Billionaire's Love Suite (16 page)

“We’re, uh, not coming to Sedona, Mom,” Shana began the horrid explanation
that would surely break her mother’s heart. “We’re going to have a
small affair here in New York. At the hotel.”

“What? No church?”

“Oh, we’ll have a minister. I’ve already called Bruce Porchant over at
First Methodist. He’s agreed to perform the service.”

Emily paused for an inordinately long period of time. “Shana. You have
wanted a church wedding since you were three. This isn’t you. Is there a
problem with Justin? He won’t let you have a church wedding?”

“It’s not that at all,” Shana replied struggling with the right words, which
only managed to jumble in her head like twisted balls of string.

“Then what exactly is it, because I’m not hearing what I like,” Emily
demanded.

“Booking a church isn’t easy in New York. Most are booked a year in
advance and we don’t have that kind of time.”

“Why not?”

“Mom, I’m pregnant,” Shana said so fast that she didn’t realize the truth
was standing beside her like a figure of doom.

“So, that’s why,” was all Emily said.

“I’m so sorry, Mom. I’m so very sorry,” Shana replied starting to cry.

“Sorry? For what? For making me a grandmother? I’m thrilled. I couldn’t
be happier.”

“You’re…actually happy for me? I don’t believe this.”

“Why not? Aren’t you happy? You said you love him and he obviously
loves you or he wouldn’t be marrying you.”

Shana’s breath hitched in her lungs as the thought hit her. She hadn’t
assessed her predicament from this angle. She cocked her head to the side
as if the movement would bring things in her life into alignment. “Mom…I
never thought of it that way.”

Emily paused again. It was that same long death knell kind of suspended
time when Emily processed thoughts, things and emotions and came up
with razor sharp observations.

Shana recognized the nearly audible activity of her mother’s brain. She
cringed.

“He doesn’t love you,” Emily said flatly like the fact that it was.

“No. He doesn’t.”

“But he’s willing to marry you.”

“Yes, Mom. He is and I love him even more for that. I don’t want to
raise a child on my own like you had to do. It wasn’t hard…it was nearly
impossible. I want my baby to have both a mother and a father. I want it to
have all the love in the world I can give it. I can’t believe I’m saying this,
but I love this child already.”

“I can. I was just the same with all of you kids. I knew in an instant. I
was sicker than a dog. That’s how I knew I was pregnant.”

“It was the same with me. I got sick. Ruined Justin’s best suit, actually,”
Shana offered despondently and with just a pinch of guilt. “Then I did the
pregnancy test. Four times. I couldn’t believe it. I went to the doctor yesterday
and he confirmed it. When I told Justin last night that’s when he told
me to call Bruce and start setting the wheels in motion.”

“So, when is the wedding?” Emily asked.

“Less than two weeks. I know it’s short notice, but Justin insisted we
move quickly. He doesn’t want anyone to know about the baby right now. I
don’t blame him. I know that most people don’t think it’s all that important
about which comes first the baby or the wedding, but Justin said he’s old-fashioned. It matters to him. Mom, I know it’s your busy season and you’re
probably booked to capacity, but is there any way you could be here?”

“Of course, I will, darling. And I’m bringing your brothers and sisters
as well.”

“All of you? That’s not possible!” Shana exclaimed elatedly.

“I’ll have Anna and George take over. We can find some extra day
workers to cover things for two or three days. I’ll make it happen, Shana.
Besides, I want to check this Justin out for myself. I want to see if he’s good
enough for my girl.”

Shana burst into tears. She didn’t know if it was because she was pregnant
and her emotions were running high already or if it was that she just
needed her mother to hold her. Probably both. And that was okay. “I’ll order
plane tickets for everyone.”

“That’s too much, Shana. We’ll manage somehow.”

“Mom, Justin can afford it. He’s a billionaire.”

“Oh.”

************

As clichéd as it was, Shana found she was going to be a June bride.
The wedding was set for the last day of June in the hotel’s smallest ballroom.
Though she felt that she was being rushed to the altar and that there
weren’t enough hours in the day to make the kind of arrangements she knew
were necessary to create the kind of dream wedding she’d wanted, she was
astounded at how close she’d come.

Her sisters, Nancy, Elaine and Christy, had sent their measurements to
Shana for their bridesmaid dresses. Shana chose the palest pink sleeveless
silk dresses with tight waists and straight skirts. They were replicas of the
simple silhouette white silk gown Shana would wear. Even though the wedding
was small with not quite two dozen guests attending, Shana was determined
that it be as beautiful as she could make it.

Shana’s younger brothers, Ethan and Evan, had agreed to be ushers and
like the groom, would wear dark blue suits.

Shana ordered white orchids, white Star Gazer lilies and Moonstone
roses with their pale pink petal tips for the bridal bouquets and reception flowers. Along with the Lux Hotel head chef, they meticulously devised a
dinner menu of filet mignon, truffles in cognac sauce, purple Asian potatoes
and micro vegetables. Although Justin told Shana that all the wedding décor
and meal planning was hers, he insisted upon choosing the wines. It was,
after all, his wedding, too.

He selected Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Louis Latour with its nose
of fresh almonds to accompany the Scottish Salmon and capers appetizer.
The Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux French burgundy for the
main course was obviously expensive, but it was Justin’s favorite wine. The
Champagne toasts were to be Dom Perignon, of course.

Although the hotel was still in complete disorder and most of it still
under construction, the staff all plunged forward to make the wedding a
memorable affair.

The days sped like lightening for Shana. If it weren’t for her odd timing
of “morning sickness” which tended to strike closer to one in the afternoon,
she was nearly unaware of her pregnancy. She was so happy about the ceremony
and seeing all of her family again that those foreboding clouds that
gathered unexpectedly and unwanted in her mind were instantly dispelled
by her joy. She didn’t and wouldn’t think about the fact that Justin still had
never told her that he loved her. He’d been true to his promise to let her do
all the wedding planning. Still, she often wished he would ask her about
the choices she’d made. Instead, he went about his ordinary daily business.
He didn’t appear much to care about the wedding, only the fact that it was
taking place.

Justin instructed his secretary to email his personal guest list to Shana
for the invitation. Other than Trent Wellington, Leon Turnbull, Cate, the
maid of honor, some members of the staff and Shana’s family, there were no
other guests. Shana realized that Justin could have invited half of New York
had she not been pregnant. He knew absolutely everyone from his Wall
Street days. Then there was the fact that undoubtedly, half those people
would have been the women he used to date.

Perhaps
, Shana thought,
a small wedding is the best for us all around
.

***

Shana raced down the hotel staircase when Justin met her at the base.
“What’s the hurry?” he asked taking her hand.

“My family’s plane will be here in less than an hour. I don’t want to
miss it.”

“You won’t. I’m sending the hotel shuttle to pick them up.”

She shot him a stricken look. “And me not be there to greet them?”

“Why would you do that?”

She cocked her head and looked at him. “Didn’t your parents come to
the airport or Grand Central Station to get you?”

“No. They sent a driver.”

She touched his cheek sweetly. “I’m sorry you were so deprived. That’s
just not right.”

“I was okay with it.”

“Well, I’m not. I’m going to meet my family. Are you coming?”

Justin’s mouth gaped. “I have work…”

Shana grabbed his hand. “It can wait. You’ve never met my family and
I don’t want it to be in the hotel. You’re coming with me.”

Shana tugged on his arm as she rushed toward the doors and waiting
shuttle. “They’re going to love you,” she said, happiness glittering around
her like raining sunbeams.

*****

Justin didn’t know what to expect, but this hugging, back slapping,
giddy, laughing, shouting and constantly chattering clan of devilishly handsome
tanned and blond young men and scorchingly beautiful blonde young
women was nothing that Justin expected. Emily Jackson was as tall and
slender as her eldest daughter and didn’t look a minute of her forty-seven
years. She was dressed in a smart black linen suit with white piping, white
shoes and white purse. She wore her blonde hair in a classic chignon and
pearl earrings.

Justin waited patiently while Shana hugged her siblings and her
mother.

Shana held her mother for a very long moment, breathing in the jasmine
smell of her and the feeling the warmth of her arms and the beat of her steady heart. As always, she felt as if she’d come home. There would never
be any place on earth like her mother’s arms.

Emily hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her cheek. “Darling. You
look wonderful. Every inch the beautiful bride I always knew you would
be.”

Emily turned to Justin. “And you are the man who thinks he is going to
make my daughter happy.”

Justin stared at Emily’s strident crystal blue eyes and for the first time
in his life, he felt his knees quake. “Yes. I am,” he answered with matching
potent tones though he hadn’t actually given the notion any thought. Justin
wanted Shana. Justin needed Shana to fulfill the proviso and he adamantly
relished the idea of spending a great deal of time in bed with his bride. But
making her happy? How was he going to do that? He hadn’t the slightest
idea of where he would start.

Justin tore his eyes from Emily’s probing and steady gaze and picked up
a suitcase. “Our driver is waiting just outside the doors. Let’s get the rest of
the bags from the carrousel.”

Ethan and Evan grabbed all the bags, each one trying to show superior
strength to the other, still horsing around as they waddled out to the
shuttle.

Nancy, Elaine and Christy bombarded Shana with a hundred questions
about the ceremony, their rooms, and the odd lack of groomsmen, of which
there were none since Justin didn’t want his friends to feel any obligation
other than that of being a guest.

Justin rode in the front seat of the shuttle with the driver while Shana
sat with her mother and sisters in the back seat. Ethan and Evan rode in the
far back seat, their faces glued to the windows as they took in all the sights
of Manhattan.

By the time they reached the hotel, Justin had planned to go straight
to his office for a Scotch and two aspirin for the headache he planned to
acquire. Instead, as the last of the Jacksons were shown their rooms and
he and Shana were finally alone, he was astounded to discover that he was
energized by her siblings.

Shana put her arms around Justin’s neck and pulled him close for a kiss.
“I should have warned you. They’re a lot to take all at once. It’s normally
not like this. Even at home.”

Justin shook his head. “Don’t concern yourself. I liked them. I just have
to get used to them.”

“Only for holidays and visits,” she said.

“Which holidays?” he asked with an impish grin. “And are they coming
here or are we going there?”

Shana looked up at him. It was the first time she’d heard Justin refer to
their future together other than to make a comment about the baby. Their
“engagement” and wedding plans were moving at light speed and she realized
they’d had little time alone. What time they had spent, was either
working during the day or making love at night. Talking hadn’t been on
their agenda.

“If they came here, there would be more for them to do. Sedona is
pretty…slow,” she said smiling. “But who knows? You may like it.”

“Possibly,” he offered, but as he gazed down into Shana’s gleaming blue
eyes, all he thought about was the sexy honeymoon he’d planned. Taking
Shana to San Francisco would be enough surprise for her and would give
him time to show her another of their properties that needed her magical
touch. He’d reserved the Presidential Penthouse Suite for their weekend
stay. Though right now, as she pressed her breasts into his chest and leaned
into him for a kiss, he didn’t exactly know how much work he’d get done.
All he wanted for the moment was to be inside her where he would completely
lose his mind.

Unable to stop himself, he slanted his mouth over hers, taking his time
to brush her lips with his and then slowly, torturing himself as much as her,
slid his tongue into her interior. In seconds, arousal flickered, flamed and
spiraled through him. He pulled her closer, feeling that if he continued this
burn, his very skin would be singed.

He tore his mouth from hers and sank his lips into the cool long column
of her throat. He loved it here where he could feel her heart beating, pulsing
and then racing as he took her breast, pinched it and massaged it. The fact
that Shana was so incredibly responsive to him, thrilled Justin. He felt her
heat match his. He felt a power over her that made him simultaneously omnipotent and vulnerable because for each hammering heart beat Shana
displayed, Justin matched her slam for slam. He was in sync with her like
he’d never been with any woman. The fact confounded him. He didn’t
understand what it was about Shana that so thoroughly enraptured him at
times.

Luckily, he told himself as he skimmed his tongue down her throat and
opened her blouse, he wasn’t obsessed with her, because he’d been able to
conduct himself quite normally over the past two weeks. He’d attended to
business as he always had…