On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

afternoon, but he'd thought they'd have a few more hours together. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to talk to her, at least to say goodbye. What a strange feeling that was. He was used to leaving first, to avoiding morning-after conversations, but this time Ria had beat him to the door, and he didn't like it.
    He flopped back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. Memories of the night before flashed through his mind. The heat between them had burned all night long. It had been a long time since he'd felt—swept away. He'd always been one to over-think, over-analyze, but last night his body had completely taken over. He hadn't given one thought to what would happen next, until now.
    Now , it was obvious nothing would happen. Ria was gone. He should be happy about that. No goodbyes, no messy emotional scenes, no promises to call or keep in touch. It was in actuality the perfect morning after a one-night stand. The only problem was that he didn't want it to be over yet.
    He told himself it was better this way. He was starting his new job on Tuesday, a job thousands of miles away from this island. The next phase of his life was about to begin, and he needed to be looking forward instead of backward.
    Getting up, he headed to the bathroom and took a long shower, trying to drive Ria out of his head. But as he soaped up, all he could think about was the way she'd touched him, kissed him, smiled at him, and cried out his name as they'd climaxed together.
    Damn! He turned the water temperature to cold and stayed under the spray until he was freezing. Then he stepped out of the shower, dried off and got dressed. He threw the rest of his clothes into the duffel bag and glanced around the cottage to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind.
    He couldn't shake the feeling that what he was leaving behind was the one and only woman who'd touched his soul, and he didn't even know her last name.
    Was he just going to walk away?
    The question ran around and around in his head.
    He finally came up with an answer— no .
    He had a few hours before his plane left. He would find her, talk to her, maybe get her phone number. Walking outside, he paused, realizing he didn't know where she lived, and the bar/restaurant where she worked didn't open until lunchtime.
    Then he remembered that she'd told him she was taking out a boat charter in the morning. He felt marginally better realizing that she'd left early to go to work. Someone at the marina would be able to help him find her, or at least tell him when she'd be back.
    The dock was only a short walk away. Colorful sailboats and well-worn fishing boats filled the slips. In the distance was an enormous luxury yacht. He wondered who that belonged to—someone with a lot of money. Probably one of the people who lived in the mountain top mansions that he'd noticed while bodysurfing the previous day. It would be nice to have enough money to have a home on an island. He didn't see that in his future.
    Near the entrance to the pier was a small building with a sign that read Sea Charters.
    He entered the building and stepped up to the counter. A young Hispanic man with a nametag that read Juan greeted him with a friendly smile.
    "Hola, Señor. How can I help you?" Juan asked.
    "I'm looking for a woman. Her name is Ria. Do you know her?"
    "Si," Juan said with a nod. "Ria is a beautiful girl, very popular with the customers."
    "Do you know when she'll be back?"
    Juan glanced down at the large calendar on the counter. "A few hours. I have other guides available if you want to go out."
    "No," he said, tapping his fingers restlessly on the counter.
    So that was that. Ria was out on the ocean and probably wouldn't be back before he had to catch his plane.
    "Do you want me to give her a message for you?" Juan asked, a curious gleam in his eyes.
    Drew thought about that for a moment, then shook his head. What the hell was he doing? It was a hook-up. That's all. He needed to let it be.
    "No, thanks."
    As he walked out of the office, a thunderous boom lit up the air, rocking the ground under his feet. He heard a gasp from a group of tourists on the pier. Then the door opened behind him, and Juan rushed out. Together, they looked toward the sea. Over the curve of the nearby hill, they could see smoke racing toward the sky.
    "What was that?" Drew asked.
    "I don't know," Juan said. He ran down the pier toward the Harbormaster's office, and Drew decided to follow.
    A crowd of people