Кристи Голд – The Millionaire's Cinderella: Renegade Millionaire / Billionaire Bachelors: Gray / Her Convenient Millionaire (страница 13)
She draped her arms around his neck and sent her hands through his silky dark hair to explore. The kiss deepened, wild and needy, hungry and desperate. Desire advanced and her concerns retreated. Under Rio Madrid’s expert guidance, she forgot to be afraid to want.
Rio was suddenly moving, taking her with him, leading her to who knew where. Perhaps a dreamland of his own making, like the mythical god he had spoken of, a sun god creating a firebrand with his mouth moving softly yet firmly against hers. She instinctively knew that he could take her places she’d never been before, if she allowed him.
He spun her around and backed her up without breaking the kiss. The edge of a table nudged her hip, the pool table, she decided, not that it mattered. The only thing that mattered was Rio and what he was doing to her body and her brain.
His lips drifted down the column of her throat, leaving a wet tingling path in their wake. His hand came to rest on the placket of her blouse, causing Joanna’s heart to beat in a crazy cadence. He slipped the buttons with ease, allowing a cool draft of air to caress her heated skin. But the heat came back when his lips floated over the rise of her breasts.
Joanna laid her hands on his bent head, lost in the feel of his mouth on her skin, the deep, damp heat settling between her thighs.
He lifted his head and studied her with a potent golden gaze.
She couldn’t deny that she wanted him. She wanted this, wanted more, even though she shouldn’t. “Yes.”
She understood the Spanish, but not his request. “What?”
“Say my name.”
But she did need this physical contact, to be desired as a woman. To satisfy cravings that had long been missing from her life. To forget herself in the arms of a man whose name meant “river.” A man as seductive as dark waters, his lure a strong current promising to carry her away into uncharted territory.
She hesitated a moment longer, searching his eyes for a reason to stop. She saw only questions, then disappointment before he turned away from her.
Hands fisted at his sides, he muttered, “I promised myself I wouldn’t do this.”
Joanna clasped her shirt closed. “Do what?”
“Push you.”
“You didn’t push me. I let it happen.”
He finally turned to her. “You’re not ready.”
She’d certainly felt ready. More than ready, and willing. “How can you say that?”
“Because you can’t say my name. I’ll be damned if I make love to a woman who calls me ‘doctor.’”
Her gaping shirt forgotten, she braced her hands on her hips. “
His gaze went to her exposed bra and a half smile curled the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, you said it, but not like you meant it.”
He was driving her to distraction, making her insane. “I don’t understand this at all.”
“You understand it. You won’t acknowledge it.”
She redid her blouse with shaking fingers. “Forget it. This was a mistake anyway. All of it.”
“Is it,
Her eyes snapped from the buttons to him. “I’m not your lover, remember?”
His smile disappeared, making way for a look that could dissolve the pool table behind her. “You will be, Joanna. When you’re ready.”
She hugged her arms to her middle. “You’re mighty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
He folded his arms across his chest, his face an unreadable mask. “You can lie to yourself. You can pretend that nothing’s going on between us. But I can’t lie. I know how I feel when I’m holding you, and it’s not just minor affection.”
Why, oh, why hadn’t she stayed home New Year’s Eve? Stayed in her wretched apartment? She’d been comfortable with her existence, her celibacy, her choices. Why did
The shrill of the phone startled Joanna and caused her to physically jump.
Rio grabbed up the cordless phone. “Dr. Madrid.” He paced with his back to Joanna. After a time, he said, “Okay, I’m on my way.”
He replaced his phone on the charger and turned. “I’ve got to go into the hospital.”
Already she was missing him, and she hated that. “I thought you weren’t on call.”
“I’m not, but this is a special case. First baby. She’s sixteen, scared. Her boyfriend didn’t stick around. She wants me to deliver.”
Her admiration for him increased more than she thought possible. “I guess she needs you.”
“Yeah. Nice to know someone does now and then.” He sounded almost sad, as alone as Joanna felt much of the time.
He stopped in the doorway. “Make yourself at home. There’s a casserole in the fridge you can heat up for dinner. My housekeeper left it for me.”
“I’ll make do.” She needed to say something, but she wasn’t sure what. “Rio?” The word rolled easily off her tongue.
His smile appeared, slowly. A satisfied smile. “Yeah?”
“Since this is a first baby, you might be a while, so I just wanted to say goodnight and thanks for everything. I hope you get some sleep.”
He braced one hip against the door frame and released a mirthless laugh. “Sleep? Not in a million years.”
Five
Joanna couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was the strange house, the strange bed, the knowledge that she was all alone again.
Since retiring for the night, she had listened carefully for the sound of Rio’s return but hadn’t heard a thing, even from Gabby who was still outside, as far as she knew. Of course, Gabby didn’t strike her as being much of a watchdog.
Joanna had gone to her room following a meager dinner of tuna casserole and an hour spent watching some inane sitcom. Now she sat in bed and tried to read materials to prepare for a continuing-education course she was due to take in the spring. She quickly abandoned that for a glitzy magazine heralding the breakups of rich and indulgent celebrities. Tiring of that, she tossed the magazine aside and stared at the ceiling.
Maybe if she took another shower, she might relax. A hot bath…The hot tub? Well, that was an option. Since Rio was gone, she could hide away in there without notice. But what if he came home? Gabby would warn her, hopefully giving her enough time to sneak back inside.
Joanna rose from the bed and rummaged in the dresser for the only swimsuit she owned. It was black, basic, the only thing daring about it came in the form of sheer netting that covered the midriff but revealed little more than a hint of flesh.
After donning the suit, she retrieved an oversize towel from the linen closet and padded down the stairs. Just to be on the safe side, she tiptoed to Rio’s room. The door was partially open and it creaked when she gave it a push. Her heart jumped, but thankfully she found the king-size bed still made, its owner absent. She took a chance and snapped on the light for a better look.
The bedroom was without embellishments, masculine, from the heavy pine bed covered in a black and gold spread to the posh tan carpeting. Several artifacts were set out on the tables in a small sitting area to her right, clay pots of every shape and size, a few polished stones, some small sculptures. On the wall over the black marble fireplace’s mantel hung an odd-looking calendar sporting a moon, stars and the sun. Yet the enticing scent exclusive to Rio appealed to her most of all.
Feeling nervous over invading his privacy, Joanna retreated out of the room and started down the stairs and into the backyard. The night was moonless, cold, and she almost reconsidered, but she’d already come this far, no use turning back now. After her eyes adjusted to the limited light, she headed for the hot tub, pulling up short a few feet away when she caught sight of the dark, imposing figure cast in shadows spilling across the water’s surface.
Joanna saw a chance at escape until Gabby whined from her perch on the ground near the steps that led to the tub.
“Looks like you and I had the same idea.”
His deep voice stopped Joanna’s departure, nearly stopped her heart. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought this might help me relax.” She was anything but relaxed at the moment. “But since you’re—”
“There’s plenty of room for us both.”
Even if the tub spanned the length of the yard, she doubted there would be enough room for her and Rio Madrid, together. Not if she wanted to keep her guard up, her head on straight and her clothes on.
“Join me,” he said in a seductive voice that promised untold pleasure. “The water’s great.”
The water wasn’t her main concern at the moment. Rio’s unexpected presence was. Did she dare join him?
She was afraid to move forward, afraid to move at all. She could do this, act like an adult, not some flighty, smitten teenager. Stay for a little while. Only a little while.