As he wiped away moisture on his lashes and cheeks, he said, "They are angry at the attack upon them and send forth water like a slow rain, but my vision clears slowly. I will join you there soon. There is food, water, and a sleeping hide on my horse. We will camp in the cave this moon, for we have much to say to each other and need privacy for our words."
"Yes, mihigna, there is much to say, for another sun must not rise before there is peace between us or we will fail in the sacred task before us.
Chumani used water from the bladder bag to flush any lingering dirt from her husband's eyes and told him to keep them closed for a time so they could rest while she built a fire and prepared their food. As she worked, she allowed her gaze to drift slowly over him from head to feet as he remained prone on the buffalo hide which she had spread on the cave floor. She liked his bold features and strong body, and was tempted to trace her fingers over them to test their magic. She liked the way his ebony hair shone in the firelight, the gleam in his dark eyes when he was aroused by her, the feel of his flesh when they touched, and the stimulating way he had kissed her on other moons. She craved to have those full lips roving her face and body, to have him within her. Surely it was time for them to bond together as husband and wife.
Wind Dancer sensed her intense scrutiny of him and found it exciting. He heard the change in her breathing and how her hands had stilled their task. He could almost taste the sweetness of her mouth from vivid memories of past kisses. He longed to trail his fingers over her skin and longed to possess her fully. If he reached out to her, he wondered, would she yield or retreat?
Almost enthralled by his potent allure, she asked him the question which haunted her: "Does your keen mind not tell you Wastemna desires you and speaks badly of me so she can win you for herself?" Without waiting for an answer, she reiterated her innocence and honesty. "I am not to blame for the mischief in our tepee and it was my best friend, Zitkala, a female, I met with in the forest. I would not betray or shame you."
Wind Dancer sat up and faced her, their gazes fusing. He was convinced it was concern for their relationship which spurred her words, not feminine jealousy. "Her tricks and lies will fail to dupe and capture me, Dewdrops, for I have no such feelings for her, or for any other woman in my camp, only for my wife whose words I believe. I do not know why the Great Spirit chose us to become mates and visionquest companions, but we must obey His commands."
His words appeased her worries. "That is true, mihigna. "
Wind Dancer gazed into her eyes before he murmured in a voice made husky with deep emotion, "I trust you, accept you, and want you as my wife. I hunger for you as a man hungers for a woman; I have desired you since the first sun I saw you in the Brave Heart forest and did not know if you were flesh and bone or spirit come to help me. I did not wish to force you to lie with me upon my sleeping mat, but I yearn for you to do so. I wanted you to come to me of your own free will, not out of duty to the Creator and His vision. Perhaps my restraint has caused you to believe I do not desire you or desire another in your place; that is not true. Do you also trust, accept, and want me as your mate in all ways? Do you also hunger for me as a man, as a husband?" He almost held his breath as he awaited her reaction and reply.
Chumani was thrilled and relieved by his stirring words. "When we joined in my camp," she began her reply, "I did not know you and wished for us to get closer before we mated on the sleeping mat; in the past nine moons, we have learned much about each other and have become friends. I also was afraid to lie with you as your wife, for it was bad with Dull Star on the mat. I feared, if it was the same with you, it would cause trouble between us; I do not believe that will happen."
Wind Dancer's loins flamed with desire, his heart pounded with joy. "Do not worry, Dewdrops, for I will not hurt or shame you there. I hold many strong feelings in my heart for you, and I am certain more will come in the moons before us, as it should be. I did not feel this way about my first wife, and I feared your powerful pull on me if you did not feel the same as I do."
"I have never felt this strange way about a man, but I know what we share is strong and special, for the Great Spirit put us together and knows all things. As time passes, I am sure He will place great love in our hearts for each other, for desire already dwells within our bodies."
"That is wise and true, mitawin. "
Chumani savored his touch as he caressed her cheek. She knew that an evil force could separate them at any time, so she was compelled to have him for as long as they walked the face of Mother Earth and breathed the Great Spirit's air. He had proven to her he was a perfect match for her in all ways but one; and soon that question would be answered for her. They had to become one before more mischief occurred and put distance between them forever. "I did not mean to make it hard on you, mihigna, and you have kept your word of honor to be patient. When you are ready to lie with me, I am ready to lie with you."
Almost afraid to trust his hearing, Wind Dancer took a deep breath and asked, "Do you mean on this moon? Here? Now?"
Chumani smiled and nodded, assured they would not be disturbed with a fierce storm raging outside the cozy cave. "It is time we become mates in more than words spoken before our peoples."
Wind Dancer admired her honesty and courage. As if two different desert winds, they had blown into each other's lives when their hearts were frozen by great losses and by an icy desire for revenge on the Crow warriors who had caused such suffering; they had brought each back to life. They must risk loving and binding themselves together with the hope that bond would be too strong for any evil force to break.
The flames within his loins kindled to a greater height as he pulled her into his arms. For a short time, he did nothing more than hold her to feel her against him and to tell himself this was meant to be. When she looped her arms around his waist and nestled her head to his chest, his embrace tightened and a moan of intense need escaped his throat. He grasped her chin with one hand, lifted it, and melded his lips with hers.
Shared passion caused Chumani to quiver and ignite with pleasure and anticipation. She felt unusual but wonderful all over. Her pulse raced wildly through her body. She returned his kiss eagerly, enjoying every sensation his nearness evoked. She was relaxed yet tense. She was unsure, yet confident this was right for them. Despite the fact she had lain with a man before, she hoped she would know how to please Wind Dancer. Surely such things took care of themselves as Mother Nature intended when such an event occurred between two people who desired each other.
Wind Dancer was almost spellbound by the way she clung to him, kissed him, and cuddled against him. He was not a stranger to sex, but he was to these emotions. Even so, he instinctively knew he must move slowly and gently with her, though she was making self-control and leisure difficult with her ardent responses. He trailed kisses over her face and down her throat as she leaned her head back to give him access. His lips caused muffled groans to escape from deep within her. He was elated that he could arouse her to such feverish yearning for him. He rubbed his smooth face against her sleek hair and relished the feel of it against his cheek and neck. He drifted his hands up and down her back and felt long black strands tease over his fingers during each trip upward. He kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. Nothing in his life felt as good as she did in his arms. As his mouth brushed over hers, he vowed, "I have craved you every sun and moon since I first saw you. If I did not know better, I would swear I am only dreaming or I am drifting toward the Ghost Trail after a deadly grizzly attack."
Amidst their mingled breaths, she said, "So would I, Waci Tate, but we are awake and alive. That day in the Brave Heart forest after meeting you, I knew my life would never be the same. I never thought our paths would cross again but the Great Spirit works in mysterious and most unexpected ways."
He looked at her radiant face and into her luminous dark eyes. "We do not know where our twisting path will take us, but it will be together."
Chumani agreed with those heart-stir
ring words before she peeled a fringed shirt off his broad shoulders to expose a hairless chest with Sun Dance scars and an abdomen whose muscles rippled like rolling terrain. She freed the ties of his beaded belt and pulled it through the side loops of his leggings. As he stretched out each leg in turn, she removed his moccasins and tugged off his leggings. She folded and placed his garments in a pile beside them, then waited in suspense to see if he removed hers or if that task would fall to her.
She watched his lowered gaze as he took off her beaded belt and knife sheath and laid them aside. He undid the leather thongs at her neck, grasped the fringed hem of her dress, and lifted it over her head after she raised her arms to assist him. Then he untied the narrow laces of her undergarment, and she shifted her body to permit its removal. At a snail's pace his gaze crawled up her body, pausing on her naked breasts, until it reached her face.
Their eyes met and they simply looked at each other, as if each was making sure the other had no reservation about what was going to happen next. Her palms were flattened against his bronze chest while his hands cupped her face and his thumbs stroked the sleek skin near her parted lips. Chumani's fingers played in hair as dark as midnight and almost as long as hers, and he slid his behind her head to draw it toward his. Their mouths met in a tentative kiss which flowered into full-blown passion within moments.
Chumani slipped her hands beneath his arms to rove his broad back and felt the strength which dwelled there; his shoulders and arms, she soon discovered, held the same power. She was aglow with desire and eager to take the next step along this new and crucial journey.
Time seemed to stand still and any reality beyond the cave seemed to vanish as they explored their feelings and stimulated each other to a lofty degree. Their kisses became ravenous and greedy, and their hearts pounded as their excitement increased.
As if receiving a mental message from her, Wind Dancer eased them down to the buffalo hide with her in his arms and them on their sides. Her nipples hardened as Wind Dancer's fingers tantalized them to firmer points after rolling her to her back.
Chumani was awed by how wonderful it felt to have him touching her breasts. Her astonishment and pleasure multiplied when his questing mouth closed over one rosy brown bud. His tongue lavished hot moisture and generous attention there between light flicks and mind-spinning suckles. The sensations he created were deliriously arousing. She closed her eyes to absorb them, as the cave was almost too dark to see him in the glow of the fire's dying embers. Yet, each time lightning flashed and illuminated the interior, her lids flew open to catch even a brief glimpse of him.
Wind Dancer's right hand ventured over her bare body as far as it could reach without dislodging his mouth from its splendid location. She had a firm and agile body, and every part was an enchanting enticement. His hand drifted over her rib cage and stomach, caressing its way to the tempting region between her thighs. He rubbed the small nub there, massaging it with light and slow strokes at first, then with firmer and faster ones as her hips began to move and soft moans escaped her mouth.
Chumani squirmed and sighed as he feasted at her breasts and drove her wild with his caresses. A curious tension gnawed at her, a tension that pleased her and tormented her all at one time. She had never felt this way with Dull Star.
Wind Dancer's mouth slowly traveled up Chumani's chest and neck and at last melded with hers as he moved atop her. He hoped she was as eager to continue their bold journey as she appeared to be; he certainly was. His manhood felt like a burning torch which needed to be sated lest it be consumed by fiery flames. He had never had to use this kind of restraint before or delay his release for so long, as his first wife had not enjoyed such unions and wanted them over with as quickly as possible. With great gentleness, he eased within her feminine core. When she arched toward him, he thrust himself deeper within her, kissing and caressing her all the while. He prayed he was not being too forceful and too swift as he assumed Dull Star had been. After her ankles overlapped his calves and she seemed to open and offer herself fully to him, he penetrated her even more deeply and began a steady pattern of undulations.
Chumani was relieved she felt no pain, only pleasure. She realized every movement Wind Dancer made only increased her yearnings. Every time he entered her, it was the most wonderful sensation she had experienced, as if each new thrust was more stimulating than the preceding one. It was beautiful and natural to have their bodies meshed, to have such powerful feelings racing through both of them, to discover such joy and unity. It was a total sharing of themselves, a bonding on all levels, a consummation of their joining, an exquisite foreshadowing of a glorious future together.
Their hearts pounded in unison as they mentally and physically pledged themselves to each other. Their passions mounted, each seeking a goal only to be imagined at that point. They urged their spirits skyward and grew dizzy at the awesome heights of their soaring passion. Chumani reached her climax first and Wind Dancer soon followed her. Afterward they cuddled as their bodies cooled and their pounding hearts slowed.
"Did I ride too fast and hard?" Wind Dancer asked.
"No, mihigna, " a sated Chumani replied. "You did so with great skill."
"That is good to hear, and makes my heart beat with joy and pride."
Chumani nestled into his strong embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. She liked the way his fingers trailed over her arm and shoulder, and the husky tone of his voice. He seemed happy and calm and possessive; and she thrilled to all of it. Although they had not spoken of love for each other, she was certain that was what they felt; it definitely was what she felt. At last, they were fully bonded.
Wind Dancer savored the feel of her naked body against his, the way her arm rested over his chest and a knee over his thighs, the way she cuddled up to him, and her occasional dreamy sigh. At last, she belonged completely to him, and he would allow nothing and no one to take her away from him.
They closed their eyes and drifted into the most restful and peaceful night's sleep they had found since their joining.
Upon awakening, Wind Dancer and Chumani made love again before they bathed in a round depression in the cave where water trickled down one side and formed an ankle-deep refreshing rock pool. They ate the food they had ignored last night while engrossed in each other. As they did so, the horses grazed outside near a narrow stream where the son of Chief Rising Bear went to say his daily prayers after their meal and while his wife prepared their belongings for departure.
The storm had passed during the night. Before his morning ritual, Wind Dancer noticed that wildflowers and blades of grass stood tall with renewed energy. Tree limbs and branches on bushes hung low with water-filled leaves. Birds sang; animals foraged; and insects fluttered about to gather nectar. Despite the heavy rain, the earth and vegetation had drunk so greedily that it appeared only damp, not muddy. The sky was a clear blue and the few clouds in sight were distant and wispy. The air was warm and the breeze was gentle, promising a lovely day.
After Wind Dancer said his mental prayers to Wakantanka while facing the rising sun, he turned to see his best friend leaning against a rock nearby. "Wiyaka Lute, u wo, " he called the man's name and invited him forward.
Red Feather joined him. "We searched for you and Dewdrops after the storm halted and light returned to the face of Mother Earth," he said. "It was a hard task, for the rain removed your tracks. We waited for you to leave the cave so we would not disturb your sleep and ..." He grinned knowingly and did not finish his sentence. "After we saw the slain grizzly and your horses feeding, I sneaked closer to be sure you were unharmed."
Wind Dancer realized he had been so distracted while making love to Chumani that he had not heard his friend's approach or departure, and that great lowering of his guard astonished and mildly displeased him, for Red Feather could have been an enemy. Yet, there was something more that baffled him. "Why do you say, `we'?" he asked as he glanced around the area. Before he finished his query and Red Feather could answer
, he sighted a woman atop the hill the bear had used, one who was holding the tethers of their horses.
"She is called Zitkala; she is the best friend of your wife."
Wind Dancer eyed the woman and wondered how Wastemna or anyone could mistake her for a man. She did have a rather plain face and tall body, but she was clad in a fringed dress, and long black haira beaded rosette in it-flowed around her shoulders. "Why do you come here?" Wind Dancer asked in concern. "Is there trouble in the camp of Tall Elk? Did she bring bad news to Dewdrops?"
"No. She came to visit Dewdrops two moons past, but did not enter our camp. As she returned to the White Shield camp, she saw two Crow and one Pawnee heading toward our camp in a cunning manner. She came to warn us of their approach and spoke with me. It was a scouting party; we believe they spied on the Brave Hearts first and were coming to do the same to our camp for two reasons: to learn our numbers after the white man's disease took many lives in many bands and perhaps to learn if we prepare to leave for the grasslands so their war party could encircle and entrap us while we were spread out and vulnerable. Together we tracked them, attacked, and killed them in fierce battles. She is a great warrior, for she fought as a she-wolf protecting her young. Her skills are many and her prowess is large. We feared other enemies had found you and Dewdrops and harmed you."
"We are safe, and we saw no one during our ride and stay here. We kept the horses inside the cave while we slept, sheltered from the storm."
Lakota Winds (Zebra Historical Romance) Page 14