The Tycoon's Proposition

“Where are you?”

Something was definitely wrong.

“Home.”

“Oh—I didn’t realize you’d get through your work so fast.”

So fast? It was after ten. He sucked in his breath. “How much longer do you think you’ll be?”

“I—I’m not sure.”

She was being so evasive, it scared the hell out of him. His brows knit together. “Do you want me to come where you are?”

“No— I mean—now that you’re at the condo, you need to get to sleep. I’ll be home when I can.”

“What’s wrong?” He’d had all he could take.

“I’ll explain later.”

“Where are you, Terri?”

Her eyes closed tightly. She’d alarmed her husband when it was absolutely the last thing she’d wanted to do.

It had been her intention to tell him about Juanita. Just not tonight, not on the eve of the embarkment he’d been looking forward to for years!

He had the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. To worry him about anything else was killing her, but there was no help for it. When a baby decided to enter the world, it didn’t check to see if it was convenient.

“I’m at the hospital w—”

“Lord—”

“Ben— I’m all right!” she cried, but the line had gone dead.

Oh, no.

Knowing she could expect her husband to arrive any minute, she left the waiting room and went out in the hall to the elevator. While she watched for him, she reproached herself over and over again for keeping silent about Juanita.

After the wedding, she should have told Ben what Captain Ortiz had said to her in the wedding line—that Juanita had been trying to get in touch with her because she was in trouble.

This was yet another example of Terri trying to keep problems away from her husband and fix one for someone else at the same time. Only it had backfired in a way she was afraid he wouldn’t be able to forgive.

She heard the ping of the elevator. “Ben!” she cried as her husband emerged with an anxiety-ridden face.

He took one look at her and suddenly she was in his arms, sling and all. “Thank God.” His voice sounded so shaken, it was a revelation to her.

“You hung up before I could tell you I wasn’t the patient,” she whispered into his neck.

Afraid she might lose control and pull his head down so she could kiss him, she backed out of his arms. Maybe it was her imagination, but he seemed reluctant to let her go.

She noticed his chest rise and fall sharply, as if he were trying to catch his breath. “What happened?”

“It’s a long story, but I’d rather tell you about it when we’re back in the condo.”

“Who was hurt?”

Terri moistened her lips nervously. “It’s Juanita Rosario.”

His expression underwent another alteration. She saw that his eyes had darkened. “What’s she doing on the Atlantis?”