Heartland

by Julie Cannon

  Rachel struggled for control. She counted to ten, then forty, and felt her impending climax slowly drift away, but it was lingering not too far from the surface. She gripped the sheets in her sweaty palms, crushing them into tight clumps of blue cotton in her fists. Shivley’s hands were under her cheeks, lifting her higher and higher into her mouth. Rachel was teetering on the precipice of the most powerful orgasm of her life. Not only did she want this, need this, but she was giving it to Shivley as well.

  She celebrated her orgasm by calling Shivley’s name into the night. She drifted out of consciousness at the pinnacle only to float back to reality to climax again and again. Wave after wave of pleasure crested over her, spilling into Shivley’s mouth. Her breath came in gasps, and more than once she thought she would pass out from the pleasure.

  Rachel had no idea how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes. The blades of the ceiling fan were spinning silently above her, casting soft shadows across the walls. For a moment she didn’t know where she was. Shivley. That one word said it all. Lifting her head slightly, she saw that Shivley was resting on the inside of her thigh, a small smile on her lips. My God! Rachel shuddered with an aftershock. Shivley’s smile deepened.

  “You’re back,” Shivley said softly. She had watched as Rachel approached climax and rode the crest for what seemed like an eternity. She had never seen a more beautiful sight and never tasted anything as sweet as Rachel coming for her. She wanted Rachel to stay in that perfect place and to never have to return.

  “I don’t know where you went, but the look of rapture on your face was absolutely beautiful.” Rachel turned her eyes away and blushed. Shivley untangled herself from Rachel’s legs and slowly crawled up Rachel’s body once again. She kissed her tenderly and Rachel immediately put her arms around her and held her tight.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” Shivley murmured against Rachel’s neck.

  “I don’t know what to say.” Rachel was in another time and another place. It was as if she was in a foreign country and didn’t speak the language, didn’t know what to do next or what was expected of her. Shivley kissed her throat, nibbled on her ear, and finally kissed her on the mouth.

  Rachel’s lips were swollen from their kisses, but they were still as soft as the first time Shivley had kissed her. She felt her desire rise again and lifted her head to look deeply into eyes mixed with wonder.

  “You don’t have to say anything. You already did.” Rachel’s body spoke volumes, as if turning every page in the book of her life. It told her every story, every thought, and every desire.

  Rachel chuckled, slightly embarrassed by what Shivley was implying. She was typically not very vocal in bed, and she was afraid of just what she might have said. “Let’s hope the others sleep soundly.”

  Shivley kissed her nose, a crooked smile on her face. “I hope so, too, because I’ve only just gotten started.” She lowered her head again, fully intending to spend even longer discovering Rachel’s body this time. An earsplitting crack drowned out Rachel’s reply, and Shivley practically flew out of bed, almost spilling Rachel to the floor.

  “What was that?” Rachel asked, looking around.

  “I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good,” Shivley replied, reaching for her clothes. She stopped suddenly and looked at Rachel as if asking permission to leave.

  Rachel was touched that Shivley cared enough about her to not simply dash out and leave her hanging after such a beautiful moment. “It’s okay. Go see what happened.” She was rewarded with a wink and a quick kiss on the lips.

  *

  “What are you doing out here?” Shivley asked, leading Midnight out of her stall. After leaving Rachel and stumbling into her clothes, she had quickly checked the interior of the house and found nothing amiss, then grabbed the flashlight off the counter by the back door and headed toward the barn. Her instinct was right, and as she stepped inside, she immediately sensed something terribly wrong. The horses were agitated, the tension in the air palpable. She checked each horse as she walked down the wide corridor and stopped when she got to Jasmine’s stall. The gate was just as she had checked it earlier, but the stall was empty. A gaping hole in the rear was the exit point for the horse, and when Shivley stepped closer, there was evidence Jasmine had cut herself on the jagged wood on her way out. Obviously something terrible had frightened the horse enough for her to kick out the wall and bolt into the night.

  “I’m coming with you,” Rachel replied, tossing her saddle onto her horse. She reached under Bonanza’s stomach, grabbed the billet, and pulled it through the buckle, cinching it tightly.

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I am.” Rachel dropped the stirrup into position and threw the reins over Bonanza’s neck.

  “No, Rachel, you’re not.” Shivley was not about to let her track a runaway horse in the middle of the night.

  “Shivley, I know what I’m doing. I can help.” As Rachel had entered the barn a few minutes ago, she didn’t need an engineering degree to figure out what had happened.

  “Rachel, you are not going.” Shivley accentuated every word. Her hands were on her hips and her feet spread apart as if preparing for battle.

  Rachel remained calm. Shivley needed her help and she wasn’t about to be pushed aside. Especially now, after what they had just shared. “And why is that?”

  “This isn’t your responsibility. You’re a guest. You could get hurt.”

  “What?” Rachel was stunned.

  “You heard me. Go on to bed.” Shivley raised her leg to step into her stirrup. Rachel grabbed her arm and stopped her.

  “A guest? I’m a guest? I can’t believe you just said that.” Rachel was hurt to think that Shivley considered her little more than a guest. She hesitated a moment to let her words sink in. She shook off the feeling, not about to let it discourage her. She ran her hand down Shivley’s arm. “Shivley, I know what I’m doing,” Rachel repeated. “And you know it, too.” Rachel stood her ground as Shivley processed what she had just said.

  Rachel’s accusation pierced Shivley’s focus on getting out and finding Jasmine. She almost doubled over from the twisting knife in her stomach. Rachel was much more than simply a guest. She was here with her now, in the middle of the night, without reservation or concern for her own safety. It was in that moment that Shivley fell in love with Rachel Stanton. Her heart raced, and there was nothing in the world other than the woman standing in front of her. Her T-shirt was inside out, the sleeves of her shirt were haphazardly rolled halfway up her forearms, and her hat was slightly askew on her head. And she was the most amazing woman Shivley had ever seen.

  Midnight snorted next to her ear and Shivley’s attention returned to her escaped horse. Rachel was not a novice, and she could use the help. But it was dangerous. Riding a horse in the dark was risky, and the last thing she wanted was for Rachel to get hurt. She opened her mouth to repeat her decision and just the opposite came out.

  “Grab a flashlight and stay near me,” she offered as an olive branch. Rachel held up the Maglite in her hand and Shivley shook her head. Unbelievable. Shivley pointed at Rachel and said, “And no heroics.” She was rewarded with Rachel’s smile.

  The women rode into the dark night, their flashlights illuminating the way. Rachel had no idea where they were headed, but Shivley seemed to have a sixth sense of which way Jasmine might have gone. They rode for an hour in silence.

  “Has she run off before?”

  Rachel’s quiet voice penetrated the darkness that was settling around Shivley’s heart. “No, never. There were some mountain lion tracks just outside her stall. One must have come down for some reason and spooked her.”

  “A mountain lion? Up here?” Rachel realized her question was stupid. She had no idea what wild animals roamed the countryside surrounding the ranch.

  “They usually don’t bother us. Something must have set this one off. I’m surprised I didn’t hear any of the other horses. I’m sure there was a
lot of commotion. I’m even more surprised that no one else heard it, either.” Shivley frowned. She heard Rachel chuckle.

  “What?” She turned to look at Rachel but could only see the outline of her face in the reflection of the flashlight.

  “Well, we were, uh, kinda preoccupied,” Rachel stammered. Shivley’s head was trapped between her thighs at the time, so it was no wonder she didn’t hear anything. Rachel was so transfixed the house could have collapsed around them and she wouldn’t have noticed. Who knew about the other women, and frankly, they were the last thing on her mind.

  Shivley was grateful that the darkness hid the embarrassment she felt rising to her cheeks. Of course there was absolutely no reason to be, but she was nonetheless. “I don’t really know what to say to that.”

  “Well, if I were asked, I would say that it was the most exquisite experience I’ve ever had. Your hands knew just where to go and your fingers are very talented. And I won’t even begin to talk about what your mouth can do.” Rachel shuddered slightly after her last comment.

  Shivley wanted Rachel again. Truth was, she had never stopped wanting her, but had pushed it aside when she realized Jasmine was missing. “Jeez, Rachel, I’m on the back of a horse here.” She smiled. “You keep talking like that and I’m likely to fall off. Can we change the subject?”

  Rachel’s panties were soaked, and sitting astride her powerful horse in a rocking rhythm next to the woman responsible was all the encouragement she needed to agree. “Let’s. Otherwise I might not be responsible for my actions.” As much as she wanted to continue this conversation, she obligingly changed the subject. “Tell me about Jasmine.”

  Shivley was as disappointed as she was relieved, but she needed to concentrate on what they were doing right now. Shivley told Rachel how she and Dale would go riding a few times a month at a stable not far from their home. Dale was not a horsewoman. In fact, two thousand pounds of flesh actually made her nervous, but she knew how much Shivley loved riding and she would go with her. However, the only horse she would ride was Jasmine. When Shivley had bought the ranch, she bought Jasmine in memory of Dale, and the horse would always have a special place in her heart. She watched Rachel’s reaction to her story and was relieved when all she saw was understanding.

  Shivley turned her head, the smell of blood permeating the still air. Midnight smelled it at the same time, her ears perking up, her steps agitated. The beam from the strong flashlight shook slightly as it crisscrossed the ground twenty feet in front of them. Suddenly Shivley reined in her horse and trained the light on a dark pile off to the left of the trail. She swallowed bile and swung her leg over the saddle. “Shit.”

  Jasmine lay on her side with several large, jagged tears in her neck. Blood oozed from her injury and had spread on the ground around the mare’s head. Her breathing was labored, and when Shivley shone the light in her eyes, they were glassy and dull.

  “Oh, Jasmine,” Shivley cried kneeling and cradling the horse’s head in her lap. “Rachel, bring the first—” She didn’t have to finish. Rachel was running toward her with the large red bag in her hand.

  They worked together trying to stanch the bleeding, but the wounds were simply too great. Shivley sat back on her heels, looking at the mare, tears trickling down her cheek. Rachel knelt beside her, not saying a word. Shivley stroked Jasmine’s face as she struggled to breathe. She bent down close to Jasmine’s ear. “I love you.” She kissed her on the nose and slowly stood again, not saying a word as she walked by Rachel. Shivley pulled the rifle she always carried from the scabbard and returned to where the horse lay.

  Rachel stood as Shivley approached with the rifle in her hand. She knew there was no choice but to put the horse down; her injuries were too severe. It was the humane thing to do, and as she watched Shivley pull the trigger, her heart broke. It broke over the death of a wonderful animal and shattered for the pain Shivley must be feeling.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The ride back to the ranch felt like an eternity. The only sound filling the quiet night was the soft thud of their horses’ hooves striking the ground. With each step her horse took, Shivley felt that much more removed from Dale. In the beginning, Jasmine was her connection to Dale, but over the years she knew she was just feeling what she thought she was supposed to feel, not what she truly felt. She knew at the time it was ridiculous, and it was even more ridiculous now. Jasmine was a horse, but a horse she loved just the same, and along with that came the pain of losing her. She was grateful that Rachel didn’t try to fill the silence with patronizing comments or conversation designed to make her feel better. Rachel seemed to know that Shivley needed her space and time to grieve. The lights of the ranch flickered into view as they rode closer.

  They unsaddled their horses and secured their tack. On the long ride back, Rachel had no idea what to say to comfort her lover, so she had said nothing. Her heart ached for Shivley. She wanted to make the pain go away, she wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh again, but she knew it would take time. Time heals all wounds, the saying goes, but Rachel had anything but time left at the ranch.

  “Shivley, I’m so sorry.” Rachel stepped forward to comfort Shivley, who moved away from her.

  “No, I’m a mess.” Physically and emotionally.

  Rachel was not deterred by the blood and took Shivley’s hand. “Come on,” she said, gently pulling her toward the house. “Let’s get cleaned up. We both need a hot shower and some sleep.” Shivley didn’t protest as she led them across the yard, into the house, and into Shivley’s bedroom.

  Once inside the bathroom, Rachel released her hand and turned on the shower. Shivley was struggling with the buttons on her shirt and Rachel brushed her hands aside and finished the job. She removed Shivley’s soiled clothes and tossed them into the adjacent laundry hamper. She stripped and led them both into the steaming water.

  The spray of hot water pummeled Shivley’s tired body and numbed mind. She stood under the flow like a statue as the blood and dirt sluiced off her body into a puddle at her feet before slipping down the drain. Before long Rachel’s hands were covered with soap, and she slowly cleaned Shivley’s back while massaging her tense muscles. Shivley was too tired to do anything other than stand there and be taken care of. It had been so long since someone had taken care of her.

  “God, I’m tired,” she thought out loud.

  “Shh, just relax.”

  Rachel’s hands were soft and gentle as they erased the mud and muck from her skin. There were only a few hours until dawn, and Shivley knew she needed to sleep, but Rachel’s wandering hands had her body wanting to do other things. One minute she was dead tired and the next she was so aroused she could barely stand it. Rachel turned her around and began washing her chest and stomach. Shivley knew her ministrations were purely medicinal, but when Rachel’s soapy palms circled her breast, she exploded.

  Rachel reveled in the sensation of the hard body beneath her hands. She memorized every detail of muscles and skin as she gently washed away any physical trace of their ordeal. Rachel sensed that Shivley had been emotionally affected by having to kill one of her horses, and she knew firsthand that it took much longer to cleanse emotional wounds. Rachel’s hands shook as she held Shivley’s, carefully washing each finger. She had never felt so helpless with a woman before.

  Rachel was not expecting it when Shivley spun them both around and pinned her to the shower wall. Shivley kissed her hard, and Rachel immediately responded. Her nipples hardened against Shivley’s chest an instant before Shivley covered her mouth with hers. Shivley’s tongue was insistent on entering her mouth and Rachel eagerly obliged. Shivley growled when Rachel slid her thigh high between her legs.

  God damn, that feels good. Shivley almost lost control when Rachel reached between them and tweaked her nipples. There had always been a direct connection between her nipples and her clit, and the link was definitely still in place. She didn’t know which sensation to concentrate on first. She cupped Rachel�
��s butt in her hands and pulled her closer, increasing the friction on Rachel’s thigh at the same time.

  Rachel read Shivley’s body language and felt her clit grow hard against her leg. She increased the pressure on Shivley’s nipples and darted her tongue in and out of her mouth, mirroring the rhythm of Shivley rocking on her leg. Rachel felt powerful. She had the ability to erase Shivley’s pain, if even for a moment, and her heart soared with joy. Too soon Shivley shuddered and collapsed against her, holding her tight. Warm breath filled her mouth as Shivley slowly regained control. Hands that had clenched her cheeks when Shivley climaxed gently released their grip.

  Shivley’s head was spinning. The temperature of the water along with the heat of their bodies was making her light-headed. Of course, the fact that she had a mind-blowing orgasm in the arms of a beautiful woman probably had something to do with it as well. She found the strength to lift her head and peer into Rachel’s eyes.

  “I guess I wasn’t as tired as I thought I was.” She was rewarded with a soft smile.

  “That was not my intention.” But I sure am glad it worked out this way.

  “Nor mine. But I can’t say I’m not pleased with the result.” Shivley bent her head and gently kissed the lips she’d ravished only moments earlier.

  “We’re losing the hot water.” Rachel didn’t want the moment to end, but she despised tepid water regardless of the circumstances, and that included being naked in the arms of a desirable woman. Shivley reached around her, shut off the water, and lifted her into her arms. Rachel tightened her grip, and she floated in Shivley’s arms as she walked across the room.

  Shivley needed Rachel’s skin next to hers. She needed to feel the warmth of her arms and the comfort of her embrace. Her body craved Rachel’s touch. Rachel grounded her, and when she laid Rachel on the bed and covered her body with her own, Shivley felt as if she had finally come home.