Page 62 of Wild Promises

It hurt to draw in a breath, but I forced myself to straighten and turn off the water. I dried my face and looked at myself in the mirror.

I was born to be outside on the slopes. It hurt to even think about doing anything else, moving somewhere else. I couldn't lose my job. I had to prove to my brothers that I was serious about the business.

Hopefully, sneaking out of the party with Tori did the job we intended it to do. I turned off the light and went back to bed, where Tori was laying on her side, her hands folded under her cheek. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

The bed dipped as I climbed onto the mattress. "Of course."

"You were in there a long time." Her forehead creased.

And I hadn't held her after we'd been intimate. I hadn't been able to. Everything inside me was saying I'd crossed more than just a friendship line, and it was too much. "I'm okay. Just worried about my job."

Tori was quiet for a long time.

'"Are you okay?" I finally asked her.

"Uh-huh." Then she turned away from me, facing the wall.

It felt like there was a barrier between us that went up when I mentioned my job. Why had I even said anything when we were in bed together? My head was a mess. I turned onto my side, scooting closer to her body so that I could wrap an arm around her. She was stiff for a few seconds and then relaxed into me.

This was how it was supposed to be: me and Tori together. If we didn't have jobs to worry about, would this ever have happened? Would we have crossed the line or just pretended to be together? Probably not. I should be thankful for however this came to be.

Shortly after, her breathing evened out, but I stayed awake for a while, running every possible scenario through my head. What if my brothers decided that they had to let me go? What would I do? Where would I go?

What if Tori went back to New York? That one felt far more likely to me for some reason. She had lived in that city for years. What if she missed it or her ex boyfriend? The old insecurities reared up.

Why would Tori choose me? A ski instructor, maybe even an unemployed one, over her accomplished ex? It was hard to believe I had anything to offer a woman like her.

She was so smart and hardworking. And I skied for a living. The more I thought about it, the more insecure I felt.

When I woke the next morning, the light was bright in the room, and the bed next to me was empty. Had Tori left? I didn’t think she worked Sundays, but I'd recently taken to offering lessons. I wanted to show my brothers I was indispensable.

Once they saw the extra money I generated from the holiday trail and the additional lessons, then they would respect me.

Eager to see if Tori was still here and to verify I hadn't screwed things up last night, I pulled on a pair of sweats I kept in the dresser, then searched for her. The smell of bacon led me to the kitchen where Tori was watching the strips cook on the stove in the button-down shirt I'd worn last night. It hung to her knees, but no one had ever looked sexier to me.

When I moved closer, she raised her gaze to me. "Hey, sleepyhead."

"I had trouble falling asleep last night."

Her eyes filled with concern, but she didn't ask any questions.

This morning, I wanted to follow my gut instinct, and right now it was telling me to touch her. I wrapped my arms around her middle, and she relaxed into my hold.

"Morning." My voice was rough with sleep.

Her hands covered mine. "Good morning." She turned in my arms and cupped my cheeks. "Are you regretting last night?"

"No." I wouldn't regret sleeping with Tori even if it destroyed everything. I felt like a changed man. One who was more open to love than ever before.

Her expression relaxed slightly. "Good. Because I don't either."

"What's to regret? Amazing sex and morning-after bacon."

She laughed. "It was all I could find in the freezer."

"No one has stayed here in a long time." There wouldn't be anything but a few items in the freezer and the pantry. "We could go downstairs for breakfast."

"This is fine for now."

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