Renegade Millionaire by Kristi Gold

water’s surface.
    Rio.
    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—”
    â€œThere’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.
    â€œJoin 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.
    Clasping the towel to her chest, she moved on sluggish legs. She managed the steps but couldn’t manage to take her eyes off him once she reached the top. The darkness didn’t allow her to make out much more than his shadowy form. Probably a good thing since she noted that his clothes were piled on the bench in the corner. All of them, she suspected.
    Keeping the towel close to her body, she sat on the ledge opposite him and dangled her feet in the water. “Wow. This is much hotter than I realized.”
    She saw a flash of white teeth. “The temperature just rose a few degrees, among other things.”
    Don’t look, Joanna. But she did, and luckily she couldn’t see anything much, not that she didn’t really want to.
    Then he reached behind him and snapped on the light. The jets whirred to life, setting a foaming mound of bubbles into action, along with Joanna’s pulse.
    She looked away, afraid she might see something she didn’t need to see, namely all of Rio’s body now reclined in one corner of the tub. Every fine detail.
    â€œAre you going to get in, Joanna, or just sit there until you turn into an ice cube?”
    She ventured a look in Rio’s direction. His hands were stacked behind his head, his hair wet and much too sexy for words. She chafed her palms down her arms. “It is kind of chilly.” Chills that were a direct result of viewing his bare chest, his sultry smile.
    â€œIt’s warm enough in here.” He gave her a lingering assessment. “Nice suit.”
    She looked down, then back up again. “It’s all I have.”
    â€œI mean it, Joanna. It looks great on you.”
    Searching for a switch of subjects, she asked, “How did the birth go?”
    â€œWithout a hitch. In fact she delivered in two hours. A healthy baby girl. A little underweight, but okay.”
    â€œThen you’ve been in the hot tub all this time?”
    A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Now if that were true, I’d be shriveled up like a prune. Believe me, I’m not.”
    Again she wanted to look below the water’s depths, find a break in the bubbles, find his tattoo and the territory beneath. But she forced her eyes to remain on his face. “How long have you been home?”
    He dropped his arms and stroked one hand across his chest. Joanna couldn’t help but imagine her own hand there. “Long enough to take a quick swim then get in here. I stayed at the hospital until she said goodbye to her daughter.”
    â€œSaid goodbye?”
    â€œShe’s putting the baby up for adoption.”
    Joanna’s heart began to ache with that knowledge. Being without Joseph for the past few months had been devastating, and only a temporary situation. She couldn’t begin to imagine how heartbreaking it would be to give up a child permanently. “I’m