New and…Improved? & Andrew in Excess

nice, discreet justice of the peace tomorrow.”

Kat tugged her skirt down as Andrew confirmed her suspicion. That promised to be one provocative photograph. She knew all about the press. She shuddered as she remembered how they’d ravaged her like a pack of vultures when Nick had skipped out with his embezzled millions. But what was newsworthy about Andrew Winthrop and herself? “Why would they want a photo of us?”

“It’s that damn eligible bachelor deal.” Andrew massaged his temple. “It brought out matchmaking mothers and one hounding photographer.”

Oh yeah. She’d sort of forgotten about his prime catch status. One day she wanted to hear more about those matchmaking mamas, but right now she needed to concentrate on the photo disaster. “No self-respecting paper will turn that shot down. Well, maybe the Wall Street Journal would.”

Andrew grunted a harsh laugh.

Kat gathered her sensually scattered wits. Andrew was right. They’d planned to present their marriage as a fait accompli. Also, if they were married it would take the impact out of the photograph. Kat was very much aware she was marrying a conservative man so he could gain a partnership in his extremely conservative, family law practice. Not to mention the school board and her students’ parents were likely to take a dim view of a photograph of her sprawled in Andrew’s lap. She didn’t think they’d find it much of an example for the students.

She’d never considered that his recent designation as one of Florida’s most eligible bachelors had elevated him to local celebrity status. Thanks to Nick, Kat was well versed in damage control. “Meet me at your house tomorrow morning at eleven. You bring a justice of the peace, Eddie and Bitsy. I’ll bring Jackson. Surely they can have our contracts ready by then if we call them tonight.”

“Tomorrow then. Eleven o’clock.”

Kat jumped out of the car and slammed the door. She didn’t have time to sit around tingling from a kiss-make that a helluva kiss.

She had a wedding to go to tomorrow.

Her own.

3

ANDREW SWUNG OPEN his front door and found Edward and Bitsy regarding him with sly amusement. Edward held up a folded section of newspaper to Andrew’s face and cocked his head, comparing the two. “What do you think, Bitsy? The chin and the nose are the same, but I don’t know about that hair standing on end and the unbuttoned shirt…” Edward trailed off.

Bitsy laid a speculative finger against her nose. “I don’t know where he could’ve come up with a body double on such short notice, so I suppose it is my darling, straitlaced brother.”

Andrew glared at the smirking couple before him-to think they wondered why their child displayed a penchant for mischief.

Edward regarded the photo in mock wonder. “Eight years I’ve known you, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen you even slightly disheveled.”

Between the expanse of Kat’s shapely legs and his shirt gaping open, disheveled was an understatement.

“Yeah, Eddie?” Andrew deliberately used the nickname. “Well, you’ve never seen me get married, either, so consider it a week of firsts. Now if you two have finished the Laurel and Hardy routine, perhaps you’d like to come in.”

Andrew had seen the photo as soon as his paper was delivered. He’d spent the morning trying not to think about the reaction of his well-heeled clients-or the sleek line of his future wife’s legs, the feel of her firm buttocks pressed against his lap.

Bitsy and Eddie moved past him, into the den. “So what kind of ring was Kat wearing?” Bitsy quizzed.

Andrew closed the door and answered automatically, “Opal and sapphire.” Her question sank in and he spun to face her. “You noticed a ring in that picture?”

“Of course. And you can bet every other woman who looked at it noticed it as well.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Bitsy sighed dramatically. “How can you seemingly sophisticated men be so incredibly naive sometimes? No, I’m not kidding.”

Andrew sought confirmation from Edward, who shrugged off the unvoiced query. “Don’t look at me. The workings of the female mind remain a mystery.”

Bitsy ignored his comment. “Dad’s furious. Livid. Enraged. Beside himself.”

“Now that’s a surprise. When did you talk to A.W.?”

“Puh-leeze. Give me a little credit. After you called last night we screened our calls. We let him leave a message on our machine. Don’t tell me he didn’t call you as well.”

“Sure he did. Left a message much the same as yours, I suspect. Who was the girl and what the hell was I doing?”

“That’s it in a nutshell. What’re you going to do about it?”

“I’ll talk to him later today, and then it’s what you’re going to do about it. It’ll be quite interesting when the rival paper runs the story tomorrow that the mystery woman in the photograph is actually my wife. Of course, this will be leaked by an anonymous but reliable source.” Andrew decided she deserved teasing for her earlier body-double comment. “And I can’t think of anyone better suited to leak gossip than you, Bitsy.”

Bitsy swatted at him and then rubbed her hands together in glee. “Do you want me to call now?”

“Why don’t you wait until after the fact,” suggested Edward, “since neither the bride nor the justice of the peace has shown up yet.”

“Okay. Speaking of the bride, did you bring in the camera?”

“No, it’s in the car.”

Andrew held up a hand. “No cameras. No photos.”

Bitsy shook her head in disgust and continued toward the door. “Maybe you don’t care about any photos, but one day your child will want to see her mother and father’s wedding photos. Juliana loves looking at ours.”

Andrew didn’t offer a rebuttal. He knew he’d make a lousy parent-he didn’t have time in his life for anything other than his work-but he’d never deliberately do anything to hurt the child he and Kat would create. Not even something as trivial as denying her, or him, wedding photos.

Quite the contrary, in fact. He waited until the door clicked behind his sister to turn to Edward. “The stipulation’s the way I wanted it? Even though I waive parental rights, I retain the right to name this child as my heir?”

Edward nodded an affirmative.

“How’d you get Hamilton to sign off since it’s not what Kat wanted?”

“Hamilton’s no fool. Even though their family has enough money tied up in trust funds to take care of the kid, he felt it was in both the child’s and Kat’s best interests not to waive rights to Winthrop money.”

“Excellent.”

The front door slammed, heralding Bitsy with camera in tow. “I’m going to check on Juliana and make a cup of coffee. Either one of you want anything?”

“No thanks.” Unless she could serve him up his partnership and he could forgo this farcical foray into matrimony.

“Nothing for me.” Edward lowered his voice even though Bitsy moved onto the kitchen. “Yeah, well it’s not going to be so ‘excellent’ when Kat finds out. She’s going to be plenty angry with all of us.”

A twinge of doubt surfaced before he dismissed it. She’d left no room to negotiate the point. Andrew stared out the window, unseeing. “I can handle one woman’s anger, but I will not sign away a Winthrop’s birthright.”

“Hell hath no fury like a woman deceived.” Eddie misquoted in final warning.

Outside, a car sputtered to a stop, backfired once and died.

Andrew squared his shoulders at the surge of adrenaline rushing through him. He stood one matrimonial step away from getting what he’d worked for all these years-his partnership.