Free Winter Harvest by Susan Jaymes

upward an inch.
    She shrugged. "Maybe, but you've always been good to me."
    "Except for a few hours ago."
    "I disagree. We proved to one another what we can be together. It's not my fault you refuse to see it."
    "Why do you want this kind of life? I've just told you about my demons. I couldn't put a ring on your finger, even if I could afford it. I won't let myself do that to you no matter how much I want to."
    "Did I hear you right?" Victoria narrowed her eyes, "You do want there to be an us?"
    "It doesn't matter. It can't happen."
    "I just don't get you, and I'm tired of the games you play."
    "After our lovemaking, I think it's pretty obvious that I want you." Traye leaned back in his chair. "But I owe your parents and brother more than that."
    "What about me? I've been there for you too. More than Andrew, especially these last few years. Yet I get nothing."
    "I can't. I'm sorry."
    "Fine."
    Traye growled. The sound hung in the air as he placed the plates in the sink.
    Victoria eased her body onto the couch in front of the TV. The storm had knocked out the satellite service. So instead of watching something, she leafed through the farm magazines on his end table. This guy needs to get a life.
    Once he was finished with the dishes, Traye plunked down beside her. "Daylight should be here soon. I'll be able to check the damage to see if we can get you back to the main house."
    "Great. The sooner you can get rid of me, the better, huh?"
    "No." Traye reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He could be so tender with his touch, yet so ruthless with his words. "I wouldn't say that, but I believe you'll be better off with someone else. It'll kill me, but I'm sure someday you'll agree."
    "Whatever."
    "Promise me something, though?"
    "I'm not so sure you have the right to ask me to do that, Traye."
    "Please." He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers.
    "What is it?"
    "I didn't enjoy seeing you so wasted. Do you know how many times I held my father's head over the toilet or cleaned up when he didn't make it there? How many times I ran a bath for him or cooked his breakfast because he couldn't do it? I know you're not a drunk like him, but that was hard for me to see."
    "Yet you did it anyway."
    "You fell down my steps. What else could I do?"
    She chuckled. "True."
    "Hey."
    "It's okay. Thank you for taking care of me."
    "And then I jumped you."
    "Please don't ruin this." She squeezed his hand. "We made love. Don't turn it into something seedy and dirty. I wanted you, and you wanted me. If that's all I'm going to get, let me at least have that good memory."
    "Okay." Traye nodded. "In the morning, we'll both move on and never speak of this again."
    "As much as it pains me to say, then… yes. I'll move on. I sure hope you don't regret it. Well, actually, I do."
    "I'm sure I will." He smiled. "No, I know I will. Be happy, Victoria."
    Traye leaned over and placed a light kiss onto her lips.
    Victoria decided that if this were going to be her only night with him, she might as well make the most of it. So she placed her hand on his neck, pulled him close, and deepened the kiss.
    He didn't pull away.
    Instead, their hands and fingers discovered one another's bodies again as they each tried to implant the memory in their brains to take them through the rest of their lives.
    They shed their clothes without a word and moved to the bed, where they spent the rest of the long, stormy night telling each other of their love with their bodies. They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms, praying they'd never see morning.

Chapter Seven
     
     
    "What the hell is going on here?"
    Traye shot into a sitting position and flung Victoria to the other side of the bed. She landed with a groan and pulled the covers over her head. Her breathing grew shallow.
    Andrew? What the hell?
    Trying to focus, Traye blinked his eyes several times. Looking at the heap in his bed, he knew the amazing dream he'd had was actually reality. Andrew