Crave (Splendor Book 2) (51 page)

She’d looked like a pagan warrior princess as she’d ridden him, her bare, lush breasts beckoning him to touch them, her long hair waving over her shoulders. The merest flick of his thumb against her clit had sent her spiraling into climax, the tight muscles of her pussy squeezing his cock as she came, and he’d spilled himself inside of her hot, welcoming body mere seconds later.

It had been every man’s dirtiest fantasy come true - the ultimate wake-up call - and Ian was really no different than most men when it came down to it. But he was definitely starting to feel the effects of missing out on some sleep this morning, especially when his voracious young lover had also kept him up rather late the night before. Tessa, he thought with a rueful smile, was quickly becoming rather insatiable.

Matthew grinned. “Has anyone told you what a lucky fucker you are? Seriously, almost every guy at the club would cut off their left nut to trade places with you right now.”

Ian groaned. “I’d advise them to hold on to both of their testicles, especially if they have a wife or a girlfriend as, ah, eager as Tessa. Sometimes I wish I had a spare pair.”

Matthew laughed uproariously. “Christ sakes, Ian, just how often are the two of you getting it on anyway?”

“Every single day.” Ian enunciated each word slowly. “Usually multiple times. So far I’ve been able to keep up with her, but I’m half afraid she’s going to wear me out.”

“Well, if you need help keeping your woman satisfied, you can always ask Jesse,” joked Matthew. “When he saw you walk by with Tessa one day last week, he made some predictably crude comment like ‘Dude, I would tap that anywhere, anytime’. And then he finished up by saying it wasn’t fair that you had two sweet rides - first the Jag and now Tessa.”

“Is that right?” Ian’s fist clenched and unclenched, and his mouth tightened in annoyance. “Well, I had already planned on pummeling that young punk into the mat the next time we sparred. Now I might consider upping the ante.”

Matthew grinned, taking a sip of his iced tea. “Yeah? Whatcha got in mind for our young Casanova?”

Ian winked before reaching for his own glass of tea. “Making sure Tessa is present to watch us. And that she’s wearing as little as possible.”

“You’re an evil bastard as well as a lucky one,” conceded Matthew. “But that would serve the little shit right. He does like to flirt, not to mention brag about all the pussy he gets. Though I’m just guessing you’re getting a hell of a lot more action than he is. And I
know
you’re getting way more than I am. Hell, you probably got more last night than I’ve had in a month.”

The tone of Matthew’s voice clearly betrayed that things weren’t as they should be in his marriage. Ian had met his wife on several occasions, and couldn’t really say if he liked Lindsey Bennett or not. She’d been pleasant enough, if a bit on the flirty and empty-headed side, which hadn’t bothered him nearly as much as the rather careless, off-handed manner in which she treated her husband. Matthew was just about the nicest, most decent man Ian had ever met, and he had never allowed his somewhat sudden good fortune to go to his head or change the person he was.

Ian frowned. “Everything all right with you and Lindsey? How is your lovely wife, by the way?”

Matthew grimaced. “She’s fine. A little more generously endowed these days, however. She, uh, just had her boobs done - against my wishes, I might add. Call me crazy, but I just hate all that fake shit women insist on having done to themselves.”

“You’re not crazy,” assured Ian. “I’ve never been a fan myself. Fortunately for me, Tessa is, ah, a natural beauty.”

A grin crossed Matthew’s face, his good humor quickly restored. “Since I haven’t seen a pair of twenty-four year old tits since
I
was twenty-four, tell me - do you feel like weeping every time she takes her top off?”

Ian shook his head. “More like saying a prayer, mate. Thanking Christ that she’s all mine, and then begging Him that I don’t wake up and find it’s all been one big wet dream.”

“Jesus.” Matthew looked more than a little awed. “Well, all I can say is enjoy all this while it lasts, because honeymoons definitely end sooner than later. Take my word for that. Besides, all of us forty-something’s at the club are rooting for you. You’re sort of our role model, you know.”

Ian speared a forkful of salmon, but paused before bringing it to his mouth. “You don’t think I’m making an ass of myself, do you? I mean, Tessa tells me all the time that she doesn’t think I’m too old for her, but, well, it does weigh on my mind a lot. Especially when young bucks like Jesse are salivating over her.”

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 – I’ve heard 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 would be 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, 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 life 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 by now.

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, and 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.”