Echohawk held her away from him and looked intensely into her eyes. “Your heart belongs to only one man, now and forevermore,” he said, his voice low. “I am not like the man you thought was your father for so long. I am a man of compassion. A man whose love is infinitely deep for you. I am a man who wishes to share your deepest thoughts. Your deepest longings. I will never give you cause to look elsewhere for these things that your mother did not get from her husband.”
“As I will never give you cause to go seek from another woman what you wish from me,” Mariah said, reaching a hand to his face, running her fingers over his handsome features. “I will be here for you, Echohawk. Always.”
Echohawk framed her face between his hands and drew her lips to his mouth. He kissed her softly, then slipped his hands down and cupped her breasts through her soft buckskin dress.
Surges of ecstasy began washing through Mariah, flooding her whole body, the spinning sensations delicious as Echohawk eased her down to the mats, quickly undressing her.
His clothes removed, he rose over her. She lifted her hips as she felt his satin hardness seeking entrance inside her. And when he filled her, pressing endlessly deeper, she gave herself over to the wild ecstasy.
Echohawk’s lips slid down, across her neck, and locked on one of her breasts, flicking a tongue across the nipple. Mariah closed her eyes, and when soft whimpers filled the wigwam, she knew they were her own.
His senses dazzled by the fire licking at his loins, his hot pulse racing, Echohawk savored the sweet taste of Mariah’s flesh. He moved his body rhythmically within her, the fires of his passion burning brightly.
Again his mouth closed hard upon hers, his hands clasping her buttocks, molding her sweet, slender body against his. How fiercely he always wanted her! While with her, loving her, he was frantic with the need to have more of her.
And how he loved the way she clung and rocked with him, her hips responding in a rhythmic movement all their own.
His fingers moved from her buttocks, up to her hair, and twined through the red tresses, then moved downward again, making a slow, sensuous descent along her spine until again his fingers were locked against her buttocks, squeezing her flesh gently as he felt the heat nearly exploding within himself.
Mariah’s body turned to liquid as she was carried deeper and deeper into that sweet delicious state. A tremor went through her as Echohawk bent his head to her lips and gave her a gentle, lingering kiss.
And then, just as she was feeling the euphoria spreading within her, and felt his body stiffen and pause as he buried a groan between her breasts, she knew that they were close to that moment of exquisite bliss.
Their bodies shook and quaked together, exploding in spasms of desire.
Breathing hard, they clung together. Mariah gasped in rapture when Echohawk’s lips brushed her throat and reverently breathed her name.
And again he kissed her. One hungry kiss blended into another, and again he buried himself deeply inside her and their bodies tangled.
Mariah felt the drugged passion mounting again. She moaned throatily as once again the incredi
ble sweetness swept through her, but this time leaving her limp and satiated in his arms.
Echohawk lingered awhile longer atop her, then rolled away, lying beside her. The flood of emotions that he always felt while with her, which were doubled after sharing in passionate lovemaking, was there, his whole body strangely at peace with the universe.
He closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the feeling, one which no one could take from him and his No-din.
This love they shared, it was a wondrous thing! No more did he think of the past—of his losses. His No-din swept away all of his regrets, doubts, and unhappiness.
With her, everything was possible.
Mariah moved into Echohawk’s embrace, loving the feel of his powerful body pressed against hers. She sighed, so perfectly content. She had never felt so desired. So at peace.
Then she eased away from him, looking into his eyes as he opened them, smiling at her. “The wedding gifts are truly a surprise,” she said, giggling.
“They are gifts from the heart,” Echohawk said, brushing a loose lock of hair back from her eyes. “As is mine that I now give to you.”
Her eyes wide, Mariah moved to her knees beside him. “A gift?” she said, clasping her hands on her bare lap. “You also have a wedding gift for No-din?”
Echohawk leaned on an elbow and reached a hand to her cheek. “No-din, for so long you have not mentioned marriage to Echohawk,” he said seriously. “I did not mention it to you. Always there were interferences. But today, No-din, I speak of it to you. I now tell you that we have been married since our first sexual night together. It is the Chippewa custom that all that has to be done to seal the bonds of the hearts in marriage is for the woman to accept food offered her by the man she wishes to marry, and also the holding of hands while speaking words of love together.”
Mariah was stunned speechless, torn by mixed feelings. She was glad that she had been married to him all along, let free of her guilt for having given herself to him so brazenly, yet puzzled by his not having told her.
“We are man and wife?” she finally said in a soft murmur. “For so long, we have been man and wife?”
“Ay-uh,” Echohawk said, moving to a sitting position beside her. He placed his hands to her waist and lifted her onto his lap.
Mariah held back from twining her arms about his neck, feeling hurt for his not having been open with her. Being married was sacred! Not something to be kept a secret from the one you loved.