Billionaire Wolf

She sighed. Yet her attraction to him wouldn’t be denied. She probably just needed to get him out of her system. Then she could resume her oh-so-serious search for the father of her children and the rest of her life.

Monday came quickly. To her surprise, Ryan had made no further attempts to contact her after she’d accepted his invitation. Instead of leaving her car at the marina, she had Kathleen take her, swearing her receptionist to secrecy.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be with Ryan Howard,” the older woman said for maybe the third time. “In private, just the two of you, on a yacht.”

Yeah, about that. Maria hadn’t been sure what exactly to expect when Ryan invited her to spend a few days on his yacht. Yachts were different things to different people. For all she knew, he could pilot a perfectly restored 1960s sailboat. She’d been on one of those once and found it spectacularly beautiful. If she could, she’d live on the sea. She loved it more than land.

After they parked, Kathleen wanted to hang around to get a second look at Ryan. Firmly, Maria asked her to go home. “This is a fling,” she said. “Just fun. Don’t be making more of it than it is.”

Kathleen rolled her eyes. “A fling with Ryan Howard is something major, no matter what you think. And I really want to get a look at his boat.”

“No.” And Maria wouldn’t relent. The last thing she needed was Kathleen gushing and building this entire thing up to be something it wasn’t. “Ryan asked for privacy, and that’s what he’s going to get. Now thank you for giving me a ride, but please, go ahead and head back home.”

Though Kathleen grumbled, she did exactly that, though she backed out of her spot with excruciating slowness, no doubt hoping for a glimpse of Maria’s date before she left.

Maria waited until Kathleen’s minivan had disappeared before glancing again at the piece of paper where she’d written the slip number. As she walked out along the dock, she marveled at all the beautiful boats, looking for Ryan’s yacht. Even though any boat could technically be called a yacht, she figured something owned by a multibillionaire would be over the top, ostentatious and possibly gaudy.

Instead, when she reached his slip, she found herself pleasantly surprised. The sleek boat looked brand-new and was probably sixty-five feet long. Just small enough that he could captain it himself without a crew if he wanted, but not so small it couldn’t handle the ocean waves out in open water.

Though she seriously doubted that they’d be leaving the gulf.

“Lazzara LXS 64,” she read. A shiny thing of fiberglass beauty, with huge windows, she figured such a yacht would cost over two million dollars. With her inexplicable need to get closer to the water, boats were her weakness, her hobby, and she never missed a boat show if she could help it. She’d shopped them all, even the yachts like this that she couldn’t afford in a hundred years. That didn’t matter to her. She could always dream.

She’d always loved the sea and anything that got her closer to the waves made her happy. The salt spray, the seagulls, pelicans and, most of all, the whales and dolphins. She loved soaring over the vast expanse of water in her dragon form. Though smaller birds feared her, the huge whales flipped their massive tails at her in reproach or hello as she flew overhead.

As she approached, Ryan appeared from down inside the yacht. “Welcome.” The warmth of his smile started a slow burn inside her.

“This is nice,” she said, meaning it. “I’m assuming you don’t have to employ a crew.”

“No, that’s why I chose this one for this trip,” he told her. “I have a couple of boats, but on those I have to hire a captain and crew. I use those because when I entertain large groups of people I can’t be distracted by piloting the boat. But this time, it’s just going to be the two of us.”

“Even though you might be...distracted?” She couldn’t resist teasing him, loving the way heat instantly darkened his eyes.

“Even so.”

“As long as you’re sure we’ll be safe.” She let her smile widen, even as she raked her gaze boldly over him. “While I have no doubt you are a capable captain, since we’re getting this out of our systems, I plan to be more than a little distracting.”

Something intense flared between them. “No worries.” He sounded confident as he held out a hand. “Come aboard. Would you like a tour?”

She nodded, smiling back. “I’d love one.” Placing her hand in his, she felt a jolt as their bodies connected. She allowed him to pull her up onto his boat, marveling at how, even now, with his hair windblown and wearing an old faded T-shirt and khaki shorts, he managed to appear like a Norse god rather than a rich businessman. Her mouth dry, she fought to keep from saying or doing something stupid.

When she looked up, he stood so close she could feel his body heat. Her heart caught in her throat as all of her senses leaped to life.

“Come on,” he said, his sensual grin telling her he’d guessed her thoughts. “Let me show you the rest.”

Polished teak trim highlighted the handrails, along with the floor in the small den and the cabinetry in the galley and bathroom. Everything was luxuriously appointed, including pewter fixtures and stained-glass light coverings.

The salon had a dark satin wood finished interior with wooden floors and a buttery leather sectional. Along with the 42-inch flat screen TV, she loved the wet bar with Sub-Zero refrigerated drawers. There were pleated fabric shades and a retractable sunroof.

“This looks brand-new,” she mused. “Did you have it built for you?”

“No.” He grinned. “But I did buy it new, even though it’s last year’s model. I’m the first and only owner. The sole owner.”

His infectious pride made her grin back. “I like it,” she announced.

“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet,” he said. “Come with me.”

The helm, which shared deck space with the salon, had a plush seat and a glass instrument panel. The side window opened to allow a view down the side deck. Everything had been trimmed in a rich, dark wood.

“It’s got three staterooms and three heads,” he announced. “Or bathrooms, in case you don’t like the word. The galley has all stainless-steel appliances, a huge refrigerator, a four-burner stove, and even a dishwasher. It’s made for some serious vacationing. Cookware, bakeware, utensils and even knives came standard.”

His pride was infectious.

“You sound like a boat salesman,” she teased.

“This was my first yacht,” he replied, somewhat sheepishly. “While I own a couple, one never forgets the first.”

Touched, she gave in to impulse and leaned in and kissed his jaw. His scent rocked her—sea breezes and spice—all masculine and unlike any man she’d been with before.

Lazily, he turned his head so their lips brushed. He teased her with this slow kiss, promising so much more. When he moved away, she found herself breathless.

He didn’t seem to notice. “I’ll show you the rest of the boat later. You can either wait here or go up on deck. There are some loungers and a table with chairs. I’m going to get this baby started and take us out.”

“I’d like to watch,” she told him. “So I’ll go up. Unless...” Feeling bold, she nudged him with her hip. “I can come stand by you while you steer.”

“Not this time.” His smile took the sting from his words. “You were right. You’re too damn distracting.”

Taking care not to show how thrilling she found his words, she sighed. “All right then. I’ll head out.”

“Great. I’ll let you know when you can join me.”

* * *

Ryan couldn’t tear his eyes from Maria as she strolled away. She wore some sort of shapeless cover-up over what he could tell was a red swimsuit. He could only imagine what the sight of her in a bikini would do to him. Even now, from just a little verbal sparring and a quick kiss, she’d aroused him to the point of pain.

Only once she’d disappeared from his view did he release the breath he’d been holding. Around her, he could hardly function, and he needed all his concentration to get his boat out of the slip and then the harbor.

Going through the motions, he soon had his twin Volvo Penta D-13 engines running. He made short work of unhooking his tie-downs, and soon he had backed out and turned to head in the right direction.

Pleased, he almost wished Maria was beside him, for a celebratory high five or, even better, another kiss.

Just thinking of recapturing her soft lush mouth with his heated his blood. He shook his head, aware he needed to get in control of this insane attraction so he could explore it at his leisure. Until then, it’d be prudent to wait until they’d reached open water before even looking at his beautiful guest.

They motored past the last sandbars, the cranes standing on one leg, the pelicans arching their long necks as they decorated the weathered piers. Taking care to stay out of the way of the larger ships, he pointed his boat toward the open water, feeling free, as he always did when out on the sea.

“Permission to enter?” Maria popped her head in the doorway, her husky voice teasing.

“Sure, come on in.” He made a concentrated effort to not watch her, keeping his gaze fixed on the water outside. “The difficult part is over, now I just play Avoid the Tankers until we’re past all the shipping lanes.”