Wild Embrace

“You will have to hold me in this water until it freezes over then,” Elizabeth cried, wiping wet strands of hair back from her eyes. She shivered and shook and her teeth chattered from the frigid cold.

Strong Heart’s eyes bored into hers. He saw how purple her lips were, but he still would not allow her to leave the water.

“When the waters turn to ice in the dead of winter, then both of us shall become lodged within it,” Strong Heart said stubbornly. “I mean to have you. And I shall.”

He lowered his face closer, smiling. “You are already mine, you know—body and soul. Why do you fight it? It is useless, this decision of yours to turn your back on Strong Heart. Because I know that it is not what you truly want. I shall not allow it. Ever!”

“No one wants to feel imprisoned, by anyone,” Elizabeth cried, hugging herself with her arms. The silver minnows in the water seemed puzzled as they swam in circles around her and Strong Heart.

“You are not the only one held captive.” Strong Heart said, his eyes flashing into hers. “Strong Heart is also a captive—of your heart. Even if I would allow you to ride away from me, or I from you, I would never be free. Do you not understand this? Do you not believe it? As long as I have breath in my body. I am yours. Totally.”

Frustrated, Elizabeth lowered her eyes. “Oh, Strong Heart, please don’t confuse me any more than I already am,” she said softly, her voice catching in her throat.

When his finger lifted her chin upward, and their eyes met, she even became more confused between loving him, and wanting not to.

But when his mouth came to hers, and he kissed her, everything began to fall back into place within her heart and mind.

And when he wrapped her within his powerful arms, the coldness of the water was forgotten. All that she felt was the heat of his flesh. She knew what she wanted.

To be with Strong Heart. He was her heart. Her soul. Her entire being.

She knew at this moment that she could never leave him—not as long as he wanted her with him.

She hungrily returned the kiss, moaning as his hands slipped from her waist up to her breasts, stroking them through the clinging wetness of her dress.

“I do need you,” she whispered, as she pulled her lips away from his. “I do want you. I love you, Strong Heart. I no longer want to flee from you. I want to stay. I love you. I adore you.”

Strong Heart framed her face between his hands and smiled down at her. Then he placed his arms beneath her and swung her up into them, and carried her from the water, his lips again sending her into a whirlwind of desire as he kissed her until they were inside the tent.

“Your wet clothes,” Strong Heart whispered as he slid his lips down to the hollow of her throat. “You must get them off.”

“So I won’t come down with pneumonia?” Elizabeth said, her eyes twinkling into his as she raised her arms, allowing Strong Heart to pull the clinging dress over her head.

“I do not wish to see you get ill,” Strong Heart said, tossing the dress aside. His long, lean fingers finished undressing her. “But the main reason for disrobing you is so that I can give you more cause to not want to leave me. Perhaps last night was not lesson enough. Today I will make love to you so that you will never, for even a moment, forget my feelings for you and yours for Strong Heart.”

Now splendidly nude, Elizabeth drifted into Strong Heart’s embrace. His flesh quickly warmed hers as he held her and kissed her.

Then he led her to the blankets, spreading her out on top of one, while he drew another blanket over them, so that as they made love, the heat of their bodies would be warmer than the flames of any fire.

Elizabeth’s breath quickened with yearning as Strong Heart’s lips brushed her throat. His hands moved over her silky, satiny flesh, stroking her, teasing her.

Then he took her mouth by storm and engulfed her in his muscled arms. She trembled with readiness as she felt the probing of his manhood at the juncture of her thighs, then arched and cried out as he drove in, swiftly and surely, his body soon moving against hers.

She absorbed the bold thrusts, his lips drugging her, the intoxication of his kiss, and the caress of his hands, causing her to be overcome by an unbearable, sweet agony that was pressing in on her heart.

When he slithered his lips down her neck, and he flicked a tongue around one nipple, and then the other, she gave herself up to the ecstasy. She clung to him, her fingers grasping his long, wet hair, and then down his back. Then she splayed her fingers against his buttocks and wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust her pelvis toward him, drawing him more deeply into her. He pressed endlessly deeper, his mouth moving back to her lips, their tongues tangling through parted lips. Tremors cascaded down Elizabeth’s legs.

Strong Heart paused and looked at her, their eyes locked in an unspoken understanding, and promise of rapture.

Then Strong Heart gathered Elizabeth to him, feeling the pleasure mounting within him, ready to go over the edge.

One last, deep plunge inside her, and the spinning sensation rose up and flooded him. He felt the intensity of his passion exploding through every cell of his body.

A surge of tingling heat spread through Elizabeth. Her head rolled and she emitted a cry of joy as the fire began exploding within her.

Afterward, they clung to each other, breathing hard, sweat pearling their bodies.

“I’m no longer cold,” Elizabeth whispered, placing a gentle hand to Strong Heart’s cheek. “I feel as if I’m on fire, my darling. What I just experienced with you was agony and bliss. How can that be?”