Winter Harvest (2 page)

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah,
really.
This can't happen between us. It isn't what you want."

"It isn't?" She liked seeing him flustered. That showed how much he'd liked it, too. Maybe they
did
have a chance. Hope beat in her chest.

He shook his head but didn't look convinced. "No."

"I think you know I've wanted to kiss you for years. Okay, so maybe this wasn't the best time or place, but I don't regret it."

"You know it can't happen again, right?"

"Right." Her heart dropped to her feet, and she turned to march down the hill. He'd never see her as a woman. What had made her think he ever would?

"Victoria, don't go away mad. Let me walk you down."

"I don't need your help. I need to cool off in more ways than one. Don't sweat it, Traye. It's already forgotten." She'd never forget, though. Kissing him had been better than any dream she'd ever had. Maybe it'd been a mistake, but she knew now she couldn't let him just walk away. They'd be together sooner or later, whether he believed it or not.

She halted and looked up at him. "Hurry up. The coffee and cake await."

*****

Traye stood still as Victoria marched off down the hill, letting her put some distance between them before he followed her. Her speed down the steep slippery slope didn't scream that the kiss had meant nothing. Instead, it spoke volumes about how angry she was at his rejection.

What the hell did I just do?

If she hadn't moaned, he might have taken her right here beside her mother's grave. He shook his head.
What kind of
animal am I?

"I'm so sorry, Tessie. I won't touch your daughter again," he said, facing the headstone. Then he turned away and spoke only to himself. "Why did I kiss her back? Idiot. Where did that come from, anyway? I have to keep my fricking hands off her."

Except after having kissed her soft lips, he didn't
want
to keep his hands off her. She had always been like a little sister to him, but little sisters don't kiss like that. She was so damn sexy. He was willing to bet she'd be a little vixen in bed. He shook his head. Hell, he couldn't let himself go there.
Never could be
anything between us. Not ever.

Damn. Now he had the image in his head of her standing naked before him, ready, willing, and waiting.
Shit
.

Where did he go from here? He had to end her little fantasy, because he had nothing to offer her. Why would she want him, anyway? He had no idea, yet he felt a little flattered that she did. He'd never taken much notice of her before. To him, she'd always been just a cute kid. Could he look at her the same way now? He'd have to find a way.

"End it, chump," he said to himself. "Let her down easy and get things back to where they were."

He owed it to Robert. Shit, if her father ever found out, Traye would be out on his ear, since the cabin he lived in belonged to the O'Connors. If he pursued Victoria, he'd screw up everything. Traye's respect for Robert ran too deeply for him to ruin it over a little crush. Someday Victoria would meet a great guy, and Traye would be but a memory. Yet he'd forever wonder now what might have happened after that kiss.

As Traye started down the hill, he decided there was no way he could sit across from her with a cup of coffee. So instead of following her after he'd made it down the slope, he jumped into his truck and headed to the cabin.

He entered his home, tore off his winter gear, and tossed it aside. The closet across the room caught his attention. The closet without a door that always reminded him of his past. A shiver ran down his spine.

He'd do nothing but destroy Victoria. Whatever this was with her, he had to put a stop to it. She, of course, had other things in mind. As much as he'd love to have her in his bed, he couldn't disrespect Robert and bring her down this miserable road that was his life. If only he knew a way to break her heart without losing her all together. With no clue about what to do, he decided to figure it out later. Problem was, he had to do so before he saw her tomorrow.

Chapter
Two

Early the next morning, like on any other normal day, Traye entered the O'Connor's house through the back door. This time, however, his stomach sat in a tight knot. He never knew what kind of mood Andrew would be in, and now the searing kiss with Victoria prevented him from being at the top of his game.

Only two steps in, he spotted Victoria standing by the island in the middle of the kitchen. He glanced her way like a boy with a crush, but ducked his head when she caught him looking. What had ever possessed him to kiss her back? If he could go back and change it, he would. Now everything was different, and he couldn't get her out of his head.

Out of nowhere, Andrew slammed into him, and he stumbled. He looked into the man's stormy eyes.

"Why the hell are you staring at my sister?" Andrew demanded.

"She's pretty."
Hell, she was more than pretty
. With her wearing those tight jeans and that form fitting turtleneck, he didn't have to imagine her curves.
When had that happened
?

"Stop it. You're not going to sit and gawk at her."

"Relax." Traye covered his panic with a grin. "She's like my sister."

Except now, he had a strong desire to pull her into his arms. He couldn't act on it, because it'd be downright wrong on so many levels. Just by her puppy love smile, he could tell she didn't think of him as a brother anymore, if she ever had. He had to set her straight.

She brushed past him with a tray of crispy bacon, a seductive smile on her lips and an 'I want to eat you' look in her big brown eyes. "Hi, Traye. How are you this morning?"

"Great."
Just great
.
I want to throw you onto the table, rip off your clothes, and make love to you. Jeez. Where the hell did that come from?

One kiss.

One kiss that had knocked his socks off and turned his world upside down.

Andrew sat at the table and Traye followed suit, while Victoria put out the food. Every morning she prepared them a hot meal. On this particular day, though, Traye didn't have much of an appetite for Victoria's amazing food. She couldn't match Tessie's cooking, but she had come a long way. Anything beat his own creations.

Grabbing a glass of orange juice to help him swallow the lump in his throat, his hand grazed hers, and he jerked back. She bent over him to put the butter onto the table, and her hair tickled his cheek. Her floral perfume floated around him. He put his hands under his thighs to prevent himself from reaching up, bringing her close, and nibbling her lips.

Then Robert claimed his chair at the head of the table, and Traye returned to reality.

"Hello, Traye." His surrogate father's warm, watery blue eyes helped bring him out of the clouds. "As usual, everything looks scrumptious, Victoria."

"Thank you, Daddy." Victoria sat opposite Traye and smiled. Her eyes never left Traye's.

His calmness slowly dissipated into thin air, and he squirmed in his seat.

"What's the plan for today, boys?"

Andrew grabbed the scrambled eggs and piled his plate full. "Traye and I have to get the Case tractor running."

"Think you'll be able to do that?" Robert smeared raspberry jam onto his toast.

"It won't be easy, but we'll get it done."

Robert looked to his daughter. "And you, sweetheart?"

"Abbey is coming over later so we can plan the spring dance. It'll be here before we know it, and we want to get started."

Every year, the O'Connors put on a dance at their home for the area farmers and the citizens of Russet Grove to celebrate the end of the long winter. Tessie had loved the celebration and had put her whole heart and soul into it, a tradition that had been passed down through the generations, although they had modernized the event as the years passed. With Tessie gone, the preparations now fell on Victoria.

After Tessie had withered away with her long illness, Traye didn't believe he would enjoy the festivities as much. He missed her, and right now he could use her advice.

"It is so nice of Abbey to help you out." Robert smiled at her. "She's been a good friend."

"Yes, she has." Victoria nodded.

While eating their breakfast, they discussed the days ahead when the snow would melt and the real work would start. Traye watched Victoria through hooded eyes as she hung on her father's every word. She'd always given him the same attention before, but Traye had brushed it off.
When had she become this gorgeous woman?
He'd like to run his hands over her silky skin and kiss her full lips. He sucked in a breath.
When did she grab my heart?

Too soon the meal ended, and Traye pushed himself from the table so he could get to work. His soul desire was to stare at this newfound wonder all day and listen to her chatter before taking her to bed to claim her.

"Traye, you coming?" Andrew stood by the door with a scowl on his face.

He blinked his eyes a few times to shake away the thought of Victoria naked with her athletic legs spread wide for him to end the torture in his groin. Hoping to dispel that picture and eager for some fresh air, Traye headed for the door. "Yeah, sure. Let's see what we can get done today. I hear later in the week we're expecting a blizzard, so we won't be getting anything done then but clearing snow."

"True, but maybe it will fizzle out."

"The chill in the air says otherwise," Robert offered with the wisdom the younger men had learned to respect.

"You're probably right, Dad, which means we need to get to that tractor." Andrew gave Traye a curt nod. "Let's go."

He took one last look at Victoria, then followed Andrew outside.

That last look was a big mistake.

Her brown eyes were glued to his butt. Then they traveled up to his eyes, and she fired him a wicked smirk. Five large steps, and he could nail her to the wall, strip off her clothes, and kiss his way down to her luscious breasts.

"Traye, what the hell? Get your ass out here."

He sucked in a breath and turned with reluctance to follow Andrew, leaving his jacket off and welcoming the cold air, hoping it would bring him down to earth. His mind was still on getting Victoria naked when he ran into Andrew, who stood staring at him with a scowl.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. What's with you and my sister?"

"Nothing. Really."

"I don't believe you." Andrew's scowled deepened. "Convince me."

"There isn't, nor will there ever be, anything going on between me and Victoria."

"Better, but you looked at her this morning as if you wanted her in your bed."

God was I that transparent? How will I ever convince Victoria a relationship between us is a bad idea if she'll be able to tell I really do want her?

"You don't really want to take her down that road, now do you?" Andrew said.

Traye shook his head, even though he didn't even believe it himself anymore. Andrew could be so blunt, but at this moment Traye needed to hear his friend's words even if they hurt.

"You have nothing to offer her, Traye. You're a great friend and a good guy, but you live on
our
farm -- the O'Connor farm -- working for us. Don't you want to have your own farm?"

"Yeah, someday." Traye knew he'd never be able to afford his own land. "Your father has given me everything. Besides, there is nothing between Victoria and me, so you don't have anything to worry about."

"There'd better not be. Look, go bang anybody you want in Russet Grove, but keep your ugly mitts off my sister. You touch her, and I'll throw you off this farm so fast your head will spin. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. Now can we get to work?"

Andrew nodded. Traye stood there as he stomped away. Even though he figured Andrew had forgotten about what had happened the day before, as he often did, Traye was ready to explode in anger. He and Andrew used to be so close, and now the other man ran so hot and cold with him, he never knew where he stood. He'd always depended on Victoria to help him cool Andrew's temper. This time, however, he didn't seem satisfied. Traye decided he'd better watch himself today. The way Andrew was acting, he might whip a wrench at Traye's head. He needed to set Victoria straight so she'd stop the madness before everything got out of hand. Turning her away would kill him, but he had to do it for everyone's sake.

 "You know, I forgot my tools in the truck," he said. "I'll be right back."

"Don't take too long. We need to get this done."

"Yes, boss."

"I
will
be your boss someday, and don't you forget it." Andrew turned toward him with a grin.

Just like always, Traye had known a little ego stroking would pull Andrew out of his dark mood. "Don't let it go to your head."

"If you play your cards right, you'll be my hired hand. Screw me over, and you'll see nothing. Keep that in mind." He turned and walked toward the shed. "Hurry up. We have a lot of work to accomplish today."

Not a
partner,
but a hired hand. Andrew would always see Traye as lower class. Maybe he deserved it. He didn't come from the best stock, after all.

The sun's warmth defied the fact that winter was upon them as he headed back to the house. The clang of dishes when he entered told him Victoria was still in the kitchen. Good. He tiptoed past Robert's closed office door and stood in the doorway for a minute.

God, she's gorgeous.
She had pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail. He had to fight the urge to come up behind her and nibble her neck and cup her tight behind.

She must have felt his presence, because she whirled around, flinging soapy water everywhere.

"Traye?" Her hand came up to her chest and lay on top of her heart. "Can I get you something?

His eyes went to her hand as the water stain grew and her nipples puckered beneath her shirt. He raised widened eyes to hers, and she smiled. Strands of her hair had come undone from her ponytail, and they framed her face.

"I wanted to set things straight between us before it gets weird," he said. "What happened yesterday shouldn't have, and I apologize."