To Make a Marriage(9)

'You-'

'I even talked her out of smashing a vase of flowers over your head as  soon as you enter the room,' Andie added scathingly as Rome would have  spoken.

Rome turned to Adam. 'I think I liked the red wine idea better,' he said consideringly. 'As you said, much more dramatic!'

Adam could see by the fury of Andie's expression that this was not the  time for levity, and yet he couldn't help but smile at the other man's  remark. At least Rome had got his sense of humour back!

Although the look on Andie's face as she saw his smile didn't augur well for her own humour!

'When the two of you have quite finished behaving like a couple of juvenile delinquents, I-'

'Immature and juvenile,' Rome amended with a considering tilt of his  head. 'Not bad going for men of fifty-four and nearly forty!'

'At this moment three and four is probably nearer the mark!' Andie bit  back before turning to her father with glittering green eyes. 'Rome, if  you don't go upstairs and apologise to Audrey right now-'

'Yes?' Rome prompted softly at the threat in her tone, his own gaze narrowed warningly now.

Adam could see by the sudden flush to Andie's cheeks that she had heard  that warning-but he also knew by the following stubborn set of her mouth  that it was going to be a warning she ignored. He gave a pained wince  as he waited for her response.

'You're going to lose her for good,' Andie stated baldly.

'And that's something you're going to regret for the rest of your life,' she declared with certainty.                       
       
           



       

Her words were nothing like Adam had thought they would be. Or Rome  either, if the stunned look on his face was anything to go by!

'What is it with everyone this evening?' Rome implored as he stood up  noisily. 'Suddenly you all know what's better for me than I do myself!'  He began to pace the room, stopping every now and then to glare  impatiently at either Andie or Adam, finally coming to a halt near the  doorway.

'Well, I've listened to what the two of you have had to say this  evening-maybe not patiently, but I've certainly listened. And do you  want to know the biggest conclusion I've come to … ?'

Adam had the distinct impression that he, for one, didn't want to know.  But quickly following on the heels of that realisation was the fact that  he wasn't going to have any choice in the matter!

'The conclusion I've come to is that the two of you should sort out your  own lives before you start telling me what I should or shouldn't do  with mine!' Rome told them bluntly.

Adam looked warily across at the other man, and, without so much as  glancing at Andie, he could feel her sudden tension. What exactly, he  wondered, did Rome mean by that remark … ? More to the point, what was he  going to say next?

Rome gave a humourless smile as he took in their stunned expressions.  'Not so pleasant when it's directed at you, is it?' he derided. 'For  instance, Adam-' Rome turned to him '-it's way past time you stopped  this carefree bachelor life, settled down with one of those beautiful  women you're always seen parading around with, and raised your own  family instead of sharing mine. And, as for you, Andie-'

'That's enough, Daddy,' she told him through stiff lips, her face very pale now, her hands clenched at her sides.

'But-'

'I said that was enough!' she burst out.

Rome gave another heavy sigh. 'Maybe it is,' he conceded evenly. 'Now if  you'll both excuse me,' he said as the sound of the front door opening  could be clearly heard, 'I have to go out there and persuade Audrey out  of doing something I'm going to regret for the rest of my life!' The  door closed decisively behind him as he left the room.

The silence he left behind him was so filled with tension Adam felt as if he might reach out and touch it.

But he certainly dared not reach out and touch Andie, he realised as he  looked across at her. That barrier seemed to have fallen between them  again; her expression was remote, her gaze, when it met his, cold …

'Well, I must say, I'm really impressed that the two of you found  Audrey's behaviour so damned funny!' she finally burst out, eyes  flashing deeply green.

The adage 'attack is the best form of defence' came unbidden to Adam's mind …

He had no idea why; after all, Andie's outburst was probably merited.  Except …  'I didn't find it in the least funny,' Adam told her sharply.  'If you must know, I was trying to calm Rome down by making him see the  funny side of it!'

Andie gave him a scornful look as the sound of raised voices could  clearly be heard outside in the hallway. 'I don't think Audrey  appreciates your efforts any more than I did! Sitting down here laughing  about the situation like a couple of-'

'Schoolboys,' Adam finished for her, starting to feel angry himself now.  Why did this woman always misinterpret what he was trying to say or do?

'Exactly.' She gave him another scathing glance. 'A "different species from another planet!'" she repeated.

'But with superior intellect,' he repeated dryly, striding forcefully  across the room to lightly grasp the tops of her arms when he received  no answering smile from Andie.

'You know, Andie, you've certainly lost your sense of humour the last few weeks,' he told her.

Andie looked up at him unsmilingly. 'Probably because I see very little  to smile about the last few weeks,' she responded. 'Now, if you wouldn't  mind releasing me … ? I'm tired and would like to go to bed.'

Adam looked at her searchingly. She did look tired. But it wasn't just  that. There was also that hardness about her eyes and mouth. And he  could tell by the way she strained against his hold on her arms that she  did not like him touching her …  Had it really come to that, to a point  where she couldn't even bear him to touch her?

'Don't you think we should let the lovebirds have a little more time to  settle their differences?' he cajoled huskily, the sound of voices  outside still audible in the dining-room.                       
       
           



       

'Would you please let me go?' Andie said through gritted teeth.

She really didn't like him touching her, Adam accepted heavily. Whereas  he-he wanted to touch her, damn it. In fact, he wanted to do a lot more  than just touch her!

Andie's gaze narrowed glitteringly as she seemed to read at least some  of his thoughts from his expression. 'Don't even think about it, Adam,'  she warned softly.

Perhaps it was that warning tone. Or perhaps his patience had been tried  too far. Whatever the reason, he did a sight more than just think about  it!

She felt curvaceously desirable, Adam briefly had time to register as he  pulled her to him. But only briefly-because as his lips fused with hers  he could think of nothing but that. Actually, he couldn't think at all,  could only feel! Andie felt so good to him, her body curved into the  hard contours of his, her hands tightly gripping his shoulders.

Now he knew how a thirsty man in a desert had to feel when offered  water. He wanted to drink, and drink, and drink, never wanted this to  stop!

But even as he recognised that, that was exactly what it did, Andie  wrenching her mouth away from his, pushing at his chest until he had no  choice but to release her.

She stood removed from him now, her head held back defiantly, her  nostrils flaring angrily as she breathed deeply. 'That was a mistake on  your part, Adam,' she said gratingly. 'And one definitely not to be  repeated.' She pushed the blonde tumble of her hair back from her  angrily flushed face.

Adam would have liked to throw her words back in her face, wished for  nothing more than to be able to claim that she had responded. But the  truth of the matter was, she hadn't. For several long-glorious!-seconds  she had remained impassive in his arms-rather like a wooden doll?-and  then she had begun to fight him.

He drew in a ragged breath, putting a hand up to a temple that suddenly  ached with tension. 'Are we never going to be friends again, Andie?' he  said dully.

'Friends!' she repeated harshly. 'I've always tried to be your friend, Adam, but it obviously isn't a friend that you want-'

'Tried?' he echoed incredulously feeling as if she had just punched him in the solar plexus.

'Tried,' she repeated firmly, the coldness of her gaze easily holding  his. 'But I can't even do that any more, Adam,' she told him flatly. 'I  suggest that in future we just try to stay out of each other's way.'

He swallowed hard, knowing by her implacable expression that she meant  exactly what she had just said. But how could he stay away from her-when  what he most wanted to do was the exact opposite to that?

No!

Much as he might want Andie, he certainly wasn't what Andie needed in her life.

'I think you're right, Andie,' he said shortly. 'You are tired and need  to go to bed. We can talk about this again tomorrow.' When he had  recovered sufficiently from this talk to be able to deal with the  situation logically.