Savage Summer

by Constance O'Banyon

  Skyler groaned as her body reacted to his soft touch. She felt something akin to pain yet beyond pain as his hand gently massaged her inner core.

  Morgan found the barrier that proved she had never been with a man. Her breath was warm and sweet against his lips, and he felt his body tremble all over.

  Yes, he would take what she offered him. Nothing could stop the tide of passion she had awakened within him. Never before had he had this deep craving for a woman. He tried not to think that this night was all they would ever share. He suddenly became obsessed with the need to show Skyler that it was meant that they should be together forever…not just for tonight.

  Skyler felt Morgan move forward. When he slowly entered her body, she clamped her lips together tightly to keep from crying out at the beautiful feelings that encased her whole being. There was a slight stinging sensation as he pushed forward, but it didn’t last long. She clutched at his shoulders when he moved slowly up and back in a slow, rhythmic motion.

  The night seemed to have a thousand eyes as the stars twinkled down upon the two lovers. Each would give eternal love to the other, and so it had been since the beginning of time when the love is pure and the hearts intertwine. Skyler gave all she had, knowing this night was all she would ever have. Morgan took everything, hoping to bind Skyler to him for the rest of their lives.

  Skyler sprinkled kisses across Morgan’s shoulders. Loving the feel of his body united with hers, she wished this night would last forever. She had given to him, but he was giving back to her a hundredfold. His hands were gentle as they caressed her body, and his lips were sweet as they moved across her face to find her lips.

  She knew that tomorrow, and a thousand tomorrows afterward, she would weep for what could not be. But now—at this moment, she had Morgan, body and soul.

  “It is good between us, Skyler,” he murmured against her ear. “You belong to me. Surely you can feel that.”

  His damp hair clung to the side of his head, and she ran her fingers through it. With an instinct that is born of woman, she moved her hips up, inviting him to drive deeper into her softness.

  He groaned as his body reached dazzling heights. Never before had he felt this way with a woman. “You are me, and I am you,” he whispered in a raspy voice. “I love you more than life, my dearest love. Say that you love me,” he demanded, needing to hear the words spoken.

  “Yes,” she groaned as the tempo inside her body heightened by his softly spoken words. She had always wondered what love would be like between a woman and a man. Now she knew she would remember tonight for the rest of her life.

  She gasped with pleasure when he thrust forward, searing the insides of her with his stamp of ownership. Tears ran down her face at what she and Morgan could have had together. Tomorrow she would go away and they would never see each other again. How could she bear to leave him after tonight?

  “I love you, Morgan,” she whispered against his ear. “I love you with all my heart.”

  His eyes were soft and clearly shone with an answering love. They stared into each other’s eyes at the very moment when their bodies reached the final climax. As both their bodies shook with one tremor after another, they clasped each other to their hearts.

  Skyler was never to know how long they lay in each other’s arms, whispering words of eternal love, as they both pledged their love, one to the other. She wasn’t brought back to reality until Morgan raised up on his elbow and looked into her misty violet eyes.

  “Now you know that you were meant to be my wife, Skyler. I can’t let you go after what has happened between us tonight. Say you will marry me.” His voice was almost pleading as his eyes searched her face. “Say yes!” he urged almost frantically. “You know you want to, damn it!”

  Skyler wedged her arm between them and sat up. “Do not ask this of me, Morgan. It will be hard enough to leave in the morning. Let us part with this beautiful thing between us. Do not spoil what we had.”

  Morgan stood up slowly and drew her up beside him. “What kind of a woman are you? Are you made of stone? Did you not say that you loved me?”

  Tears were streaming down her face, but Morgan seemed unmoved by them as he gripped her arms and shook her. “Answer me, Skyler. What in the hell are you made of?”

  “Please do not say anymore, Morgan. Let us both walk away without cruel words between us.”

  “What am I supposed to do—say thank you for a beautiful evening? Am I supposed to stand calmly by while you walk out of my life forever?”

  “I will not ask anything of you, Morgan. You have my heart—I can give you nothing beyond that.”

  He grabbed a handful of ebony hair and jerked her head forward. “Why can’t you tell me what is keeping us apart? If you really love me, at least give me that much. Whatever it is, we can work it out together.”

  “No, Morgan. What is wrong between us can never be worked out. I could not watch your love turn to contempt, as it surely would if I told you my secret.”

  Skyler moved away from him and picked up her gown and robe. While he watched, she slipped them on and then turned back to face him.

  His eyes were wild as it began to sink in that she could not be swayed from her convictions. He searched his mind for some way to hold on to her. What could be so bad that she couldn’t tell him?

  “Don’t you know you can trust me? Tell me about this thing that is eating away at you!” he cried, moving to her side and crushing her in his arms. “My God, don’t do this to us. Don’t you know you are killing my soul?”

  By now Skyler was crying hysterically. She rested her face against the soft mat of hair on his chest, wishing he could hold her forever. He stroked her gently and spoke soothing words in her ear.

  “Do not cry, little love. I shall move mountains if that will make you happy. I will sweep aside anything that stands between us, and I shall walk over anyone who tries to take you away from me.”

  Skyler closed her eyes, knowing the pain she was causing him. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. “Kiss me good-bye, Morgan,” she cried softly. “My dearest, dearest love, kiss me one last time.”

  His face seemed to freeze. For a long moment he stared at her in disbelief. Suddenly he gave her a shove and turned away to pull on his clothing. Skyler watched through tear-blinded eyes as he pulled on his boots and tucked his shirt into his trousers.

  When he turned back to her, his features were stormy. “It will be a hell of a lot better when you are gone from my life, Miss Skyler Dancing. I fared well enough before I met you—I can do so again.”

  Morgan moved across the summerhouse and turned to her one last time. Touching his fingers to his forehead in a salute, he then turned on his heels and moved down the path.

  Skyler wanted to call after him, but she didn’t dare. She could hear the sound of his boot steps fading into the distance. He was gone! She would never see him again!

  Dropping to her knees, broken sobs came from somewhere deep in her throat. She never knew that crying could cause such pain. Agonizing sounds were filling the night air.

  She had only borrowed Morgan’s love for a short time—it had never really belonged to her. She had wanted him to remember her with kindness, but now when he thought of her it would be with contempt.

  She cried until she was exhausted, then she stood up and made her way slowly back to the house. In a few hours it would be sun-up, and she and her uncle would be on their way back to her village. Perhaps her mother could help her understand why this had happened between her and Morgan. Yes, if anyone could understand, it would be her mother. Had she not had to face a similar choice when she married Skyler’s father? But then her father had not had the contempt for her mother’s race as Morgan had for Skyler’s. Fate had been cruel to allow her to love a man who was not of her world. Morgan would never have accepted her if he’d known the truth. It was best that he never found out about her Indian blood.

  It was barely daylight when the carriage bearing Skyler and her
uncle moved out the iron gates of the James estate. Skyler had said a tearful good-bye to her Aunt Alexandria. It had been painful for Skyler to leave her aunt now that she needed her. She sat back, cloaked in her own misery. She was leaving heartbreak behind her in Philadelphia. Each mile the carriage traveled took her farther away from the man she loved.

  Skyler knew when she reached her village she would be faced with other heartaches. She would have to come to grips with her grandmother’s death and Danielle’s disappearance. She prayed that by the time they reached her home, her cousin would have been found, unharmed.

  Glancing at her uncle, Skyler saw he was sleeping. More than likely he hadn’t slept all night and he must be very exhausted. She was traveling back to her world and to her old way of life. Skyler didn’t know how she would ever be able to put Morgan out of her mind and just pick up her life where she’d left off. Wiping the tears away from her eyes, she stared out the window. The sound of the horses’ hooves seemed to be echoing. You love him, you love him!

  Morgan stood at his bedroom window, watching the sun come up. Skyler was leaving today. Where was she going? He knew nothing about her life, beyond the fact that she loved him—he knew that for a certainty.

  He went over and over in his mind every word she’d ever spoken to him, trying to solve the mystery. Last night he’d held a woman in his arms and had poured out his love to her. Today that woman would walk out of his life forever, and he couldn’t understand the reason for her going. What was this thing that stood between him and the woman he loved?

  Skyler had thrown love away. Anger etched the stiff plane of Morgan’s jaw. Waste had always made him angry.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  In three days’ time, Danielle’s ankle had healed enough so she and Wolfrunner could continue on their journey. Danielle was almost sorry to leave their haven. It was here that she had rested and regained her strength, and it was here that she found out that she was beginning to love this man.

  Wolfrunner had cut strips of leather from the flap of his breechcloth and fashioned Danielle a crude pair of sandals.

  He had bent down to strap the shoes about her ankle, when she laughed aloud. “I think it would be a good idea if we made it to the village before too long. The way we are using up our clothing, neither of us will have a stitch to our name when we get there.”

  Wolfrunner’s dark eyes swept her face. He didn’t smile, but she saw his mouth twitch, and his dark eyes were dancing. He scooped up the baby rabbit and handed it to Danielle. “Test your foot to see if you can walk,” he told her while watching her face for any sign of pain.

  Danielle tucked the edge of her skirt into the waistband and placed the baby rabbit in the makeshift pocket. It meant showing more of her legs, but she was past feeling modest by now. Testing her new shoes, she found them to be quite comfortable.

  “I do not feel the pain any longer. Your cure worked miracles.”

  He nodded. “It is an old cure taught to us by an old medicine woman called She Who Heals. She once cured Joanna from snow blindness with this medicine.”

  He picked up his spear and started walking at a fast pace, and she fell into step with him. At first his strides were long, but he soon slowed them to match hers.

  Once again they now followed the course of the river. To the south of them the land was blackened by the prairie fire. Danielle thought it would be years before the scars left on the land by the fire would heal.

  Just ahead Danielle saw a huge mountain range. Some of the mountains were so high they still had snow on the taller peaks. She knew they must cross these mountains to find the Blackfoot village. She felt dread just looking at the seemingly impregnable wall, wondering how they would ever make it over the top.

  The last few days Wolfrunner had become more silent than ever. He seldom spoke to Danielle, and she wondered if he would ever look at her as a woman. She tried in every way she could to please him, but still he seemed indifferent to her.

  She found he was always alert to danger, and he could hear and see things that no normal person could. The threat of Scar Face still hung over them. Even though Danielle never saw any sign of Scar Face, she knew he would be following them. Wolfrunner often stopped and tested the wind. He would scan the horizon in every direction before they continued their journey.

  They had to rely on small game for their survival. Wolfrunner knew Scar Face was aware of their every move, so he didn’t bother to hide their tracks. Each night he would make a campfire to cook their food. There was no reason to hide from an enemy who knew where to find you. Danielle knew that he slept very little at night, since he didn’t want Scar Face to come upon them unawares.

  The weather had grown hotter, and the sun beat down on them with a punishing force. As they neared the mountains, the terrain became rocky, making it more difficult to walk. Danielle could feel every rock and stone through her thin-soled sandals. She took particular care not to injure her weak ankle, knowing Wolfrunner would not be pleased if they had to stop and allow her to heal again.

  When at last they reached the mountains, there was the added burden of climbing very steep cliffs. But now it was much easier to hide from Scar Face, because Wolfrunner was very clever about covering up their tracks on the rocky face of the mountains. There was plenty of food to be found, and water was always abundant.

  It was almost nightfall. Danielle stood on the high slope of a mountain and gazed out on the breathtaking countryside. This was a land of imperishable beauty. As she stood in the shadows of tall mountain peaks and deep canyons, she could see the reflections of numerous lakes and streams. Here nature had colored the land with every hue known to man. It was magnificent and spectacular. Somehow Danielle got the feeling that it hadn’t changed since the beginning of time. This was the land of her past—did it also hold her future?

  Gazing across a ravine, she saw Wolfrunner standing as still as a statue. He was looking at the same view, and Danielle wondered if he was having similar thoughts. How could he not feel pride in this land that belonged to his people. It was in his blood and a part of his heritage. It was as timeless and beautiful as the Blackfoot people who called it home. This love of the land came to her from out of nowhere, from some hidden recess in her mind. She thought it strange that she had never loved the land in Philadelphia.

  Her eyes moved over the man who had come to mean so much to her. How magnificent he was with his dark hair blowing in the wind. The setting sun fell on his skin, turning it to a soft bronze color. He was as much a part of this land as the rocks and trees; he belonged here and she didn’t.

  Suddenly she wanted him to pull her into his world. Raising her arms, she held them out to him as if beseeching him to take her unto him. Her heart seemed to skip a beat when he raised his arms to her. Across the distance that divided them, Danielle could feel him pulling at her.

  “I love you, Wolfrunner,” she called out, but she knew he couldn’t hear her, since her voice had been carried away with the wind.

  She watched him lower his arms and disappear down the steep embankment. She knew she would always remember the moment when the two of them had stood apart and reached out to each other. Would the time ever come when they would reach across the gulf that separated them and their hands would touch? She doubted that he would ever think of her other than as Joanna’s niece. Danielle knew Wolfrunner still didn’t like her as a person, and she doubted that he ever would.

  They had been traveling in the mountains for three days. Each day there seemed to be another mountain to climb. The barriers of rock and stone seemed to go on forever, and Danielle wondered if they would ever come to the valley of the Blood Blackfoot.

  They had made camp beside a small stream with a magnificent view of a deep craggy canyon that seemed to cut its way into the mountains.

  Wolfrunner had disappeared some time ago and Danielle was wondering where he was. They had food left over from the day before, so surely he hadn’t gone hunting.

 
Gazing up at the sky, she noticed the dark clouds that were gathering on the horizon. She had never liked storms—for some reason they had always terrified her. She tried not to think of the impending storm. Dipping her hands in the cool mountain stream, she took a deep drink.

  Suddenly, Danielle felt something brush up against her leg. Looking down in surprise, she saw a small furry animal curl up beside her. Her laughter rang out as she picked it up and held it in her arms. It was some kind of cat. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she could take the animal home with her as a companion to Cottontail? she thought.

  Danielle sat down and ruffled the animal’s furry coat, which was soft and tawny with brownish spots. “You are just a kitten,” she said, rubbing the animal beneath the chin and feeling delight in the way it cuddled up against her. The cat was making soft purring sounds, and Danielle laughed delightedly as it pawed at her finger playfully.

  “How dear you are. I am going to keep you,” she said, holding the kitten up to her face. Cottontail was curled up beside her while the newcomer lapped out its tongue and licked the tiny rabbit. “I can see that the two of you are going to be wonderful friends,” she said, giving each of them an individual pat.

  Danielle hadn’t heard Wolfrunner come up beside her, and was startled when he yanked the kitten out of her arms. His eyes blazed dangerously and his jaw was set in anger. “You are a stupid white girl. Do you not know a cougar when you see one? The mother would tear you to pieces if she were to return,” he said angrily.

  “I didn’t know,” she said, lowering her eyes and feeling stupid indeed.

  “I wonder that you are still alive. Do you know nothing about taking care of yourself?” His voice was deep with anger and his dark eyes were dilated.