The Millionaire's Cinderella. Anne Marie Winston

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СКАЧАТЬ he’d been dead serious when he’d told her that he wasn’t going to make love to her until she came to him. It needed to be a conscious decision, not duress, that brought her to his bed. She had to make up her mind that she was willing to enter into a relationship that might never be more than two people enjoying intimacy.

      He wished he could offer her more, but he wasn’t sure he could. An integral part of him feared the loss of freedom since he’d given up so many liberties in his life-time. But more important, he wasn’t certain he was cut out for marriage or fatherhood; his own example had been anything but satisfactory.

      At times he had considered settling into that role, yet he’d never found a woman who’d encouraged the kind of feelings that led to a serious commitment.

      Except for the woman upstairs. Maybe that’s why having Joanna Blake in his life was beginning to scare the hell out of him. And as bad as he hated to admit it, his burgeoning feelings for her did alarm him on a very distinct level. He’d mistakenly thought he could handle it. Handle having her here yet not having her completely. He didn’t like his weakness, nor did he want to act on his desire unless he knew for certain she was willing to accept the terms. But he wasn’t sure how long he could remain strong in her presence—emotionally and physically.

      Gabby whined, cocked her head to one side and stared at the doorway from the entry. Rio looked over his shoulder to see Joanna’s form cast in a mix of gold and silver light coming from the TV and the fire. She trudged into the room wearing a thigh-length flannel nightshirt and a pair of baggy socks, her hair a tangle of curls. She was a mess, and Rio couldn’t remember ever wanting someone as much as he wanted her at that moment.

      His body had begun to calm a few moments before only to be brought back to life by her sudden appearance. If he were any kind of gentleman, he’d grab a throw pillow and shove it on his lap to hide his current predicament. But from the looks of Joanna’s sleepy expression, he doubted she’d notice.

      After Joanna settled into the oversize club chair cattycorner from the couch, he asked, “What are you doing up so early?”

      When he unconsciously rubbed a hand over his bare chest, her gaze followed the movement, continuing to his abdomen and lower, where his jeans were partially undone, serving to make him even more uncomfortable.

      “What are you doing…up?” She jerked her gaze back to the television.

      Rio almost laughed—a pain-filled, joyless laugh. Instead, he laced his hands behind his head and released a slow, even breath in an effort to conceal his uneasiness. “I haven’t been to bed yet. In fact, I just got home. Busy night so I’m still high on adrenaline.” High on her. High on the prospect of peeling her faded flannel nightshirt slowly off her body and making long, hard love to her in front of the fire. The flame had dwindled due to his halfhearted attempts, but the blaze burning below Rio’s belt generated enough heat to fuel the entire city.

      Joanna stretched and yawned. “I couldn’t sleep any longer. Too much on my mind, I guess.”

      She sounded slightly distressed, and Rio’s concern for Joanna helped to pacify his cravings somewhat. “Is work not going well?”

      She shook her head. “Work is fine. I got a letter from my mom and Joseph yesterday.”

      His concern increased. “Something wrong?”

      “Not really. Joseph is doing well in school, making A’s although he’s had a little trouble with talking in class.” She smiled. “He gets that from his father.”

      Rio dropped his feet from the table and leaned forward, arms draped on his thighs. “You’re missing your son,” he said in a simple statement of fact.

      “I miss him every night, every day, especially when it’s cold. It reminds me of when he was born, in November. The day I took him home, it was around thirty degrees, crisp and clear outside. I spent that first day holding him. He was so tiny and I was so scared. Just the thought of molding someone’s life is overwhelming. But I like to think about that particular day when it was just us, getting to know each other.”

      “What about your husband?”

      Joanna hugged her knees to her chest, her feet balanced on the edge of the chair as she turned her attention to the smoldering logs. “Oh, he was out celebrating the fact that he had a son. He started celebrating the day I went into labor and didn’t quit for about a week.”

      “But he was with you during the birth.”

      “Well, no. Adam wasn’t very good at that sort of thing. But I was lucky, only four hours of labor.”

      “You were lucky where the labor was concerned. I can’t say the same for your choice in husbands.”

      Joanna nailed him with blue eyes that looked almost translucent in the muted light. “He was very charming, a big talker.” She nodded toward the TV and the hyperactive host extolling the virtues of the cleaner in a booming voice. “Just like that guy. The pitch sounds great and then you soon discover you’ve purchased a faulty product. I’ve learned that when it sounds too good to be true, most likely it is.”

      God, Rio despised her ex more and more with each revelation and he didn’t even know the guy. But he did know that Joanna had told the truth, and that was enough justification for his hatred. “Did the bastard ever give you what you needed?”

      Her gaze snapped to his. “He gave me Joseph.”

      “He should be supporting you financially.”

      “With what? His looks?” Her tone bore the anger of a woman scorned, and rightfully so. “He couldn’t keep a job while I was in school. I doubt he has one now.”

      “You were in school when the baby was born?”

      “Medical school. Second year. That’s how we ended up in San Antonio.”

      The disclosure threw Rio mentally off-kilter. “Medical school?”

      She tucked her legs beneath her and folded her arms across her breasts. “Yeah. I didn’t exactly plan to have a baby then. I wanted to wait until I finished but…” Her gaze faltered. “I foolishly thought that having a child might settle Adam down. Obviously I was mistaken.”

      “Obviously. But you don’t regret having Joseph.”

      “No. He’s my whole life.”

      Rio saw undeniable love reflecting from her beautiful blue eyes. A mother’s love. And he realized now, more than ever, she did merit a man who could love her the way she deserved to be loved.

      “I had no idea you planned to be a doctor,” he said, ill at ease over his sudden feelings of inadequacy where Joanna was concerned, with how little emotionally he had to offer.

      “There are quite a few things you don’t know about me.”

      He knew that he respected her, that he admired her selfless love for her child. That he hated what her husband had done to her. That he wished he had more to give. “I’d like to know more about you, Joanna,” he found himself saying with sincerity. He did want to know her, and he was only beginning to scratch the surface.

      A reluctant grin curled the corners of her full lips. “I think we’ve skipped a few important steps, considering СКАЧАТЬ