Read Between Two Sisters (contemporary western romance novella) for Free Online Page A

her closer yet, so she was flush against him. His free hand found her hair tie and released her waves of auburn hair before coming to rest on her upper back. She moaned softly with pleasure against him as her hands slipped under his shirt and caressed his bare back. His tensed with need as she ran her fingernails softly over his skin.
    There was nothing in that moment but the two of them lost in their kiss. A nearby horse kicked loudly against its stall, pulling Billy back to reality. Reluctantly, he broke away from her.
    “We can’t,” he whispered. It was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do, breaking that kiss.
    Melanie looked up at him with sad eyes as he reached up and stroked a strand of her soft hair away from her face.
    “I know,” she whispered back as she leaned in to kiss him again.
    He released her, and stepped back, his breathing ragged. “No, Melanie, we can’t! You’re with Marty!”
    She nodded sadly as tears filled her eyes. “I am. And now you’re here, and I don’t know what to do!”
    Her words angered him. It was simple in his mind. “Here’s an idea…either break up with Marty, and be with me, or stay with Marty, and this never happens again.”
    Melanie began sobbing as she leaned against her horse for comfort. “I’m sorry,” she wailed. “I’m just so confused. Marty is great, but you… I’ve always wanted you, and here you are!”
    Guilt twisted Billy’s insides into a knot. “I’m going to forget this ever happened, and I suggest you do the same. If things ever end between you and Marty, I want to hear about it, but until then, we can’t do this.” His chest heaved as he tried to bring his emotions under control. He wanted her, more than ever, but not like this. Nothing would make him happier than to have her, but it was Melanie, not some random girl from the bar. If he was going to have her, she needed to be his, and only his. He wouldn’t share her with another man. She meant so much more to him than stolen kisses in the barn, in the middle of the night. He wouldn’t degrade her, or himself, like that again.
    “I love you, Melanie,” he told her softly. “I have forever, ever since we were kids. But I won’t be with you like this. We both deserve better! If things change in your life, you let me know. Until then, we’re just friends, okay?”
    She didn’t answer him but instead cried harder. He took a step towards her, with the intentions of holding her close to comfort her, but then stopped. That wouldn’t help anything. If he held her close again, he didn’t think he could maintain his own self-control.
    “I have to go. I’m going to try to forget this whole thing, and I suggest you do the same.” The sounds of her sobbing followed him out of the barn.
    He broke into a run, and as he pushed himself to go as hard and as fast as he could on the way back to the cabin, he discovered that punishing his body did nothing to diminish the pain in his heart.

 
    -5-
     
    Sleep eluded him for the rest of the night. He flipped back and forth between being furious with himself for allowing the kiss to take place to begin with, and berating himself for not taking it further, just that once, so that he would have at least one intimate night with the woman of his dreams. The self-loathing consumed him.
    Eventually, thoughts of Cass crept into his mind. What would she think if she found out about this? They weren’t officially an item, so he didn’t feel like he needed to be loyal to her at this point, but he knew she would be crushed to discover he had kissed her sister. He didn’t want to hurt her, or Melanie.
    By the time he rolled up to the barn at 8:00 to begin work for the day, he had come to a decision. The kiss he shared with Melanie had been glorious, but he was closing the door on all of that. He couldn’t allow himself to be consumed by her anymore; he couldn’t take the stress of waiting to discover if she would leave Marty or not. He would take Cass out