Splendor (Inevitable #2) (51 page)

Matthew waved a hand in dismissal. “Jesse salivates over most anything with a pair of tits. God, I’d better keep him away from Lindsey and her new D cups – my understanding is that he likes older women, too. And you don’t have to worry about Tessa. I’ve seen the two of you together a few times, don’t forget. The girl’s got it bad for you, Ian. Even with every guy in the gym giving her the onceover, the only one she’s ever paid attention to is you.”

Ian nodded. “I appreciate that, mate. And I guess I must be doing something right, considering her, uh, eagerness. Now I just have to find a way to keep up with her.”

Matthew chuckled and indicated his plate. “Maybe you should have ordered a cheeseburger like I did. You know, extra protein, red meat, that sort of thing.”

Ian sighed. “I’ve already tried that. Unfortunately, all it seemed to do was raise my cholesterol by twenty points.”

“There’s always Viagra.”

“You don’t get it, Matthew. Getting an erection is never a problem with Tessa. Christ, it’s like taking a triple dose of that stuff with her. The problem – if one is selfish enough to think of it that way – is having enough energy to get through the day.”

“You’re right – you
are
a selfish prick to even think of this as a problem. A gorgeous, sexy and horny twenty-four year old girlfriend is most men’s favorite spank bank fantasy. So, as I see it my friend, you’ve really only got two solutions to your, er, situation.”

Ian regarded him warily. “And what exactly would these solutions entail?”

Matthew gave him an evil grin. “Cutting her off to once a day, or fitting in time for an afternoon nap. And since I’m guessing there’s no way in hell you’d even consider the former, maybe you should make sure there’s a comfy pillow and blanket on hand in your office.”

***

Late May

Tessa didn’t think she’d ever get tired of the view from the deck of this house. Even though this particular morning happened to be crystal clear, and the winds were calm, she wouldn’t have minded in the least if it had been cool and foggy, or even rainy and windy instead. The ocean view was breathtaking, mesmerizing, and she thought she could happily sit out here for hours with a mug of tea and a good book – much as she was doing right now.

Ian had surprised her with this getaway for Memorial Day weekend. He hadn’t told her where they were going, simply to pack enough for a three night stay, and nothing that could be considered the least bit dressy. They had left San Francisco on Friday morning – he’d taken a day off from work – and driven up the Sonoma County coast in his vintage Jaguar. Tessa had never been to this part of the Bay Area before, and had been spellbound by the magnificent scenery they’d viewed en route.

They’d arrived at their destination in the early afternoon – a community of gorgeous homes built along a ten mile stretch of the coast that Ian had referred to as The Sea Ranch. The house he had rented for the long weekend was situated right on the bluff top, and was nearly as lavishly appointed as his own home in the city. Tessa, however, had more or less bypassed the gourmet kitchen, sunken living room, and huge loft space once she had glimpsed the jaw dropping view from the back deck. She had spent the majority of their stay thus far curled up on a deck chair or chaise lounge and letting the sound of crashing waves hypnotize her.

She supposed a large part of her fascination with the ocean stemmed from having lived most of her live in either desert or mountain communities. Since moving to San Francisco, she’d certainly spent some time by the Pacific Ocean, but nothing remotely like this – sitting so close to the bluffs that she could feel the spray of the water when the surf was high enough.

The fabulous home was fully furnished and equipped with everything they might need – dishes, glasses, linens. There were books to read, movies to watch, music to listen to. Ian had made arrangements with the rental agency to have a local caterer stock the refrigerator with a variety of readymade meals, snacks, and drinks. He refused to let her cook this weekend, ensuring that they would not have to do much more than relax and enjoy a blissfully quiet getaway.

Since their arrival two days ago, they hadn’t really discussed the imminent arrival of his parents within the coming week. The Gregsons would be staying at the house, of course, though Ian had told her that they had offered to use the owner’s suite at the hotel instead. Tessa had insisted they stick with the original plan of staying at Ian’s home, knowing that he didn’t get to see his family all that often. And if she was still a nervous wreck about meeting them – and hoping they didn’t hate her on sight – it wasn’t for lack of constant reassurances on Ian’s part.

At least she felt a bit less gauche after having spent these past two and a half months living and traveling with Ian. With the help of both Julia and Marlene Brennan, she knew how to dress and accessorize, and had become fairly adept at doing her hair and makeup.

The series of one-day and weekend cooking courses she’d taken thus far had given her the confidence she needed to get more creative in the kitchen, and Ian had praised her efforts. Her Italian classes were also coming along nicely, though of course she had a long way to go before she could be considered even moderately fluent in the language.

And Ian had been teaching her a little here and there about things like art, classical music, and fine wines, mostly so that she would feel more at ease among the people she’d be meeting at several upcoming functions. Like the San Francisco Symphony benefit ball they would be attending with Ian’s parents during their visit. She would have already been in a mild panic about going to the ball, but coupled with the fact that the Gregsons would be accompanying them she was almost beside herself with anxiety.

Ian had done his utmost to calm her down, assuring her that not only would his parents adore her but that she would create quite a stir when she arrived at the ball with him. But Tessa knew that she would continue to fret and worry until she’d gotten both dreaded events over with.

“Penny for your thoughts, love?”

Smiling, Tessa set her empty mug down and turned to face Ian where he stood framed in the doorway leading from the living room out to the deck. Her heart gave a little thump-thump when she saw how mouthwateringly handsome he looked this morning – unshaven, his two day stubble the sexiest thing she’d ever seen; wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt that bared his chiseled biceps; like her, he was barefoot.

“Right now I’m thinking how much I love you,” she told him softly. “And how much I’d really like a good morning hug.”

Ian smiled and was by her side in an instant, sitting next to her on the wicker settee and scooping her into his lap. “Good morning, birthday girl. And I love you, too.” He gave her a long, lingering kiss. “But I missed waking up next to you this morning. You should have woken me. “

Tessa shook her head, snuggling happily against him. “You were sleeping so soundly, I couldn’t bear to disturb you. Besides, I know you’ve been – um, missing out on some sleep lately because of me.”

He chuckled, wrapping his arms even more tightly around her. “You haven’t heard me complaining, have you? I happen to like your, er, wake-up calls. Very, very much.”

She pressed a kiss to his cheek, running her nose over his dark stubble. “And I love the way you make sure I sleep very, very soundly at night. Ah, but I’m not being a very good girlfriend this morning, am I? Let me go and fix you a cup of tea.”

But his arms only tightened about her, not permitting her to move from his lap. “Not a chance. It’s your birthday, after all, and you are not lifting one finger today. I’ll make us some tea in a bit. Let’s just sit here for a few minutes and enjoy the view, hmm?”

“Okay.” Tessa gave a sigh of happy contentment. “I love it here, Ian. This is the absolute best birthday present ever.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Perhaps I should buy the house for you. Then we could come up here whenever we like.”

She laughed, convinced he was joking. “Don’t be silly. You already own a home.”

Ian smiled, brushing a loose strand of hair from her forehead. “Darling, many people own more than one home. My parents, for example, have a townhome in London, an estate out in Kent, an apartment in Paris, and a condo in Spain. Plus a share in the villa in Tuscany, of course.”

Tessa was wide-eyed in disbelief. “You’re really serious? That’s just – wow. How much money do they have anyway?”

He laughed in delight at her shock. “A lot. So do I, by the way. I could very easily afford to buy a house like this if that’s something you’d like, darling.”

She stared out at the water again. “Better not. If I knew I could wake up to this view every morning, I’d never want to leave here. And I think this would be just a little too over the top as a birthday gift. You’ve already given me way too many gifts, Ian.”

Since their arrival on Friday, he had left beautifully wrapped packages in various spots around the house for her to discover. He’d spoiled her rotten, of course, gifting her with clothing, lingerie, a pair of shoes, a new purse, jewelry. With each extravagant present, she had made him promise that this would be the last one, protesting that he’d gone overboard as usual.

He kissed her hand before rubbing his cheek against her palm. “There is just one more, love. And I saved the best for last.”

Tessa gave him a stern look. “You had better not have bought me that car you were talking about. I think driving your Mercedes around town will be just fine for me.”

Truth be told, she wasn’t very confident as yet about driving in San Francisco. The hills, narrow streets, and often nonexistent parking in the city made getting around much more difficult than it had back in Tucson. But since she couldn’t rely on Simon or take taxis to get her everywhere she needed to go – and since Ian wasn’t thrilled with the idea of her taking a bus – she had gradually started to drive again. He had given her the keys to his three year old Mercedes sedan, a car he claimed to rarely use since he preferred driving either the Range Rover or the Jaguar.

She’d been terrified of wrecking the expensive vehicle, a far more luxurious ride than the old compact Toyota she’d last driven in Tucson. But Ian had brushed aside her concerns carelessly, insisting she was doing him a favor by making sure the Mercedes got some use instead of sitting idle inside the garage.

“Ah, but as good as you look behind the wheel of the Benz, I think you’d be sexy as hell driving – let’s say a fire engine red Ferrari,” he teased.

Tessa gasped. “Oh, my, God, you are
so
not buying me a Ferrari! Or any car. Or one more thing, Ian. I mean it. Not a blouse or a pair of earrings or even a bra. Nothing. Do you understand?”

Ian grinned. “Yes, my feisty little birthday girl. But there is still one more present left. Relax – this one didn’t cost very much at all. And I think you’ll like it a lot.”

Her curiosity was piqued as he led her back inside the house. They had breakfast first, a simple meal of granola, fruit and tea. Ian cleaned up the few dishes, still refusing to let her do any work this weekend, and then brought out a modestly sized box. This one was as beautifully wrapped as all the others had been and she eyed the box suspiciously.

“If it’s more clothes, I’ll tell you right now they’re going back.”

He smiled at her indulgently. “It’s not. And you won’t want to return this. Open it, darling.”

She unwrapped the box slowly, lifting the lid, and then stared down at the contents in stunned disbelief. She would never in a million years have ever thought she’d receive a gift quite like this one, and her hand was shaking as she slowly withdrew one of the three items.

“My mother’s books.” Her voice was unsteady as she held one of the volumes with reverence, as though she were afraid it would disappear. “My God, Ian, where in the world did you find these?”

“I know several rare book dealers, both here in the States and in other parts of the world,” he replied quietly. “I’ve had every one of them on the lookout for these for some time now. They were able to locate three of the four books your mother had published, and one of the dealers may have a lead on the fourth. Do you like them, Tessa?”

She hadn’t known she was crying until she raised her gaze to his and he wiped away a tear. “This – this is the most wonderful thing you’ve ever done for me,” she told him brokenly. “I had nothing –
nothing
– of my mother’s. We moved around so much that we always had to leave things behind. And the few remaining items I had of hers burned in the fire. The first fire. All I really had left was one very old photo of her in my wallet. And, well, the second fire took that away. So, yes – I adore them. And I adore you for giving me this.”

“Darling.” He pulled her close against him, holding her as she wept, stroking her hair and murmuring soothing words.

When she felt in control again, she lifted her head from his chest and gave him a sweet, tender kiss. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I can’t even tell you what this means to me. Or how much I love you for finding these. It’s just – too much for me to express right now.”

He nodded in understanding. “I get it. And I’m so pleased you like your gift. Look, there’s even a photograph of your mother on the back cover of this book.”

Ian took out one of the other books from the box, this one a hardcover with a glossy jacket that was in excellent condition. The other two books were paperbacks and a bit on the well -used side. Tessa gasped as he flipped open the back cover, and she ran her fingers over the smiling image of her mother in stunned disbelief.

“It’s really her,” she murmured, starting at the image of the happy, glowing young woman who looked so much like her own self. “And this – this is how I prefer to remember her, Ian. Young and healthy and full of life. Not – not the sad, sick woman she became as I got older. This is my real mother right here.”

Ian pressed a kiss to her temple. “She was beautiful, Tessa. You could be her twin, the resemblance is remarkable. And I was thinking – there’s a photography studio I know of in San Francisco that specializes in restoring old photos. I’m willing to bet if we brought them this book jacket that they would be able to find a way to reproduce the image into a proper photograph. Obviously the quality wouldn’t be the best, but - ”