Risky: Torn Between Two Lovers Read Online Free PDF Page B

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.”
    “
The
Joaquin Delacruz?” her mother practically screeched in shock. “The billionaire?”
    “The same.”
In for a penny, as they say.
“And older brother of Manny, the
rat
who was running drugs through Floor Fifty-Five.”
    “What in the hell are you
thinking
getting mixed up with that family? Are you trying to get put in prison, or worse? I—Oh, no.” Margaret paused, then her voice lowered, her tone grim. “This new man you’re so interested in is Gray’s enemy. He told me himself how he’s been after this family for years. Do you realize what this is going to do to him when he finds out?”
    “Yes,” she said miserably. “I don’t want to cause him more pain, but I really like Joaquin, Mom. There’s a connection between us, a real spark. How can I just ignore that?”
    “Easy. You thank him for a nice time, get on a plane, and come home!”
    “What about what I want?”
    “You want to get caught in the crossfire? I’m not only talking about Gray and Joaquin, I’m talking about the Delacruz family and their kind. We have nothing in common with people like them, or their crooked world. Please, baby, come home.”
    “I will, but not yet. I want to see where this goes. I promise to be careful.”
    A resigned sigh came from the other end of the line. “All right. But the next time I see Gray, if he asks the right questions, I’m not going to lie to him for you.”
    “I would never ask you to do that. I love you, Mom.”
    “I love you, too. If you get in too deep, promise you’ll call me, and then Gray.”
    There was no getting around it. “I promise.”
    “Okay. Keep in touch or I’ll send Gray after you whether it pisses you off or not.”
    “I will. Bye, Mom.”
    “Bye, honey.”
    Ending the call, Anna wasn’t sure whether she felt better or worse. In some ways, a little of both. Her mother was smart enough to realize that meeting Joaquin was the reason for the call, and that Anna was more than a little conflicted about being with the man. But Margaret didn’t know exactly how far their acquaintance had progressed. If she did, she’d be a lot more worried.
    With a sigh, she got dressed, pulling on a pair of purple shorts and a white tank top. She’d just slid her feet into a pair of flip-flops when there was a knock on her door. Cautiously, she approached and peered out the spy hole.
    Joaquin. Well, that certainly hadn’t taken long. A bit nervous, she pulled open the door and did her best not to show it.
    “Hey, there. I wasn’t expecting you.”
    This made him frown. “Really? We spend the night making love, and I wake up and you’re gone. No note. I had to come and find out if I did something wrong.”
    “No, of course not.” Stepping aside, she gestured to the living room. “Please, come in.”
    Once he was in, he faced her squarely. His expression was somewhat guarded, as though he was unsure of his reception. “If you’re not upset with me, why did you leave?”
    “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I guess I thought you’d rather not wake up with your one-night