Chase the Lightning

by Madeline Baker

  A few horses lifted their heads as he approached the edge of the herd. Relámpago stood out from the others, his white coat a ghostly shimmer in the fading moonlight.

  Trey smiled as the stallion approached. “Hey, ‘Pago.”

  Relámpago whinnied softly, then rubbed his forehead up and down Trey’s arm.

  “What do you think?” Trey asked, scratching the stud’s ears. “Am I making a mistake? Is it wrong of me to keep her here?”

  The stallion shook its head.

  “She doesn’t belong here. You know that, don’t you?”

  Ears twitching, Relámpago snorted and pawed the ground.

  “I tried to take her back,” Trey said. “Nothing happened. Maybe she can’t get back. Or maybe it’s just not time…” He looked at the stallion. “Is that it? The timing’s not right?” He shook his head. “Why do I have the feeling you know exactly what I’m saying?”

  The stallion tossed its head, then turned and trotted back to the herd, sidling up to a pretty little buckskin mare.

  “Looks like everybody’s pairing up,” Trey mused aloud.

  If Amanda had been an Apache woman, he would have gone in the night and left horses tied in front of her wickiup. If she accepted his suit, she would care for the horses; if she left them unfed, it meant her answer was no. An Apache maiden was allowed four days to make her decision. Most women waited one day before caring for the horses, as it was not considered good form to feed them immediately. If she allowed the animal to go without food and water more than two days, she was considered overly vain and proud. If a suitor was accepted, there followed a wedding feast that lasted for three days. The prospective bride and groom were not allowed to speak to each other during these three days, but on the third night, they would steal away to spend a week or so together in a wickiup hidden away from the rest of the village.

  But Amanda was not an Apache girl. She had no family here, and he had no horses to offer for her.

  Suddenly anxious to see her, to hold her, he hurried back to his lodge and crawled under the furs.

  Amanda turned on her side, snuggling up against him.

  “Where’d you go?” she asked sleepily.

  “Just out for a walk.”

  “Your feet are cold.”

  “Sorry.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, his senses filling with her scent, her nearness.

  Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would be his.

  * * * * *

  It was her wedding day. Amanda ran her hand over the dress Yellow Calf Woman had made for her. Tanned to a soft creamy whiteness, it was quite beautiful, from the beaded yoke to the long fringe dangling from the sleeves and the hem. Tiny silver bells were fastened to the fringes at the hem. Her hair fell loose down her back and shoulders, save for two narrow braids on each side of her face. She wore a pair of new moccasins.

  She ran her hands over the soft deerskin, wished fleetingly for a mirror so she could see how she looked.

  Yellow Calf Woman stood back, her gaze moving over, and then she smiled. “Pretty, you look.”

  “Thank you.”

  “He is good man. Strong. Brave.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  Yellow Calf Woman’s dark eyes sparkled. “Handsome.”

  “Oh, yes,” Amanda agreed. “He is that!”

  A soft drumming came from outside.

  “It is time,” Yellow Calf Woman said.

  Amanda nodded, suddenly too nervous to speak.

  She followed Yellow Calf Woman out of the wickiup, through a throng of smiling faces. Feeling a sudden itching between her shoulder blades, she glanced back to see a woman staring at her with obvious dislike.

  Amanda frowned, wondering who the woman was, but then, from the corner of her eye, she saw Trey waiting for her. Walker on the Wind stood beside him. The old man wore a buckskin shirt painted with symbols representing hail, rain, and lightning. Several members of the tribe stood behind the two men, but Amanda had eyes only for Trey. Clad in an elkskin shirt that was heavily fringed along the sleeves, a wolfskin clout, and fringed leggings, he looked every inch an Apache warrior. His moccasins were beaded in black and yellow. He wore an eagle feather tied in his hair.

  She had always dreamed of being married in a church, of wearing a long white satin dress and a veil of handmade lace, of having her father give her away. How could she have been so foolish? Being married here, in this peaceful canyon, with the sky for a roof, was more beautiful than any church. And a doeskin dress, made by Yellow Calf Woman’s loving hands, was far better than any satin gown. She would have liked to have her parents present, but that wasn’t possible. And it didn’t really matter, because the one person in all the world who mattered most was standing there, his dark eyes filled with love and admiration.

  A hush fell over the crowd as Walker on the Wind took her hand and placed it in Trey’s.

  “This day, let it be known that my grandson, Long Walker, takes a wife. For us, the act of marriage takes place here, in the heart. It is not words that will bind you together, but the love you have, one for the other. From this day forward, there will be two people, but one heart. Sorrow will be cut in half, joy will be doubled, because you now have someone to share it with. You will warm each other in winter, and share the laughter of summer days.”

  Walker on the Wind took their joined hands in his. “Go now, to the place Yellow Calf Woman has prepared for you. Let your hearts grow close.” He smiled at Trey, and then Amanda. “May Usen bless you with many strong sons and beautiful daughters.”

  “Ashoge, grandfather,” Trey said quietly.

  The crowd parted and a warrior appeared, leading Relámpago and a dainty little buckskin mare. It was customary to have a feast for the bride and groom, but Trey had decided against it. He knew only a few people in the village and rather than have Yellow Calf Woman spend hours preparing food to be shared with people he didn’t know, he asked that Walker on the Wind give a horse to a poor family instead. Besides, feasts had been known to go on all night and he was anxious to be alone with his bride.

  Trey lifted Amanda onto the mare’s back, then swung aboard Relámpago and headed toward the mouth of the canyon.

  “Where are we going?” Amanda asked.

  “Yellow Calf Woman built a honeymoon lodge for us a short distance from here.” He smiled at her. “It was one of the reasons she wanted us to postpone the wedding. We’ll stay there for a week or so.”

  Alone, for a week. It sounded like heaven. “But…what about food?”

  “Yellow Calf Woman will bring it to us each day, as well as wood for a fire. There’ll be nothing for us to do but…” His dark eyes moved over her, igniting frissons of desire wherever his gaze touched. “Get to know each other.”

  She shivered with anticipation, surmised he was as anxious as she when he urged Relámpago into a lope.

  Their honeymoon lodge was located along the river, hidden within a thick stand of timber. Silver bells had been fastened to the branches of nearby trees; they tinkled merrily in the faint breeze that blew over the water.

  After reining the stallion to a halt, Trey dismounted and helped Amanda from the back of the buckskin. He tethered the buckskin to a tree, then removed the bridle from the stallion, leaving Relámpago free to graze. Swinging Amanda up into his arms, he carried her into the lodge. He held her a moment and then let her slide, ever so slowly, sensuously, down the length of his body until she was standing in front of him, her green eyes glowing, her lips curved in a smile that was both shy and provocative.

  She ran her hands over his shirtfront. “So, Mr. Long Walker,” she purred. “What do you want to do now?”

  He gazed down at her, his eyes smoldering. “I’m sure I can think of something.”

  “I’m counting on it.”

  His hands moved slowly up her arms to release the ties that fastened her dress at the shoulders. The garment slid over her skin with a soft whisper to pool at her feet.

  “Beautiful.” His gaze mo
ved over her, then lifted to her face. “Beyond beautiful.”

  Smiling, she tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “Beautiful,” she said.

  He looked down at his bare chest, then looked back at her, one brow arched. “Beautiful?”

  She ran her hands over his chest. “I love the color of your skin, the feel of it.” Leaning forward, she licked the pulse beating in his throat. “The taste of you.”

  Her hands dropped to his waist, and then she frowned. “How do I get you out of this?”

  With a roguish grin, he removed his clout and leggings. Bending, he took off her moccasins and then his own. Kneeling there, he looked up at her, his eyes hot with desire.

  “Trey…”

  He rose slowly, took her by the hand, and led her to a bed made of soft furs. He dropped to his knees and drew her down beside him.

  “I’ll try to make you happy.”

  She ran her hand through his hair, over his shoulder, down his arm. “I am happy.”

  “Amanda.” Her name was a sigh on his lips as he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her, gently at first, and then with growing intensity.

  She clung to him, reveling in the feel of his heated skin against her own, loving the way her body fit against his, the low growl that rose in his throat as he fell back on the furs, pulling her down on top of him. There was no doubt that he wanted her. She was glad now that there had been no one else, glad that she had waited for this man. Like a prince in a fairy tale, he kissed her, awakening all her senses. She had never felt so alive, so aware. Every nerve, every cell, every fiber of her being yearned toward him. She had been made for this man, she thought, and he had been made for her. The fact that not even time could keep them apart only proved they were destined to be together.

  Holding her close, Trey rolled over, tucking her neatly beneath him, adoring her with his eyes, his lips. She was the home he had never had, the love he had never thought to find, the future he had thought denied him.

  She tasted of sunlight and musk, of sage and sweet desire. Her skin was smooth and unblemished, her hair like silk in his hands, her lips like warm honey.

  Soft moans of pure feminine pleasure rose in her throat as he caressed her, arousing her until she writhed beneath him.

  He knew a moment of surprise when he realized she was a maiden. It humbled him, left him feeling as though he had been given a gift beyond price.

  And then there was no more time for thought, there was only the wonder and the mystery that was Amanda, the touch of her, the taste of her. Her heat enfolded him. Her scent surrounded him. She was life and breath, and he knew that from this moment forward he would be lost without her.

  She cried out his name as pleasure burst within her, shimmering, ethereal and all-encompassing. A moment later he followed her over the edge, tumbling down, down, until they lay together in each other’s arms, sated, replete, bodies entwined, hearts forever bound.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Amanda snuggled closer to Trey, more content than she had ever been in her whole life. The warm furs, the warmer man, the sweet afterglow of their love-making, all combined to fill her with a deep sense of peace, of being where she was meant to be.

  She looked at Trey’s profile. Strong. Rugged. More handsome than mere words could tell. He was all the excitement she had never known, everything she had ever wanted. He was strong yet tender, with a wry sense of humor and a deep sexy laugh that always made her smile. She loved looking at him, touching him. Loved being in his arms, possessed by him, loved making love to him. Happiness bubbled up inside her, sparkling like champagne. How had she ever lived without him? She loved the sound of his voice, loved the way her name sounded on his lips. Loved the sound of his name.

  “Trey.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Nothing. I just wanted to say your name.”

  He turned to face her, the backs of his fingers skimming over her cheek. “You didn’t tell me you’d never been with a man before.”

  She lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “The subject never came up.”

  He kissed her tenderly, unable to tell her how much that meant to him.

  “I guess you’ve been with a lot of women?” she remarked, and then bit down on her lower lip. She hadn’t meant to ask. Whatever he had done before, whoever he had done it with, it was all in the past.

  “One or two.” His gaze moved over her face. “But when I look at you, I can’t remember any of them. I was always looking for you. I know that now.”

  “Oh, Trey…” His words made her insides melt like chocolate left too long in the sun.

  “Come on.” Rising, he took her by the hand and drew her to her feet.

  “Where are we going?” she exclaimed, glancing down at her nudity.

  He gave a gentle tug on her hand. “For a swim.”

  She followed him out of the lodge, her arms crossing over her breasts as they stepped outside.

  Trey grinned at her. “Who are you hiding from? There’s no one to see you but me.”

  “Well, I’m not used to running around naked, at least not outside.”

  He drew her into his arms, his hands sliding up and down her back. “Get used to it,” he said with a roguish grin. “I plan to keep you this way often.”

  She couldn’t help smiling. “Do you?”

  “You bet.” He held her at arm’s length, his gaze hot. “I don’t think you’ll need to get dressed at all while we’re here.”

  She laughed at that, shrieked as he suddenly lifted her into his arms and carried her into the river.

  “No! Trey, don’t!” She kicked her legs in protest as water splashed over her. “It’s cold!” She wrapped her arms around his neck, but to no avail. He went under the water, carrying her with him. She came up sputtering and laughing, Trey’s warm body a vivid contrast to the cold water.

  He laughed with her and then his lips claimed hers in a long lingering kiss that chased the chill from her flesh, rousing her desire once more. It seemed impossible that she could want him again so soon, but want him she did, desperately.

  And he wanted her. Carrying her out of the water, he laid her on a patch of grass.

  Amanda glanced around. “Here?” she asked, her voice husky with yearning.

  “Here.” He lowered himself over her, his body a welcome weight. Her hands skimmed over his back and shoulders, down his arms, her hips lifting to receive him, her arms drawing him closer. His hands caressed her. His tongue laved her breasts, then slid up her neck, sending shivers of delight down her spine. And then he was kissing her, and she marveled again at the power of something so simple as a kiss. She writhed beneath him, her nails lightly raking his back as he moved deep within her, carrying her up, up, though rainbow heights and over the edge of pleasure into ecstasy.

  She drifted slowly back to reality, the smile on her face turning to soft laughter.

  Trey frowned down at her. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.” She couldn’t stop smiling. “I’m just so…so happy! And I love you so much.” She threw her arms out to her sides, then hugged him tightly. “Tell me. Tell me you love me.”

  Leaning on his elbows, he gazed down at her. “I love you,” he replied fervently. “More than you can imagine. More than I ever thought possible.”

  “Oh, Trey…” she murmured, and cupping his face between her hands, she drew his head down and kissed him.

  And that one kiss rekindled the blaze between them.

  It was late afternoon when they returned to the wickiup. They ate the meal Yellow Calf Woman had prepared for them, and then Trey suggested a walk. When she started to get dressed, Trey stayed her hand, and now they walked hand in hand along the riverbank, admiring the beauty around them. They walked for perhaps an hour, saying little, content to be together, to pause from time to time to embrace and share a kiss.

  It was like being in a dream, she thought, or a fairy tale. The land around them seemed like the Garden of Eden, untouched by e
vil, hidden from the rest of the world. Trey was her Adam, the first man she had ever truly loved, the first man to awaken the passion within her. And she was Eve, fascinated by the world in which she found herself, and by the man who walked beside her. She smiled inwardly as a verse from Genesis flitted through her mind. “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

  They came to a curve in the river and turned back, toward their lodge.

  “I feel dreadfully wicked,” Amanda remarked, shivering. “Do you go naked much?”

  “No. Are you cold?”

  “A little.”

  “Come on, I’ll race you back. It’ll warm you up.”

  “Yeah, right. Like I have a chance of winning.”

  “I’ll give you a head start.”

  She grinned up at him, her green eyes sparkling. “You’re on!” she said, and took off running.

  She ran as fleet and graceful as a doe. The late afternoon sun cast golden highlights in her hair, made her skin glow.

  He watched her appreciatively, giving her a good lead, and then gave chase. It felt good to run, to feel the earth beneath his bare feet, the wind in his face. His heart began to pound to the thrill of the chase, the anticipation of catching her, holding her.

  She continued to run long after he expected her to slow down. He began to run faster, taking pride in her strength and her stamina.

  Gradually, he closed the distance between them. She glanced over her shoulder as he drew close, shrieked when his arm snaked around her waist. They fell to the grass in a tangle of arms and legs. Trey pinned her to the ground, his breath fanning her face, the heat of his body mingling with her own. Desire stirred between them, stilling their laughter.

  “Trey, I never thought it would be like this. Never thought I could feel like this.”

  “Me, either, sweetheart.” He cupped her cheek in his hand. “You’re gonna wear me out.”

  “Are you complaining, mister?”