The Tycoon's Proposition

by Rebecca Winters

  “While I fix us breakfast, why don’t you type out the explanation on the laptop I saw on your desk. It may take a while, but if you just use one finger, it shouldn’t hurt your burn too much.”

  He flashed her a quick smile of approval. It dissolved her bones. She averted her eyes, afraid to stare at him any longer. They walked to his private elevator in silence.

  On the way down to this deck, she’d found out he lived on the fifteenth floor. Terri still had a hard time believing any of this was real.

  When they reached his condo, she hurried into the kitchen to fix their meal. Judging by the way he’d eaten yesterday, she figured he was ready for scrambled eggs, hot cooked cereal and juice.

  Before long she breezed into his bedroom with the tray. “How’s it going?”

  He was seated at his desk. “I’m almost through.”

  “You sound like your voice is getting stronger. There’s more deep tone than whisper. It’s a wonderful sign.”

  “I have to admit I’m relieved.”

  “That’s why you need to protect it for another day at least.”

  He had to be so thankful to be getting back to normal. While she waited for him to join her, Terri set two places at the table. In a minute he got up and brought her the laptop.

  His gaze darted to the food. “You must have been reading my mind.”

  “I thought you were about ready for junior meals today.”

  His chuckle turned into laughter.

  “Careful you don’t pull out those stitches under your chin.”

  He sat down at the table. “It’s okay, they’re the dissolving kind.”

  Terri ate a bite of her eggs before she began reading the words at the top of the screen. The time had come to find out exactly what had happened on that fateful day.

  On many occasions your ex-husband showed up for work late, or didn’t report at all. More often than not he was hung over. The foreman gave him several chances to turn things around, but the same thing kept happening.

  In order to fire him, the foreman had to go through my office first and obtain permission. Carlos looked into the situation and gave your ex-husband one final warning. But it was to no avail. At that point, Carlos brought the problem to my attention because I have the final say.

  I looked over your ex-husband’s work application. He’d listed his last work experience in Baton Rouge. I made a phone call. It turns out he’d left that job to come and work for my company. According to the man in charge there, Richard hadn’t been very reliable and would probably have been let go before long.

  It’s my policy to give any man a chance to work and prove himself. There’s nothing I dislike more than to fire an employee, especially if he has a family. Your ex-husband indicated he had a wife, Terri, his next of kin. He put his home address as Lead, South Dakota.

  On the day in question, I waited until he was through with his work, then approached him on the ship. I told him I would run him to shore because I wanted to talk to him alone. He realized what was about to happen and became defensive.

  Unfortunately there was a tropical storm further out at sea and we were feeling the effects of it. When I realized he hadn’t put on his life preserver yet, I ordered him to get it on because we were in for a ride. He refused, so I turned the boat around and headed back to the ship. It was a good deal closer than the shore which you couldn’t see.

  To my horror, a speedboat traveling out of control suddenly came at us out of the darkness. Two young men without preservers who’d probably been on a joy ride in the storm crashed into us broadside, slicing the tender in two. Their bodies went flying.

  One look at Richard and I realized he’d been knocked unconscious. I tried to reach him, but fuel had spilled from the tank, spreading fire. It separated us. I saw the others engulfed by flames before they slipped beneath the water. They never resurfaced.

  I swam around frantically looking for Richard, but he was nowhere to be found. Three men were gone. I felt so damn guilty for being alive. The last thing I remembered was a fisherman pulling me into his boat. Before I blacked out, I remember crying out your name and begging him to get in touch with you.

  “What a nightmare for you!” Terri cried. “Thank God you survived!” Without conscious thought she reached out to cover his hand. “Promise me you won’t ever feel guilty again. If Richard hadn’t refused to put on a life preserver, he would probably have lived. Like those young men, my ex-husband always did feel immortal.”

  He shook his head. “If I’d waited to fire him in Carlos’s office at the dock, none of this would have happened. There’ve been several deaths because of heart attacks or natural causes, but until now I’ve always prided myself on the fact that the company has never had a drowning.”

  Terri jumped to her feet. “You can’t go on living with ‘what if’s!’ Obviously you were trying to do the right thing by letting him go when no one else was around. I admire you for sparing him any embarrassment or shame. It wasn’t your fault he wouldn’t wear a preserver, or that a speedboat ran into you. Accidents happen.”

  He eyed her solemnly. “According to Carlos, the police have determined that two Brazilians on holiday further down the coast were the ones who died. I’ve hired a diving service to search for the bodies. So far they haven’t turned up anything. Carlos told me the coast guard believes it’s a futile exercise at this point.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me, Ben. Now that I’ve been out where the accident happened, I realize how deep and treacherous it is. The underwater current has probably swept them out to sea.”

  “Can you live with that?”

  Beneath the anguish, she heard something else in his voice.

  “Of course I can! If you’re laboring under some illusion that I’m still in love with Richard, then you haven’t been listening to me. He killed my love years ago. Naturally I’m sorry he had to die this young, but it happened.

  “The only way this will turn into a tragedy is if you allow guilt to taint your life. As Captain Ortiz said, you’re a very important man. Besides all your many business connections, thousands of people depend on you for their livelihood. You mustn’t let this eat at you.

  “If there’s anyone to feel sorry for, it’s Juanita Rosario. She’s the one who’s in mourning, but I’m confident a new baby will help her to get over Richard. Now that I’m in possession of all the facts, I think I know why he pretended to be married before he came down here.”

  While they’d been talking, Ben had finished his breakfast. He pushed himself away from the table and got to his feet. She sensed he was waiting for her explanation.

  “Richard always liked women, but couldn’t bear commitment. It probably saved him a lot of grief to tell Juanita he was married so she wouldn’t have expectations he couldn’t fulfill.”

  Ben nodded. “That thought had crossed my mind.” She heard him expel a deep sigh. “Tell you what—I promise not to feel guilty anymore if you’ll let me help you plan a memorial service for him.”

  “I’d love that,” she said emotionally.

  A gleam of satisfaction entered his incredible gray eyes. “Good.”

  “The only thing is, Mom and I already talked about it. We think it should be held in Spearfish where he was born. She’s been making the arrangements.”

  “That makes perfect sense. I’ll contact the captain of my company jet and we’ll fly to South Dakota in the morning. By then the weather will be better.”

  “Are you sure you can leave when you’re this close to setting sail?”

  His features hardened. “A man died under my watch. Anything else will have to be put on hold until he’s had a proper service.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Terri had felt a bond with this man from the beginning. Now she knew why.

  She’d fallen in love with him.

  It had happened without any volition on her part. What she felt for him was so all-consuming, she was in literal pain. Somehow Ben Herrick had
stormed her heart, changing the tenor of her life forever.

  Terrified he would divine her secret, she jumped up from the chair and started putting everything back on the tray. “Since you’re still recuperating, now might be the best time for the surprise I’ve had planned for you.”

  His lips twitched. Apparently her comment had pleased him. “Does it have to do with food?”

  “I realize the thought of a big juicy steak never leaves your mind, but no— This is something entirely different. You have to lie down first.”

  In a few long strides he reached the bed which had already been made up by someone in housekeeping. Once he’d settled back on top of the quilt, he flashed her a wicked smile. In navy sweats, he looked irresistible.

  “How did you know I’ve been praying you’d give me another leg massage?”

  Heat scorched her cheeks. “Wrong again.”

  While he sat there scrutinizing her every move, she turned on the TV and VCR, then pressed play.

  Pretty soon she heard him chuckle as The Mummy flashed on the screen. It had Spanish subtitles.

  “As long as there’s a storm outside, I thought this might be the perfect way to pass the time.”

  He eyed her for a long moment. “It will be perfect if you’ll bring us some chocolate ice cream and join me.”

  Terri didn’t need to be asked twice. She disappeared into the kitchen and fixed two heaping bowls for them. When she returned, he patted the side of the bed next to him.

  Her heart skipped a beat as she handed him one of the bowls. Much as she would have loved to nestle close to him, she opted for the chair and began eating.

  While he was absorbed with the movie, Terri was absorbed with him. When the phone rang, she noticed his dark brows furrow in displeasure. Maybe something was wrong aboard the ship. He put his spoon down and reached for the receiver with his free hand.

  Realizing the TV could interfere with his conversation, she rushed over to the machines and turned them off. But she needn’t have bothered because he’d already hung up.

  “Is something wrong?”

  His eyes narrowed on her features. “There won’t be if you’ll play along with me…”

  CHAPTER SIX

  THAT sounded rather cryptic.

  Terri swallowed hard. She was so in love with Ben, she didn’t see how she could deny him anything. Yet intuition told her to tread carefully.

  He got up from the bed. “Forget I said anything. You’re welcome to stay in here and finish the movie while I deal with Martha.”

  “She actually flew down here?” Terri was incredulous. “I mean, I know what she said, but I honestly didn’t believe she’d be that brazen.”

  “One of the stewards just informed me she’s on the lower deck waiting for permission to come up.”

  “How dare she show her face! What if Parker were here?”

  “I suppose psychiatry has a name for it.”

  “Why doesn’t your brother fire her?”

  “He’s afraid it will cause her to take Parker back to court for more money. My little brother is trying to run a productive cattle business, but her greed has made it difficult.”

  Terri’s mind was reeling. “How would my help make any difference to a woman as driven as she is?”

  “Since it’s jealousy of you that brought her here in the first place, quite a lot, actually. In fact I have a hunch your cooperation will solve a problem that’s been plaguing the Herrick family for a long time.”

  “Well, since you put it that way, I’ll do whatever I can.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She flashed him a puzzled glance. “For an entrepreneur of your ilk, I’m surprised at your hesitation.”

  His white smile dazzled her. “I haven’t heard the word ‘ilk’ used in ages.”

  “Your teasing is wasted on me. When I say I’ll do something, you don’t have to worry I won’t follow through,” she declared earnestly.

  “I know that,” he said in a solemn tone. “Come on.” She followed him out of the room and down the hall. “Let’s get this over with. I’ll send the elevator for her.”

  “Where should I be when she arrives?”

  “Why don’t you go in the kitchen and fix us some drinks.”

  “All right.”

  With both ears listening for the sound of voices, Terri put ice in the tumblers and took three colas from the fridge. Grabbing some napkins, she placed everything on the tray.

  Too bad she hadn’t stopped by her room to put on more lipstick and brush her hair. She could have changed out of her jeans and blouse into something more formal. But it was too late now. A woman’s voice carried through the rooms to the kitchen.

  Terri picked up the tray and headed for the living room. She had to admit she was curious to meet the woman who’d married Parker to stay close to Ben. You never really knew about people until you met face-to-face. The Houston secretary who’d phoned Terri in the beginning had sounded so nice.

  Ben saw Terri emerge from the dining room and urged her to join them. Her gaze switched from him to the woman seated at the end of the couch next to his chair. In a word, Martha Shaw was darling.

  Of average height and weight, she’d swept her long brunette hair back in a ponytail. Her big brown eyes and dimples, that broad white smile—all those elements tended to remind Terri of the girl-next-door type. In an apple-green top and pants, she could see why Parker had been so attracted. Why any man would be. Ben appeared to have been the exception.

  “We meet at last,” Terri murmured. She offered his guest a drink.

  “Yes.” The other woman reached for a glass. “Who would ever have dreamed it was Ben lying there instead of your husband? I’m sorry to hear about his death.”

  “Thank you,” Terri murmured. “I appreciated all your help making my travel and hotel arrangements so I could get down here without problem. I really couldn’t have managed without you.” She turned to Ben. “Would you like a drink?”

  He reached for a glass. “Come on and sit down.”

  She put the tray on the coffee table and found another chair.

  Martha’s smile wasn’t quite as bright as before. “I was just telling Ben that my boss, Ben’s brother Creighton, allowed me to fly down to be of assistance until Ben has fully recovered.”

  She was a brilliant liar.

  Terri had no idea what Ben expected her to say to that. “There’s nothing like family support in a crisis.”

  “Or an irreplaceable office manager like Carlos,” Ben interjected suavely.

  Defeated on all fronts, the other woman stared pointedly at Terri. “How long do you plan to stay here?”

  “I’m leaving for South Dakota in the morning.”

  “I see. Now that I’ve come, I’ll be happy to help you with arrangements for your return flight.”

  Ben drained his glass and set it down on the table. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already taken care of everything.”

  “In your condition, you shouldn’t have to be bothered.”

  “It’s not a bother, Martha. Rather it’s a privilege since I’m flying Terri to South Dakota to help her plan a memorial service for her ex-husband.”

  She choked on her drink. Her brown eyes fastened on Terri once more. “Ex-husband—you’re divorced?”

  “For a year. Richard lied about our marital status on his application. I can’t tell you how surprised I was to get your message. In the first place, he and I had lost track of each other. When I heard he’d been in an accident in Ecuador, it completely threw me.”

  Martha looked furious.

  Terri felt compelled to explain. “The only reason I didn’t tell you I was divorced was that I thought maybe the Herrick Company only hired married people to work outside the States. I was afraid if I said something, it could get Richard into trouble at a time when he needed help the most.”

  “Why would you care?” The question summed up the other woman’s shallow character.

  Terri
sucked in her breath. “Because being divorced didn’t mean I wasn’t concerned about his welfare. For a period of time, we shared a life. That has to count for something.”

  “I guess it all depends on the husband.” Martha’s brittle remark made Terri’s heart go out to Ben’s brother.

  “Ben tells me you were once married to Parker, Martha. Even though you’re divorced now, I’m sure if he were in dire trouble and needed your help, you’d give it because of what he’d meant to you in happier times.”

  “Maybe.”

  Terri couldn’t let Martha’s comment go. “When I went to see Richard’s pregnant girlfriend and tell her he had died, Parker helped translate for me. He also gave her some of his own money on behalf the Herrick Corporation to help tide her over. Those were the actions of a truly kind person.”

  Ben’s searching gaze met Terri’s. Obviously this was the first he’d heard about her outing with Parker.

  “What I’m trying to say is, everyone has been wonderful throughout this whole, difficult ordeal. I want to thank you again, Martha, for making the situation easier for me at the beginning.”

  “Of course.” Her attention drifted to Ben. “How soon will you be back from South Dakota?”

  “I’m not sure.” Ben got up and walked behind Terri’s chair. Putting his hand on her shoulder he said, “It will all depend on how soon Terri’s willing to marry me and become my private secretary as well as my wife.”

  A stunning silence followed.

  Terri watched the blood drain out of Martha’s face, even as her own heart turned over and over. She struggled for breath. A certain remnant of conversation flashed through her mind.

  Is there something wrong?

  There won’t be if you play along with me…

  Martha gripped the end of the sofa. “You’re getting married?” She stared straight at Terri for verification.

  Help.

  A little while ago Terri had told Ben he could depend on her to follow through with whatever plan he had in mind. But for him to take things this far meant he was desperate!