With a low groan, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the buffalo robes, his mouth never leaving hers as he laid her down, then covered her body with his own.
She clutched at his shoulders, her hips lifting to receive him. She tasted his breath on her face, felt his kisses like gentle rain on her breasts.
It had been five years since she had been with a man, and it was almost like the first time all over again. The wonder of it, the thrill of it, the sheer ecstasy, was beyond description, beyond words, and she gave herself over to his keeping, heart and soul, mind and body. She was his, as she had always been his.
He murmured that he loved her, adored her, taking her as tenderly, as gently, as he had that first time so long ago, losing himself in her warmth, in her sweetness.
The years fell away, all the old hurts healing as their bodies came together with remembered pleasure.
She arched beneath him, her nails raking his back, as they moved with ageless rhythm, seeking, searching, for that one moment when time and memory ceased, when yesterday and today ran together, when two truly became one.
“Mitchy…my Mitchy…” She moaned with pleasure as his warmth filled her, his body merging with hers, making her whole, complete…
* * * * *
Like a feather drifting on the wind, she returned slowly to earth, a smile on her face. It had been worth it, she thought, all the tears she had shed, all the pain and heartache she had endured in the last five years, it had all been worth it for this one moment.
She opened her eyes to find Mitch smiling down at her, his dark eyes warm and tender and filled with such love it brought tears to her eyes.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked.
“Oh, yes, terribly,” she teased. “Please, hurt me again.”
He laughed softly. “I love you, ‘Lisha.”
“Tell me that often, will you?”
“Every day.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And every night.”
“And every afternoon?”
“Of course.”
“I love you, my Mitchy. Promise you’ll never leave me again. Promise me we’ll always be together, as close as we are now.”
“I promise.”
She flung her arms around his neck. “Oh, Mitchy, I missed you so.”
“I know darlin’. I’m sorry.”
She put her finger over his lips. “No more apologies between us. Let’s put the past behind us where it belongs.”
Mitch nodded. Lowering his head, he rained kisses over her cheeks, her neck, her shoulders, her breasts.
She sighed with pleasure, her hands roaming over his back and thighs, wriggling her hips provocatively, until, with a mock growl, he buried himself deep within her, his heat engulfing her, arousing her, carrying her higher, higher, until waves of pleasure broke over her once more, leaving her weak and drowning in ecstasy…
* * * * *
Later, they bathed in the stream and then, moving upstream to a deep pool, they swam awhile, and then they stretched out on the grassy bank to dry.
Alisha sighed as Mitch drew her up against him. Sated and content, she drew lazy circles over his chest, marveling that he was there, that she was his woman at last.
Lifting up on one elbow, she ran her gaze over him. He was perfect, she thought, from his broad shoulders to his feet. His skin was a dusky brown all over. His arms and legs were well muscled, tempting her touch. His stomach was hard and flat. And that part of him that made him a man… She grinned, amused that his desire could be aroused by no more than a glance.
“You laughing at me again?” he drawled.
“No, no, of course not.”
“Well, see that you don’t.” He lifted one brow in wry amusement. “Are you just gonna sit there and laugh, or are you gonna put me out of my misery?”
She did laugh, then. She laughed with the pure joy of being alive, of feeling the sun on her bare skin, of being with Mitchy, her Mitchy…
She was still laughing softly as she covered his body with hers and put him out of his misery.
Chapter Twenty-Six
They spent the rest of the day near the stream, loving and napping and loving again.
And now they were lying in each other’s arms.
“Tell me,” she said after awhile. “Tell me what you did while you were away.”
He shrugged. “Not much. I told you I was a sheriff for awhile. When I wasn’t wearing a badge, I just drifted.” He looked down at her and smiled. “Tried not to think about you being married to another man.”
“Did you…” She bit down on her lower lip.
“Did I what?”
“Five years is a long time…”
He lifted one brow. “Yeah?”
“Women, Mitchy. Were there other women?”
“Hundreds,” he said solemnly.
She felt a rush of jealousy, and then realized he was teasing her again. “How many were there, really?”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
She took a deep breath, prepared herself for the worst, and nodded.
“There weren’t any, ‘Lisha, at least none that meant anything. I danced with ‘em at socials and at the Fourth of July picnic, but…” He shook his head. “How could I think about another woman when I was still in love with you?”
“I’m glad.”
He grunted softly. “What about you?” he asked. “What about Smithfield?”
“What about him?”
“You were engaged a long time.”
“Nothing ever happened between us.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing much?” She smiled. “Just a few kisses.”
“Now many?”
She laughed softly. “Five,” she said. “One a year.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I never would have married him. I thought I could, but I know now I was just kidding myself. You spoiled me for any other man, you know.”
“Keep it that way.”
“Yes, master,” she replied with a saucy grin. “Whatever you say, master.” She looked at him a moment, still smiling, and then frowned. “You won’t take another wife, will you?”
“Another wife? What are you talking about?”
“Mr. Clements told me he has two wives!”
“Is that right?”
Alisha nodded. “He has an Apache wife, and a wife in the east.”
“Well, good for him.”
Alisha punched him on the shoulder. “He said lots of mountain men have Indian wives. And that lots of Apache men have more than one. So?”
Mitch lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m only half Apache, darlin’, and you’re woman enough for me.”
“Well, I’d better be. I just found you again, and I’m not willing to share you with anyone else, not now, not ever.”
“Don’t worry, you won’t have to.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her until she thought her ribs might crack.
“You’re all the woman I’ll ever need,” he said fervently. “And I’ll never let you go again. Never.”
The words, spoken in a low growl, were the sweetest she had ever heard.
At sunset, Mitch stood up. “Come on,” he said, offering her his hand, “let’s go for a walk.” He pulled her to her feet, and kissed her. “Ready?”
Her eyes widened. “Aren’t we going to get dressed first?”
“Why?” he asked. “There’s no one to see you but me. And I want to see all of you.”
Her gaze swept over him. “The scenery’s not bad from here, either.”
Hand in hand, they walked along the bank, pausing to watch the sun as it sank behind the mountains.
“How beautiful,” Alisha murmured.
Mitch nodded. “Beautiful, indeed,” he agreed. But he wasn’t watching the changing colors of the sky. He was looking at Alisha’s face.
* * * * *
“Do you think we’ll find him?” Alisha asked later that night. They were sittin
g outside after supper, gazing up at the stars. It was a beautiful evening, warm and clear. Millions of stars twinkled against the indigo night sky; a full moon showered the earth with pale silver light. Crickets and tree frogs serenaded them; occasionally, the melancholy wail of a coyote drifted on the breeze.
“We’ll find him,” Mitch said. A son, he thought. I’ve got a son. It was hard to believe. Every time he thought of it, of what Alisha’s father had done, fury rose up inside him, threatening to choke him. “We’ll find him,” he said again. If the boy was still with the Apache, it shouldn’t be too difficult. As soon as they returned to the village, he would ask his mother and Elk Chaser for help.
There was a chance that Clements might be of some assistance, as well.
Alisha rested her head on Mitch’s shoulder. “Tell me one of your Apache stories,” she said. “I always loved them.”
“Did I ever tell you about Coyote and the buffalo?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, long ago, in the days before time, there was a powerful being named Humpback who owned all the buffalo. He kept them in a corral in the mountains where he lived with his son. Humpback refused to turn any of his buffalo loose for the People on earth, nor would he share any of their meat with the People.
“Coyote decided that something should be done to release the buffalo from Humpback’s corral. He called all the People together. ‘Humpback will not release any buffalo,’ Coyote said. ‘We must make a plan to release them.’
“That night they camped in the mountains near the corral and made a careful inspection of the enclosure that held the buffalo. The stone walls were too high to climb and the only entrance was through the back door of Humpback’s house.
“After four days, Coyote summoned the People for another meeting and asked them for suggestions. ‘There is no way,’ said one man. ‘To release the buffalo, we must go through Humpback’s house, and he is too powerful for us to do that.’
“‘I have a plan,’ Coyote said. ‘Humpback’s son has no pet of any kind.’
“The People did not understand what this had to do with releasing the buffalo, but they knew Coyote was a great schemer, so they waited for him to explain. ‘I shall change myself into a killdeer,’ Coyote said. ‘In the morning when Humpback’s son goes to the spring for water, he will find a killdeer with a broken wing. He will want to keep the bird for a pet, and he will take me home. When I am in the house, I will fly outside to the corral and the cries of the killdeer will frighten the buffalo and they will charge through Humpback’s house and be released upon the earth.’
“The People thought this was a good plan, and the next morning, Humpback’s son found a killdeer with a broken wing near the spring and he took it home.
“‘Look here,’ the boy cried. ‘This is a very good bird.’
“‘It is good for nothing!’ Humpback declared. ‘All the birds and animals and People are schemers!’ Humpback’s eyes glittered through the slits of the blue mask he wore. His headdress was shaped like a cloud and painted black with a yellow streak of lightning. Buffalo horns protruded from the sides. He looked very fierce indeed.
“‘It is a very good bird,’ the boy said again.
“‘Take it back where you found it,’ Humpback shouted, and his frightened son did as he was told.
“As soon as the killdeer was released, it flew back to the People and turned into Coyote once again. ‘I have failed,’ he said, ‘but I will try again. Perhaps a small animal will be better than a bird.’
“The next morning, when Humpback’s son went to the spring, he found a small dog there. The boy picked up the dog and ran back to his father. ‘Look here!’ he cried. ‘What a nice pet I have found.’
“‘You foolish boy!’ Humpback exclaimed. ‘A dog is good for nothing. I will kill it with my club.’
“The boy held tight to the dog and started to run away, crying.
“‘Oh, very well,’ Humpback said. ‘Let me test the animal to make certain it is a dog. All animals in the world are schemers.’ He took a fire from the hearth and held it in front of the dog’s face, and the dog barked three times. ‘It is a real dog,’ Humpback decided. ‘You may keep it in the corral, not in the house.’
“This was exactly what Coyote wanted. As soon as darkness fell and Humpback and his son were asleep, Coyote opened the back door of the house. Then he ran among the buffalo, barking as loud as he could. This frightened the buffalo, because they had never heard a dog bark before. Coyote nipped at their heels, and they stampeded out of the corral and through Humpback’s house. The pounding do their hooves woke Humpback and he jumped out of bed, trying to stop the herd, but the buffalo smashed his front door and escaped.
“After the last of the buffalo were gone, Humpback’s son told his father he could not find his little dog.
“‘That was no dog,’ Humpback said sadly. ‘That was Coyote the Trickster.’ And that is how the buffalo were released upon the earth.”
Alisha clapped her hands. “Tell me another.”
“Later,” Mitch said. “I can think of better ways to entertain you.”
“Really?” Alisha said with a coy smile. She batted her eyelashes at him.
“Do you think I’ll like it?”
“I can almost guarantee it.”
“Well.” She sighed heavily. “If you’re sure.”
“I’ve never had any complaints before,” Mitch said with a roguish grin.
“Is that right?” she exclaimed.
She started to get up, but Mitch quickly rolled on top of her, neatly pinning her in place. She glared up at him. “No other women, eh?”
“I’m just funnin’ with ya, darlin’.”
“What if I don’t believe you?”
“‘Lisha,” he said in a sing-song voice. “‘Lisha, can you come out to play?”
“No,” she said, smothering the urge to laugh.
“‘Lisha. ‘Lish…a.”
She laughed in spite of herself, recalling the nights he had called to her from under her window. “Remember the night you threw a rock at my window, and the window broke?”
Mitch grinned down at her. “Your old man came running out of the house with a shotgun. Scared the shit out of me.” He laughed. “If he’d been a better shot, I wouldn’t be here now.”
They smiled at each other a moment, the memory warm between them, and then Alisha cupped Mitch’s face and drew his head down toward her. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered. “So glad.”
“‘Lisha…”
She writhed beneath him, needing his touch, needing to envelop him, to taste him and touch him. “Now, Mitchy,” she pleaded softly. “Now, now, now!”
He needed no further urging, and soon the night was filled with the sweet musk of passion and Alisha’s soft cries of delight.
* * * * *
They spent one more day in their special place, laughing and loving, the joy they found in each other erasing all the bad memories of the past. “Will you teach me to speak Apache?” she asked. “I’ll need to know so I can speak to our son.”
Our son. Mitch looked at his bride. She could be pregnant now, he mused, and tried to imagine how she would look, her breasts full, her belly swollen with his child. It grieved him that he had not been with her the first time, that he hadn’t been there to reassure her, to comfort her, to watch her bloom with new life.
He thrust the thought away. She was right. What was past was past, and there was nothing to be gained by dwelling on it.
“We’ll ask my mother to teach you,” Mitch said. “I could use some lessons, too. I knew a little of the language when I was a boy, but I’ve forgotten a lot of it.” It was surprising, though, how quickly the words and phrases he had learned were coming back to him, how much he understood. Still, it would be nice to be fluent in his mother’s tongue. It was doubtful if their son would speak English.
With regret, they packed their belongings and dismantled the wickiup.
&
nbsp; “Thank you, Mitchy,” Alisha said as they took a last look around. “Thank you for making our honeymoon wonderful.”
“It was my pleasure, darlin’,” he drawled. “Believe me.”
“Can we come back here again some time?”
“Sure.” He took her in his arms and nuzzled her neck. “But it’s not the place, darlin’, remember that.”
“Hmm, getting a little smug, are we?”
“Who, me?”
“Who, indeed.”
“Maybe I need more practice.” He kissed her ear, his tongue sliding over her lobe. “I wouldn’t want any complaints.”
His breath was warm against her skin, his tongue hot and erotic. “I’m not complaining,” she assured him. “Not at all.”
“Good. Cause I’m willing to practice as much as you think necessary.” He grinned impudently. “After all, you’re a teacher, and I want to get it right, in case there’s a test later.”
“Oh, very funny,” she said, swatting him playfully on the arm. She looked around again, wanting to imprint this place, this moment, firmly in her mind.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He lifted her onto the back of one of the horses, then swung up behind her, his arms sliding around her waist, his hands cupping her breasts.
“Are we riding double?” she asked.
Mitch nodded. “Cozy this way, don’t you think?”
“Mmm, very.” She leaned against him, reveling in the touch of his hands on her body. “Hold me tight, so I don’t fall off.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
The other horse followed as they rode away from the stream.
“Mitchy, where are we going to stay when we get back to the village?”
“I don’t know. With my mother, I guess, until we can build a lodge of our own.”
“With your mother?” she exclaimed, horrified at the thought of sharing Mitch’s bed with White Robe, Elk Chaser, and Red Clements only a few feet away, not to mention Mitch’s little brother.
He laughed as he heard the disappointment in her voice. “Don’t worry, darlin’. We’ll find time to be alone.”
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