“I’ll look forward to it,” she told him, trying not to sound giddy with excitement that he was already talking about having her visit again. In fact, nearly everything he had said about their budding relationship thus far seemed to indicate that he intended for it to be a long-term thing and not just a brief affair. But Tessa forced herself not to get too hopeful, especially once Ian fully realized just how naïve and inexperienced she really was. Once he did, it was entirely possible that he’d regret seeking her out, and that her lack of sophistication would prove an embarrassment to him.

“Let’s go see the other floors,” he urged, and led her down the long, winding staircase to the lower level.

“Do you have live-in help?” she inquired. “I mean, this just seems like a really big place for only one person.”

Ian shook his head. “I have a housekeeper here about three days a week, and a gardener as needed but no one lives here but myself. It is a very large house for just myself, but I happen to value my privacy a great deal. And I have to travel so much for business that I’m simply not here all that often, so I don’t really think about being alone.”

“It’s a beautiful home,” she told him sincerely. “And it still feels warm and intimate despite how grand it is.”

He seemed pleased at her compliment. “That’s the exact effect I was striving for. Of course, I worked with a decorator when I first bought the place, but I had very definite ideas about what I wanted. Plus, I’ve collected a great deal of artwork and other items during all my years of traveling so now they have a permanent place to be displayed.”

The lower level of the house was clearly the pleasure center of the home, for it consisted of an immense wine cellar, a home theater, a fitness room, and a billiard/card room complete with its own bar. Tessa was in stunned disbelief that one home could really boast so much luxury and space, never having imagined that people actually lived this way. It made her feel uneasy, for seeing up close what an opulent, privileged lifestyle Ian enjoyed only served to emphasize the vast cultural and economic gaps between the two of them. His world of moneyed extravagance was completely foreign to her, and she feared she could never fit in or feel entirely comfortable with such a lavish way of life.

But she struggled to hide her various insecurities and doubts as he led her back upstairs, and then continued to the upper level of the house.

There were a total of five bedrooms on this level, each with their own attached bath, and each one larger and more beautifully decorated than the last. The final bedroom was located at the end of the hallway, and featured a set of wide double doors at the entrance.

“This is my room,” Ian told her quietly, and then opened the doors wide.

Tessa walked inside the enormous room slowly as he flicked on a bedside lamp. Ian’s master suite was easily larger than her entire apartment, kitchen and bath included, and every bit as lavish as the rest of the house. She imagined the view from the bank of windows set against the far end of the room would be breathtaking, and she could envision herself curling up on the wide, padded window seat sipping tea and watching the sun rise. The furniture in here was all dark, polished woods and clean, simple lines, large pieces that nonetheless didn’t dwarf the room. Like the rest of the house, there was nothing the least bit fussy or overdone, and it was very obvious that this was a man’s room.

Tessa’s gaze fell to the imposing four poster bed, easily the largest of its kind she’d ever seen. It was covered in a thick duvet of a pale mocha shade, both luxurious and simple at the same time. She couldn’t resist running her hand over it lightly, the fabric soft and almost velvety to the touch.

“Do you like it, Tessa?”

She whirled to face Ian, who was standing just behind her. He’d removed his suit jacket and tie as she’d been inspecting the room, and her breath caught at the splendid sight of his white shirt stretching across the broad expanse of his chest and shoulders.

Aware that he was waiting for her reply, she nodded and then glanced away abruptly. “It’s wonderful, Ian. This is way beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I’ve never seen so much - well, I suppose splendor is a good word for it.”

Tessa shivered in reaction as he came up behind her, pressing his body against hers and lightly running his fingertips up and down her bare arms.

“I’ve wanted you here - in my house, my room, my bed - for so long now, darling,” he murmured in her ear, his lips caressing the side of her throat. At the same time, his arms circled her waist, one hand splayed over her belly as he pulled her in closer. “I never imagined it would actually happen, though. Seeing you here now like this - tell me I’m not dreaming again, Tessa.”

The pleading tone of his voice startled her, for he sounded almost desperate, and she was quick to reassure him.

“You aren’t. I’m really here. But I’m the one who feels like she’s caught up in the middle of a dream,” she confessed.

His tongue began to trace erotic little patterns around her ear before he gently nibbled on the lobe. “If you aren’t ready for this, I promise I’ll understand. I won’t ever pressure you, Tessa. So tell me - should I drive you home or will you stay here with me?”

Tessa closed her eyes as her head fell back onto his shoulder, one of his hands now stroking her hip and then up the side of her rib cage. “What - what happens if I stay?”

Ian’s voice grew huskier, and was filled with so much raw passion that she feared she might swoon. “Then I do what I’ve dreamed about doing since the first time I met you - undress you slowly, lay you out on my bed, and then taste and touch every inch of this beautiful body.” His hand slid up her abdomen to cup her breast, his thumb brushing masterfully over her erect nipple. “After that I’ll slide inside of you, as deep as you can take me, and stay there for a long, long time. Hours, maybe days. After all, I’ve got over two years of unfulfilled fantasies to satisfy.”

“Ah, that’s so good,” she whispered roughly, as his hand squeezed her breast, his fingers plucking the nipple through the fabric of her dress. “Please, Ian.”

“Tell me first, Tessa,” he demanded. “Will you stay - or should I take you home?”

Tessa cried out as one of his hands slid down to cup her sex. “Oh, God! S-stay! I want to stay here with you.”