Claim
Page 132
She was without a doubt one of the luckiest, most fortunate women in the world, reflected Tessa, one who had an abundance of riches in her life - the handsomest, sexiest, and most loving husband any woman could ever dream of; four beautiful, healthy, and happy children; a wonderful group of in-laws who considered her family and who had welcomed her into their lives without hesitation; great friends like Julia and Nathan, Lauren and Ben, Simon and Anna, and too many others to count right now. She had financial security, employees to help with childcare and housework, two beautiful homes to call her own. Her children would never know even for a moment what it was to be hungry or cold or scared, to live in poverty, or to go without so many little things. They would be fortunate enough to have everything they could wish for - clothes, toys, attending the best private schools, going on amazing vacations, taking swimming or piano or dance lessons. And they would always, always be safe and protected and most of all loved.
Tessa brushed away a tiny tear that glistened at the corner of her eye, momentarily overcome with emotion at just how rich her life was - and not in a material way. She had come so far from that sad, lonely little girl she’d once been, or the teenager who’d had to grow up far too quickly, or the young woman who’d been married for seven years without knowing the first thing about passion. Her life was so different than anything she could have ever imagined, so much more than she could have ever dared to dream of. Cinderella, she thought with a little smile, would certainly be green with envy if she could see how Tessa’s own fairytale had come to life.
She gasped at the sudden, unexpected touch of a man’s hands at her waist, the feel of his chest pressing boldly against her back, and the words he murmured huskily in her ear.
“Your husband is a very foolish man, Mrs. Gregson,” he purred. “If you were mine, there’s no way I’d leave a beautiful woman like you alone like this for even a minute. Otherwise, some other man might try to stake his claim and steal you away.”
A slow smile crossed Tessa’s features, and she gave a slow shake of her head. “Well, now, that’s just not possible,” she pointed out. “Because my husband is actually the most brilliant man I’ve ever met. He’s never done anything foolish in his life. And since I’m as crazy about him now as I was the first time we met, there’s never going to be another man for me. So you can just forget about stealing me away.”
Ian laughed, and slid his arms around her waist, hugging her back against him. “Ah, but you see, I have the card key in my pocket to the most luxurious suite in this entire hotel - top floor, private elevator, bottle of champagne on ice. And a very large bed. But if you’re that devoted to your worthless husband, then I suppose there’s no hope for me.”
She leaned into his chest, letting her head fall back against his shoulder. “You might be able to persuade me,” she teased. “However, there’s the matter of my four young ones. They, of course, would have to come along to this suite of yours, since I can’t leave them alone.”
Ian sighed. “A complication I hadn’t thought of. Oh, well. Raincheck, I suppose. Like on the evening of the office Christmas party, for example. I’ve already arranged it with Zoe and Nolan to stay over that night. And you, Mrs. Gregson, will be mine for the entire night.”
Tessa shivered as his lips caressed the side of her neck. “I’m yours every night,” she whispered. “And you know it.”
“Hmm.” Ian’s hand caressed the curve of her hip. “The children are definitely liable to tire themselves out tonight, aren’t they?”
“Absolutely,” she agreed. “In fact, I’m guessing after all the festivities and food and games that they’ll be worn out before we arrive home.”
“Best news I’ve had all day,” he chuckled. “So, tell me, Mrs. Gregson. What sort of very fetching undies do you have on underneath this sexy dress?”
She stifled a tiny moan as he gave her ass a discreet squeeze. “Um, they’re red,” she replied in a low voice. “Red lace. You know, for Christmas.”
“Mmm, more like red for sin,” he corrected, his hand splaying over her belly. “And I want to be very, very sinful with you tonight, Tessa. I haven’t fucked you in front of the mirror since before you got pregnant with the twins. So I really think we ought to remedy that situation tonight after all the little ones are fast asleep. Do you agree?”
“God, yes,” she murmured in a shallow voice. “For starters.”
Ian laughed, and she could feel the vibrations in his chest. “Greedy. Always so greedy, aren’t you?” he chided. “Fortunately, I’m just as hungry for you, darling. I wouldn’t plan on getting much sleep tonight if I were you. Good thing we rested up this past weekend.”
Tessa nodded. “And here I was just making a mental list of all the things that still need to get done before we leave for London in a few weeks. The parties, Gilly’s holiday pageant at school, taking her to the ballet, all the baking. And of course, I’ve still got a ton of Christmas shopping to do. Thank God we’ve got Zoe to help.”
“Would it be very ungentlemanly of me to say ‘I told you so’?” joked Ian.
She turned to face him then, wrapping her arms around his waist as she smirked. “Yes, but I’ll forgive you anyway,” she admitted. “I know how hard I fought against the idea of getting a nanny, but Zoe’s been wonderful. She lets me call the shots, doesn’t try to interfere or give me unwanted advice. And I actually get to spend more time with the children with her around. As usual, Mr. Gregson, you were right.”
Ian gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “I’ll try very hard not to gloat,” he teased, tucking a strand of glossy blonde hair behind her ear. “And I can also try and cross off at least one item on that very intimidating to-do list of yours.”
Tessa grinned. “You’re volunteering to bake Christmas cookies with Gilly and Liam?”
He tapped her on the nose with his finger. “Not unless you want me to burn the house down,” he retorted. “No, what I was going to say was that you can check my name off of your Christmas shopping list.”
She frowned. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“Because,” replied Ian, smiling so tenderly that it made her heart ache with the sheer emotion of it all, “I already have everything that I could ever want. My beautiful wife, my four wonderful children. And all of you are the only gifts I will ever need for the rest of my life.”
Tessa brushed away a tiny tear that glistened at the corner of her eye, momentarily overcome with emotion at just how rich her life was - and not in a material way. She had come so far from that sad, lonely little girl she’d once been, or the teenager who’d had to grow up far too quickly, or the young woman who’d been married for seven years without knowing the first thing about passion. Her life was so different than anything she could have ever imagined, so much more than she could have ever dared to dream of. Cinderella, she thought with a little smile, would certainly be green with envy if she could see how Tessa’s own fairytale had come to life.
She gasped at the sudden, unexpected touch of a man’s hands at her waist, the feel of his chest pressing boldly against her back, and the words he murmured huskily in her ear.
“Your husband is a very foolish man, Mrs. Gregson,” he purred. “If you were mine, there’s no way I’d leave a beautiful woman like you alone like this for even a minute. Otherwise, some other man might try to stake his claim and steal you away.”
A slow smile crossed Tessa’s features, and she gave a slow shake of her head. “Well, now, that’s just not possible,” she pointed out. “Because my husband is actually the most brilliant man I’ve ever met. He’s never done anything foolish in his life. And since I’m as crazy about him now as I was the first time we met, there’s never going to be another man for me. So you can just forget about stealing me away.”
Ian laughed, and slid his arms around her waist, hugging her back against him. “Ah, but you see, I have the card key in my pocket to the most luxurious suite in this entire hotel - top floor, private elevator, bottle of champagne on ice. And a very large bed. But if you’re that devoted to your worthless husband, then I suppose there’s no hope for me.”
She leaned into his chest, letting her head fall back against his shoulder. “You might be able to persuade me,” she teased. “However, there’s the matter of my four young ones. They, of course, would have to come along to this suite of yours, since I can’t leave them alone.”
Ian sighed. “A complication I hadn’t thought of. Oh, well. Raincheck, I suppose. Like on the evening of the office Christmas party, for example. I’ve already arranged it with Zoe and Nolan to stay over that night. And you, Mrs. Gregson, will be mine for the entire night.”
Tessa shivered as his lips caressed the side of her neck. “I’m yours every night,” she whispered. “And you know it.”
“Hmm.” Ian’s hand caressed the curve of her hip. “The children are definitely liable to tire themselves out tonight, aren’t they?”
“Absolutely,” she agreed. “In fact, I’m guessing after all the festivities and food and games that they’ll be worn out before we arrive home.”
“Best news I’ve had all day,” he chuckled. “So, tell me, Mrs. Gregson. What sort of very fetching undies do you have on underneath this sexy dress?”
She stifled a tiny moan as he gave her ass a discreet squeeze. “Um, they’re red,” she replied in a low voice. “Red lace. You know, for Christmas.”
“Mmm, more like red for sin,” he corrected, his hand splaying over her belly. “And I want to be very, very sinful with you tonight, Tessa. I haven’t fucked you in front of the mirror since before you got pregnant with the twins. So I really think we ought to remedy that situation tonight after all the little ones are fast asleep. Do you agree?”
“God, yes,” she murmured in a shallow voice. “For starters.”
Ian laughed, and she could feel the vibrations in his chest. “Greedy. Always so greedy, aren’t you?” he chided. “Fortunately, I’m just as hungry for you, darling. I wouldn’t plan on getting much sleep tonight if I were you. Good thing we rested up this past weekend.”
Tessa nodded. “And here I was just making a mental list of all the things that still need to get done before we leave for London in a few weeks. The parties, Gilly’s holiday pageant at school, taking her to the ballet, all the baking. And of course, I’ve still got a ton of Christmas shopping to do. Thank God we’ve got Zoe to help.”
“Would it be very ungentlemanly of me to say ‘I told you so’?” joked Ian.
She turned to face him then, wrapping her arms around his waist as she smirked. “Yes, but I’ll forgive you anyway,” she admitted. “I know how hard I fought against the idea of getting a nanny, but Zoe’s been wonderful. She lets me call the shots, doesn’t try to interfere or give me unwanted advice. And I actually get to spend more time with the children with her around. As usual, Mr. Gregson, you were right.”
Ian gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “I’ll try very hard not to gloat,” he teased, tucking a strand of glossy blonde hair behind her ear. “And I can also try and cross off at least one item on that very intimidating to-do list of yours.”
Tessa grinned. “You’re volunteering to bake Christmas cookies with Gilly and Liam?”
He tapped her on the nose with his finger. “Not unless you want me to burn the house down,” he retorted. “No, what I was going to say was that you can check my name off of your Christmas shopping list.”
She frowned. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“Because,” replied Ian, smiling so tenderly that it made her heart ache with the sheer emotion of it all, “I already have everything that I could ever want. My beautiful wife, my four wonderful children. And all of you are the only gifts I will ever need for the rest of my life.”
