A/N: slight M-rating
It took a few hours of detailed planning and making phone calls to various other heads of departments and subsidiaries, but in the end, it was all worked out. Jonathan and his VPs spent the day putting protocols into place so that, when the time came, Jonathan could be away from Hart Industries for as long as he wanted to be and things would not come crashing down around anyone's ears. The Board of Directors was particularly bothered by Jonathan's refusal to give a date for when he would be stepping away and when he would be returning. He wouldn't give them an answer and got them to approve of the plan without it.
The truth was, he didn't have an answer. He had no idea when any of this would happen. He and Jennifer hadn't talked about when they'd get married, how long an engagement they'd have, what they'd do once they got to LA. Jonathan assumed they'd discuss it when they got there, once it was all finally tangible and they could actually be there to put their life together. All he knew was that once they did have that discussion, he wanted to have the freedom to be away from work so he could devote all of his time and energy to her.
The actual reality of marriage was something he knew he wasn't quite prepared for. It just didn't seem real yet, that they were getting married. They met a week ago, got engaged five days ago, and returned to the United States two days ago. Jonathan had left Los Angeles to work on a merger in London, and he had managed to fall in love and get engaged before he had even gotten back home.
Maybe it would all feel a little more real once they got to LA. Either way, he and Jennifer would have to talk about it. What her expectations were, when she imagined they'd get married, what kind of wedding she wanted, and all of that. Jonathan didn't really have much preference in those sorts of things, just as long as she was happy. There would come a time when he'd know her well enough that he could make plans and know exactly what she would want. After all, he had already learned she liked surprises. But planning their whole wedding and their life together was not something Jonathan was going to surprise her with.
He stood out front of the building thinking about the future and waiting for Jennifer to pick him up. She had apparently just finished whatever she and Max were up to when he'd called, so she would be arriving any minute. And sure enough, the silver Mercedes turned the corner. Gosh, she looked good behind the wheel of a car. Very sexy.
She pulled up and he hurried to get in the passenger seat, avoiding the traffic. "Hi, darling," she greeted cheerfully. They leaned in and shared a few quick kisses before she pulled out onto the road again. "How was your day?" she asked.
"Good," he replied. "I took care of some things I wanted to address with my vice presidents and the board of directors. I won't need to come back to work while we're in New York, I don't think. I'll need to go in for a few hours here and there when we're in LA, but we fixed everything exactly the way I wanted today. How was your day, darling?"
Jennifer grinned. "Oh it was great. Max and I went through my whole apartment and figured out which pieces might be good to have shipped to LA and which I should get rid of. Everything'll go in storage for a while anyway, but at least we won't have to send everything I own across the country and cull through it then. And Max asked me a very interesting question. One that I need your help to answer."
"And what's that?"
"Where are we going to live?"
Jonathan suddenly felt very foolish that he hadn't thought of it. "Well I've got a place in Los Angeles, but I guess if you don't like it, we can find something else."
Jennifer pursed her lips. "Max said you have a penthouse at Hart Towers in Downtown LA."
"Yeah." He wasn't really sure where she was going with this.
"Don't you think we'll want something a little more private for just the two of us? I mean, the two of us and Max, of course," she amended.
"I guess so," he answered.
She glanced over at him while she was at a stoplight. "Oh dear. I guess I shouldn't have assumed. Oh I'm sorry, Jonathan."
"No, don't be sorry," he said quickly. "I just hadn't thought about it. But you're right, of course. Even with the private elevator up to the penthouse, I can't imagine taking you home at the end of the night and having to valet the car and go through a lobby to an elevator."
"That's what I was thinking," she agreed. "When we get to LA, obviously we'll stay there. But I guess I sort of like the idea of finding a place that's ours. This apartment is mine, the penthouse is yours...
"And our house will be ours," Jonathan said, finishing her thought. "You're exactly right, darling. We'll have a place that's ours."
"You talked about wanting to have some land somewhere. It might be a little further away from the city, but I bet we could find a few acres and build a house to be exactly what we want," she posited. "We could have horses, and we could have a guest house for if Pa or anyone else comes to visit. Or Max could have his own place on the property."
Jonathan laughed, "You know, I was first drawn to you for your beauty, but I certainly fell in love with you for your brains."
Her nose wrinkled in delight as she beamed at him. "Thank you, darling."
That night, after she and Jonathan and Max all went out for an incredible steak meal at Keens, Max stayed up to watch television while he finished off his cigar, and Jennifer dragged Jonathan to the bedroom.
There was something about having been away from him for most of the day that just made her desperate for him. She pushed him down on the bed and pulled two buttons off his shirt and one off his vest trying to get him undressed. Jennifer couldn't get enough of caressing his gorgeous chest while she sucked on his neck and perched on his lap, grinding her hips down against the impressive erection in his pants. When Jonathan flipped them over and pulled her clothes off, she was already halfway over the edge. He didn't even take off his pants, just unzipped enough to get himself inside her. Then it was Jonathan's turn to suck on Jennifer's neck, and if she'd been able to form coherent thought, she'd have been worried she hurt him from the way she clutched his hair in her fists while she rocked against him to meet every thrust.
They passed out for a moment when they both came but got a second wind. Enough, at least, to get completely naked and get under the covers of the bed this time. Jonathan rolled Jennifer onto her belly and seductively massaged her back. He followed his hands with his mouth and whispered in her ear that he was going to trace lines between every single freckle on her body with his tongue. He proceeded to make a very good start on that until Jennifer begged him to stop teasing and make love to her again. She arched her back and spread her legs and felt his whole body cover her as he entered her from behind.
The angle was new for them and Jennifer lacked the control over proceedings that she usually preferred. With anyone else, she would have been uncomfortable and anxious by that. But not with Jonathan. She was happy to give up control to him at any time, knowing that turnabout was always fair play between them, and he'd be happy to have her call the shots whenever she wanted.
Jennifer had to press her face into the pillow to keep from crying out when her powerful orgasm crashed through her. The sound of Jonathan groaning her name in her ear was the most erotic thing she'd ever experienced. It took a while for her regain any sense of reality after that. But when she did, Jonathan was gently stroking her back, up and down her spine. After whispering that she loved him, his touch was what soothed her to sleep.
That night, Jennifer dreamed about the house she and Jonathan would have in California. A ranch with wide open spaces. She and Jonathan could ride their horses out for hours and stop under a tree by a river. There would be a big porch where they could sit out on a hammock together and watch the sunset. Max would bring them cocktails and sit beside them in a rocking chair and puff on his cigar. It was a beautiful dream that she could not wait to make real.
A sharp knock on the door woke her suddenly. Beside her, Jonathan made a noise of discontent at being woken. "Max, what is it?" he called out, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes.
Jennifer rolled over and pulled up the sheet under her arms to cover herself as Max walked in.
"Breakfast in bed. And you're gonna want to take a look at the Post. Page six."
She saw that the New York Times and the New York Post were on the tray that Max put on the bed. "Page six? Isn't that the society column?"
Jonathan picked up the Post and turned the pages before opening it flat in front of them. A huge photograph took up a quarter of the page beside the headline, "BREAKING HARTS?"
"That's us!" Jennifer exclaimed. It was a picture taken yesterday when she picked up Jonathan at his office. The two of them were there, clear as day through the front windshield, kissing.
"Jonathan Hart, the self-made millionaire industrialist founder of Jonathan Hart Industries, has been seen out and about with every belle of society in America and Europe ever since making his fortune and running in the circles of heiresses the world over. Yesterday, Hart was seen getting into a car driven by a woman who sources have confirmed is author and journalist Jennifer Edwards," Jonathan read.
Jennifer laughed, "Hey, they know my name in the society column!"
Max raised his brows in surprise. "You're not upset?"
"Why should I be upset?" she asked in return. "They're just reporting the facts. I am an author and journalist, and Jonathan did get into a car I was driving."
Jonathan continued, "Sources have also stated that longtime-bachelor Hart plans to marry, disappointing eager women everywhere. How Hart and Edwards met can only be speculated, but the two look passionately in love. If they do marry, they are sure to light up the pages of this and every other society paper."
"See? We're passionately in love and we plan to marry. Nothing wrong with any of that," Jennifer said.
"I guess it was only a matter of time before the papers got wind of it. I didn't know we needed to make a public statement, but maybe we should," Jonathan wondered aloud.
"Let's worry about it when we get to California," Jennifer suggested. "Let them wonder and speculate while we're here. It's not as though we're hiding anything. But once we get to LA and get settled, we can throw an engagement party and put a notice in the paper or something."
Jonathan nodded. "Works for me."
"What should I do if any reporters call here?" Max asked.
"You can just say we're busy and we're not giving a statement right now," Jonathan told him.
"But thank them for their interest," Jennifer added. When Jonathan looked at her funny, she explained, "Well, I am a reporter, and I know how difficult it is to make those calls and come out with nothing." She leaned over, still holding the sheet up to her chest, and got a closer look at the newspaper. "That is a lovely photograph of us. We don't have any pictures of the two of us together yet," she realized.
Jonathan smiled. "It is a good picture. Max, call over to the Post and ask if we can get a copy of that."
Max nodded. "Sure thing, Mr. H. Oh and uh...you guys got matching..." He trailed off and pointed at them.
Jennifer turned to look at Jonathan where Max pointed and found a terrific lovebite on his neck. She reached up to touch her own neck and found a tender spot. Obviously that's what Max meant by them matching. "Well, we'll have to dress accordingly today," she reasoned.
"I've got an ascot packed somewhere," Jonathan said.
She tried to suppress her giggles. "You're gonna want to keep a supply of those on hand for the future," she told him.
"I'll buy you some Hermès scarves if you haven't got anything," Jonathan said, smirking in a very smug manner.