To Make a Marriage (8 page)

‘It wasn't so bad this evening, was it?' he asked teasingly, sensing rather than seeing the sharp look she gave him in the dark confines of the car. ‘I thought we managed quite well,' he opined with satisfaction.

‘And I think you went too damned far when you tried to tempt me into eating dessert by actually feeding it to me yourself!' Andie replied impatiently.

That was a pity; he had quite enjoyed that part of the evening! ‘But you enjoyed the dessert, after all, didn't you?' he reasoned sardonically, having eventually persuaded her to eat every mouthful of the sherry trifle.

‘It isn't a question of enjoying it,' Andie said snappily.

‘I simply don't want to end up as big as a house before the baby is born!'

Adam looked at her darkly at his explanation. ‘I think your size ten can go to hell for the time being!'

‘Size eight, actually,' she came back waspishly. ‘And I have no intention of battling for months to regain my figure after the baby is born.'

Adam opened his mouth to tell her once again exactly what he thought about the subject of her weight, and then closed it again. He didn't want to argue with Andie, especially over something he knew, in the long run, he would have very little say in. Andie would do as she pleased. He had enough confidence in her judgement to know she would never do anything that would harm the baby.

‘Are we having our first engaged argument?' He finally broke the silence.

‘We aren't engaged, Adam,' she came back tautly.

‘Oh, yes, we are,' he returned as determinedly. ‘We agreed in Majorca that we're both only going to do this the once, Andie, so we're going to do it properly. I've asked you to marry me, you've accepted—'

‘You asked because I'm pregnant. And I accepted—'

‘For the same reason,' he pointed out. ‘But I suggest we both move on from there. I—'

‘Adam, was it your idea we get married in church?' she prompted suspiciously.

He drew in a sharp breath. ‘Rome—'

‘No, not Rome,' she insisted, turning in her seat to look at him. ‘Oh, I'm sure he was in full agreement with it, but who was the first one to suggest it?'

She was too damned astute by half, Adam decided frustratedly. ‘I was,' he admitted reluctantly.

‘I thought so!' Andie exclaimed irritably.

His mouth firmed. ‘And can you honestly say you wouldn't prefer a church wedding?'

She sighed. ‘In all honesty, no. But—'

‘No buts, Andie,' he said with finality. ‘A church wedding it will be. Tomorrow we will meet, choose an engagement ring together, before going out for a celebration lunch.'

‘No!' Andie gasped protestingly.

‘You would rather we had lunch and then chose the engagement ring?' he reasoned thoughtfully. ‘I don't see how we can celebrate when we don't have the ring yet, but—'

‘No, that isn't what I meant at all, and you know it,' she interjected with reluctant laughter. ‘Adam—'

‘Yes, Andrea?' he returned mildly.

‘Uh-oh,' she said warily. ‘Rome only ever calls me by my full name when I've pushed him as far as he's willing to go…'

Adam knew that. ‘Yes?' he prompted again.

‘Okay, okay.' She held up her hands defensively. ‘An engagement ring and then lunch it is.'

Adam reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘I knew you would come round to my way of thinking.'

‘I'm not sure I had any say in it at all,' she replied. ‘I hope you aren't going to be this domineering over everything, Adam. Because if you are—'

‘We're going to end up arguing a lot,' he predicted lightly. ‘And that isn't going to be good for you or—'

‘The baby,' Andie put in dryly.

‘Or me,' Adam finished correctly. ‘I've never liked arguments, Andie.' Probably because he had witnessed too many of them in his formative years, and the thought of living in that sort of battlefield gave him the shudders! ‘Any problems, and I suggest we talk them out rather than resort to a slanging match, okay?'

‘I've never resorted to a slanging match in my life—'

‘Good,' he cut in with satisfaction over Andie's outraged outburst. ‘That's agreed, then.'

The indignant silence emanating from Andie's side of the car told him she didn't think she had agreed to anything!

Adam inwardly acknowledged this new relationship with Andie was slightly odd. Although not in an unpleasant way. No, he decided happily, not unpleasant at all…

In fact, he knew he could get used to it all too quickly!

‘Shall I come in with you?' Adam offered once he had parked the car outside her apartment building, getting out to open her door for her.

Andie joined him on the pavement. ‘What on earth for?' she asked.

‘Now there's a leading question…” he teased.

‘Don't be ridiculous, Adam.' Her cheeks were fiery red as she looked up at him.

‘You're probably right,' he agreed. ‘Exactly when are Danie and Jonas expected back from their honeymoon?'

‘This weekend,' Andie provided with a puzzled frown. ‘Why?'

‘We'll make an appointment to go and see Jonas on Monday.'

‘Monday?' Andie echoed incredulously. ‘I'll have you know that Jonas is a very busy man. I very much doubt he will have the time to see us on Monday.'

Adam quirked blonde brows. ‘He couldn't make time even for his new sister-in-law and her fiancé?'

Her cheeks flushed fiery red. ‘I have never asked for special favours in any part of my life!'

No, he was aware of that. Andie had worked her way up to her now prominent position as Senior Editor of
Gloss
, even though her father had been more than capable of buying her the magazine if she had ever expressed such a wish. Which she never had. But Andie's independence was part of what he admired about her.

‘I'll call Jonas's office anyway,' he said purposefully.

‘But why do you need to see him?' Andie frowned her consternation. ‘I've already told you that the pregnancy is progressing well after that hiccup a few weeks ago.'

Adam's mouth tightened. ‘I want to hear more about that “hiccup”, and its implications.'

‘But—'

‘You'll just have to accept, Andie, that I intend being one-hundred-per-cent involved in your pregnancy, and the birth,' he told her. ‘Besides, I need to have a chat with Jonas, anyway.'

‘Concerning what?' Andie eyed him suspiciously.

‘Concerning how and when it's going to be safe for us to indulge in anything like that,' Adam answered mildly.

‘Indulge in anything like what?' Andie cried.

‘Like that,' he repeated, suppressing the laughter he felt at Andie's obvious indignation, not sure she would appreciate his humour in her present mood. In fact, he was sure she wouldn't.

But he had realised from her flinching reaction to him in Majorca that they had a few barriers to break down on the side of any physical relationship they intended having in the future. And, as husband and wife, they
would
have a physical relationship.

They were two healthy, not unattractive people, about to marry each other; there was no way they could live celibate together. Besides, Andie had told him quite clearly that she wanted more than one child…

Andie stiffened her shoulders, green eyes flashing fire as she glared at him. ‘In my opinion, anything like that can wait until after we're married!' she growled.

He shrugged. ‘I'm sure Jonas would allow a few kisses and caresses—'

‘Maybe Jonas would—but I wouldn't!' Andie told him furiously.

‘We don't want to get out of practice,' he drawled mockingly.

Her fingers tightened on the strap of her handbag. ‘Some of us have never been
in
practice,' she responded scathingly. ‘And a week or so's abstinence won't do you any harm, either!'

A week or so…

How little she knew. Adam hadn't so much as looked at another woman since that night with Andie almost four months ago.

As he looked at the flushed beauty of her face, inwardly indulging himself with the knowledge that she carried their baby, he had a feeling that he never would again…

S
HE
was being stupid. Ridiculous. Juvenile.

But somehow, no matter what names she called herself, Andie couldn't help her feelings of excitement as she waited for Adam to arrive to take her out to choose their engagement ring.

He had kissed her very chastely on the cheek last night before leaving her with the promise that he would pick her up at eleven o'clock today.

Andie had dressed with care, the Edwardian-style jacket of the bottle-green suit she wore doing much to hide the slighter fullness to her waist and breasts, the cream blouse alleviating its dark colour. Her hair was thick and glossily gold over her shoulders, her make-up light, peach lipgloss emphasising the curve of her mouth.

Power-dressing, her father would have called it. But, as Andie was quickly learning, she needed all the confidence she could muster against Adam's teasing forcefulness.

She had wanted to be the one to talk to her father, but Adam had insisted it had to be him that did that. She hadn't expected a church wedding, but Adam had seen to it that was exactly what they would have. She hadn't expected an engagement ring, either. But again, she had been overruled.

She would have to be very careful in the future that Adam didn't end up making all their decisions for them!

But when she opened the door to him a few minutes later, eyes widening as she took in his handsomeness in the charcoal-grey suit and pale silver shirt, a grey silk tie knotted neatly at his throat, Andie realised it wasn't going to
be so easy to withstand his way of charming her into agreement. Not if her knees knocked together like this every time she saw him!

Adam bent his head to lightly brush his lips against hers. ‘You look beautiful,' he told her as he straightened. ‘I've booked an appointment for us at the jewellers for eleven-thirty, with instructions for them to show us rings that have emeralds in as well as diamonds. And the restaurant is booked for—'

‘I can see you've been very busy this morning, Adam,' Andie interrupted. ‘But shouldn't you have consulted me first about the type of engagement ring I would like? You—'

‘I thought the emeralds would go with your eyes.' He shrugged. ‘But if you have other ideas…?'

An emerald and diamond engagement ring sounded wonderful, especially in view of the fact that until yesterday she hadn't known she was going to have one at all. But, even so, Adam instructing the jewellers that was what they were to show her was just another example of his high-handedness.

‘Not particularly,' she dismissed, turning to pick up her bag. ‘I would just like to do my own choosing, if you don't mind.'

‘I don't mind at all,' he accepted, taking a light hold of her arm as they left the apartment. ‘Your father has some good news too. He's managed to secure a church wedding for us at three o'clock three weeks on Saturday,' he announced.

‘It's not what you know but who you know,' Andie muttered, her earlier excitement giving way to irritation. She had the feeling much like being on a runaway express train—with her merely a helpless passenger!

‘Quite honestly, Andie, I don't care how Rome managed
it,' Adam stated as he held the car door open for her to get inside. ‘Besides, that extra couple of weeks will allow time for any other arrangements we want to make.'

‘It will also allow time for me to look even more pregnant,' Andie pointed out.

Adam turned to smile at her as he got into the car beside her. ‘I told you, Andie; you look beautiful. Pregnancy obviously suits you.'

She was also, she inwardly acknowledged, starting to sound like a shrill-voiced harridan. She really didn't have any objection to any of these arrangements—apart from the fact that her father and Adam seemed to have taken over! Besides, she didn't want Adam to think he was getting a shrew for a wife…

‘I'm sure it will all work out,' she replied noncommittally.

Adam reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘I'm going to be the model husband and father,' he assured her huskily.

Andie couldn't help it, she spluttered with laughter. ‘Now that I just have to see,' she chuckled once she felt able to talk again. ‘Adam Munroe, one of the world's most eligible bachelors, a model husband and father! Do you have any idea how to go about achieving that?'

Adam arched arrogant brows at her laughter. ‘Your father managed it, so why shouldn't I?'

Her humour faded completely. Her father had ‘managed' it because Barbara had been his wife and the mother of his children; Adam only had her.

‘Perhaps you're right,' she responded flatly, turning to look sightlessly out of the car window.

She had known in Majorca, when she'd accepted Adam's proposal, that this marriage was going to be fraught with emotional tension. But actually living it was completely different from knowing it…

‘What did I say wrong now?' Adam asked softly at her continued silence.

Andie forced her panicked feelings back into the recesses of her mind. There was no reason, absolutely none, she told herself firmly, why her marriage to Adam shouldn't be a complete success.

‘Nothing.' She reached out and lightly touched his arm.

The choosing of her engagement ring was much more fun than she had imagined it would be, Adam's indulgence knowing no bounds as he encouraged her to try on any ring that took her fancy.

There were no prices on any of the rings—the exclusivity of the jewellers clearly indicated that if you needed to know the price then you couldn't afford it!—but even so some of the jewels were so big as to be garish in Andie's eyes.

The ring she finally settled on was definitely not in that category, an emerald and diamond cluster, one large emerald surrounded by eight smaller diamonds.

‘There is a wedding ring to complement this particular ring,' the male assistant told them.

‘I—'

‘We'll look at it,' Adam answered the man firmly. ‘And a plain gold wedding ring is suitable for me,' he added decisively.

Andie turned slowly to look at him as the male assistant moved unhurriedly to get the requested rings. Adam intended wearing a wedding ring?

He looked at her in amusement at her obvious surprise. ‘A model husband and father, remember?' he teased.

‘And that includes wearing a wedding ring?' She couldn't say she wasn't pleased that Adam intended to wear this public announcement of being a married man; she was just stunned that he was choosing to do so.

‘Yes, it does,' he told her with certainty. ‘I—'

‘Here we are, sir, madam.' The assistant returned with the matching wedding ring to Andie's choice of engagement ring, and another tray containing an assortment of male wedding rings.

Her own wedding ring was shaped to fit around the cluster, also studded with emeralds and diamonds. But, to Andie's amazement, Adam took as much time choosing his wedding ring as she had her engagement ring, finally settling on a thin plain gold band. She had to admit, it suited the long, artistic slenderness of his hand.

Although Adam wasn't quite so happy with his own choice when Andie insisted on buying it for him!

‘That was unnecessary,' he told her stiltedly when they left the shop a short time later, Andie's engagement ring firmly on her finger, the two wedding rings packed away in their respective boxes.

Andie reached out and touched his arm. ‘Not to me,' she assured him. If he intended wearing a wedding ring, then it was going to be one that she had bought for him. Otherwise it just wouldn't mean the same thing.

He seemed about to say something else, but then thought better of it. ‘Thank you,' he finally accepted.

She gave a mischievous smile. ‘You're welcome. Not very good at accepting gifts yourself, are you?' Her own rings must have cost several hundred times more than Adam's wedding ring had cost her.

He grimaced. ‘Probably because I've very rarely been given any.'

Andie looked up at him thoughtfully. ‘Not even when you were a child?' she probed gently, realising, and not for the first time, just how little she really knew about his early years.

Adam gave a bitter laugh. ‘Especially not then!'

‘But—'

‘Leave it, Andie,' he grated. ‘I promise I'll try to be a little more gracious about accepting the next time you give me a gift, okay?' he added with deliberate lightness.

But Andie wasn't fooled for a moment. What sort of parents had he had not to know the joy of receiving gifts from them at Christmas and on his birthday…?

There was still so much about Adam she didn't know, so many facets she wasn't aware of that had made him the man he was today. Well, maybe she didn't know them now. But she would. Oh, yes, in time she most definitely would!

 

Adam watched her face as they entered the dining-room of the restaurant he had booked for lunch, knowing by the pleasure that lit up her features as she saw her father and Audrey already seated there, along with Andie's sister Harrie and her husband Quinn, that he had done the right thing in inviting them here to share in their celebration.

Up until this moment, he could only hope that he was doing the right thing in organising this surprise for her. Although he had also realised that by presenting a
fait accompli
to her family today it was going to be less awkward for Andie in the future; the last thing she wanted, or needed, at the moment was to go around explaining herself to all of them.

‘We'll go out with Danie and Jonas separately once they're back from their honeymoon,' he assured Andie as they went to join the rest of her family at the table.

She turned to give him a glowing smile, emerald-coloured eyes over-bright with unshed tears. ‘Thank you.' She squeezed his arm gratefully.

They might have started this off all wrongly, Adam had decided as he'd lain alone in his bed the previous evening, but that stopped right here. Andie deserved to have the best,
and a celebration lunch for their engagement was going to be the start of it.

‘My, my, my,' Harrie said as she stood up to congratulate them both. ‘Some people will go to any lengths to throw a party!'

Andie laughed softly. ‘It's Adam's party.'

‘Our party,' he corrected firmly.

Harrie reached up to kiss him warmly on the cheek. ‘You've been an honorary member of our family for so long, it will be nice to make it official.' She smiled at him.

Adam glanced at Andie, realising she was very close to letting those tears overflow and spill hotly down her cheeks. ‘Show Harrie and Audrey your ring, Andie,' he instructed teasingly. ‘While us men get down to the more serious matter of studying the menus!'

Lunch was a resounding success, Andie relaxing completely in the company of her family, laughingly happy, even indulging in a sip of the champagne Adam ordered for a celebration toast.

Now all he had to do was try to get her to become that relaxed in his own company.
All
he had to do…! That wasn't going to be so easy.

But they had made a start. He had managed to kiss her lightly a couple of times today without her jumping like a startled doe. In time he hoped they would be able to find that easy friendship that had once existed between them.

Even if being Andie's friend was the last thing he wanted to be!

Being pregnant definitely suited Andie, that nausea she had experienced initially having all but gone now, leaving her with a contented glow that made her infinitely desirable. In fact, he was going to find great difficulty in containing that desire until after their wedding in three weeks' time.

‘I forgot to tell you,' he said casually as he drove her
back to her apartment later that afternoon. ‘I called Jonas's office earlier too—'

‘You did have a busy morning,' Andie murmured derisively, her smile totally relaxed as she looked across at him.

‘It's the way I am,' he admitted ruefully. ‘If something needs fixing, then do it. Now. Not later. I spoke to someone called Dorothy. Jonas's secretary, I presume—'

‘And watchdog.' Andie laughed. ‘Danie swears that if Dorothy hadn't approved of her she may have had a fight on her hands where marrying Jonas is concerned. She's talking nonsense, of course. It's obvious to anyone with eyes in their head that Jonas absolutely adores Danie.' She frowned wistfully.

Adam wasn't unaware of her wistfulness. As he wasn't unaware of the fact that Andie had to wish their marriage was going to be the love-match her sisters' were.

But a lot of couples had started life together on less than they had between them; there was absolutely no reason why their own marriage shouldn't be as happy and successful as Harrie and Quinn's obviously was—Danie and Jonas's too, he shouldn't wonder.

He reached out and briefly touched her hand. He would make this marriage right for them. For Andie's and the baby's sake, he had to!

‘Dorothy didn't seem to think there would be any problem with our seeing Jonas on Monday,' he continued lightly.

Andie quirked teasing brows in his direction. ‘The Munroe influence wins out again!'

‘Actually—' he grinned ‘—it was the Summer influence this time! It seems that, as Danie's sister, you come in for preferential treatment where Jonas Noble is concerned.'

Andie snorted. ‘I told you Dorothy is in charge!'

Adam didn't particularly care who made the decisions,
as long as he got to share this pregnancy with Andie. ‘We have an appointment to see Jonas at two o'clock on Monday. Apparently he isn't usually available on Monday afternoons, but for you he'll make the exception.'

Andie nodded. ‘Jonas runs a free clinic twice a week for women who need his professional help but can't afford to pay for it.'

Adam felt himself bristle with resentment at the undoubted admiration for the other man in Andie's tone. He had met Jonas Noble at the wedding a couple of weeks ago, had found him charming enough. But, knowing how difficult Danie could be on occasion, Adam didn't doubt the other man had a lot more to him than that surface charm. He just didn't like the fact that Andie obviously thought so too!