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causing Joanna to shiver. “It’s a jaguar. My onen, or so my mother told me.”
    â€œYour what?”
    He redid his jeans, slipped the shirt over his head and secured his hair back in the band, much to Joanna’s disappointment. “Onen. My animal, or the animal assignedto me at birth. My mother was of Mayan descent. She believed in the folklore.”
    â€œSo you’re Mayan?”
    â€œThat and a few other things. Spanish royalty, reportedly a white missionary a couple of generations back. My family has a strong history of forbidden love.”
    â€œForbidden” pretty much summed up Joanna’s reaction to this man. An enigmatic, unpredictable man who held her imagination captive, kept her fantasies churning and her pulse erratic. “Where’s your mother now?” she asked, searching for something that might take her mind off his unmistakable aura, his blatant sensuality.
    A fleeting sadness passed over his expression. “She died a few years ago. She was a good woman, a little misguided in her beliefs, but she was charitable to people in need.”
    â€œLike her son?”
    His smile crooked the corner of his lips, a decidedly cynical smile. “Don’t peg me wrong, Joanna. I enjoy my success and all that it brings.”
    â€œBut you helped the Gonzaleses, knowing they didn’t have any insurance and not much money.”
    â€œI do that on occasion, but I still have paying patients. I’m not opposed to making money.”
    Exactly something Joanna’s ex would have said, only he had been inclined to involve himself in get-rich-quick ploys, not honest work.
    The conversation lulled as Rio Madrid continued to scrutinize her with penetrating eyes near the color of a harvest moon, as if he had some need to interpret her feelings, uncover her very soul.
    Joanna struggled to come up with more small talk, but she had trouble assembling her thoughts with his steadygaze now on her mouth. At least he hadn’t mentioned that night…
    â€œAbout the other night,” he said, as if he’d read her mind.
    â€œThe other night?” she repeated, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
    â€œYeah, New Year’s night. I find it hard to believe you don’t remember, because I haven’t been able to forget, querida. ”
    She shrugged, trying to affect nonchalance even though both her body and soul reeled in reaction to his declaration and endearment. “I thought maybe you didn’t recognize me.” She was secretly thrilled that he had.
    â€œI didn’t at first, until you smiled.” He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “You have a great smile. A great mouth.”
    Joanna couldn’t ignore the tingles produced by his touch or her heart’s incessant pounding. “Do you always kiss females you don’t know?” she asked, her voice coming out too high.
    He moved his palm to cup her cheek the same way he had that night. “Not normally, but you looked like you could’ve used a little company.”
    She could use some strength at the moment, a lot of strength, in order to resist his lure. “I’m used to being alone. Not that I didn’t appreciate the gesture.”
    He stroked his thumb back and forth along her jaw, her chin, grazing the corner of her lip with each pass. “Is that all you felt? Gratitude?”
    She couldn’t begin to describe what she’d felt when he’d kissed her, what she was feeling now with him so close, his hand on her face, his eyes focused on her mouth, her will caught firmly in his grasp.
    Then he lowered his head, slowly, slowly, and softly kissed her, no more than a tease, a taunt, but it left Joanna wanting as she’d never wanted before…
    The shrill of a siren interrupted the moment. Joanna pulled away from him and walked to the window to survey the scene, as much to catch her breath as out of concern for the familiar activity