Billionaire Wolf. Karen Whiddon

vacation.

      Except, as the days went on, he still couldn’t make himself stop thinking about her. And the fact that she’d wanted him, too, made it even worse. The kind of attraction that had sizzled between them kept him in a state of constant arousal.

      The first week after her rejection, he went for lonely walks on the beach, telling himself he enjoyed the solitude. To keep from being recognized, he made various attempts at wearing a disguise. Mostly he wore a baseball cap, and once he even wore a long wig that made his head itch ten minutes in. With sunglasses, he figured this would be enough of a disguise to keep him from being recognized.

      And it was. Strangely enough, the paparazzi seemed to have disappeared. Maybe they’d found other, more interesting people to follow, Ryan didn’t know. At least Maria had gotten her wish.

      On the weekend of the second week, he found himself back at the Sea Dragon nightclub. Taking a deep breath, he went inside, unable to keep from hoping Maria might be there. If he could get her to talk to him, maybe she’d give him a second chance. He’d come up with a plan so simple he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it earlier.

      But though he searched the crowd, she wasn’t anywhere to be found. He drank his beer slowly, keeping an eye on the entrance in case she came in, but eventually he admitted defeat. The repetitive noise had given him a headache, so he hurried back outside, down the concrete seawall and back to the sand. There, he breathed a sigh of relief, briefly considering kicking off his flip-flops but keeping them on, instead, when he realized even this made him think of Maria Miranda.

      What the heck had happened to him? He hadn’t come to Galveston looking for a hookup, but then he hadn’t expected to see a woman as gorgeous as Maria. Not only that. There was something else about her, an elusive quality that fueled his need to explore all her secrets. Though he hated to admit it, the attraction seemed to be more than simply because he found her beautiful. Which so wasn’t like him. He preferred his life uncomplicated, without attachments or ties. Work and play, nothing serious. Ever.

      Because he enjoyed his own company, he never got lonely; in fact, part of the appeal in coming to Galveston had been the idea of complete privacy. But since meeting her, he felt her absence keenly, as if they’d been together for years rather than hours. Which made no sense whatsoever. Especially since he had no faith in intangibles like destiny or fate.

      The ocean soothed him, however temporarily. Since buying the beach house, he’d learned how much he loved the gulf. He’d expected to find the solitude relaxing, the salt-scented air healing. What he hadn’t expected was missing a woman he barely knew. Yet he did. Every morning he carried his coffee out to his second-floor porch and watched the sun rise above the water. He ached to have Maria there, to turn to her and draw her close to him, to talk to her about trivial, everyday things. As if they’d been together forever.

      While he didn’t claim to understand how this could be so, he knew enough to recognize something wonderful when it came his way.

      The longer he walked, while the surf roared ashore in the background, the more focused he became. Once he’d cleared his head, he did what he always did when he wanted something. Figured out the best way to go after it.

      Ryan Howard hadn’t become a successful businessman by giving up. He had to convince Maria to give them a chance, at least, and see what this thing between them could become.

      He’d call her instead of showing up in person. Hopefully she’d find that less threatening.

      The next morning, he took his morning jog and swam in the ocean, then returned to his beach house to shower. Once he’d dressed, he made a cup of coffee and carried it out onto his patio. There, he relaxed and let the sun and the sounds of the crashing waves and screeching seagulls fill him. When he judged the time had come for a wedding chapel to be open, he searched for the number online and called.

      As soon as he told the woman who answered the phone his name, she became flustered. “Let me see if M-Mizz Miranda is available,” she stuttered. When she placed him on hold, the overly sweet and sappy romantic music made him smile. Perfect for a wedding chapel.

      Unfortunately, instead of Maria, the receptionist returned to the line. “I’m sorry, Ms. Miranda is not available right now,” she said, sounding regretful and slightly puzzled. “May I take a message?”

      Since he knew if he simply left his number, he’d never hear from Maria, he decided to leave a detailed message instead. “Do you have a pen and paper?” he asked. When she replied in the affirmative, he took a deep breath. “Then write this down. The other night when we met, we had an instant connection. I felt it and I know you did, too. I’m sorry the paparazzi ruined what might have been something beautiful. I’m asking for one more chance. Just one. No cameras, no reporters, just us. One night, the water, the stars, and us. Don’t take the risk of losing what could turn out to be something special. Call me, please.” And he left his number.

      Sounding awestruck, the receptionist promised to pass the message on.

      Satisfied that he’d done all he could, Ryan ended the call. He’d told her the truth, from his heart, and come as close to begging as he ever had.

      His phone rang a half hour later. Maria. Unbelievably, his heart skipped a beat from pure joy.

      “What are you doing, Ryan?” Exasperation colored Maria’s voice. “You know as well as I do that we didn’t have any kind of magical connection....”

      “What would you call it then?” He found himself grinning.

      “Sexual attraction,” she drawled, the erotic rasp in her voice making his blood heat. “I wanted you, you wanted me, and if I hadn’t found out who you were, we’d have spent a couple of days in bed and gotten that out of our system once and for all. Then I’d never have heard from you again. I’m well aware of how that works.”

      “You wound me,” he teased, even though he knew she was probably right. Such had been his previous method of operating. “But I honestly still think that spark is worth exploring. Give me one more chance.”

      The silence stretched on for so long he wondered if she’d set the phone down.

      “Maria?” he prompted.

      “I’m thinking.” She sighed. “Giving this the serious consideration it deserves.”

      His heart actually skipped another damn beat. At least she hadn’t immediately brushed him off.

      “Ryan, I’m sorry,” she began. “While I agree the sparks flying between us were combustible, I’m not the type of person who can live her life in the spotlight. Nor am I content with being one of many. So my answer is—regretfully—no.”

      “Wait, don’t go.” Talking rapidly, as he sensed she was about to hang up, he outlined his plan. “Just us and the water. No one will be able to interrupt us.”

      Again she went silent while she considered. When she spoke, the hint of interest in her voice told him she would agree. “For how long?” she asked. “Are you talking a few hours or an entire day?”

      Though he originally had planned for one night, he realized he wanted more than hours. “This weekend,” he said. “Saturday and Sunday. Just the two of us.”

      “I can’t. The weekends are the busiest time for me at work. I could do Monday, if we come back Tuesday.”

      He’d take what he could get. “Sounds perfect. Meet me at the marina at 7:00 a.m. Monday morning. And, Maria? Pack light.”

      * * *

      Hanging up the phone, Maria wondered what she’d just impulsively agreed to do. Ryan had been right about one thing. The chemistry between them had been fantastic.

      She hadn’t actually ever met a man who made her melt like that. Try as she might, she hadn’t managed to get him out of her head, even though the better part of two weeks had passed.

      She felt a twinge of guilt. She had been given an important task and