tried to knock him down."
"You are like a small dog who attacks the wolf. Must I tie you to a tree?"
"Why won't Chaka leave me be?"
"Has no one told you anything of men?"
"Not really. I asked Colin. He said to ask Emma, only she won't tell me. Or my husband, when I have one."
Wicomechee's chuckle interrupted her.
"I was being serious,” she reproached him.
"I see this. Also see something more. You asked me to tell you what Chaka wishes."
Charity weighed him with a cautious look. “So?” “My brother told you to learn from your husband. Do you want me for your husband?"
Her mouth fell open. “I—just thought you might say."
"I prefer to show you."
She blinked at him.
He closed his arms around her and pulled her inviting softness against him. To his delight, she sank into his embrace. Her smooth back was firm beneath his hands. “Be my wife, Charity. I will teach you what you ask, give you much pleasure."
She stiffened as if catching herself. “I can't. You ask the impossible, Mechee."
He pressed his lips to her damp hair. “Why do you continue to speak this name? I think you can say Wicomechee."
"I hardly know. It's more of a feeling really."
"Tell me,” he invited.
"Wicomechee is a warrior I fear. Mechee is...my friend."
He blew lightly into her ear. “I would be far more."
A tremor ran through her. “I mustn't let you."
Not only her wonderfully responsive body, but her words betrayed her. He pounced on them like a sharp-eared cat. “Now you say mustn't. Before, you say can't."
"Can't, mustn't, shouldn't—what's the difference?"
"Shouldn't is weaker still,” he pointed out.
She buried her face in his shoulder. “I wish you didn't speak English so well."
He chuckled. Not once had she said she didn't want him. He smoothed her hair aside and pressed his lips down the curve of her neck. “Do not hide from me, sweet one."
Goosebumps flushed over her. “I'm afraid to do anything else."
"Why? Am I harming you?"
"No—"
"What of this?” he asked, untying her cloak at her neck.
"I'll grow cold if you take that from me."
"Not in my arms.” He spread the cloak beneath them and coaxed her down onto the earth, covering them both with his blanket. Turning onto his side, he held her to him. Only her shift lay between them and her breasts swelled against his chest. He took care to shield her from his pulsing loins. “Are you still frightened?"
"Some."
Yet, he felt her pressing nearer. “Do you like my touch?” he asked, loosening the drawstring of her shift and sliding his fingers over her smooth shoulder.
"Yes,” she admitted with a shiver.
"Why such fear to wed me?"
She sighed. “How can I betray my father and all the others who died at Shawnee hands? Your people are brutal."
"I do not ask you to wed my people. Only me. Am I brutal?"
"Not just now."
"Never to you. Tell me again why you cannot care for me."
She struggled to reply as though his nearness muddled her mind. “It's not that I don't care. I can't wed my enemy."
She gasped as he slid his hand lower and rested it just above her left breast. Her heart pounded beneath his fingers and it was all he could do not to let them stray. “Your heart agrees not with your words. Why not do as your heart wishes?"
Her chest rose and fell under his palm. “My heart forgets you are Shawnee."
"Let us see if your lips remember,” he coaxed, and curled his fingers around her cheek.
"Don't kiss me. Please."
He halted a whisper away from her lips. “I will not, if you do not wish it. Tell me you do not."
"It's not that I don't wish it. I mustn't."
"Again you speak this. Can you not do better?"
Settling his lips over hers, he silenced her faint refusal. Her mouth parted beneath his and all his feelings for her swelled inside him. She pressed his lips in return...the elusive spirit of the trees bending under his persuasion and giving back to him. What bliss it would be to join himself to this fairest of women. And if she
"You are like a small dog who attacks the wolf. Must I tie you to a tree?"
"Why won't Chaka leave me be?"
"Has no one told you anything of men?"
"Not really. I asked Colin. He said to ask Emma, only she won't tell me. Or my husband, when I have one."
Wicomechee's chuckle interrupted her.
"I was being serious,” she reproached him.
"I see this. Also see something more. You asked me to tell you what Chaka wishes."
Charity weighed him with a cautious look. “So?” “My brother told you to learn from your husband. Do you want me for your husband?"
Her mouth fell open. “I—just thought you might say."
"I prefer to show you."
She blinked at him.
He closed his arms around her and pulled her inviting softness against him. To his delight, she sank into his embrace. Her smooth back was firm beneath his hands. “Be my wife, Charity. I will teach you what you ask, give you much pleasure."
She stiffened as if catching herself. “I can't. You ask the impossible, Mechee."
He pressed his lips to her damp hair. “Why do you continue to speak this name? I think you can say Wicomechee."
"I hardly know. It's more of a feeling really."
"Tell me,” he invited.
"Wicomechee is a warrior I fear. Mechee is...my friend."
He blew lightly into her ear. “I would be far more."
A tremor ran through her. “I mustn't let you."
Not only her wonderfully responsive body, but her words betrayed her. He pounced on them like a sharp-eared cat. “Now you say mustn't. Before, you say can't."
"Can't, mustn't, shouldn't—what's the difference?"
"Shouldn't is weaker still,” he pointed out.
She buried her face in his shoulder. “I wish you didn't speak English so well."
He chuckled. Not once had she said she didn't want him. He smoothed her hair aside and pressed his lips down the curve of her neck. “Do not hide from me, sweet one."
Goosebumps flushed over her. “I'm afraid to do anything else."
"Why? Am I harming you?"
"No—"
"What of this?” he asked, untying her cloak at her neck.
"I'll grow cold if you take that from me."
"Not in my arms.” He spread the cloak beneath them and coaxed her down onto the earth, covering them both with his blanket. Turning onto his side, he held her to him. Only her shift lay between them and her breasts swelled against his chest. He took care to shield her from his pulsing loins. “Are you still frightened?"
"Some."
Yet, he felt her pressing nearer. “Do you like my touch?” he asked, loosening the drawstring of her shift and sliding his fingers over her smooth shoulder.
"Yes,” she admitted with a shiver.
"Why such fear to wed me?"
She sighed. “How can I betray my father and all the others who died at Shawnee hands? Your people are brutal."
"I do not ask you to wed my people. Only me. Am I brutal?"
"Not just now."
"Never to you. Tell me again why you cannot care for me."
She struggled to reply as though his nearness muddled her mind. “It's not that I don't care. I can't wed my enemy."
She gasped as he slid his hand lower and rested it just above her left breast. Her heart pounded beneath his fingers and it was all he could do not to let them stray. “Your heart agrees not with your words. Why not do as your heart wishes?"
Her chest rose and fell under his palm. “My heart forgets you are Shawnee."
"Let us see if your lips remember,” he coaxed, and curled his fingers around her cheek.
"Don't kiss me. Please."
He halted a whisper away from her lips. “I will not, if you do not wish it. Tell me you do not."
"It's not that I don't wish it. I mustn't."
"Again you speak this. Can you not do better?"
Settling his lips over hers, he silenced her faint refusal. Her mouth parted beneath his and all his feelings for her swelled inside him. She pressed his lips in return...the elusive spirit of the trees bending under his persuasion and giving back to him. What bliss it would be to join himself to this fairest of women. And if she
Similar Books
