To Make a Marriage (4 page)

Had Adam known all the time of Audrey's love for Rome? Was that the reason he was so angry with them all?

 

‘Doesn't this prove what I said to you earlier, Rome?' Adam demanded harshly.

‘That Audrey is in love with me?' Rome repeated, moving to the side-dresser to pour himself a glass of brandy from the decanter there. ‘Hardly!' He looked down pointedly at the damp stickiness of his clothing before taking a large swallow of the fiery liquid.

Adam gave the older man a pitying glance. He loved Rome like the father he had never known, or perhaps—more acceptably to Rome!—like an older brother. But, at this moment, he could cheerfully have physically shaken the other man to help try and make him see sense. In his business life Rome knew no rivals, became master of every venture he went into, and yet on a personal level he couldn't see the love right in front of his nose!

‘I don't remember Barbara ever throwing wine over me
in an effort to show her love for me,' Rome commented at Adam's continued silence.

‘Barbara obviously had more subtle—ways, of showing you what an idiot you can be!' Adam replied.

‘Thanks for nothing!' The older man scowled.

He looked so much like a disgruntled little boy in that moment that for some reason Adam began to see the funny side of this situation, his mouth twitching as he made an effort to hold back his humour—at the other man's expense. Rome definitely looked less than his usually suave self with the sticky wine all down his shirt-front, and as for the indignant expression on his face…!

Rome's gaze sharpened suspiciously as he looked at Adam through narrowed lids. ‘You wouldn't happen to be laughing at me, would you?' he accused with slow deliberation.

The grin Adam had been trying to suppress suddenly refused to be held back any longer. In fact, it came out as more of a choked chuckle!

‘Damn it, you
are
laughing at me!' Rome grated indignantly, slamming down his now empty glass. ‘Would it be too much to ask,' he continued between gritted teeth as Adam began to chuckle in earnest now, ‘that you share the reason for this—this childish humour?'

Adam couldn't help it; Rome's angry indignation, on top of everything else, was simply too much—and he burst into a loud shout of laughter. Rome was priceless. Absolutely priceless. The man was as much in love with Audrey as she was with him—and was fighting capitulation every inch of the way!

Why else had he been in such a foul mood ever since Audrey had handed in her notice? Why else had he been so insulting to the poor woman that she had resorted to throwing wine over him? Why else had Rome brought
Barbara into their conversation just now, if not as a defence against the love he felt for Audrey…?

The man was as head over heels in love with Audrey as she was with him—he was just terrified of admitting it. To the extent he was willing to let Audrey walk out of his life?

Adam sobered slightly. ‘I was just thinking it's a pity it wasn't red wine Audrey threw at you—it would have had a much more dramatic effect visually. Very much like blood, in fact,' he added with relish.

Rome didn't return the humorous smile that accompanied that last statement as he looked at Adam thoughtfully. ‘You have a warped sense of humour, Mr Munroe,' he said.

‘And you, Mr Summer, have no sense of humour at all at the moment,' Adam came back uncaringly.

Rome looked down at his shirt-front, pulling the damp material away from his chest. ‘This shirt is silk,' he complained.

Again Adam had to hold back his humour at the other man's expense. ‘Just tell the dry cleaners you had the shakes and missed your mouth!'

‘Very funny,' Rome rasped—but there was at last a responding vestige of a smile on his lips. ‘I've a good mind to ask Audrey to pay for it to be cleaned!'

Adam grinned. ‘And risk having the bottle thrown at you next time?'

Rome looked crestfallen. ‘You know, I've known Audrey for twelve years now—and I had no idea she had such a violent temper!'

Adam looked surprised. ‘All that suppressed passion has to be released somehow.'

Rome was nonplussed. ‘And exactly what would you know about Audrey's suppressed passion?'

Adam moved to the drinks tray to pour them both a brandy, handing one of the glasses to the other man before
making his reply. ‘From the mood you've been in the last few weeks—about as much as you obviously do!'

Rome gave a heavy sigh as he sat down in one of the chairs set about the dining-table—not the one he had been sitting in earlier, because that was as damp as his shirt! ‘Women!' he muttered with feeling.

‘Not only a different species but from another planet as well,' Adam agreed as he joined the other man and sat back down at the table.

‘Obviously one of far superior intellect!' Andie snapped as she swept into the room, looking like an enraged tigress as she came to stand at the other end of the table, green eyes flashing angrily as she glared at each man in turn.

Adam gave an inward groan; his remark had been meant to mock Rome, not be taken as an insult by a member of that different species from another planet! But it didn't need anyone of superior intellect to know that Andie definitely felt insulted!

Andie continued to look at the two men with disgust. ‘While the two of you have been down here discussing women like a couple of immature boys after their first date, I have been upstairs trying to persuade Audrey that whatever you said to her—' she looked straight at her father ‘—you didn't mean. Not only that, I assured her that you will most certainly apologise to her for making the remark.'

‘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 lis
tened. 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.