that she started to breathe again. “Thank you,” she said, her face buried against the covers.
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize your predicament sooner.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Maybe not. But he was still angry with himself that she’d suffered. Before he thought to stop himself, he touched a red spot on her back.
She stiffened, and he immediately pulled away and reached for a discarded sheet at the end of the bed. “Here.” He covered her back before he did something really foolish.
She grasped the edges of the sheet and tucked it around her front, shielding herself before sitting up and tossing the corset aside. She folded her knees under her and secured the sheet modestly around her body. Her hair spilled down her shoulders, and she looked at him with her clear guileless eyes.
He found himself sinking into her, needing her, wanting to do anything to make her happy. Was this some kind of spell she was capable of casting? Was that why she had so many men vying for her and falling in love with her? He’d always thought Nathaniel was a weak man for giving Victoria everything she wanted. But maybe he’d experienced this same need too.
Tom rose from the bed before he lost complete control of himself. “I prepared a bath for you.”
“You did?” Her voice filled with surprise, as if she hadn’t expected his help with anything.
He walked over to the makeshift tent he’d formed, and he pulled back the blanket to reveal the tub.
She gave a delighted squeal and scrambled off the bed. With an eager smile, she scooped up her discarded clothing and skipped toward the bath. She ducked under the tent and dipped a hand into the water before coming back out. Her smile moved to her eyes, chasing away all of the sorrow he’d seen there only moments ago.
“It’s my apology,” he said.
“Apology for what?” She cocked her head just slightly.
He didn’t know exactly what he’d done to offend her today. Likely quite a bit. So he decided he’d better just take Dad’s approach and humble himself. “Sometimes I’m an insensitive idiot.”
The words were magic. Her smile widened and genuine warmth radiated from her eyes. He had the feeling that if they’d been married, he might have benefitted from the tub built for two. Just the thought made him look away, lest she see something in his eyes that didn’t belong there.
“I know you’d prefer that I leave while you bathe”—he lowered his voice—“but my parents are watching every move we make.”
“They sure are.”
He nodded toward the sofa in front of the window. “I’ll wait there.”
She hesitated.
“I promise I’ll keep my eyes on the window the whole time.”
“Okay.”
He spun away from her, needing to prove to himself that he was as strong as always. As he sauntered toward the window, he could feel her watching him. He tried to appear nonchalant, even though every nerve in his body was attuned to her.
When he finally plopped down and rested his head on one end of the sofa and crossed his feet on the other, he could hear her move into the tent. It took only a minute before the soft splash of water told him she was lowering first one foot and then the other into the tub. He closed his eyes to block out the image of her submerging in the water. But at her low moan of pleasure, sparks shot through his veins, heating his blood.
With each splash of water and her soft sounds of contentment, his muscles coiled tighter until he wasn’t sure he could bear another minute. Finally, when she stood in the tub, he gritted his teeth and jumped up from the sofa. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared unseeingly out the open window. He was hot and uncomfortable and desperately needed to escape from her presence. He’d never endured such torture in his life and prayed he’d never have to again.
“Do you want to take a bath now?” she asked, and from the exertion in her tone, he guessed she was rubbing herself dry with the towel he’d laid out for her.
He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was burning.
“It really cooled me off,” she said.
“I’ll be okay,” he managed. Heaven help him. The only way he would cool off was by diving head first into high tide.
She was silent for a moment before resuming her dressing, this time minus the blasted corset, which she’d left in a discarded heap on the bed. When