The Tycoon's Proposition

“Help me decide where to hang these.” She’d pulled out four poster-size framed photographs of the various tourist attractions in and around the Black Hills. She handed him the top one to hang over her desk.

“Hey, I’ve been to Mount Rushmore. It’s amazing.”

“It is.”

“A couple of my buddies visited it while we were in Sturges for the motorcycle confab.”

She flicked him a surprised glance. “You ride a Harley?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ve got it on board. Whenever we get shore leave, I plan to ride it around.”

“Then you’re going to like this.” The next picture was a well-known photograph of motorcycle riders in their sunglasses, head scarves and leathers driving through Sturges. One of the Hell’s Angels had autographed it for her.

John went crazy over it. She knew enough about guys who were into cycles to know they had an intense love affair with their bikes.

“I once had a boyfriend who owned a Harley,” she confessed. “My parents never knew he let me take it for rides. There was this old track nobody used. I got good enough on it that I was thinking of buying one myself. He used to call me his Mama!”

“Yeah?” His eyes blazed with new interest. He finished tapping a nail into the wall over the love seat so he could hang it. When he was through, he stepped back, admiring it with satisfaction.

Then he looked at her. “Maybe you’d like to ride on the back of mine? I could take you places you’d never get to see by car.”

“That’s an interesting offer,” came a deep male voice from behind them.

They both whipped around at the same time.

“Ben—”

Her heart pounded with excitement every time her husband came near. In his ship whites, his looks were so appealing, there wasn’t a man anywhere to compare to him.

Unfortunately his expression revealed no emotion at all. He just stood there staring at the two of them through shuttered lids.

“Mr. Herrick,” John greeted him. “Congratulations on your marriage.”

“Thank you, Mr. Reagan.”

The negative tension coming from her husband made Terri uneasy. “John was kind enough to help me unpack and get situated.”

“It looks like he beat me to it.”

The younger man smiled. “I didn’t have anything else to do. May I say it’s a pleasure to have your wife on board.”

“I dare say you’ve seen more of my bride than I have.”

Uh-oh. If Terri didn’t know better, she would think her husband was jealous. But he couldn’t be!

Ben’s piercing gaze flicked to hers. “Since there’s nothing more to be done here, shall we check on the new baby before dinner, or did you both do that already?

“No,” she said in a quiet voice. He was angry.

John must have sensed it because he looked at his watch. “I had no idea of the time. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mrs. Herrick.”

“Don’t forget your toolbox.”

“I almost forgot.” He put his things away and shut it. “Thanks.” As he passed her husband, he nodded to him before disappearing out the door.

Ben stood there like a piece of impenetrable wood.

“What do you think?” she asked in the brightest voice she could muster.