Heartland

by Julie Cannon

  Shivley’s body was begging for release. She was way overdue for this. Rachel teased her unmercifully, and every time she came close to her clit, she would back away slightly as if she knew Shivley would explode at her first touch. Shivley dragged her mouth from the hard nipple and blazed a trail of nips and kisses up Rachel’s neck. She slid her hand into Rachel’s warmth the same time she slid her tongue into her mouth.

  Rachel arched her back and opened her legs, allowing Shivley greater access. She mimicked the action of Shivley’s hand in her pants and felt the impending orgasm start to creep down her spine.

  “Are you sure you want to do this here, because in about two seconds I won’t be able to stop,” Shivley asked against her lips. Shivley wasn’t even sure if she would be able to stop if Rachel asked her to.

  Rachel was higher than she had ever been. Every nerve in her body was on fire, and she wanted Shivley more than she had wanted any woman. Rachel had done this in every conceivable position, and in some very risky places, but for the first time since her mother left she felt safe and wanted to lose herself in Shivley’s arms. “Yes,” was all she was able to say before she did.

  Shivley felt as if she’d come home when Rachel shuddered in her arms. Rachel still had one hand in her pants, but the other held her tightly as she buried her face in Shivley’s neck. Warm breath caressed Shivley’s neck and drifted down her chest.

  Shivley’s hand filled with Rachel’s desire, and she easily slipped her fingers inside. Rachel gasped and Shivley held her tighter. Slowly Shivley moved her fingers in and out, each time delving just a bit deeper until Rachel fully engulfed her. Rachel tossed her head back, and Shivley took advantage of the move and sank her teeth into the pulse point beating wildly on her smooth neck. Rachel’s orgasm was quick and hard, and the muscles surrounding Shivley’s fingers pulsated in rhythm with the tremors rocking her body.

  Rachel blinked several times as the last shudder left her body. Her breathing was erratic and her limbs felt like lead, but she remained secure in Shivley’s strong arms. The smell of hay penetrated her dazed senses, and little by little Rachel became aware of her surroundings. Shivley’s heart beat rapidly against her chest and the throbbing under her fingers told her that Shivley was as aroused as she had been. Christ, as she still was. She was thrilled when Shivley’s body reacted to the slightest movement of her hand.

  And the slightest movement was all Shivley needed. She fought to remain in control, but Rachel coming in her arms not once but twice made her pent-up passion explode like a schoolboy on his first time. Spasm after spasm shook her body and stars burst behind her eyes in celebration. It had been so long since she’d experienced release in a woman’s arms, and it was glorious. Rachel’s fingers moved again and Shivley grasped her wrist tightly.

  “No.” She needed a minute to recover.

  “But I’m not done with you yet.” Rachel liked to give just as much as she liked to receive, but with Shivley what she was feeling was different. It wasn’t the usual bravado of successfully bringing another woman to orgasm, it was something entirely unfamiliar. For the first time she was touched by the entire experience. It was more than simply sex, the physical reaction of two bodies. She was protective. Protective of Shivley in her arms. Protective of her emotions and her heart. She wanted to make Shivley happy. She started to say something, but Shivley put her finger over Rachel’s mouth, signaling for her to be quiet.

  “I don’t know where she is. You check the rest of the barn and I’ll look around back.” It was Gail.

  “She couldn’t have gone far, the Jeep’s still here,” Bart replied.

  Shivley quickly surveyed their surroundings and was relieved that they were far enough into the stall that they could not be seen by someone just walking by. Bart would have to enter the stall and turn right for them to be discovered. And how embarrassing would that be, with both of them naked from the waist up and Rachel’s hand still down the front of her pants?

  Rachel felt the tension in Shivley’s body as Bart approached. She didn’t move for fear of being heard or setting Shivley off again. She had been caught off guard when Shivley came so fast and she didn’t have a chance to savor it; she was not about to let that happen again.

  Seconds passed that felt like hours to Shivley before her hired hand walked the full length of the barn and out the east door. She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back into the pile of hay, Rachel’s hand sliding out of her pants.

  “That would have been awkward,” Shivley murmured quietly.

  Rachel sat up and looked down at Shivley, who had taken her so perfectly. She was beautiful. It wasn’t just her physical beauty but her inner strength. She had almost single-handedly created this ranch, this escape from reality where Rachel had finally come home. She caressed Shivley’s cheek with the back of her fingers. “One minute sooner and it would have been a little more than awkward.” Rachel smiled.

  “What are you smiling about?” Shivley turned her cheek into Rachel’s palm.

  “I was remembering the time Mrs. Stacey caught me and Kathy Simcox in the showers.”

  “In the showers. Jeez, don’t you think that was a bit risky?”

  “We were fifteen,” Rachel replied as if that explained it.

  “What did she say?”

  Rachel chuckled. She could still hear Mrs. Stacey’s stern voice. “Girls, surely you can find a more private place.”

  “What did you do?” Shivley was grateful she had never been caught in the act. High school was difficult enough without being caught having sex with a girl.

  “We did as we were told. We found a more private place.”

  “Where’s Kathy Simcox now?” Shivley could not believe she was having the kind of conversation you would have over coffee or lunch, not half dressed in a horse stall.

  “Last I heard she was on her third husband and had gained fifty pounds.” Rachel grimaced at the thought.

  Shivley couldn’t take her eyes off Rachel. She wanted to pull Rachel to her and touch her again and again and again. She knew what she had just experienced with Rachel was just the tip of the iceberg, and if she let herself, she could spend the rest of her life finding out. But this was not the time or the place to start down that path. “You are very beautiful, and as much as I’d like to continue this, preferably somewhere more comfortable, I need to see what they need. They won’t stop looking until they find me.”

  “It’s good to hear you want to continue this, because as I said, I’m not through with you yet.” Rachel’s heart pounded when she thought of all the things she wanted to do to Shivley. It would take all night, if not a lifetime. Rachel stood on shaky legs and pulled Shivley to her feet. She gave Shivley a long, sensuous kiss, her pulse racing again. She made herself pull away before she lost control again.

  Shivley helped Rachel back into her clothes but couldn’t help lingering on her bra. Her fingers lightly skimmed over the delicate lace and her crotch throbbed remembering the feel of Rachel’s breasts. She handed the delicate garment to Rachel and helped her hook the front closure. Shivley’s hands shook as she buttoned her shirt. She stopped and looked over at Rachel. The morning sun streaked through the spaces between the boards of the wall, highlighting the gold in Rachel’s hair. She reached out a quivering hand and touched the soft curls. They were like bands of silk flowing between her fingers, and Shivley looked deep into Rachel’s eyes. “See you at breakfast?” Rachel nodded and Shivley swooped in for one last kiss and then walked out of the stall.

  *

  They did see each other at breakfast and for just about every minute the rest of the day. Unfortunately, except for a few minutes after lunch, Rachel and Shivley were never alone. The morning had been spent separating the cattle they had brought in the day before, males in one pen, females in another. Next were shots, tagging, and general health inspection of the animals.

  When they were finally alone, it was just outside the back door of the house. Rachel had watched Shivley go in
to the house and waited for her in the comfort of one of the chairs in the yard. Rachel had a difficult time concentrating on what she was doing this morning, their romp in the hay earlier only whetting her appetite. There was one moment when Shivley had tied the legs of one of the steers and Rachel imagined what it would be like if Shivley had her tied up like that. She had stumbled and almost fallen in a pile of cow shit and forced herself to pay attention from then on.

  While Rachel waited anxiously for Shivley to exit, she wondered what her business associates would think if they could see her now. Her jeans were filthy, her T-shirt torn on one side, her hair was plastered to her head under her hat, and she had stepped in God knows what. And she had never felt so alive. In her job she had more power than she ever imagined and made more money than she could spend. Her clients dominated the American political scene. She had dined with heads of state and Wall Street bankers, and controlled the purse strings of tens of millions of dollars of campaign contributions. But nothing compared to how she felt right now sitting under a cloudless Arizona sky.

  Her heart unexpectedly leapt at the sight of Shivley through the window. Rachel was typically calm and cool when it came to women, but all reason dissolved when Shivley stepped out the door. She practically threw herself into Shivley’s arms and kissed her so passionately it left both of them struggling to breathe. Rachel couldn’t get close enough. She wanted to be all over Shivley, to touch and feel and taste every inch of her. She wanted to be inside her. Not just her fingers or her mouth, but she actually wanted to crawl inside Shivley and never come out.

  Shivley staggered backward from the momentum of Rachel in her arms. She was momentarily stunned by the intensity of Rachel’s kiss, but then instinct took over and she returned it with equal abandon. Rachel’s body responded to her wandering hands, and Shivley threatened to explode just from her kiss. She slid a thigh between Rachel’s legs and Rachel immediately arched into it.

  “You keep that up and I’m going to come,” Rachel croaked between kisses.

  “You started it,” Shivley countered.

  “Then you’d better finish it.” Rachel shuddered when Shivley’s hands snaked under her shirt. Her hands were those of a woman who worked with them day in and day out, rough calluses scratching sensuously over her bare skin. Shivley’s touch was more delicate and exciting than any expensively manicured hand had ever been.

  “Right here? Right now?” Shivley was holding on to her control by sheer willpower. She had not expected Rachel to be just outside the door and certainly hadn’t expected what was happening right this minute. Rachel’s eagerness was so exciting Shivley thought she would faint.

  Rachel tensed, on the verge of orgasm. Shivley’s tongue danced in and out of her mouth, matching the cadence her crotch was grinding into Shivley’s thigh. She lost all coherent thought and didn’t care. She needed this. Needed it just like this and even more. Her body and mind craved release. She was barely able to say, “Right now,” before she exploded in a massive climax.

  Shivley held her as wave after wave of orgasm rocked her body. Everything stopped except for the complete and utter feeling of coming home in Shivley’s arms. She buried her face in Shivley’s neck while flashes of red and yellow exploded behind her eyelids. She was floating, but the security of Shivley’s arms was her safety net. Shivley held her tightly as her trembling subsided.

  Shivley’s back was pressed against the door, the knob digging into her back. Breathing heavily, she slowly lowered her leg, and Rachel moaned at the loss of contact. Shivley smoothed Rachel’s shirt down, glancing over her shoulder, relieved they had not attracted an audience. Rachel’s hot breath blew down the collar of her shirt. She hated to break the moment, but anyone could walk by at any time, causing them both considerable embarrassment.

  “Rachel?”

  “Mmm?” It was all Rachel could say. Her limbs were lethargic, her brain foggy, and her clit still pounding.

  “Rachel, sweetie. Uh, we…uh…anyone could see us.” Shivley scanned the yard again.

  “Mmm, I don’t care.” Rachel was too content to recognize the endearment.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment, but we really need to… uh…” Shivley didn’t know what to call what they needed to do. Uncouple? Untangle? Step inside and do it on the kitchen table? Rachel emitted a huge sigh, or an aftershock of her orgasm, Shivley wasn’t sure which. She loosened her hold as Rachel put an inch between them.

  “Oh my God, I have no idea where that came from.” Rachel had never thrown herself at a woman as recklessly as she just had. She was out of control and had no idea when she crossed the line. She had never been so fully consumed by the need to be in the arms of a woman.

  “I don’t know, but I liked it.” Shivley smiled, lifting Rachel’s chin to look into her eyes. “Very much.” Rachel blushed. Shivley could swear her heart skipped a beat.

  “You liked it?” Rachel emphasized the word you. She was embarrassed by her complete abandon in Shivley’s arms. It was so out of character for her to lose control like she had. She couldn’t look Shivley in the eye, but the constant pressure on her chin encouraged her to. Shivley’s eyes were warm, passionate, and full of acceptance.

  “Yes. I did. And I’m going to have a difficult time focusing this afternoon with a wet crotch and a severe hard-on. Thank God I’m not a guy.” She chuckled. “Now that would be embarrassing.” Rachel smiled, but Shivley read hesitation in her eyes. She wanted to make it disappear, and the only way she knew how was to kiss her. Rachel’s eyes sparked as she lowered her head. Rachel’s lips were still warm from their kisses and she started to spin with sensation again. Her senses were alive. Rachel in her arms, the warm sun on her face. She could kiss Rachel all day, but Lucy barking somewhere to her left brought her back to reality. She ended the kiss and slowly released her. Rachel’s face was flushed and she looked a little dreamy. Shivley’s hand was trembling when she cupped Rachel’s cheek. She wanted to say something, anything, but she wasn’t sure what. The words that came to mind scared her. Rachel would be leaving in three days.

  *

  The sound of laughter filled the air when Shivley stepped out onto the patio. Becky, Ellen, and Christina had made a return appearance in the Jacuzzi after dinner, and this evening Rachel had joined them. Shivley noted the two empty bottles of wine on the bench along with several towels and three damp swimsuits. She didn’t have a chance to guess which of the women remained clothed under the bubbles before Christina asked her to join them.

  “It sounds tempting, but I’m afraid I have to pass tonight, ladies. I have a previous commitment.” Shivley’s answer was directed at Christina, but her eyes never left Rachel’s.

  “Anything I can give you a hand with?” Christina asked suggestively.

  Shivley knew exactly what Christina was alluding to and she thought she saw a spark of…what? Jealousy in Rachel’s eyes? She filed that thought away for future reference. She had not yet calmed down from their morning encounter in the barn when Rachel pounced on her after lunch. And now imagining the soft, warm flesh hiding under the bubbles of the jets was almost too much to bear.

  “Actually, no. I promised I’d play poker with Debra, Jane, and Cindy. They needed a fourth and I volunteered.”

  “If it’s strip poker, can I play?” Christina’s voice was slightly slurred. All evening she had been drowning her disappointment over not getting into Shivley’s sleeping bag.

  “You already have your clothes off, Christina.” Becky stated what was obvious.

  “So what? So do you,” Christina whined like a petulant child.

  Shivley didn’t have to do the math to know that there was a fifty-fifty chance that the remaining suit on the bench belonged to Rachel. She squinted harder at the water, deciding there was a far greater probability it belonged to Ellen. After all, if one of the partners was relaxing in the buff, why wouldn’t the other be as well?

  “I don’t think it’s strip poker, Christina, but if anyone mention
s it I’ll let you know.” Shivley slowly walked past the side of the Jacuzzi where Rachel sat up to her neck in water. She didn’t see any signs of swimsuit straps across Rachel’s tanned shoulders or around her neck, and she prayed she wouldn’t fall all over herself on the way past.

  “I’d like to see her naked,” Christina wished out loud to Shivley’s departing back.

  “Who? The boss lady?” Ellen had given Shivley the nickname soon after they had all met that first day.

  “Oh, yeah. She can boss me around anytime.” Christina took a long swallow of her wine, licking her lips as if imagining they tasted like Shivley.

  “She’s way out of your league, girl,” Becky commented.

  “Why do you say that?” Christina’s words had begun to slur more noticeably.

  “You’ve been sniffing after her since the minute we landed, and she hasn’t given you a second glance. I’m no Dear Abby, but I’d say she’s not interested,” Becky said by way of explanation.

  Christina set her drink on the ledge and stood, water dripping off various mounds and curves of her perfect naked body. “She just hasn’t seen what I’ve got to offer.” Christina looked at each woman as if to say, “Hello, here it is.”

  Rachel squirmed on the hard fiberglass seat. Christina was twenty-five years old with large, firm breasts, a flat stomach, and a perfectly manicured bush, all above muscular thighs that Rachel thought could probably choke the breath out of you if they wrapped too tightly around you.

  Christina dropped back into the water. “She’s just hot. I mean, have you seen the way she rides her horse? I’d like her to ride me like that. Can you imagine what she’d be like in the sack? I bet she’d be the best lay you’ve ever had. Fifty bucks says I’m between her legs before this little vacation is over.” Christina hadn’t directed her bet to any one of the women in particular, and her voice carried just enough young cockiness to make you think she could really do it.

  Rachel had heard enough. Between her stirred-up libido and the unexpected visit from Shivley moments earlier, she was wound tight as a drum. “Christina, shut the fuck up.”