To Make a Marriage (9 page)

‘We can have lunch together again, if that suits you,' Adam said stiffly. ‘And then go on to the clinic.'

She paused. ‘I can't think of anything else I have to do on Monday. Or any other day, for that matter,' she muttered, obviously alluding to the fact that she was no longer working, her diary remarkably empty after years of being tied to a tight working and social schedule.

‘Try to keep three weeks on Saturday free, too, hmm?' he teased.

‘I'll try.' She laughed huskily, obviously mellowed by the success of their engagement luncheon.

And it had been a success, the others taking their cue from Adam, and treating their engagement and impending marriage with all the excitement it should have. There had even been a couple of jokes about two matrons of honour; Harrie was sure that Danie wouldn't want to be left out.

After years of putting any thoughts of marriage from his own mind, Adam found he was quite looking forward to the wedding in three weeks' time too. Andie was going to
be his wife, and that was something he had never thought would happen!

‘Would you like to come to dinner this evening?' Andie offered as they reached her apartment, Adam having already reluctantly explained that he would have to at least show his face in his own office this afternoon. Reluctantly because, now that Andie had agreed to marry him, he found he didn't want to let her out of his sight!

‘You mean you can cook, too?' he said with mock—surprise.

Andie's eyes gleamed in the confines of the parked car. “‘Too”?'

‘You make love rather beautifully,' he told her.

Her gaze no longer met his, heated colour in her cheeks now. ‘Don't patronise me, Adam,' she said. ‘I was awkward and inexperienced.'

‘You could never be awkward in anything you do, Andie.' He reached out and gently touched one of her hot cheeks. ‘And you were lovely in your inexperience. I'm only sorry—'

‘I have to go, Adam,' she announced abruptly, reaching out to open her car door before getting out onto the pavement. ‘Don't get out,' she said as he would have done exactly that, bending down to speak to him. ‘I'm making dinner for seven-thirty, if you would care to join me.'

Too far, too soon, Adam acknowledged heavily as he drove away. Obviously that night was still something Andie would rather not talk about. Even if she now carried the physical proof of that night inside her.

But he wished she had let him finish saying how part of him wished he could have given her the same gift she had given him that night three months ago, that his own experience hadn't far outweighed her own. There was nothing
he could do to change it now, but how he now regretted all those other relationships that had meant nothing to him.

The last thing he wanted, or needed, after the enjoyable lunch with Andie and her family, was to see that familiar figure waiting for him outside his office.

Not here.

Not now, he wanted to cry.

The woman arched an eyebrow. ‘You don't look pleased to see me, Adam,' she said.

He was never pleased to see her. How could he be?

‘Aren't you going to invite me in, Adam?' she demanded as someone brushed past them in the corridor on their way to the office further down.

She knew, damn her, that the last thing he wanted was for anyone to see him talking to her. To add two and two together, and come up with—

‘I suppose you had better,' he rasped, pushing open the outer door, nodding tersely to Andrew, his assistant, as he walked straight past him and through into his own office.

All the time knowing she would be following him. He could hear the softness of her breathing, smell her perfume.

That perfume. He had smelt it in his sleep for years. Until Andie's perfume had replaced it…!

He sat down behind his desk, eyes steely grey, totally unmoved by the faded beauty this woman had become. ‘What do you want?'

She tilted her head, giving him a considering look. ‘There's something different about you…' she commented thoughtfully.

Adam felt himself stiffen. How could she tell! How did she know? Had just the thought of having Andie for his wife really made him look different?

Because if it had he would have to do everything in his power to hide that difference from this woman. At least
until three weeks on Saturday. When his marriage to Andie would be a
fait accompli
.

When this woman could no longer do or say anything to change that!

T
HERE
was something different about Adam this evening.

Andie had noticed that difference as soon as he'd arrived shortly before seven-thirty to join her for dinner at her apartment. For one thing there had been no smile on his face. And for another, he hadn't even attempted to kiss her hello…

Strange how she had already become used to those light kisses of his, and how much she had missed that casual intimacy this evening.

She watched him below lowered lashes as they ate the avocado and prawns with marie-rose sauce she had prepared for their first course. Adam ate the food automatically, not even seemingly aware of what he was eating. Although he complimented her on the choice once his plate was empty.

Andie removed the plates, looking down at him thoughtfully. ‘What did you just eat?'

Adam blinked up at her. ‘I—well—it was prawns and—and something, wasn't it?' he said falteringly.

‘And something,' she agreed, becoming more and more convinced that Adam's thoughts were definitely elsewhere.

Unless he had finally realised that they were going to be married in a matter of weeks, that they would spend a lot of their evenings together like this…?

‘I'll go and get the second course,' she announced abruptly.

‘We'll go and get the second course,' Adam told her decisively as he stood up. ‘I have no problem with eating
at home, but I do object to having you wait on me.' He followed her out to the kitchen.

Despite the fact that Andie had known this man for most of her life, she realised that they really knew very little about each other's private lives. For one thing, she had no idea whether Adam usually ate at home in the evenings, or whether he went out to a restaurant. There was no doubting the fact that he could afford to do the latter if he chose to, but restaurant food, although enjoyable, could become tiresome on a regular basis.

At least, that was what she told herself as she served the lamb chops, baby potatoes and peas that were their main course, knowing she had only provided cheeses to follow.

Maybe she was expecting too much of Adam. Maybe it was a little early in their new relationship to be bombarding him with domesticity!

The thing was, she actually quite enjoyed cooking, although it was her sister Danie who was the trained cook. Amongst other things.

‘I hope you like lamb,' Andie said awkwardly as she served the sauce to go with it.

‘I'll eat anything,' Adam replied distractedly. ‘Sorry—I didn't mean that quite the way it sounded.' He groaned as he realised what he had just said. ‘I'm sure the meal is going to be just fine,' he added reassuringly.

She frowned across at him. ‘Adam—'

‘Would you like me to open the wine?' he prompted, holding up the bottle that stood on the side, his expression once again unreadable.

She had forgotten all about serving the wine earlier! Not that she would drink any herself, but she had put out a nice bottle of red wine for Adam to enjoy—and promptly forgotten all about it.

She knew why she had, of course; Adam's distant be
haviour when he'd arrived having thrown her into a state of confusion…

In fact, this evening wasn't going at all as she had thought it would. They had seemed so relaxed with each other earlier today, the engagement lunch with most of her family a complete success.

She had been touched that Adam had gone to so much trouble on her behalf, and this evening's meal came in the form of a thank-you for that thoughtfulness. But since his arrival half an hour ago Adam had given every impression that this was the last place he wanted to be.

Was she the last person he wanted to be with?

Well, what else had she expected? Until a few days ago, Adam hadn't even thought about having a wife, let alone taking on a baby as well. She had been in shock herself for weeks after realising she was pregnant, had denied it to herself for the same amount of time; it was going to take Adam time to get used to this idea too…

‘I hope you don't mind if I opt for an early night once we've had our meal.' She spoke brightly once they were seated back at the dining-table. ‘It's been rather an—exciting day, one way or another,' she said with a rueful glance at the engagement ring that twinkled and glittered on her left hand.

Adam's ring. A ring she had thought never to own.

She had dreamt of one day being with Adam. Of course she had. She couldn't be in love with him and not have her dreams. But those dreams had involved Adam realising that he was in love with her too, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Even in her wildest dreams she had never envisaged being with him under these circumstances!

Adam paused in the act of sipping his red wine, giving
her a sharp look. ‘You're feeling okay, aren't you? Today hasn't been too much for you?'

Poor Adam; he was the one who had found today too much!

‘Not at all,' she reassured him soothingly. ‘I just tire easily still. Jonas assures me that soon I'm going to blossom with vitality and good health,' she added dryly. ‘I keep waiting for the day!'

There was no answering smile on Adam's face. ‘I'll feel better myself once I've spoken to him on Monday.'

She shrugged. ‘He isn't going to tell you much more than I already have. I was nauseous to the point of incapacity to begin with,' she recalled with a grimace. ‘But that's mainly passed,' she added quickly as she saw Adam's dark frown. ‘There really is no problem with the pregnancy, Adam.' She reached out and lightly touched his hand, hastily removing it again when she felt the tingling sensation that ran heatedly up her arm.

Adam still looked grim. ‘So you keep telling me. I'll just feel better once Jonas has confirmed that for me.'

Andie looked at him beneath lowered lashes. ‘I hope you aren't going to be an over-protective father-to-be,' she remonstrated playfully.

Adam gave up any pretence of eating the lamb, carefully placing his knife and fork on the plate before looking across at her. ‘I'm sorry.' He indicated the half-eaten food. ‘I think I'm still full from lunch.'

Andie believed that, for the moment, he had taken as much of the Summer family as he could take. But especially her and their baby…

‘Me too.' She put down her own cutlery and stood up, unaware of the fact that she was nervously twisting her engagement ring round and round her finger. ‘I really am
rather tired, Adam…' she told him, her nerves stretched out almost to breaking point now.

She had thought earlier, when they'd chosen the rings together, during the lunch with her family, that perhaps this was going to work out after all. But alone with Adam like this, with him so obviously finding the situation such a strain, she wasn't so sure…

‘Of course.' He nodded abruptly. ‘I—let's go back to the sitting-room for a while, hmm? I know you're tired, but it is only eight-fifteen.'

Though the last hour, since his arrival, had seemed more like eight!

‘We still have a few things to discuss,' he said gruffly.

Andie stiffened warily, making no effort to move into the sitting-room, as he suggested. ‘Such as?'

‘Such as where we're going to live once we're married, for one thing,' he pointed out.

She stopped to think. Where they were going to live? Why, London, of course. Her own work was here, and, although Adam travelled extensively in his work as a film producer, his office was based here. Besides, as they all knew in the Summer family, Adam hated the countryside, had never made any secret of the fact that visiting the family there was something of a chore. She didn't understand what he meant about where they would live once they were married. Maybe they did have things to discuss, after all…

‘Perhaps we should go through to the sitting-room,' she agreed.

‘I'll make us some coffee. You can still drink coffee, can't you?' Adam paused on his way to the kitchen.

‘I can now,' she acknowledged distractedly, still thinking as she followed him into the kitchen with their used plates.

‘You don't know where anything is,' she explained at his questioning look.

‘I can find it.' He took a firm hold of her shoulders and turned her back towards the sitting-room. ‘You've done enough for one day,' he declared as he gave her a gentle push towards the adjoining room.

She might have done, but the next few minutes alone in the sitting-room, still with only her thoughts, was something she could have done without at the moment.

No one had said this was going to be easy, she told herself impatiently. As long as she and Adam at last kept talking they should be all right.

‘This is good,' she said to him once she had sipped the strong coffee he had just made.

‘Don't sound so surprised.' He smiled, stretching out his own length in the chair opposite hers. ‘A man who has lived on his own for as long as I have should at least have learnt how to make good coffee!'

She swallowed hard, wondering if that were the point here; a man who had lived on his own for as long as Adam had…

She moistened dry lips. ‘Adam—'

‘Don't take that comment any further than it was meant,' he said astutely. ‘I'm sure you're as aware as I am that living alone isn't all it's made out to be.' He looked at her with narrowed grey eyes.

Of course she was aware of that. Sometimes the hours she wasn't working could be too lonely, the silence in her apartment too heavy and still. But she had always had the Summer estate to return to if she felt in the need of company. As had Adam himself…

‘But—'

‘No buts, Andie. I've lived on my own most of my life,' he explained grimly. ‘And I'm sure you're going to find I have some annoying habits, such as leaving the bathroom
untidy, or squeezing the toothpaste from the middle rather than the bottom of the tube—'

‘I always use the dispenser type myself,' she put in quickly.

‘You see,' Adam rejoined. ‘That's one problem solved already.'

But, like Adam, she realised it was a minor one in comparison with some of the others they were going to come up against. Such as where they were going to live!

‘I'm sure we're both going to have to make adjustments,' she accepted.

‘But…?' he guessed.

‘Where do you want to live once we're married?' she asked guardedly.

‘In a house. With a garden,' he came back unhesitantly.

‘And preferably somewhere our son or daughter can breathe fresh air,' he added.

Andie was taken aback. Adam hated the country, had always been extremely vocal on the subject. What—?

‘I want our child to have the things I didn't,' he continued flatly, his expression remote. ‘Air to breathe. A garden to play in. Trees to climb.'

Presents on birthdays and at Christmas…

Oh, how she wished she knew more about Adam's early life. But from an early age she had been told by her mother that she was never to intrude in that part of Adam's life, that if he ever wanted her, or any of the sisters, to know, he would tell them. He never had.

Would it still be intruding, as his future wife, to ask him about it…?

 

Andie was looking at him as if she had never seen him before. And he couldn't exactly blame her.

She had accepted his proposal, was obviously trying to
make the best of the fact that the two of them were soon to be married, but it wasn't what she had planned for her life, was it? Harrie and Danie both had careers too, very responsible ones, but Andie had always been the sister who put her work before everything else. It was the existence of their baby that had put that career indefinitely on hold.

Andie had come to terms with her pregnancy, now she needed time to come to terms with becoming his wife.

‘Just think about it,' Adam encouraged. ‘It doesn't have to be too far out of London, can easily be in commuter distance. I just—the idea of bringing a child up in an apartment in the middle of London just doesn't appeal.' He pulled a face.

Andie still looked troubled.

Damn it, this was all his fault. If he hadn't lost his head that night. If—

If. If. If!

It was too late for ifs. He really would do everything in his power to make this marriage and motherhood as enjoyable as possible for Andie.

Well…as enjoyable as it could be when she was obviously marrying a man she didn't love.

‘Andie, I have to go away tomorrow for a few days,' he decided abruptly. ‘some filming in Germany has hit a few financial snags the director wants to discuss with me. I should only be away a few days.' He couldn't seem to stop talking as she just looked at him with those deep green eyes. ‘Three or four at the most,' he concluded lamely.

Because until a few moments ago, he hadn't given the filming in Germany another thought, not since he'd received the director's message this afternoon. If he had thought about it at all he had been considering asking the director to come to London for discussions. Until a few moments ago…

Andie looked very much in need of some breathing space. Just space, really. From him.

And after his visitor earlier today, he needed some time to think too. Oh, not about Andie; he had no doubts where marrying Andie was concerned. She was everything he could ever want in a wife.

It was getting through the next three weeks to the wedding that was consuming most of his thoughts. If that woman got so much as a hint that he was going to be married—!

His mouth tightened angrily, grey eyes bleak. She had done her best to ruin his life once before; he would not let her have the chance to do so again. He still couldn't believe the bad luck that had made her appear back in his life today, of all days. But then again, why couldn't he believe it? The woman was his nemesis.

She didn't appear for months at a time usually; once it had been almost a year. That time he had almost convinced himself that he wouldn't see her again. Then she had appeared at his office, much as she had today, almost as if no time had passed at all since he had last seen her.