and she could only imagine some of the nastier things Gina and Alicia had been saying about her during her absence. When she’d first announced the news to all of them that she’d be filling in for Andrew this week, Alicia’s reaction in particular had been downright catty, wondering out loud how Tessa could possibly handle such a high-profile assignment, given her lack of a college degree and no experience working at that level.
The fact that she’d done so well, at least as far as Mr. Gregson was concerned, filled Tessa with a rather smug sense of satisfaction, and she wished she had the nerve to lord it over the haughty Alicia for once. But she wasn’t about to repeat any of the things Mr. Gregson had told her, not to anyone. His praise, all of the numerous compliments, had felt - well,
personal
to Tessa, as though he had never said such things to anyone but her. And she would certainly cherish every memory of this too-short week, would remember every single one of his words or smiles.
‘The ball is almost over, Cinderella,’ she chided herself half-jokingly. ‘Nearly time to scurry back to your little corner and hide away. Except that you won’t have a glass slipper to keep as a memento.’
Cinderella had been her very favorite fairytale as a child, the one she’d always begged her mother to read to her again and again. But Tessa had stopped believing in fairytales a long time ago, once she’d been old enough to realize how hard life really was, and that in the long run she would only ever be able to count on herself and not some imaginary prince. She’d thought - hoped - for a long time that Peter would be the one to save her, to slay all of the dragons that stalked her, but he’d been too wrapped up in fighting his own demons to be her knight in shining armor. And now she was back to being on her own, coping with her fears and insecurities, and fighting off the bouts of depression that always seemed to be hovering in the background, threatening to pull her under.
Though during these past few days, Ian Gregson had seemed at times to play the part of the knight or prince who’d vowed to rescue the damsel in distress. Tessa smiled involuntarily as she thought of all the little ways he’d looked out for her wellbeing, or made sure he wasn’t working her too hard. True to his word, there had been a private hire car waiting at the curb to take her home each evening. And it hadn’t been a taxi or even a service like Uber. No, it had been a sleek, black vehicle manned by a uniformed driver, and the car had brought her right up to the sidewalk outside of her apartment building, with the driver escorting to her the entrance. Tessa had felt like a celebrity, or some other type of VIP, but had cautioned herself not to get used to such a luxury.
And she would be willing to bet that Mr. Gregson had never gone to such trouble for any of the other team members when they had filled in for Andrew. She knew without having to ask that he wouldn’t have called a car service for them, or worried about them getting home safely. What she
didn’t
know was why Mr. Gregson was so protective of her, why she was receiving special attention when none of the others did. It was probably because he felt sorry for her, knowing that she was going through a difficult divorce, and he was simply being kind. There couldn’t be any other reasonable explanation, she told herself. It certainly wasn’t because he had - well,
feelings
for her, even though there had been more than a few times over the past days when she had wondered if he might possibly be attracted to her. He had been a perfect gentleman, of course, as he always was, but his frequent smiles, not to mention his lighthearted, almost flirtatious teasing, had been completely at odds with the austere personality he normally exhibited.