New and…Improved? & Andrew in Excess Read online

  Kat held her close, touched by Bitsy’s obvious pleasure in her becoming a family member, however temporary. “Better keep thinking of me as a friend, since we’ll remain friends a lot longer than sisters-in-law.”

  Bitsy quizzed her with a raised brow and a knowing smile. Kat felt herself blush to the roots of her flaming red hair. Even though she and Andrew were physically compatible, Bitsy needed to remember that had nothing to do with a real marriage. And anyway, Kat wasn’t looking for a real marriage.

  “There’s a hormonal attraction. I’ll grant you that, but that’s all it is.”

  Bitsy’s brow slid up another notch.

  Harry Murdoch was occupied with Andrew across the room. Still she lowered her voice. “Don’t be goofy, Bitsy. You know I’m not looking for a real marriage, and neither is your brother. Remember, we’ve got a plan here, an agreement. Andrew and I are simply taking care of mutual needs in a slightly unorthodox but relatively uncomplicated manner.”

  Bitsy, ever playful, looked uncharacteristically serious. “Perhaps you’ll take care of needs the other one doesn’t know exists.”

  Kat refused to touch that with a ten-foot pole. “What? Is my new husband a gourmet cook?”

  Bitsy’s smile acknowledged Kat’s attempt to lighten the conversation. “Andrew screws up making Jell-O.”

  Kat flopped onto the beige leather sofa. “We’re doomed. You know what a lousy cook I am.”

  “Nah, Mrs. Fitzwillie will save you.”

  “Mrs. Fitz-who?”

  “Fitzwillie. She comes five days a week and takes care of the house and laundry. Lucky for you two culinary inepts, she also takes care of all the cooking. She even stockpiles food for the weekends when she’s off. And then there’s Anton. He’s a dear old man who works part-time as the gardener.”

  Kat brightened considerably. “Maybe it won’t be too bad living in the tranquil palace after all.”

  She missed Bitsy’s response. Andrew caught and held her attention as he escorted Harry Murdoch to the door. Standing on the other side of the aquarium, he seemed a part of the exotic seascape. With his broad-shouldered good looks, he could have been Neptune commanding the depths.

  “Yeah, and I’m Charlie Tuna,” Kat muttered to herself.

  “Huh?”

  “It’s actually a bit disconcerting.” She continued her solo conversation.

  Bitsy waved a hand in front of Kat’s face. “Earth to Kat. What’s disconcerting?”

  “Andrew.”

  As if he knew he was the object of discussion, he watched Kat and Bitsy from across the room even after he joined Edward and Jackson. Kat refused to back down from his inscrutable gaze. After what seemed like minutes but proved only seconds, he shifted his attention to the two men beside him.

  “Andrew? How’s that?”

  “It’s those damn fish and his music.”

  “What’ve you got against those poor fish? And what music?”

  Kat realized she may have made a slight tactical error. She’d taken Andrew Martin Winthrop III at face value. Slotted him into a neat little box. She didn’t like finding parts that didn’t fit.

  She eyed Bitsy accusingly. “The fish are so…so…well…alive. And did you know he likes jazz music?”

  “Kat, it’s an aquarium. It would be really weird if the fish weren’t alive, and yeah, I guess I knew Andrew liked jazz. What’s the big deal? Are you feeling okay?”

  Kat gulped in a deep breath. Bitsy was absolutely right. She was overreacting. She needed to listen to her behavior tape again!

  “Sorry. You’re right. It’s no big deal. I guess I’m more keyed up about today than I realized.”

  Andrew, Edward and Jackson joined them. Kat deliberately avoided glancing at Andrew, as if she’d have a clue what was going on behind his shuttered gray eyes.

  Edward took Bitsy by the arm. “Well, we’ll be going now.”

  “But what about the champagne?”

  Edward tugged her to her feet. “The baby-sitter needs us, dear.”

  “But I called just before the ceremony and everything was fine.”

  Edward hustled her toward the door, leaving Andrew, Kat and Jackson to trail behind. “And I called just a few minutes ago, and she needs us home as soon as possible.”

  Edward opened the front door, hugged Kat, shook hands with Andrew and Jackson, and urged his wife outside.

  Bitsy grabbed a gift-wrapped package off the front seat, which she thrust at Kat and Andrew. “But they need to unwrap their wedding gift…”

  “Say goodbye, Bitsy.”

  Kat elbowed Andrew and Jackson. The trio called out in unison, “Goodbye, Bitsy.”

  “Funny. Very funny,” Bitsy managed before Edward stuffed her into the car. She winked knowingly at Kat from the passenger seat. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Jackson cleared his throat. “I need to get going, as well.”

  Andrew shook his hand, every inch the gracious host. “Thanks for coming on such short notice. We’d love for you to stop by whenever you can. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make a phone call.”

  Kat would bet the farm there was no phone call. He was allowing her a private goodbye with her brother.

  Jackson stopped short of a hug and squeezed her shoulder instead. “Just let me know if you ever need any help, kid.”

  Jackson’s concern rendered Kat perilously close to tears. “Thanks, I will. And Jackie?”

  “Yeah?”

  She offered a gentle shove out the door. “Don’t call me kid.”

  He laughed. “Okay. Okay. Don’t forget to tell the parents before tomorrow’s paper comes out.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll call right now.”

  “Better you than me.”

  Kat closed the door and turned around to face her new husband. She held out the gift. “Bitsy’s your sister, so why don’t you do the honors?”

  “Go ahead.”

  She shoved the package at him. Since it was from Bitsy, there was no telling what might be inside. “Really. You open it.”

  “Okay. I’ll bite.” Andrew tore off the paper and lifted the box top.

  How prophetic. From one finger dangled his and her matching edible underwear.

  “DO YOU WANT TO GET the phone calls out of the way first, or would you prefer a quick tour of the house?”

  “I’d rather get the phone calls over with.”

  “There’s a phone over there, or you can call from the study if you want privacy.”

  Kat shrugged. “I’ll call from here. Everything’s been out in the open so far. I don’t see the need to start keeping secrets.”

  Andrew reminded himself that the secret he kept from her was for the good of the child they were planning. Kat curled up in a chair and punched a series of numbers into the portable phone. Andrew attempted to study her with detachment.

  He noted again that Kat Dever…make that Kat Winthrop… was no beauty. In fact, she bordered on plain with her freckles and the pugnacious set of her jaw. Her legs were good, lovely even, but he’d seen better. God knows she didn’t attempt flattery. So what was it about his new wife that had made him forget their audience when he kissed her? Why did he ache now for another taste of her lips?

  Kat looked at him strangely and he realized he was staring. “That was a wash.”

  “Huh?” Now that sounded like a successful attorney.

  “Dad and Phoebe weren’t in. I left a message with Hayes-he’s the butler who came with Phoebe when she married Dad-but I’ll be surprised if I hear from him today.”

  “Will he be upset tomorrow when he finds out we got married without him present?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding! Dad’ll be upset because I’m in the news and it might reflect on him. I could convert to Buddhism and move to Tibet, and Dad wouldn’t care as long as it was quiet and didn’t reflect on the Hamilton name.”

  An odd note colored her voice; odder still, Andrew felt an alien urge to comfort her. “Maybe you sim