To Make a Marriage(17)

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 …





CHAPTER SEVEN




SHE 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-'