Renegade Millionaire Read Free

play the professional. Tonight he was the obstetrician, and she the midwife. It sure as hell wasn’t a good time to get personal, even if it turned out that she happened to be his New Year’s temptress. Even if he did have something that belonged to her. Something he’d been carrying around for the past three days, futilely trying to find its owner. And now he was fairly sure he’d found her.
    When she didn’t acknowledge him, he reached around her, slipped the metal chart from the holder and opened it to check the notes. “Are you with Mrs. Gonzales?”
    â€œYes, I am.”
    Rio couldn’t help but react to her floral scent, her closeness, the stubborn memories of a kiss that wouldn’t get out of his head. He looked up from the chart and met her noncommittal expression. “And you are?”
    â€œJoanna Blake. I’m with the birthing center.”
    Rio took the hand she offered, noting the smooth texture and how fragile it felt in his palm. “I’m Dr. Madrid.” For some reason he was reluctant to let her go.
    She pulled her hand from his grasp. “Nice to meet you.”
    He studied the chart again but couldn’t quite focus. The more he looked at her, the more certain he was that this could be his unidentified angel. “Tell me about Mrs. Gonzales.”
    â€œShe came to the center and presented with excessive vaginal bleeding. She’s a gravida 2, para 1, abortus 1.”
    Rio rubbed his chin. “Three pregnancies and one live birth and this one. What happened with the other pregnancy?”
    â€œFirst trimester miscarriage about two years ago. This time, she’s had an uneventful gestation. No significant problems.”
    â€œWell, it looks like she has some now.” He flipped the chart closed and held it against his chest. “Did you examine her cervix?”
    She frowned. “Of course not. I think we both know that an internal examination could exacerbate her bleeding.”
    Her adamant tone, the fire in her eyes, intrigued him. Excited him, even. “Just making sure.”
    Frustration passed over her once-guarded expression. “Dr. Madrid, I’m trained to recognize problematic signs.That’s why I came here with her, to make sure my patient receives the best care.”
    â€œI wasn’t questioning your judgment.”
    â€œYes, you were.”
    Actually, he was. He’d seen his share of births go badly in nonhospital settings—one in particular. For that reason, he couldn’t seem to stop his concern over non-traditional methods, even though they were becoming readily accepted in the medical community. “Consider me overly cautious, okay? Now do we stand here in the hall and continue our conversation, or do we go see about our patient?”
    For a second he thought she might smile but it didn’t quite take. “Yes. But first I think you should know that Mr. Gonzales knows only a little English and Mrs. Gonzales knows next to none. If you’d like for me to interpret—”
    â€œI can hold my own in the Spanish department, Ms. Blake.”
    A slight blush stained her porcelain cheeks. “Okay, then.” She made a sweeping gesture toward the open door. “After you, Doctor.”
    He couldn’t resist rattling her chain a little. “I would say ladies first, but I’m thinking you might slug me.”
    â€œI’m thinking you might be right.”
    Finally, she smiled, and then he knew for certain. She was the woman who’d marched through his mind for the past three days. The woman who’d run away from him at midnight. His reluctant Cinderella.
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    Obviously he didn’t recognize her. That shouldn’t matter to Joanna, but for some reason it did. If she looked at it logically, there was no reason why he should remember. It had been dark in the ballroom, and she’dbeen dressed up. Still, she couldn’t ignore the little twinge of