by Rita Karnopp
"You have every right to rest. That bear nearly killed you. Lie back down before you fall down. With your stubbornness, you'll be strong in no time. But now isn't the time."
He didn't answer her. He enjoyed the coolness of the cloth as she wiped his face. He closed his eyes and fought his stubborn pride at having a woman care for him.
"I found a small pond just over that ridge. It'll be good for your wounds...and disposition," Sarah said, wiping his neck with the cool, moist cloth.
"Get away from me!" He coiled from her touch, then fought the pain his quick movements caused. He'd never offended a woman with the lack of cleanliness before. Her pointing out his ripened condition was more than he could take.
"Did I hurt you? What have I done?" Sarah asked, removing the cloth from his forehead.
"I said, get away! Keep your distance upwind and we will get along just fine."
"I didn't mean to offend you with my comment. I was referring to your insulting remarks, not your human scent."
He answered her with silence. He held his breath as she straightened her back and stared back at him for several seconds.
"Why must I get away from you?"
"As you adequately pointed out, because of my disposition! I'm well enough to wipe myself. You might take your own advice and do some soaking of our own," his accusing voice stabbed the air.
He could tell the force of his seething reply took her off guard. She quickly scooted back from his side. Her jaw tightened and he read anger as well as embarrassment in her expression. He watched as she ran from his sight.
* * *
Sarah raced to the pond, stripped down to bare skin, and slid into the depths of the water, before she'd realized she'd moved a muscle. The water swirled around her nakedness, soothing and comforting as it cleaned. She submerged her head, scratching at her dirt-covered scalp.
Let him bake in the sun, she thought. Let him, and his misery, consume him. She'd saved his life. Obviously he didn't feel a need to say thank you.
Sarah allowed the water to calm her tense nerves. She closed her eyes and welcomed the soothing motion of the water. She thought about Two Shadow's unfair words, anger flared inside her. She hated him! His arrogance, his inability to show even the slightest amount of gratitude infuriated her. He wanted her to stay away from him...well...she'd be accommodating.
She floated to the shore edge and reached for her tattered dress and undergarments. They needed washing as much as she had. She worked the material up-and-down in the water. The cold water numbed her flesh in a strange cool, tingling way.
She glanced about, then emerged from the waters protection. She quickly wrung out her clothes and draped them across several hot rocks along the shore.
She shook the water from her body like a wet dog. The sun warmed her cool skin. Her bold exposure to God and nature might have been considered indecent, yet she thought not. Two Shadows weakened state allowed her the luxury of not being concerned about her privacy.
Like her clothes, she stretched out upon a flat, warm rock, soaking in the warmth of the sun. Exhausted from her vigilance over Two Shadows, her body welcomed the rest. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the sounds around her. The trickle of the water as it splashed against the shoreline. In the distant meadow the tinkling, irregular, high-pitched tsee-titi of the horned lark. Several flies and a busy bumblebee buzzed by her head. She listened to the shhhh shhhh of the breeze in the trees. And when she heard her favorite meadowlark's flute-like gurgling she had to smile.
Immediately her thoughts filled with Trail Walker. She yearned to share her hearing with him. She longed to see his weathered smile, his warm eyes, and his knowing heart.
* * *
Two Shadows wanted to kick his own butt. He hadn't meant to strike out at Sarah. Hadn't she saved his life and kept a safe vigil over him? Did it bother him to be in her debt? He swore he'd take care of Sarah; instead, she had been abducted by that ruthless Frenchman, then taken captive by Sioux, and if that wasn't enough, attacked by a bear. At the end of it all, he found her taking care of him, instead of the other way around. Could that be the problem? He thought she needed him. Instead, she'd not only survived incredible hardships but they'd made her stronger. And now that she had her hearing back, she seemed even less vulnerable, more independent.
He did feel happy that her hearing had returned. Why did he think her being deaf gave him a chance at capturing her love? Did it make her different...like him? Did she feel no one wanted her because she was different? Somehow he'd felt a kinship with her when she was deaf. How did he feel now?
Two Shadows hated admitting his confused thoughts made him agitated, even cruel. He'd always known what he wanted, then went after it with a vengeance. Now, suddenly his desires ran rampant and this lack of control angered him. He'd find a way to control, even hide his inner feelings. She must never know how quickly she'd stolen his heart.
The sun no longer beat hot and furious against his skin. Hours had passed since he'd told Sarah to leave him. With each mounting minute, he felt his nerves tighten. Had she run away? Good God, could she have drowned in that pond? Why hadn't he thought about it sooner?
With stubborn determination, he brought himself to sit first, then struggled to get his shaky, wobbly legs under him. His chest burned, his flesh ached. Step-by-step he worked his way down the narrow path that he hoped led to the pond.
A wave of nausea, then a wavering view, forced him to stop and sit on a rock, resting his back against a boulder. Several controlled breaths borough back stability. He scanned the area ahead with trained eyes. He paused, staring at a rock below, taking several seconds to realize the form basking in the sun was none other than Sarah.
Had she fallen and lay hurt? A flash of heat rushed through him when his vision told his mind the woman boldly basked in the sun, naked. White women were strange. They would bare their breasts seductively beneath revealing dresses, but were simply appalled if a man caught a glimpse of a shapely leg.
He swallowed deep and fast. He allowed his gaze to roam hungrily over the full, creamy-white breasts that rose and fell with each breath. Slow and lingering, he moved his gaze to longingly take in the sight of her feminine form. His heart beat quickened within his chest.
He told himself to leave her to the privacy she deserved, yet he couldn't tear his eyes away. He rose, taking several steps down the path. He told himself he should go back to the camp but his feet brought him closer to the water, and Sarah.
She'd told him his disposition needed soaking. Well, he'd do as she told him. It certainly wasn't his fault she happened to be displaying her...her...all.
Stopping, he struggled to breathe. That bear had done a good job tearing him apart. He took in his bandaged chest. A strip of cauterized flesh edged the bandage on his shoulder. Sarah had done more than just watch vigilance over him. He would never have guessed her capable of this.
He turned around to go back to camp, even though the pond welcomed him only a few feet away. Sarah had been right. He needed a soaking; mind and body. But, she deserved time to herself, privacy he had no right to invade, and the sleep she now seemed to be getting, all that he'd deprived her of.
Two steps back up the hill, he heard the definite splash of a body in water. He turned to see Sarah's naked form slip into the depths of cover. She now faced him, a look of defiance and anger. He could tell she thought of him as her adversary.
He slowly walked toward the pond. He paused, then stepped into the shallows of the water, keeping his gaze on her, analyzing her reaction. He reached down to pull the ties that held his breechclout together. Sarah's eyes widened and he consciously changed his mind. Wading into the cold water, he stopped at waist height; he removed the covering and tossed it onto shore.
He raised his brow, glancing at Sarah. Her cobalt-blue eyes were like a cold wave. Their silence lengthened. He moved deeper into the cool, refreshing water. He noted traces of anger on her sun-kissed face, he chose to ignore them.
/> "The water feels good, doesn't it? I must admit, it's much colder than I expected. Your skin must be numb by now. You'd better get out before I have to carry you out." He spoke with what he'd hope sounded light, but he noticed he'd succeeded in only sounding tired.
"Why did you come down here? Sarah asked, her teeth chattering together. "Surely I deserve some consideration." She rubbed her hands over her arms.
"If I recall, this was your idea. As you put it, I came down to soak my disposition." He took still another step deeper into the pond, closer to Sarah.
"Don't get those bandages wet! You shouldn't have walked this far either. Are you hell-bent on killing yourself, or what?"
He took another step forward. Her words sounded distant. He shook his head to clear it. "Contrary to belief, the average Indian bathes more than the so called 'clean' white." He clutched at the stabbing pain in his chest. He struggled to give her a lopsided smile, an attempt to cover the pain. It consumed him; sharp, jabbing pain, shooting fire through his chest like several bullets. He ground his teeth together, refusing to cry out.
Water splashed in his face. He fought for air. He felt the movement of a body beside him...Sarah. He didn't need her help. He didn't! Her breasts pressed into his back, her silken legs brushed against his. She held him above the water, keeping him from drowning.
He hadn't meant for this to happen. He didn't want to be more of a burden to her. The feel of her soft flesh beneath his fingertips disturbed him in every way. He concentrated on her quickened breathing against his ear. He clutched at her...afraid she'd let go...a dizzying current robbed him of his strength and mounting desire. It seemed he felt nothing but the sensation of floating in the water.
"Stop it, Two Shadows. I'm trying to get you to shore. Stop fighting me and help," Sarah ordered, attempting to keep her tone and breathing even. The water had chilled her to the bone, yet the warmth of his body seared her like a branding iron. Her mind told her to pull away, her body refused. She pulled out from underneath him and moved to face him. The realization she couldn't carry him made her more determined he was going to walk back on to shore.
She felt his palm slid to her waist, then he pulled her even closer. Hot blood coursed through her veins like a raging river of fire.
Searching his face, she could see him struggling for consciousness. "Stand, Two Shadows. Put some of that stubborn pride of yours to use now. That's it," she coaxed. "Right foot, left foot. Move it forward." She thought her back might break from the weight of this heavy warrior. He struggled in his muddled semi-consciousness, for that she felt grateful. She lowered him to a patch of sweet grass, struggling to break his fall, protecting his injured chest with all the strength she owned.
She leaned against him, spent, her cheek pressing against his rising and falling stomach muscles. Surprisingly, it brought her a feeling of comfort. His bronze, muscular arm rested across her back. She knew she should move it, but it posed no threat. It filled her with strength. It sounded strange to admit it, yet she couldn't deny his body somehow seemed in touch with hers.
* * *
Two Shadows blinked to clear his vision. Sarah knelt by his side. Her right thigh pressed against his left hip. Her warm flesh seared into him like an uncontrollable hot flame. She had removed his bandages, and now dried and cleaned his wounds. Her bare breasts moved seductively with her movements and breathing. Shivers of delight raced through him. He felt her gaze shift and he quickly lowered his lashes.
Sarah studied his handsome face. His dark hair and brows were startling against his light bronze skin. Laying her hand across his arm, she peered closer his flesh tones matched that of her own. Something she hadn't noticed before. If I had black hair, I could pass for an Indian. The thought startled her. Would Two Shadows find me attractive then? Why would she ask herself such a foolish question? She didn't belong to this man . . .or he to her. She continually had to remind herself, no decent white woman willingly wanted an Indian.
Yet, she didn't belong to the fort either. Getting her hearing back wouldn't make her parents love her—they'd still blame her for Junior's death. Nothing would change. She found herself feeling happier out here in the wilderness, faced with Lord knows what, compared to the cold rejection of her parents.
"Sarah?"
She quickly glanced at Two Shadows. His eyes remained closed. Leaning forward, she smoothed a lock of hair from his forehead. This stranger created feelings like none she'd ever experienced, like no white man had ever evoked. A trickle of water rolled down his side, she realized her hair didn't help her work at getting him dry. Grabbing the tangled mass to one side, she twisted her hair, allowing water to trickle into the spring grass.
She felt his fingertips brush across her breast, she jumped back in alarm. His eyelids and face remained relaxed. She stared at him, unable to breathe, unable to move. He was unaware of what he'd done. She could only imagine that his touch would feel like a flame scorching her body.
"Sarah," he whispered again.
"Shh." Forcing herself to pull away, putting a safe distance between them, she eyed him warily. Evils of the flesh surfaced in her mind. She'd heard of such things. Could this be what tempted her? Surely this could be nothing but bad. Thinking about it, she had to admit it made sense. This man she felt drawn to, almost against her will, was nothing more than a savage Indian.
Sarah hated the word savage. She lingered on Trail Walker's image, knowing she'd never call him savage. No. She had no right calling Two Shadows savage either. She'd been unfair and judgmental, both traits she hated.
Grabbing the wet bandages, she stretched them out on a hot rock, sure they'd dry in a short time. She glanced back at Two Shadows. She found his steady breathing reassuring.
She quickly recovered her dry clothes and pulled them on. Never in her life had she spent so much time undressed. Had Two Shadows awakened...she didn't want to think about it.
Looking down at her shabby clothes, she nearly laughed. Who'd ever believe she no longer had petticoats? Several layers of ruffles were used in bandages, too, shamefully revealing bare ankles. Pulling up on the bodice, she struggled to bring the material high enough to cover her now brown breasts. The shimmering gold dress had been a nightmare from the beginning, now in its present state of disrepair, it became worse.
Moving back to Two Shadow's side, she stood, watching the sleeping warrior. His face was void of the harsh expression he seemed to constantly wear. His high-set cheekbones, thick, long lashes, and strong jaw enhanced his handsome face. She attempted to ignore his full, soft lips, only to find her gaze lingering. She slowly licked her own lips, moistening them in response. He seemed to have power over her even as he slept.
She turned in confusion. Retrieving his breechcloth, Sarah returned to his side. Brazenly, she allowed her gaze to look over his most private place. Never before had she seen a man's naked body. She felt a stain of warmth creep up her neck and cheeks. She scowled at what she saw. He looked nothing like she'd expected. What she had expected, Sarah wasn't sure, but certainly not this.
A stab of embarrassment overcame her. She found herself more confused by the need to know this man, even more ashamed to have invaded his privacy, as she had accused him of doing to her earlier.
Staring down at his cover, Sarah felt a new kind of bewilderment. It did not resemble any pair of undergarments she'd ever seen. She held it up to herself, trying several ways to tie it. She had get this man covered, her embarrassment turned to fear.
After many attempts, she decided she could handle the garment. Getting it on him, however, might not be so easy to handle. Placing it on the ground next to Two Shadows, she used her shoulder and pried his body over on its side, allowing her to slide the leather cloth beneath him, then she lowered him back onto it.
There, the hard part went rather well. Looking down, she first realized the hard part might just beginning. Inhaling sharply, Sarah pulled the leather material up between his legs, then around his male organs. A wild, primitiv
e surge gripped her senses. She couldn't explain it, she only knew it definitely had something to do with Two Shadows. Just the simplest touch and she felt alive. A frightening thought...did he have these feelings, too?
It took the better part of an hour to rewrap his chest wounds. Sarah leaned her back against a rock, watching Two Shadows rest. When he woke, would he have enough strength to walk back to camp? She glanced around the strange surroundings of the pond. Water like this drew many animals during the night.
She raised her gaze to find him watching her. Her face colored. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long. I see you managed to get dressed without my watching after all. I'm disappointed."
She noted amusement flicker in the ebony depths that held hers.
"You even managed to get me dressed without my watching you."
She felt a flush spread across her cheeks. She adjusted her discomfort, determined not to let him see her squirm. "I couldn't very well leave you...naked."
"Oh, I'm not complaining. Matter of fact, I'm quite comfortable. I...I suppose I owe you an apology." He stopped, inhaled a deep breath, then continued, "I didn't mean to...I didn't try to make things difficult...I don't want to be a burden. I might have drowned if you hadn't helped me."
Sarah cleared her throat, hoping to disguise how his soft words affected her. "Might have? You nearly drowned me, too. Doesn't matter. Your apology is accepted. I must admit, we both smell better for it." She laughed. The sound came soft and happy. It surprised her.
"It's hard to believe. But I actually agree with you."
She couldn't help laughing at his comment. His smile softened his face. His voice sounded deeper and almost husky. "Do you think you could make it back to camp?"