Tessa's Temptation (11 page)

“You’re paying attention.” He let the hard spray of the shower jets hit his back for a few minutes. “I’ll show you the specs and let you see my initial ideas if you’d like.”

“Of course.”

He heard the excitement in her voice. He didn’t have to see to know she was smiling and her head was swarming with tons of ideas. He’d experienced her thought process when he’d helped her with some research papers and again when he’d showed her some house plans he’d been working on. She had a lot to learn but she had a knack and an interest in design that couldn’t be ignored. “We’ll look them over later tonight. After we’ve had a chance to eat and unwind.”

“Do you want me to get you a drink or something to eat?”

“Not yet.” He smiled when he thought about her wanting to take care of him. “You didn’t stay on campus last night?” He lathered the soap over his body. “Plans fall apart?”

“I was going to meet up with Kelly from my political science class but she got back with her boyfriend. I didn’t want to be the third so I bailed. I had to study anyway.”

“Sorry.”

He rinsed his hair under the stream of the showerhead. He hated to think of her alone all night but he hadn’t had the best night either. He’d been forced to have dinner with Audra and the client and his wife. Audra had made it a point to act sweet, like she and Chase were a couple or something. She must have cornered the wife because after dinner they went to the hotel bar for a drink and the woman kept telling him how lucky he was to have such a brilliant, attractive and caring attorney in his life.

“It wasn’t a total wash.” Tessa interrupted his unpleasant memories of the night before.

He was going to have to find a way to make Audra back off before things got out of hand.

“Tanner stopped by and had pizza with me.”

“What did you just say?” He turned off the shower, convinced he had misunderstood what she’d said. Opening the stall door, he reached for a towel.

She stopped brushing her hair and turned to face him. “I said Tanner stopped by to check on me and we—”

“What the fuck, Tessa?” He wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower. Rage dominating any rational emotion. “Why would he
chec
k
o
n
you?”

“Tanner thought you might be upset but I told him I would let you know everything was cool.”

“Cool?” Was she out of her mind? “That is definitely not
cool
. Have you been texting him since that night you pulled your little stunt?”

He had made it very clear to Tanner that Tessa was never to be a consideration. The thought of Tanner touching her made him want to get in his car and go find him. It wouldn’t be good. For either of them.

“No, this was the first time I talked to him since your company picnic.”

He tried to keep his temper in check, but the more he thought about the two of them spending time together the more enraged he became. He’d warned Tanner that night. He’d specifically told him there would never be a chance. Why would he come here weeks later? What was he up to? “When were you going to tell me about this?”

“I’m telling you now,” she challenged. “You don’t need to make a big deal about it.”

“You don’t think so?”

“No, there’s no reason to.”

“Tanner came to
my
house when he knew
I
wasn’t here. He’s a guy. He remembered how you treated him the last time he was here. Don’t play naive. You know what he wanted.”

“I’m not going to discuss this any further.” She walked out of the bathroom and through the bedroom.

“Don’t you walk away from me.” He followed close on her heels. “I’m not done.”

She whirled around and glared at him. “Don’t you tell me what to do.”

Chapter Thirteen

How could they have had the most arousing sex Tess had ever experienced ten minutes ago and now they were fighting over who she ate pizza with? There was a possibility Chase would be upset about it but she didn’t think he’d flip out over it. The look in his eyes told her he wasn’t playing.

“We’re going to settle this now,” he said.

“You can be as alpha as you want to be when we’re in there.” She pointed to the huge king sized bed. “But I won’t let you tell me what to do or dictate who I can be friends with.”

“Did you honestly believe I would be okay with you and Tanner having pizza here?”

“You said I could have friends over.”

“I meant
girl
friends!” he shouted. “And when did you and Tanner become friends? What the hell was he even doing here?”

“
You
told him I was here alone so he came to check on me. If you didn’t want him showing up here you shouldn’t have told him you were worried about me.”

“I’ll make sure that never happens again.”

“Don’t you dare take this out on him. You want to be mad? You can be mad at me. He wanted to leave but I invited him in.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I didn’t see anything wrong with it.” Tanner was polite and funny. He seemed totally okay with the act she’d pulled the night of the picnic. There were no hard feelings. “We have a lot in common. He shared his knowledge about architecture and what he’s learning.”

“I’m the architect. He’s my intern. He needs to learn his place.”

“What’s the big deal? He stayed an hour.” The evening was completely uneventful. While Tess found Tanner easy to talk to, she didn’t feel much of a connection to him. And he seemed downright uncomfortable in her company. Nervous and jumpy, but almost like he had to be there.

“Do you really need me to tell you what the God damned problem is?” He moved toward her, but stopped when she stepped back. He wouldn’t hurt her, but he seemed too pissed off to be close to her. “Every time I think about the two of you, I see you licking the chocolate from his hand. I hear you giggling louder than you needed to right in my fucking backyard. In front of my colleagues.”

“You know why I did that.” He was upset that night, but she thought they had resolved the issue. It was a stupid move on her part but it finally got Chase to admit he wanted her.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not just Tanner. It’s every waiter in every restaurant. It’s the hospital staff when we visit your dad. Guys can’t stop drooling over you. You are a walking wet dream. You’re so fucking beautiful that men can’t help themselves.”

“Chase, I don’t do that on purpose.” She had no idea he felt that way. With the exception of that night with Tanner, she didn’t do things to intentionally provoke him or make him jealous.

“That’s the only thing that makes it bearable when some stranger eyes you up. You have no idea how tempting you are. You make men want to drop at your feet.” He ran his hand though his damp hair as he paced the room. “Look what you’ve done to me.”

“What does that mean?”

“The other night at the restaurant, before we came home and made love, I almost killed that waiter.”

“I don’t even remember what he looked like.” That was the truth. The only man she would ever want was wearing out the hardwood floor and ranting like a lunatic. “What did he do?”

“When you went to the restroom, I pulled him aside and told him I wouldn’t tolerate the way he looked at you anymore. He was ridiculously obvious and it was insulting. He got the message. He sent another waiter over to settle the bill.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m not pleased with the way I acted. I’m not accustomed to threatening strangers.” He stared out the bedroom window before turning and sitting on the edge of the bed. “I can’t play games. I won’t play games with you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I can’t do anything about the glances strangers give you. Other than being you, you’ve done nothing to cause their unwanted attention. You’re a gorgeous woman and men appreciate that. I may not like it but I can’t kill everyone.”

“Do you think I would have pursued you as hard as I did if I wasn’t serious about the two of us?” She straddled his lap because she couldn’t stand being away from him. As mad as he had made her a few minutes ago, she needed him to be reassured that she wasn’t playing games when it came to how she felt about him. “Can’t you see how much I want us to work?”

“Tanner is different.” He shook his head. “You
did
provoke him. I know why you did it and I made it really clear to him why you did it, but the fact that he showed up here last night only proves how much he was affected by it.”

“No, he wasn’t.”

“As sexy and alluring as you can be between those sheets, you still have this naivety that surrounds you. It makes me more aroused than you can imagine. That was a big part of why I stayed away from you for as long as I did. I didn’t want to corrupt you or make you grow up faster than you had to.”

“I’m not a kid.” She’d been taking care of her father for years. “I may be twenty, but I haven’t had the luxury of acting my age for a long time. I’m not too young for you.”

“I know that.” He took her face between his hands. “You’re trusting and open and you go after what you want no matter the cost. I want to take you and keep you with me so no one can ever hurt you or break that spirit.”

“Tanner wouldn’t hurt me.”

“Stop defending him. I know what some men are capable of. I meant it when I said you were off limits to him. I’m not going to back down.” He held her face still and stared into her eyes with an intensity she hadn’t seen before. “You’re mine. You want to have guy friends at school then I’ll try to tolerate it, but not Tanner. Something isn’t right there. I haven’t quite figured it out yet but I can feel something is off.”

“I think you’re overreacting.” She ran her fingers over his shoulder and down his chest. “Like you did with that waiter the other night. You can’t threaten people every time someone looks at me the wrong way.”

“Yes, I can.” He pressed his lips to hers. “The only alternative is to keep you locked up in here like Rapunzel.”

“You’re a stubborn man and I don’t think I’ll ever grow my hair that long.”

“I’m an obsessed man. I’ve told you this.”

“I know you think I’m young and I don’t know what I want.” She slid her hands lower to the edge of his towel. “I need you to trust my feelings for you. I shouldn’t have teased you or used Tanner that night. I could never be interested in him, or any other man. You’re it for me. I’ve known it from the first day I met you. It may have started out as a game to see how far I could push you. I wanted to rattle you.”

“You have.” He pushed the hem of her shirt up, exposing her nakedness to him. The towel did nothing to conceal his arousal. “That scares me. I’ve never felt this kind of desire. It consumes me. It controls me.”

“We belong to one another.” She tugged the towel open, revealing his long, thick cock. “Show me.”

“Who you belong to?” He lifted her by her hips and lowered her onto his shaft. “You’re mine.” Her legs fitted around his waist and he kissed her hard as he twisted his fingers in her hair. “I’m all you’re ever going to need.”

“I promise you’re it for me. No games. No one else.” Her words were choppy, interrupted by her concentration. She inched down his cock, taking her time, wanting him to fill her completely. He met each of her downward thrusts with a slow and long upward motion. He released her hair and gripped her hips, guiding her up and down, setting the speed he wanted, teaching her how to move, showing her what made it pleasurable for both of them. Her nipples hardened as she watched his cock slide in and out of her. Her hot juices coated him, allowing him to move in and out of her effortlessly.

She grasped his shoulders for support when he sped up. His leg muscles tensed, alerting her he was about to release.

“Sweetheart,” he slipped his hand between their frantic bodies, seeking out her clit as he let go inside her. “Come with me.” He rubbed her with his thumb as he came inside her.

“I...” The warmth of his orgasm coursed through her, throwing her into her own climax. Dropping her head onto his shoulder, she closed her eyes and whispered his name. Neither of them moved for a few minutes as he rubbed her back and kissed her neck. She didn’t want this moment to end. The closeness between them was overwhelming but as necessary as breathing.

“I’m sorry about the way I acted,” he
spoke low. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did.”

“I get why you were upset. I should have been more sensitive to how you would feel about Tanner being here.”

“I do trust you.” He lowered her legs down and cradled her in his arms. “What’s happening between us is all new to me. I need some room to make stupid mistakes.”

“We’ll learn together.” She placed a soft kiss on his lips. “As long as we’re together nothing could ever tear us apart.”

“We’ll always be together.” He kissed her fingers. “There’s no other option for me.”

When he engulfed her in his strong arms she felt it. He was a fierce, dominating lover but he had a heart filled with so much love. Someday he would love her. It was too soon now. Everything was new and they were still getting to know one another. One step at a time. She wanted to savor every phase of their romance.

***

Chase sat in his study, working on the specs for the new shopping center. Tessa had stayed at school later than usual to meet with a project group. He’d told her he’d wait to have dinner with her. His client had been calling him all week looking for status updates. He had time to get some work done before she got home.

“I thought you were done for the day,” May said from the doorway.

“You know I’m never done.” He smiled at her. “You calling it a night?”

“Yes.” She entered the room, stopping in front of his desk. “I left your dinner in the warming drawer. Just put your dishes in the dishwasher and turn it on. It’s all set to run and I’ll empty it in the morning.”

“Thanks, May.”

“It’s my job.”

“I’m more than your job.” He winked because he liked to tease her. “Why else would you put up with me?”

“Don’t I know it?” She shook her head. “You’ve been giving me a run since you could walk.”

“I’m not so bad anymore, am I?” May had been with him almost his whole life. She was more than a housekeeper. There were days when she was his mother, personal assistant and friend. He’d be lost without her.

“You were doing all right.” She laughed quietly and set her purse down on the chair; there was something on her mind. “Now I’m a little worried.”

“Have a seat.” He had a feeling what this was about. “Let’s get it over with.”

“I don’t want to pry.” She sat down in the chair across from his desk. “You’re a grown man.”

“But?”

“The young lady hasn’t slept in her own bed for over a week.” She leaned forward and pressed her hands down on his desk. “You want to tell me where she’s been sleeping?”

“Well that was a little more forward than I expected, but you always did get right to the point.”

“I like her.”

“So do I.”

“I hope so because she’s not like the others – certainly not like your lawyer friend. She’s a good girl with a big heart. You can’t expect to treat her like you would a casual acquaintance.”

“Miss May.” Apparently she had been completely aware of his past indiscretions.

“You know what I mean, Chase.” She paused for a moment, making the conversation even more awkward. “For one, she lives here so she’s already attached to you. The second thing is… well, her father trusted you with her. He wants his daughter safe.”

“I know,” he mumbled when he thought about what Pat’s reaction would be when he found out Chase was sleeping with his daughter. “I would never hurt her.”

“You’re good for her.”

“You think so?” That surprised him.

“She told me about her childhood. How her mother walked out on them. She harbors such resentment.”

That was true. Tessa didn’t speak of her mother often, but anytime she did she always mentioned how she had walked out on them.

“Nothing’s come easy for her.” May pursed her lips and shook her head. “It breaks my heart to think of how scared she must have been when her dad got hurt. She did everything she could to keep their apartment.”

“She’s been dealt a bad hand.” Chase vowed to change all of that for her; from now on she’d be happy and he’d do anything to keep her that way.

“When she first got here she was sad and lonely. You were so busy keeping your distance, I don’t think you realized just how desperate she was for company.”

“I tried to give her space so she could get used to me and her new surroundings.” He should have been more attentive to Tessa in the beginning, but he didn’t know how to deal with his feelings. “She’s doing better now. She likes school and she’s made some new friends. Her dad’s doing so much better now too. The doctors think he may be home by Christmas.” Of course, Pat didn’t have a home, but Chase was working on a solution for that too.