"How would you like it if the two of us went into the mountains alone, away from the rest of the world, to a special place I have had prepared for you?"
"I would love being alone with you like we were when we were in our cave."
"It will not be quite the same, Mara. This time I will have the right to love you, and I do intend to practice that right."
"When can we leave, Tajarez?" she said, closing her eyes as his hand cupped her breast.
"Today, after Jeffery's wedding. No more talk, beloved, no more talk." His lips covered hers as she sighed with contentment.
IN THE YEAR 1530 NUNO de GUZMAN, WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF NEW SPAIN, HAD IN HIS POSSESSION AN INDIAN… WHO WAS CALLED TEJO BY THE SPANIARDS. THIS INDIAN SAID HE WAS THE SON OF A TRADER WHO WAS DEAD, BUT THAT WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY HIS FATHER HAD GONE INTO THE BACK COUNTRY WITH FINE FEATHERS TO TRADE FOR ORNAMENTS, AND THAT "WHEN HE CAME BACK HE BROUGHT A LARGE AMOUNT OF GOLD AND SILVER, OF WHICH THERE IS A GOOD DEAL IN THAT COUNTRY. HE WENT WITH HIM ONCE OR TWICE, AND SAW . .. SEVEN VERY LARGE TOWNS WHICH HAD STREETS OF SILVER WORK. IT TOOK FORTY DAYS TO GO THERE FROM HIS COUNTRY, THROUGH A WILDERNESS IN WHICH NOTHING GREW, EXCEPT SOME SMALL PLANTS ABOUT A SPAN HIGH.
—Pedro de Castaneda
23
Jeffery and Sasha were married by Hamez, an honor that, Mara learned later, was offered to few people. Afterwards she and Tajarez saw them off. They too were going into the mountains, to a place that had been prepared for them on Tajarez's orders. His wedding gift to them, he had told Mara. He smilingly told her that the place where Jeffery and Sasha were going would not be anywhere near the place he had prepared for her.
It was almost sundown when Mara and Tajarez reached their destination. The ride had taken them high into the mountains. They had passed farms that had ripe golden corn in the fields, and herders tending their sheep. They rode into a wilderness, where there was no one, it seemed, but the two of them. Tajarez told her there would be guards stationed below them to insure their privacy, and twice a day a servant would bring them food, but other than that, they would not see another human being until they were ready to return.
Mara saw the small glen nestled among the tall mountains. There was a small stream that had been dammed up to furnish a small pool with water. There was a huge white doeskin tent standing among the tall pine trees, and wildflowers growing among the green grasses. It was breathtaking.
Tajarez dismounted and stood beside her. "Are you pleased, Mara?"
"It is the most beautiful spot I have ever seen," she answered breathlessly.
"I wanted it to be perfect for you, so I observed the preparations myself. It pleases me that you like it."
He lifted her from her horse, but did not set her down. Instead, he held her against his tall frame, feeling the softness of her body as it stirred his blood.
"It has been a long day, Mara. Come into the tent with me now."
Mara did not need any more encouragement. She laced her hands through his dark hair as he carried her into the tent.
Laying her down, he covered her soft body with his. "We will have many days to love each other, Mara, with no one to disturb us." His lips closed over hers, transporting her to a world where there were only the two of them. A world of love.
Mara awoke and stretched her arms above her head. Tiny patterns of light reflected on the inside wall of the tent as the sun peeped through the open tent flap. She reached out her hand for Tajarez, and discovered that he did not lie beside her.
They had been in their little retreat for two weeks, two weeks in which Mara had grown close to her tall, handsome husband. He had talked to her of his life as a child, and of the duties that were important to the prince of the Lagonda tribe. He wanted her to abandon English and speak only in Lagonda.
Mara quickly dressed herself in the doeskin gown and moccasins, ran a brush through her hair, and went in search of Tajarez. She saw him sitting under a tree beside the small pond. He seemed deep in thought, and she walked softly, trying to sneak up on him.
"One of the things you must learn is to walk like an Indian if you wish to be undetected, Mara," he told her, smiling at her attempt to catch him unawares.
"I was very quiet. How did you detect me?"
"My hearing is very good. Besides, you make a lot of unnecessary noise."
She felt wounded by his criticism. "I was not taught to walk silently, only to walk with my back straight and in a ladylike manner," she retaliated.
He reached for her hand and pulled her into his lap. "There are many things that you do not know that you must learn, Mara." He smiled. "I have found you very quick at learning."
"What more do you want to teach me?" she said, smiling.
"For one thing, you must learn to swim. The Indian maiden is taught to swim almost before she can walk."
"No, I am afraid of the water. I almost drowned, remember?"
'That is exactly why you should learn to swim, Mara, and I intend that you should have your first lesson today."
"No, Tajarez," she said, trying to wiggle out of his lap. "You would not throw me into the pond, would you?" Her eyes were bright with fear.
"I will not throw you in, but I will take you myself." He stood up with her in his arms and waded into the water. Mara clung to his neck, as if it were her lifeline.
"Tajarez, please do not let go of me. I am frightened."
"Relax, Mara. I would not allow you to drown." Tajarez felt her body tremble. "Trust me, Mara." He dislodged her arms from around his neck. "Mara, I am going to let you float on your back while I support your weight, but you must relax."
"I cannot."
"Yes, you can, Mara." She felt his hand around her waist as he lowered her into the water. She tried to relax, but her heart was filled with fear and apprehension. He talked to her soothingly, and soon she began to relax a little.
"Close your eyes, Mara, and think of something pleasant."
Her eyelids closed over her eyes as she began to feel the soothing water support her weight in a glorious floating sensation.
"Stay relaxed, Mara. I am going to remove my hands from around your waist."
Her eyes flew open. "No, do not do this," she said.
"Mara, I have seen you when you were in great danger, and you were very brave. You are in no danger now. I would die myself before I let you drown. Do you believe that?"
"Yes." She felt ashamed that he had seen her cowardice and was determined to be brave and do as he told her to. She knew he would not allow anything to harm her. He removed his hands, and she closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax.
Tajarez watched her as she wrestled with her fear and conquered it. His heart swelled with love for the tiny golden-haired girl who put her trust in him. He hoped he would never give her cause to regret her trust.
After a while, Mara began to enjoy the feeling of weightlessness. She felt soothed by the warm water and the fact that Tajarez was nearby in case she needed him.
"Now for the second step, Mara," he told her as his arms closed around her. He brought her against his body. "You have too many clothes on. They only weigh you down." He supported her weight while he lifted her gown over her head.
"I cannot be outside with no clothes on," she protested, trying to cover the upper portion of her body that was now exposed.
He laughed as he removed her moccasins and tossed them on the bank beside her gown. "Who will see you with the exception of a few birds and a squirrel or two?"
"Tajarez, my mother would be horrified. Please let me put on my clothes."
His eyes roved over her perfect body. He felt pride in her beauty. Her golden hair clung to her face. Her eyes were wide with apprehension.
"Maybe we will continue the swimming lessons later," he whispered as he covered her lips with his. Tajarez carried her to the shallow part of the pond, where he quickly disposed of his clothing.
Mara sat down in the water, trying to hide her nakedness. "Tajarez, you cannot be thinking w
hat I think you are thinking."
He drew her into his arms. "It is not hard to know what I have on my mind. It is the only thing I can think about when you are near. I do not know how long I can keep on the way I am going."
Mara felt his long, lean body pressed into hers. She forgot that they were not in the privacy of the tent. All she cared about was the way he was looking at her. "What do you mean, Tajarez?"
"I mean that I am only human. I have spent a great deal of time making love to you. I want to spend all my time making love to you."
"That is what I want also, Tajarez. Kiss me," she whispered.
The water caressed their bodies as they became unaware of anything but the hunger they felt for each other. It flashed through Mara's mind that this must be the way it had been for Adam and Eve before they were driven from the Garden of Eden. She had found her Eden. She had found her love.
Each day in the following weeks, Tajarez insisted Mara swim in the pool. She learned quickly and soon was swimming beside him, although she doubted she would ever be as good as he was.
As a wedding present, Hamez had presented Mara with several beautiful white buckskin dresses, which Tajarez loved to see her wear. Mara was surprised to find out that only Hamez, Tajarez, and now herself were allowed to wear the white buckskin. It was a symbol of the royal family, as was the gold that they wore.
The days sped by quickly. Mara and Tajarez were happy and carefree as they came to know each other.
"What were you like as a boy?" she had asked him.
"What was your life like growing up in St. Louis?" he had wanted to know.
Tajarez would tell her what would be expected of her as his wife. They laughed and loved in the shadows of the tall mountains. There was no past and no future, only the beautiful days they shared in this Eden. Mara came to know the real Tajarez, not the prince, but the man, and found him to be gentle and loving.
Tajarez watched Mara, sometimes thinking she was not much more than a child, but then she would come into his arms and the child would be replaced by a woman, his woman, who satisfied all of his needs and returned his love willingly.
Tajarez no longer had the dream that had haunted him for so many years. There was no need to dream now; he had Mara herself, and she was very warm and desirable in his arms.
Mara awoke and stretched her arms over her head. She smiled down at Tajarez, who was sleeping beside her. His face was turned toward her and his arm rested possessively about her waist. Studying his face, she wondered why she was so fortunate to have won the heart of this man. He no longer seemed arrogant and distant, but a man capable of deep love, kindness, and patience. She had never dreamed one could know such happiness and fulfillment.
Mara tried to move his arm so she could rise, but his grip tightened, and he pulled her down beside him. She watched as his eyes opened.
"A man can know no peace with you in his bed, Mara," Tajarez said lazily.
"I was very quiet; I tried not to disturb you," she told him, snuggling into his arms.
"You disturb me, and this pleases you," he said, kissing her neck.
"You are right, it does please me," she laughed.
"Give me strength," he murmured against her lips, wondering why she had the power to arouse his body so easily. Tajarez wondered fleetingly if she would always have this power over him.
She felt his hard, muscled body pressed against her. His hands were becoming intimate, and her body was ready to answer the command he was issuing her.
Covering her body with his, he kissed her deeply.
Mara wondered how a man with Tajarez's great strength could be so gentle. She felt herself being lifted higher and higher as their bodies united and they became one.
Afterwards, she lay in his arms. They were both quiet, neither feeling the need to talk. After their lovemaking, it seemed there was no need for words. Their minds seemed to be in tune, each communicating his feelings with a touch of the hand, a caress, a kiss.
Mara's mind began to wander. The Indian woman, Tanka, flashed through her thoughts. She wondered how many other women had been with Tajarez. Now that he had become her husband, would he grow tired of making love to only her? He was a man with strong desires and unquenchable drive.
Her head rested on his shoulder and she looked into his face. "Tajarez."
"Hmmm," he murmured with his eyes closed.
"Was it a difficult decision for you to become wed?"
His eyes did not open. "In what way, Mara?"
"I know it is the law that neither you nor myself can ever be with another."
He smiled, opening his eyes. "Am I not enough for you, Mara? Do you need others?"
"No, I was not thinking of myself," she said indignantly. "I was thinking of you."
"You are wondering if I will become dissatisfied with you?”
"Yes, it has occurred to me."
He rolled her over and pinned her shoulders to the bed. "Most probably, I will never know the answer to that question, Mara. It takes all of my time and strength just to keep you satisfied." He laughed deeply. "I have only begun to tap all of your resources, Mara. Most probably I will be an old man before I will get even one peaceful night's sleep."
"I do not understand, Tajarez, are you saying I am . . ." she searched her mind for the word in the language of the Lagonda. When she could not find it, she lapsed into English. "Do you think me insatiable?"
He laughed and hugged her tightly. “I certainly hope so, Mara. Pray that it is so."
Mara looked up at him and laughed. "If I am insatiable, what does that make you?"
He pretended to be serious. "Happy, Mara. That makes me a very happy man."
Weeks passed, but to the two lovers, time had no meaning. Tajarez was learning how to laugh, and how to consider another's happiness above his own. His love ran deep for this girl who was his wife.
Soon the weeks passed into months, and Tajarez realized Mara was with child. He had suspected it for some time, but now he was sure of it. His feelings for her underwent a change. At night he would hold her in his arms while she slept, feeling love wash over him. His hand would stray down to her still flat stomach, and he would be overcome with so many emotions. He tried to imagine what the child would be like, but the only thing that would come to his mind was a baby with white skin. His mind rejected that idea. How could he love a child whose skin was white?
Tajarez eased himself out of bed, taking care not to awaken Mara. The night was chilly. He gently pulled the fur robe over her shoulders and walked outside the tent. His mind was tortured. Soon they would have to return home. He walked down to the pool and sat down beneath a tree, feeling sick inside. He was to be a father, a father to a half-white infant. He remembered Anias's sneering remark when he had taunted Tajarez with the fact that his son, if he married Mara, could be white. He had pushed that thought to the back of his mind, not wanting to consider the possibility. But now the fact might be a reality.
He could have done no differently. If it was all to do over again, he would still have made Mara his wife. Turning his head skyward, he watched as the leaves drifted down and fell into the pond. "Great Father," he said softly, "what am I to do?"
Mara lay under the shade of a tall birch tree, her head resting on Tajarez's lap. She was feeling drowsy. It was two months since they had first come to what Mara now referred to as Eden. The happy days, glorious days, seemed to fly by.
The weather had grown cooler. At night they now slept under a fur robe to keep warm. She felt Tajarez's hand on her face, and opened her eyes.
His handsome brow was furrowed in a frown. He was unaware that she was watching him. It was obvious that he was troubled about something. For the last few days, Mara had the feeling something was bothering him. She had grown so close to him, she could feel his moods. Sometimes she would find him watching her with a strange look on his face, but she could not define that look. She frowned. He had that look on his face now.
Tajarez was looking ac
ross the pond to the woods beyond. He must have sensed her scrutiny. Looking down at her, he smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. He was plainly distressed by something.
"What were you thinking of, my love," she asked.
He let his hand steal down to her stomach. "I was thinking that we must return to the city tomorrow. The weather is becoming cooler each day, and I do not want you to become ill."
She felt disappointment. She did not want to return to the city. She wished she could stay with Tajarez in their own private Eden for the rest of their lives. She did not want the real world to crash down upon them.
"Must we? I love being here with you."
His hand spread out protectively over her stomach. "We must think of the child you carry."
Mara sat up quickly, her eyes wide with wonder. "I am going to have your child? How do you know this?"
His body shook with laughter as he hugged her tightly to him. "Oh, my beloved. You are such a child in so many ways yourself. Do you know nothing about your own body function?"
She felt stung by his words. "You do not treat me as a child, Tajarez. You must think I am old enough to be a mother, or else I would not now be . . ."
"Beloved, I did not mean to hurt you, and most of the time you are quite grown up. I have known for some time that you carried my child."
She rested her face against his chest. "Are you pleased, Tajarez?"
Raising her face, he kissed her softly. "You are giving me the greatest gift a woman can give a man, except for herself."
Mara looked at him. A look of pure terror washed over her face. "Tajarez, I have to tell you I know nothing about babies. I have never been around one."
He pushed her hair away from her face. "We will learn together, Mara. We will find a woman who will teach you all you need to know."
"I am frightened, Tajarez. Do you think I will make a good mother?"
"I think you will be a wonderful mother to my son."
"Son? What if it is a girl?"
"Then you will be a wonderful mother to my daughter."
Savage Desire (Savage Lagonda 1) Page 33
