Page 22 of The Baby Behind Their Marriage Merger

‘We’re working together. And we’re married!’ Addi told him, sounding and feeling flustered.

‘Should I point out that married people often have sex?’ His mouth quirked up at the corners before his expression turned serious when she didn’t smile. ‘If we end up sleeping together, Addi—and that will be your choice—it will be absolutely and utterly separate from work and our agreement, our marriage of convenience. It’ll be because you want me and I want you.

‘Clear?’ he asked when she didn’t reply.

She nodded, feeling as though he’d pulled all the wind out of her sails. She didn’t have a comeback, didn’t have an argument. Neither was she looking for one. All she wanted to do was to pull on her swimsuit and immerse herself in that luscious-looking sea, dig her bare toes into the warm sand and tip her face to the sun.

Jude sent her an understanding smile. ‘Get changed, Addison, and let’s hit the beach.’

Now, there was one order she was happy to obey.

After just one day of lying in the sun and bobbing in the waves, Addi looked as though she’d been here for a week, Jude decided. They sat at the intimate outdoor restaurant situated in the centre of the beach, thecasinhasspread out to either side of the casual but luxurious dining and lounge area. Behind the tables was an open-air kitchen where the chef conjured up stunning meals that ranked up there with the best he’d eaten in his life.

Together with the luxury décor, the superbly kitted outcasinhasand the amazing beverage section, he understood why this fifteen-bed resort commanded such high prices. The beach was why people came to Turtle Bay but there was more to do than just sun tanning and swimming. Earlier, he and Addi had taken a walk on a trail in the coastal forest behind them, and he could easily arrange to go on a game drive, as there was a private game reserve just a short drive away.

Tomorrow, they were taking a boat ride to snorkel over a reef far out to sea. He couldn’t wait.

Jude picked up his beer and took a long sip, his eyes dancing between the lovely view in front of him—the sunset was a riot of pinks and purples—and the equally lovely woman beside him. Addi was a little flushed, her nose even pinker than her face, and she wasn’t wearing any make-up. Her hair was more messy than usual, but in her acid-green bikini, a brightly coloured sarong knotted on her right hip, she looked stunning. A beautiful beach babe with bright hair and blue, blue eyes.

But beyond her looks was a woman who intrigued him, someone strong, capable and so damn brave. Whenever he looked at her, he experienced a strange jumble of emotions: lust and need, and behind those a need to protect and understand. He wanted to dig, to discover, something he didn’t usually spend his energy on. Lust was normally enough but Addi made him feel as though he were standing in an emotional tornado, being battered from all sides.

He was also, strangely, very unsatisfied with how they’d got married. He’d chosen that out-of-the-way church because it would afford them maximum privacy but, standing in front of that gnome-like priest, he’d wanted more. For a moment—okay, a couple of moments—he’d let his imagination run away with him and he’d imagined Addi in a stunning dress, her face alight with joy, surrounded by their friends and family, eager to walk up the aisle to him. Excited about sharing a life with him...

Wow.What had happened to the self-reliant, independent, emotionally distant man he’d been before he’d met her? He’d like him back, please.

‘This is such a stunning place,’ Addi said, turning those magnificent eyes on his. Her chin rested in the palm of her hand and her lovely mouth curved up in delight. ‘Thank you for giving me the time off.’

‘You needed it,’ Jude told her. He gestured to her empty glass. ‘Would you like another lime and soda?’

She wrinkled her sunburned nose. ‘What I would like is a mojito,’ she told him. ‘But I can’t drink alcohol so, yep, another lime and soda would be great.’

Jude looked around and within a couple of seconds he’d placed her order. ‘How many of the Thorpe properties have you visited?’ he asked, curious.

She shook her head. ‘Maybe two...both of them in the Western Cape. I’ve never stayed at a resort before.’ She lifted her shoulder and her cheeks turned pink. ‘This is only the second time I’ve stayed at a hotel.’

He frowned. ‘But didn’t you take holidays as a kid?’

‘You’re mistaking my mother for someone who’d consider spoiling us that way. And you’re assuming we had money to go on holiday. She didn’t and we didn’t. Surviving was sometimes a challenge.’

‘Tell me,’ he said softly. He wanted to know her history, what made her tick, the forces that had shaped her. He knew he was playing with fire—he should be putting some distance between them—but he couldn’t help wanting to know more. Everything. He was in so much trouble here.

She stared at the sunset and when the waiter, Miguel, arrived with her drink, she thanked him and lifted the straw to her mouth.

‘Joelle had us young—she was just eighteen when she had me, nineteen when Lex was born. She dragged us from house to house, living with anyone—and by anyone, I mean a man—who’d give her free board and lodging.’

He didn’t know how to ask but he had to. ‘And were they...okay, these guys?’

Addi nodded and he swallowed his sigh of relief. ‘One or two were dodgy but nothing happened.’

Despite his parents’ death—his mum’s had been particularly traumatic—he’d still lived a privileged life. He’d grown up in a mansion, attended the best boys’ school in the country, had every toy and piece of branded clothing a kid could want and he’d enjoyed overseas beach, snow and cultural holidays. His school tours hadn’t been to the local museum but to places like Russia and the Caribbean. He thought about telling her that he was spoiled and lucky, but figured she knew that already.

‘Our best times were when Joelle met and married Tom, Storm’s dad. That was our longest stretch of stability, about three years.’

He frowned, confused. ‘Who is Storm again?’

‘My middle sister. She’s twenty-four, six years younger than me. Technically, you have four sisters-in-law,’ she quipped. Then she grimaced. ‘Sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.’

He smiled, wanting to put her at ease. ‘Why not? It’s temporarily true.’

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