The Billionaire's Baby Bargain(4)

But it hadn’t stopped her from secretly dreaming. And in her fantasies she would bury her head on her lover’s shoulder while riding through the streets of Spain on his motorcycle. Sip sangrias while watching the sunset together. Be serenaded by him while he played the Spanish guitar.

She’d never expected him. This arrogant stranger on a moonlit beach, wooing her with a kiss and then expecting her to hop into his bed.

It wasn’t as if other Spanish men hadn’t tried to seduce her. If there was one thing she’d learned about the men here, it was that they loved to flirt. At first it’d been rather charming, but over the weeks, the novelty had faded. And none of the men had ever made her pulse race or her knees weaken with a look.

Until tonight.

At the return of the butterflies in her stomach, she pushed aside any silly romantic ideals. Yes, tonight, you fool. Under a palm tree with a guest who’d likely drunk too much and decided to kiss the first woman who came across his path.

She stumbled in the sand. Really, what kind of overly confident, self-entitled man just hauled off and kissed a woman? Then assumed she’d jump at the opportunity to go up to his room?

One who rarely gets told no. And he’d admitted it so matter-of-factly. Dangerous. Oh, yes, the man on the path was wickedly dangerous. And wickedly handsome.

A hot shiver raced through her blood. She remembered the feel of his hands on her arms. His breath mingling with hers just before he’d kissed her—

She needed to stop thinking about it. There was no time for a romance anyway. Most of her time this summer had been spent working like a dog.

She spotted her group of friends up ahead and waved in greeting, shoving aside the thought of random moonlit kisses by sexy Spanish men.



From the twentieth floor of his hotel, Andrés stared out the window of his lush office down at the sprawling beach below. He told himself he wasn’t searching for her, but still he watched the shadows for the silhouette of the curvy blonde who’d amazingly turned him down.

He leaned back in the leather office chair, twirling a pen between his fingers while he stared outside. What was it about Chloe that made him want her so swiftly? So intensely? Could it be so simple as her rejection? But no, he’d wanted her prior to that unfortunate occurrence.

Chloe had fled as if he were the big bad wolf, about to devour her. Though perhaps the girl was smart, because his intentions were indeed something along those lines.

His mouth twitched. He turned his chair and focused his attention on the file in front of him once more. The figures showed the net profits for Diablo’s Paraíso had increased by nearly twenty-five percent in the last six months, and his Valencia resort was quickly becoming one of the most popular of his European locations.

Apparently his decision to hire Estella Martinez had been a wise one. The divorcee was as astute as she was beautiful. Though it was for her qualifications, not her looks, that he’d hired her…even if he sensed the woman might want more than just a business relationship between them. Fortunately, there was no attraction on his part, and even if there were, he would not be so unintelligent as to act on it.

Andrés closed the file and stared out the window once more, restlessness prickling under his skin. It was getting late in the evening, and the beach was less crowded than it had been a couple of hours ago.

Once again his mind slipped to Chloe. The softness of her mouth beneath his and the seductively feminine response she’d had while in his arms.

“Basta.” He shook his head and stood up from his chair. No woman deserved to occupy this many of his thoughts.

A cold shower would rid her from his mind. Or no, perhaps a vigorous swim in the Mediterranean. It was always a failsafe to eradicate unwanted stress.

With a growing determination, he set off to the penthouse to change.



Chloe squeezed a bit more ocean water from her hair as she walked back to the resort on the moonlit beach. She inhaled the salty air and shivered, the gentle breeze caressing her damp skin.

Her friends had protested her leaving so soon, but she’d explained having to wake up early to be at work in the morning. To which they’d bemoaned what a tyrant Estella Martinez was. They were always quick to point out how the resort used to be a wonderful place to work until she took over managing it. And from everything Chloe had seen about the woman, she could well believe it.

Smothering a yawn, Chloe winced at the thought of another long day tomorrow.

The swim had been invigorating after her long shift, but she’d skipped the alcohol the rest of the group had been indulging in. She rarely drank, and Chloe knew if she’d taken a sip of the sangria she’d just grow more tired. And her mind was still fuzzy from that sensual moment earlier with the handsome stranger.