The Millionaire's Cinderella

How could he sound so certain? “Why would you want to do this for me?”

“Because I’m worried about your safety.”

She shook her head. “But I hardly have enough money to pay my rent here. My mother lives on a fixed income and I have to send money for my son. I have all these bills, thanks to my ex, and then—”

“You could pay me in other ways, nonmonetarily speaking.”

Of all the nerve. “I will not be your—”

“Let me rephrase that. Do you cook?”

The man was frustrating her beyond belief, not to mention making her seriously consider his offer. “I’ve been known to prepare a meal or two.”

“I’d like that every now and then. It beats canned pasta and frozen dinners.”

Joanna fought the urge to say yes. Fought the allure of his tempting topaz eyes and renegade’s smile. Fought her own needs and desires making themselves known for the first time in ages. She couldn’t very well see him on a daily basis and keep all of that need out of the mix.

“Again, I really do appreciate the offer,” she said. “But I can’t accept.”

Reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, he withdrew a photo and handed it to her. “If you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for him.”

Joanna stared at the picture of Joseph for a long moment, the one she thought she’d lost, shock momentarily robbing her of her voice. “Where did you find it?”

“On the ballroom floor. I saw it fall, but by the time I got to it, you were gone.”

Joanna held the snapshot close to her heart, so very thankful for its return. She had many pictures of her son, but this one was her favorite. She met Rio’s eyes and found compassion there. “I owe you a lot for this.”

“You owe your son, Joanna. He deserves to have his mother safe and secure until you two can be together again. I’m giving you that opportunity.”

He was giving her too much food for thought, too much logic. She should resent him for using Joseph to confuse her, but she also knew that what he’d said was true.

She surveyed her son’s innocent eyes, his sweet smile, and suddenly felt as though the choice had been made for her.

Joanna raised her eyes to Rio Madrid’s, finding herself victim to his charismatic pull, as if he alone held the power to bend her will. Bend her battered heart. She could not, would not, allow that to happen.

“I’ll consider your offer, but if I decide to say yes, it will be for my son.”

Never for herself.

Three

She hadn’t said yes, but she hadn’t said no either, the reason why Rio decided to broach the subject again with Joanna Blake first thing this morning, as soon as he could get away from the hospital.

The night before she had allowed him to stay only long enough for the downstairs commotion to end with several young punks being hauled off in police cars. He’d offered to sleep on her couch, only to learn the couch was her bed. That fact hadn’t made him rescind the offer, but Joanna had adamantly refused. At least her car had started, and she’d seemed to be grateful for that. He hadn’t tried to take advantage of that gratitude by kissing her again. But he’d wanted to. He still did.

More important, her welfare was at stake. Her stubborn pride could get her hurt, or worse. He didn’t intend to let that happen, if he could convince her to move in with him.

He also wasn’t stupid enough to deny that he wanted her, but he wouldn’t push. Once they spent more time together, who knew what might happen? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.

After making his morning rounds, Rio set off for the birthing center on foot, the weather as crisp and clear as a new dollar bill. He enjoyed the walk past the small family businesses that hadn’t been taken over by hospital expansion. Enjoyed the sun on his face, the cool air filling his lungs, the prospect of seeing Joanna Blake again. On that thought, he hastened his steps until he was almost jogging for the last two of the five blocks.

Once he reached the white brick building with the high-pitched roofline, he paused to catch his breath in front of the pillar that read, Edna P. Waterston Birthing Clinic. He wondered about Edna and figured she was probably a midwife or some rich matriarch who wanted something to remember her by. If not for Joanna Blake, he’d never step foot in a place like this. Too many sorry memories to deal with.

Rio entered the glass door, surprised by the pleasant surroundings. The waiting room was warm and comfortable, nice blue-and-green-plaid couches, contemporary art, gleaming hardwood floors with various plants set out here and there. Soft music filtered through overhead speakers, while a few small children played in a toy-filled area under the watchful eyes of their mothers.

He wasn’t sure what he’d pictured, but this wasn’t it. Maybe he’d expected something more outdated, a throwback to a time and place in his past when standard medical care for pregnant women wasn’t always an option. The type of surroundings he’d witnessed as a teenager when he’d helped his mother tend to women who couldn’t afford anything but a home birth. Bad memories of unsterile conditions, one very sick mother, his own mother utilizing primitive training passed down to her from previous generations. One dark night when her limited skills had failed her and the young woman in her care.

Rio pushed away the recollections and ignored the curious stares as he strode to the reception desk framed by a large opening unencumbered by glass. A young woman sitting behind the counter sent him a sunny smile. “May I help you?”

He looked over her head and searched behind her toward the hallway to the left, attempting to see if he could spot Joanna. He wasn’t successful. “I’m looking for Ms. Blake. Is she in?”

“Yes, sir, she is. Do you have an appointment?”

He considered giving her his name but realized if Joanna knew he’d come to pay her a visit, she might not see him. “It’s personal.”

“Can I have your name, please?”

Damn.

He sent her his best grin. “It’s a surprise visit.”

One hand went to her throat, but her smile remained intact. “Well, I’m not sure Joanna would like that kind of surprise.”

Rio couldn’t argue that. “Just tell her I’m a doctor from Memorial, okay? That’s all she needs to know.”

She chewed her bottom lip. “I’m not really sure…”

He leaned into the counter and sought out her name from the badge pinned on her lapel. “I’d really appreciate it if you would, Stephanie.”

Keeping her eyes locked on Rio, the woman picked up the phone, punched a button and slowly repeated the message. After she hung up, she said, “Wait right here. She’ll be with you in a minute.” The receptionist stacked a few folders then regarded him again with another smile. “So, what kind of doctor are you?”

“OB.”

She leaned a cheek on her palm and gave him a coy look. “Really?”

“Yeah. Really.” She was flirting with him. Maybe some other time, Rio might have flirted back. But the only woman he was interested in at the moment had yet to appear.

He heard the familiar sound of Joanna Blake’s voice, soft and soothing, deadly as far as he was concerned. Knowing she was nearby had his body reacting in ways not appropriate for a grown man, especially in this setting.

The door to his left opened and a very pregnant woman walked out with Joanna following behind. He immediately recognized the patient. Allison Cartwright, his patient.

Rio didn’t know who looked more shocked, Allison or Joanna. Both stared at him a long moment, but Allison spoke first. “Hi, Dr. Madrid. Fancy meeting you here.”

He couldn’t ignore the sudden flash of anger. “Guess I could say the same thing. What are you doing here?”

She raised one shoulder in a shrug. “Now don’t get upset. I’m just visiting. Joanna was explaining the center’s birthing methods to me.”

“No problem,” he said, but it was, at least for him. Rio leveled his gaze on Joanna. “Do you have a minute, Ms. Blake?”

“I’m leaving, so she does,” Allison answered for her, then hurried out the front door in a matter of seconds.

“What can I do for you, Dr. Madrid?” Joanna’s tone was professional, with only a hint of friendliness.

He glanced back over his shoulder at Stephanie, who still continued to stare, then turned his smile on Joanna. “You don’t really want to discuss that here, do you, Ms. Blake?”

Color splashed across Joanna’s cheeks as she held open the door leading from the reception area. “Follow me, but I only have a few minutes.”

“That’s all I need,” he said. “For now.”

So much for not pushing. If he knew what was best, he’d stop with the innuendo. But for some reason, Joanna Blake unearthed his wicked side, trampled his control.

He followed her down the corridor, watching the gentle sway of her hips encased in black slacks, not jeans, but just as high impact.

“All the exam rooms are full, so this will have to do.” She stopped at a room set off in another alcove away from the main corridor, stepped to one side and allowed Rio to enter.

The place resembled something straight out of a bedand-breakfast inn, complete with a queen-size bed, rocking chair and redbrick fireplace. He found the decor to be surprisingly elegant, all flowers and lace, reminding him of his own home’s attic room, the one he’d offered to Joanna Blake, the reason why he was here. But first, he had a few other questions for her.

“What was Allison Cartwright doing here?”

“She’s considering using the center instead of the hospital.”

“Why?”

“Well, she’s still on probation at her new job, so she has no insurance, and she can’t really afford the hospital bill.”

“What about the baby’s father?”

“She told me he’s out of the picture.”

“The same thing she told me.” His thoughts about Allison began to falter when he homed in on Joanna’s mouth. Why the hell couldn’t he keep his eyes off her?

Glancing away, he said, “I’m sure the hospital would be willing to work something out financially. I’d be willing to do the same.”

Joanna frowned. “That’s for her to decide, don’t you agree?”

“We’ll see,” he said, thinking he sounded like a jerk. He wasn’t necessarily opposed to what Joanna Blake did for a living. He even understood the need in some cases. But he still couldn’t get past his concern for babies being born off hospital premises, although he had to admit the place wasn’t anything at all like what he’d expected.

He shot a glance at the open door to his right and noticed a whirlpool centered in a large bathroom.

He strolled around the room and stopped at the bed, testing its firmness with a push of his palm. “What are the rates for this honeymoon suite?”

“For your information, it’s the Rose Room, one of our birthing facilities,” she said, impatience evident in her voice, her rigid frame. “And our rates are about one-third the cost of standard hospital rooms.”

Her defensive tone made Rio all the more determined to play with her a little, in a figurative sense, at least at the moment. “Nice bed. Nice place. No stirrups?”

“No stirrups. We don’t need them. But we do have ultrasound equipment and fetal monitors, many of those other little medical marvels you find at a hospital.”

He inclined his head toward the bathroom. “What’s the whirlpool for?” As if he didn’t know.

“Water births.”

He rubbed his chin. “Oh. I thought maybe this doubled as a conception room, too.”

A smile began to form on her lips but soon faded. “That usually happens before the patient comes to us.”

“Usually? Ah, so someone has used this room for a little extracurricular activity.” He had no trouble picturing that happening—with him and Joanna Blake.

She rolled her eyes to the vaulted ceiling. “No one’s committed any hanky-panky in this room. Not that I’m aware of. At least not me.”

Rio was more than relieved over that admission. He moved to the bathroom’s open doorway and stared inside, one hip cocked against the frame. “I think this room would be better put to use with a bottle of champagne, some candles, and a man and a woman intent on making a baby, not having one.”

“Very amusing, Doctor.”

He faced her again and grinned. “Do you have something against romance, Ms. Blake?”

“I don’t have time for romance. I do have several patients to see, so what do you need?”

Rio sent another pointed look at the bed. When he brought his attention back to her, he noticed she was looking at the same spot, maybe even imagining them on that bed, or some bed, tangled together in sheets, sweat and great sex. Or maybe he was caught in the wishful-thinking trap.

Clearing his throat to gain her attention, he said, “I don’t have a lot of time, either, so I’ll get to the point.”

“Hallelujah.”

He ignored her sarcasm and continued. “I’m here to find out if you’ve come to a decision yet about moving in with me.”

Her eyes widened, looked panicked. She rushed to the door and closed it before facing him again. “Keep your voice down, please. I don’t want the staff to think that I’m moving in moving in with you.”

“Then you are going to move in with me?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“What I said was…” She threaded her bottom lip through her teeth. “I don’t remember what I said.”

He strolled to her, hands jammed in his pockets to keep from touching her even though he really, really wanted to. “Let me refresh your memory. Last night you said you’d think about it, a minute ago you said yes.”

“I did no such thing.”

He inched a little closer until they were almost touching and braced one hand on the door, above her head. “Maybe not in so many words, but the message I got was pretty clear. So when do you want to do it?”

Her breath hitched. “Do what?”

He could think of one particular response to that but decided to give her the proper one. “Move in with me. How about this weekend?”

Her gaze roamed to his mouth. “You don’t give up easily, do you?”

Not when he wanted something badly enough, and he had to admit he wanted her badly. But she wasn’t a catch-me-if-you-can kind of girl, so he damn sure better proceed with caution. “No, I don’t give up easily, especially when a woman’s life might be at stake. So is Saturday good for you?”

Indecision warred in her expression. She opened her mouth, shut it, then opened it again. “Okay, I guess. I’m not on call, so this weekend would be fine.”

“Great. I’m not on call, either.” His first instinct was to kiss her until both of them struggled for air. He went with his second—a simple smile. “What made you decide?”

“My son.”

He expected that, admired it even, but he’d like to think that living with him wouldn’t be such a sorry prospect for either one of them. Although, come to think of it, he’d never lived with a woman for more than a weekend. He wasn’t sure how he would adjust to having her there all the time, keeping him at arm’s length, at least for the time being. But he was more than willing to try it, see where it led.

He stepped back and grinned at her stern features. “Hey, don’t look so serious. We might have a good time.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. “I’m not looking for a good time, Dr. Madrid. I’m looking for a safe place to stay. A temporary place to stay.”

She said the words with conviction, with heavy emphasis on “temporary.” That was fine by Rio. A permanent relationship wasn’t something that had remotely entered his mind, regardless of the fact that Joanna Blake seemed the type who deserved something solid and steady. “First rule, call me Rio. Second, you can stay as long as you like. Other than that, there are no rules.”

Her smile was hesitant, but had an immediate effect on Rio’s suddenly sensitive libido. “With our schedules, you won’t even know I’m there,” she said.

Unable to help himself, Rio reached out and brushed a curl from her face. He might have serious doubts about how this was going to work, but he had no doubt she wouldn’t be easy to ignore.

“Believe me, I’ll know you’re there.”

Joanna had her doubts about moving in with Rio Madrid. But when moving day came, she brought along her few possessions and a whole lot of misgivings. Being near him threatened her common sense, uncovered dormant urges best left hidden away, reminded her that she had very basic feminine needs. Needs she had no business acknowledging. But she had to do this for Joseph.

She kept telling herself that very thing while standing on Rio’s front porch, hangers full of clothing draped over her arm, waiting for the doctor—dressed in tattered jeans and black leather jacket—to open the door. Today he’d pulled his hair back on the sides and top, the rest falling to his shoulders. He looked like an A-1 fantasy, a woman’s dream. So did his residence.

She’d heard about the King William district, but nothing could compare to witnessing its splendor. The well-kept house resembled an English manor, beautiful and bigger than any home Joanna had lived in during her thirty-four years. Unlike her neighborhood, the area was absent of noisy cars and deafening music. No threatening characters and criminal activity, at least on the surface.

“There’s something I forgot to tell you.”

The declaration drew Joanna’s attention to Rio, his hand on the brass knob, a box tucked underneath his arm. Nothing in his expression gave any indication of what that “something” was.

She backed away from the porch and studied the facade all the way up to the third-story dormers. “Let me guess. You have a commune living here.”

“No, but I do have a roommate.”

Before Joanna had the chance to unpack, the secrets had already begun. Now she would have to explain to her mother that she was not living with only one man, but two. “You should have told me before I agreed to come here.”

“I didn’t want to give you any reason to change your mind. Besides, I think you’ll like her.”

Her? He had a woman living with him? A lover? That shouldn’t matter one way or the other to Joanna, but for some reason it did. “Your roommate’s female?”

“Yeah, Gabby. She’s great.” His tone was full of pride and affection.

Joanna tried to mask her shock, hide her frustration with an even tone. “What does she think about me moving in?”

He grinned, his white teeth set off against his warm brown skin. “I haven’t told her yet.”

That set Joanna’s teeth on edge. “You didn’t tell her?”

“She wouldn’t understand.”

Oh, marvelous. What had Joanna gotten herself into? What if this woman refused to let her live here, forcing Joanna to reside in her own car or a seedy motel? “Well then, maybe I should wait out here until you make sure it’s okay.”

“She won’t mind. She’s pretty friendly.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk to her first?”

“Nope. Just be prepared for the welcome.” Rio pushed open the door and waited for Joanna to move past him.

The roommate was all but forgotten when Joanna stepped inside the circular foyer. The floor’s majestic white marble tile glistened like the surface of a frozen pond. A chandelier hanging from the two-story ceiling dripped diamond-like crystals. Straight ahead, a staircase with a black iron banister climbed upward until it took a turn to the left at a large landing. Above that landing, a window set with stained glass shot laser beams of light over the walls and white-carpeted stairs. The panes shaped a black cat with exotic gold eyes. Breathtaking, but almost out of place among the traditional elegance. Joanna continued to stare as if cemented in place by the animal’s metallic gaze.

“That’s a beautiful window,” she said.

“Thanks. I designed it.”

She studied Rio Madrid, now facing her at the bottom of the stairs, amazed at how much he resembled the animal, how he possessed the ability to hold her captive with his topaz eyes. Maybe this was Rio Madrid’s idea of a self-portrait, because in Joanna’s opinion, he, too, contrasted with the environment. Rugged appeal surrounded by refinement.

Danger in the midst of majesty.

Click-clack noises that sounded like hooves drew Joanna’s attention to the hallway flowing into the vestibule from her right. Before Joanna could brace herself, a huge black and gray mottled thing came bounding into the foyer, streaking past her to Rio.

“Some watchdog you are.” The beast rose on hind legs, massive front paws propped on Rio’s chest. “Get down, Gabby.”

This was Gabby, the mysterious roommate?

Rio slid the box and dog to the floor then shucked off his jacket and hung it over the banister. He scratched the head of the monstrosity with heavy jowls and pointy ears. “Gabby, this is Joanna. Joanna, my roommate, Gabby.”

Joanna wasn’t sure whether to be really angry or really relieved. “Very funny. I thought you meant you lived with—”

“A woman. I know, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about residing with an overgrown lapdog.” Rio tried to affect little-boy innocence with a shrug, but it was lost on Joanna due to his toxic smile, the snug fit of his longsleeved white thermal shirt and soft, washed jeans that molded him in all the right places, leaving no doubt he was all man.

She looked down at the dog, whose tongue hung out one side of her mouth, her head cocked as if totally enthralled by her master. Joanna couldn’t blame her. The doctor made her want to pant and fawn, but she sure as heck wouldn’t do that.

Joanna clutched the hangers to her chest when Gabby cautiously moved to sniff her feet. At least the dog’s tail was wagging, a good thing, Joanna decided, considering the size of the canine’s teeth.

Uncertain what to do next, Joanna said, “Hey, Gabby.”

As if totally disinterested in Joanna’s greeting, the dog turned her attention back to her master with a look that could best be described as love-struck.

“I found her on the side of the road about three years ago,” Rio said, scratching Gabby behind the ears. “She was starved, I think maybe even beaten. It took me a year to get her to trust me and not to cower.”

Obviously Rio Madrid made it a habit to pick up distressed females. “She looks healthy now. And big.”

“She’s a big baby.” Rio pointed at the floor. “Stay.” Gabby tucked her tail between her legs and stretched out on the black Oriental rug at the foot of the stairs, her head resting on crossed paws.

Joanna suspected that many females, regardless of their species, would gladly drop to the ground in answer to his command. Not this female. Joanna was stronger than that. At least she hoped so, although at times she greatly questioned her strength in his presence. Especially now.

Rio gestured toward the staircase. “You, Ms. Blake, may come with me.”

Joanna silently followed behind him trying hard to avert her gaze from the roll of his narrow hips as he took the stairs with a long stride. Even when they arrived on the second floor, she couldn’t seem to stop looking, imagining, remembering the night he’d kissed her, the night he’d taken off his shirt at her apartment. And that tattoo. Below that tattoo…

“My bedroom’s down there.” Rio pointed to his left.

“Really?” Joanna’s voice sounded high-pitched and scratchy.

“Yeah. Do you want to see it?”

She didn’t dare. “Maybe later.” Maybe never, if she knew what was best for her.

He gestured in the opposite direction. “There’re two baths and three other smaller rooms at the other end.”

“What’s in those other rooms?”

“Not much. One’s my office, the other two have a few odds and ends, but no real furniture to speak of.”

“Oh. So where am I staying?”

“Right this way.” He crossed the hall and opened a door that led to another stairwell enclosed by narrow walls. “Be careful,” he said over one shoulder as he began to climb the steps. “It’s pretty steep.”

Joanna made sure to concentrate on her footing, not Rio Madrid’s finer points, as she scaled the stairs. She’d hate to have to explain that she’d taken a tumble while shamelessly staring at his butt.

At the top of the staircase, he opened another door and stepped inside the room. Joanna could only gape once she entered behind him. The whole area was swathed in sunlight spilling from the triple windows. The four-poster white canopy, covered in a frilly spread dotted with lilacs, the antique-white dresser, the immaculate hardwood floors with scattered throw rugs, looked like something from Victorian times. A matching lilaccolored chaise set below one window served as an invitation, a place to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. Or with a lover on a lazy Sunday afternoon. She swallowed hard.

“Wow.” It was all Joanna could manage at the moment. The room was almost twice as big as her old apartment, and no comparison as far as comfort was concerned. Never in her wildest imaginings had she envisioned this lovely place.

Rio laced his hands at his nape, his gorgeous face shining with satisfaction. “Yeah, it’s nice. Not exactly my kind of decor, but I didn’t have the heart to change anything. It has a personality all its own.”

Joanna couldn’t agree more. She walked to the bed and ran one hand down the post. “It’s wonderful.”

He pushed open another door and leaned against the wall next to it. “The bathroom’s right here. It’s not very big, and it only has a tub. An old claw-footed tub, but it’s been restored. If you’d rather take a shower, you can use one of the second-floor bathrooms, or you could use mine. It’s big.”

Joanna locked on to his sensual smile. The image of showering with Rio Madrid arrived in great detail, including fogged-up glass from heavy breathing, not steam. Slick bodies, roving hands…

Good heavens. She didn’t need to think about that now. Or ever. “Is there somewhere I can hang these?”

He pointed behind her. “In the closet.”

She turned. “A closet? That’s great. I haven’t had one of those in a while.” She hadn’t had a lover in a while, either, a fact apparent every time Rio Madrid walked into the room.

After hanging her things in the moderate-size closet, she faced him again. “I guess I’ll go get the rest of the boxes and bring them up.”

“I’ll do it in a minute. Care for some lunch?”

“Sure. I thought I’d go to the store and pick up a few groceries.”

He pushed away from the wall. “I had my housekeeper do that yesterday.”

“You have a housekeeper?”

“Yeah. I can’t keep this place clean by myself, nor do I want to. She comes in twice a week, during the day.”

“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

His grin resurfaced. “So your idea of heaven is a housekeeper?”

Joanna strolled to the bed and dropped onto the edge. “One of my ideas.” Laughing, she fell back and sank into the soft mattress, arms raised above her head. “And this bed.”

Rio slipped onto the bed beside her, thankfully not in a prone position. “I agree, a good feather bed qualifies as heavenly. So do other things.”

She stared up at him. “What other things?” Had she really asked him such a leading question?

His smile faded into a seriously sensual expression. “Walking barefoot in grass. Swimming naked in a lake. Making love in the moonlight.”

Joanna’s heart lurched hard in her chest. She’d only done one of those things, but she hadn’t walked barefoot in clover since she was a teenager. “Very poetic, Doctor.”

“Not poetry, just perfection.”

He was perfect, Joanna thought, from head to toe, at least superficially. But she knew soul deep that perfection was only an illusion. Everyone had flaws; Rio Madrid was no exception. But he also had an undeniable aura, a sensual magnetic field, drawing her in as if she were made of iron. She feared she might not be that strong if he made one move toward her.

Bolting from the bed, she stood before him, hands clasped tightly to keep from pulling the band out of his hair to let it completely fall just so she could experience its silky texture. “Okay, so what do you have in mind for lunch?”

The look he gave her said anything but food. His sexy smile had her thinking the same thing. “I’m kind of partial to peanut butter and jelly.”

She returned his smile. “My son’s favorite fare.”

His features went solemn. “You know, Joanna, your son’s welcome here. If you want to send for him, we could fix up one of the bedrooms.”

Joanna experienced a twinge of emotion over his generosity. Few men would offer their homes to a single mom and her child. “I really appreciate that, but he’s settled into school right now and I wouldn’t want to uproot him again until I have a decent place of my own. Maybe that will happen by this summer.”

Rio stood and sighed. “You’ve been here less than an hour and you’re already thinking about leaving me.”

Leaving him? “I can’t stay here forever. But I appreciate this arrangement more than you know. It will give me a chance to get back on my feet financially.” If he didn’t pull the rug out from under her emotionally. Again, she didn’t plan to let that happen. She’d done that once, let a man have her heart only to be left holding the remnants.

“We’ll take it one day at a time,” he said with confidence as he strolled toward the door. “But in the meantime, let’s go downstairs and grab some lunch. I’m starving.”

So was Joanna, for things she didn’t dare want.