Risky (Torn Between Two Lovers #2)(60)

In the daylight she saw that his room was actually a suite—and a very expensive one, judging from the size and amenities. But where else could a billionaire be expected to stay but in a place fit for Donald Trump?

As she stepped outside and closed the door behind her, it occurred to her to wonder where T-Bone had gone. After she and Joaquin had entered his suite, she hadn’t seen the bodyguard again. Glancing around, she didn’t spot anyone except a burly man resting with his shoulder against a tree, facing in her general direction. And a man walking the path with a broom, unhurriedly ridding the grounds of stray trash.

The burly man must be T-Bone’s replacement, assuming one bodyguard wasn’t expected to work 24/7. Strangely, the man ignored her, but his attention was riveted to the man doing the sweeping. Burly Man didn’t relax until the groundskeeper had moved on. Shaking her head, she resumed walking back to her room. It was sort of weird to actually know someone who required a bodyguard for his safety. Not that she knew Joaquin, because she didn’t.

She’d learned her way around his body, though. Dinner and conversation had been a definite bonus. He was a fascinating man whom she really did want to know better. She hadn’t been lying about that. Time would tell whether they’d have anything in common.

Anna let herself into her room, which wasn’t nearly as opulent as Joaquin’s. She kicked off her shoes and immediately stripped off last night’s clothes, grateful to be rid of them. God, she needed a shower—though she didn’t really want to wash off Joaquin’s scent. It was like he was still surrounding her, and she liked the essence of him lingering on her skin.

Couldn’t be helped. But she found that she liked wearing him like a cozy blanket.

Stepping into the spray, she washed her hair, then lingered some over her shower. The hot water felt good on her muscles, and she let it beat down for a bit before getting out and drying off. Hanging up the towel, she went into the bedroom and put on fresh underwear and a bra, then lowered herself to the bed, lost in thought.

Before she fully realized what she intended, she reached for her phone and dialed her own number at her apartment in New York. Her mother answered on the third ring.

“Anna?” her mom greeted her breathlessly.

“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

“Just chasing that naughty kitten of yours around the living room. If he steals one more of my earrings, I’m going to boot him out on the street, and good riddance.”

Anna smiled, hearing the affection in her mom’s voice. “Something tells me he doesn’t feel very threatened.”

“Ha! When I catch the little shit, I’m gonna skin him alive.” Margaret let out an exasperated breath. “And just why are you calling home when you’re supposed to be on vacation? Bored already, missing the bustle of the restaurant?”

“I miss the restaurant and my staff, but I’m not exactly bored.”

“Oh? Any particular reason?”

Her mother had the instincts of a bloodhound and the tenacity of a prosecuting attorney. “Not really. There’s a lot to do here and lots of nice people to talk to. They have dances, cookouts, and—”


“Come on, Anna Marie. You didn’t call me all the way from Aruba to make small talk about nothing. Whatever’s on your mind, spill it. Is it Gray?”

“Sort of … Well, indirectly.”

“What does that mean? Are you missing him? Because he’s sure moping around, calling every day, asking when you’ll be home.”

That gave her heart a lurch. “He is?”

“Of course! That man is in love with you, honey. He’s in pain.”

“I wish he weren’t,” she said, throat burning with shame. With unshed tears. “Because it hurts me to hear that.”

“So call him. Or better yet, invite him to come out there.”

“It’s not that simple anymore, if it ever was.”

“Why not?” Her mother sounded truly confused.

“Because …” She choked on the words. There was a pregnant pause, and she knew instantly her mom had guessed the problem before she could even say any more.

“You’ve met someone, haven’t you? Oh, Anna.”

The disappointment in her mom’s voice was crushing. “I have, Mom. I didn’t come here looking to find someone else. Hell, that was the last thing I wanted. But Joaquin is unlike any man I’ve ever come across. He’s charming, sexy, doesn’t take no for an answer. You’d like him.”

“I like Gray,” her mother said quietly. “And he’s all of those things as well.”

“But he lied to me! He played me—slept with me—to gather evidence on his case.”

“He’s sorry for that, and you know it. He was working to exonerate you so he could focus on ridding your restaurant of those rats who were using your business to sell drugs. In the end, he saved your ass.”

“I know that. But I still can’t forget how much it devastated me to find out he’d slept with me to get information—at least at first. There’s no excuse for that, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to let it go.”

Another pause. “Who is this man you’ve met?”

“His name is Joaquin Delacruz, and he’s a businessman. Owns some hotels and casinos.”