Wife by Agreement

'I was not dating, and he was very nice!' she exclaimed indignantly.

'I got pretty disturbed at the thought of you walking out. I told myself it was just because the children would miss you, but it was more than that.'

'You're just saying what you think I want to hear!' she accused, lapping up every word.

'Show some respect, woman, I'm baring my soul here.'

'I thought you weren't into all this self-analysis.'

'Do you really think I'm the sort of man who'd marry the nanny just to stop her handing in her notice? I rationalised it every step of the way until I was almost convinced I was acting in everyone's best interests. I didn't want to think there might be anything else behind my desire to keep you around. Something kept telling me that I shouldn't let you go.'

'I'm awful glad you didn't,' she sighed, gazing at him lovingly. It didn't matter to her when he'd fallen in love with her. He loved her now—that was the important thing. 'What are you doing?' she asked as he suddenly leapt up.

He stepped into his trousers as he walked across the room and turned the dial on the wall safe. 'I'm going to have a bonfire,' he said, pulling a document out of the safe. She watched in astonishment as he picked up the heavy lighter from his desk and lit the corner of the thick paper. 'There,' he said with satisfaction as the corner caught alight. He pressed the flaming material into a metal waste-paper basket as the flame took hold.

'Was that...?' She looked to him for confirmation.

'Yes, the pre-nuptial agreement, all three copies. I know the symbolism is a bit clumsy, but...'

Slipping her arms into his jacket, she walked over to him. 'You didn't have to do that, you know.'

'I wanted to. If I trust you with my life, which I do, it follows that I trust you with everything else. It's a bit late to endow you with all my worldly goods, but I do.'

'I'm not interested in your goods, Ethan. It's your heart I have designs on.' 'It's yours, my love,' he said instantly. His arms went around her and Hannah put her heart and soul into the tender kiss that went on and on until...

'Is it my imagination or is it raining in here?' she asked vaguely, as his lips lifted from her own. She held out her hand and felt the definite touch of water.

'It's real.'

'And what's that noise?' she asked, suddenly conscious of a strident ringing.

'The fire alarm—the one that connects with the fire station. We had the system put in last year at great expense.'

'Does that mean the building's on fire? Shouldn't we be doing something?' She was slowly getting saturated. She lifted a hand to her wet hair. Calm in the face of a crisis was impressive, but wasn't Ethan taking it a bit far?

'The fire, my love, is there.' He nodded in the direction of the smouldering waste-paper basket.

'Oh, my goodness!' she exclaimed, horror-struck. 'You mean you...'

'Triggered the sprinkler and alarm system with my impromptu bonfire? Yes, I'd say you have the situation in a nutshell.'

Hannah clasped her hands in agitation. 'We should do something.' Getting dressed wouldn't be a bad start, she thought, seeing in her imagination the door being smashed down at any minute by axe-wielding firemen. 'Don't just stand there—put a shirt on.' She stopped, her sweater half over her head. 'Are you laughing!' He was; he was actually laughing. 'Well, I'm glad you're happy. Can you imagine what people will think when they find out you—?' She broke off. The expression on his face was jubilant.

'I don't care,' he said simply. 'I don't care what people think, and you know what? It's liberating. You're my liberation, Hannah Kemp, and I'm laughing because I'm happy. I'm happy because you're mine!'

'What are you going to do when the fire service walks through that door?' She tried to sound severe but his frivolity was contagious.

'Tell them to go away. This party is strictly by invitation only.'

'Am I invited?' For some reason she couldn't stop grinning like an idiot.

To share my life,' he said huskily.

Hannah stopped grinning and began to sob.

'My love, what's wr—?' Gulping back her tears, Hannah pressed her fingertips to his lips. 'Nothing's wrong. You just keep saying such beautiful things,' she wailed. 'And I'm so happy. It's a well-known fact...' she sniffed '.. .that a person can't cry while being kissed.

Hannah was delighted to discover that her husband, clever man, had caught the drift of her subtle hint immediately.