by Deanna Jewel
“No, Nechan, I killed no one, and the village is safe.” Taima looked at Kate as he rode closer. Her eyebrows drew together as she watched him. “We must return to my people. They need our help to gather what belongings were not burned,” he said to her.
Taima dismounted, making sure Kelee stayed on the horse, then turned toward Kate. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her close.
“I didn’t know if you’d return for us or not. I could not bear the thought of losing you,” she said.
Closing his eyes, he pressed his cheek against her silky hair and inhaled the soft scent of sagebrush she used. He couldn’t resist threading his fingers into her hair, while his other arm encircled her waist.
Kate’s warm lips touched his neck, and her tongue made slow circles which sent his emotions surging. He was now positive he loved her, but wasn’t sure when to tell her. Gently, he cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth to his. His tongue slipped past her lips to sweep the sensitive skin inside. Taima tightened his embrace around Kate, never wanting to let go, but knew his body reacted too strongly to her nearness to hold her much longer.
Deepening the kiss, his thumb caressed her jaw, then the soft skin beneath her chin. His heart raced with the knowledge of how much he actually loved her.
Withdrawing from the kiss, he looked upon her face. “Neither could I bear losing you.”
Kate’s hand momentarily rested over her heart and suddenly, her eyes took on an unusually dark, seductive glow, startling Taima.
“You will never lose me. I’ve waited too long to have you,” she said, slowly running a finger down the side of his neck.
Her words surprised him and Mai’s earlier words flooded his mind like a broken dam of cold water. Taima searched Kate’s darkened eyes, then released her and stepped away. It was as though she were another person. Something nagged at his brain, sending out warning signals, yet he didn’t understand why. Moving away another step, he said, “We need to return to my people. Aiyana may need your help.”
Before leaving, Taima stepped to the fire and doused it with dirt. He glanced at Kate. It had to be only a coincidence that she spoke the same words Mai had spoken back at their village. Taima wondered if Mai could actually make good on her promise that Kate would be the one to pay. In order for a skin walker to take over another soul, he thought they had to be present and Mai wasn’t here with them, so it couldn’t possibly occur.
Or could it?
Taima sighed and shook his head at his own absurd assumptions. Kate’s words just happened to be the same as Mai’s, but then he remembered Kate had run her finger down his neck...just as Mai had.
He straightened up, kicking more dirt onto the fire. An eerie tingle crept up his spine. Through narrowed eyes, he slowly scanned the surrounding tree line, then searched the towering rocky mountain across the lake. Two big horned sheep grazed there, sunning themselves.
There was no sign of Mai.
Yet Taima could feel her presence so strongly. Returning his gaze to the edge of the tree line, he walked toward Kate and Kelee, where Kate sat atop her horse.
“Taima, is there a chance the Ute will return?”
Mounting his horse, he relaxed when he saw Kate’s eyes were again a bright green rather than ominous black. “There is always that chance. We need to hurry. My people need our help,” he replied, turning his horse and spurring it on, making sure Kate rode beside him and Kelee.
* * * * *
Taima’s heavy heart thudded in the center of his chest as he rode into camp. He glanced around at the work his people had already accomplished. Desperation spurred him on. The Ute attack had nearly destroyed the small encampment of lean-tos and taken the lives of many friends. He wished he could remove the pain from the faces of his people.
Those who cried and mourned over the bodies of their loved ones were affected more than those whose homes and belongings had been burned. Their obvious despair saddened him. They could always look to him for support and he would be there.
Taima slid from his horse, lifted Kelee down, then moved to aid Kate. Her face paled and her brow furrowed as she looked around at the devastation. He grasped her waist and helped her to the ground.
“I had no idea so much damage could be done. Show me where I’ll be of most help,” Kate said.
Taima released her and took the reins of both horses. “Let’s find Aiyana. She’ll be glad to see you and glad of your offer to help,” Taima replied, moving forward.
“Noshi, I want to help rebuild the lean-tos. I can carry the small tree trunks.”
He smiled at his son. “I’m sure they will appreciate your offer. There is much work for all of us to do.”
Aiyana glanced up as he approached. Black smudges covered her face and hands. Wounded people lay on the ground before Aiyana’s lean-to; a skin of water heated over her fire.
Kate rushed forward and knelt beside Aiyana. “What can I do to help?” she asked, glancing at those around the fire.
“There is much to do. Their wounds need to be cleansed.”
Taima watched Kate with pride. She was willing to help his people even though they feared her. Compassion filled her face while she helped comfort a warrior with a gapping thigh injury.
Ahanu appeared from behind the lean-to, his face just as dirty as Aiyana’s face.
He approached Taima and asked, “Were Kate and Kelee safe when you returned to them?”
Taima pointed in Kate’s direction. “Yes, she’s helping Aiyana now.”
“Something is wrong. I can see it in your face.”
He looked at Ahanu, still troubled over Kate. “After I returned to Kate, her eye color had changed, which disturbed me. The color turned almost black when she spoke, but then changed to their normal green.” Taima glanced in Kate’s direction. She busied herself with the wounded, rinsing a small piece of deer hide in the water that heated in a skin of buffalo stomach stretched between four sticks around the fire. “Before I left Mai to return to Kate, Mai tried to get me to stay with her and forget Kate, saying she’d loved me since she and her father joined us. She put her arms around me, then ran a finger down my neck.” Taima met Ahanu’s gaze. “Kate did exactly the same thing before we returned here...that is when her eyes turned dark.”
Ahanu’s eyes widened. “Mai left here this morning a little after the three of you did, then returned after the Ute attack, just before you came back from chasing the Ute who took Lomasi. We thanked the Great Spirit you were able to bring her back.”
“Could Mai have been at the lake while we were there?”
“It is possible. I didn’t know where she went. But her father was killed while she was gone.”
“Noshi! Noshi, come. Quick. We need you both to help with the big logs for the lean-tos.”
* * * * *
Squinting in the late afternoon sun, Taima returned to Ahanu’s lean-to with him, tired and dirty. The heat of the day would have been too much had he worn a shirt and leggings today. Kate and Aiyana finished with the last of the wounded, and the man’s family helped him home.
Dark eyes met Taima’s when he glanced at Kate and an evil sense of foreboding crept through him, as though someone secretly watched him. He looked around, then again met Kate’s dark gaze. She smiled as she walked toward him, her hand moving up to rest over her heart.
Kate’s lips parted; her eyes dark and sensuous. “You have worked hard today. I think you need the tender touch of a woman’s hands.”
Shocked at her sudden boldness, Taima gently grasped her hands from his chest before they reached his shoulders. This type of behavior wasn’t Kate’s way; she normally behaved more reserved.
“I’d rather we wait until we bathe, wife.” He glanced at each lean-to, searching for Mai. The same eerie feeling had stolen over him earlier in the day when Kate watched him. “If you’re finished here, we can go to the river,” he said, still holding onto her wrists, looking around for any sign of Mai.
&nbs
p; Kate pulled her wrists closer so the backs of his fingers brushed against her breasts. The warmth on his fingers startled him.
Watching her mouth, her tongue slowly moistened her lips. “I would love nothing better than to go to the river with you. It’ll be a pleasure to bathe you.”
Smoldering dark eyes met his. He jerked his hands from her arms and stepped back. “Well...if you’re finished . . .”
How could Kate’s beautiful green eyes take on such a dark, evil appearance? And her boldness...it astounded him. This was not the Kate he knew.
She stared back, then whispered, “You know you want me. You’ve wanted me since I joined your group.” Her hand again touched her chest. “I can please you like no woman has. Forget about her...and come to me.”
Mesmerized, yet confused by her words, he narrowed his eyes and asked, “Forget about whom?”
She stepped closer, pressing her body against his. “Forget about your wife. Think only of me.”
Taima couldn’t look away from her dark, pleading eyes and grasped her upper arms. “Kate...listen to me.”
She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Wavering on her feet, she clung to his forearms for support, snapping open her eyes. Had he released her arms, her knees would likely have collapsed.
“Now what have I done? Why are you yelling at me? I’ve helped Aiyana like you wanted.”
“You don’t remember anything you just said to me?”
Kate shook her head, and Taima’s stomach knotted. The blank expression on her face told him more than words. He again looked around for Mai. Somehow, she was responsible for Kate’s bold actions. This he was sure of.
“Who are you looking for,” she asked.
Taima turned back to Kate; her eyebrows drew together. “No one of importance.”
Gently embracing her, he tried to figure a way to release Kate from this nightmare. He would have to make sure she was never around Mai; nor anywhere the two could make lengthy eye contact.
He caressed her hair, then drew back to look at her. “Are you ready to go to the river?”
“I can’t wait to wash.”
Kate raked her fingers through her hair, the green stones of her gold ring sparkling in the late afternoon sun. He took her hand to admire the ring more closely, struck by its brilliance. “This is as beautiful as your eyes.”
“Thank you, Taima.”
The sound of his name coming from her lips melted his heart. He never wanted to be parted from her.
“There is something I would like you to do.”
“You name it...and it is done,” he said.
“I would like you to have my ring, to wear around your neck. Then I will always be with you.”
“You are sure of this? Your parents gave this to you.”
“I want you to wear it,” she said, pulling the ring from her finger.
“We could use one of the leather strips from my arm if you would untie one.”
He offered his arm and she untied the leather, then laced one end through the ring. Reaching up, she slipped the leather strip around his neck and tied it secure. The ring rested at the hollow of his throat when he touched it.
Taima brought the ring to his lips and kissed the stones. “I will treasure it always, as I do you.”
A faint blush moved over her cheeks and Taima embraced her; Kate’s arms hugged his waist. “Our bath is waiting.”
On their way to the river, Taima watched Kate, the setting sun casting a warm glow onto her skin. He didn’t understand the mood changes she’d been going through this past week. Normally, she was shy, not bold and aggressive as she was earlier today, although he would prefer her that way at times. Now, she quietly walked beside him, her gaze downcast, carrying clean clothes for them.
“Kate, you look tired after such a hard day.”
She glanced up. The glow in her green eyes made his heart skip.
“I’ll feel better after bathing. The cool water will revive my spirit.”
He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to kiss the top of her head.
“Oh Taima, I smell awful, please . . .”
“Please what, woman?” Suddenly he picked her up, cradling her in his arms. “Put down your bundle of clothing, or they will also get wet.”
Kate tossed the bundle to land beneath the pines where they would change later, and reached to remove her knee-high moccasins. “You mean to wet these clothes?”
Taima kicked off his own moccasins. “You won’t be wearing them long enough to notice they’re wet,” he said, striding into the waist-deep water. He let go of her legs and quickly grasped the bottom of her doeskin dress, pulling it up over her head then tossed it ashore. Just as quick, Kate slipped a small medicine pouch over her head and tossed it to shore.
His groin tightened with desire as she stood naked before him, her full breasts begging for his touch. “You are so beautiful.”
With a finger beneath her chin, he tipped her face to his. Slowly, she raised her dark lashes to reveal the emerald sparkle in her eyes. Her lips tempted him and he could no longer resist. Taking Kate into his embrace, his mouth hungrily covered hers, their tongues meeting in a passionate kiss. Her breasts pressed against his chest.
Taima never wanted to release her, knowing she was beginning to mean more to him than he wanted to admit even to himself. Kate’s hands lightly moved over his waist and ribs, igniting a burning desire within him despite the cool water they stood in. He deepened the kiss, his tongue searching for a need as strong as his own.
Her tongue tangled with his. A moan of passion escaped her throat. Sharp nails lightly caressed down his back, pressing into his flesh, making his heart race. His groin hardened as he held her tight, still kissing, exploring, and devouring.
Kate pulled back from their kiss only to move her lips to his chest. Her heated kisses made him want to take her here in the water. Taima inhaled sharply and rested his chin atop her head. Water trickled down his back, then again.
Taima scooped handfuls of water over the back of her hair and shoulders, then stepped away to do the same to her breasts. Droplets of water caused her nipples to pucker and he bent to taste one, his tongue circling the hardened tip.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips. She tipped her head back and breathed deeper, as though she attempted to calm herself.
“Before we go further, husband, I would like to wash.”
He stood and met her gaze. A pink flush rose in her neck and cheeks, then she smiled and looked away.
Icy water splashed over his face and Kate giggled before disappearing beneath the water. Emerging, she vigorously scrubbed her hair and rinsed it. Taima did the same, mainly to douse his rising desire before he made love to Kate. With handfuls of sand, he washed his arms and chest, watching Kate’s hands roam over her slender body, scrubbing with the sand to cleanse her flesh.
She lowered herself into the water to rinse away the sand and wet her hair again, as did Taima. Then he stood in the waist-deep stream. Rivulets of water trailed from his shoulders down his back and chest. The muscles of his upper body tightened as he clenched his fists, waiting for Kate to finish.
* * * * *
Scrubbing the last remains of sand from her skin, Kate stood and twisted water from her long hair. The rush of water against the rocks near shore made her listen more intently.
She didn’t hear Taima splashing about in the water.
Slowly, she turned. The last rays of the setting sun caught the blue glint of Taima’s gaze, bringing a smile to her face.
“Do you feel clean enough at last, woman? I grow tired of waiting.”
The hunger in his eyes made her stomach flutter and her toes curl. Blood flowed through her veins like molten lava, heating every inch of her body. A shiver ran the length of her spine in anticipation of his warm hands caressing her flesh. Thoughts of doing the same to Taima weakened her knees.
She walked through the water toward him, her gaze moving to his mouth as she
drew in a calming breath. Taima’s tongue moistened his lips and his bronze chest expanded with a deep breath, the muscles sculpting firm, beautiful contours. On a cord around his neck, her emerald ring sparkled below the hollow of his throat. The leather bands he wore just above the biceps of his arms, although one was missing now, accentuated the unleashed strength which lay beneath the surface.
“Some things are worth waiting for,” Kate said, narrowing her eyes.
A trickle of water dripped from his hair onto his chest. Kate reached out and lightly traced the path with her finger, trailing over the hard muscle. His chest swelled with a quick intake of breath.
“Do you realize how your touch affects me?”
The deep timbre of his voice made her heart skip. She met his blue gaze, the large, dark pupils of his eyes telling her what she already knew.
Taima wanted her as much as she wanted him.
Kate traced the water-trail down his stomach and lower. “Possibly the same affect your touch has on me. My heart races when you’re this close; I can’t seem to breathe.”
Taima’s hand moved over her hip, up her waist, then cupped a breast, the warmth of his hand nearly burning her skin. His thumb lightly flicked over her hardened nipple. His gaze left hers and moved lower while his other arm pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his mouth covered hers. Warm lips coerced hers apart. His tongue aggressively met hers; feelings of desire swirled through her. Taima deepened the kiss, his tongue probing further, sweeping the inside of her mouth.
Feeling more confident in the affect she was having on Taima, Kate drew his tongue in, tangling with her own. A moan escaped her throat, which she’d tried unsuccessfully to contain.
Taima broke the kiss and cradled her in his arms. “I love you to need me, woman...and know that I cannot wait to please you and soothe your needs.”
His hand moved along her rib to tilt a breast upward as he lifted her to his mouth. Taima’s warm lips closed over the pert tip, his tongue laved it, circling, flicking, tasting. She rested her head on his shoulder as he strode ashore toward a grassy area beneath the trees. The light breeze against her wet skin did little to cool the heated response Taima had ignited within her.