by Kristi Gold
Joanna walked a little closer and surveyed his work. “What are you doing?”
“Just a few minor adjustments. I ran over a curb today on the way to the hospital. Guess I wasn’t paying attention. But I’ve almost got it fixed.”
Joanna was surprised she hadn’t taken out a few trees on her way to work after their morning together. She caught a whiff of his trademark exotic scent mixed with a faint hint of grease and quelled the urge to launch herself into his strong arms, much the same as Joseph had with her. “Just wanted to let you know that your presence has been requested in the house by our surprise guests.”
He continued to wipe the black-brown smudges from his hands as a smile played at the corners of his sensuous mouth. “Hope you didn’t mind me inviting them here without your consent.”
“Mind? I’m ecstatic. I’m also in awe that you managed to get them here without my knowledge. How did you know where to find them?”
“It wasn’t difficult considering you have the address and phone number taped to the refrigerator.” He gave her a one-shoulder shrug and tossed the rag aside. “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I decided you could use some company.”
At the moment she could use a little fortitude, because right now she really wanted to thank him for his efforts in a few decidedly wicked ways.
She opted to hug him, engage him in an innocent embrace. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist then stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, “Thank you, Rio.”
He responded with only a murmured, “I’m going to get you dirty, Joanna.”
She tipped her head back and stared up at him but didn’t let him go. “I don’t care. I’m just happy and grateful for what you’ve done.”
Finally his arms—warm and solid and strong—circled her, drew her closer. “My pleasure.”
That simple word pleasure seemed to take on a life of its own in the empty garage, and Joanna, ignoring every caution bouncing around in her brain, pressed her lips against his.
She wasn’t at all sure what to expect from Rio, maybe even a rejection. What she got was a kiss that could melt the motorcycle. He tasted like cherry-flavored candy, sweet and sensual and seductive as he swept his tongue inside her mouth in a slow, scorching rhythm. Joanna forgot what she’d come for—to thank him verbally and nothing more. Totally forgot herself.
She sent her hands on a journey over his back, delighting in the feel of corded muscle against the damp T-shirt. Rio’s hands traveled to her hips where he nudged her forward. Without breaking the kiss, he turned her around and backed her up against the utility shelf. Several items fell to the floor in a noisy clatter but it wasn’t enough to part them, or to stop Rio from slipping his hands up her sides and sending brush strokes along the outer rim of her breasts with his thumbs.
Joanna knew they should stop now—she should stop him—but short of an earthquake, it wasn’t very likely that was going to happen.
“Mama?”
After a moment of shock, Joanna ducked under Rio’s arm to find Joseph standing at the door looking faintly surprised and more than a little curious. She shoved her hair away from her face and tried to appear nonchalant. “Hi, sweetie. I thought you were taking a bath.”
Joseph’s gaze wandered past Joanna, she presumed to home in on Rio. “Gran wants to know where we can find clean towels.”
Joanna glanced at Rio over one shoulder as if she had no idea what a towel was, much less where her son could find one.
Rio cleared his throat. “I have extras in my bathroom. Or there’re a few in a basket in the laundry room.”
Joanna nodded. “Yes, in the laundry room. I washed some but I haven’t had a chance to put them away.”
Joseph backed out the door, flashed them a huge grin then spun and ran toward the house.
Joanna grabbed her nape and closed her eyes. “Oh, God. I can’t believe that just happened.”
“Us kissing or your son catching us kissing?”
“Both.”
Rio’s palms rested on her shoulders from behind as she opened her eyes to stare out the door, half expecting her mother to come marching in to see what the heck was going on.
“I’m sorry we got caught,” he said in a low, controlled voice. “I can’t say I’m sorry you kissed me.”
She shrugged off his hands and faced him, angry once more, this time at herself. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m the one who started it.”
“You didn’t hear me protest, did you?”
Forking both hands through her hair, she sighed. “What is it with me, anyway? What is it with us?”
Rio hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans, drawing Joanna’s attention to the obvious ridge beneath the denim. “When two people are as attracted to each other as we seem to be, it’s bound to happen.”
She pulled her gaze back to his face. “It’s not normal. Not for me, anyway.”
“Oh, it’s normal, all right. You’ve never wanted to acknowledge it before.”
Not before him. “If you say so.”
He studied her straight on. “Do you really think Joseph’s going to have a problem with it?”
“I don’t know. He’s never even seen me with a man, much less seen me kissing one.”
“Maybe it’s time he understands that his mother might need someone else’s company aside from his.”
“I don’t want him or my mother thinking—”
“That you’re involved with someone like me?”
The hurt in his tone took Joanna aback. “I don’t want them to know that I’m involved with anyone. They might make more out of it than they should.” Joanna was battling that very thing where Rio was concerned.
“Maybe you’re vying for sainthood.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can’t believe you’d ask me that after this morning. I acted anything but saintly.”
He grinned. “I can’t really argue that. But then I wasn’t likely to win any medals in the saint department either.”
Joanna tried to force her smile away but it came calling despite her efforts to hold it back. “I guess you could say both of us were feeling a bit sinful.”
“You felt damn good, if you ask me. Tasted good, too.”
“So did you,” Joanna said on a breathy whisper.
Turning back to the bike, Rio reclaimed his place on the ground. “Go back inside, Joanna. Before I…” He picked up a wrench without looking at her.
“Before you what?”
“Before I lay you down on this concrete floor for a little horizontal Olympics.”
Joanna shivered at the thought, and it wasn’t from the cold air filtering through the open door. She felt as if she were balanced on a tightrope, poised to fall at any given moment. No doubt they wanted each other with a passion that crushed common sense on a regular basis. Still, she had to remember that great sex was all that existed between them, was all that would ever exist. Rio had made that quite clear.
She also needed to remember that Joseph was now present and he didn’t need to believe that Rio would be a constant in their lives. Come summer, she should have enough money to find her own place, to move on. God help them all if Joseph should become too attached to the doctor. God help her if she did the same.
With her hand braced on the doorknob, she paused to make a very important declaration. “I think it’s best if we just try to stay away from each other until my mom and Joseph leave.”
Rio glanced up at her, the wrench poised in one hand. “And after that?”
“I don’t know.” And she didn’t.
He went back to tinkering with the bolt. “As I’ve said before, you’ll have to come to me.”
“That’s interesting. I don’t remember it being that way at all this morning.”
His gaze snapped to hers. “This morning was an exception. From now on, it’s entirely up to you.”
Big, tough Rio, she wanted t
o say, but she only sent him a hard look that he didn’t notice due to his preoccupation with his repairs. He might pretend to have all the strength in the world, but she was beginning to know better, at least when it came to their mutual desire. Joanna wasn’t all that strong either, which meant anything could happen from this point forward. And though it might not be a good idea to find her way into Rio’s bed, the thought was all too tempting.
An hour later, Joanna prepared to find her way into Rio’s bed—to keep company with her son. As she came out of the bathroom, she found Joseph examining several items on the small table situated in front of the black sofa in the bedroom’s sitting area. He picked up a small crystal figurine in the shape of a jungle cat and held it up for examination.
“Be careful, Joseph. We don’t want to break anything.”
Joseph set the statue down gingerly then turned and bounded into the bed. “How come Rio likes cats?” he asked as he crawled beneath the covers.
Joanna stretched out on the bed and turned on her side to face him. “It’s part of his culture.”
Joseph frowned. “Huh?”
“His mother was descended from the Mayan people in Mexico and they believe animals are special.”
“Oh.” Joseph plopped back on the pillow. “I think animals are special, too. Can we go to the zoo tomorrow?”
She laid an arm above his head. “That sounds like a plan.”
Joseph yawned. “I really like Rio. Do you like Rio?”
She stroked his fine, dark hair. “Yes, I do.”
“Is that why you were kissing him?”
Here it comes. “Yes. Does that bother you, sweetie?”
“I think it’s kind of yucky.”
Joanna chuckled. “You probably won’t when you get older.”
He wrinkled his nose as if she’d said he would learn to like zucchini. “I don’t think so.”
Joseph sounded so certain, so much older than his six years, bringing about Joanna’s wistful smile. “Well, you’ve got plenty of time to decide. Right now you need to go to sleep.” She reached over and snapped off the bedside lamp—shrouding the room in darkness—then settled her head onto the pillow. She immediately detected Rio’s distinctive scent and felt oddly comforted by it. A strong sense of yearning washed over her, a longing that had more to do with emotional needs than those of the flesh. She couldn’t afford to want that much from him. He couldn’t give her that kind of commitment.
Besides, she had her son, and that’s all she really needed.
“Mama?”
“Yes?”
“I like Rio a lot.”
So did she. A whole lot. “Good. Sleep tight.”
“Mama, one more thing.”
“Okay, one more thing.”
“Am I ever going to get a real dad?”
Joanna’s heart began to hurt over such a simple yet complex question. She had no idea how to answer. No idea at all. “If I find someone whom I think would be a good dad for you, you’ll be the first to know.”
He sighed. “Okay, but I think Rio would make a real good daddy.”
Rio had no idea why he was doing it, only that he couldn’t seem to stop. Everywhere they’d gone today, he couldn’t maintain control of his hands. At the zoo, he’d found himself holding on to Joanna’s elbow with some sort of primal male possessiveness. On the Riverwalk, he’d taken one of her hands into his when Joseph had taken the other, as if they were a typical family on a Saturday stroll. At the Tex-Mex restaurant, he’d inadvertently laid his palm on Joanna’s thigh beneath the table as if he had a right to do so. He certainly had to hand it to her—not once had she slapped him. Or stopped him.
Rio had noticed a few covert looks from Joanna’s mom—knowing looks. Still, he liked Margaret a lot. She’d been amusing, friendly and she’d shown a great deal of concern for Joanna without being overbearing. And Joseph—well, the kid was great. Rio saw Joanna’s strength in him although he was much more outgoing. But then Joanna had been gregarious during their outing and he suspected that had to do with her family’s presence. She’d also seemed more relaxed. Unfortunately Rio wasn’t relaxed, then or now.
As tired as he’d been, both from an inability to catch up on lost sleep but also from wrestling with a six-year-old several times during the day, he’d agreed to play some video games with Joseph. And after that, he’d agreed to watch an action-packed video involving martial arts and bad jokes.
Now here they were, boy and man, stretched out on their bellies across the den floor. Somewhere midpoint in the movie, Joseph had fallen asleep with his arm around Gabby who, too, was snoozing away.
“Looks like he’s down for the count,” Joanna said from above him.
Rio stretched and sat up to face her, every muscle in his body protesting the position he’d maintained for over two hours. But certain parts definitely came awake when he noticed Joanna’s shower-damp hair and the robe she now wore, the same one she’d worn yesterday morning.
She’d been scarce most of the evening, engaged in conversation in the kitchen with her mother. And she looked happier than she’d looked since he’d met her. He liked that, seeing her happy. He liked making her happy, a thought that jumped into his brain unexpectedly. One he would take out and analyze later.
“He hasn’t moved an inch since the bad guys took one of the good guys hostage,” Rio said with a wry grin.
“I’ll wake him so I can get him in bed.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Rio gently rolled Joseph over then slipped his arms beneath him. The boy opened his eyes but only for a brief moment before closing them again. Rio carried him up the stairs with little effort, surprised by the strange feelings that ran through him when Joseph wrapped his thin arms around his neck, amazed that something so foreign as carrying a sleeping child to bed would actually feel so right.
When they made it to Rio’s bedroom, Margaret was waiting outside the door. “I’ll sleep with him tonight, Joanna. In your room, if Rio doesn’t mind climbing a few more stairs.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Rio said.
Joanna’s staid expression said that she minded. “That’s okay, Mom. It’s your last night here. I kind of like having him nearby.”
Margaret scoffed. “I know how this little one sleeps, like a monkey trying to tear out of his cage. I heard you scold him for kicking you in the face last night when he worked his way to the end of the bed. Besides, he’s totally out, so he won’t know who’s in bed with him.”
“Really, Mom, I don’t mind.”
Rio started toward his room with Joseph still securely in his arms until Margaret said, “Wait a minute, Rio.”
He turned back to mother and daughter, wishing they would make up their minds. He personally voted to have Joanna in his bed with him, if she should decide she needed company from someone other than her son. Not likely that was going to happen, but he could always hope.
Margaret brushed Joanna’s hair away from her shoulders in an overt maternal gesture. “You look tired, Joanna. You’ll have plenty of time to spend with him in the morning since our plane doesn’t leave until late afternoon.”
“But—”
“No buts. You need a good night’s sleep or you’ll be no good to anyone in the morning.”
Looking somewhat defeated, Joanna sighed. “Okay, if you insist. But I’m warning you, he’ll probably give you a few bruises.”
Without waiting to see if the arrangements changed again, Rio scaled the steep stairs leading to the attic room, holding Joseph fast against his chest. Once inside, he laid him on the turned-down bed then slipped the sheet over him.
Rio, Joanna and Margaret stood and stared at the boy as if awaiting something momentous to occur. As far as Rio was concerned, that moment was fundamentally special, watching a child sleep, something he’d never before experienced beyond dozing newborns.
He didn’t try to fight the unanticipated emotions streaming through him. He simply chalked it up to exhaustion even though it fel
t a lot like longing.
“Good night, you two,” Margaret whispered, followed by a yawn. “Enjoy the rest of your evening together.”
While Joanna looked stunned, Rio accepted the cue and walked out the door. Joanna kept her distance behind him and as they took the stairs, silence pervaded until they reached the second floor. Instead of leaving her in the hallway, Rio followed Joanna to her room—his room, he corrected. A room with a king-size bed that could more than accommodate two people. He wanted to join Joanna there, to take her on an all-night journey into oblivion. After all, Margaret had practically given them permission.
Joanna obviously didn’t see it that way, considering she glared at him from the open door. Even though she now wore a frown and that god-awful robe, Rio felt surprisingly energized, especially when he imagined untying the sash—with his teeth.
“Did you have fun today?” she asked with only a hint of amusement.
“I had a great time. And you have a great kid.”
“I have to agree with you on that. I hope he didn’t drive you totally crazy.”
“Not at all. I can’t remember when I’ve had such a good time.” Rio sent a pointed look toward the master bath across the room behind her. “Actually, I do remember. Yesterday morning, in fact—”
Joanna clamped a hand over his mouth. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to discuss this now. Sound travels through the vents and I don’t want my mom to accidentally overhear about…you know.”
When Rio streaked his tongue across her palm, she dropped her hand from his mouth as if he’d burned her. “Maybe we should take this conversation into the bedroom and discuss…you know.”
Joanna’s eyes sparked with the desire he’d seen last night in the garage, the other morning in the bathroom, a few days ago in the hot tub, and with those memories came a stirring low in his gut. He was hard as hell and he wanted to do something about it. Now. But not unless she made the suggestion.
She gave him a semi-dirty look. “If you’ll recall, I’ve told you we need to avoid that kind of contact. Which reminds me. What was all that touching about today?”
