Claim
Page 113
And it had been Ian’s idea to decorate the nursery in a lamb motif. When he and Tessa had first met with Julia to discuss design ideas, the two women had initially wanted to go with a fairy princess theme. They had been discussing what color scheme to use when Ian had interjected, “Why don’t you use a pink and white theme - but with lambs instead of princesses.”
Tessa had been delighted with the idea, and had almost been able to see Julia’s mind starting to spin with creative thoughts. The nursery, thus, had been painted a pale cream with a pink and white wallpaper border that featured dozens of frolicking white lambs. The pink and white crib, dresser, and changing table had been frightfully expensive, but Ian had insisted on only the best for his child. The pink and white lamb theme had been carried out in the bedding, bedside lamp, the cheerful wind-up mobile that hung suspended from the ceiling, and Julia had added in half a dozen stuffed lambs in various shapes and sizes. But Lambie had been the only one that Gilly had taken a liking to, and was the one she slept with every night.
Ian must have felt her gaze upon them, for he glanced up at that particular moment, a tender smile on his face.
“Just in time,” he murmured softly. “She’s nearly asleep. Come over and give her a goodnight kiss, Mummy.”
He’d started calling her the British version of mommy from the very start, and now Gilly called her that, too. But Tessa didn’t mind, especially since it was important to her that Gilly be brought up with many of her father’s traditions, given that she was half-British herself. Her friends thought it too adorable for words, and she knew it pleased Ian tremendously.
Tessa walked over to the rocking chair - the one where she’d spent so many blissful hours nursing and cuddling and rocking her baby - and bent to press a kiss to Gilly’s rosy little cheek. “Goodnight, my precious,” she whispered. “Sleep tight.”
Ian placed her in the crib, one that was fit for a royal princess, with the utmost care before pulling the pink and white quilt up over her tiny body. Gilly was fast asleep within seconds, not even flinching when her father kissed her goodnight and made sure the cherished lamb was tucked in beside her.
They stood watching her silently for long seconds, Ian’s arm around Tessa’s waist as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“She’s so precious, Tessa,” he said, smiling softly. “So sweet and innocent and just utterly precious. She is the greatest gift you could have ever given me, the most wonderful thing you’ve ever done for me.”
“I know.” She reached up to kiss his cheek. “I adore her, too. And soon there’ll be another precious little one to love.”
“Yes.” Ian massaged the nape of her neck. “But no matter how many children we have, Gilly will always be the most special to me.”
Tessa nodded. “Because she’s the firstborn. And because the two of you share a birthday.”
Ian wrapped his arms around her waist, careful of her baby bump, and hugged her back against him. “That’s part of it, of course. But the real reason is because she’s so much like you. She’ll always be the most special of our children because she’s what I imagine you were like at her age.”
Tessa opened her mouth to tell him she knew what he was getting at, that by loving Gilly so well he was making up for Tessa not knowing the love of her own father, or not being able to rely on her mother. But Ian merely held a finger up to his lips and ushered her out of the nursery, closing the door most of the way behind them.
They watched TV together for an hour or so, until Tessa, too, began to yawn. While she fortunately didn’t suffer from morning sickness or puffy ankles or dry skin like so many other pregnant women did, she did tire out more easily these days.
Ian switched off the TV, and took her by the hand. “Bedtime for Mummy, too,” he insisted. “You need to start taking naps in the afternoon when Gilly does, make sure you’re as well rested as possible. Especially with the holidays approaching. Because I know all too well that you’ll try and do too much - as usual. And once the baby arrives, you’re going to be busier than ever. I’d still like you to at least think about hiring a nanny, or an au pair. Part time if nothing else.”
Stubbornly she shook her head as they began the ascent to their bedroom. “No nanny. I can do this, Ian. Plenty of other women manage with two small children and no hired help. And many of them have full time jobs as well.”
“We’ll see how it goes the first few weeks,” he assented. “My parents can stay an extra week this time to help out, so that will get us through to the five week mark. But the one thing I insist on is having the housekeeper here five days a week. You can take care of the children yourself, but this is a big house to keep up alone.”
Tessa sighed. “Fine, you win. At least for the first few months. After that, we’ll see.”
Ian gave her a playful swat on the buttocks as they entered the master bedroom. “Stubborn wench,” he taunted. “Speaking of which, I believe that particular maternity dress you have on looks very familiar, darling. If memory serves me right, you wore that when you were pregnant with Gilly, didn’t you?”
She shrugged. “What if I did? It’s in perfect condition. And I probably only wore it three or four times. Ian, I do not need an entire new maternity wardrobe. It’s a waste of good money, when almost everything is barely worn.”
He wagged a finger at her half-sternly. “And shall I remind you yet again that we have plenty of money? Far, far more than we can ever dream of spending. My wife doesn’t have to recycle clothes or pinch pennies.”
“And you don’t need to be a snob,” she retorted. “Besides, I like this particular dress a lot. It’s comfortable.”
Ian’s mood changed instantly from mildly annoyed to deliberately seductive. “It’s also sexy as hell,” he purred, his hands stroking over her hips and ass. “I like the way the fabric clings in all the right places. Especially here.”
She gave a little groan as he cupped her ultra sensitive breasts in his hands. With this pregnancy, like her last, her hormones seemed to be wildly out of control at times, so that she craved sex even more than usual. But while Ian was more than happy to accommodate her needs, it was only on his maddeningly frustrating terms.
From the moment he’d learned for certain that she was pregnant with Gilly, he’d insisted on being more gentle with her during sex, and had steadfastly refused to engage in anything that could potentially harm their unborn baby. It hadn’t mattered to him in the least when she had shown him multiple articles and books that stated such caution wasn’t necessary, that a healthy, normal sex life during pregnancy was perfectly fine. She had even come right out and asked Jordan for his opinion during one of her appointments, but Ian had rather scathingly jeered that a tomcat like her OB/GYN wasn’t about to advise her to scale back on her bedroom activities.
Tessa had been delighted with the idea, and had almost been able to see Julia’s mind starting to spin with creative thoughts. The nursery, thus, had been painted a pale cream with a pink and white wallpaper border that featured dozens of frolicking white lambs. The pink and white crib, dresser, and changing table had been frightfully expensive, but Ian had insisted on only the best for his child. The pink and white lamb theme had been carried out in the bedding, bedside lamp, the cheerful wind-up mobile that hung suspended from the ceiling, and Julia had added in half a dozen stuffed lambs in various shapes and sizes. But Lambie had been the only one that Gilly had taken a liking to, and was the one she slept with every night.
Ian must have felt her gaze upon them, for he glanced up at that particular moment, a tender smile on his face.
“Just in time,” he murmured softly. “She’s nearly asleep. Come over and give her a goodnight kiss, Mummy.”
He’d started calling her the British version of mommy from the very start, and now Gilly called her that, too. But Tessa didn’t mind, especially since it was important to her that Gilly be brought up with many of her father’s traditions, given that she was half-British herself. Her friends thought it too adorable for words, and she knew it pleased Ian tremendously.
Tessa walked over to the rocking chair - the one where she’d spent so many blissful hours nursing and cuddling and rocking her baby - and bent to press a kiss to Gilly’s rosy little cheek. “Goodnight, my precious,” she whispered. “Sleep tight.”
Ian placed her in the crib, one that was fit for a royal princess, with the utmost care before pulling the pink and white quilt up over her tiny body. Gilly was fast asleep within seconds, not even flinching when her father kissed her goodnight and made sure the cherished lamb was tucked in beside her.
They stood watching her silently for long seconds, Ian’s arm around Tessa’s waist as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“She’s so precious, Tessa,” he said, smiling softly. “So sweet and innocent and just utterly precious. She is the greatest gift you could have ever given me, the most wonderful thing you’ve ever done for me.”
“I know.” She reached up to kiss his cheek. “I adore her, too. And soon there’ll be another precious little one to love.”
“Yes.” Ian massaged the nape of her neck. “But no matter how many children we have, Gilly will always be the most special to me.”
Tessa nodded. “Because she’s the firstborn. And because the two of you share a birthday.”
Ian wrapped his arms around her waist, careful of her baby bump, and hugged her back against him. “That’s part of it, of course. But the real reason is because she’s so much like you. She’ll always be the most special of our children because she’s what I imagine you were like at her age.”
Tessa opened her mouth to tell him she knew what he was getting at, that by loving Gilly so well he was making up for Tessa not knowing the love of her own father, or not being able to rely on her mother. But Ian merely held a finger up to his lips and ushered her out of the nursery, closing the door most of the way behind them.
They watched TV together for an hour or so, until Tessa, too, began to yawn. While she fortunately didn’t suffer from morning sickness or puffy ankles or dry skin like so many other pregnant women did, she did tire out more easily these days.
Ian switched off the TV, and took her by the hand. “Bedtime for Mummy, too,” he insisted. “You need to start taking naps in the afternoon when Gilly does, make sure you’re as well rested as possible. Especially with the holidays approaching. Because I know all too well that you’ll try and do too much - as usual. And once the baby arrives, you’re going to be busier than ever. I’d still like you to at least think about hiring a nanny, or an au pair. Part time if nothing else.”
Stubbornly she shook her head as they began the ascent to their bedroom. “No nanny. I can do this, Ian. Plenty of other women manage with two small children and no hired help. And many of them have full time jobs as well.”
“We’ll see how it goes the first few weeks,” he assented. “My parents can stay an extra week this time to help out, so that will get us through to the five week mark. But the one thing I insist on is having the housekeeper here five days a week. You can take care of the children yourself, but this is a big house to keep up alone.”
Tessa sighed. “Fine, you win. At least for the first few months. After that, we’ll see.”
Ian gave her a playful swat on the buttocks as they entered the master bedroom. “Stubborn wench,” he taunted. “Speaking of which, I believe that particular maternity dress you have on looks very familiar, darling. If memory serves me right, you wore that when you were pregnant with Gilly, didn’t you?”
She shrugged. “What if I did? It’s in perfect condition. And I probably only wore it three or four times. Ian, I do not need an entire new maternity wardrobe. It’s a waste of good money, when almost everything is barely worn.”
He wagged a finger at her half-sternly. “And shall I remind you yet again that we have plenty of money? Far, far more than we can ever dream of spending. My wife doesn’t have to recycle clothes or pinch pennies.”
“And you don’t need to be a snob,” she retorted. “Besides, I like this particular dress a lot. It’s comfortable.”
Ian’s mood changed instantly from mildly annoyed to deliberately seductive. “It’s also sexy as hell,” he purred, his hands stroking over her hips and ass. “I like the way the fabric clings in all the right places. Especially here.”
She gave a little groan as he cupped her ultra sensitive breasts in his hands. With this pregnancy, like her last, her hormones seemed to be wildly out of control at times, so that she craved sex even more than usual. But while Ian was more than happy to accommodate her needs, it was only on his maddeningly frustrating terms.
From the moment he’d learned for certain that she was pregnant with Gilly, he’d insisted on being more gentle with her during sex, and had steadfastly refused to engage in anything that could potentially harm their unborn baby. It hadn’t mattered to him in the least when she had shown him multiple articles and books that stated such caution wasn’t necessary, that a healthy, normal sex life during pregnancy was perfectly fine. She had even come right out and asked Jordan for his opinion during one of her appointments, but Ian had rather scathingly jeered that a tomcat like her OB/GYN wasn’t about to advise her to scale back on her bedroom activities.
