Her body sagged against him with relief. “No. I think I made it.”
He glanced at their shoes two feet away. “You missed.”
“I’m close enough.”
“Not quite.”
She reached out an arm in an attempt to snag one of the shoes, but he pulled her back so that she couldn’t reach her prize. She was suddenly conscious of his nearness, of the solidness of his body next to hers, and the fact that his face was only inches away. The rapid intakes of his breath made her all too keenly aware of the closeness of his mouth.
It would be all too easy to bend in and let him kiss her again. Much too easy.
As if thinking the same, he gave a soft groan and released her. He scrambled back and then sat up, holding his face in his hands. “I’m sorry, Victoria. I need to be stronger and more careful around you. I can’t—won’t—break my word to your father.”
“I promised my father to be careful too. But we’re not doing anything wrong.”
“Victoria.” He lifted his face and met her gaze, revealing his inner turmoil. “Try to understand.”
She did. This something between them was definitely real, something they could no longer ignore. But he was a man of honor in every way. And she loved that about him. He’d given her father his word to remain professional as her bodyguard. If he allowed himself to become involved with her in a deeper relationship, then he was betraying himself. He would be going against his principles. And she didn’t want to be the cause of that. He’d only loathe himself and perhaps, eventually, loathe her as well.
She didn’t want to hurt him. She truly wanted what was best for him. But she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to let him go. Not when she was falling in love with him.
Chapter 13
Tom tucked the thin blanket around his mom’s waist. “Can I do anything else for you?” He couldn’t look at the end of the bed, at the flat spot under the covers where her feet should have been. The only way he was surviving was by keeping busy all day and spending his evenings with Victoria so that he minimized the amount of time he was with Mom.
She waved him away from the bed. “No. I’m just fine. You go on and be with Victoria. I can tell you’re ready to wrap her in your arms.”
“Mom,” he whispered, glancing out his parents’ room to the closed door across the hallway. Victoria would be sitting on the sofa like she usually was, ready and eager to talk to him. The first night he hadn’t been sure what they’d find to discuss. But after spending every night for the past week talking with her, now he wasn’t sure how he could go without their conversations.
“Don’t be embarrassed, dear.” With a satisfied smile, Mom leaned back against the mound of pillows at the headboard. A book rested on the nightstand next to an oil lamp that was turned low. He knew she’d read for a while before going to sleep. Even now she was a light sleeper—always had been. She likely heard every move they made. “It’s perfectly normal to desire your wife. Especially one as sweet and beautiful as Victoria.”
Sweet and beautiful. Yes, she was. And desire her? Yes, he did. Too much. Way too much. His blood spurted at the barest remembrance of sharing those forbidden kisses earlier in the evening. Since coming back from their walk on the beach, he’d beaten himself up a dozen times for kissing her.
He couldn’t let it happen again. However, he was beginning to realize that by coming to Race Point to hide, he’d created a situation that was too tempting. He’d overestimated his ability to keep Victoria at arm’s length. With the combination of his parents’ pressure and his own attraction to her, he seemed to be fighting a losing battle. If he couldn’t keep things under better control, he would need to cut short the month.
As much as he wanted to deny his attraction to her, he couldn’t fool himself any longer. His feelings for her were different than any other woman he’d worked to protect. And it wasn’t just because she was younger than the others. There was something special about her, a vibrancy, spunk, and spirit that he liked. He was hard on her at times, but she didn’t whimper or cower. She may not have liked all