Forever Ecstasy

by Janelle Taylor

  “Grandfather will guide us and help us, Joe,” she encouraged. “He works with us for peace. Can you not see this truth in all that has been?”

  “We’ll keep talking to our gods, and pray they listen.”

  She tugged at his arm. “Come, I know place to hide from storm.”

  Joe lifted the bundle, this time filled with enemy items, and followed her to the horses. At the burial site entrance, he waited for her to pray to her god, then mount. Joe closed his eyes and sent a prayer to his, then pulled himself into his saddle. “You’re the leader, Morning Star; guide on.”

  The maiden returned his smile and kneed her Appaloosa. Joe’s gaze sent warm tingles over her body. She pushed that thought and the desecrated burial ground out of her mind. She must reach cover before bad weather overtook them.

  The storm was approaching fast, but Morning Star knew her way around these hills. She headed for a place she remembered where the lower part of a black cliffside suddenly jutted outward near the base. The outthrust was sufficient to create an overhang with enough height, depth, and width for them to obtain protection from rain and lightning. It wasn’t large enough for the horses, too, but animals were used to being out in the weather and would be safe in a copse of hardwoods.

  Joe eyed the spot she chose. Beneath the ledge was a space of five feet by five feet, with a ceiling of four feet. The smooth rock seemed to form a slate roof to cover the inviting location. By then, thunder rumbled and lightning slashed overhead. “Let’s get our supplies and bedrolls under cover,” Joe shouted. “You grab some wood and I’ll tend the horses. That rain’ll be coming down in barrels soon.”

  They worked with haste, and had everything prepared within a short time. A small campfire heated the beans that Joe had taken from the dead men’s supplies. Along with the dried meat and bread pones from Singing Wind, the couple ate a quick and satisfying meal. Joe set their empty dishes on a ring of inky stones around a cheery blaze. Drops of water struck his body and the surroundings, then rapidly became larger and heavier.

  “Hurry, it’s here. Leave the dishes. The rain will wash ’em.”

  Sounds of wind and thunder were joined by a noisy deluge of water. The campfire just beyond the rock overhang was doused within seconds. Joe and Morning Star laughed as they wriggled to the back of the snug area to keep dry and warm. They sat on Joe’s bedroll to watch nature’s drama unfold. Supplies, stored at one side and covered by his slicker, compelled them to sit close in the gradually darkening hideout.

  Brilliant flashes of lightning frequently illuminated the cozy area. A few times, both jumped as startling thunderbolts boomed nearby. After each reaction, they exchanged glances and shared laughter. Heavy rain flowed down the cliff face that rose upward to a towering spire with a rounded top. It poured over the extended ledge, but there was enough of an incline to send the flood of liquid the other way. Except for earth-dampening splatters, their area stayed dry. They kept their feet tucked close to their bodies so they wouldn’t get wet. They leaned their heads against an inky wall and gazed at the partition of water that obscured the outside world.

  Trapped between the downpour and rocks, they were enclosed in a setting that reeked of intimacy. When vivid streaks of lightning blazed across the sky, it sparkled on the watery flap to their romantic tepee. During one lengthy bout of lightning that split into many branches and seemed to hang in the sky a long time, Joe looked over at his companion. She was so beautiful and desirable, so close, so out of reach.

  Morning Star returned Joe’s lingering gaze. The whiskers on his face had grown during their days together, and, for a man with golden hair, the short beard looked dark against his tanned face. In the dimness with only nature’s flashes of light, she saw how blue his eyes were. Her shoulder touched his, and the contact was pleasing and arousing. She was glad the space was tight and forced them to sit close. The shadows of their present world and the sounds from beyond it created an aura of mystery and anticipation. She realized she was apprehensive about their impending journey into the white settlement, but felt safe and strong knowing Joe would be at her side. With him, she felt as if she could do almost anything. She watched him remove his boots and set them aside; she did the same with her moccasins. They shared a sleeping roll, keeping their weapons within reach. When a burst of dazzling light came again, Joe was still watching her with that bittersweet look.

  Joe observed Morning Star as she unbraided her ebony hair and withdrew a brush to work on it. Soon, it lay silky and sensual around her shoulders. When she started to replait it, his hand stayed hers and he coaxed, “Don’t. Leave it free. It’s as shiny and black as a raven’s wing. It’s beautiful, like you are, Morning Star.”

  When she trembled at his stirring words, he assumed she was chilled, as the temperature had dropped. He retrieved a blanket and tossed it over their legs, then drew it up to their shoulders. He put his arm around her to settle the cover into place on her distant shoulder, then left his arm there. It felt warm and strong to Morning Star and she could not resist snuggling against him. Joe responded by moving his arm across her chest, near her throat, and clasping her nearest shoulder with his fingers. Morning Star leaned her head back to rest it against his cheek and neck. Her hand lifted to cover his. She felt Joe lean his head into hers. It was delightful to be snuggled together in the serene setting.

  Joe told himself to enjoy this brief moment of weakness and contact but to go no further with his yearnings. Yet a fierce longing to kiss her galloped through his body at breakneck speed. He seemed unable to restrain that runaway sensation. “I’ve never met a woman like you, Morning Star,” he murmured. “You make me feel so good inside. I missed you when I rode to the fort. I couldn’t get back fast enough. I was afraid you’d become my helper— but more afraid you wouldn’t. I want to be with you all the time. I want to hold you and kiss you. I’m sorry you think I’m stronger and more trustworthy than I deserve.”

  Sun Cloud’s daughter rashly turned her head and body until their faces were within inches of each other. She raised her hand and stroked his cheek. As dusk had dimmed the light inside their rock dwelling, she could barely see him. She wished each burst of brightness was longer, as she couldn’t look at him enough. “It is same with me, Joe. I am weak and cannot be trusted. What we do?”

  The desire in her voice was evident to him. He seemed to tremble with yearning as much as she did; that was unusual for him, as he had learned self-control. He had to kiss her, he had to! Joe’s head bent downward and his mouth sought hers. With her assistance, he had no difficulty finding her sweet lips.

  Morning Star was staggered by the potency of the lengthy kiss. She thrilled to the way his mouth explored hers, and was surprised by the instinctive way hers responded. She heard him moan at the same time she did. She felt him tense and shudder at the same time she did. Her heart told her that a little kissing and hugging wouldn’t do any harm. If her mind argued, she didn’t hear it. She twisted her body until she was lying in his arms and facing the back of the shelter. She nestled closer. She felt his embrace tighten and his kisses deepen. Her arms clung to his body, wanting no space between them for a short time.

  Joe had the same good intentions of only enjoying a few kisses, hugs, and caresses. His fingers wandered into her silky hair, then trailed over her satiny skin. She was so soft and sleek. He ached to have her completely, just once. It would give him a beautiful memory that he would never forget and probably never find again. His body burned with flames of desire. His spirit hungered to feast on her.

  Morning Star was lost in a rapturous world of spinning desires. As her lips teased over his face and nibbled at his mouth, she murmured, “We fit like pair of moccasins. We match like petals on flower.” She had been told that most men were not good with romantic words, that most used actions to show their feelings. Joe was different; he did both.

  Soon they were inflamed beyond clear reason. Her hands traveled under his loosened shirt for her eager fingers to feel the
hardness of his supple frame. She wore a two-piece buckskin outfit today, and Joe’s hand slipped beneath her top and closed over one breast. Surges of pleasure stormed their bodies as fiercely as the weather was storming the world outside their secluded dwelling.

  “I want you so much, Morning Star,” Joe almost growled against her responsive mouth. “I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself.”

  Before she could tell him she felt the same, his lips captured her and sent her mind to reeling. She loved him and wanted him. How could such powerful feelings be wrong? So many forces had tried to keep Gray Eagle and Alisha, Bright Arrow and Rebecca, apart; they had all failed, because the Great Spirit had brought both mixed couples together and given them a love too strong and tight to be broken or denied. It was as if she had waited for this tender ecstasy all of her life. A savage and bittersweet longing swept through her. Her mind and heart were too ensnared to resist this stolen moment. Her grandfather and uncle had surrendered to mixed love, so it could not be so terribly wrong for her to do so. They were honored legends, as she hoped she would be when this sacred task was done. She could not summon the will to refuse what she wanted with all her soul. Tonight, she and Joe could not help themselves; their match was irresistible, was fated, at least this much of it was, no matter what happened later.

  Joe was lost in a whirlwind of emotions and sensation. He drew her to him with possessiveness. His breathing was ragged, his heart drummed within his chest. He seemed to quiver like a feather in a strong breeze. The storm outside ravaging the land was nothing compared to the one assailing him. He had no choice but to submit to whatever fate had in store for them tonight. He shifted his weight, which allowed them to sink to his bedroll.

  Morning Star went along with him, willing and eager. His masculine scent filled her nostrils. His touch was tantalizing. Her deft fingers freed the buttons on his shirt and her fingers traced the smooth and hard surface of his chest where no hair grew but where muscles rippled like water over rocks. She explored the wonders of his compelling physique. Her head rolled to one side as his tongue trailed down her throat, then with titillating leisure returned to her mouth.

  Their lips meshed with fierceness and urgency. The emotions they had tried to deny and restrain for so long burst free and galloped away. There was no way to recapture the innocence they were leaving behind.

  Morning Star savored the way Joe’s hands felt on her pliant body. Her breasts did not want him to leave them. Yet she longed for so much more, and she had a suspicion where their new trail would lead.

  Joe was as spellbound by the blissful moment as she was. His lips brushed over her face, halting at each feature to explore it in detail. His experiences with women had never prepared him for this rare one. He didn’t want this to end. He wanted to keep her forever.

  They continued their discoveries of each other, and reveled in the joys of them. Each knew their destinies were being forged into one, and they must find some way to help fate along. Each burned with desire. Each knew there was no turning back.

  As their mouths clung together, Joe, with her help, wriggled out of his shirt. Morning Star, with Joe’s assistance, removed her top, their lips parting only long enough for the garment to pass between them. When their bare chests touched, they seemed to cling to each other with wills of their own. While Joe caressed a breast with one hand and showered the other with ecstatic kisses, Morning Star loosened the ties of her breechcloth, as her skirttail had raised itself long ago during her writhings. She did not pull away to remove her skirt, and was only half conscious of it being between them. After Joe’s seeking hand covered the distance between her breasts and abdomen, she arched and moaned when it made contact where she had never been caressed before.

  Joe stroked and caressed his love until both could no longer stand the denial. His hand halted only long enough for him to work the fasteners of his pants. He moved atop Morning Star and slipped between her parted thighs, lowering his pants as he did so. He did not have to ask her if she was sure about continuing, her actions told him she was as willing to proceed as he was. With caution, he lowered his body to hers and entered the paradise he had dreamed of for weeks. Her response told him he had not hurt her.

  Morning Star was consumed by the wonder of becoming a woman, Joe’s woman, of surrendering to love completely. She had been right; they fit as perfectly as the best matched pair of moccasins. It did not feel strange to have him within her; it felt right, wonderful, as if it should be.

  Joe experienced those same thoughts and feelings. They were joined as one, as it was destined to be. Perhaps he had sensed that truth the first night they meet. He accepted the fact that he loved her. In all ways but one— under white law— she was his wife. He vowed to keep her for as long as possible. She was his, so that had to forever.

  Morning Star’s fingers halted their trek at the wound Joe had gotten while rescuing her. Even when they were strangers, he had been willing to die for her. Whatever it took, they had to find a way to stay together during and after this sacred mission. Surely Grandfather would not put such love in their hearts only to force them apart later.

  As the most glorious moment of this new and rapturous experience burst upon them, they kissed and clung together as if promising nothing and no one would ever come between them. There was no retreat, no restraint. They savored the final destination they had reached together. For a time they were aswirl in a glowing mist that shut out all reality except for this blissful ending to something both had craved. Pleasure melted into contentment as they snuggled together, sated for now.

  The thunder and lightning had ceased, but heavy rain continued to fall. It was music to their ears and relaxing to their spirits. Both sighed deeply as the they rested after their lovemaking. Without meaning to do so, each allowed the reality of the world outside to enter their minds. Perhaps it was the darkness of their surroundings which denied sight of each other’s face that reminded them of their grim situation.

  “Morning Star-”

  She covered his mouth with her quivering hand. “Do not speak bad words. We joined in hearts and spirits. We have much this moon. We can have nothing more. Do not bring sadness and pain to our hearts.”

  Joe understood what she was saying and feeling. This was her world and her culture. His were far away; they could not join or overlap. He agonized over that truth, as neither could give up who they were. Her world would not accept him, and his would not accept her, They were too smart to say that nothing mattered except their love. And he knew he did love her. Those words were hard for a man to confess the first time he truly meant them. Surely she guessed it from his mood and actions, as he knew she must love him to surrender tonight. If he spoke his innermost feelings aloud, it could frighten her and cause her to withdraw from him. People could not survive by love alone. Having everyone and everything against a union could damage it severely. But he was not ready to face that challenge yet. For as long as he could, he had to hold on to her. He embraced her tightly as he tried to accept what his heart refused to believe: that he would lose her.

  Morning Star tried to halt any dream of a future with Joe from forming. It was futile, hopeless, and forbidden.

  When she started to tense, he asked, “What is it?”

  “I wash while rain still comes.” She freed herself from his arms and, finding her way with her fingers against the stone roof, she crawled to the front of their shelter. She moved outside and stood in the pouring rain, naked, chilled, and heartbroken. The rain flowed over her slender, shapely body and washed away the traces of their lovemaking.

  Joe finished removing his pants, then joined her and did the same. He lifted his face skyward and allowed the cold water to cool his hot body and remove his sweat. His heart felt heavy inside his chest. He raged at the obstacles that stood between him and the only woman he had ever loved. More so, he raged at his helplessness, his inability to overcome them. Despite his father’s strength and Joe’s respect for him, Joe had left home
against the elder Joseph Lawrence’s wishes. Something within him had demanded he seek the man he was inside, the man hidden by his father’s shadow. He had been compelled to do something on his own, not just take over a business handed to him through an inheritance. He had hungered for adventure and excitement, and couldn’t be blamed for seeing shipping as unfulfilling. He loved his parents and had obeyed them until his restlessness had forced him to walk away from home. One day he would return and take the place expected of him. By then, he would be mature and his wild thirst would be quenched. He would be confident and content, a man of his own. At least he had felt that way until meeting the woman beside him. Now, what would his life be without her?

  As they stood there in anguish and silence, the rain slowed and halted. Clouds drifted westward, and the partial moon offered scant light. Joe gave a loud sigh then fetched a blanket. He handed it to Morning Star and watched her dry her flesh. Neither could see much of the other’s unclad body, but neither shielded themselves. She returned the cover, and he did the same. Joe hung it over the ledge to dry if the sun came out in the morning. They ducked and returned to the bedroll, but they did not redress in the cramped darkness.

  Joe took another blanket and lay down on it. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow,” he suggested, and tossed the cover over them.

  Morning Star snuggled into his beckoning arms and her chill left. For now she would enjoy his embrace but, she cautioned herself, there was no way to remove the stone wall separating them. When morning came, she must concentrate only on the dangerous task looming before them. “Sleep, Joe. A hard task rides before us.”