She nodded in agreement. "I've thought about that many times but never brought it up to my father. He would have brought me before the elders for discipline."
"Discipline? How barbaric!"
"It's not that bad," she countered. "At least we're not tied up and flogged. Our discipline is more like community service. Most of the time, the punishment for my disobedience has been to be an assistant to our tribal Shaman, helping him gather herbs for his medicine and potions. It's not a hard duty for me since I do much of that for him, anyway. The shaman is a great healer and spiritual leader." She paused and winked at him. "Did I forget to mention my father is one of the elders? Disobedience by an elder’s child is not tolerated."
Broderick beamed with amusement. "No, you didn’t, but I imagine it's like being the pastor's kid in church. You get held to a higher standard."
"That’s an understatement. I think my father would give Mussolini a run for his money."
Broderick arched a brow. “That’s some comparison.”
“Yes, but so true.”
They both laughed despite the grave undercurrent of the injustice. Broderick and Elise’s cultures were so different but in some ways the same. Much was expected of him too, but it wasn’t because of traditions. It was because being a were-jaguar came with much responsibility. One careless mistake on the part of his beast could mean life or death.
"It's funny; I've never heard of Snoqualmie Falls. I never knew it existed so close to Seattle. I prefer staying away from tourist spots, but when I got in my car yesterday, no real destination in mind, somehow I ended up here." He leaned back on his forearms and looked at her. “I’m so glad I did.”
Elise blushed and turned to face him, leaning on one elbow. "It is extremely rare that I meet anyone out this far from the lodge. I love this forest and my secret place here above the falls, but sometimes I wish..." She paused and glanced away.
When she did not continue, Broderick shifted to his side so that he could look at her. He was astonished to see her eyes shining with tears. He reached out and took her chin in his hand, gently forcing her to look at him. "What do you wish?" he whispered, his fingers stroking her cheek.
Chapter 3
She started at his touch. Before she knew what was happening, his hand slipped around the nape of her neck and pulled her closer. Her lips were only inches from his. He smelled of the forest and sandalwood. She trembled under the soft caress of his hand. Not in fear but with a yearning she never experienced before. No man had ever touched her so intimately, and her body reacted to it. Many young men in her village vied for her attention, but her father was very strict. She never allowed any of them to get too close. The other girls in the village talked about their stolen kisses, but she was never interested in finding out for herself. She never thought about kissing anyone, until she met this gorgeous, sexy, stranger. Now, it was all she wanted.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "I wish I didn’t always feel alone. Sometimes I need someone I can talk to. Someone who doesn’t judge me."
"You're not alone now, angel, and I would never do that," Broderick said as his lips touched hers tentatively. When she didn't jerk away, he kissed her ever so tenderly, not wanting to frighten her. He feathered kisses on her cheeks, her chin and down her throat before claiming her lips once more.
When she kissed him back, he deepened the kiss. He slowly plundered her mouth, and she moaned. He rolled onto his back, bringing her along to lay on top of him as he continued kissing her.
Elise never felt anything so exhilarating. No one had ever kissed her before, and she loved the touch of Broderick’s lips as they moved expertly over hers. His body was all hard angles and muscles. She sensed the raw power and virility of this man, and yet she was not afraid. Instead, she was drawn to him, and her body tingled with a need she didn’t completely understand.
Broderick was so amazed how her body molded to his so perfectly. He wanted to feel more of her. To touch the tempting skin, he had seen earlier. He slid a hand down her back and under her red blouse. Her skin was so smooth and velvety. He traced his fingers down her spine to the top of her jeans, and she arched into his burgeoning erection. He slid his hand over her tight round ass and squeezed, grinding her against him. He groaned and gritted his teeth as he fought to remain on his back. All he wanted to do was flip her underneath him and explore every inch of her, but she was innocent, and he had to take it slow. Take it slow? Did he honestly believe he could have sex with this alluring creature? They barely knew each other. He needed to stop this madness.
Elise felt the hard, thick bulge pressing against her core and hot thunderbolts of desire blazed through every nerve ending. She was floating in a sea of pleasure so intoxicating that she never wanted to return to shore. She moaned and rode his erection. She had touched herself intimately before and felt the sweet tremors of release, but nothing compared to what she was feeling now. She knew she was seconds away from totally coming apart.
Ignited by the sensuous movement of her body, Broderick's resolve to do the right thing evaporated. He reached between them to release the top button of her jeans and slid the zipper down. He pushed her loosened jeans down to grip her ass in his hands. He kneaded her soft naked flesh, and his fingers strayed lower until he felt her moist cleft. He slid a finger between the folds. She was so wet he nearly came in his jeans. He wanted more; he needed more.
She felt his fingers flutter over her soft mound then delve deeper to touch her clit and froze. Through the delicious haze of her mounting desire that seemed to build higher and higher with each spine-tingling touch of his fingers, she knew if she didn't stop this, they would both succumb. She desperately wanted him to take her, but she realized with a sharp stab of pain and regret, she would never see him again after today.
And as much as she was attracted to him, their worlds were eons apart. He would go back to the city and his life as a prosecuting attorney, and she would still be in the village she grew up in, waiting for her father to choose the man she would marry. Being with Broderick was a silly, fantastical, impossible dream.
She rolled off of him, and he didn't stop her. "We can't do this," she panted. She sat up and ran her fingers through her long tangle of hair.
Broderick lay back and breathed deeply. His chest heaved as he tried to regain control. To make matters worse, his fierce jaguar was clawing at him in angry frustration. He wanted this woman as much as he did. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let things go so far."
"It's not your fault. I wanted it as much as you did."
He sat up and gazed at her. "That doesn't make it right. It makes me a selfish bastard. You deserve more than a quick toss in the woods."
She smiled shyly back at him, her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen from his kisses. "The forest is magical and the perfect place for it to happen. I liked kissing you, Broderick. It was wonderful. Don't apologize for that. I don't regret a minute of it."
"You should regret it."
She reached out and touched his cheek tenderly. "Well, I don't." She rolled to her feet and stood up. "I must go," she said, and zipped her jeans and fastened the button. She picked up her backpack and retrieved her sketchbook.
"My mother and father will be looking for me. The Celebration of the Moon starts at dusk."
"I understand," Broderick said, as he stood up feeling utterly bereft. He would not see her again before he left for Seattle in the morning and he was not ready to let her go. There was an invisible thread that bound them together he didn’t understand, but his jaguar felt it too. Sadly, there was nothing he could do about it. "I guess this is goodbye, Elise. I leave for Seattle tomorrow morning."
Her smile faded at his words. She shouldn't have been surprised. She knew he was leaving, but she wanted to delay their impending departure from one another for as long as she could. Her mind raced with a crazy idea. She knew it was not rational, but she didn't care. She placed her hand on his arm. "Do you have to go so soo
n?"
"I need to get back. I have a mountain of cases waiting for me."
Her green eyes searched his face earnestly. "Can I see you after the celebration? I'll meet you on the hillside above the lodge. There is a gazebo just beyond the flower gardens. No one uses it at night. I'll come to you."
Absolute joy surged through him. He was going to see her again, and he had not expected to. The fact she wanted to see him too was more than he could have hoped. Yes, their lives were very different. Her life was too immersed in the traditions of her tribe and his in a demanding career, but the gravitational pull towards her was undeniable. They might not have a future together, but they had right now, and that would have to be enough. He didn't want to think about anything beyond that. He refused to. There was plenty of time for that after he returned to Seattle.
"What time?"
"Midnight."
"I'll be there."
They walked three-quarters of a mile in silence; each was caught up in their thoughts and the anticipation of what the night would bring. For Elise, it would lead to an uncharted path of discovery. For Broderick, it would be a validation of what he already knew. Elise was his.
They reached the part of the forest where Broderick first heard the sound of the waterfall.
"This way will lead you back to the lodge," she pointed out as she stopped and looked up at him.
He looked in the direction she pointed to and nodded. He already knew the way, but he didn’t tell her that. "Thank you, Elise. What a wonderful way to spend the morning. I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight." He took her hand and lifted it to his lips.
Elise blushed at his noble gesture. "Me too." She slipped her hand from his. She turned and walked back through the forest.
Broderick watched her until she disappeared from view. He sighed and started toward the trail to the lodge. What an unexpected turn of events to happen upon Elise Munro at the waterfall. Even though he just left her, she still didn’t seem real. But she was. His cock still throbbed, and he could still feel her body against his. Kissing her was pure bliss. Tonight, was a lifetime away, and he would have to find something to fill the empty hours in between. First on the agenda was a nice cold shower.
****
Elise walked down the unmarked path to her village in high spirits. She was so accustomed to her lackluster daily routine with no expectation of it ever changing that her morning encounter with Broderick Devereaux filled her mind with endless possibilities. The thought of seeing him again tonight made her long for her tribe's celebration to be over quickly. If her parents knew what she was planning to do, they would never forgive her, especially her father. She didn't want to go against him or cause him to lose face among their people, but something deep inside her knew her life was destined to be entwined with Broderick’s. Yes, they were from different worlds but were they so different where it really mattered?
The thought of his vibrant blue eyes, his black hair, and powerfully built body made her tremble. She might be a virgin, but she recognized sexual attraction, and she was a little more than attracted to him. She wanted him with a ferocity that scared her.
"Where have you been, daughter?"
Her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she stopped abruptly to regard her mother as she came striding towards her. Her mother, Loretta Munro, was a short woman with black hair and sharp brown eyes. Her mother glared at her as she stood with her hands on her ample hips. She wore a long brown peasant skirt embroidered with pink and blue flowers and a white blouse similar to the red one her daughter was wearing.
Elise smiled back at her. "You know where I was, Mama."
Her mother rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You can't while away the hours in the forest when there is much to be done for the celebration. You are an elder's daughter, and you have responsibilities."
"I did my chores hours ago, Mama. Long before I went into the forest. I know how much this celebration means to our people. Have I ever let you and Papa down?"
Her mother's scowl vanished, and her eyes softened as she smiled. "No, you haven't. You've always been such a joy to your father and me. No parents could have a better daughter." She reached out and took her daughter's hands in hers. "I know your father, and I are hard on you, and you may not always understand it, but we want the best for you. The Great Moon Spirit only blessed us with one child, and for that gift, my precious daughter, we are grateful."
Tears of love glistened in Elise's eyes. Her mother told her the story many times. She had a difficult time carrying a baby to full term. She had three miscarriages and one stillborn child before she finally conceived and gave birth to Elise. The tribe's Shaman performed the healing ritual on her mother more than once. Each time she became pregnant, her mother and father hoped the Great Moon Spirit would answer the sacred request of the Shaman, but the result was always the same. Her parents had nearly given up their dream of having children when two years after her mother's last heartbreaking miscarriage, on a snowy winter night she was born.
Her parents doted on her to the point of obsession, always fearing something would happen to take their beloved daughter away. It was hard growing up knowing you held the greatest happiness and the deepest sorrow of your parents in your hands.
"I know, Mama," she said as she looked away. "I've always tried to be what you and Papa want me to be but lately..." She sighed deeply and turned back to her mother. "I want more from my life. I need more than living in this village and having babies."
Loretta released her daughter and put an arm through hers, and they walked down the busy street toward their home. The whole village was bustling with activity. Preparations for the evening celebration was in full swing. They greeted members of their tribe as they made their way to the other end of the village where the elders and their families lived. Braided vines and flowers adorned the town's common area. The air smelled of roasting meat and baked bread. Baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables sat on long tables. It was hard not to feel the excitement in the air.
A great madrone tree stood in the middle of the village square. The centuries-old tree was the centerpiece of the community. It dwarfed the public buildings and the people working industriously around it. The tree had been the great noble guardian of the Salish Indian tribes for over four hundred years. It was six feet across the base with three huge tree limbs that twisted sixty feet toward the sky. It had thick, waxy green leaves and an abundance of bell-shaped white flowers that formed a lacy canopy. Its rich reddish-brown bark shed similar to a snake shedding its skin. The long, peeling strips exposed the newer, smoother light green bark underneath. The tree had many uses for the tribe. They used the berries that formed in the autumn to make cider and to make necklaces and bait for fishing. The bark and leaves of the madrone were used to treat stomachaches, cramps, skin ailments, sore throats, and for medicinal tea. More importantly, the massive tree was very sacred to her tribe. The tree was symbolic of protection and safety, balance and light. It was around the treasured tree the women of the village would dance paying homage to the Great Moon Spirit.
"I've always known there was a wandering spirit inside you that would not be contained by the boundaries of our village. Deep down, I think your father knows it too, but he refuses to acknowledge it. He's afraid of losing you."
Elise stopped suddenly and stared at her mother in surprise. "You did?"
"Yes, Elise. Even as a toddler, you would wander off, and your father and I would frantically search the village for you, praying you were playing with the other children and you were safe. That is where the other kids would be but not you. We searched for you for hours fearing something terrible happened. It was nearly dusk when one of the hunters came to our cottage holding you in his arms. He was following a stag near the top of a waterfall when he found you curled up on a blanket of yellow monkey flowers fast asleep. We were so happy to see that you were safe; we held you tight and didn’t punish you. You were a curious child and w
andered off many more times over the years even though we tried to be vigilant. You always managed to slip away. Your father and I were frightened out of our minds, but you found your way back each time."
Elise covered her eyes with a hand. "No wonder Papa is so tyrannical."
Her mother laughed. "Your father threatened to tie you to one of your bed posts to keep you indoors, and I had to talk him out of it. He was so afraid of losing you, and a man like him is too proud to show fear. The only time I ever saw him break down was when we couldn't find you that first time. Even when his parents died, and the sad times we lost our babies, he never showed emotion. He held his grief inside. But with you, all of that changed. He's hard on you because he loves you. Always remember that."
"I will, Mama." Elise leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"It's about time you two got home," her father said as he stood on the front porch glaring down at them. "Great Moon Spirit, give me strength. Must I do everything myself?" Her father was a stocky man, no more than five foot ten with graying mahogany hair and penetrating green eyes. His skin was darkly tanned from the years he spent outdoors.
"Stuart," Loretta crooned as she strode up the stairs and gazed up at her husband who was at least ten inches taller than her with coquettish brown eyes. She leaned up on tiptoes and cradled his tanned face in her small hands and kissed his chin. "You're blustering like an angry old bull. I don’t know why you still get worked up after all these years. Everything is going as planned and you will tell the story of the Moon just as well as you always do."
His green eyes sparkled as he looked down at his wife and smiled. "You are right, wife. I should have faith and let the Great Moon Spirit guide me." He turned his eyes to his daughter. "And where were you off to so early this morning, daughter?"
"I was in the forest," she hesitated. "I was picking Nootka Rose leaves. The Shaman mentioned he was getting low and with spring here, the honey bees are everywhere. Bee stings are sure to increase so I thought I should get more for him." Her eyes darted to her mother who grinned. Her mother knew it was a cover. She shivered as she thought of her sexually charged time with Broderick. Even her gentle, lenient mother would have been upset if she knew what a compromising position she had been in earlier.
Dawned (Circle of the Red Scorpion Book 3) Page 3
