Spotted Eagle smiled and folded his arms across his bare chest, savoring every minute of this timea time for which he had waited a lifetime!
Laughing and giggling, Jolena and Moon Flower ran to the river and found an isolated place for their bath and swim. After they were unclothed, they dove in unison into the river and swam and played and laughed.
Then, in a more somber fashion, Jolena and Moon Flower left the river. Moon Flower dressed quickly, then helped Jolena into her mother's wedding dress, which they had taken from Jolena's lodge before the sun had replaced the moon in the sky. After the dress was hanging beautifully and clinging sensuously to Jolena's curves, Moon Flower prepared Jolena's hair, brushing it, then braiding it and placing daisies above Jolena's ears.
Moon Flower added the final touch. She placed earrings made of shells on each of Jolena's ears, then held Jolena's hands as Jolena stepped back for her friend to see.
"The elk tusks that decorate your dress are worth two good horses," Moon Flower said, giggling.
Then she grew serious. "You are a beautiful bride," Moon Flower murmured, tears filling her eyes at the thought of her own marriage vows that had been denied her not only once, but twice!
"I feel beautiful," Jolena said, her pulse racing. "Now what do I do? I'm so excited, Moon Flower, I feel as though I may faint!"
"Go to Spotted Eagle," Moon Flower said softly. "He is waiting for you in your lodge."
"He is there, in my lodge that sits in the circle?" Jolena said, the beats of her heart a great pulsing sound in her ears, her excitement was so intense. "Do you think he approves of the lodge?"
"Who would not approve, if your hands were responsible for it," Moon Flower said, drawing Jolena into her soft embrace. "Go. Be happy."
Tears of joy stung the corners of Jolena's eyes. She eased from Moon Flower's embrace and turned and walked with weak knees and throbbing heart toward the village, where her loved one waited to make their union complete. She felt as though she were floating high above herself, looking down on someone else experiencing such blissful happiness!
She smiled heavenward, silently thanking the one who was truly responsible for this special day. "Lord, I shall forever be grateful," she murmured. Smiling, she knew that this was one custom of her white heritage that she could never leave behind herher belief in her God was solidly imbedded within herself.
When she came to the edge of the clearing that led into the village, she stopped and stared at the tepee that sat in the center, wondering if Spotted Eagle was as feverishly anxious as she.
Lifting her chin, proud and sure, she moved onward, pushing her way through the throngs of Blackfoot who were already in the midst of a grand celebration.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jolena hesitated only a moment before stepping inside her lodgelong enough to take a deep, quavering breaththen she lifted the entrance flap.
She had expected to find Spotted Eagle sitting beside the lodge fire. Instead he was sitting in the shadows at the back of the tepee. When he reached a hand out to her, she went to him and knelt down before him.
His eyes devoured her as he ran his gaze over her. Anxiously, she waited for him to say something.
When his gaze moved upward and his eyes locked with hers, she still waited, for he did not speak, only looked.
''Is there something about what I have done in preparation for our marriage that displeases you?" Jolena finally asked. "Darling, please say something. I am at a loss. I have done everything that Moon Flower instructed me to do. Is there… more?"
"You have done everything to perfection," Spotted Eagle finally said. He reached a hand to her hair and touched one of her braids, then smoothed his fingers over the daisy at her left ear. "In my eyes you have always been beautiful, but today your loveliness surpasses anything I would have thought possible."
He cupped her chin with one hand. "Today two hearts come together to become one life," he said solemnly. "Today you have become my 'sits beside me' woman. You are my wife."
Jolena sucked in a wild, surprised breath. "We are married?" she murmured. "There are to be no words spoken over us? No vows exchanged?"
"Everything you did today, preparing and bringing me food and erecting your lodge, and my payment to your father are the things that sealed our hearts together as man and wife," Spotted Eagle said, placing his hands at her waist, bringing her onto his lap so that her legs straddled him. "There is something more, my wife, to make it truly complete."
Jolena twined her arms around his neck, rapture building within her. "Making love in my lodge?" she murmured.
"Yes, making love in your lodge," Spotted Eagle said, his eyes twinkling into hers. "But not here in the center of the village for everyone to witness." "Oh, yes, I remember now," Jolena said, sighing heavily. "I must take the tepee apart and set it up away from the village." Her lips curved into a pout. "That will take so long, Spotted Eagle. I am not skilled enough at building lodges to remember which pole goes where or how to remove the covering and replace it again as it should be."
"It is not usually the place of the husband to assist the wife with the lodge on the day of the marriage, but I am sure this time it will not look all that unusual should I help you. Our people know you are new to our customs," Spotted Eagle said.
He drew Jolena's lips to his and gave her a passionately hot kiss, then lifted her from his lap and drew her to her feet beside him.
"Let us move the lodge elsewhere quickly," he said huskily. "Then we shall seal our bond of marriage. We shall make love, my wife, as our people celebrate and await our return. There will be many gifts then from the women of our village."
He gave her a slow smile. "They are always most generous on a special wedding day," he said softly.
Spotted Eagle stepped away from her and snuffed the flames of the fire in the firepit by smothering them with blankets.
He then held out a hand for Jolena.
She took his hand and walked outside with him. They were received with much shouting, chanting, and singing.
Jolena smiled a thank-you to those who were crowded around her, touching her, brushing her with quick kisses, and hugging her.
Then she turned away from them and helped dismantle the lodge.
Soon she and Spotted Eagle were carrying the lodge and its poles through the village.
Jolena was surprised when no one followed, and the gaiety was left behind them. When they came to the outer fringes of the village and were standing in the cool shadows of the forest, Spotted Eagle took over most of the chores of rebuilding the tepee. Once it was in place, and he had blankets thrown across the ground inside, he grabbed Jolena up into his arms and carried her into their wedding temple.<
br />
Clinging to his neck, Jolena lifted her lips to his. As he kissed her, one of his hands began creeping up the inside of the skirt of her dress and was soon caressing her where she was already wet and hot for her new husband.
She sighed against his lips as he thrust a finger inside her and touched that part of her that was the most sensitive.
She closed her eyes and allowed euphoria to claim her as Spotted Eagle laid her on the blankets and quickly undressed her, his lips and fingers soon arousing her to heights of pleasure that seemed to know no bounds!
Then he stepped away from her, and she opened her eyes. She still felt drugged and weak from his foreplay.
She discovered him standing over her, nude, looking like a copper god. When Jolena's eyes moved to that part of him that was ready for lovemaking, she reached a hand to his manhood and wove her fingers around it.
She watched his eyes close and his lips part in a groan as she began moving her hand on him. She moved to her knees before him and flicked her tongue against the glistening tip of his hardness, drawing a guttural groan of pleasure from deep inside him. His body stiffened.
Placing his hands at the back of Jolena's head, Spotted Eagle urged her lips closer, and when she drew him into the warm cocoon of her mouth, she heard him suck in a wild gasp of pleasure.
She pleasured him like this for a moment, then Spotted Eagle drew himself away from her and placed his hands to her shoulders, easing her down on her back on the blankets.
His eyes dark and passion-filled, he leaned over her and showed her exactly how wonderful a mouth, tongue, and lips could feel as he found her every secret, sensitive spot. He pleasured her until she was thrashing her head from side to side, emitting soft gasps. She felt as though she were swimming through a great, warm void, her every nerve ending tingling and thrilling from the rapture.
Just as she felt as though she might go over that edge into total ecstasy, Spotted Eagle moved over her and thrust his shaft within her.
Framing her face between his hands, he gave her a kiss that was all-consuming.
As his thrusts became more insistent inside her, Jolena lifted her legs around him so that he could fill her more deeply, more completely. And then his lips lowered so that he could lick and his teeth could nip and tug at her nipples.
Jolena gasped softly as his teeth pulled a nipple between them, his tongue moving in circles around it as it lay captured between his teeth.
When he moved his lips to the hollow of her throat and licked her skin, as though she were something wonderfully delectable and sweet to eat, she threw her head back and closed her eyes, then scarcely breathed when once again his lips and tongue made their way down her body, stopping where he had only moments ago been so magnificently filling her.
Jolena breathed shallowly as she waited for the glorious feelings to overcome her again. She shook and trembled when his tongue touched the tip of her woman's desire, then felt his teeth nipping at it. The pleasure was so intense that it momentarily drew her breath away.
She sighed heavily when he moved over her again and filled her with his throbbing hardness.
Spotted Eagle wrapped his arms around her and cradled her close as he began his rhythmic strokes again, this time moving much more quicklydesperate, it seemed to reach that final plateau that would momentarily make him mindless.
Jolena kissed his shoulder, then his ear, then his lips as she felt the pleasure rising, then rushing through her like wildfire as his body trembled into hers, spurting his seed deeply into the warm depths of her desire… They then clung to one another, blissfully happy.
"There is one more thing that would make my happiness complete," Spotted Eagle suddenly said, moving to his knees and straddling Jolena as she lay on her back, gazing lovingly up at him.
"What is it?" she murmured, reaching a hand to his chest and stroking it. "My beautiful Blackfoot husband, don't you know that your every wish is my command?"
"Your name," Spotted Eagle said, his voice guarded. "You are Blackfoot. Your name should be Blackfoot. Would you allow this husband to give his wife a Blackfoot name?"
Jolena's smile faded, and her heart seemed to skip a beat. She felt that if she lost the only name she had ever known, it would be like parting with her identity!
Yet, she saw her husband's reasoning and knew that to make him totally happy, she must abide by his wishes, even this one.
"And what would you have me called?" she said, reaching her hand to his cheek.
"When you walk, you are as graceful as a fawn," Spotted Eagle said. "The name Fawn would fit you best. Do you like it?"
Jolena's eyes brightened. She smiled up at him. "I think it's lovely," she murmured. "Yes, I like it. Fawn. I shall only answer to Fawn from now on."
"I will tell our people," Spotted Eagle said, taking her hand and kissing its palm.
Then he moved to his feet. "Let us get dressed and go to our people," he said, offering Jolena a hand. "Without us, the new bride and groom, there is no true celebration."
Jolena hurried into her clothes, and Spotted Eagle pulled his breechclout on and stepped into his black moccasins. Then he went to Jolena and rebraided her hair which had come loose during their lovemaking.
"It is now time to go," he said, taking her hand. He looked slowly around him at the beautiful lodge. "Take a last look. This will be gone by sunrise tomorrow. It has served its purpose."
Jolena felt a twinge of sadness as she gazed around the lodge, then smiled softly as she looked down at the mussed-up blankets, still thrilling inside from the lasting effects of Spotted Eagle's lovemaking.
Then she turned and left the lodge with her beloved.
Soon they were catapulted into the midst of the celebration. As the drums vibrated and spoke to the spirits, the warriors and wives chanted and danced. The young braves with their brilliant raiment, grace and agility, were dancing the ancient feather dance, not for the purpose of impressing the other braves, but to impress the young girls maturing into womanhood whom they would have, if only in their midnight dreams.
Chief Gray Bear, leaning heavily on his staff, met Jolena and Spotted Eagle's advance into the crowd. He stepped before them and gave Jolena a warm hug, then gave Spotted Eagle a solid embrace. " No-ko-i, my son, you have given this father a beautiful daughter-in-law," he whispered into Spotted Eagle's ear. "You make this old man wish he were young again."
Spotted Eagle gave his father several fond pats on the back, chuckling, then stepped away from him when Brown Elk came up behind Spotted Eagle's father, smiling broadly from Jolena to Spotted Eagle.
Brown Elk then stepped between them, putting an arm around their waists as he gazed from one to the other. "My daughter, Spotted Eagle is a brave warrior, a man of good character," he said. " Kyi! Spotted Eagle is sober
-minded, steadfast, and trustworthy. I know Spotted Eagle will make a good husband."
Spotted Eagle stepped away from Brown Elk. He drew Jolena to his side and placed an arm around her waist. "The words of both my fathers today warm this warrior's heart," he said. "This warrior will try to live up to all expectations as a husband to this wonderful woman at my side."
Then remembering that everyone needed to be told about Jolena's name change, he walked her to the center of the village, where her lodge had stood for only a short while. Spotted Eagle raised a hand in the air, momentarily giving pause to the celebration.
"Here stands a happy man!" he shouted.
He gave Jolena a soft smile. "Here stands a happy woman," he said softly, but with much feeling.
Savage Illusions Page 36
