Winning Her Forever

by Harmony Evans

She hiked up her skirt around her trim waist. “I promise you won’t have to wait for me that long. You can have me right now.”

  He gazed up into her eyes. “You aren’t a high school crush or a weekend fling. I love you! I want your heart and your body. Don’t you realize that?”

  She leaned her back against the steering wheel. He stared at her delicate black panties that he’d bought for her.

  He pressed his thumb against the wettest spot, and she threw her head back, her curls cascading over her shoulders.

  Her moan drew out and reverberated throughout the space, and ended in a sharp intake of breath.

  “Trent, do that again, please!”

  He pressed again, and rotated his thumb in a tiny circle against the fabric. His eyes glazed over with the need to see, and feel and taste all the passion she had for him.

  He made a split-second decision. The panties were expensive, but they had to go. He ripped them in half and tossed the damp pieces of lace in the back seat.

  “I’ll buy you some new ones, even prettier than these.”

  Now she was completely, beautifully exposed to him.

  “Oh, Trent, what are we doing?” she breathed, looking down at him.

  “What we do best, baby,” he muttered thickly, planting a kiss on her slit of a navel. “Pleasing one another.”

  Loving one another.

  They both knew there wasn’t much room in his truck, but they were determined to make it work. He reclined the seat back as far as it would go. She squatted over him while he cupped her buttocks to support her weight.

  She shrugged out of her shirt. Now, all she had on was her bra made of sheer black lace, and he would get rid of that soon.

  He wished he could take off her pencil skirt, but he would never get it past her melon-shaped breasts. He left it alone, bunched up around her waist.

  She whimpered in anticipation as he squeezed her buttocks to edge her closer to him.

  “You know what I was thinking of the entire time you were next to me today?”

  He ducked and nudged her thighs apart with his head.

  As she planted her heels on the seat, he inhaled her sweet womanly scent and his mouth began to water.

  “Never mind, I’ll just show you.”

  He darted his tongue deep inside her quickly and then up and around her folds, sucking gently. He thought he knew exactly what to do to make her body pulse against him. Yet, each time he placed his mouth against her most intimate areas, he discovered more ways to please her. He loved the way she seemed to cave into his mouth, and to the will of his tongue.

  His penis throbbed almost painfully as he repeated his movements over and over. And sometimes, he had to pause and take a breath, and her hands clawed at his hair, urging him to continue.

  She breathed quickly, almost hyperventilating, with the pleasure he was giving her. When her legs started to quiver, he knew it was time. He withdrew his tongue and she collapsed on top of him, and he hurried to shed his pants.

  The lack of room in the truck made their movements somewhat cautious, but somehow he was able to roll her with him until she was on her back. She reached her hands up and held on to the headrest, while he unhooked her bra. Her breasts bounced as they moved together, nipples stiff and enticing. He forced himself to look away. He knew if he kissed her there, he was a goner.

  Their bodies were slick with sweat as he held her tight to him. Her legs shot up and her feet flattened against the ceiling as he rocked inside her, crooning her name in her ear.

  He withdrew and thrust himself into her, and her hips rose again and again to meet him. They bucked together violently, caught in a cage of their own desire. She came without warning, biting his shoulder, so she wouldn’t cry out. She dug her fingers into the small of his back, something she’d never done before, and he felt the life spurt out of him and into her.

  They lay there for a while, as he kissed her and played with her nipples, until she was writhing beneath him again. He loved her so much that he could pleasure her all night long, while taking nothing more for himself.

  The windows were steamed up, and he opened the car door to get some air. They shifted positions and she climbed back into the passenger seat to fix her clothes.

  “Can we continue this inside?” he asked, knowing it wouldn’t be long before he was ready to make love to her again. His need for her was insatiable.

  She leaned over and gave him a kiss. “I want to be alone tonight, Trent.”

  He pulled on his pants and zipped them up. He couldn’t help but feel hurt and rejected. “So I guess you do still think we’re seeing too much of one another.”

  “I’m not going to answer that question right now.”

  She finished buttoning up her shirt and looked back toward the house. He wondered if someone were waiting for her there, but there were no other cars in her driveway.

  She said goodbye and got out, and he watched her hips sway seductively in the rearview mirror as she walked away.

  “I’m going to keep asking until you answer, until you realize that I’m here for you, Sonya, and I’m not going away.”

  When she was safely inside, he backed out of the driveway and headed home.

  * * *

  Sonya picked up the final twig from the front lawn, then shaded her eyes and looked up at the house. Now that there was a strong possibility of losing it, she was beginning to cherish it all the more.

  In the past several months, she’d managed to complete several repairs. She installed a ceiling fan in her bedroom, which got a workout cooling her and Trent after their extended lovemaking sessions. With his help, she’d even installed a new mantel over the living room fireplace.

  She wiped her brow. It was not yet noon, and the temperature was already in the mideighties. She got a bottle of water out of the cooler on the porch and sat on the step.

  Lately, she’d gotten in the habit of sitting outside whenever she could, just to think. The view wasn’t nearly as pretty as it was out back, but she still loved to count the cars that drove by. There weren’t many. The area where she lived wasn’t heavily populated and was dotted with farms and ranches. She wondered how long they would last.

  Often, her thoughts turned to Trent, and she wondered what it would be like to spend the rest of her days and nights with him. To be the mother of his children.

  She knew that she couldn’t keep putting off discussing their relationship. It wasn’t fair to him or to both of them to be in such a state of limbo, but that was exactly where she was in her life right now. And he just happened to be along for the ride.

  A car crunched up the long gravel driveway. The twang of a blues guitar streamed out of the open window as Nelda pulled up to the house. Her aunt was smiling for the first time in months, and that alone made Sonya’s insides ring with hope.

  “Yoo-hoo, Sonya!” Nelda called out as she got out of the car.

  “I could have called you on the phone, but I wanted to tell you in person.”

  She set down her water bottle and rose to meet her. “What’s going on, Auntie?”

  “You won’t believe what’s happened,” she rasped, as if out of breath. “I’ve got some wonderful news. All of our troubles are over. In no time at all, I’m going to have the money to pay off the mortgage.”

  “That’s wonderful. Where did you get it? Did you win the lottery?”

  Nelda shook her finger. “Hush, Sonya. You know I don’t gamble. This is better than the lottery. The Watersons are buying it.”

  She inhaled sharply. “You mean Trent?” She’d started to say my boyfriend, but stopped herself just in time. She didn’t know how much Nelda knew about their relationship, if anything at all.

  Nelda shook her head. “No, his brother, Steve, called me originally, but he told me that Trent said that you told him I was interested in selling.�
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  “I never told Trent any such thing. I thought you and I agreed we wouldn’t sell it.”

  “We both knew I didn’t have the money to pay the back mortgage. We also knew that the bank held all the power in this scenario.”

  “I know,” Sonya admitted. “But I’d hoped that somehow we could find a way.”

  “You’ve always been such a dreamer.” Her aunt put her hands on her hips. “Did you expect us to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? That’s a risk I didn’t want to take. A foreclosure would have ruined my credit for the rest of my life. Besides, what are you and I going to do with eight-hundred acres of land?”

  “Well, we could start our own winery. I had the soil tested, and it’s suitable for a number of grape varieties.”

  “A winery? At my age?” Nelda choked out. “I’m retired. Besides, what about your dance studio?”

  “I could do both,” Sonya insisted, even though deep down, she knew she was being overzealous. “Okay, I couldn’t, at least not right now. I was just trying to be creative.”

  Her aunt folded her arms at her chest. “But there’s no need, Sonya. I’m selling the house and the land to the Waterson brothers. They’re giving us about twenty percent over the appraised value of the land. After the mortgage is paid off, there’s enough left over for each of us to do what we want.”

  She bit her lip. “What will happen to the home?”

  Nelda paused, and then frowned. “It’ll be razed, of course. That’s the first thing that will be done, but don’t worry. Steve said Trent would handle that part of it.”

  Sonya felt like she was going to faint at the thought of Trent at the helm of the bulldozer that in a matter of minutes would destroy all the wonderful memories they’d created in nearly every room in the house.

  “That will never happen,” she vowed. “Never!”

  Nelda gave her an odd look. “Of course it will. Our home will be replaced with what Steve called ‘affordable bungalows.’ Isn’t that wonderful?”

  “Yes, wonderful,” she replied glumly.

  “I tried to get Steve to call the development Young Condominiums, as a tribute to us, but he wasn’t too keen on the idea. He told me his mother usually names them.”

  She folded her hands in her lap. “I guess it’s all settled.”

  Her aunt nodded. “I’m afraid so, Sonya. I know you’ve come to love this house. Although it wasn’t that long ago that you couldn’t wait to leave it.”

  “I know. I was just hoping...” Her voice trailed off.

  To make a life with Trent in it.

  “This will give us both enough money. If it weren’t for my investments, I don’t know what I’d do. I won’t have to worry now. And neither will you.”

  “I know, Auntie. I had such plans for this home. I was willing to take a loan against the studio, but the repayment terms would have been every thirty days. The risk was too high.”

  “You made the right decision. You can still make plans, but with some other home, and some other place. Maybe Trent’s?”

  Sonya held back a gasp. “What do you mean?”

  Nelda smiled. “I don’t pry into your business, but I know you two have been dating.”

  “Oh, you’re not prying. I’ve just been quiet about it, because I wasn’t sure if it was going to last.”

  “And do you think it will?”

  Sonya shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “I’m surprised Trent didn’t tell you about this. His brother said he’d mentioned it at your dinner.”

  She didn’t want to tell Nelda that Steve was a liar. And maybe his brother was, too.

  When Sonya didn’t answer, Nelda put her hands over her lips. “Oh, I hope I didn’t ruin things between you two.”

  “I’ll be okay.” She hugged her aunt and forced a smile. “We both will.”

  “Thank you for understanding, dear. You don’t know how happy that makes me. I was so worried that you’d hate me.

  “Hate you? After all you’ve done for me and my father? That just isn’t possible.”

  Sonya knew that as bookkeeper, Nelda had managed the store’s finances as best as she could. But her father, who’d managed the inventory, often sold jewels or pawned them in other cities without her knowing. He would disappear to Las Vegas for days and come back hungover and flat broke. It was a wonder Nelda hadn’t lost the house sooner.

  She walked with her aunt back to the car. She opened the door for her. “So what happens next?”

  “I’m having my lawyer review the contract, and I’ll call you when everything is signed, so you’ll have plenty of notice to find a new place to live.”

  Nelda got in and stuck her hand out of the open window. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  She held back her tears and forced another smile.

  “Who knows, maybe when the homes are built, I’ll buy one. Then it will be like I never even left.”

  “That’s the spirit, Sonya!”

  Sonya waved goodbye and backtracked until she hit the porch steps. She sank down and buried her head in her hands. A whirlwind of emotions went through her body. She sat there a long time, until she figured out what she had to do next, and she realized she’d never had any real choice at all.

  Chapter 11

  Sonya disembarked from Trent’s motorcycle with a silent prayer that they’d both arrived at her home in one piece. Trent had already proven to be an excellent driver, and he was extra careful when she was riding with him. It was the other people on the road that worried her.

  During their time together over the past week, she’d tried to work up the courage to mention the pending sale of her aunt’s home. She kept hoping he would bring it up first, but he never did. She was tired of the games.

  She gave him a weary smile. “I can’t believe you got me on this thing again.”

  “Second time’s a charm.” He winked.

  She tucked the snazzy red-and-black helmet he’d bought for her under her arm. She felt sad that this was probably the last time she would be able to feel the freedom of the open road unwinding before them.

  “I do believe that bike is growing on me, and so are you.”

  Her words were from the heart, and if she hadn’t felt betrayed, she would have told him that she loved him.

  But it was too late.

  Trent stowed their helmets. “I’ve been waiting months to hear you say that!”

  He snagged the belt loop of her jeans with the crook of his finger and pulled her to him. “C’mere.”

  He planted a kiss near her ear, and she giggled out a warning. “Don’t get too excited. I still prefer to travel by car.”

  The cuffs of his leather jacket grazed her jaw as he pulled her into a long, sweet kiss. When it ended, she didn’t want to open her eyes. She wished she could stay in the bubble of his affection forever.

  “I’d chauffeur you anywhere, by camel, by elephant, by any means necessary, just as long as we’re together.”

  She heard the commitment in his voice and her eyes started to burn with tears. If he’d only told her of his family’s plans, everything would have been different.

  He lifted her chin with the pad of his thumb. “Open your eyes, Sonya.”

  When she was sure she wouldn’t cry, she did. “You’re very sweet, you know that?”

  He gave her another kiss. “You make it easy to be that way. I really appreciate you coming out to my place today. I’ve been wanting to show it to you for a while.”

  She clicked her tongue behind her teeth. “It’s your fault, Trent. You’ve kept us so busy at mine that we just haven’t had the time.”

  “I take full responsibility.” Trent molded her curves with his hands and pressed his body to hers. “We ran out of rooms to make love in at your house a long time ago.”

  “The
attic doesn’t count, remember?” she murmured, as he threaded his fingers through her hair.

  “Don’t worry, baby. There are plenty of rooms to explore at my place, and we have all the time in the world.”

  His lips moved over hers, and their tongues met. She began to melt into his kiss, but managed to step away just as he tried to deepen it.

  Her eyes traveled south and spotted the enormous bulge in his pants. The fact that she was able to elicit such an intense physical reaction from simply kissing him made her want to forget the pain he and his family had caused her.

  Still, she wanted to do nothing more at that moment than touch him.

  When they got inside, Trent took her hand in his and kissed it.

  “Did you like it?” he asked. “I know it’s just a model home, but everything is brand-new.”

  She ran the fingers of her other hand through her hair to quell her desire. “Well, it certainly is big.”

  Her veiled compliment to him was lost on him as he proudly extolled its virtues.

  “Five bedrooms and three baths,” Trent continued. “A huge pool in the backyard. There’s enough garage space to squeeze in an extra car, and a motorcycle for you, if you’d ever let me buy one for you.”

  Her mind went back to his contemporary mansion. There were no curves to the walls, no arches on the windows and worse, no history. It was all right angles and straight lines, more glamorous than his parents’ home, and ultimately, not her style.

  “It’s beautiful and I enjoyed seeing it, but to tell you the truth, I’d never be comfortable in such a sizeable home.”

  He frowned. “I’d hoped that someday you would want to live there with me.”

  She sat down on the sofa. “I’m sorry, Trent. It just wouldn’t work. I’m too used to this place. It’s old and needs work, but it’s comfortable. I want to enjoy it as long as I can.”

  He eased in next to her. “I understand your attachment to this home. I just hoped we could spend some more time at mine. I know you would come to love it as much as I do. No work, more play.”

  “Has it ever crossed your mind that there’s something wrong with taking land that was previously populated only by trees and animals and putting up ginormous homes that only a few can afford?”