A County Girl's Heart

by Dena Blake

  DJ let out a heavy breath, let her fork clank onto the plate, and leaned back in her chair, planting her hands on her knees. “Ask me anything. I promise there will never be another lie between us.”

  “Did you know about my father?”

  “No.”

  “Were you ever in love with Rebecca?”

  “No.”

  “Was Rebecca ever in love with you?”

  “No.” DJ took a swig of wine. “Anything else?”

  “Not right now. But I—”

  “Reserve the right to question the witness again?”

  Kat couldn’t help but smile as DJ finished her sentence. “Yep.” She picked up her fork and raked it mindlessly through the small amount of noodles covering her plate. Her heart ached to forgive and trust DJ again, but no matter what she told her, Kat didn’t know if she could forget the damage that had already been done.

  “Not too bad, huh?” DJ said, observing Kat’s empty plate.

  “I guess I was hungrier than I thought.” That wasn’t surprising. In the last twenty-four hours, she hadn’t had anything but coffee and a few bags of cheese crackers from the vending machine at the hospital. She stood up and carried the dishes to the kitchen.

  “I’ll take those.” DJ followed her and took the dishes. “Why don’t you go into the living room and relax.”

  “Thanks. My head is killing me.” Kat closed her eyes and let her head drop from side to side. The rain was coming down in sheets on the roof, and she pressed her fingers to her temples. More than one storm was rumbling tonight. The pain in her head pounded in even symmetry, and her neck and shoulders ached from holding it upright. Her mind flashed with bits of information she’d absorbed the last few days. She was tired of trying to sift through it all.

  Strong, warm hands brushed across her neck before planting themselves on her shoulders. DJ’s thumbs worked the muscles in her neck, and the warmth felt good. The familiar jolt DJ’s touch produced in her spread lower. Kat spun around and kissed her hard on the lips. She refused to let her seduce her again. This time it would be on her terms. She was going to show DJ what it felt like to be used.

  DJ tore herself from the deepening the kiss. “Why don’t I run you a nice, warm bath,” she said, hurrying by Kat into the bedroom.

  Kat met her at the bedroom door as she came out. “What’s your rush?”

  “No rush. It should be ready in a minute.” DJ motioned to the bathroom. “I’ll pour you another glass of wine.”

  Kat stepped in front of DJ as she tried to move through the doorway. She snaked her arms around DJ’s neck and pressed her lips to hers again. The urgency of the kiss and the subtle curve of DJ’s waist made Kat want her even more. She hated it, but her need for DJ was all-consuming.

  DJ tried to break free. “You’re tired. You should rest.”

  “I’m not that tired,” Kat whispered in a low, raspy voice before sweeping her hand across DJ’s breast. The nipple beneath the shirt hardened immediately. “And neither are you.” She unbuttoned DJ’s shirt and kissed the valley between her breasts. DJ closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. DJ wanted her too.

  “Kat, stop,” DJ said, holding her at arm’s length.

  Kat was stunned. “Fine. You don’t want me. I’ll find someone who does.” She slipped out of her grasp and rushed to the door.

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” DJ swung Kat around by the arm and pushed her into the bathroom. “You’re not going anywhere.” Her eyes were focused and hard, not the eyes of the woman Kat had made love to only a few nights before.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” Kat’s voice rose, spiking with anger.

  DJ slammed the door closed. “Someone who cares.”

  “Let me out of here.” She pounded on the securely fastened barrier between them. “You can’t keep me in here forever!” She spun around, threw herself against the door, and continued to hammer against it.

  Kat blinked the angry tears away and then stopped pounding on the door as she looked around the bathroom. On every ledge, tucked into every crevice, was a burning candle. The room was fully illuminated with them. A profusion of lavender rose petals floated freely on top of the bath water. She does care. Kat sank against the counter and cried.

  After a few minutes of self-pitying tears, she wiped her eyes and tugged her T-shirt over her head. She slid a drawer out and rummaged through it, looking for something with which to clip her hair. After finding only a few plastic clothespins, she twisted her hair up and secured the strands she could.

  She heard the door creak open and caught DJ standing in the doorway gazing at her. Her eyes were soft and gentle again, just as they’d been before. Kat let the remainder of her clothes drop to the floor and stood completely naked in front of her, giving DJ one last shot at failure, a last-ditch attempt to make DJ prove she was no better than any other deceitful woman she’d met.

  DJ reached in and fumbled as she set the glass of wine on the basin. “Here’s something you can wear when you’re done.” She handed her a pair of black silk pajamas. “I’ll be right out here if you need anything,” she said, and closed the door.

  DJ had more than passed the test.

  * * *

  DJ took off her coffee-stained shirt and then opened the dresser drawer filled with a variety of neatly folded colored T-shirts. After slipping one over her head, she slid her jeans off and put on a pair of navy-blue yoga pants, then settled down on the bed.

  She stared at the bathroom door and saw the flickering light underneath it. Visions of Kat standing naked, tempting her, rushed through her head. Even with angry, tear-soaked eyes, she was more beautiful than any woman she’d ever met. It took everything DJ had not to give in and make love to her right then and there, but she wasn’t going to let her own desires stand in the way of what Kat needed right now.

  DJ might have originally gone to the ranch to seduce her, but she was the one who’d been seduced. Kat had turned the tables on her. She’d drawn her into her world without DJ even realizing it.

  Stop! You can’t have her now. Do some work or something, damn it. She hopped up, grabbed her briefcase from the living room, and spread the files she’d borrowed from the courthouse vault out on the bed. As she looked through the documents, she unfolded an old geological surveyor’s map and studied it. After a few minutes, DJ realized exactly why Maxwell wanted the land so badly. Sporadic blotches of green ran smack-dab through the middle of Kat’s ranch. Charles probably hadn’t even realized it until after Elizabeth’s father died. He must have found a copy of the map among Montgomery’s papers.

  DJ chuckled aloud. Francis Montgomery was indeed a smart man. When he gave his granddaughters this land, he knew exactly what it was worth. From the look of it, there was probably enough oil just below the surface to fuel the entire state of Texas. All they had to do was tap it, and they’d be set for life.

  Everything was coming together now. DJ had always found it strange that such a strong-willed woman as Elizabeth had let her daughter go so easily. She knew Kat would be taken care of.

  The door creaked open, and Kat emerged from the bathroom wearing only the pajama top DJ had left on the bathroom counter. Her milky-white skin glowed against the black silk fabric hanging loosely from her shoulders and across her thighs.

  “Where do you want me?”

  DJ couldn’t divert her gaze. I want you right here, in my bed, all twisted up in the sheets with me.

  “DJ?”

  DJ blinked and looked to the files on the bed. “You can sleep in here. I’ll take the couch.” She gathered up the papers and rolled off. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

  DJ left the bedroom door partially open. It was killing her to see Kat like this and not comfort her. She stood just outside the door debating whether to go back in. When she heard the lulled whimpering sounds of Kat crying, she rushed into the bedroom and took her into her arms.

  “I’m fine,” Kat said, and quickly
wiped away the tears. “Just go away, DJ.”

  She brushed a strand of damp hair from Kat’s face. “Isn’t it about time you realized I’m not going anywhere?”

  Kat leaned into her and let a huge sob spill out. “What am I gonna do?” she said between short, uneven breaths laced with anguish.

  “Baby steps, Kat.” DJ pressed her lips to the top of Kat’s head. “Just take baby steps.” She felt the warmth of Kat’s tears on her chest, and her heart constricted, knowing she had been partly to blame for Kat’s pain. Slowly, but surely, DJ would prove to Kat she could depend on her.

  “Stay with me? Please?” Kat whispered softly, brushing her lips against the soft cotton covering DJ’s chest.

  “I’m right here,” DJ mumbled, trying desperately to keep her feelings in check. She suppressed the sensations that buzzed through her as she immediately responded to the woman she longed for, the woman she loved. This was uncharted territory.

  “Make love to me,” Kat said, looking up at her through bladed, tear-soaked lashes.

  Rejecting her this time would be a mistake. In a matter of days, Kat’s life had become as fragile as finely blown glass, and DJ refused to shatter it. She placed her mouth on Kat’s, and they fell onto the bed. DJ drew back and looked into her deep-blue eyes. Could she possibly fill the need she saw in them? She desperately wanted to be the one who could fulfill all Kat’s dreams, and it scared the hell out of her.

  Kat unbuttoned the silk pajama top and let her hands fall to her sides as though giving herself fully. DJ moved closer, took Kat into her arms, and kissed her. Her hands trembled as she skimmed the curves of Kat’s waist. She traveled farther, letting her fingers circle around one breast, spiraling up to its peak and pinching the nipple between her fingers. Kat gasped, and DJ was instantly, ridiculously wet. She immediately sucked Kat’s other nipple into her mouth, was rewarded with an even more intense gasp. She returned to Kat’s mouth and kissed her deeply before she trailed her lips down across the smooth, delicate skin of her belly. The subtle tremors DJ felt in Kat as she journeyed farther made her senses hum. Stopping just below Kat’s belly button, she tasted and teased the sweet spot with her tongue.

  Kat quivered and reached for her panties. DJ took her cue and moved them slowly down her thighs, grazing each passing spot on her legs with her fingertips. Kat’s hands went to DJ’s hair, tugging her in for another deep kiss.

  She tugged at DJ’s shirt. “I want you close when I come.”

  Kat inched farther onto the bed and stared as DJ removed her clothes with a look that made DJ feel particularly vulnerable. She settled in next to Kat, her body hot against her, and slid a finger between Kat’s wet, swollen folds and inside. Kat raised her hips, pressing hard against her hand. She added another finger, and Kat thrust harder. With DJ’s mouth fused to Kat’s, her fingers deep inside, they were completely in sync. When DJ circled her thumb around Kat’s clit, she tore her mouth away, letting a loud growl explode from within as she rode out the orgasm.

  She let her legs fall open, and DJ moved down her body and guided each one over her shoulders. She kissed each thigh before she teased her way to her center and buried herself there, letting Kat’s wetness cover her. Kat’s ragged breaths quickened again with each stroke of DJ’s tongue. She slid a finger inside, then another as Kat let out a low, rolling moan.

  “DJ, look at me,” Kat whispered in a ragged breath. DJ gazed into her dark-blue eyes, took another stroke, and felt Kat tighten around her fingers as she watched her launch into orgasm. What an amazingly beautiful sight. Loving this woman was incredible.

  After the aftershocks subsided, DJ crawled up next to her and nestled Kat into the crook of her shoulder. Making Kat come had been the most exquisitely gratifying event DJ had ever experienced. She would do it a thousand times more without ever expecting anything in return.

  Without any urgency, Kat had been somehow content to let DJ delve into the warm darkness of her soul, illuminating each of her senses one by one as she trekked into the pure depths of her existence. She’d slowly and methodically explored Kat’s body, touching, tasting, and experiencing it as though she’d never done it before. There was so much more of Kat she wanted to discover. DJ had always wondered how anyone could limit herself to only one woman, and now she knew. They didn’t speak again. She stayed awake, feeling the warmth of Kat tucked tightly against her until she drifted off to sleep, knowing now just how strong the bond could be. Giving up Kat would be like ripping out a piece of her heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kat sat on the edge of the bed watching the sunrise as DJ slept. It was a beautiful sight. Not much different here than at the ranch, except the sun fought to peek through the spaces between the high-rise buildings, and at home it filled the sky. She had to admit the burnt-orange mixed with cherry-red colors mirrored in the high-rise windows was a spectacular sight. But nothing could beat seeing those same vibrant colors, sometimes tinged with a bit of purple after a storm, bounce off the scattered clouds as the sun rose above the trees at the ranch.

  Just a few hours ago, the storm had been in its fullest fury. Thunder rolled outside, and lightning had flashed through the window as she’d locked herself around DJ and launched into spasms of pure ecstasy. She’d pushed all her insecurities and doubts away and had let DJ explore every part of her. Kat’s pure need for her had won the battle between her heart and her head. She’d shuddered as DJ’s fingers penetrated her, and she’d reveled in the incredible sensations that coursed through her.

  When she was totally spent, Kat had collapsed onto DJ’s chest and listened to her heartbeat as it slowly returned to normal. She hadn’t wanted to budge. She wasn’t ready for the cool early morning air to destroy the lasting heat between them. In the soft glow of the city lights just outside the window, Kat listened to the soft pitter-patter of the rain. Her passion hadn’t dissipated nearly as quickly as the storm. Her nerve endings had buzzed with the feel of the hands resting across her. Kat had known if DJ moved a muscle, she’d easily ignite again. Then she’d done it. DJ had slid her hand up Kat’s side to her breast, and there was no moving quickly that time. Kat had felt her way across DJ’s body, tasting and touching, memorizing every part of her, every response from her. She never wanted to forget how DJ made her feel, how perfect love could be when an emotional connection bound them together.

  It was crazy, but nothing in her life had been so clear as the way she’d felt at that moment with DJ. She wasn’t thinking about Arizona anymore. DJ’s face was burned into her mind now. She’d lain with her head on DJ’s chest listening to the slow, rhythmic beat of her heart, wondering about the woman who she now knew loved her unconditionally. If nothing else, she’d shown her that these past few days by taking care of her in her time of need and absorbing every bit of verbal abuse she’d spewed at her without a single word of reprisal. Everything had been perfect…for a night.

  DJ had changed her. Kat never thought she’d be able to love another woman as deeply as she’d loved Arizona. Sure, she’d had sex with other women, but what DJ gave her was more than just physical. She gave her intimacy, something she’d been unable to think about, let alone recapture after losing Arizona.

  She picked up the file of documents DJ had collected on her and flipped through the pages. Her heart sank. In reality, she still had no idea who DJ Callahan really was, and she couldn’t help but want to know everything about her. She watched her chest rise and fall with every breath, fighting the urge to crawl back into bed and make love to her again. She did love DJ. Kat wouldn’t deny that fact, but everything she’d come to know as truth in her life had suddenly turned to fiction. She was questioning everything from the current life she’d built for herself to the very core of her existence.

  Over the years, Kat had constructed an impenetrable shield around herself, preventing anyone who’d ever cared from growing too close. But for the past few years she hadn’t really been living at all. Not the way she should’ve been. In the nea
r future, she needed to make some difficult decisions in her life. But for now, it was time to go back to the only thing she knew was real—the Jumpin’ J Ranch.

  She dressed and silently crept out of the bedroom into the kitchen, where she picked up the phone and called a cab. As she jotted a note on the pad next to it, a tear fell from her eye, blurring the writing. She tore off the page with a few last thoughts about what life would be like here in Austin with DJ. Kat already knew she could love her for the rest of her life. Living this life in Austin would be the challenge. She almost tore up the note and put it in her pocket, but left it on the kitchen counter instead. She filed the unrealistic fantasy away in a place her heart could easily ignore. Even though DJ continually surprised her with her compassion, Kat resolved that any relationship between the two of them couldn’t continue, not in Austin.

  After glancing around the apartment, she plucked a rose from the vase in the foyer, held it to her nose, and took in a deep breath. She let a soft smile creep across her face as she headed to the elevator. The scent of lavender roses would always stir memories of the love, contentment, and passion she’d shared with DJ. Kat pressed the elevator button, the doors opened almost immediately, and she stepped inside. Her stomach tightened, and the sudden unbearable feeling of loss rolled through her as she descended to the lobby. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fell against the elevator wall and gripped the railing for balance. Her usual confidence had dissolved into a chaotic pile of uncertainty. How had she become this attached to DJ in so little time? The elevator stopped, and she held the rose to her nose one last time before she slipped it into the railing and rushed into the lobby.

  “Good morning, miss,” the doorman said, holding the front door open for her. “Is everything all right?”