Wild Embrace

They exchanged warm smiles and she returned to her blankets.

Strong Heart wondered about her name, and her god. He had always felt that God was where one finds him. And her god had most surely throw

n away the mold when he had made her.

Elizabeth listened to the rain hitting the tent with such great force, she thought it might collapse on top of her.

But it was not herself she was concerned about. It was Strong Heart, still lying in the open, surely becoming drenched to the bone!

Determinedly, Elizabeth went to the tent opening again. “Please come in out of the rain,” she said, wiping sprays of water from her face as she held the flap aside. “Strong Heart, there is room in here for both of us. Come on. There is no need for you to stay outside. You will catch a chill at the least.”

Dripping and cold, Strong Heart went to the tent. Once inside, Elizabeth wrapped a dry blanket around his shoulders. “You must get out of those wet clothes,” she said, blushing at the thought of him undressing in her presence. “I . . . I . . . shall turn my head. Please do it quickly, Strong Heart. You don’t want to become ill.”

Amused, Strong Heart watched her turn her head from him, then dropped the blankets away. Swiftly, he yanked the clinging white man’s clothes off and tossed them from the tent. They were of no further use to him. He would dress in buckskin tomorrow for his journey through the forest toward his home. He was glad to be returning to his people and his familiar ways.

He drew on the blanket, wrapping it snugly around his body. “You no longer have to keep your eyes from me,” he said lightly.

Smiling abashedly, Elizabeth turned her face back to him. She blushed again when she saw him dressed in only the blanket. “Are you warmer now?” she asked softly, sitting down on another blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders.

“Ah-hah.” Strong Heart said, settling down beside her.

“Well, I . . . I guess we’d best get some sleep,” Elizabeth said, her eyes wide, wondering if he could hear the thunderous beating of her heart. She could feel it in her ears, pounding like a thousand drums.

“Ah-hah,” Strong Heart said, easing down onto his side, so that she would have plenty of room to lie down.

She followed his lead, stretching out beside him.

When another great clap of thunder shook the ground beneath her, she jumped with alarm and welcomed a comforting arm around her waist, yet knew the dangers in even this minimal contact.

She closed her eyes tightly, to try and block out the desire that made her ache for the feel of his lips on hers, his skin against hers.

And, as if he read her mind, he slowly turned her to face him, and she allowed it....

Chapter 10

In one another’s being mingle;—

Why not I with thine?

—SHELLEY

His long lean fingers weaving through Elizabeth’s hair, Strong Heart drew her lips to his. Never had she felt such bliss as when he began kissing her, his free hand at her waist, urging her closer to him, pressing her hard against his body—which was now nude, the blanket having dropped away from him.

Her senses reeled as he prolonged the meltingly hot kiss, his hand skillfully unfastening her dress at the back. She watched, feeling as if she were in some sort of magical trance, as he leaned away from her and slipped the dress over her shoulders, and down the full length of her.

She did not protest when he continued, not even when she was totally disrobed and could relish the feel of his skin on hers as he again drew her fully against him.

His hands were on her flesh, searching, caressing, fondling, causing Elizabeth’s breath to catch in her throat. Just when she thought she could bear no more, Strong Heart’s lips explored her body for her most sensitive pleasure points.

She stretched out on her back and closed her eyes, giving herself up to the rapture, fighting off the urge to tell him to stop—tell him that what she was allowing was surely wicked.

All rational thoughts she easily cast aside, having never been lectured against this beautiful thing that was happening between herself and the man she loved.

Her mother had not been there to explain this side of life to her.

Her father had never been able to speak of such things around her.

What she had learned had been from novels, and now, tonight, Strong Heart was her true teacher.