Chapter Forty-Five
Aliannah was rushing around wrapping up work before the rehearsal dinner tonight. She had put in so much overtime to fulfil the inventory inbound schedule for a full two months. She would not have to return to work until November. This week was wedding week, followed by a six-week honeymoon. Ivan was arranging transport of the Serenity from Croatia to Greece.
They had plans to sail around the Mediterranean and enjoy every last thing it had to offer. Aliannah had made a bucket list of places she wanted to see and restaurants to try. She was so excited! She hung up her last work call just as Michelle arrived.
“Girl, I am so pumped for the next few days!” she squealed.
Aliannah powered down her laptop and put it away on its shelf while dancing.
“IT’S WEDDING WEEK!” both the girls screamed while jumping up and down.
“Rehearsal dinner tonight, spa day tomorrow and then it’s the big day!” Michelle clapped her hands as she spoke.
They headed into Aliannah’s dressing room to pack. She already had her honeymoon cases packed, and her wedding dress was in a garment bag hanging up, so all she needed was her outfit for tonight and tomorrow. For tonight, she chose a white mini dress paired with simple but elegant white heels. Michelle pulled a white lounge suit out of a bag and handed it to her. ‘Bride’ was bedazzled across the back of the hoodie. Aliannah laughed at how not-mafia-wife it was.
Ivan was already at Longhouse Reserve reviewing the security protocols with his men. The attending Pakhans sent some of their men early also to scope the place. Aliannah and Michelle arrived at the same time as her parents. They greeted each other, and the ladies headed up to Aliannah's room to get ready, leaving the men downstairs to finish their business. The Pakhans would not be in attendance tonight but would arrive on the wedding day. It was too high risk for them all to gather for too long in one go. Nikolai was the only Pakhan joining tonight. Aliannah had not seen him since the day she met him, and she was nervous about how seeing him today would go.
Aliannah was surprised the media had not yet gotten wind of the date or the venue. Ivan had reassured her several times these past few weeks that no one had shared their e-invite outside of the list and that all the NDAs their vendors had signed were iron-clad. No one dared to breach them. Ivan’s intimidation stretched far beyond his personal presence. He could scare the pants off of anyone, even through the phone. Seeing Ivan use his pants-scaring tones on the phone always made Aliannah giggle.
The rehearsal dinner was held in the interior ballroom. It was a very small gathering. The attendees were Aliannah’s parents, Michelle, Gavin, Igor, Nikolai, Katerina and, of course, Aliannah and Ivan. The dinner was a delicious four-course meal of soups, chicken, dessert and coffee. During the coffee, Nikolai stood to give a speech; there would be no speeches tomorrow as Pakhan tradition did not allow sentimental talk.
“My son is a strong-minded man; he can sometimes be impulsive and very set in his ways. I am proud of him and who he has become since meeting Aliannah. They have had ups and downs like any of us, but they have pulled through together. Now, son, here is a piece of advice: never go to bed on an argument. Aliannah is a strong woman; she would have to be to put up with you. I like that about her. She is not afraid to tell it how it is, and I respect her for that. I welcome you to our family with open arms.” He raised his wine glass in a toast and smiled at Aliannah.
The table erupted in applause. Everyone raised their glasses to the toast. Nikolai sat, and Aliannah’s father stood to give his speech.
“My sweet Aliannah, seeing such happiness in your eyes is a joy. Nikolai is right – never go to bed angry; communication is the most important thing in a marriage. If you can communicate, then you are set for life. Ivan, you are a brave man to take on the sass of my daughter; I tip my hat to you. I am entrusting her care and well-being to you from this moment on. I welcome you to the Stackton clan with admiration and pride.” He raised his glass and gave a nod of respect to Ivan.
With another round of applause and glass clinking, Igor coughed as he took a stand.
“Don’t worry, I am the last one, Ivan; it has been a privilege to witness your love with Aliannah grow and blossom into what it is today. I am proud of you, brother, for finally opening your heart. Aliannah, we may have had a bumpy start to our acquaintance, but I am truly glad to have had the opportunity to get to know you. You are the best thing to ever happen to my brother. I am glad for it. Welcome to the madhouse.” He winked as he raised his glass.
Everyone laughed as they toasted. The table descended into many small conversations and laughter. Ivan rested his hand on Aliannah’s thigh while they both chatted with different people. She felt him squeeze her shoulder, and she turned around.
“Come take a walk with me,” he whispered into her ear. They excused themselves for some fresh air. Ivan led her out the door into the night air. The sky was clear, and the moon was full and high. It was a lovely, warm night.
“Where are we going?” Aliannah asked as she struggled on the gravel in her heels.
“You’ll see.” Ivan’s smile was full of mischief.
Aliannah stopped walking. Ivan raised a brow. She stepped onto the grass and took her heels off.
“If we are going to be walking, I have to take these off, or I will break my neck.” She bent down to pick up her shoes. Ivan laughed as he took the shoes from her and carried them as they continued walking.
They walked in silence as they took in the gardens on their path. Aliannah began to wonder where they were going. They turned the corner, and a pergola came into view. It was decorated with a canopy of fairy lights. Aliannah gasped.
“I had the team set this up earlier today so we could have a moment to ourselves before the true madness begins.” Ivan smiled as he led her up the steps to the pergola.
“It’s beautiful… so magical,” Aliannah’s eyes were full of wonder.
The pergola was filled with cushions and blankets on the floor. Ivan sat down and patted beside him for Aliannah to join. The scent of blooming roses filled the air, adding more romance to the magical setting. They sat close together on the blankets as they gazed into each other’s eyes. The only sound was the distant water fountain and the crickets. Ivan leaned in and gently brushed a strand of Aliannah’s hair from her face as he cupped her cheek. He leaned closer and kissed her softly, a slow kiss full of love and desire.
The fairy lights above them encased them in their own little world. No one else was there, just the two of them in a little bubble of intimacy. At that moment, surrounded by nature and the warmth of their love, they knew this was exactly where they were meant to be: together in the pergola, lost in each other’s embrace.
Ivan traced his fingers across Aliannah's shoulder, marvelling at the trail of goosebumps that he had left in his wake. He passionately kissed her again as he lay her down on the blanket. Aliannah’s heart raced, knowing someone could stumble upon them at any moment; she didn’t know if this made her nervous or more excited. Ivan’s hands traced a pattern down Aliannah’s body to the hem of her dress, which by now somehow was shorter than when she had put it on earlier. He trailed kisses along her neck as his hand found what he sought. Aliannah let a soft moan; she was ready for him.
Lost in the moment, their bodies moved as one as they began their tango of souls. Two becoming one, a dance filled with passion and desire. Each movement ignites the next, connecting as one in nature.
They lost all sense of time as they climbed to their peaks. Aliannah’s release shuddered through her body as her vision exploded with stars; Ivan found his own moments later. He collapsed onto the blanket beside her. They both lay there panting, looking up at the canopy. Ivan lifted Aliannah’s hand and kissed it before kissing her forehead.
“I love you, Aliannah, through thick and thin, the ups and downs, whatever life throws our way. I will be by your side through it all.” He kissed her softly. Aliannah’s lips were puffy from their intimate moment seconds ago.
“I love you too, Ivan…. For longer than I can admit.” She kissed him deeply. Even with everything that had happened in the past year, she felt no regrets about being here with Ivan. It felt right.
They returned to the ballroom a while later. Everyone was very drunk, and Gavin sang karaoke. Aliannah sat next to Michelle while Ivan went to speak with Igor.
“Been busy?” Michelle winked at her.
“Nope, just went for a nice walk around the rose garden.” Aliannah blushed. Michelle shook her head as she sipped her drink.
An hour later, everyone retired to bed. The men had to be up early tomorrow for a round of golf on a nearby course, and the ladies had a full day of pampering in the spa planned.
The men departed at 8 a.m. for a 9 a.m. tee-off. The ladies enjoyed breakfast on the patio before heading down to the spa. They indulged in facials, steams, massages, and mani-pedis. Aliannah felt completely and utterly relaxed by the time the evening rolled in.
Tonight's dinner was pizza, much to Katerina's shock. Although she was more acquainted with fine dining than fast food, she absolutely loved pizza.
The ladies turned in for an early evening. Tomorrow was the BIG day. Michelle was bunking in with Aliannah tonight.
“All set for your last night as a Stackton?” Michelle fluffed the pillows and un-tuck the bed.
“Yes…. Yes, I am!” Aliannah took a breath before continuing, “Everything is perfect, the dress, the venue - even the weather!... but part of me can’t help but question, is it TOO perfect? I know money makes a lot of problems go away, but like Ivan said… this many Pakhans in one location…. Are we asking for trouble?” Aliannah paced, trying to make sense of her own thoughts.
“Oh, honey! This is just wedding night jitters. Everything will be fine tomorrow, don’t you worry!” Michelle climbed into the bed.
They settled in for the night and chatted, reminiscing about what they thought their weddings would be like when they were children and how wildly different the reality had become. Aliannah felt calm and happy. She felt ready to take on the world.