***A month later***
Jennifer was immersed in planning the wedding. They had picked a venue, an old home that had a gorgeous outdoor garden style courtyard, with a view of the ocean. She and Susan had picked a strapless, raspberry colored dress with a sweetheart plunge neckline and chiffon empire waist for Susan to wear. It was really gorgeous on her.
Jennifer had picked out a princess style white gown for Savannah and McKenna to wear, and they had ordered a suit for Luke.
Jennifer had booked flowers, a DJ, a caterer, and a photographer.
Tonight, she and Jonathan were supposed to be addressing their invitations.
She had just finished typing up the guest list addresses when Jonathan got home.
"Hi darling".
"Hi handsome!" She stood up and kissed him.
"You are right on time. I just finished the address list, and the invitations and envelopes are all ready".
"No, we aren't doing those. We are going to go have a nice dinner somewhere".
"Jonathan, you promised!"
"My secretary can do the addressing".
"I want to do it. And I want to do it with you".
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
"Compromise? I take you to dinner and then we do the invites".
"Ok, fine. I will agree to that".
"Thank you".
She went to change clothes and they headed to dinner.
Jennifer ordered a grilled chicken salad with lemon juice and olive oil for dressing.
Jonathan ordered a Tomahawk ribeye steak and a loaded baked potato.
"Darling, you can eat real food you know".
"Darling, I am".
She sipped her glass of wine, while they waited on their dinner.
"We need to find an officiant".
"Yeah, we do. How about a judge?"
"How about a minister?"
"Do you know one?"
"No, do you?"
"No".
"Well, we need to find someone".
"We also need to figure out transportation the day of the wedding, and we need to find a house, darling".
"I called our agent today. She is bringing by new listings tomorrow. I'll bring them home and we can go scout them together".
After they were done eating, they headed back home and Jennifer immediately put her pajamas on.
She looked at Jonathan.
"Do you want to read me the addresses or lick the envelopes?"
"Lick the envelopes".
It only took him about 10 envelopes before he decided to get a sponge.
They worked on it for about 2 hours and then decided to call it quits.
She left everything on the coffee table and moved to the couch to sit next to him.
"Are you ready to go to bed yet?"
"Not yet. I want to watch this baseball game".
"Why don't we go watch it in bed?"
"Well, we can, I guess".
She gave him a look.
"Your enthusiasm is overwhelming".
She got up and went upstairs alone and headed to bed.
He watched a few innings, and then headed upstairs.
She was already asleep.
He slipped into bed next to her and put his arm around her and gave her a kiss.
"I love you, goodnight".
***Middle of the night***
They are both sleeping soundly, and then the phone rang, waking them up.
Jonathan sleepily grabbed it and handed it to Jennifer.
"It's for you".
"Hello?"
She talked a few minutes and then handed it back to Jonathan.
"It's actually for you".
He takes it from her and talks a little bit and then hangs up.
"What is it?"
"Alarm system is going off at the office. I have to go".
"I'm coming with you".
"No, that's not a good idea".
"Jonathan, you don't know what you are walking into. What if someone's in there?"
"That's why I don't want you to come with me, so you don't get hurt".
"And what if you do?"
He quickly dressed and then came back to the bed.
"Keep a warm spot for me? I love you".
"Call the police and have them meet you there? Please?"
"My head of security already notified the police. I love you, I'll be back as soon as I can".
He leaned down and gave her some kisses.
"Please be careful".
"Always".
She tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. She just laid there till he got back.
She heard him come in about 2 hours later, and then felt him climb in bed beside her.
"Miss me?"
"Immensely".
She rolled over and kissed him.
They snuggled up and fell back asleep.
***A few hours later***
Jonathan woke up around 7. Jennifer was sleeping next to him, on her stomach.
He got out the massage lotion and started massaging her shoulders.
"Oh, that's a great way to wake up".
He massaged her for about an hour and got all her knots out, and then snuggled up to her and laid with her a little longer.
"Darling, did you find out why the alarm went off?"
"Yeah, the overnight security guard left a door open, and it triggered it".
They got up and went downstairs for breakfast.
They walked into the kitchen hand in hand.
"Morning, Max".
"Morning Max".
"Morning you two. Mr. H., did I hear the phone ringing in the middle of the night?"
"Yeah, you did. It's alright, it was the security company for the office".
"Are you going to the office today, honey?"
"No, I closed it for the day since most of us were up there in the middle of the night".
"Wonderful! Want to go look at houses again?"
"We can. I'll call the agent and see if she has any listings for us".
"Great. I'll go change".
She kissed him and headed upstairs.
***Later that afternoon***
Jonathan and Jennifer were on their way to their appointment with their real estate agent.
"Darling, where did she say this one was?"
"Up in the canyon. It's a little further out from where we are now, but according to her, it meets all the requirements".
"All of them?"
"That's what she said".
They drove along and found the street and then started looking for it.
They turned into a short driveway and Jonathan punched in a gate code.
They drove along a long driveway, past a pond and up to a house.
"It's absolutely breathtaking".
"It's spacious, like we asked for, and private too."
"Neighbors around us, but not on top of us. And the windows are large".
They got out and walked inside.
The agent started her spiel as soon as they walked in.
"6 bedrooms, 4 baths. Separate double soaking tub in the master bathroom. Extra large walk-in closets in the master bedroom upstairs. Eat-in kitchen, separate dining room, large backyard, with large patio perfect for entertaining. The gate has a coded entrance, that can be controlled by the switch of a button in here, in the kitchen, or up in the master bedroom."
She walked around from room to room and checked out each room. Jonathan checked out each shower and the thermostat, and then they took a walk through the backyard.
They came back inside and the agent told them she would give them a moment to talk.
"What do you think?"
"Well, we could let Max choose. I think he would like being downstairs, it's a little more private. And you and I can have the upstairs master. And we could get a large bar, and put it right over there. And, this could be the office, right in there. And we would need to get more living room furniture, but we could do that, darling."
"I agree. Want to live here with me and Max in this house?"
She nodded.
He kissed her and then they went to find the agent.
"We'll take it. What's the asking price?"
She handed him the flyer with the asking price on it.
Jennifer's heart sank when she saw the price.
"Jonathan, no…."
"One more moment, please".
They walked out back again.
"What is it? I thought you wanted the house".
"I do. But that asking price-that's a small fortune!"
"Well it's a good thing I have 15 times that in the bank, isn't it?"
"Darling, it's too much".
"Jennifer, this is the first home we have agreed on. We both love it, we can both see ourselves living here, what is the problem? We can afford it, very easily".
"The problem is that's more money than I've ever seen in my lifetime."
"It's ok, Jennifer. I promise. You just have to trust me".
She sighed.
"Ok, fine".
They walked back inside and he negotiated a little bit of a lower price, and then they signed the initial paperwork.
"Ok, so the closing day is going to be 30 days from now, and at that time you will take possession. The seller has moved out already, so it's possible that you might get to close sooner, maybe around 20 days or something."
"Perfect, thank you so much".
"Thank you".
They walked outside and headed back to the townhouse.
They walked in and found Max in the kitchen.
"Hey you two, I was just about to throw some steaks on the grill. And a chicken breast for you, Miss Edwards. And some grilled veggies".
"That sounds wonderful".
"Max, we want to tell you, we just bought a house. And you will have your own room and bathroom".
"You two sure you want me to live with you?"
"Absolutely. We won't hear of anything else".
"We love you, Max".
She stepped over and kissed his cheek.
They had a nice dinner and then Jennifer started making the centerpieces for the wedding reception.
After she was done with that, she made Savanna's basket that she was going to carry.
"Darling, we haven't decided on a honeymoon yet".
"Where do you want to go?"
"Somewhere tropical, where we can relax and get some peace and quiet".
"You really want tropical?"
"Yeah, don't you?"
"I could go somewhere tropical. I could also go somewhere non-tropical".
"So, how do you want to decide this?"
"I don't know. We can draw names out of a hat, maybe".
"Jonathan, this is our honeymoon, not charades".
"I know that. But we have to be able to decide somehow".
"What tropical places do you want to go?"
"Punta Cana. St. Lucia. Places like that. What about you?"
"Somewhere in the Caribbean, or the French West Indies".
"So, do you want to draw straws?"
"How do you feel about surprises?"
"I love surprises. They are my favorite".
"Ok, so we both know that we want to go somewhere tropical. I want to take you somewhere non-tropical, but we can do that a few months after the wedding. So, why don't I have my travel agent find us a great deal and I will surprise you with the location?"
"I love that".
"Darling, after the honeymoon, and after we get settled in the new house, I want to fly back to New York, and ship the rest of my stuff here. Want to go with me?"
"Absolutely".
"We should probably go pick out a china pattern, and a silverware pattern".
Max came in and told them he was headed to play poker.
"Have fun, Max".
"See you two in the morning".
They went upstairs and changed into their pajamas and then went back downstairs.
"How about a snack?"
"Sure".
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen.
"Ice cream?"
"You can. I have a dress to fit into. I will have an apple".
She grabbed an apple and pulled herself up on the counter.
"Darling, we need to talk about a few wedding things and the wedding reception".
"Like what?"
"Like what song do we want for our first dance? And the wedding is at 2, we are leaving the reception at 6, where do we want to spend our wedding night? And, we have a cake tasting appointment Friday at 3".
"Well, we can talk to the DJ and see what songs he recommends. And I think since we are leaving the reception at 6, we should get a hotel room, and then we can fly out the next day."
She finished her apple, and watched him make his sundae.
"I cannot wait to spend some time with you alone, darling".
She leaned forward and kissed his bicep.
He took a spoonful of ice cream and whipped cream and ate it, and then kissed her.
He got whipped cream on her lips.
"Oh, here, let me get that".
He leaned forward and kissed her again.
"Want some more?"
She nodded.
He squirted some whipped cream in her mouth.
"Jonathan! I thought you meant more of you, not that".
He flashed her his devilish grin.
He picked up the whipped cream and shook it, and squirted some on her neck.
"Oh, that's cold. That's cold".
"Here, let me get that".
He leaned down and sucked it off her neck.
"Mmmm".
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and ran her feet up and down his thighs.
He gave her a squirt of whipped cream down her cleavage and then promptly sucked that off, while simultaneously slipping her nightgown off her shoulders. He reached over and grabbed the chocolate sauce and drizzled some on her breasts and down her stomach.
She leaned back and he eagerly licked and sucked the chocolate sauce off her gorgeous body.
"Honey-"
"Great idea". He reached up to get the honey, but she grabbed his arm.
"No, I wasn't saying get the honey. I was saying honey, you know, like… honey".
He leaned down and kissed her.
"I love it when you say honey".
He climbed on top of her and she put her hand on his chest.
"Darling, we can't do this here. Max prepares food in here. Let's take it to the bedroom".
"You're right".
He climbed off her and quickly put the ice cream in the freezer, while she put her nightgown back on, and then he scooped her up and handed her the whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
He carried her upstairs and put her on the bed.
"I'll be right back".
He ran to the hall closet and dug out an old plastic tablecloth, and then brought it to the bed.
She climbed off the bed and he spread the table cloth over the bed. They both shed their clothes and laid down again, and he picked up the chocolate sauce and gave her a really nice drizzle.
He kissed her in all the spots that he loved, and all the ones that she loved too.
They alternated between the chocolate drizzle and the whipped cream, and she smeared some chocolate on him and licked it off him as well.
He flipped them so that she was on top of him, and then he started kissing her neck again.
He grabbed the whipped cream and squirted some on her, and they both laughed when the bottle ran out.
He rolled them till she was on her back again, and she could feel his need pressing against her thigh.
He was enjoying making her physically respond to his kisses and touch.
"Honey…"
"Baby…."
He wasted no time. He reached up and grabbed the headboard as he dove himself inside of her, and leaned down and kissed her passionately.
"Faster, honey".
"As you wish, darling".
He picked up the pace, and they exploded into intimacy together, and clung to each other as they tried to calm down.
He kissed her several times, and held her close.
"Darling, we are a gooey, sticky, mess".
"I know how we can fix that".
He climbed off her and took her hand and led her to the shower.
After a very sensual shower together, they got out and dried off and then headed to bed.
She put on a new nightgown and then took the table cloth to the guest bath and rinsed it off really well and hung it up to dry over the shower rod.
Jonathan put on some pajama pants and then went downstairs to get his ice cream out of the freezer.
He put the now empty bottle of chocolate sauce and can of whipped cream in the garbage and then turned the lights off and locked the house and came back upstairs.
She was blow drying her hair when he came back to the bedroom. She heard him turn on the news as he settled into bed.
She finished drying her hair and was just coming to bed when she heard the news break.
"Firefighters are responding to a call at Hart Industries. Sources tell us that the main building of Hart Industries is on fire, and as of right now, it's a two-alarm call".
They both got dressed as quickly as possible, and headed to the office.
They parked as close as they could, and got out.
He took her hand and they walked up to the investigators.
"Hi, I'm Jonathan Hart, this is my building".
"Yes, sir, you may go on up".
He tried to stop Jennifer.
"She's with me, it's ok".
They walked up and talked to the main fireman.
"Fire is contained to the lab on the second floor. We have extinguished it about 90%, with the other 10% being hot spots. However, it's still too early for you to go in there. However, you can take the stairs to the third floor and make sure that there isn't any damage there. Your sprinkler system was deactivated".
"Deactivated? That's ridiculous! We just had the 6-month inspection of that system last week. And we passed with flying colors".
"Well, when we got here, the system wasn't turned on".
"I am going to look into that, for sure. We have no reason to ever deactivate that, and when I left here yesterday, it was activated".
The fireman escorted him to the third floor, and everything looked ok at that point.
"I want to check the other floors just to be sure."
They took the stairs and checked each and every floor.
Floors 3-11 were fine.
"The 12th floor is where our engineering and product labs are."
He opened the door to the 12th floor from the stairwell and flipped the switch for the emergency light.
He went and checked the computer lab, and found all the computers gone.
"So, I get it. They robbed me, and then they set the fire to cover it up, thinking the whole building would go up."
"Darling, something isn't making sense. Remember the other night when the alarm went off? The alarm company called you. So, why didn't they call you tonight?"
"Great point. I guess whomever did this turned off the alarm".
"Do you think it was the security guard?"
"That's the only person it could be".
They kept walking through the rest of that floor, and taking note of what was missing. Every computer and television monitor were gone. They headed to the 13th floor, the accounting floor. All of their computers were gone too. Floor 14 was where Jonathan's office was. His door had been damaged, but the deadbolt prevented them from getting in his office. However, the computers on the rest of the floor were missing.
He unlocked his office and sat down at his desk and pulled up a report of the security system, and the sprinkler system, and the employee clock-in's/clock-out's. He printed all of those off and then he and Jennifer headed back downstairs.
"Inspector, here is the report that shows the sprinkler system was deactivated tonight at 8:12".
"Thank you. We will give this to the criminal inspector-we believe we have determined that arson is the cause of the fire. We are still working to determine what the fire was set with, but we can definitely see some patterns".
"I am happy to help in any way, possible. Whatever you need. Thank you for your help".
They shook hands and then he walked over to the head of security.
"One of your guys did this. Let's go stand under the light and I'll explain". They walked over and Jonathan showed him the report that showed that Clint Carrington was the security guard on duty.
"He deactivated the alarm system at 8:10, and the sprinkler system at 8:12. Fire was called in at 8:50. All the computer monitors and televisions from the top 3 floors are gone".
"Jonathan, I'm sorry. I had no clue he was planning something like this. I will see to it that he's arrested".
"Thank you".
They hung out a little longer, until the fire department declared the fire to be completely extinguished and free of hot spots.
They walked over to the crowd of employees who had gathered in the parking lot.
"Fire's out, it was contained to the lab on the second floor. However, some electronics are missing from other floors. Important thing is, nobody was hurt. Building will be closed tomorrow, but we will likely be doing a cleanup around 10. Stanley, please start the phone tree. Anyone is welcome to join us. But ya'll go on home now, there's no point in standing around out here".
Jennifer laced her fingers through his, and they walked back to the car.
She kissed the back of his hand a few times as they drove home.
He was quiet, and kept sighing a lot. Jennifer knew that meant he was frustrated.
They walked into the townhouse and he set his keys down on the table.
She embraced him.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with this, darling".
"Yeah, me too. It just kills me that a year ago, I was rebuilding, and I put some protections in place to keep things solid but yet, here I am again".
She let go of him and went to the kitchen to get some water.
He followed her a minute later and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"I love you, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me".
She turned around in his arms and kissed him.
"I love you too. And I agree-I am the best thing that will ever happen to you".
"My, my, aren't we modest?"
He began tickling her midsection, causing her to laugh and jerk away from him.
He scooped her up and kissed her and carried her up to bed.
***The next morning***
They slept till 8, and then got up and showered and put on old clothes to go work the cleanup.
They came downstairs for breakfast together.
"Morning Max".
"Morning, Max".
"Morning, you two. Breakfast is ready".
"Waffles and bacon? What's the occasion?"
"Nothing special, just feeling a little fancy today."
He brought some sliced fruit over to the table.
"I sliced you some fruit, Miss Edwards, on account of I haven't seen you eat bacon in a month".
"Thank you, Max".
They both dug in and gave him a thumbs up on his waffles.
"Glad you like them. I was going to make you a Max Waffle Extravaganza, with whipped cream and chocolate, but it seems we are all out".
Jennifer about choked on her waffle. Jonathan reached over and squeezed her thigh.
Max walked out and got the paper and brought it back for them.
"Thanks, Max".
Jonathan unfolded the paper. As soon as he saw the headline, his mouth dropped open.
"Hart Industries Latest Victim in Security Guard Theft Ring. Head of Hart Industries Security was Ringleader; Arrested Overnight".