“I won’t say no.”
Carlos was next in line. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief. “I didn’t think there was a woman who could bring Ben to his knees. You’ve accomplished the impossible. Don’t ever change. The boss needs you. Congratulations.”
Coming from th
e man Ben trusted with his life, those words warmed her clear through. “Thank you, Carlos. I guess I don’t have to tell you what your friendship means to my husband.”
Behind Carlos she could see several dozen business associates of Ben’s who with their wives would be living on the Atlantis. They’d flown in from as far away as Hong Kong and Australia.
“Mrs. Herrick? May I offer my congratulations. I’m Rolf Meuller, one of the directors on your husband’s board. I represent the Swiss Banking Consortium located in Zurich.” He had a strong German accent.
“You’re just the man I wanted to meet, Mr. Meuller. Between you and me, how deep in the red is he? A wife needs to know these things.”
The man with the steel-rimmed glasses threw back his head and laughed so hard, he had to remove them to wipe his eyes.
Ben counted four down so far: Parker, Carlos, Captain Ortiz and Rolf.
Another ten minutes and he saw his entire board of directors succumb to his bride’s fatal charm. One by one they toppled like pins in a bowling alley following a direct strike.
Everything would have been all right if she hadn’t kissed him back. Lord, she came close to giving him cardiac arrest. It was the one imponderable he hadn’t expected.
He’d told Terri to do her best. But he hadn’t expected her to comply with a response that left him trembling with desire.
After Ben had told her she could trust him, that they’d take each day as it came and see what happened, he couldn’t go back on his promise. At the time, he’d meant what he’d said. He’d thought he could handle it.
But that was before Terri’s kiss had swept him away. From now on he would have to live with the memory of her luscious mouth opening to the pressure of his. The time-worn cliché “invitation to paradise” was no longer laughable.
Ben had made his first mistake. Hell. Now he didn’t know if her response had been playacting from start to finish, or if she’d experienced a genuine burst of passion she’d been helpless to fight. He’d sell his soul to know the truth, but it was too soon.
For one thing, how could he be sure that certain memories of making love with her ex-husband didn’t still fit into the equation somewhere? Though Ben was ready to make a baby with her tonight, he’d assured her she had nothing to fear from him.
Somehow he was going to have to keep his hands off her until enough time had passed that she’d put the past away for good and felt totally comfortable with him. There’d be no wedding night for him tonight. That miracle would have to be put off for a week or two. Beyond that he wasn’t making any more promises to himself.
While he’d lost his appetite, his bride appeared to be ravenous. Throughout their wedding feast she sparkled and laughed. Each time there was a toast, she entertained their guests with her inimitable wit.
Soon everyone was calling for them to give speeches. He supposed it was time to get his over with. It was in a foul temper that he rose to his feet.
“Terri and I want to thank everyone for being here to share this day with us. For a woman who’s terrified of mummies, I have to admit I’m shocked she agreed to marry me.”
The room exploded with laughter.
“She was there for me throughout my ordeal in the hospital. In the dark hours of the night while she came up with astonishing ways to entertain me, I realized I wanted her in my life for good.
“As most of you know, I’ve never had a wife or a private secretary. By some miracle, I now have both. They’re seated at my side. Terri? Stand up and say something to the crowd. They’re sick of me.”
Everyone clapped and cheered.
Inside, Terri was dying. There’d been no mention of love in Ben’s short speech. She’d had no right to expect it. What a fool she was for wanting something so totally out of reach.
If she were wise, she would be thankful for what he could freely give her and make the best of it. He wanted a secretary? She’d give him more than he bargained for.
Terri pushed herself away from the table and stood up.
“I’m afraid my poor husband doesn’t know that every woman who’s a wife, is already a private secretary.”
The females in the room broke into laughter first. Then there was clapping. She waited until it quieted down.
“For my first order of business, I’m eliminating that title and creating a new one. From now on I’ll be officially known on the Atlantis as the new head of the chamber of commerce. That is, if it’s all right with my husband.” She looked around at him, intercepting his enigmatic gaze.