its strength. He wrestled the door closed and turned with expectation. When his gaze landed upon her, his eyes darkened and his brows slanted in that magnetic way that never failed to turn her limbs to liquid.
“Hi,” she said, suddenly breathless. She held out the glass. “I thought you might like some lemonade.”
He took it from her and drank several long gulps without shifting his attention from her, which only made her stomach turn to liquid too.
She loved when he took breaks from his work during the day. In addition to joining her and Zelma for lunch, he’d started taking a few minutes in the morning and afternoon to come back to the house. The reason for his visit was always different—to change his sweaty shirt, to get a snack or a drink, or to find a new pair of gloves. She wanted to believe those were all excuses, that he was really coming to see her. But she could never be certain. Either way, she was always impatient to see him and surprised by how much she longed to be with him when they were apart.
“How’s your afternoon going?” she asked, admiring the way the muscles in his neck and jaw rippled as he finished the drink.
He set the empty glass onto the half-moon console table near the door. Then he reached for her, his strong hands sliding up her arms possessively before winding around her waist and pulling her against his chest.
“It’s going better now,” he whispered against her ear.
She sighed and closed her eyes, pure contentment and pleasure coursing through her. She wrapped her arms around him and relished his strength. This was where she wanted to be. In fact, she’d started living for these few short moments every morning and afternoon when he’d hold her, when she’d breathe him in and listen to his heart beat, when his heat and solidness surrounded her.
He’d hold her only for a few minutes, never long enough, before pressing his lips against her crown in a hard kiss that promised so much more and made her wish he’d kiss her lips that way. But he’d always pull back and set her away before she could work up the courage to lift her face and capture his lips with hers.
His grip around her was hard and unswerving. And his lips came against her hair too soon. She wanted to cling to him and make the moment last longer, but she knew he was trying to take things slow, and she wanted to respect his wishes.
His lips were warm and his breath heavy against her head. His fingers tightened for a moment, and then he set her away from him as he usually did. She smiled and tried to pretend for herself and for him that she didn’t want more, that she was content with this tiny morsel of his affection.
He reached behind him for the doorknob. “I have to get back to work.” But his gaze lingered on her face.
“Okay. I’ll see you at dinner.” If only his dad would make Tom kiss her again.
Tom turned away from her and began to open the door. Then he stopped. “Come with me to the tower.” His voice was tight. “I want to show you something.”
Her breath caught at the invitation. All week, she’d been able to tell he was making efforts not to be alone with her. Other than their late evening talks on the sofa, he’d kept their time together out in the open and had exerted extra caution because of the undeniable attraction between them.
“Sure.” She tried to keep her tone normal. “I’ll let your mom know where I’m going.”
Of course Zelma waved her away with a smile and a knowing look. “Go have fun, dear. I’ll be fine here with my painting.”
As Victoria followed Tom down the trail to the tower, the sand swirled so that it was almost biting. The roaring of the wind and the crashing of the waves made talking impossible. When they stumbled into the tower and closed the door, the silence was eerie compared to the clamor outside. The wind howled under the doorjamb, but the only other sound was their heavy breathing.
She hadn’t yet been inside the tower. But it was similar to the ones her grandfather had worked in. Painted white bricks lined the walls, and a narrow metal staircase spiraled up with a landing every so often. The first landing had a small window that afforded enough light to guide their