Roping Your Heart

by Cheyenne McCray

  His kiss was slow and gentle but deepened with the kind of passion she’d been feeling for a long time with him. Unfulfilled passion.

  He raised his head and his voice was husky when he spoke. “I want to give your birthday present to you now.”

  She felt a little shiver run through her at the way he was looking at her. “You’ve shown me a fantastic birthday,” she said. “You don’t need to give me anything.”

  He stood, grasped her hand, and pulled her to her feet. “Come on. I want somewhere private to give it to you where we won’t be disturbed if one of my brothers decides to come out here.”

  She smiled and he continued to hold her hand as he led her to the ladder that went up to the hayloft. He let her go first and she could sense him watching her butt as she climbed up. She wiggled it a little just to give him a bit of a show. He was definitely an ass man.

  “Did I ever tell you what great ass-ets you have?” he said from below.

  She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Many times.”

  He gave a low laugh. “It doesn’t hurt to say it again.”

  When she reached the top, she flung herself onto a pile of hay, laughing as the yellow straw fell onto her face. It poked through her blouse and chafed her belly where her blouse had hiked up. Her short jean skirt had also moved up to the top of her thighs, and she tugged it down. Just a little.

  She looked up when she heard Blake’s bootsteps and then he was looking down at her and smiling. She scooted up and he eased down beside her and he brushed straw from her hair before they both leaned back against the hay.

  Thunder boomed, the sound loud to her ears. The barn lights flickered.

  “The power might go out,” she murmured against his lips.

  “Now, that would be a shame.” He kissed her then drew back before he shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a thin gold foil box with a gold bow wrapped around it.

  Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. “You’d better not have spent too much money on me, Blake McBride.”

  He grinned. “Just open it, little Cat.”

  She bit her lower lip as she took the box from him. She felt the swirled pattern on the foil against her fingertips as she held it and then she pulled at the gold bow wrapped around the box. The bow fell into her lap. She hesitated as she put her hand on the box’s lid. Her eyes met his and she saw a world of emotions in his gaze.

  The lid opened easily and she caught her breath. Nestled in a bed of white satin was a fine gold bracelet. The bracelet was made with two slender bangles connected by a heart at the top, and by a gold chain at the bottom.

  “I love it, Blake.” Warmth flowed through her heart as she looked up at him. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Read the inscription.” He took the bracelet out of the box and held it in his palm. His hand was so big and the bracelet looked small and delicate against it.

  Her breathing was fast as she looked at the beautiful gift he had given her. Inside, the inscription read, “You’ll always be my little KitCat. Love, Blake.”

  She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

  He clasped it on her wrist. “That’s so you’ll never forget that I love you.”

  “You know how much I love you, too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. It was a kiss filled with everything she felt for Blake. It was more than love. It was more than caring. It was a deep friendship between two people who loved each other so much that it could never be taken away.

  The box and ribbon scattered on the floor of the loft as she rolled onto her back in the hay and he rolled on top of her. His weight felt comfortable, like he belonged there, his narrow hips between her thighs.

  They had never made love even though it was clear that they’d wanted each other for a long time. Maybe they were just waiting for the right moment. Or maybe he had been waiting until she was eighteen.

  Regardless, none of it mattered. He was all hers and she wanted him in every way possible.

  Lightning crashed and heavy rain pounded the barn roof as Blake kissed her and touched her gently in all the right places. He caused her to sigh and moan and cry out. He drove her crazy with the want and need that had been building inside her for so very long.

  A frenzy of need took hold of her and she arched up to him as he slid between her thighs—

  Cat sat up in bed, her heart pounding and aching all at once. She felt unfulfilled and her belly clenched with longing.

  She hadn’t had that dream in so long… When she’d left Blake, the dream and her mistake had haunted her for years. Over time, the dream had faded. She should have known it would come back once she saw him again. She’d thought her heart was healed, but this just proved that nineteen years hadn’t been anywhere near enough time away from him.

  She pushed the covers aside, slid out of bed, and went to her antique wood jewelry box. She was surprised to realize that her hands were shaking a little as she reached into the hidden pocket at the back. Her fingers touched cool metal and she drew out the gold bracelet that Blake had given her for her eighteenth birthday… The stormy night she’d lost her virginity to the man she loved.

  That night they hadn’t been kids anymore. They’d been a man and a woman in love.

  The fight had come six months later, and then she’d gone and thrown it all away.

  She hadn’t looked at the bracelet for nineteen years. It was a wonder she even remembered she had it. She turned the bracelet so that it caught the light and she could see the inscription on the back.

  You’ll always be my little KitCat. Love, Blake.

  A tear almost made its way to her eye but she managed to hold it back. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. She was thirty seven years old now, too old to be sick over lost young love.

  She slipped the gold bracelet back into its secret pocket and closed the jewelry box. Even though a part of her wanted to cry for that lost love, the other part of her knew that it was useless. It had been a long time ago. Whatever love had been there was long gone, and there was nothing to cry over any more.

  She pushed her fingers through her hair and wandered into the living room and went up to Sam’s cage.

  “Been up all night?” Cat bent and peeked into the extravagant habitat to see Sam curled up in his nest.

  At least he was in the habitat and not running around the house. If she could only figure out how he got out and then managed to get back in. He’d explore the house at night, wandering around and searching for treasures to pack into his cheeks. When he’d return she’d discover things in his nest like missing earrings, beads, and other things that he’d found.

  Sam peeked one eye open. When he saw her, he got up and put his paws and nose up against the clear plastic that separated them.

  “You want a treat, huh?” Cat tapped the wall and the hamster’s nose wriggled as he followed her finger. “I’ll get you a piece of apple.”

  She headed to the kitchen. Hamsters were so much simpler than men.

  * * * * *

  Cat checked out the numbers on her desktop computer as she worked through a client’s mess of a file. Mrs. Karchner needed a new bookkeeper in her office who knew what she was doing.

  With a shake of her head she got up from her desk, and walked out of her office to the file cabinet beside Janie’s desk. The receptionist was away from the office. Cat opened the third drawer down and searched the K’s for Karchner.

  Early morning spring air swirled into the office as someone opened the entrance into the accounting firm’s office. Cat glanced over her shoulder and her lips parted. Her heart beat a little faster.

  It was Blake, and he’d never looked so good. He wore a black Stetson that he took off as he closed the door behind him and his hair was short and dark. A light blue shirt stretched across his broad chest, his sleeves rolled up and showing his large biceps. His Wranglers molded his muscular thighs and he wore a wide brown leather belt with a silver and gold buckle. The light stubble on his jaws gave him even more
of a rugged look.

  Seeing him brought back the dream of the first time they’d made love and her body tingled at the memory.

  He swept his gaze across the room and his green eyes rested on her. A flicker of surprise registered across his expression.

  “Hi, Blake.” Marsha Solara, the other accountant, stood in the doorway to her office. She stirred her coffee. “What brings you here?”

  Blake looked from Cat to Marsha. “Jim Hartford said he had a new accountant taking over my account now that he’s retired.” He raised an envelope. “Got a notice from the IRS that I need to discuss.”

  Marsha gave a nod toward Cat. “Blake, meet Cat Hayden, your new accountant. Cat, meet Blake McBride, your new client.”

  Cat’s eyes widened. Blake was one of her new accounts?

  Blake’s gaze met hers again and neither one of them said anything.

  Marsha cocked her head to the side. “You two already know each other?”

  Cat nodded and Blake glanced back at Marsha. “We’re acquainted,” Blake said.

  “Well, good.” Marsha gave a thoughtful smile. “Cat, if you need anything, let me know.”

  “I will.” Cat managed a smile and gestured to her office. “Come on in, Blake. I’ll pull your file and be right there.”

  He gave a nod and walked into her office as she moved to the drawer with the M’s. Her mind went blank for a moment and she wondered what she was doing there. All she could think about was Blake. Then she realized she was supposed to pull his file. She went through the M’s and grabbed the file with “McBride, Blake” on the tab.

  Clutching the file tightly to her chest, she walked to her office door where Blake was standing, waiting for her. Heart pounding, she moved past him, around her desk, and sat in the leather chair. Blake lowered himself into one of the armed chairs in front of the desk. He loosely held his western hat in one hand.

  “Hi, Blake,” she said and rested his file on the desk in front of her, near her keyboard. Again, she wanted to touch her scar and hide it from him—as if that was possible.

  “You always were good with numbers,” Blake said. “But I never expected you to become an accountant. I thought you’d go into some field that would involve working with animals.”

  She gave a slight shrug. “In college I found I had an aptitude for accounting, so that’s the path I decided to take.” After the accident, things had changed and she’d shied away from working with animals. The extensive therapy she’d gone through and her nervousness around horses for a few years after the accident, had kept her from going down that path. Sometimes she regretted that she hadn’t pursued another career. With a hesitant smile, she said, “May I see the letter?”

  He leaned forward and handed an envelope to her. Their fingers touched and the dream came rushing back to her. An electrical charge went through her, as if he knew exactly what she’d dreamed last night. For a wild moment she thought that maybe he’d dreamed it, too. She swallowed and took the envelope before sliding the papers out and unfolding them.

  She scanned the page with her gaze. “So, you’re being audited.” She set the papers on her desk and shook her head. “For the past two years. That’s certainly no fun.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked into a smile. “That just might be the understatement of the year.”

  “I’m going to need to review your file and likely I’m going to need access to all of your records,” she said. “Is everything at your ranch?”

  He gave a slow nod. “You’re welcome to come out and take a look at anything you need to.”

  “Right now my schedule is pretty open.” She turned to her computer and pulled up her schedule then glanced at Blake. “We might as well take advantage of my clear calendar and get your audit taken care of. Is anytime this week good for you?”

  “The next few days I’ve got a lot planned,” he said. “Do you work Saturdays?”

  “That’s not a problem,” she said. “Ten in the morning?” He nodded and she put him on the schedule.

  When she finished, she looked at him to find him studying her. Heat flushed over her and her scar tingled. Was he looking at her scar and thinking about how different she looked now?

  “Do you have plans for dinner?” he asked in his slow drawl.

  “No,” she said. He’d caught her off guard.

  “Why don’t you have dinner with me?” He continued studying her with his even gaze. “We can go to the Hummingbird.”

  She couldn’t think of a single reason why not. “I’ve heard it’s a good restaurant,” she said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to go.”

  “Now’s your chance.” He drew his cell phone out of the holster at his side and checked the time, then put the phone away again. “I’ve got a couple of things to take care of. How about I pick you up around seven?”

  “All right.” She stood and he stood with her. “I’ll be ready. My house isn’t far from my grandmother’s.” She cleared her throat and gave him her address.

  He gave a nod then turned and headed out of her office to the firm’s front door. She looked at his broad shoulders and his nice ass—really nice ass—as he walked away from her. He glanced over his shoulder as he reached the entrance and she felt another rush of heat as he caught her staring at him. She hurried to sit down and look at the computer monitor but the screen only blurred when she stared at it.

  After he left, she wondered if she had made a mistake saying yes. Just being around him brought back memories and old feelings. Feelings better off not being examined or explored.

  Chapter 5

  Blake frowned as he walked away from the accounting firm. Should he have asked Cat to dinner? He still felt the old pain and that pain was accompanied by a healthy dose of mistrust. The way she’d left… He never wanted to go through any of that again. She’d done it to him once and almost destroyed him. She could very well do it a second time.

  It wasn’t fair of him to think that way. They’d broken up, so it wasn’t like she’d run off on him. He’d lost her before that.

  He had three more stops to make before heading back to the ranch. He needed to make a deposit at the bank, stop at the hardware store, and purchase feed for his horses from Hatch’s Feed and Tack.

  As he took care of errands, his mind kept turning to Cat. She was a beautiful woman who didn’t seem to smile enough anymore. What would it take for her to smile like she used to?

  A few minutes before seven, Blake showed up on Cat’s front porch and rang the doorbell. After a brief moment, she opened the door.

  Soft light fell across her face and she looked so gorgeous it took his breath away. Her long black hair fell over her nearly bare shoulders—thin straps held up the slim black dress she wore. Her golden-brown eyes were as wide and beautiful as they’d always been. She looked different but she was the same KitCat he’d never stopped loving.

  And that was the truth of it. He’d never stopped loving her.

  Her expression looked a little nervous and wary as she grabbed her purse and headed out the door, joining him on the porch, and he wondered why she would feel nervous. It was as if past experiences had made her skittish. What had she been through since he’d last seen her, all those years ago?

  “You look beautiful,” he said with a smile as the warm yellow porch light haloed her.

  “Thank you.” The light of surprise was in her eyes as she looked up at him, like she wasn’t used to being complimented and that made him want to frown. Instead, he asked her, “Ready?”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” she said as she locked the door behind her.

  The evening was pleasant with a cool breeze and her heels clicked on the sidewalk as they headed out to his truck. They walked through the front gate of the white picket fence, the gate squeaking as it opened and closed. He helped her into the passenger’s side and then walked around the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat.

  He drove the vehicle downtown, near the building where Cat worked, to
the Hummingbird Restaurant. Locals called it simply the Hummingbird. The folks who owned the place had been the victims of a man determined to close down the restaurant, but the truth had come out and the Hummingbird had been saved. Unfortunately, not before the stress took its toll on the family.

  It was a nice place that had once been simply a café, but had been renovated and expanded into a full restaurant, which now had a bar section called Nectars. When they reached the restaurant, Blake opened the door and let Cat go in front of him, then followed her inside.

  “Hi, Blake.” Tess, the hostess, greeted Cat and Blake with a smile.

  “How are you doing, Tess?” Blake gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek.

  The petite blonde held out her hand to Cat. “I’m Tess Grady. My family owns the Hummingbird.”

  Cat returned Tess’s smile and took her hand. “I’m Cat Hayden.” She glanced around the place as they released their grips. “You have a beautiful restaurant.”

  “Thanks.” Tess nodded, her short blonde curls bouncing close to her cheeks. “The family has put a lot of work into the Hummingbird. Now, follow me.” Tess showed Cat and Blake to a nice table in a dim corner. “The four-course fondue is our newest addition to the menu and it is incredible,” Tess said. “I highly recommend it.”

  “We just might do that,” Blake said as she handed each of them a menu.

  “Penny will be taking care of you tonight,” Tess said. “You two have a great evening.” She left to take care of the next couple who had just entered the restaurant.

  “I love this place,” Cat said as she looked around at the décor. “It has a wonderful ambiance.” She returned her gaze to Blake. “How long has it been open?”

  “About two years now,” Blake said. “Ryan is marrying into the family. Tess’s sister, Megan, is his fiancée.”

  “That’s great.” Cat smiled. “How are Ryan and your other brothers?”

  “Good,” Blake said. “Creed is a professional bull rider and is newly married, Ryan is of course engaged, and Tate and Gage seem to be staying out of trouble. For the most part.”