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  “Are you asking me—”

  “To marry me. Yeah, I am.” He sighed. “I realize how much your ex-husband hurt you, Joanna. I know you’re probably scared about the whole marriage thing and honestly I’m scared, too, but I promise to do my best to make you happy.”

  Joanna wanted badly to say yes, but she still had a few unanswered questions. “I love being a midwife and I plan to continue doing it regardless of what happens between us.”

  He took both her hands into his. “Today, when we worked together, I don’t remember ever admiring anyone as much as I admired you. You’re strong and smart and damn good at what you do.”

  “Then I’ve changed your mind about midwives?”

  “My mother was a midwife. She provided services for indigent women who couldn’t afford insurance. I used to attend the births with her when I was a teenager. For the most part, she did well by her patients until one night when a young woman in her care died while I stood by and watched, helpless to do anything to save her. My mother quit after that and I vowed that I would do everything in my power not to let something like that young woman’s death happen again.”

  “That’s what drove you to be an obstetrician?”

  “Yeah. Despite that terrible night, my mother taught me many things and until I met you, I hadn’t really understood her as well as I should have. She was a great lady.”

  Joanna was only beginning to understand the complex facets that made up Rio Madrid. That didn’t matter. She had a lifetime to get to know them all. “Your mother raised a terrific son who happens to be an incredible, skilled doctor. A wonderful man who I’d be honored to have as my husband.”

  “Then you’re saying—”

  “Yes.”

  “What?”

  Joanna’s joy bubbled out in a laugh. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Rio framed her face in his palms. “Thank God. I thought you might tell me to go to hell.” He stroked his thumbs back and forth over her cheeks. “I’ll always be honest with you from this point forward, Joanna. I swear it.”

  She laid her palms over his hands. “I’ve come to realize that in order to trust you, I have to trust myself. Trust what I’m feeling. And right now I’m feeling fairly great.”

  Rio laughed then and Joanna reveled in the joyous sound. “I still can’t believe you said yes to a rogue like me.”

  Joanna’s own joy came through in a grin. “You know something, I would have said yes if you’d asked me last night. Heck, I probably would have said yes if you’d asked me that first night we kissed on New Year’s Eve.”

  His smile turned decidedly devilish. “I would have asked you for something else that night if you’d stuck around.”

  “And what would that have been?”

  “Maybe I should show you.” He kissed her then—a moving, emotional kiss that somehow turned passionate and provocative, leaving them both winded by the time they parted.

  Pulling back, he worked the buttons on her plain cotton blouse, parted the fabric and palmed her lace-covered breast with one talented hand. Then suddenly he went motionless and rested his forehead against hers.

  Joanna wrapped her arms around his neck. “You must be really scared. You’re shaking.”

  He raised his eyes to hers and Joanna finally saw it, an emotion she had never really seen before. Or maybe she’d been too afraid to notice it until now—too afraid that she might be mistaken. But it was there, a love as endless as his compassion, as strong as his magnetic gaze.

  “I’m shaking because I want you too much,” he finally said. “It’s been a long time.”

  “It’s been less than twenty-four hours, Rio.”

  “Too long, in my opinion.”

  Scooping her up into his arms, Rio laid her on the bed and divested her of all remaining clothing, planting kisses on bare skin after the departure of each article. By the time he’d completely undressed, Joanna was on the verge of pleading for him to end the sensual torment. Before she could, he entered her with a leisurely glide and gave her a deep, meaningful kiss.

  “I won’t leave you, Joanna,” he said as he moved in a measured tempo that prolonged the blessed agony.

  “I know.” And she did, with every beat of her heart.

  Joanna held on to Rio and let go of her fear that he would eventually be out of her life. So simple to give him everything, she thought as she drifted on the wings of sweet release in his arms. So very easy to love him. To trust him, trust her heart. So very, very easy.

  Rio shattered with a long shudder and another declaration of his love for her that she answered with one of her own. For the longest of moments they stayed united and even after their bodies parted, Joanna knew they would never be separated again. How she had ever lived without this special, spiritual unity, she didn’t know. She’d never experienced it before, and she would never have it again with anyone but Rio Madrid.

  She laid her head on his chest, contented to finally be at peace, to feel so certain about their love, hers and Joseph’s future.

  “I have some news.” Rio’s deep voice vibrated against Joanna’s cheek.

  “You want to make love again in record time?”

  He chuckled. “That’s a strong possibility, but this has to do with Allison Cartwright. I think I might know the father’s identity.”

  Joanna raised her head and stared at him. “Lane Billings.”

  He looked surprised. “How did you know?”

  She kissed the arch of his eyebrow and smoothed a hand over his face. “I ran into him in the NICU. He all but admitted it to me. How did you find out?”

  “I was looking for you on the floor and he stopped me to ask how Allison was doing. I gave him a report and then he headed for her room, but not before saying something about making it up to her.”

  Joanna sighed and rested her face against Rio’s chest once more, relishing the feel of his fingertips stroking her bare shoulder. “Allison’s got a long road ahead of her and I’m hoping he’ll be there for her. She’s going to need him.”

  “I hope so, too. They’re going to have a lot to deal with, but if they’re lucky, they’ll end up as happy as we are.”

  Joanna raised her head again and searched for any indecision in Rio’s eyes. “Are you really happy?”

  He painted kisses over her face. “Very happy. But you know what else would make me happy?”

  She rubbed her hand down his belly and lower, surprised to find he was more than ready for action. “I bet I do.”

  Rio grinned then groaned. “That will definitely make me happy, and so would seeing you return to medical school to get your M.D. I could use a good partner. These hours are kicking my butt.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, I’m serious.” He winked. “Would you like to check out my butt?”

  “Sounds like fun.” She reached beneath him and gave him a little pinch on one cheek. “So is that why you’re marrying me, so you can have a readily available partner?”

  “I’m marrying you so I can have a life partner, but I think you’d be a damned good OB.”

  Joanna sat up and looked down on him. “Rio, I hope you understand this, but I don’t need an M.D. I’m happy being a midwife and I think there’s a lot of honor in what I do.”

  He reached up and touched her face. “So do I, and in that case, I have an idea. We can take some of the colonel’s money and open a not-for-profit birthing clinic. I’ll keep my practice and you can run the place. I’ll handle anything that needs to be handled at the hospital without charge. How does that sound?”

  “Absolutely wonderful.” She leaned down and kissed his lips. “We’ll make a great team, you and I.”

  “We already do.” He surveyed her with soft, loving eyes. “And we’ll hire plenty of staff, but while you’re working to get things going, I can take care of Joseph, be a real dad to him. Get in some practice before we have kids of our own.”

  “Ohmigosh, I forgot.” Reaching over Rio, Joanna grabbed
the cordless phone from the bedside table.

  Rio sent a tantalizing fingertip down her bare back. “What are you doing? Calling for pizza? I’m hungry for something else.”

  Joanna batted his hand away from her breast as the phone began to ring. “Patience, Doctor. We have plenty of time.”

  “I like the way that sounds,” Rio said.

  When Joseph greeted her in his buoyant little-boy voice, Joanna’s spirits lifted even more. “Hi, sweetie, it’s Mom. I have a surprise.” As Rio sent her a heartfelt smile, as Joseph’s excitement filtered through the line, Joanna’s heart soared with the infinite love she possessed for both her men.

  “Joseph, honey, I’ve finally found you a dad.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-8610-2

  RENEGADE MILLIONAIRE

  Copyright © 2003 by Kristi Goldberg

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  *Marrying an M.D.