Covet (34 page)

Matthew nodded. “You’re also the best judge of character I’ve ever known as well. That’s one of the many reasons I asked you to be one of my board members. Every single prospective employee I’ve asked you to vet has turned out to be top-notch. So if you say this woman is your soulmate then I’m willing to bet she is.”

“Except for one small problem, mate,” drawled Ian. “There’s apparently another man who feels the same way – the one she’s married to.”

“You need to forget about this woman, Ian,” advised Matthew. “Hey, you know I’m far from being the expert on women and relationships – Lindsey was my first serious girlfriend, after all, and we’ve been together almost twenty years. But you’re too nice a guy to be alone this way. You deserve a wife and kids of your own, the chance to have a happy family. And if you keep pining after someone else’s wife that’s never going to happen. So take my inexpert advice, will you? Until you find someone else who makes all the bells and whistles go off in your head, take a few women out on a date and then to bed. Some good, hot sex is probably just what you need to put this Tessa out of your mind.”

“You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?” asked Ian wearily. “Believe me, mate, I’ve tried. Dated half a dozen or so different women, all of them beautiful, all of them willing. I even looked up a former flame when I was back in England over the holidays. And with every one of them – zilch. No passion, no connection, no – nothing. Frankly, I didn’t even try to get them into bed because I was more or less convinced I wouldn’t have been able to, er, you know.”

“Seriously?” Mathew gaped at his friend in disbelief. “You expect me to believe that a studly guy like you was afraid he’d develop a case of ED? You really do have it bad for this girl, don’t you?”

Ian emitted a long, drawn-out sigh. “I’m afraid so. And I’m beginning to think the only solution is to have her transferred. Not just from my team but from the entire building. Possibly to the Nob Hill hotel. Or get her a job at a different company altogether. Maybe you could do me a favor and hire her away from me,” he joked weakly.

“If I thought that would do the trick, I’d do so in a heartbeat,” assured Matthew. “But I doubt it’s that easy, my friend. Besides, how would you manage to pull off a feat like that without her learning about your feelings for her?”

“I haven’t quite figured that one out yet,” admitted Ian. “And it would be a very tricky situation, given that she’s been an exemplary employee from day one. It would arouse all sorts of suspicions if I just removed her from the team for no good reason. So it seems that I’m stuck playing the part of the lovelorn fool for the foreseeable future. Or, as far as Tessa is concerned, the cold, uppity bastard who barely gives her the time of day. But better she thinks that way than ever knowing the truth.”

“If you say so, Ian,” said Matthew in a tone that indicated he was very far from being in agreement. “I just hate to see someone as deserving as you wasting your life on a woman who’ll probably never be yours.”

Mercifully, Matthew changed the subject after that, providing Ian with a much needed distraction. But during the brief drive back to his office after lunch, his thoughts couldn’t help returning to the woman who haunted his dreams on a regular basis.

He wondered if the flowers had been delivered yet, and figured they must have been considering the extra money he’d paid for the last minute order. He wished that he could have been there to witness Tessa’s reaction upon receiving the bouquet, hoped that the unexpected gift had pleased her.

He had been poised in the doorway of one of the executive offices – the one closest to the support teams’ group of cubicles – and finishing up a conversation with Ford Stillman, his Finance Manager, when he’d overheard one of the girls making some snide comment about Tessa being the only one without flowers. It was only then he had recalled it was Valentine’s Day, and a brief, discreet glance over at Tessa’s desk confirmed the absence of a bouquet.

It had been sheer impulse – or perhaps temporary madness – that had compelled him to place a call on his way to lunch to the very exclusive florist he used on occasion. Fortunately the florist was also extremely discreet, and had assured him that the roses would be delivered with complete anonymity. There would be no way for the recipient to trace the bouquet back to him.

And even though Tessa would never suspect that he had been the one to send her the exquisite vase and flowers – both of which had cost more than five hundred dollars – the idea that his secret gift might bring her some well-deserved pleasure had thrilled him to no end. After all, it wasn’t as though he could take her out to dinner or fly her to some romantic spot for the long weekend or give her a more expensive gift.

Ah, but if she was his, thought Ian as the Town Car approached his office building, he would certainly go out of his way to sweep her off her feet this Valentine’s Day – not to mention every other day of the year. He longed to show her the world – taking her to meet his family in England, or on some wildly romantic vacation to a European destination like Venice or Lucerne or Barcelona, or to a more exotic locale like Tahiti or Buenos Aires or New Zealand.

But for now he had to content himself with the knowledge that at the very least she hadn’t been forgotten or neglected on this most romantic of days. As he walked past her cubicle on the way to his office, he dared to glance in her direction, and a warm feeling spread through his heart when he saw her take a sniff of the pink-tipped white roses, her slender hand touching the delicate buds with reverence. Tessa might never know who her secret Valentine was, but it was enough for Ian – at least for now – to see that his gift had made her smile.

Tessa gave the food and beverage display one last critical inspection, rearranging a tray here, a stack of napkins there, until she nodded in satisfaction. The caterers who delivered the supplies for these meetings actually did all of the hard work, so that all she really had to do was make sure everything was set up according to standards.

Today’s meeting was due to be a lengthy one, as it was the initial sit-down with the firm of architects who had been selected to design a brand-new Gregson resort to be built in the Napa Valley. As such, heartier fare had been ordered - trays of sandwiches and bowls of assorted salads – instead of the usual breakfast pastries and fruit that were served at the majority of the morning meetings. There were also trays of assorted cookies, brownies, and macarons, and Tessa’s mouth watered at the sight of them. She’d been in a rush to get to the office early, knowing how much work there would be to prepare for this meeting, and had only eaten half a slice of toast thus far today.

She had also been skipping meals again lately, she realized somewhat guiltily. Not intentionally, of course, but as a result of being extra busy at work, and also because of Peter’s increasingly long absences from home. By the time she arrived back at their apartment each night, she was worn out from the long days at the office, and too lonely and morose to have much of an appetite. Dinner most nights these past couple of weeks had been a bowl of soup or a grilled cheese sandwich, and she’d had to force even that down.

She’d lost a few pounds as a result, evidenced by the loose waistband of her taupe linen skirt. The skirt was part of the work wardrobe she’d brought with her from Tucson, the lightweight fabric ideal for the hot Arizona climate. And after a colder than average spring here in San Francisco, it seemed that summer was finally beginning to take hold, given the warm, sunny weather outside today. Tessa had paired the simple skirt with a pretty blouse of pale pink cotton. It was sleeveless, and buttoned down the front with a row of ruffles. With it she wore low-heeled taupe pumps, and had pulled her hair back into a thick knot at the nape of her neck. Mrs. Carrington, thought Tessa wryly, would be in complete approval of the conservative ensemble, even though all of the pieces had been purchased at various discount stores.

As she continued to set up for the meeting, Tessa couldn’t resist glancing in the direction of the doorway every few seconds, rather anxiously anticipating the moment
he
would walk inside. And the moment he entered the room, she just knew that all of the air would feel as though it was being sucked out of her lungs, and she’d have to remember to breathe. He seemed to have that exact effect on her each and every time she saw him, and especially on occasions like today’s meeting when she would be spending a couple of hours or more in his presence.

She knew it was wrong – this crush or whatever it was she had on Ian Gregson. She wasn’t supposed to be attracted to other men, not when she was a married woman. It didn’t matter to Tessa that hers was far from a normal marriage, that it had been months since the last time she and Peter had even tried to be intimate, or that Peter himself had repeatedly urged her to seek out other men or divorce him so that she could finally have a real relationship. In her mind, she and Peter were in this for the long haul, for better or for worse, and that definitely didn’t include having the hots for her very – well,
hot
boss.

As if on cue, Ian chose that particular moment to enter the room with that long-legged, supremely confident stride of his. And also on cue, Tessa felt her heart begin to pound so hard that she could scarcely draw a breath. She wiped her suddenly moist palms off on a napkin, and automatically began to brew Mr. Gregson his tea. She made it the old fashioned way – just like Mrs. C. had taught her – spooning loose leaf tea into a stainless steel infuser, placing the infuser inside a cup, and then pouring boiling water over it. She let it steep for the allotted time before removing the infuser and setting it aside, then added a single lump of sugar to the brew.

Ian had already set his leather portfolio on the table but had yet to take his seat when she carefully brought the tea over. He was deep in conversation with a man and a woman who were strangers to her, but he glanced up as she set the cup and saucer down.

“Ah, Tessa. Thank you,” he replied in his usual formal, rather frosty manner. “While you’re here, allow me to introduce two of our guests today. This is Sonya Klimova, who’ll be the interior designer for the new hotel project. And this is Nathan Atwood, the lead architect and co-owner of the firm we’ve awarded the contract to. Sonya, Nathan – this is Tessa Lockwood, one of my management support team. If there’s anything you need for the meeting, don’t hesitate to let her know.”

Tessa shook hands briefly with the newcomers. Sonya was a woman of about medium height, more than a little plump, and was dressed all in black save for the shawl she’d intricately draped around herself. The silk garment was of a bold graphic print in a virtual palette of different colors, and provided relief to her otherwise stark ensemble. Sonya’s jet black hair was cut in a very short pixie style, framing a face that had been rather boldly made up – dramatic eye liner, darkly shadowed eyes, carmine lips. With her dozen or so jeweled bangle bracelets and drop earrings that nearly reached her collarbone, the forty-something Sonya was definitely on the flamboyant side, a not so unusual trait for someone in her field.

The older woman barely spared Tessa a glance, focusing her attention on Ian instead as she all but drooled over him – even though she was nearly ten years his senior, and most definitely not his usual type. But the architect – Nathan – smiled at Tessa kindly and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“Great to meet you, Tessa,” he told her warmly. “Will you be attending all of our meetings in the future?”

“I, um, think so, yes,” she murmured. “I mean, I haven’t been told for certain but Andrew generally assigns us to oversee the same meetings each time. Can I get you anything, Mr. Atwood? Coffee, perhaps?”

Nathan shook his head. He had luxuriously thick dark brown hair, sparkling light blue eyes, and was easily one of the handsomest men Tessa had ever met. He was also kind, and a gentleman, his gaze remaining fixed on her face and never venturing downwards to not so subtly ogle her figure – the typical reaction she tended to receive from most men.

“I’m good for now, thanks. I’ll just help myself to something if I get hungry later. Looks like quite a spread from what I can see.”

Tessa nodded. “Yes. We always believe in doing things up with class. An extension of the service we provide at all of our hotels.”

Nathan grinned. “You should be doing PR for the company instead of organizing meetings. I’ll bet business would really boom with your face on some ads. I’ll suggest the idea to Ian.”

She knew he was just joking, merely being nice, but the compliment made her cheeks flush. “Ah, I’m not much for modeling, I’m afraid. But please be sure and let me know if I can get anything for you, Mr. Atwood.”

“Call me Nathan,” he insisted. “And thank you, Tessa. I look forward to working with you.”

He was both businesslike and sincere, and she sensed instinctively that she would never have to worry about him making inappropriate comments or flirting with her. Of course, someone as attractive and personable as he was undoubtedly had a girlfriend or maybe even a wife. Not to mention the fact that Nathan was likely eager to make a favorable impression on Ian and the rest of the executive staff, and flirting with the hired help would do little to advance his cause.

The meeting began right on time, as they were wont to due when Ian was in charge, and over the next couple of hours Tessa focused on her duties – namely taking notes at the appropriate times, making sure the food and beverage service was kept tidy, and fetching any supplies or equipment any of the attendees needed. She ignored Jason Baldwin’s grinning, leering smile as she reluctantly passed by his seat to assist Nathan with the projector screen he was using for a PowerPoint presentation. It made her skin crawl just to have Jason in the same room, and she always made sure to sit as far away from him as possible. At least, she thought with a sense of relief as she re-took her seat, there was no way Jason would dare to approach her in this roomful of people, and she resolved to not even glance in his direction.