Finding You (26 page)

CHAPTER 29

Two weeks, multiple bride magazines and endless hours of searching the internet for wedding ideas had taken its toll.  The wedding and getting ready to start work with Lion’s Gate had been exhausting.  Actually, the job she was ready for, it was the wedding she couldn’t seem to get anywhere with.  It wasn’t like she hadn’t been to a dozen weddings in her life but she had never planned one.  She never had childhood wishes for a wedding of her own which as an adult had left her completely crippled in trying to decide what to do.

Ian was a businessman.  She could only imagine how many he would have on his guest list and she had absolutely no one.  Not a bridesmaid, not a maid of honor, no one to walk her down the aisle.  The only two women she had even been moderately close to where Caroline and Penny and she knew that wasn’t a possibility. 

It had all become too much and the worry of embarrassing Ian had her reconsidering everything.  She didn’t fit into his world and the wedding was just another example of how much of an outsider she was. 

Ian would never elope because it would hurt his mom, she didn’t want that either. She wanted Rebecca, Nanny and Henry present for the wedding.  There was no chance in hell they could just go to the court house.  She could envision the headlines, “Local billionaire weds at courthouse.”

It had all become too much.  Gathering all the magazines she tossed them in the garbage can.  Lying her head down on the desk she groaned.  Her throat felt sore and her head was hurting.  The stress of it and not knowing how to confront Ian with it was making her physically sick.

Turning off the lights in the library she went to the media room and lay down on the couch.  When Ian got home she was under two blankets and had a relentless headache that despite pain relievers hadn’t eased at all.

She heard Ian calling her name.

“In here,” she yelled instantly regretting raising her voice.

She saw the look of concern the minute he saw her.  “Are you sick baby?”

Ian sat next to her running his hands down her neck.  “Nova you have a fever, how long have you been sick?”

“This afternoon.  My throat hurts, my head is pounding and I am freezing.”

“I’m calling the doctor.  Have you taken anything for the fever?”

“Yes, but I don’t think it has helped.”

She listened as Ian called his personal physician who was all too willing to come and see her at a moment’s notice.  If she hadn’t been so sick she would have laughed at the life of the rich and famous.  Stanford had money, but he didn’t have a doctor on standby that would come to their house. 

Ian left and came back with ice water and a cold cloth to put on her head.  “I have sent Roberta out to pick up some things.”

She smiled at him.  He wouldn’t settle for anything less than taking care of her and his endearment was heart softening.

After being diagnosed with presumed Strep and getting a prescription for an antibiotic Ian helped her to bed while he ran to the pharmacy. 

She slept for the better part of the next two days but on the third morning she was relieved to feel better when she opened her eyes.  Ian was sleeping soundly next to her.  His eyes opened the minute her stomach growled.  He had been trying to force food down her but she had barely eaten a thing.  Not now though, she was hungry.

“Hey Babe, are you feeling better?”

He rolled over with sleepy eyes and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

“Almost,” she said sliding her hand down his hard stomach.

He smiled wasting no time rolling over and settling his body between her legs.  He laid his chest across her pelvis and planted soft kisses on her stomach.

Nova wiggled beneath him grinding herself against his chest.  Yep, she was definitely feeling better.

“Easy baby, let’s get you ready first,” he said breathing in the smell of her skin.  Inching his finger underneath the edge of her panties he slid his finger through her wet folds.   

She heard him moan.

“You have been near death for two days and the minute your skin touches mine you are dripping.  You have no idea how hard it makes me that your body is so receptive to mine.”

Nova squeezed her legs around him.

“Is the native restless sweetheart?”

“Very sir.  Please let me feel you.  I have missed you.”

Ian sat up long enough to rip the crotch out of her underwear and pushed the head of his erection against her already swollen clit.  “Ah baby, you need this don’t you?”

“I always need you Ian,” she said straining against him wanting to feel him inside her.

Ian pushed inside her slowly.  “Fuck baby, I think I am going to stay right here all day.”

Watching his body as he moved and satisfied her every need was completely erotic to her.  The flex and stretch of his muscles and the view of his incredible body as he brought her to orgasm was something she would never grow tired of.  She felt her legs go limp when he emptied inside her.  Her strength, no doubt from being so sick diminished quickly leaving her flat and lifeless under his body but she didn’t dare make him move.  She didn’t want to feel his body leave hers and when she thought he would she stopped him wanting to bask in it just a little longer.

After a few minutes Ian slowly pulled away from her.  “I’m only doing this for your good baby.  You are still sick and unless you really think you can handle round two you better let me go.  I could go all morning but I don’t think you are up for it.”

Nodding in agreement she rolled over and went right back to sleep.

The next day Nova was back to herself.  She gave Roberta a much needed night off from dinner as she had stayed during the day with her while she was sick at Ian’s request because he couldn’t be there.  The Rangers were playing the National’s so she ordered hot wings and had beer iced down when Ian got home.

“I take it your appetite is back?” he asked looking at the spread Nova had waiting on him in the den.

“I have been eating all day Ian.  I guess I am making up for the loss of appetite the last few days.”

“Beer and hot wings?” he asked questioning whether or not it was a smart decision.

“I woke up thinking about hot wings this morning.  You’re lucky you’re not late because you may not have had any left.”

Ian was relieved to see her smiling again.  Her color was back, her sense of humor too.  “Let me change babe.  Don’t start without me.”

By the time she got back, she had turned on ESPN, settled into the couch with her plate and was her third hot wing.

“Damn baby! You are feeling better.”

She smiled licking the sauce off her fingers.

Ian sat down admiring her.  He loved seeing her happy but despite the delectable view of watching her slowly lick the sauce from her fingers it didn’t put to rest his concerns.  Roberta had told him she had found all the bridal magazines she had been looking at in the trash can.  He made the decision to enjoy dinner and the game but he would demand an explanation.

Laughing while she did a victory dance when the Rangers won 7-3, he couldn’t help but feel like a lucky man. 

“We have got it this year Ian, we are going to win the World Series.”

Her enthusiasm made him smile even more.  His life had changed so much with her in it.  He had never been particularly fond of coming home.  As a matter of fact most nights he cruised in long enough to shower and go to bed.  Now he was staring at the women he was going to marry, the same women who had tossed out her bridal magazines.

“Nova?”

Still smiling, she sat down when she realized there was something on his mind.  She knew him well. 

“Yes Ian?”

“I talked to Roberta today. She told me she found your bridal magazines in the trash.”

~  ~

She never understood how he could turn a statement into a question.  She stood up collecting the empty containers of wings and beer bottles. 

“Oh, I was finished with them.”  She knew he wouldn’t buy it and he didn’t.

“Have a seat Nova.”

Damn,
she thought sitting down. 

“Should I assume that by finished you mean you have already chosen everything?”

God he was good.  Why the hell hadn’t she taken out the trash herself and what the hell was Roberta doing telling him what she was throwing away.

“Ian, should I assume that you have Roberta check up on me?”

She watched his nostrils flare.  “Not going to work Nova.  Answer my question.”

“We aren’t at work Ian and this isn’t business so I’d appreciate it if you contain your condescending tone.”

His facial expression remained unchained.  Obviously her words had gone straight over his head.

“Speak Nova, I want to know what is going on in that head of yours.”

She felt the breath leave her lungs.

“Did you just huff at me Nova?”

It occurred to her in that moment that punishment was the better option.  She would take the paddle gladly not to have to confess.  “Yes sir, I did huff.  You should probably do something about that.”

A purely wicked sound left Ian’s throat.  Maybe the paddle wasn’t such a good idea.  “Last chance Nova, I will get it out of you.  Here or there.”

Well, maybe punishment wasn’t the best option here.   

“Fine, I don’t know how to plan this wedding.” She crossed her arms and sank down into the couch.

“Then hire a wedding planner.  Is this about money?”

Oh wasn’t that sweet.  If it could only be as simple as that.

“No it has nothing to do with money Ian.”

“Fine, it’s settled then.  Find a wedding planner.”

He stood up collecting the items she had set down and started out of the den.

“I don’t want to hire a wedding planner Ian.  I…I.” 
Shit!!! 
“I don’t want to….embarrass you.”

Ian’s stopped dead in his tracks.  “Babe, care to elaborate,” he asked coming back and setting everything down.

“Well, see I know that probably every girl in the world dreams of her wedding but I’m not that girl.  I want you to have the perfect wedding because I know how important it is to have an impressive wedding but…”  She couldn’t say it.

“But what Nova?”

“I don’t have anyone on my guest list Ian.  I don’t want to look stupid. I don’t want you to look stupid and I have spent every waking minute trying to figure out how to make a wedding look presentable when the bride’s side will have no one on it.  I don’t even have anyone to walk me down the aisle Ian.”

~ ~

This he hadn’t suspected. As a matter of fact he hadn’t even thought about it.  All of his colleagues knew about the engagement but Nova had no one to tell.  “Nova, is there a reason why you haven’t discussed this with me?”

“Yes Ian, there is good reason I haven’t discussed this with you.  I don’t want to let you down and I honestly thought I could figure something out.  I have even considered hiring a family but honestly who has the time for that.”

He started laughing until he realized she was dead serious.  “You would really hire people to pose as your family?”

“Yes, I would without a second thought but I’m sure someone would talk and you would end up in the paper and it would turn into a scandal which would be even worse for you so I have no idea what to do.”

Hell, she was serious.

“Nova, have you found a dress yet?”

That was the one thing she had found.  “Yes, that was the easy part.”

“No the easy part is that our wedding should be what is easy for us.”

She threw her hands in the air.  “Well that is just great Ian because easy is you and me, hot wings and beer.  Wouldn’t that look great in a wedding album?  I could trade the dress for a tube top and we could have matching beer huggies.”

“Beer huggies?” he asked having no idea what she was talking about.

“Yes, you know insulated beer holders to keep your beer cold while you drink it.”  She looked at him feeling so Mayberry.  “Forget it Ian.  You have no idea what I am talking about.”

“I have always thought a t-shirt with the sleeves cut out would look great on me,” he replied trying to joke with her.  She didn’t laugh though.

“Fine, why would you think I would want an elaborate wedding Nova?  The only thing that matters to me is you.  The wedding should be that simple.  It’s our bond, not a staged performance.”

“Really, you would be fine with me and you?”  My God, that was the perfect solution.

“I would have never proposed if I wasn’t fine with just me and you.”

Her heart melted.  “Your serious, your mom wouldn’t be mad at us?”

“Nova, my mom is more private that I am and this isn’t about her, this is about you and me.”

It was the first breath she felt like she had taken in days.