times she'd have with the little girl.
Tears burned the back of Jordan's eyes. She already missed her.
"You'll make a good mother."
Jordan looked up at the sound of Gray Hawk's voice. She tried to smile, but failed. "I love children."
"Do you mind?" he asked, motioning toward the fur beside her.
"Her uncle will stay for a while. He wants a chance to get to know her. Should she wish at that time to leave with him, then we will have to let her."
Jordan wrestled with her thoughts. She was happy for Rebecca, but at the same time she wished she would stay. The past week had been tolerable because of her presence, but once she was gone--what then?
His fingers touched her jaw softly, turning her to face him. "Tell me what it is that haunts you," he said, his eyes probing. "Tell me so I can help." His look was so intense and his fingers so gentle, she wanted to give him everything, yet at the same time she couldn't release the memory of him with Running Deer.
"I don't know what I want," she said hopelessly. "I mean I do, but I'm afraid."
"Afraid of me?"
She shook her head, meeting his stare. "I'm afraid of myself. My body betrays me every time you're near. Like now, my heart is pounding like a drum."
His gray eyes smoldered as he leaned toward her, his hand urging her closer. His warm breath fanned her cheek, sending an excited shiver down her spine. With feather lightness his lips touched hers. Heat filled her, coursing through every vein of her body, making her lean into him. His hand moved down her neck to her breast, cupping it, his thumb moving across her rigid nipple that strained against the soft doeskin. Pressing hard against his hand a moan escaped her lips. He tasted wonderful, his mouth exceedingly gentle, yet probing, wanting, demanding more.
Yet as the seconds ticked by, a nagging in the back of her mind brought her back to reality. Just last night he'd been with Running Deer, and now he expected her to forget? She pushed against his chest. "I--that was wrong." She shook her head. "This can't happen."
Eyes that had been soft before were now hard. He looked ready to say something, but then without a word, he stood and left.
A moment later the flap of the entrance was ripped open and Kari marched in. "Do you know what he said to me?"
Jordan shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.
"He thinks that I've...that I've." She stopped abruptly and took a deep breath. "That man actually thought I had...well that we are having relations with the Indians. Can you believe that?" Kari pulled the braids from her hair, then jerked a brush through it. "How dare he?"
"Why would he say that?" Jordan asked.
"I don't know," Kari said, looking perplexed and agitated. "He is such a...he's so arrogant."
"But it takes a brave man to face an entire village to save a niece he's never met."
Kari's shoulders slumped. "Yes, I suppose it does, but that doesn't change the fact that he's absolutely obnoxious." Lying down, she put her arms beneath her head. Silence ensued as they both became lost in their thoughts, then Kari went up on her elbows. "Sometimes I wonder how we ever got into this mess. To think there was a time we spent our days drinking tea and talking about boys. We didn't have a worry in the world...except Patricia."
It was the first time Kari had mentioned Virginia since they'd left, and it was odd considering all they'd been through that Jordan didn't regret leaving and had no wish to return. But did Kari feel the same? "Do you wish you would have stayed in Virginia?"
Kari shook her head. "This isn't exactly what I expected, but at least we're together." She let out a heavy sigh. "And you're not married to that awful Mr. Johnson."
"Amen," Jordan agreed.
"You'd probably even be pregnant by now."
"Kari!"
"I remember well the way
Tears burned the back of Jordan's eyes. She already missed her.
"You'll make a good mother."
Jordan looked up at the sound of Gray Hawk's voice. She tried to smile, but failed. "I love children."
"Do you mind?" he asked, motioning toward the fur beside her.
"Her uncle will stay for a while. He wants a chance to get to know her. Should she wish at that time to leave with him, then we will have to let her."
Jordan wrestled with her thoughts. She was happy for Rebecca, but at the same time she wished she would stay. The past week had been tolerable because of her presence, but once she was gone--what then?
His fingers touched her jaw softly, turning her to face him. "Tell me what it is that haunts you," he said, his eyes probing. "Tell me so I can help." His look was so intense and his fingers so gentle, she wanted to give him everything, yet at the same time she couldn't release the memory of him with Running Deer.
"I don't know what I want," she said hopelessly. "I mean I do, but I'm afraid."
"Afraid of me?"
She shook her head, meeting his stare. "I'm afraid of myself. My body betrays me every time you're near. Like now, my heart is pounding like a drum."
His gray eyes smoldered as he leaned toward her, his hand urging her closer. His warm breath fanned her cheek, sending an excited shiver down her spine. With feather lightness his lips touched hers. Heat filled her, coursing through every vein of her body, making her lean into him. His hand moved down her neck to her breast, cupping it, his thumb moving across her rigid nipple that strained against the soft doeskin. Pressing hard against his hand a moan escaped her lips. He tasted wonderful, his mouth exceedingly gentle, yet probing, wanting, demanding more.
Yet as the seconds ticked by, a nagging in the back of her mind brought her back to reality. Just last night he'd been with Running Deer, and now he expected her to forget? She pushed against his chest. "I--that was wrong." She shook her head. "This can't happen."
Eyes that had been soft before were now hard. He looked ready to say something, but then without a word, he stood and left.
A moment later the flap of the entrance was ripped open and Kari marched in. "Do you know what he said to me?"
Jordan shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.
"He thinks that I've...that I've." She stopped abruptly and took a deep breath. "That man actually thought I had...well that we are having relations with the Indians. Can you believe that?" Kari pulled the braids from her hair, then jerked a brush through it. "How dare he?"
"Why would he say that?" Jordan asked.
"I don't know," Kari said, looking perplexed and agitated. "He is such a...he's so arrogant."
"But it takes a brave man to face an entire village to save a niece he's never met."
Kari's shoulders slumped. "Yes, I suppose it does, but that doesn't change the fact that he's absolutely obnoxious." Lying down, she put her arms beneath her head. Silence ensued as they both became lost in their thoughts, then Kari went up on her elbows. "Sometimes I wonder how we ever got into this mess. To think there was a time we spent our days drinking tea and talking about boys. We didn't have a worry in the world...except Patricia."
It was the first time Kari had mentioned Virginia since they'd left, and it was odd considering all they'd been through that Jordan didn't regret leaving and had no wish to return. But did Kari feel the same? "Do you wish you would have stayed in Virginia?"
Kari shook her head. "This isn't exactly what I expected, but at least we're together." She let out a heavy sigh. "And you're not married to that awful Mr. Johnson."
"Amen," Jordan agreed.
"You'd probably even be pregnant by now."
"Kari!"
"I remember well the way
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