Recalling how annoyed she’d been at the way they had ogled Ian, she resolved that Vincent’s flirty wife wouldn’t get the opportunity to do anything more than shake his hand tonight. Because Tessa was not only going to stick to his side like glue, but make very, very sure that his eyes stayed glued on her.

She very intentionally didn’t put her dress on while doing her makeup and blow drying her hair. Ian strolled back into the dressing area, already wearing the beige linen Armani suit he’d chosen for this evening, his crisp white shirt open at the neck sans tie. He seemed taken aback to find her still in her underwear, and she watched his reflection in the mirror as he swallowed with some difficulty.

“You’re, ah, not dressed yet,” he said a bit unsteadily.

Tessa smiled at him as she finished applying bright pink lip gloss. “I know,” she replied sweetly. “I didn’t want to get wrinkled. But I’ll be ready soon.”

She gasped as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest as he nuzzled her neck.

“No need to rush on my account, love,” he rasped. “Especially since I’m very much enjoying the view.”

One of his big hands ran up and down her hip before sliding around to cup her bared buttock. She met his gaze in the mirror as his long fingers slipped beneath the front panel of her tiny thong.

“Tell me, love,” he murmured seductively in her ear. “If I were to touch you right now, would you be wet?”

She whimpered as his fingers merely brushed ever so lightly over her clit before retracting. “Yes,” she breathed. “That’s what being near you does to me.”

Ian made a low sound in his throat as he bracketed her hips, pressing his erection against her ass. “And you can certainly feel what being near you does to me, my love. Christ, if we didn’t have to attend this bothersome dinner, I’d take you right here and now. You like to be fucked in front of the mirror, don’t you, darling?”

Tessa was panting now as she tried to grind her buttocks against his throbbing cock but couldn’t while his hands continued to hold her immobile. “Yes,” she whispered. “I do like that. A lot. Please. Can we - ?”

He groaned and dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. “Jesus, how you tempt me. But if I make love to you now, darling, I won’t be able to stop. Not for hours and hours. Especially since you’ve surrendered yourself to me tonight.” He stepped away from her slowly, his gaze still lingering lustfully on her nearly nude body. “Now, be a very good girl and put some clothes on, hmm? I’d better wait for you in the living room, otherwise we will be very, very late for dinner.”

Tessa finished getting ready very quickly after his departure, but couldn’t help smiling in delight. Ian was already primed and ready for their intimate evening ahead, and her confidence level was rising with each passing moment that he’d have a great deal of trouble tearing his eyes from her during dinner.

And that same confidence soared to never before seen heights when she walked into the living room a few minutes later. Ian’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped open in speechless awe as he inspected her very, very thoroughly from head to toe.

The silk dress was of a vivid pink floral print and had a halter top, a deeply plunging neckline that showcased her cleavage to its absolute best advantage, and a short, pleated skirt. Her normally pale skin had begun to take on a soft apricot tone after all the time she’d been spending in warmer climates as of late, and so she’d dispensed with hosiery tonight, leaving her long legs bare. She’d paired her rather daring dress with strappy gold high heeled sandals, a gold cuff bracelet, and a pair of enormous gold hoop earrings. Her blonde hair had been carefully tousled, and fell in loose, thick waves halfway down her back. Her makeup was all deep pinks and smoky grays, the bright shade of her lip gloss coordinating with the polish on her fingers and toes.

Ian walked over to her slowly, never taking his eyes from her face, and then he smiled - a very sexy, panty-melting smile that made her shiver in reaction. His arm circled her waist, pulling her in close as his burning gaze dropped to the lavish display of her breasts.

“Good Christ, I think you’re trying to kill me,” he said huskily with a shake of his head. “Why else would you be wearing a dress like this if you aren’t intending to raise my blood pressure to a very dangerous level?”

Tessa shivered again as he ran a finger very slowly down between her breasts. “I, ah, does this mean you like it?”

Ian growled, tightening his arm and pulling her body flush against his very obvious erection. “What do you think, my sweet?” He bent his head and pressed a kiss to the very top of her cleavage. “I understand now about that ridiculous excuse for a bra you’re wearing. You’ve, ah, got quite a lot of your very impressive assets on display tonight, love. Any particular reason?”

She traced her index finger over his lips. “Complaining?”

He laughed. “Not bloody likely, darling, no. You look a bit like a gypsy tonight, I think, with that very vivid dress and those earrings and your hair all wild. A very, very sexy gypsy.”

She caressed his cheek. “You don’t mind? About the dress, I mean. Because -”

Ian smiled down at her. “Because you look so damned irresistible that I won’t be able to tear my eyes from you all night? Tell me, love, was that your intent when you chose this very revealing dress?”

“Yes,” she replied guilelessly. “Especially after Mrs. C. warned me about, well, about Vincent’s wife.”

He looked at her quizzically. “What about her?”

Tessa fidgeted beneath his intent regard. “Well, Mrs. C. might have mentioned that Dinora, um, likes to flirt. A lot. And, well, Mrs. C. suggested that I should wear something -”

Ian burst out laughing. “My God, she didn’t! After telling you that your skirt was one damned inch too short earlier today, that old witch actually encouraged you to, ah, show off your goods tonight?”

She couldn’t help giggling in return. “I was a little disbelieving myself. But Mrs. C.’s seen Dinora in action several times, and seemed to think she’ll try to latch onto you immediately.”

Ian waved a hand in dismissal. “Let her try, it won’t do a damned bit of good. Darling, even if you were wearing a burqa right now, you’d still be the only woman I’d ever care to look at. But dressed like this - like a very sexy gypsy - my very sexy gypsy, you can be quite sure my eyes will remain fixed on you the entire time.”