Page 59 of His Godsent Duchess
She surfaced quickly, spluttering and laughing as she wiped the water from her eyes. "You are impossible!"
"Perhaps," he said, grinning as he treaded water beside her. "But I do seem to have won."
Christina narrowed her eyes playfully. "I wouldn't be so sure."
With a mischievous giggle, she dipped beneath the surface, staying underwater just long enough to give him pause. When she didn't immediately resurface, he called.
"Christina?" He started moving toward her, his movements urgent.
She allowed a moment to pass before she sprang up from the water with a triumphant grin. "Here!"
Victor blinked, momentarily startled before breaking into a relieved laugh. "You little—" he shook his head. "I suppose you have won after all."
They floated there for a moment, their laughter fading into something quieter, more intimate. For a moment, the world around them seemed to still. The only sound was the soft ripple of the water, the only feeling the warm closeness between them. Christina's breath hitched as Victor reached out, brushing a damp curl away from her face.
Their eyes locked, and in that moment, everything seemed to shift. Slowly, Victor leaned in, and when his lips met hers, it was gentle at first, tentative, as though testing the waters. But as the kiss deepened, Christina felt the last of her nerves melt away, replaced by a warmth so overwhelming she could barely breathe.
When they finally pulled apart, her heart was racing, and she found herself smiling up at him. "I thought this was supposed to be a swimming lesson."
Victor grinned, his thumb brushing her cheek. "I think you've learned enough for today."
"Come," Victor commanded, his voice soft but firm. Before Christina could react, he scooped her up into his arms. She gasped, her hands instinctively grabbing onto his shoulders, her wet curls brushing against his neck. The lake water dripped from both of them, but Victor barely noticed as he carried her out of the water.
When he set her down, he kept his hands around her waist, the warmth of her body and the closeness making it impossible to let go. She stood before him, water glistening on her skin, and for a moment, he couldn't move. The tension between them hung in the air, thick and undeniable, and he found himself lost in her eyes.
He kissed her again. This time, it was brief, but the world still seemed to fade away, leaving only the intensity of the kiss—and it left him shaken.
When he pulled back, Christina's cheeks were flushed, her breath coming in short, uneven bursts. She looked radiant, utterly divine, and Victor's chest tightened. She was slipping past his defenses, and the realization terrified him. He had to stop this before it went too far.
Victor stepped back, forcing himself to move. He walked toward Toro and retrieved a cloth from the satchel, handing it to her with deliberate calm. "How is it that you never learned to swim, Christina?" he asked lightly, hoping to distract her from the storm inside him. "You seem like someone who would have mastered it long ago."
Christina laughed, taking the cloth and drying her arms. "If there had been a lake near the seminary, I would have. But we had to make do with sneaking out to climb hills and have picnics."
Victor raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile pulling at his lips. "Picnics, you say? So you spent your time fleeing the rules of the seminary for the thrill of a hillside picnic?"
"Absolutely," she said with a grin. "It was worth the risk. There's something exhilarating about sneaking away, don't you think?"
Victor chuckled, though the unease in his chest lingered. "Even more daring than I thought."
"Someone has to be," she replied, her tone light but her gaze lingering on him for just a moment too long.
He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. There was a part of him that admired her boldness, her refusal to be constrained by the rules that others set. But there was also that same part that warned him to distance himself, to keep his heart protected. He couldn't afford to let her get any closer.
They mounted their horses, and as they rode back to Kilton Castle, the silence between them was comfortable, yet Victor couldn't shake the heaviness that had settled over him. Every glance she gave him, every laugh that escaped her lips, tugged at something deep inside him, something he wasn't prepared to face. He was allowing himself to care for her—more than he should—and it was dangerous. He had to stop it before it became something more, something he couldn't control.
When they arrived back at the estate, Victor dismounted and offered Christina his hand to help her down. She smiled up at him as she took it, but the warmth in her gaze only deepened the ache in his chest. He forced himself to return her smile before turning away, his mind already spinning with the decision he had to make.
Hours later, Victor stood in his study, staring out at the garden, his hands resting on the window frame. The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the lawn, but he barely noticed the beauty of it. His thoughts were consumed by the memory of Christina's kiss, the way it had felt to hold her, to let himself forget for just a moment.
He couldn't allow it to happen again.
She was everything he had never expected—bold, rebellious, and full of life. She had captivated his daughters, earned their respect and love in a way no one else ever had. She had brought laughter back into Kilton Castle, a light that had been absent for years.
But she was also everything he feared for himself.
Victor knew, deep down, that he could fall in love with her—perhaps he already had. But what terrified him more was the thought of losing her. He couldn't bear it. Not again. Not after what had happened with Christian. He had let his brother chase after adventure and excitement, and it had cost him everything. If he allowed himself to care for Christina the way he cared for his brother, the pain of losing her would destroy him.
He couldn't take that risk.
