Chapter Two
Wolf
The woman is gone before I can even blink. One moment, I’m trying to figure out my next move as the incredibly intriguing Audrey Beach gives me a dose of sass, and the next, she disappears. Damn, I’ve never been as infatuated as I feel right in this moment. The woman is all fire and flirtation with a killer smile to top it off. But then, as if I’ve just woken from a great dream I wasn’t in any way ready to leave, she’s swallowed up by a crowd of hurried people.
That gorgeous, long, blonde hair, incredible posture, and confident strut are gone. I stand where I am, unsure of what to do next. There are very few times I don’t have the next ten steps already planned out. But at this moment, I’m standing outside the jetway, trying not to look like a fool, as I scan the massive crowds in the busy Orlando airport.
I’ve only known this woman for a few hours, yet it was enough to make a permanent impression on me. Her magnetic tug shifted me off my feet, and my internal compass is now firmly pointing in her direction. She not only turned me down... but she clearly meant it. Me. She turned me down. What’s even stranger... I like it. I grin at the thought. Not only do I like it... I love it. This woman needs to be chased, and I do love a good race.
“I’m beside myself I’m so shocked.” A familiar voice makes me turn, my grin not faltering the slightest. It’s Monica, one of my favorite flight attendants, who got to witness my humiliation in real time. Monica is in her mid-thirties, sharp as hell, and has worked my flights more times than I can count. She’s earned the right to mock me.
“Okay, get it out,” I tell her with a chuckle.
She flutters her eyelashes, making me roll my eyes. “Our very own Captain Young just crashed and burned,” she says, drawing out each word with far too much delight as she uses hand motions to really bring it home. “It was glorious to behold and something all of us agree should happen a little more often to tame that huge ego of yours.”
I can’t help but laugh again. “It wasn’t exactly a crash,” I assure her.
“Really?” she asks, arching a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “From what I saw, it looked like a full-on tailspin with zero chance of recovery.”
“Nope. It was simply an emergency landing,” I tell her, my grin growing wider. “I’ll lift off again and be soaring high in no time at all.”
Monica laughs as she shakes her head before looking pointedly at the crowded terminal. “You’re going to need a lot more than good luck on that one, Captain. I don’t think that woman is the circle-back type.”
“Nope, I agree with you there. She is, however, the type you chase,” I told her, my name more fitting than ever before. I have my prey in sight, and I’m going to circle her.
Monica gives me a knowing look, her arms crossed over her perfectly pressed uniform. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you chase anyone.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” I assure her.
“I just pray I’m around to see the next showdown,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes. This stops me as I gaze at her.
“You know something. What aren’t you saying?” I demand.
Her eyes sparkle as she gazes at me. My serious tone doesn’t intimidate her in the least. She’s a confident, smart woman, and if she doesn’t want to share something with me, I won’t get it out of her, unlike most people I communicate with who are more than eager to please me.
“I might know some things,” she says.
“What will it take to get this information out of you?”
She laughs. “Your charm doesn’t work on me, Captain.” She holds up her hand where a stunning diamond rests on her finger. She’s married to an incredible man who worships her for good reason. She works as a flight attendant because she loves to fly, and thrives on meeting new people. She doesn’t do it for the small paychecks she receives.
“Come on, I’m already infatuated with this woman. If you have any information that might help, I’ll owe you big time, and I always pay my debts.”
She laughs again. “I’ll just say that I might see her on more than a few flights,” she says. She then turns and walks away. She has the next flight to prepare for. My heart thuds. She might not have shared much, but from what she said, this means Audrey’s a frequent flyer, and it appears her preferred airline is mine. This just keeps on getting better.
I start to move through the crowd, my head turning as I try to spot Audrey, hoping she might’ve stopped for coffee or food before heading out of the airport. I saw her carry-on so the chance she has a checked bag for a short stay is slim.
Kids are screaming as frazzled parents try to keep them in sight. There are the usual mix of tired businesspeople and clueless tourists, along with frequent flyers, all pushing through the crowded aisles as they come and go, as they do every hour of every day. This airport sports more Mickey Mouse ears than Disneyland itself, and you can usually tell if someone’s coming or going by the twinkle in their eyes. The beginning of the trip is a lot different than the end.
I take my time strolling toward baggage claim, not that I have anything to pick up myself. I always travel light so I can move as quickly as possible. I have my carry-on filled with my passport, toiletry bag, a few changes of clothes, and my phone. I don’t need much more than that. I don’t expect to find Audrey, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up so quickly today.
I reach the baggage claim area and look around, disappointed when the carousel is spitting out the last of the bags, and there’s no sight of Audrey. I’m not surprised, but I did have a slight hope. I can get her information, but if I make this too easy, I lose the appeal of the hunt.
I move to the exit as my phone buzzes, answering before looking at who’s calling. If it’s someone I don’t want to speak to, there’s a nice big red end button I can push.
“Talk to me.”
“Really? That’s how you answer the phone now?” My brother Drake’s voice fills my ear, full of his usual laid-back charm. “You sound distracted and grumpy.”
“I could use a nap,” I say.
“Didn’t you just land?”
“Yep.” It feels good to step outside into the eighty-degree heat. Washington isn’t known for its warm weather. Visiting Florida is never a struggle.
“You always nap on flights when you aren’t flying. You call it conserving energy. Jayden and I call it laziness.”
I smirk as I move toward the rental car area. “I didn’t nap this time.”
There’s a brief pause. Then I hear the smile in my brother’s voice as he speaks next. “You sound off. What happened?”
“I never sound off because I’m far too calm and collected,” I quickly say. I’m certainly distracted by thoughts of a stunning blonde, though.
“Did something exciting happen on the flight? Did you need to take down a terrorist?”
“That happened one time, and he wasn’t really a terrorist, just an activist who wanted all air travel to end, and his idea on how to make that happen was to throw open the door at thirty-six thousand feet and plummet to the ground, holding a huge banner saying flying kills.”
“Idiot,” Drake says with a chuckle. “But it sure makes a good story to tell at the bar.”
“I did meet someone on the flight and had a hell of a conversation,” I admit, knowing I’ll most likely regret bringing up Audrey. My brothers are like piranhas, and they won’t stop until everything before them is consumed.
Drake only briefly pauses. “From the confusion in your voice, I take it this someone was a hot woman? Are you ditching the brother-bonding weekend and rushing off to a hotel?”
“Again, that only happened one time,” I say with a laugh. It really does take something pretty spectacular to make me forgo plans, especially for a woman.
“Well, you sound as if you’ve been hit upside that big head of yours with a frying pan, so I need more details,” Drake demands.
I smile. “She spilled red wine on my lap.”
“You don’t seem displeased by this,” Drake says with a chuckle.
“Nope, best thing that’s happened to me in a while. A lot of flirting ensued after.”
“And?” Drake draws out the word, growing impatient with how slowly I’m telling the story.
“We had a great time. She held her own in an impressive way. I asked her out... and she turned me down... then disappeared before I could counter.”
“How did she disappear on the plane?” Drake asks, his delight in me being turned down very evident in his happy tone of voice.
“We’d landed, and she said no thanks and was gone before I could blink.”
“I almost don’t have words,” Drake says with a deep laugh. “Is your ego okay? Do I need to send help STAT? Maybe you should head to medical to have your vitals checked. I don’t know if this has ever happened to you before.”
“Shut up, moron,” I tell him with another shake of my head. I’d be flicking him the same crap if our roles were reversed though.
“Jayden needs in on this.” I hear him hitting keys on his phone, most likely texting in our group chat. Great. Now this will be the topic of the weekend. Why did I open my big mouth? Probably because I’m going to be obsessing about this woman for the entire trip, and one way or the other, they’d get it out of me. It’s better to rip the bandage off right now.
“This woman was different,” I tell him. “I don’t know why, but she’s unique.”
“Well, that explains your confused voice. You really might need to get your head checked. You’re all sorts of dizzy right now.”
“She might’ve told me no, but not in a disinterested voice. She also said she never accepts a first offer.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to find her and extend a second offer,” I say, excited at the prospect of doing just that.
He pauses. “I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever heard you talking about giving a woman a second of anything.”
I’m a bit awed myself. “I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted to before.”
“What information do you have on her?”
“Her name’s Audrey Beach.” I love her name. Of course, I like everything about this woman right now.
“Beach? Sounds like a perfect match of unusual names.”
“I agree.”
“Where’s she staying? Maybe we need to stop in for a drink.”
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“You got her number, right?”
“Nope.”
He pauses again. “What information besides her name did you get?”
“She likes to fly my airline.”
He chuckles. “Sounds like you’re screwed, brother.”
“Nope. I don’t give up that easily.” I’m not at all worried.
“Well, she sure didn’t give you much. Are you sure she’s interested?”
“She’s interested. I saw the spark in her eyes. There was something between us that doesn’t happen too often. I think she wants to be chased as much as I want to go on the hunt.”
Drake chuckles again. “Sounds like you’re getting philosophical. Maybe Jayden’s rubbing off on you.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s always a way,” I say in my most Buddha voice I can muster.
“Well, I’ll get the popcorn going, 'cause I think this is going to be a great show. Any woman who can get Wolf Young on the prowl interests me.”
I reach the rental place and say goodbye. I’m still grinning as I approach the counter, making the woman behind it blush. This is the reaction I’m used to receiving. I flirt, but my heart’s not in it. I do get my keys in record time, though.
By the time I’m heading to my vehicle, I should have Audrey out of my mind, but that’s not the case. She’s at the forefront of my thoughts, and I’m wondering if she’s thinking about me just as much. I want to believe so. What’s a better start to a love story than spilled wine, quick wit, and a wicked smile? Nothing, in my humble opinion.
Most women tend to fall somewhere between curious and eager once I give them my attention. I’m vain enough to know what a catch I am, not that anyone has managed to capture me for longer than a night so far. I’m the model for what men want to be, and I’m well aware of it. I can’t brag about genetics, but I can take credit for my confidence and drive. The fact that Audrey walked away with as much, or more, confidence than I have makes her the most interesting woman I’ve ever met.
I get into my car and throw my bag into the backseat, then slide into the driver’s seat. The familiar hum of the engine grounds me, but my mind’s still 35,000 feet up, stuck in the moment her fingers brushed mine and her laugh filled the cabin.
Audrey didn’t say no because she wasn’t interested. She said no because she is , and she knows her worth and wants to see if I’m man enough to chase her. I respect the hell out of that. She wants to see what I’ll do with the challenge. My grin grows. Challenge accepted. I don’t back off when something matters... and this woman is going to be mine. I don’t normally have patience, but I have zero doubt this woman is worth the wait.