When they got into the hotel Caden took a room card from the reception and they stepped into the elevator before he pressed the key heading up to the penthouse and they entered the luxurious suite.
"Since we are yet to get married we can have separate rooms but that will change when we are married. Your room is that way" Caden pointed and Nova gulped.
"Before we go through with the wedding ceremony I would like us to settle some things." Nova said as she twisted her hands nervously and looked away from his face.
His words about them sharing a room had made something in her stomach flutter and she did not like it, she needed to protect herself and find a way to let him know that she had no interest in sleeping with him.
"Okay, what would you like to discuss." Caden asked.
He now looked calm and back to his old self, if she had not been on the plane with him she would not have believed that he had gone through a scary panic attack just a few hours ago.
"I think we need to establish the guidelines that will rule our marriage because I am aware that this is not going to be a real relationship." Nova said hopefully as she wondered how she was going to broach this particular topic.
"Alright, what do you propose?" he asked and took a seat while Nova who was too nervous remained standing.
"For instance I need to know what your expectation is of me, as in physically.." she broke off and glanced at him awkwardly hoping that she would not have to go all the way with this conversation but Caden had a blank look like he did not understand what she was trying to hint at.
"uhm, will we have to be intimate?" she asked at last and lowered her face, what came next was a long moment of silence.
"Well now that you have brought that up… I have read that if a couple fails to consummate their marriage that can be grounds for an annulment. And we want to stay married don't we? Maybe we should try just to secure our marriage." He said seriously and Nova's heart thundered loudly in her ears as she contemplated "Consummating their marriage."
Nova wondered why her mind was wandering in that direction and why it did not feel like a repulsive idea, in fact it kind of felt appealing and she was a little curious about it, why was she thinking this? she was not supposed to be thinking of him this way, why did the room suddenly feel so hot. She sat down and tried to take control of her running emotions.
"I am joking.." Caden said deadpan as he leaned back in his chair and Nova released the breath she had unconsciously held, she tried not to closely examine the emotion she had felt which felt suspiciously like disappointment not entirely only relief.
"…i have no such expectations of you..." His eyes narrowed as he suddenly had a thought.
"… you are not asking because you have thoughts of being with someone else are you? Because you are my wife and I will not condone you being with anyone else." He said with a fiery glint in his eyes as he remembered how Jasper had held her hand a minute longer than polite and had lingered too long on kissing her knuckles.
He realized that Nova had the traits of an attractive woman, maybe he was being selfish by demanding that she stay with him without any physical intimacy. A lot of people did not think like him and he knew that but he did not care, Nova was his and his alone and he would not share her with anyone.
"No, I just wanted to know what being married to you would entail." Nova rushed to reassure him.
"Is there anything more?"
"Yes, I want to help my family's company and I want to know that even if we get divorced nothing is going to interfere with that and I want it in writing."
"You don't trust me?" he drawled with a smile.
"I don't." She glared at him as if daring him to argue.
"I have a request then, in return for your demands I have one demand." He said.
"Try to give your all to this marriage of ours, it does not matter that we are not in love with each other." He said solemnly and stared at her.
She looked into his eyes and felt dizzy from the intensity. This Caden had so many layers, all that she expected him to be was different from all these different sides to him.
And what gave him the right to look so attractive? He probably wanted her to fall in love with her so that he would break her heart. She was not foolish to fall for that manipulation tactic again.
"Erm sure.." she said, thrown off by the intensity of his gaze.
"Meanwhile why don't I just draft something about the terms of this marriage and then we sign it." She eagerly continued so they could move away from the dangerous angle this conversation had headed towards. Thankfully he seemed satisfied with her answer even though she had no inclination to do as he had asked.
She rummaged through her tote until she found a notebook and pen then she immediately got to work writing while Caden waited for her to finish.
"Satisfied now?" he asked after he signed the paper with a flourish.
Nova stared at his signature with a relieved smile, that had been pretty easy. Now that she was protected and she could have everything that she needed she could go on with the wedding. She appended her own signature to the paper and got up.
"I guess I will get dressed and we can go get married.." she said as she got up and headed to the room Caden had pointed out when they had first entered the suite.
She stepped into the decadent all white Marilyn Monroe inspired bedroom with its queen bed and massive leather headboard, plush fur rugs that covered the ground and couch. She stripped and stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower before coming out in a robe and straight into the walk-in wardrobe where she saw that it was filled with racks and racks of clothes with jewelry and shoes on pedestals.
She ran her fingers along all the wedding dresses that were hung on a rack, they came in different shades of white, yellow and pink. She picked them one after the other and held them before her body in front of the mirror until she decided on a short blush coloured ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and a matching floor length veil with beads stitched unto it.
She went back into the bedroom and sat at the vanity and quickly did her long hair in a simple updo and finished with light makeup that made her lips look pouty and her cheeks rosy. When she was satisfied with her look she got up and got into the outfit she had chosen and wore pink high heeled diamante slingbacks and pink diamonds in her ears and a matching tennis choker. A few spritzes of perfume completed her ensemble and she walked out of the door and met Caden waiting in a suit that emphasized his toned body. Her throat went dry at the sight of him.
His mouth dropped in wonder and he said softly. "You look exactly like the ballerina in those music boxes." He said breathlessly and Nova blushed at his compliment.
"Let's get married." He said and held Nova's fingers in his hands and she felt butterflies fluttering in her belly.
'This is not a real marriage.' She reminded herself for the umpteenth time as they went out of the suite.