Tykota's Woman (Historical Romance)

by Constance O'Banyon

  He eased deeper inside her, slowly, with control. He filled her emptiness with his throbbing erection, joining with her as he had only dreamed of doing.

  Tykota did not move, but held himself still inside her, trying to beat down the desire to drive into her.

  "Sweet, sweet," he murmured, gathering her to him, holding her closely, raising her body so her breasts were crushed against the hard wall of his chest.

  He spoke some words Makinna could not understand, but she understood the soft tone and the huskiness of his voice.

  "Tykota, I want-I need..."

  "I know, I know," he breathed hotly in her ear. "I know what you need."

  He inched forward to the barrier of her maidenhead, and again he told himself she was not his to deflower. But she chose that moment to arch her hips, and he broke through.

  She buried her face against his shoulder, and he lifted her chin, pushing her hair out of her face, kissing her lips, whispering, "Let this be the only pain I ever cause you, beloved."

  On the small cot in the dusty tack room, Tykota introduced Makinna to feelings she had never dreamed she could feel. She clung to him, riding a wave of impossible desire. Her mouth received his kisses, her body received his, she groaned when he suckled her nipples and stroked her hair. Floating on a sea of hot passion, they both realized that their bodies had been created for each other.

  Just when Makinna thought she could not stand the aching tension inside her, Tykota would satisfy that ache and create another. He filled her, stroked the inside of her with his thrusts, and took her to new heights when he pulled back. Soon she understood the rhythm of his sensuous movements, and she thrust forward and pulled back in harmony with him.

  The moment was so glorious, so sweet, as he continued to swell inside her, to give her more of himself.

  Again he murmured something in his own language in her ear, and she turned to catch his mouth with hers. His kiss was intoxicating as he plunged faster and faster into her. She clung to him, feeling as if she might die from the pressing ache building inside her.

  She gasped and trembled with surprise when her body climaxed for him. But Tykota did not stop. He took her to still new heights, pushing more of himself into her, until she had received all his length. When he pulled back and pushed forward, he awoke still deeper sensations.

  This time her body erupted with his, and they both trembled. His lips crushed hers, and he whispered hotly in her ear, "Corera con tomac meamore."

  Makinna felt as if she were coming out of a silver mist. "What?" she asked, floating on a cloud of sweetness. "What did you say?"

  "My heart is yours forever, my love," he replied.

  For a long time, they held each other, neither knowing what to say but unwilling to lose these few precious moments they had left. Both also knew torment. Tykota, knowing he could not live without her, and Makinna, knowing that she had to set him free.

  "My love for you is so deep, so strong, I cannot put it into words," he said, easing off her and lying at her side.

  "I know. I feel the same."

  He kissed her deeply, and she clung to him. Finally he untangled his legs from hers and stood. He disappeared only to return with a pail of water. He took Makinna's hand and pulled her to her feet, then gently, tenderly washed her. The intimacy of the act took her breath away.

  When he had finished, he helped her into her clothing and kissed her cheek. "This type of clothing is something I will never grow accustomed to."

  She smiled. "You seem very adept with it, making me think you have done this many times before."

  He tilted her chin, straightening her hair and replacing the snood. "Not like tonight, Makinna. Never like this."

  "I know." And, somehow, she did.

  He ducked his head so he could see her face in the pale moonlight filtering into the room. "You do know I will never do this with another woman?"

  "I... do not know."

  "I could never touch another woman after tonight. I would not even want to. You are all I will ever need or want."

  "Don't make that promise, Tykota." Makinna laid her head against his shoulder, knowing that these were the last few moments they would ever have. "I won't hold you to it."

  Something squeezed painfully at his heart, and a fierce sense of ownership surged inside him. She belonged to him now. "My love for you will never change, beloved." He turned her head so he could look into those blue, blue eyes. "Never doubt that."

  Oh, why did it have to be this way? she cried inside, wishing she could hold on to this moment until the end of time.

  It seemed like a lifetime ago that Tykota and Makinna had first entered the barn, and yet they could still hear the sound of music and laughter. The party was young yet. It was just that the two of them had changed.

  Tykota was silent as he finished hooking Makinna's gown. He bent to kiss the back of her neck, then turned her to face him.

  "You belong to me now."

  She did not bother to deny it. "Yes. I will always belong to you."

  He touched her face, his gaze soft as he looked at each feature. "My heart will never belong to another."

  "I know."

  His arms tightened around her, and he held her fiercely to him. "I do not want to spend one day that I cannot see your face. We must be together. I will need to leave my tribe."

  She slipped out of his arms and away from him. What she had to do was going to take all her strength and courage. "I want you to do something for me."

  He took a step toward her, but she held up a hand. "Promise."

  "Anything."

  "I want you to go back to your tribe."

  "Why?"

  "If you remain there, for one month, it will give us both time to think. We can consider our lives and what we want. If, at the end of that month, you still feel the same way about me, then we will talk about what we are going to do."

  "I do not need a month. I know I want you more than I want my own life."

  "I feel the same way. But you must do this. For me."

  "Do not ask this of me!"

  "But I do ask it of you."

  He lifted her chin. "Do not send me away like this." His gaze softened, and he spoke in his own language. "Tutha mecata yethoa."

  "What did you say?" She touched his face, her fingers sliding along his strong jaw.

  "It translates to something like, If love is true, it will find a way."

  She lay her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes to keep from crying. "I will not have you torn between love and duty. We must both be very sure of what we want. If we are meant to be together, one month is not so long when measured against a lifetime."

  His dark gaze settled on her lips. "Even now, I want to take you back to the cot and make love to you."

  Makinna stepped away from him, because his tone was so loving, and because she wanted the same thing. "You must go now, tonight."

  Tykota took her arm and brought her to him. "If this is your wish, if this is some test I must pass before you will know how deeply I love you, I will do it."

  "Perhaps it is a test. I'm not sure."

  He dipped his head, and his mouth settled on hers, stirring her desire anew. "I will see you in one month. Then we shall never be parted again."

  He turned to leave her, and she called out to him. "Tykota! Always remember that someone loves you-will always love you and wish you well."

  Tykota paused and turned back to her. "That sounds very much like a final good-bye."

  Makinna laughed, trying to sound lighthearted when her heart was breaking. "It is good-bye for now."

  "You could come back to the valley with me, Makinna."

  "No. You know I can't."

  She gazed into his ebony eyes and saw what looked like tears. But how could that be? A man such as Tykota did not cry over a woman. Still, she saw that his throat was working, and he gazed upward, as if seeking control over his emotions.

  "Makinna, why do I get the feeling that I am
never going to see you again?"

  She smiled and shook her head as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Until I touch you again, I will see you in my dreams."

  He walked away from her, and she heard him mount his horse and ride away. She listened until she could no longer hear him.

  "Carry him safely, Indian pony," she said between sobs. "Carry him back to Valle de la Luna."

  Slowly she headed back to the house, and she frowned as she saw buggies being brought to the front. The guests were leaving, though it was still early.

  She weaved her way between departing buggies. When she got to the front door, John Kincaid was there, his gaze somber.

  "Mr. Kincaid, has something happened?"

  He studied the tip of his boots for a moment, then looked up at her. "Well, ma'am, your sister got some bad news, and Mrs. Silverhorn thought everyone should go home. I'm sorta hanging around in case I'm needed."

  John followed Makinna as she rushed inside, looking for her sister. "What kind of news?"

  "It's her husband, Miss Hillyard. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but he was killed in an accident."

  "Where is Adelaide?"

  "Mrs. Silverhorn took her upstairs."

  Makinna hurried up the stairs and burst into the bedroom she shared with her sister. Adelaide was lying on the bed, and Hannah Silverhorn had pulled up a chair and sat beside her, holding her hand.

  Makinna ran to her sister, going down on her knees. "My sweet Adelaide, I am so sorry. I just heard."

  Adelaide's eyes filled with tears, and she sat up, pulling her sister onto the bed and hugging her tightly. "Why did it have to happen to Tom?"

  Makinna rocked her sister back and forth as she would a child. "We never know why these things have to happen, Adelaide."

  She felt Adelaide tremble. "I feel so guilty because I wasn't with him." she sobbed.

  "Hush, you don't know what you're saying, dearest." She brushed a damp curl out of Adelaide's face. "Hush. I will stay with you, and we will go through this together."

  Adelaide clung to her, and Makinna met Hannah Silverhorn's sad eyes. "How did it happen?" Makinna asked.

  "I believe it was some kind of mining accident. A cave-in."

  Makinna shuddered. "Try to rest, Adelaide, I will stay right here."

  "We will both stay with you," the older woman said.

  It was almost morning when Adelaide finally fell asleep. Makinna dressed in a light cotton gown and stood at the window to watch the sunrise. This was a sad day for both sisters. Although Tykota was not dead, she knew she would never see him again.

  She went downstairs and found Mrs. Silverhorn in the dining room. Hannah motioned for Makinna to sit beside her, then poured her a cup of coffee.

  "I am sorry about your brother-in-law, Makinna."

  "I hardly knew him. He and my sister married when I was quite young."

  "Adelaide seems to be carrying a lot of guilt. You must help her get over it."

  Makinna pushed the coffee cup away and leaned back in the chair. "Adelaide wants to go home tomorrow. I am going with her."

  Hannah Silverhorn patted Makinna's hand. "Of course, you shall. You can get her settled and then come back. Or even better, help her settle her affairs and bring her back with you."

  "Mrs. Silverhorn, I have grown very fond of you, and I thank you for all you have done for me and my sister. But I will not be coming back. Ever."

  "But I thought you and my son-"

  Makinna stood. "For Tykota, it is best this way."

  Hannah lowered her head. "Tykota has had so many things forced on him, but you were the one person that he-"

  "I know," Makinna said sadly, moving to the door. "I will always... He will always have my heart."

  At breakfast the next morning Mrs. Silverhorn informed Makinna that John Kincaid would be driving her and Adelaide to El Paso. Makinna was sad to be leaving Hannah Silverhorn; she had become very fond of the kindhearted Englishwoman who had so generously taken her and Adelaide into her home and made them feel welcome.

  Hannah walked Makinna to the door. John was already assisting Adelaide into the buggy. Tykota's mother took Makinna's hand. "Please remember, my dear, that you will always be welcome at Biquera Ranch. If you find that San Francisco is not to your liking, you will always have a home here."

  Makinna kissed Hannah's cheek. "I will remember, and I thank you for all your kindness. But I shall not return to Texas."

  "What shall I tell my son?"

  "Will you do something for me?"

  "You know I will. You have only to ask."

  Makinna pressed a letter into Mrs. Silverhorn's hand. "Give this to Tykota for me."

  Hannah glanced at the letter, then back at Makinna. "Is this the way you want to say goodbye to him?"

  "It's the only way. You once spoke to me about how Tykota's two well-meaning fathers placed too much responsibility on his shoulders. I will not add to that burden. He must feel free to choose the road he will travel, and I know his heart is with the Perdenelas people."

  "I saw him change with you, Makinna. I saw love and hope in his eyes. You gave that to him. Will you take it away?"

  "He does love me, Mrs. Silverhorn, and I love him, but we walk in different worlds. I can't live in his, and if I asked him to live in mine, he would one day regret it."

  Hannah pressed her hands to Makinna's cheeks. "What a wife you would have made for my son.

  Makinna held back tears, not wanting Tykota's mother to see her cry. "Try to make him understand that I loved him enough to let him go."

  "My dear, if it is meant that the two of you should be together, you will be."

  She hugged the little woman and moved down the steps to the buggy. John helped her inside and urged the horses forward at a trot while three outriders rode alongside.

  Although Makinna knew that Mrs. Silverhorn was watching them from the front veranda, she did not look back, because she knew she would cry if she did.

  Adelaide squeezed Makinna's hand and Makinna gave her an encouraging smile. She needed to be strong for her sister.

  Makinna was grateful that John was so sympathetic to Adelaide. He spoke to her in soft tones, and there was tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her. It wasn't long until Adelaide warmed to his kindness, and he even made her smile when he related some of the adventures he had had with Tykota in the London school they attended. He spoke of the difficulty his teacher had trying to teach a slow-talking Texan to speak what they considered "proper" English.

  John laughed as he urged the horses up a hill, driving the buggy slowly and trying to avoid as many bumps as he could. "And, as you can hear by my speech, they failed miserably."

  Adelaide joined his laughter. "They seem to have succeeded with Tykota."

  "That they did. But I suspect that was because he learned English from Mr. and Mrs. Silverhorn, who were British. Whereas my parents came to Texas from Tennessee." He winked at Adelaide. "We all know that Texans and Tennesseans can't speak English."

  Makinna fanned herself with a handkerchief and shook away the dust that had settled on her gown. "I love Texas. I hadn't expected to, but I do."

  "I suspect Tykota has something to do with your view," Adelaide remarked.

  John studied Adelaide's face carefully. "How would you feel about making your home here, Mrs. Johnson?"

  "Like my sister, I do love this land, when, like her, I had not expected to."

  John looked pleased. "Could you... would you feel it an imposition if, after a while, I came to San Francisco and called on you ladies?"

  Makinna realized that John Kincaid was developing a fondness for her sister, even though Adelaide was unaware of his feelings. She spoke up before Adelaide could answer. "We would be delighted, Mr. Kincaid, if you would call on us. We will want you to bring us all the news from Texas."

  When they reached El Paso, Makinna stared at the mud-colored huts on either side of the narrow, dusty streets. In the distance she could see young child
ren splashing and playing in the shallows of the Rio Grande. This was to have been her destination those many weeks ago, when the raid on Adobe Springs changed her life forever.

  John stopped the buggy before the Central Hotel, helped the ladies with a room, and arranged for their luggage to be brought in. "I'll just go on down now and see to your tickets on the morning stage," he said, setting his hat firmly on his head. "I wonder, would you be wanting to eat in the dining room, or would you like me to arrange for something to be brought to your room?"

  Adelaide smiled sweetly at John. "You are kindness itself. Speaking for myself, I would prefer the dining room. If you would care to join us, we will dine around eight."

  "I would be right pleased, ma'am." He smiled and backed away. "Yes, ma'am, I surely would."

  When she closed the door, Makinna walked to the window, watching drovers herding cattle down the street. "Texas is like nowhere else," she mused.

  "Makinna?"

  She turned to her sister.

  "I... thank you for coming with me. We are alone in the world now, just the two of us."

  Makinna went to Adelaide and put her arms around her. "We are fortunate that we have each other."

  "I want to tell you something."

  Adelaide looked dejected, and Makinna waited for her to continue. "Is something bothering you?"

  "It's Tom. I can't feel anything for him."

  "When Mother died, I felt numb at first. I suppose that happens when you lose someone you love."

  Adelaide sat on the edge of the bed and buried her head in her hands. "It's nothing like that. I stopped loving Tom a long time ago."

  Makinna knelt down beside her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

  "Yes, I do. For so long I have had to keep this locked inside me, because there was no one to talk to."

  Tears seeped out of Adelaide's eyes and ran down her face. "Tom... didn't love me. He had other women. He never bothered to be discreet but flaunted them in my face. He would take them to parties we were supposed to attend together. He drank too much, and I always made that the excuse for his behavior."

  "Adelaide, I am so sorry! But he must have loved you if he married you."