Could I even beat him without it?

“Turn around.” He made a spinning motion with his finger. “It’ll help.”

I’d lost the thread of conversation, but I didn’t want to admit it. I tentatively shifted to sit sideways on the hot tub’s tile bench. Before I knew what was happening, Theodore surged across the water and tucked himself close behind me, his right leg bent and shin pressing against my backside.

My lungs stuttered as his left hand spread over my ribs. Slowly, using thumb and fingers, he massaged the sore area of my back. He was saying, “I strained these muscles a few years ago, and it’s so awkward to reach yourself. Not that I’m an expert, but does that feel okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

All the deep breathing and meditation in the world couldn’t stop my simmering arousal from boiling over into a full-fledged erection. I kept my gaze high on the reflection of the empty pool in the wall of dark windows.

Then I lowered my eyes to the image of Theodore close behind me and my own parted lips. We were small in the glass across the room, but seeing us excited me.

I could feel his breath on my neck like I had standing at the sink. I could imagine his lips touching my skin, his body covering mine, bending me over the side of the hot tub…

“Why are you helping me?” The question scraped out of my dry throat.

His fingers flexed on my side, his tone teasing. “I want to beat you fair and square. It’s no fun if you’re injured.”

I jerked away from him with a splash, sliding to the other side of the hot tub.

He blinked at me before forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry! No competition talk, right? We agreed. There’s no winning and losing here.” He made a zipping motion across his mouth, his lips glistening red in the steam.

I could only stare at him, my breath too fast and my head spinning with confusion. We shouldn’t be doing this. I should get up and leave and stop talking to Theo until after Calgary.

Not Theo. Theodore.

A voice boomed, “Time to lock up the pool area!”

The concierge’s announcement made me jump half out of the hot tub. Unfortunately, it didn’t put a damper on my erection in the slightest, and as Theodore exchanged pleasantries with the man before he left and presumably returned to the front desk, I willed my body to cooperate.

What was wrong with me? I shouldn’t be attracted to Theo—Theodore—and I clearly couldn’t let him get so close to me ever again. I had to put a stop to this, yet no matter how hard I attempted to focus and control my body, I couldn’t.

Climbing out and grabbing his towel from the hook on the wall, Theodore ran it over his hair. And pressed the red button, sealing my fate. The camouflaging swirl of frothing water flattened, steam still rising.