Claim
Page 92
She glared at him. “It had better not be the necklace that matches the earrings and bracelet.”
But when she saw exactly what was waiting for her spread out on the bed, she gave a shriek of laughter, and promptly held the bright pink nightshirt up against her. On the front was emblazoned a sleepy cartoon moose clad in bathrobe and slippers, with the words “I Need A Moose-Age” written across the top.
“What in the world is this?” she asked, still laughing.
“This,” he replied, as he touched his forehead to hers, “is the only way I’m going to be able to handle sleeping next to you tonight and not be tempted to break my vow of abstinence. You have to admit it’s not the most attractive garment in the world.”
Tessa glanced at the label of the baggy nightshirt. “It’s also two sizes too big. I’m going to swim in this thing.”
“I need all the help I can get,” he teased. “You’re very tempting, you know. I was initially going to buy you a pair of flannel pajamas but it is June, after all.”
“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll wear this hideous thing if that’s what you really want. But how do you expect me to keep my own hands off of you tonight? Those briefs you wear don’t really cover very much.”
“That’s easy.” He grinned just before extracting something from a dresser drawer. “I bought the flannel pajamas for myself.”
“That is hands down the most butt ugly nightgown I’ve ever seen,” declared Julia with a shudder. “Please tell me this is not something you wear on a regular basis. Even my sister owns sexier nightgowns than that. Of course, knowing Lauren, she probably sleeps in the buff most of the time.”
“So do I,” confided Tessa in a hushed tone. “And, trust me, I did not pick this out for myself. I think this is Ian’s idea of a chastity belt. Along with the old man pajamas he wore. Though, of course, being Ian he still managed to look hot in them.”
Her husband-to-be had just left the suite a few minutes ago, making good on his vow to not see her again until the wedding. Ian, being the dedicated athlete that he was, had headed off for a workout in the resort’s gym, followed by a swim in one of the three pools. He would be getting ready for the ceremony in the villa that his parents were occupying.
Before he’d left a short while ago, however, he had given her a long, thorough kiss, then murmured in her ear, “I’ll be counting the minutes until I see you again, love. And counting the seconds until you’re finally my wife.”
When Julia had arrived a few minutes after Ian’s departure, Tessa had still been smiling dreamily, could still feel the imprint of Ian’s mouth on hers, and it had taken Julia’s rather harsh critique of her nightgown to snap her out of the daze she’d fallen into.
Julia snickered. “I get it now. He wanted to sleep with you the night before your wedding, but not engage in any hanky-panky. Well, I’m guessing from that repulsive thing you’ve got on that his plans were successful. Seriously, honey, if Nathan saw me wearing something that atrocious, it would be a whole month before he’d have sex with me again. You need to donate that to some charity, and never, ever think about wearing it again. Even the moose looks embarrassed. Now, do me a favor and at least put the hotel bathrobe on over it. Our breakfast is due to arrive in a few minutes and I don’t want anything to spoil my appetite.”
Tessa laughed as she walked inside the enormous master bathroom, and plucked one of the plush, dark blue spa robes from the wall hook where she’d left it yesterday. She grimaced as she got a look at herself in the mirror, the ugly bright pink nightshirt looking like a tent on her slender frame. She pulled the offending garment off, and then belted the robe around her body, its softness feeling luxurious against her naked skin.
“Is this better?” she asked Julia as she padded out into the living room on bare feet.
“Much, much better,” declared Julia as she glanced around the spacious suite. “I was just admiring my handiwork here. I’m so glad Ian decided to go with the touches of color that I suggested. Without all of the burgundies and bronzes, it would have been too dull in here. And it’s such a majestic suite that it really needed that pop of color to make it come alive.”
Tessa nodded. “It’s gorgeous, Julia. And Ian is convinced that you and Nathan and your company will receive all sorts of design awards for this place. I don’t know the first thing about any of that stuff, of course, but even I know this whole resort turned out to be breathtaking. It’s so much like the family villa in Tuscany, but more modern, and even more luxurious. And the bed doesn’t squeak even a little. Not like - um, never mind.”
Julia gave her a wink. “I can imagine. You must have had to get a little inventive when you vacationed there last year, surrounded on both sides by his family. Still, it would have been worth it. I can’t wait until Nathan and I go to Italy this fall. My first time there, you know.”
“You’ll love it,” assured Tessa. “Great pasta and bread and wine. Though the desserts aren’t quite as yummy as the ones in Paris. Oh, that must be Sasha.”
Sasha was quickly followed by the arrival of room service with a sumptuous bridal breakfast. Julia, who always had a hearty appetite, oohed and ahhed as she uncovered the various silver domed platters of food - brioche French toast bites; lox, cream cheese, and mini-bagels; eggs Florentine; a beautifully presented platter of assorted fresh fruits; mini-muffins, bite-sized pastries, and glazed donut holes; a pitcher of chilled orange juice; carafes of both coffee and hot water, with an assortment of teas.
Julia didn’t waste any time filling her plate with a little of everything, while Sasha took her time in selecting her breakfast. Tessa glanced at her bridesmaid’s plate anxiously.
“Is this okay?” she asked in concern. “I mean, can you eat most of this stuff?”
Sasha nodded. “I’m a vegetarian, not a strict vegan, so I do eat eggs and dairy occasionally. And all of this looks so delicious that I’d make an exception anyway.”
Julia gave a little snort. “I swear I’ve never met anyone as disciplined about her diet and exercise regime as this one. Knowing you, Sasha, you were probably up at four in the morning to do a three hour yoga session in your room.”
“Not quite that early,” replied Sasha with a sunny smile. “And I only did yoga for an hour, since I went for a three mile hike first. It’s so beautiful around here first thing in the morning - a little cool, hardly anyone else out, and the colors of the sunrise were breathtaking.”
But when she saw exactly what was waiting for her spread out on the bed, she gave a shriek of laughter, and promptly held the bright pink nightshirt up against her. On the front was emblazoned a sleepy cartoon moose clad in bathrobe and slippers, with the words “I Need A Moose-Age” written across the top.
“What in the world is this?” she asked, still laughing.
“This,” he replied, as he touched his forehead to hers, “is the only way I’m going to be able to handle sleeping next to you tonight and not be tempted to break my vow of abstinence. You have to admit it’s not the most attractive garment in the world.”
Tessa glanced at the label of the baggy nightshirt. “It’s also two sizes too big. I’m going to swim in this thing.”
“I need all the help I can get,” he teased. “You’re very tempting, you know. I was initially going to buy you a pair of flannel pajamas but it is June, after all.”
“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll wear this hideous thing if that’s what you really want. But how do you expect me to keep my own hands off of you tonight? Those briefs you wear don’t really cover very much.”
“That’s easy.” He grinned just before extracting something from a dresser drawer. “I bought the flannel pajamas for myself.”
“That is hands down the most butt ugly nightgown I’ve ever seen,” declared Julia with a shudder. “Please tell me this is not something you wear on a regular basis. Even my sister owns sexier nightgowns than that. Of course, knowing Lauren, she probably sleeps in the buff most of the time.”
“So do I,” confided Tessa in a hushed tone. “And, trust me, I did not pick this out for myself. I think this is Ian’s idea of a chastity belt. Along with the old man pajamas he wore. Though, of course, being Ian he still managed to look hot in them.”
Her husband-to-be had just left the suite a few minutes ago, making good on his vow to not see her again until the wedding. Ian, being the dedicated athlete that he was, had headed off for a workout in the resort’s gym, followed by a swim in one of the three pools. He would be getting ready for the ceremony in the villa that his parents were occupying.
Before he’d left a short while ago, however, he had given her a long, thorough kiss, then murmured in her ear, “I’ll be counting the minutes until I see you again, love. And counting the seconds until you’re finally my wife.”
When Julia had arrived a few minutes after Ian’s departure, Tessa had still been smiling dreamily, could still feel the imprint of Ian’s mouth on hers, and it had taken Julia’s rather harsh critique of her nightgown to snap her out of the daze she’d fallen into.
Julia snickered. “I get it now. He wanted to sleep with you the night before your wedding, but not engage in any hanky-panky. Well, I’m guessing from that repulsive thing you’ve got on that his plans were successful. Seriously, honey, if Nathan saw me wearing something that atrocious, it would be a whole month before he’d have sex with me again. You need to donate that to some charity, and never, ever think about wearing it again. Even the moose looks embarrassed. Now, do me a favor and at least put the hotel bathrobe on over it. Our breakfast is due to arrive in a few minutes and I don’t want anything to spoil my appetite.”
Tessa laughed as she walked inside the enormous master bathroom, and plucked one of the plush, dark blue spa robes from the wall hook where she’d left it yesterday. She grimaced as she got a look at herself in the mirror, the ugly bright pink nightshirt looking like a tent on her slender frame. She pulled the offending garment off, and then belted the robe around her body, its softness feeling luxurious against her naked skin.
“Is this better?” she asked Julia as she padded out into the living room on bare feet.
“Much, much better,” declared Julia as she glanced around the spacious suite. “I was just admiring my handiwork here. I’m so glad Ian decided to go with the touches of color that I suggested. Without all of the burgundies and bronzes, it would have been too dull in here. And it’s such a majestic suite that it really needed that pop of color to make it come alive.”
Tessa nodded. “It’s gorgeous, Julia. And Ian is convinced that you and Nathan and your company will receive all sorts of design awards for this place. I don’t know the first thing about any of that stuff, of course, but even I know this whole resort turned out to be breathtaking. It’s so much like the family villa in Tuscany, but more modern, and even more luxurious. And the bed doesn’t squeak even a little. Not like - um, never mind.”
Julia gave her a wink. “I can imagine. You must have had to get a little inventive when you vacationed there last year, surrounded on both sides by his family. Still, it would have been worth it. I can’t wait until Nathan and I go to Italy this fall. My first time there, you know.”
“You’ll love it,” assured Tessa. “Great pasta and bread and wine. Though the desserts aren’t quite as yummy as the ones in Paris. Oh, that must be Sasha.”
Sasha was quickly followed by the arrival of room service with a sumptuous bridal breakfast. Julia, who always had a hearty appetite, oohed and ahhed as she uncovered the various silver domed platters of food - brioche French toast bites; lox, cream cheese, and mini-bagels; eggs Florentine; a beautifully presented platter of assorted fresh fruits; mini-muffins, bite-sized pastries, and glazed donut holes; a pitcher of chilled orange juice; carafes of both coffee and hot water, with an assortment of teas.
Julia didn’t waste any time filling her plate with a little of everything, while Sasha took her time in selecting her breakfast. Tessa glanced at her bridesmaid’s plate anxiously.
“Is this okay?” she asked in concern. “I mean, can you eat most of this stuff?”
Sasha nodded. “I’m a vegetarian, not a strict vegan, so I do eat eggs and dairy occasionally. And all of this looks so delicious that I’d make an exception anyway.”
Julia gave a little snort. “I swear I’ve never met anyone as disciplined about her diet and exercise regime as this one. Knowing you, Sasha, you were probably up at four in the morning to do a three hour yoga session in your room.”
“Not quite that early,” replied Sasha with a sunny smile. “And I only did yoga for an hour, since I went for a three mile hike first. It’s so beautiful around here first thing in the morning - a little cool, hardly anyone else out, and the colors of the sunrise were breathtaking.”
