But the most beloved face of all, of course, belonged to the devastatingly handsome man who carried her right up to the front door of their villa. Despite the lateness of the hour, the private butler assigned to their suite stood at the ready, giving them a respectful nod as he opened the door to the villa for them.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening. And please accept my congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Gregson,” the butler offered as Ian carried his bride over the threshold.
He didn’t set her on her feet, in fact, until he heard the door shut firmly behind them. Only then did he put her down before engaging the deadbolt.
Ian turned to face her then, his back pressed against the front door, and he looked so handsome in his elegant wedding suit that Tessa couldn’t help sighing with pure, unadulterated pleasure.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” she told him breathlessly. “And have I told you yet today how sexy you look in a tux?”
He gave her the sort of slow, seductive smile that always made her felt like her underwear was about to dissolve in a puddle of silk and lace at her feet. “I believe you might have mentioned it once or twice,” he drawled lazily. “Should I pack a tuxedo to take along on our honeymoon then, considering how much it seems to turn you on?”
Tessa laughed. “I think that would be unnecessarily cruel of me to expect you to wear that in the Caribbean with all the heat and humidity. Besides, as much as I love the way you look in a tux, I prefer you in swim trunks. Or nothing at all.”
Ian walked toward her slowly, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “Whatever you prefer, Mrs. Gregson. I’ll just await your instructions, shall I?”
She smiled dreamily. “Mrs. Gregson. That will take some getting used to.”
“Hmm, I agree. But perhaps that’s not the best form of address to use when I introduce you. Mrs. Gregson makes me think of my mother. And you most definitely don’t remind me of her in the least,” he teased.
He stood in front of her now, as he lifted a handful of her full tulle skirts. “I could,” he continued, “call you my bride. Or,” he added, picking up her left hand and bringing it to his lips, his thumb brushing over her wedding and engagement rings, “the most logical term of address would be my wife.”
Then he cupped her cheeks between his palms, his smile the most tender she’d ever seen, his voice husky. “Or I could just call you my beloved, so that everyone would know how much you mean to me.”
Ian kissed her with such exquisite thoroughness that she wanted to weep with the sheer joy of it all. But before she could fling herself against him, or deepen the kiss, he took her by the hand and led her over to the well-stocked bar that took up an entire wall of the living room.
“I left instructions to have a bottle of champagne chilled,” he told her. “Shall I open it?”
Tessa hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. “Not now. That is, if you don’t mind. I had a lot more champagne and wine at dinner than I usually do, and the thought of more alcohol right now just isn’t appealing. I’m sorry.”
Ian shook his head. “Nothing to be sorry for, my love. And I agree that a whole bottle of bubbly is probably a little over the top. Why don’t we share some brandy instead?”
She nodded in agreement, then watched as he filled a snifter with his favorite brand. Ian held up the glass in a toast.
“To our wedding night,” he murmured. “And to the most beautiful bride that’s ever walked the face of this earth.”
They sipped from the glass at the same time, their lips brushing against the other’s as they did so. They took several more sips before Ian set the snifter down, and took his wife firmly in his arms.
“I’m going to seduce you tonight, Tessa,” he announced decisively. “As though this was your first time. Are you agreeable?”
“God, yes,” she breathed. “And I - I feel like this is all new tonight, Ian. It’s silly, I know, because we’ve made love so many times in the last eighteen months, but, well, I feel a bit like a virgin right now.”
He kissed her forehead. “It’s the first time we’ll make love as a married couple,” he reminded her. “So in a way this is a new experience. For both of us. Come with me now, love.”
He guided her into the master bedroom, and she gasped to see how carefully the room had been staged for seduction - a dozen candles lit on the dresser to cast a golden, jasmine scented glow about the room; soft, romantic piano music playing on the sound system; the bedcovers turned back precisely to reveal the white rose petals that had been strewn across the sheets.
“It’s lovely, Ian,” she murmured.
He came up behind her, his lips on her bare shoulder. “I agree. You are the loveliest woman I’ve ever known. Both inside and out. And as gorgeous as you look in this gown, I’ve been dying of curiosity - and lust - all damned day wondering what you have on underneath.”
Tessa’s breath hitched in her throat a bit higher as he began to slowly, deftly unfasten the tiny hooks that ran up the back of her wedding dress. When they had all been unhooked, Ian pushed the voluminous gown down past her hips, then held onto her forearm to steady her as she stepped out of it. He picked up the gown and laid it carefully along the window seat, then sucked in a breath as he took a good, long look at her in the exquisite bridal lingerie.
She gasped as he hooked an arm around her waist and jerked her against his body, his burning gaze fixated on the lavish display of her breasts above the low-cut corset. A high-pitched whimper sounded in her throat when he traced his forefinger over the exposed upper curves of her cleavage.
“How is it possible for you to look pure and sexy at the same time?” he rasped. “Like a virgin all dressed in ivory lace, but also like a wanton in this very provocative lingerie?” His hands, a bit less steady this time, began to unfasten the back hooks of the corset. “I want to see you now, Tessa.”
She didn’t resist as he undressed her with slow, careful precision, his hands cupping her breasts, squeezing her ass, caressing her thighs, as he removed each article of lingerie. His tongue licked at her nipples, traveled down between her breasts, circled her navel. He knelt at her feet to unbuckle her shoes, then rolled each silk stocking down her leg with great care. She moaned with pleasure as he gave each bare foot a little massage.
“Feel good?” he asked huskily.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening. And please accept my congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Gregson,” the butler offered as Ian carried his bride over the threshold.
He didn’t set her on her feet, in fact, until he heard the door shut firmly behind them. Only then did he put her down before engaging the deadbolt.
Ian turned to face her then, his back pressed against the front door, and he looked so handsome in his elegant wedding suit that Tessa couldn’t help sighing with pure, unadulterated pleasure.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” she told him breathlessly. “And have I told you yet today how sexy you look in a tux?”
He gave her the sort of slow, seductive smile that always made her felt like her underwear was about to dissolve in a puddle of silk and lace at her feet. “I believe you might have mentioned it once or twice,” he drawled lazily. “Should I pack a tuxedo to take along on our honeymoon then, considering how much it seems to turn you on?”
Tessa laughed. “I think that would be unnecessarily cruel of me to expect you to wear that in the Caribbean with all the heat and humidity. Besides, as much as I love the way you look in a tux, I prefer you in swim trunks. Or nothing at all.”
Ian walked toward her slowly, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “Whatever you prefer, Mrs. Gregson. I’ll just await your instructions, shall I?”
She smiled dreamily. “Mrs. Gregson. That will take some getting used to.”
“Hmm, I agree. But perhaps that’s not the best form of address to use when I introduce you. Mrs. Gregson makes me think of my mother. And you most definitely don’t remind me of her in the least,” he teased.
He stood in front of her now, as he lifted a handful of her full tulle skirts. “I could,” he continued, “call you my bride. Or,” he added, picking up her left hand and bringing it to his lips, his thumb brushing over her wedding and engagement rings, “the most logical term of address would be my wife.”
Then he cupped her cheeks between his palms, his smile the most tender she’d ever seen, his voice husky. “Or I could just call you my beloved, so that everyone would know how much you mean to me.”
Ian kissed her with such exquisite thoroughness that she wanted to weep with the sheer joy of it all. But before she could fling herself against him, or deepen the kiss, he took her by the hand and led her over to the well-stocked bar that took up an entire wall of the living room.
“I left instructions to have a bottle of champagne chilled,” he told her. “Shall I open it?”
Tessa hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. “Not now. That is, if you don’t mind. I had a lot more champagne and wine at dinner than I usually do, and the thought of more alcohol right now just isn’t appealing. I’m sorry.”
Ian shook his head. “Nothing to be sorry for, my love. And I agree that a whole bottle of bubbly is probably a little over the top. Why don’t we share some brandy instead?”
She nodded in agreement, then watched as he filled a snifter with his favorite brand. Ian held up the glass in a toast.
“To our wedding night,” he murmured. “And to the most beautiful bride that’s ever walked the face of this earth.”
They sipped from the glass at the same time, their lips brushing against the other’s as they did so. They took several more sips before Ian set the snifter down, and took his wife firmly in his arms.
“I’m going to seduce you tonight, Tessa,” he announced decisively. “As though this was your first time. Are you agreeable?”
“God, yes,” she breathed. “And I - I feel like this is all new tonight, Ian. It’s silly, I know, because we’ve made love so many times in the last eighteen months, but, well, I feel a bit like a virgin right now.”
He kissed her forehead. “It’s the first time we’ll make love as a married couple,” he reminded her. “So in a way this is a new experience. For both of us. Come with me now, love.”
He guided her into the master bedroom, and she gasped to see how carefully the room had been staged for seduction - a dozen candles lit on the dresser to cast a golden, jasmine scented glow about the room; soft, romantic piano music playing on the sound system; the bedcovers turned back precisely to reveal the white rose petals that had been strewn across the sheets.
“It’s lovely, Ian,” she murmured.
He came up behind her, his lips on her bare shoulder. “I agree. You are the loveliest woman I’ve ever known. Both inside and out. And as gorgeous as you look in this gown, I’ve been dying of curiosity - and lust - all damned day wondering what you have on underneath.”
Tessa’s breath hitched in her throat a bit higher as he began to slowly, deftly unfasten the tiny hooks that ran up the back of her wedding dress. When they had all been unhooked, Ian pushed the voluminous gown down past her hips, then held onto her forearm to steady her as she stepped out of it. He picked up the gown and laid it carefully along the window seat, then sucked in a breath as he took a good, long look at her in the exquisite bridal lingerie.
She gasped as he hooked an arm around her waist and jerked her against his body, his burning gaze fixated on the lavish display of her breasts above the low-cut corset. A high-pitched whimper sounded in her throat when he traced his forefinger over the exposed upper curves of her cleavage.
“How is it possible for you to look pure and sexy at the same time?” he rasped. “Like a virgin all dressed in ivory lace, but also like a wanton in this very provocative lingerie?” His hands, a bit less steady this time, began to unfasten the back hooks of the corset. “I want to see you now, Tessa.”
She didn’t resist as he undressed her with slow, careful precision, his hands cupping her breasts, squeezing her ass, caressing her thighs, as he removed each article of lingerie. His tongue licked at her nipples, traveled down between her breasts, circled her navel. He knelt at her feet to unbuckle her shoes, then rolled each silk stocking down her leg with great care. She moaned with pleasure as he gave each bare foot a little massage.
“Feel good?” he asked huskily.
