To Make a Marriage (11 page)

He scowled darkly as he caught, and held, the gaze of one of those men, grey eyes communicating a warning; Andie was his!

‘Adam?'

He turned back to find that Andie had walked over to join him, looking up at him questioningly. He forced himself to relax, putting down his case and briefcase to sweep her up into his arms and give her a lingering kiss.

‘Wow,' she murmured throatily as they broke the kiss but still stood in each other's arms. ‘Perhaps you should go away more often, Adam.'

He had decided, during the long dragging hours in Germany, that he wouldn't go away in future at all if Andie couldn't go with him. He had missed her too much.

His arms tightened briefly before he released her. ‘No more travelling until after we're married, at least.' And even then it was questionable; Andie's advancing preg
nancy meant that she probably wouldn't be able to fly anywhere within a matter of weeks.

He looked down at the small case and briefcase, cursing the fact that he wouldn't have a hand free to hold Andie's hand; he wanted to keep this closeness between them, had missed her more than he had thought it possible to miss anyone.

Andie solved that particular problem by picking up his briefcase for him, smiling at him companionably as he linked his hand with hers, the two of them walking outside into the autumn sunshine.

It felt good to be alive, Adam decided happily.

‘Where shall we go for our honeymoon?' He turned to Andie as she drove the two of them back into London.

She looked surprised. ‘I didn't know we were going to have one.'

Adam had thought of little else but having Andie as his wife while he'd been away. In fact, he had probably agreed to all that film director's demands simply so that he could get back to Andie as quickly as possible! Their honeymoon, having Andie completely to himself for a few days, had been paramount in those thoughts…

‘Oh, I think we should, don't you?'

‘If you can spare the time.'

Not exactly enthusiastic, but then it was still early days between them. ‘As we're only going to do this once, I think the least we owe ourselves is a honeymoon,' he said firmly.

‘I'm told that Paris is the place for honeymoons,' Andie murmured huskily.

‘Then Paris it shall be,' he decided. ‘Leave all the arrangements to me.'

Andie tilted her head as she turned briefly to look at him. ‘You like organising things, don't you?'

Adam shrugged, not altogether sure of her reason for the
statement. ‘It's certainly a fact that if I didn't organise things in my own life then they would never get done.'

‘Hmm.'

His eyes narrowed. ‘What does that mean?'

“‘Hmm”?' Andie repeated mildly.

‘Yes—“hmm”!'

It was Andie's turn to shrug. ‘I'm pretty used to making arrangements for myself too.'

He was overstepping an invisible line by choosing to make all their decisions for them! Andie hadn't exactly said that, but it was obvious what she meant. Adam foresaw some delicate manoeuvring between them over the next few months, while they adjusted to each other. Oh, well, no one had told him marriage was easy. In fact, he knew it wasn't!

‘We'll make the Paris arrangements together,' he amended.

Andie laughed softly. ‘Did that hurt?'

He gave a self-deriding grin. ‘Not too badly, no,' he acknowledged, looking around them. ‘You know where my apartment is, don't you?' They had reached the city, but his apartment was in the opposite direction to the one in which Andie was driving.

‘I know where it is,' she conceded slowly. ‘I just wasn't sure where you wanted to go.'

‘Home. So that I can wash the travel dust off me.' He grimaced. ‘There's something particularly—dirty, about air travel. I always get off the plane feeling as if I need a shower!'

‘I went out with Harrie yesterday and bought my wedding dress,' Andie told him suddenly.

‘You mentioned that on the telephone last night,' he reminded her watching her carefully.

They were talking for the sake of it, he realised. Trivial
conversation. Because they were both wary of it becoming a serious one…?

Or was it the thought of coming to his apartment with him that was making Andie seem so distant suddenly?

Close as his relationship had been with all the Summer family over the years, only Rome had actually ever visited him at his apartment. There had never been any reason for any of the three sisters to go there.

Until now.

He reached out and lightly stroked Andie's hair, knowing by the way she flinched that things were still far from relaxed between them. The kiss they had shared at the airport had given him hope that—

It was the thought of going to his apartment that was now making Andie so jumpy!

‘Perhaps you would like to make us both some coffee?' he suggested once they had arrived in his penthouse apartment. ‘It will give me time to hide the whips and chains!'

Andie had been looking curiously around at her surroundings, but she turned to him sharply at this last comment.

‘I'm joking, Andie!' he assured her exasperatedly as he lightly grasped her arms. ‘You've looked as if you expect me to pounce on you at any second ever since I suggested we come here. I thought the mention of the whips and chains might confirm all your worst fears about the man you've decided to marry.'

‘Very funny,' she snapped.

Adam grinned. ‘Disappointed?'

‘Not in the least,' she said. ‘I'm just a beginner—remember?'

Oh, yes, he remembered. Every creamy, untouched inch of her. It kept him awake at night remembering!

Adam released her arms to hold her gently against him.
‘So am I when it comes to you,' he whispered huskily. ‘I ache with wanting you, Andie!'

She gave him a startled look. ‘You do?'

His answer was to pull her even closer, knowing the physical evidence of his desire must be obvious—even to a beginner!

Andie looked confused before turning away. ‘I'll make the coffee while you take a shower.'

He laughed at the blush in her cheeks, slowly releasing her. ‘That's probably the safest plan—although not the one I would personally have opted for!'

‘Audrey told Rome that anticipation of their wedding night is good for him,' Andie observed.

‘Good for her,' he replied approvingly. ‘I—' He broke off as the telephone began to ring, frowning darkly. Who the hell could be telephoning him at this time on a Sunday?

Very few people actually had his private telephone number, which limited the identity of the caller to a handful of people. And at least one of them was someone he did not want to talk to in front of Andie…

‘Shouldn't you answer that?' She eyed the ringing telephone.

‘Officially I'm not here,' he denied, his expression grim. His relationship with Andie was still too tenuous to risk answering that call.

‘But—'

‘There, it's stopped now,' he said with relief as the telephone suddenly went silent. ‘I'll take that shower, and then we can decide where we would like to go for dinner.'

‘And if the phone rings again?' Andie prompted softly.

He drew in a ragged breath. ‘Don't answer it.'

She looked at him searchingly for several long seconds before going to the room he had told her was the kitchen.

Damn, Adam muttered to himself as he stripped off in
his bedroom in preparation of taking his shower in the adjoining bathroom.

Andie, he knew, had drawn her own conclusions about his refusal to answer the telephone call. While he might not like having her believe it was another woman, someone he was—or, now that the two of them were to be married, had been!—involved with, he knew that the truth was even less acceptable.

Three weeks, until the wedding, that was all he asked. Then he would have to tell Andie everything…

‘S
OMEHOW
I was expecting that to be cold,' Andie said with some surprise.

Jonas smiled at her as he continued to smooth the clear-warm-gel over her bare abdomen. ‘I like to make this as pleasant an experience as possible for you mothers-to-be!'

Andie knew she was talking for the sake of it. But it hadn't occurred to her, when they had made this appointment to see Jonas, that he would suggest doing an ultra-sound scan for them, so that they could actually see the baby inside her on what was the equivalent of a television screen.

She was talking because she felt embarrassed at being naked from sternum to thighs in front of the watching Adam!

It had been different the night they had made love, emotions and passion high. Just as it hadn't seemed the same thing at all when he'd come upon her sunbathing in her bikini in Majorca. Actually lying here on the medical bed, baring the slight swell of her tummy, somehow felt very intimate. Even with Jonas present!

Jonas hadn't seemed in the least surprised that it was Adam, a man he had met only briefly before, who had accompanied Andie on this visit as the baby's father. Danie and Jonas had arrived back from their honeymoon yesterday, and Andie could only assume that they had seen Rome and he had told them of the wedding in three weeks' time. No doubt Danie would have something to say—to both of them!—when they next saw her!

Jonas sat back, smiling at Andie before looking across her to where Adam sat on her other side. ‘Are you ready for this?' he prompted gently.

Andie suddenly felt extremely nervous. What if she were mistaken? If Jonas were mistaken? If there wasn't a baby at all? Adam wouldn't want to marry her then, and—

‘We're ready.' Adam was the one to answer the other man gruffly, reaching out to tightly grasp one of Andie's hands as they lay at her sides.

‘Right.' Jonas's voice was businesslike now. ‘Your abdomen is ultra-sensitive at the moment, so the scanner may feel a little strange as I move it around to give you the full picture,' he warned. ‘But I'm sure the end result will be worth it,' he added warmly.

Adam's hand tightened around hers, but Andie couldn't look at him, concentrating her attention on the television screen that stood beside them.

Her breath caught and held in her throat as she saw the shape of a tiny skull and body on the right-hand side of the screen. A baby. It really was there. Their baby. Hers and Adam's!

There was a definite tiny face there too; eyes, a little snub nose, and a slightly open mouth.

‘My God…!' She heard Adam breath emotionally at her side.

She did turn to look at him then, her own emotions getting the better of her as she saw the tears falling unashamedly down his cheeks.

She reached out to smooth them away, her fingertips gentle against his skin.

It wasn't until Adam reached out and touched her own cheeks that she became aware of her own tears. But seeing the baby like that, so small and helpless, but so safe and
secure inside her, suddenly made it all real. And so incredibly beautiful.

‘Er—I hope you two are concentrating on this,' Jonas broke in lightly.

Andie and Adam shared a smile of complete intimacy before turning back towards the screen.

Just in time to see the shape of a second head and body on the left-hand side of the screen!

‘What—?'

‘Twins,' Jonas answered Adam calmly. ‘I had my suspicions, but—well, this confirms it. There they both are.' He looked at the screen with satisfaction.

‘Twins?' Andie broke out of her stupor long enough to gasp disbelievingly. ‘You mean there are two of them?'

‘Twins usually implies two, Andie,' Jonas teased her, freezing the picture onto the screen before removing the scanner. ‘And everything present and correct, as far as I can tell.'

‘But—I don't—how—are you—sure?' she finally gasped weakly; it had never occurred to her that she could be carrying more than one baby, her earlier embarrassment completely forgotten in the face of this revelation.

‘Very sure,' Jonas answered confidently. ‘As long as there isn't another one hiding behind these two. In which case, it's triplets.'

Andie's eyes widened ‘You don't think—'

‘No, I don't.' Jonas laughed softly at Andie's disbelieving gasp. ‘But it briefly diverted you both from your obvious surprise that you're expecting twins!'

‘I'm sure Danie appreciates your humour, Jonas,' Andie said irritably. ‘But I'm not sure that we do.'

She glanced nervously at Adam. He hadn't said a word since Jonas had first shown them those two tiny human
beings on the screen, that picture frozen there now, totally indisputable.

‘I'm going to leave the two of you alone with your children for a few minutes,' Jonas told them, obviously aware of how emotional all this was for them both. ‘Let you become acquainted with each other. I still need to do some more scanning before you leave, but I can come back and do that in a few minutes.' When you've both got over your shock, his tone implied. ‘And you'll be able to take some photographs away with you when you leave,' he added warmly.

Neither of them noticed, Andie was sure, when Jonas stood up to leave, they just heard the closing of the door behind him.

Andie and Adam stared at the screen. Two babies, one on either side, facing each other.

Would they be identical? Two boys or two girls? Or could it be that they were two entirely separate entities, a boy and a girl? No doubt Jonas would be able to tell them that, too, if she were willing to have a test. But did Andie really want to know? More to the point, did Adam?

She turned slowly to look at him, to find his own eyes still fixed on the screen. The tears had stopped falling now, but his eyes had taken on a silver sheen where moisture still gathered there.

‘I can't—it's—they're ours, Andie!' Adam suddenly ground out possessively, his hand tightly gripping hers now. ‘I never imagined I would ever have one child, let alone two!'

‘Do you mind?' Andie voiced her uncertainty. After all, he had never envisaged being married, let alone being presented with a ready-made family several months later.

He looked at her steadily. ‘Do you?'

She glanced back at those two tiny creatures on the
screen, a flow of maternal love already reaching out to them both. ‘No, of course I don't,' she denied fiercely.

‘Neither do I,' he assured her with emotion. ‘It's like Christmas and Easter all rolled into one!'

But not those barren Christmases, Easters, and birthdays he had known as a child. Perhaps, only perhaps, their children would help to alleviate some of that awful loneliness he had known then. She hoped so!

She gave a shaky smile. ‘I can't imagine how this could have happened. There are no twins in my family, and— What is it, Adam?' She became concerned as she saw the way his mouth suddenly tightened grimly.

‘Nothing,' he muttered. ‘Absolutely nothing.'

But Andie wasn't convinced. It was—something. ‘Do you have twins in your family?' she asked, aware that he didn't like talking about his family.

The two of them had made a list of people they wanted to invite to the wedding as they'd lingered over dinner the evening before. Not one of the names Adam had given her had appeared to be a member of his own family. Knowing how sensitive he was on the subject, Andie hadn't questioned it; after all, it was up to Adam who he wanted as guests at his own wedding.

He released her hand, standing up abruptly to walk over to stare out of the window, although there was no way he could actually see anything; the glass frosted so that no one could peer in.

‘Adam?'

His shoulders hunched defensively, but he didn't turn to face her. ‘I didn't think. But—yes, there have been twins in my family,' he finally confirmed unhelpfully.

Andie watched the tenseness of his back, sensing that he wasn't about to add anything to that statement. But there was no reason why he should, she decided. This was here
and now and the two of them were expecting two wonderful babies.

‘Adam…?' She reached out a hand to him, relieved when he turned and saw it, crossing the room in two strides to stand by the bed tightly gripping that hand. ‘I can't wait to see Rome's face when we tell him, can you?' she said mischievously, determined not to let any sort of dampener fall on the magic of this incredible day.

Some of the tension left Adam as he smiled. ‘You do realise that if they're two girls, he's never going to forgive us?'

Andie grinned at the thought. ‘I'll just suggest that it isn't too late for him and Audrey to have a son of their own.'

Adam chuckled, shaking his head. “You, my dear, have a decidedly wicked streak! Even if it's true,” he added slowly. “How would you feel about that?”

“Absolutely fine,” she replied unhesitantly, knowing that Harrie and Danie would feel the same way. After all, why shouldn't Audrey want a child of her own?

Andie smiled, mainly with relief that the brief moment of tension between herself and Adam was completely dispelled. She would make sure it never returned. If Adam ever wanted to talk to her about his family, then he would do it in his own way and time; she wouldn't press him.

‘Do you think we should invite Jonas back in now?' she suggested. ‘After all, this is his clinic.'

‘I think I quite like Danie's Jonas,' Adam said thoughtfully.

Jonas seemed to quite like the other man too, Andie thought, as a few minutes later he explained to them both exactly what they were seeing on the screen, shaking Adam warmly by the hand before the two of them left the clinic a short time later.

‘Don't tell Danie, will you?' Andie requested of Jonas excitedly. ‘I want to tell her myself.'

Jonas shook his head. ‘Doctor and patient confidentiality precludes that,' he assured her. ‘Even if the patient is my wife's sister!' He grinned. ‘Besides, your pregnancy has already made Danie broody; the fact that it's twins will send her into hyperdrive!'

Andie's eyes widened. ‘Danie is broody?' Somehow she couldn't quite see her I-can-do-anything-a-man-can-do-and-probably-better sister in that particular role. But, then, she had never quite been able to envisage Danie as anyone's wife, either…

Maybe it was always that way with your own siblings, memories of your childhood together making marriage and pregnancy seem slightly unreal? Their family had certainly changed a lot—grown—in the last six months. When the twins were born it would be even larger!

‘She is,' Jonas confirmed, although he didn't look particularly bothered by the fact. ‘I believe Quinn is having a similar reaction from Harrie,' he continued conversationally. ‘It could have something to do with the fact that their baby sister will be the first one in the family to have children of her own.'

Andie was sure that it was, Harrie and Danie were protective of her when they were all children together, that protective air still there, despite their maturity.

‘By the way—' Jonas walked down the corridor with them ‘—have either of you seen the newspaper today?'

‘I was in the office all morning,' Adam rejoined. ‘Andie?'

‘I'm afraid I lazed half the morning away in the bath, and then I felt too lethargic to bother going down for a newspaper,' she admitted, having lain in the bath dreaming impossible dreams—mainly that Adam would fall madly in
love with her! ‘Why?' She frowned up at Jonas as he held the door open for them.

‘Your father put the announcement of your forthcoming marriage in the newspaper today,' Jonas told them happily.

‘He did what?' Adam exclaimed.

Andie turned to look at him, a sinking feeling in her stomach as she saw the unmistakable anger in his face.

She had believed Adam had spent some of this past weekend away dealing with any loose ends that still remained from his bachelor existence, but as she looked at him now she knew there was still someone out there that Adam didn't want to read in the newspaper about his forthcoming marriage!

‘Where's Danie today?' Andie changed the subject to something more neutral. ‘I telephoned her earlier, but she wasn't at home.'

Jonas smiled at the mention of his wife. ‘Your father needed to go up to Edinburgh today. He asked Danie to fly him up there. She left at about eight o'clock this morning. But she assures me she'll be back in time to cook us both dinner.'

‘Danie has always loved flying,' Andie said.

Once again Andie knew she was talking for the sake of it. But this time it was to give Adam time to recover from the fact that Rome had announced their marriage in the newspaper. A fact that seemed to have disturbed him…

 

Adam wasn't listening as Andie and Jonas talked affectionately of Danie for several minutes, glad of the respite. Today was turning out one shock on top of another, he acknowledged grimly. He and Andie were having twins. Which was amazing, incredible, wonderful! And now Rome had put the announcement in the paper without consulting either of them. Which was far from wonderful…!

He forced himself to relax slightly as Andie looked at him warily. His three weeks' grace, it seemed, had been swept away by Rome's announcement, and he couldn't say he was pleased by the fact, but that was still no reason to worry Andie. Especially when she was expecting twins!

It hadn't even occurred to him when he'd learnt of Andie's pregnancy that she could be carrying two babies. In the circumstances, maybe it should have done. But it hadn't.

The two of them walked outside into the sunshine, Andie speaking after several minutes' silence. ‘I'm sure Daddy thought he was doing the right thing by putting the announcement in the newspaper,' she said.

He was sure Rome had thought so too, didn't for a moment think the other had acted maliciously. Why should he have done? Rome had no idea of the tangled mess Adam's life could sometimes become. Only Barbara had known that.