To Make A Marriage

He drew in a short breath. “I—”

“Just go, Adam,” she bit out, turning away from him so that he shouldn’t see the sudden tears that welled up in her pained green eyes. “Please!”

He swallowed hard, gathering up his scattered clothes, not speaking again until he was once again fully dressed—and looking remotely approachable. “Andie, I—I don’t know what to say,” he began shakily.

“Then it’s probably best that you say nothing,” she told him tersely. Anything he said now could only make the situation worse. If that were possible!

“I don’t know what happened,” Adam said. “One minute we were furious with each other, the next—! I’m sorry, Andie.”

Not as sorry as she was. Because, in the absence of the woman he really wanted, she had only been a substitute. But she knew as she looked at him that, despite everything, she still loved him!

Some women are meant to wed!

Meet the Summer sisters: Harriet, Danielle and Andrea—or Harrie, Danie and Andie, as they’re known to their friends! All three are beautiful and successful, though they’ve found their careers more satisfying than relationships…. Until now!

Quinn, Jonas and Adam are about to cross the sisters’ paths. Harrie, Danie and Andie find their hardworking, well-ordered lives thrown into confusion. Even though they hadn’t been looking for love, each sister finds herself wildly attracted! But will the exceptional men they’ve fallen for pop The Question?

Find out the answer in Carole Mortimer’s fast-paced, emotionally gripping three-part series:

Harrie’s story:

To Have a Husband

Danie’s story:

To Become a Bride

Andie’s story:

To Make a Marriage

To Make a Marriage

Carole Mortimer

MILLS & BOON

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CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

‘TWICE a bridesmaid, never a bride,’ he teased close to her scented earlobe.

The perfume of Andie, as he always thought of it. He had no idea what the name of the perfume was that she always wore, he just knew that whenever he smelt it, either on Andie or someone else, he was filled with warm thoughts of her…

She turned to face him now, a welcoming smile on her peach-coloured lips, green eyes glowing warmly as she reached up to kiss him in greeting.

Perfection. There was no other way to describe Andrea Summer. And today, in the frothy peach-coloured satin and lace of her bridesmaid’s dress, with her long blonde hair a profusion of silky curls down the length of her spine, entwined with tiny peach-coloured tea-roses, she looked like a fairy-tale princess.

She laughed softly, a throatily husky laugh that sent shivers of pleasure down his spine. ‘I think you’ll find that it’s “Three times a bridesmaid”,’ she corrected softly.

‘It is?’ he drawled with pretended ignorance. ‘But you have to admit, your clock’s ticking away, Andie; you’re almost twenty-six now,’ he continued mockingly, ‘and both your older sisters have married in the last couple of months.’

She shrugged dismissively as she glanced over affectionately at those two sisters with their new husbands; the eldest, Harrie, had been married to Quinn McBride for several weeks now, and this was Danie’s wedding day to Jonas Noble.

‘They have obviously found the right men for them,’ Andie murmured fondly.

His own smile slipped for the fraction of a second, before he regained control. ‘No “right man” for you yet, hmm, Andie?’

She laughed softly once again. ‘I would have thought you, of all people would have known there’s actually no such thing as the right person; it’s all a case of taking pot luck!’ she taunted contrarily.

Him, of all people…? Yes, he had always given the impression he was a confirmed bachelor; in fact, he had made a religion out of it! But this young woman—lovely to look at, always elegantly dressed, with a mischievously warm sense of humour—if she were only aware of it, could have changed all that with one crook of her little finger…!

How long had he felt that way about her? For ever, it seemed to him. Oh, there had been women in his life in the past, beautiful women, accomplished women, brunettes and redheads, as well as blondes, but none of them in any way had measured up to Andie.

‘I hope you don’t intend telling Harrie and Danie that!’ He smiled.

Andie didn’t return his smile. ‘I don’t happen to believe that’s true for them; I’m as sure as they are that Quinn and Jonas are the right men for them.’

He was bored with the subject of Harrie and Danie; it was Andie he was interested in. It always had been. ‘It’s really good to see you here today,’ he told her sincerely.

Andie frowned at the statement. ‘I would hardly miss my own sister’s wedding!’

‘I can think of a couple of other family occasions you’ve missed this summer,’ he persisted. ‘The summer fête,’ he added as she looked at him questioningly, referring to the fête held every June at Rome Summer’s—Andie father’s—estate. ‘A family weekend at the estate a week later. Your father said that you had the flu.’

Andie shrugged, a smile playing about those peach-coloured lips. ‘If that’s what Daddy said, then that’s what I had,’ she dismissed. ‘No mystery there.’

He took two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter; the wedding reception was being held at one of London’s leading hotels. He held one of the glasses out to Andie, but was surprised when she shook her head and reached for a glass of orange juice instead. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve given up drinking champagne?’ he exclaimed, knowing that in the past champagne was the only alcohol Andie had ever drunk.

‘It’s a new diet I’m trying out,’ she dismissed, taking a sip of the juice.

‘Diet?’ He scowled, looking down at her already more than slender frame. ‘You’re far too thin as it is—’

‘You’re starting to sound like Rome now,’ Andie taunted, blonde brows raised as she looked up at him from under thick dark lashes.

An irritated flush coloured the hardness of his cheeks. The last thing he wanted was to sound like her father, damn it! It was the very last thing he felt like whenever he was around her. Although, perhaps, to Andie, fourteen years his junior, that was exactly what he seemed…

‘It’s being featured in Gloss next month,’ Andie continued lightly, referring to the monthly magazine of which she was senior editor. ‘I thought I would try it and see if it really works.’

He scowled. ‘You need to diet like—’

‘You need to earn any more money?’ she finished with barbed sweetness. ‘Have you never heard the phrase, “you can never be too rich or too thin”?’

His gaze narrowed thoughtfully at that slight edge to her tone. They had met briefly a couple of times during the last few months, never long enough to have a real conversation, as they were doing now, but he had been sure the flu excuse Rome had given him had been genuine and it hadn’t been because Andie had been deliberately avoiding him. Now he wasn’t so sure…

‘I’ve heard it,’ he grated. ‘But I don’t think you believe it any more than I do.’

‘Really?’ Her manner had definitely changed now, that hardness still there in her voice. ‘We’ve known each other a long time, granted—but I don’t think that gives you the right to tell me what I think!’

He reached out and grasped her arm. ‘Andie—’

‘I think you’re going to have to excuse me,’ she cut in firmly, having glanced across the room to where the bride and groom were now taking their seats at the top table in preparation for the start of the meal that was about to be served. ‘It looks as if I’m needed.’

She was needed, all right. By him! He had felt this way about her since the day he’d looked at her, on her eighteenth birthday, and realised she was no longer an impish child but a beautiful, desirable woman. Almost eight years ago, he groaned inwardly.

His hold on her arm tightened. ‘Andie, have dinner with me one evening next week,’ he prompted forcefully.

She turned to look at him with cool green eyes. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?’

Good idea, be damned. This woman, it seemed, made him lose all sense of what was a good idea every time he came near her!

‘I really do have to go,’ she insisted, gently but firmly removing her arm from his grasp before placing the half-drunk glass of juice in his now free hand. ‘I hope you enjoy the rest of the wedding,’ she added with banal politeness.

He had never enjoyed a wedding in his life, had determined long ago that he would never marry. But as he watched Andie walk gracefully across the room to take her place at the top table; he knew he would do anything to make Andie his own. Anything…

CHAPTER ONE

‘I’M REALLY sorry to interrupt, Miss Summer, but there’s someone outside to see you!’

Andie looked up with a frown, having been poring over a fashion layout that lay sprawled across the top of her desk. She had asked April not to disturb her for an hour, desperately trying to meet today’s deadline, but as she looked at her secretary’s expectantly flushed face her frown deepened.

‘And who might that someone be, April?’ she prompted dryly, knowing it had to be someone important—or April wouldn’t have disturbed her at all.

April drew in a deep, excited breath. ‘It’s—’

‘Adam Munroe,’ the man himself announced with a smile as he strolled into the office, dressed as impeccably as usual, his charcoal-grey suit tailored across the width of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist and thighs, his pale blue shirt made of silk, only the bright blue and yellow pattern of his tie giving any indication of the less than conservative nature that lurked beneath his outward appearance.

The arrival of Adam Munroe in the office was reason enough for April to have gone all aflutter, Andie allowed ruefully as she slowly put her marker pen down on the desk-top.

A long-time friend of her father’s, Adam was a well-known film producer, but, with his tall, rugged good looks, and silver-blonde hair, he was gorgeous enough to have starred in one of the films he’d financed.

‘Thank you, April,’ Andie told her secretary dismissively, a slightly knowing smile playing about her lips as she watched April’s slow retreat out of the room, the girl’s avid gaze fixed on Adam the whole time.

Not that Andie could exactly blame April for that, either; Adam had been breaking female hearts with his charming elusiveness ever since she could remember. Elusive, because Adam always made it plain to the women he became involved with that the friendship would never lead to a permanent relationship. Not very romantic, but it certainly didn’t seem to deter those women from becoming involved with him. In fact, the opposite!

Andie stood up slowly. ‘After totally captivating my secretary so that I doubt I will get any more work out of her today—to what do I owe the honour of this visit, Adam?’ she teased as she moved forward to kiss him lightly on the cheek.

He grinned, warm pale grey eyes surrounded by long dark lashes. ‘I was just passing, and wondered if you would care to join me for lunch?’

She raised blonde brows. ‘Isn’t eleven-thirty in the morning a little early for lunch?’ she queried.

He shrugged, making himself comfortable on the edge of her desk, disturbing several of the photographs that lay there in the process. ‘Not when you haven’t had any breakfast yet, no,’ he observed pointedly.

Andie gave a wry smile, shaking her head. ‘Hectic night again, hmm, Adam?’ she taunted, moving back behind the desk to look up at him with mocking green eyes.

‘Not particularly,’ he replied dryly. ‘I don’t seem to be sleeping too well at the moment.’

‘You—’

‘Alone, that is,’ he put in before she could complete her comment.

Andie chuckled. ‘Maybe that’s your problem; you obviously aren’t used to it!’

‘Very funny.’ He scowled. ‘The problem with you Summer sisters is that you have no respect for your elders!’

Andie held back her smile this time, although it lurked in the brightness of her eyes and the slight curve of her lips. ‘Have Harrie and Danie been casting aspersions too?’ She referred to her two older, now married, sisters.

Adam gave a grimace. ‘When haven’t the three of you teased me unmercifully?’

It was true, of course. But Andie and her sisters had known Adam, almost as an honorary uncle, for twenty years, and the fact that most women fell over themselves to meet him had been a constant source of amusement to the three of them as they’d been growing up. School friends, and then university friends, and eventually work friends, had constantly sought invitations to their father’s home in the hope that Adam might be a guest at the same time.

‘You know you love it, Adam,’ she said.

‘What I would love is some lunch.’ He stood up. ‘Going to keep me company?’ He quirked blonde brows enquiringly.

‘I’m very busy, Adam.’ She gave a weary look at the layout on her desk.

‘You still have to eat,’ he persisted.

‘Not at eleven-thirty in the morning, I don’t!’ she rejoined.

Adam gave an impatient sigh. ‘I don’t usually have this much trouble getting a woman to have lunch with me!’

Andie laughed throatily. ‘A little denial is good for the soul!’

‘It’s my soul,’ he returned. ‘Please allow me to know what is and isn’t good for it—and almost having to beg you to have lunch with me is not good for it!’ he assured her scathingly.

If he weren’t a mature self-assured man of almost forty, Andie would have said he had the look of a petulant little boy at that moment—one that couldn’t get his own way!

She shook her head. ‘You aren’t begging, Adam. And I wouldn’t allow you to, either,’ she added seriously. ‘But I’m not being deliberately difficult; I really am extremely busy.’ She indicated the photographs scattered over her desk-top.

‘Rome is of the opinion that you work too hard—and I have to agree with him when you can’t even take the customary hour for lunch,’ Adam told her, eyes narrowed on the slenderness of her frame in the silky plum-coloured trouser suit and pale cream blouse.

She had lost weight the last few months, Andie inwardly acknowledged. But she also knew it was a weight she would shortly regain. And more!

That thought sobered her somewhat, and looking up at Adam, ‘Just when did you and my father have this cosy discussion concerning the amount of work I do or don’t do?’ she prompted.

‘At Danie’s wedding on Saturday,’ Adam drawled challengingly. ‘And there was nothing cosy—or underhand—about it; I merely remarked that you were looking at little pale, and Rome said that you’re working too hard. That was the extent of our conversation concerning you,’ he finished decisively.

‘So you thought you would take pity on me today and invite me out to lunch.’ Andie nodded, green eyes sparkling with anger now. ‘It’s very kind of you, Adam—’

‘Don’t get all polite on me, young lady,’ he came back.

‘For one thing—I wouldn’t recognise you if you did! And for another—I’m not being in the least polite.’

‘You just hate to eat alone,’ she guessed.

Adam gave a reluctant smile, shaking his head as he raised his gaze exasperatedly to the ceiling. ‘Either this used to be easier, or I’m just getting old!’

It wasn’t either of those things, but she was busy—and, more to the point, she did not want to go out to lunch with Adam. Her life was complicated enough already at the moment, without that!

‘It was a lovely wedding on Saturday, wasn’t it?’ She changed the subject—to one she knew he would find distasteful. Weddings and Adam Munroe just did not mix!

‘Lovely,’ he echoed with predictable sarcasm. ‘First Harrie took the plunge, and then Danie on Saturday; I expect it will be your turn next!’ he added disgustedly.

Andie looked down at her ringless left hand—knowing it would remain that way too. The man she loved, she just couldn’t have…

‘I doubt that very much,’ she answered gruffly, blinking back sudden, unaccustomed tears. She had become so emotional lately! Definitely one of the symptoms of her condition that she wasn’t too happy about. ‘I’m destined to be an old maid, I’m afraid,’ she explained self-derisively.

‘Hey, I was only teasing.’ Adam seemed to have seen that glitter of tears in her eyes, coming around the desk to put his arm about her narrow shoulders. ‘There’s plenty of time yet for you to fall in love and get married; you’re only twenty-five, Andie—’

‘Twenty-six in a couple of months’ time,’ she put in huskily, knowing he had completely misunderstood the reason for her emotion. It wasn’t a question of falling in love and getting married; if she couldn’t have the man she loved—which she most certainly couldn’t!—then she wouldn’t marry at all. Ever.

‘That old, hmm?’ Adam murmured softly, raising her chin to look into her face. ‘Almost ancient, in fact.’

Andie shook her head, straightening away from him. ‘You misunderstood the reason for my—emotion, I’m afraid, Adam,’ she spoke firmly. ‘I just find it very odd to realise that Harrie and Danie are no longer just my sisters, but are now Quinn and Jonas’s wives.’

And she did find it strange. Three months ago none of the sisters had shown signs of marrying anyone, the three of them extremely close, so much so that they had never particularly needed other friends. And now to share not one of her sisters with a husband, but both of them, within the space of two months, was a little hard to take. Especially now…

Adam looked sympathetic. ‘Harrie’s the wife of a banker. And Danie—madcap Danie—’ he shook his head a little dazedly ‘is now the wife of a doctor. Amazing!’

It did take some adjusting to, Andie agreed. But there would be a lot more adjusting for Andie to do in her own life in the near future, than just to that of her sisters’ marriages…

‘Andie, come and have lunch with me?’ Adam cajolled.

‘If for no other reason than it will do wonders for my reputation to be seen with a very beautiful young woman!’ he added encouragingly.

Andie looked sceptical. ‘Another one?’ she parried, knowing Adam had a succession of beautiful young women in his life.

He gave an irritated sigh, moving back impatiently. ‘You know, I think Rome should have smacked your backside more when you were young enough to take notice!’ He stood up.

‘Mummy would never have let him.’ Andie spoke confidently on behalf of her gentle-natured mother.

Adam sobered. ‘True,’ he agreed distractedly.

Andie knew the reason for that distraction. Had known it for some time. Adam had been in love with her mother…

He had been around a lot when Andie and her sisters had been children, appearing at the estate most weekends. Despite a dislike of the countryside and all things connected to it… It had only been as Andie had grown older that she’d realised the reason Adam had put aside his aversion and visited them anyway. Ten years ago her mother had died, and if the three sisters and their father had been heartbroken at the loss, then Adam had been inconsolable.

Because he had been in love with Barbara…!

Andie had been stunned by the realisation at the time, although it hadn’t been a realisation she’d shared with her sisters, somehow finding the subject too difficult to discuss with her already distressed siblings. But she had wondered how her father would react, knowing Rome couldn’t help but see the younger man’s emotional state. Strangely enough Rome had seemed to draw comfort from the fact that Adam had loved Barbara too, an unbreakable bond developing between the two men, and now, ten years later, their friendship was stronger than ever.

Andie shot Adam a questioning look. ‘Does this mean you’ve withdrawn your invitation to lunch?’

Adam looked crossly at her. ‘No, it doesn’t,’ he snapped. ‘And I’m no longer asking—I’m telling! Whatever that stuff is—’ he waved an uninterested hand over the fashion layout she had been working on ‘—you’ll deal with it much more efficiently once you’ve had something to eat.’

The fact that he was right didn’t make the invitation any more palatable; she did not take kindly to being ordered about. By anyone!

She shook her head. ‘The answer is still no, I’m afraid, Adam—’

‘You aren’t afraid at all,’ he cut in harshly. ‘Damn it, Andie, you and I used to be friends—’

‘We still are,’ she assured him coolly, completely unruffled by his loss of temper. Her father had a quiet way of doing the same thing when he couldn’t get his own way, too… ‘But as I’ve already stated—several times—I’m busy.’

‘Fine,’ Adam bit back, his jaw clenched. ‘Perhaps I’ll see if April wants to join me instead.’

Andie gave a grin. ‘I have no doubt she would love to. But I’m also sure her fiancé would have a few things to say about it!’

Adam frowned darkly. ‘You never used to be this difficult, Andie,’ he said slowly.

She straightened in her high-backed chair, the sunshine coming in the window behind her giving her long hair the colour of ripe corn as it lay in a loose plait down her back, fine tendrils curling beside her ears and over her smooth brow.

‘I never used to be a lot of things, Adam,’ she told him tautly, the words tinged with an unhappiness she hoped he couldn’t detect; the last thing she needed in her life at the moment was an over-curious Adam Munroe. It had been difficult enough, initially, to deal with an over-anxious Rome, without having Adam on her case now, too!

Adam looked appreciatively about the luxury of her executive office. ‘You obviously enjoy being numero uno of Gloss,’ he observed.

She gave an acknowledging inclination of her head. ‘In the same way you enjoy running your own film production company,’ she replied noncommittally, having the distinct feeling Adam was just making conversation now, delaying his departure for as long as he possibly could. Although why he should want to do that she couldn’t imagine…

Adam gave her a considering look. ‘Does that mean you’ve become a career woman, Andie?’

Not exactly! Especially as this was the last week she would be working on the magazine for some months to come. Which was another reason she was so determined to make sure everything was done perfectly for this, her final issue, for some time…

But despite the fact Adam was a close family friend, she had no intention of telling him any of that. Her nine months’ leave of absence wasn’t public knowledge, and she preferred that it remain that way!

‘Not at all,’ she dismissed lightly. ‘Will you be coming down to the estate this weekend?’ she asked, her expression still deceptively noncommittal.