Dream Warrior: His Savage Kiss

by Bobbi Smith

  When Silver Wolf began to caress her, his hands skimming over her in a light but arousing touch, she shivered in anticipation, and when he freed the buttons at the bodice of her dress and bared her breasts to his hungry gaze, she was panting with excitement. No man had ever touched her this way before, but it didn't matter. This was Silver Wolf. She knew now that she'd been saving herself for just this moment.

  "Please, Silver Wolf . . . teach me . . ." Cari urged him.

  "Are you sure, Little Snow?" Silver Wolf drew slightly away, giving her the chance to think about what she was saying. He'd known she would be warm and loving and responsive to him, and he desired her as he'd never desired another, but he wanted her to be certain.

  "Oh, yes. I love you. I always have and I always will . . ."

  He gazed down at her and saw the joy in her eyes. He knew then that there would be no stopping. With utmost care, his lips moved over hers in a deep, hungry exchange, and then he moved lower to trail hot kisses down her throat. Excitement pulsed through Cari, and she began to move restlessly beneath him as he sought to lave her breasts with kisses.

  "You're lovely, Little Snow." Silver Wolf lifted his head to look down at her, his eyes glittering with desire as he gazed upon her tender flesh.

  She was embarrassed by his words and shifted to try to cover herself. He smiled gently at her.

  "Don't be shy, love. I've always known you would be this beautiful."

  The feelings he was creating within her were as exciting as they were strange, and though she wasn't sure what was going to happen next, she trusted him completely. She framed his face with her hands. "I think I've waited all my life for this moment . . . for you . . ."

  Silver Wolf kissed her again. His lips were soft and persuasive upon hers, and then he moved to the sweetness of her throat once again. He explored the hollow there and the fluttering, rapid beat of her pulse, before seeking out the fullness of her breasts. Cari began to tremble beneath him as he caressed her.

  Cari gasped in pleasure at his intimate touches. When she was almost to the point of being mindless with wanting him, he stopped, and she looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes.

  "I need to see you. All of you," he explained hoarsely.

  He shifted a little away from her to help her shed her dress, and she gasped at her first sight of his naked body. He reminded her of one of the statues she'd seen in a museum back in Philadelphia. His body was perfect, from the strong width of his chest and shoulders roped with powerful muscle to the narrow leanness of his waist and hips. Silver Wolf was no cold marble sculpture, though. He was a flesh and blood man who wanted her, and she rejoiced in the knowledge.

  Silver Wolf gazed down at Little Snow, his heart filled with more emotions than he could ever possibly express. She'd always been the woman he'd adored above all others. She had held his heart since that very first winter night. Few others ever knew the kind of closeness they shared, and now he wanted—no needed—to be one with her. He moved over her, fitting himself to her, feeling how perfect they were for each other, yet being careful and gentle, for he knew this was new to her.

  The heat of him against her seared Cari, and she trembled.

  "Are you all right?" he asked, tensing suddenly for fear that he'd hurt her.

  Cari smiled as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. She'd never known emotions so intense before. "I'm fine," she answered, smiling up at him. She'd loved him since that first icy night when he'd appeared out of the darkness to save her, and she gazed up at him now with the same heartfelt trust she'd felt then.

  He looked down at her, enraptured. With reverence, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then met her lips in a cherishing kiss. When at last her trembling subsided and he felt she was ready, he freed the passion chained within him. He was thrilled when Little Snow responded without reserve.

  Cari wanted to show him how much he meant to her. She wanted to please him as he was pleasing her, and she caressed him with an eagerness that took his breath away.

  No longer able to deny himself the glory of union with her, Silver Wolf rose up over her. With great care, he positioned himself and pressed forward. The tight heat of her as he slowly sheathed himself within her left him breathless. She stiffened instinctively against him.

  "Easy, my love," he whispered against her lips, and at his words she forced herself to relax.

  Silver Wolf kissed her deeply then as he thrust forward, piercing her innocent body with the proof of his love and claiming her for his own. A whimper escaped Cari as he began to move, but he stilled her pain with loving kisses and caresses. His hands traced paths of fire over her silken flesh, and soon she forgot the initial discomfort and was reveling in the wonder of the moment.

  Around them the night was Elysian. The moon high above them shone softly down on them as they tasted for the first time the pure ecstasy of their love. Their each caress built upon the last until suddenly the breathtaking heights of love's exquisite reward claimed them. Spellbound, they clung together, soaring to the heavenly peak as one.

  The night birds' serenade blended with the stream's musical passage to create a symphony. Enchantment was theirs. They lay together, glorying in the beauty of what had just passed between them.

  Silver Wolf cradled her in his arms, marveling at the power of the love he felt for her. For the first time in his life, he felt truly alive.

  A sense of peace and contentment stole over them, and, as in the distance a wolf's song echoed through the night, they slept.

  Elizabeth could not sleep. She and Cari had barely spoken since the night of the dance, and her heart was heavy with unhappiness over the distance between them. She loved her daughter more than life itself, and she only wanted what was best for her.

  Afraid that she'd disturb James with her tossing and turning, Elizabeth rose from bed and, after pulling on her robe, went to Cari's bedroom. She didn't know if her daughter was asleep or not, but she wanted to check. If Cari was awake, Elizabeth thought this would be a good time for the two of them to talk, uninterrupted.

  Taking care not to wake either James or Elliot, she reached Cari's door and gave a very soft knock. When there was no answer, she turned the knob, and finding it unlocked, she opened it to peek inside.

  Cari looked to be sound asleep under the covers. A rush of love filled Elizabeth, and wanting to make peace with her daughter, she tiptoed inside to give her a good night kiss just as she'd done when Cari was a baby. To Elizabeth's horror, though, when she reached the side of the bed, she discovered that Cari was not there. The bed was empty, camouflaged to make it look like she was sleeping.

  Elizabeth went cold inside as she looked around and noticed Cari's nightgown tossed negligently across a chair. Her one desperate hope was that Cari was with Elliot. As Elizabeth stood in the darkness considering that a terrible feeling overcame her. Cari and Elliot had been cordial since the dance, but hardly acting like lovers. No. As much as she would have liked to deny it to herself, she knew exactly where her daughter had gone.

  Fury filled Elizabeth. She gave no thought to the time when she was young and madly in love with James. All she could think of was her precious daughter lying with that terrible half-breed. Ready to fight the fiercest battle of her life, she was determined to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all. Snatching up a lamp from the hall, she lit it and then headed straight for the stream.

  Cari hadn't meant to fall asleep, and she awoke to find Silver Wolf still beside her. He was awake and had braced himself up on one elbow to watch her. She smiled dreamily up at him.

  "Hello."

  His kiss was his greeting, and she sighed in contentment. She lay quietly for another moment, treasuring the wonder of being with him, wanting it to never end. Reality soon crept in.

  "Silver Wolf, I have to get back," she murmured apologetically even as she made no move to leave his side.

  "I know," he answered, the regret he was feeling over parting from her sounding in h
is voice.

  "When will I see you again?"

  "If I had my way, I would never leave you." He bent to her and kissed her, telling her with his passionate embrace just how much she meant to him.

  "I want to stay with you, too." A sigh from the depths of her soul escaped her. She had never wanted to leave him—not when her mother had dragged her off to school and not now.

  "Marry me, Little Snow . . ."

  At his words, she gazed up at him, her eyes glowing with excitement. "Oh, Silver Wolf. . . . There's nothing I want more than to be with you."

  They kissed again, unwilling to move apart. It was with great regret that Silver Wolf finally put her from him. He knew if he didn't let her go now, he might never do it. He stood and, taking her hands, he drew her to her feet and along with him down to the pool.

  "The water's going to be cold . . ." Little Snow argued.

  "Hasn't it always been my job to keep you warm?" he said with a smile as he picked her up and strode into the water.

  She thought about trying to escape him, but her trust in him won out and she hung on to his neck for dear life, expecting at any minute to be freezing to death in the icy water. To her surprise, though, the water in the quiet pool felt warm, and she immediately relaxed. His hands were gentle as he set her on her feet and, with cherishing caresses, bathed her.

  Little Snow stood still under his arousing ministrations, learning things about her own body. His hands sought out her most intimate places, building a throbbing need within her, and she gripped his shoulders tightly for fear that her knees might buckle for the ecstasy of it. Silver Wolf caressed her, enjoying giving her pleasure. When they'd made love, they'd both been satisfied, but now he wanted just to please her. He knew her virgin's body would not be able to stand another joining with him, and she was so responsive that he couldn't resist loving her this way. At the touch of his lips upon her breasts the need within her exploded to breathtaking heights that left her senses reeling.

  "Silver Wolf . . ." She gasped his name as she held tightly to him.

  They stood, embracing in the waters, each having found in the other the meaning of true bliss. He had never known giving pleasure without seeking his own reward could be so fulfilling. He held her in the circle of his arms until the splendor of the moment had passed, and only then did he carry her from the stream.

  He donned his breechcloth and leggings and then helped her to dress. He resented the clothing that covered her sweet curves, hiding them from his view, but he knew she had to get back to the house.

  Silver Wolf drew her into his arms for one last embrace. It was a passionate, blazing exchange that neither of them wanted to end . . .

  The condemning voice when it came out of the night slashed at the young lovers and drove them apart.

  "I knew I'd find you here with him!" Elizabeth's words were as cold and icy as her heart as she stared at the two of them embracing.

  "Mother!" Cari couldn't believe that her mother had come after her and she tore herself from Silver Wolf's arms.

  Silver Wolf could sense Little Snow's upset, and would not let her face her mother's anger alone. He put his arm around her waist and kept her close to his side as he greeted the woman.

  "I should have known you'd sneak around behind my back like the savage you are. Cari! I want you to go back to the house right now!" Elizabeth ordered in a tone that brooked no argument.

  "It's not what you think . . ." she began, but her mother would have none of it.

  "I know exactly what went on here, my dear. I want you to go back to the house and stay in your room until I've had time to talk to your father."

  At the dance, Cari had been caught unawares by her mother's hostility, but now she would not remain silent. "No, Mother. I won't go."

  Elizabeth seethed in the face of her defiance.

  "Cari's not a little girl anymore, and she's made her decision, Mrs. McCord."

  "You kept us apart by stealing our letters for all those years, Mother, but you can't keep us apart any longer."

  "I was trying to protect you, to make sure you had a better life!"

  "A better life than what?" Cari challenged.

  "Than sneaking around with a man who isn't worthy of you!"

  "Worthy of me?"

  "Do you realize what kind of life you'd have with him?" Elizabeth sneered. "People would talk about you and belittle you. Your children would be outcasts. Do you want that kind of life?" She turned on Silver Wolf then, daring him to refute her words. "Do you want her to have that kind of life?"

  "What other people think or say doesn't matter to us, Mrs. McCord."

  Elizabeth bristled.

  "I love Silver Wolf, Mother, and I want to be with him."

  "We'll see about that! Just look at you!" Elizabeth's gaze went over Silver Wolf. Tonight, dressed in his Indian garb, he looked the heathen again. "Stay away from my daughter!"

  Cari would have none of her interference. "Mother, your hatred has blinded you. Please, listen to me. Silver Wolf has asked me to marry him, and—"

  "You'll never marry him! Your father and I have already talked about this, and he's in complete agreement with me! There will be no marriage between you!" Elizabeth exploded. "Now, let's go!"

  Cari looked up at Silver Wolf, her heart in her eyes. "I'd better go with her."

  "I'm coming along," he declared staunchly.

  She put a gentle yet restraining hand on his shoulder. "No, please. Not tonight. I'll deal with it myself. Trust me. No one will separate us ever again."

  "Little Snow, I . . ." He glanced up at Elizabeth, not trusting her and fearing that something would happen to destroy the beauty of what he and Little Snow had shared tonight.

  "Cari, I'm waiting for you," Elizabeth called out in a terse tone as she fixed them with an icy glare.

  "We plan to be together, Mrs. McCord," Silver Wolf declared as he met the woman's condemning look.

  Cari rose up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "Give me a few days to convince her."

  "All right, if that's what you want."

  "It is."

  "I'll be back," he promised.

  Elizabeth watched her daughter kiss Silver Wolf, and she began to shake with the power of her fury. She stormed back to the house with Cari following her.

  James awoke when he heard noise, and thinking that it meant trouble from intruders, went downstairs to see what had happened. He frowned as he found his wife and daughter in the kitchen, their expressions angry, their manner strained.

  "What's going on?" he demanded.

  "Take a good look at your daughter, James. I just caught her with that Indian down by the creek!" Elizabeth told him.

  He looked from his wife to his daughter in confusion. "Why did you sneak off in the middle of the night?" he demanded of Cari.

  "You and Mother don't approve of him, and so Silver Wolf thought he wasn't welcome here, Papa."

  "And he isn't welcome here!" Elizabeth declared.

  "Silver Wolf is always welcome in this house," James said adamantly, drawing a desperate look from his wife.

  "James! I don't want Cari anywhere near him!" she protested, afraid that her worst fears were coming to pass.

  James heaved a sigh of agitation. "Let's all go to sleep and talk about it in the morning."

  "I want to talk about it now! How can you expect me to sleep knowing what went on tonight!" She'd been patient; she'd been tolerant; she'd suffered through years of living in the middle of nowhere just to please her husband, but she refused to see her daughter suffer the same fate. She wanted better things for Cari. She wanted her to enjoy life. Elliot was the perfect man for her, not the half-breed.

  "Elizabeth, Cari is the one who must choose who she wants to marry. It's not our decision."

  "How can you say such a thing? Just look at her!"

  James smiled a crooked smile. "I'm not so old that I don't remember when you looked that way when I took you home. Let's go to bed, Elizabeth. Good n
ight, Cari."

  He started upstairs, his heart heavy. He fully understood Cari's passion, but he also wanted to keep peace with his wife. She had finally come back to the ranch to live, and he wanted her to stay with him.

  "What are you going to do, James?" Elizabeth asked when they were alone in their room.

  "I don't know yet," he answered.

  "You have to do something! What if they run off together?"

  "Would that be so terrible?"

  "Do you want your only daughter married to an Indian?"

  James took her by the shoulders as his gaze bore down into hers. "Elizabeth, the day is coming when you're going to have to change your way of thinking. I don't know why you hate Silver Wolf and his tribe so much. Lord knows I've tried everything to help you understand that they're good people."

  She trembled beneath his hands. "They're little better than animals . . ."

  His grip tightened on her shoulders as if he could somehow force her to understand. "Silver Wolf has more education than I do. Ben Douglas is his best friend, and he's a senator's son. Silver Wolf has worked in Washington, and he deals with the Army on a regular basis. He's more civilized than most of the whites around here, Elizabeth. You'd be wise to remember that."

  She wasn't ready to concede anything in Silver Wolf's behalf, and she stood silent and unchastened before him.

  Disgusted, he released her. "Let's go to bed. Dawn's going to come soon."

  Thirteen

  At his wife's words, James lifted his head to stare at her across the kitchen table. He couldn't believe the demand she'd just made of him, and his dark eyes were cold, mirroring his displeasure with her request. "No, Elizabeth. You're not taking Cari back East again."

  Elizabeth had plotted all night, but now as she confronted James with her plan to keep Cari and Silver Wolf apart, her hopes sank. "It's the only way to make her see reason! Don't you realize—"

  "I realize plenty," he cut her off brusquely, "and though I've always gone along with your wishes concerning Cari, this time is different. She's staying here."