Savage Winter (3 page)

She smiled sweetly and pulled his head down to rest against her breasts. “I was frightened of you that day. Not because I thought you would harm me, but because I had never before felt so funny inside when a man looked at me.”

Windhawk raised his head, and Joanna saw his eyes were shining brightly. “Did you love me even then, Joanna?”

“Oh, yes, my dearest love. I loved you even then,” she whispered.

Windhawk pulled her forward and smoothly removed her doeskin gown. Shortly thereafter, her undergarments followed. His eyes moved over her naked body, and he drew in his breath at how perfect she was. Her legs were long and shapely—her hips were well-rounded, and her waist was tiny. Her breasts were firm, with tiny rose tips. His body trembled with anticipation as she raised her arms to him.

Windhawk stripped off his breechcloth and pulled her tightly against him.

Joanna shuddered in delight when his lips caressed her, as he breathed her name over and over. Her fingers laced in his ebony hair, then moved slowly down his shoulder to the corded muscles she felt across his back.

Windhawk’s hard flesh fused to Joanna’s silken skin, and a sweet longing took over her reasoning. She was more than ready to receive the thrust of his virility. And his body trembled with hunger as he felt the soft, silken sheath of Joanna’s inner core.

As they made love beneath the pine tree, Joanna thought the birds had never sung so sweetly. No bed of satin could be
as soft as the grass they lay upon. No room in the grandest palace could rival the canopy of bright blue sky above them. Not even the most expensive French perfume could match the scent of the hundreds of wildflowers that were in bloom.

The kiss of the soft, gentle breeze cooled their overheated bodies. As Windhawk whispered words of his undying love in Joanna’s ear, she was carried away by his passion. Her desire was boundless as he drove his throbbing manhood into her body again and again.

Joanna’s heart soared on wings of love as her husband reintroduced her to the world of beauty and love that the two of them always found in each other’s arms. She knew that their love was the deep and lasting kind. Neither time nor distance could ever erase their feelings for each other. From the day they had first met, both Windhawk and Joanna had felt a oneness, as if they had always known each other. At first, it had been an unsettling feeling to Joanna, but she had finally come to accept it.

Joanna closed her eyes, feeling so close to Windhawk that it was almost as if she were an extension of his body. She wondered how they could have been born worlds apart and still be so right for each other.

A sweetness burned deep inside her. It was like pain, and yet beyond pain…a raging, sensuous feeling that seemed to rob her of her reasoning power. Windhawk had the ability to make her whole body feel as though it was burning with a slow, warm, lingering fire. She heard him murmuring her name softly, and her body answered his in total satisfaction.

The smile he gave her melted her heart when she curled up in his arms. They both watched the branches of the pine tree overhead swaying gently with the breeze.

“I am so happy, Windhawk,” she said, moving her lips across his cheek. “If it is possible for one to obtain total happiness, I have done so.”

Closing his eyes, he clasped her tightly against him. “If I have the power, I will see that you never know an unhappy
day, Joanna.” He picked up the bear-claw necklace which she always wore about her neck. He had given it to her the night he had made her his wife.

Joanna saw him frown and knew instinctively that his thoughts were troubled. She realized he was again remembering when she had left him and wished she knew how to erase all his doubts.

“If I ever leave you again, Windhawk, you will know I no longer want to be with you. But that will never happen. You should know by now that I will always love you.”

She noticed when she looked into his dark eyes that they still held a hint of doubt. “You gave up so much to stay with me, Joanna. Perhaps the time will come when you will regret leaving behind the world you knew.”

“I left nothing behind, Windhawk. All I will ever want can be found right here in your arms.”

“Joanna, if you ever do leave me again, it would be far kinder if you would first take my life. I have this weakness that you have brought into my heart. Before I met you, I feared nothing…now I fear the loss of your love more than I fear death itself.”

Joanna held him to her, wishing she could erase all his doubts. “Windhawk, my joy is in bringing you happiness. Will you still doubt me when my back is stooped with age and my hair is as white as She Who Heals, the old medicine woman?”

He chuckled and held her close to him. “You sorely tempt me to wait around to watch as your glorious hair changes and fades in color.”

She rested her face against his smooth chest. “If God, in his generosity, grants me the time, I will grow old with you, my dearest, dearest love,” she told him.

“You have but to hold my hand, Joanna. Together, we will walk this land and find a happiness that has been denied to many.”

“I am happy, Windhawk.”

He crushed her in his arms, knowing that he wished for
nothing more in life than to keep her happy. “If you are happy, then I feel joy, Joanna. When you smile, my heart is gladdened. Help me to know you will not ever leave me.”

She pulled back and framed his face with her hands, smiling slightly. “You will never be rid of me, Windhawk. Never!”

He could feel the softness of her skin and it brought a pain to his heart. “I will never want you to be anyplace that I cannot reach out and touch you,” he told her.

It was early August. There had been very little rain and the grasses of the prairie were brown and brittle. The hot wind did little to cool the burning heat of the sun, which beat down on the large group of Blackfoot people, who were riding in a southwestern direction.

The people of the Blood Blackfoot tribe were moving to their summer village on the vast prairies, following the trail of the buffalo. It was a ritual that had taken place for many hundreds of years. In fact, Sun Woman, Windhawk’s mother, had told Joanna that in the years before the first white man had brought horses to this country the Blackfoot had followed the restless buffalo trail on foot.

They had been traveling for over a week now, leaving behind the tall mountains and the lush, green valleys of the winter camp. Every once in a while Joanna’s eyes would search the distant foothills, and she would wish they were traveling in those mountains so she could find some relief from the grueling, punishing heat. She felt the heat more than the Indians did, and she wondered if she would ever become accustomed to this nomadic life they led.

Her heart swelled with love for this land. Once she had walked here as an intruder and a stranger, wanting nothing
more than to return to the world as she had known it. Now she felt she had earned the right to be a part of this land, because she was Windhawk’s woman.

She drew rein to slow Fosset’s pace, then gazed sideways at Sun Woman. A smile curved Joanna’s lips and was returned by the older woman.

“You seem to be happy today, my daughter. I believe you bloom like the wildflowers.”

Joanna didn’t answer right away, but instead studied Sun Woman’s face. Windhawk’s mother was still a very attractive woman. Her iron-gray hair was pulled back and bound with a leather strap. She was taller than Joanna, and she always carried herself straight and proud. The Blackfoot people admired and respected Sun Woman. She was a powerful influence on her people. There had been a time when Sun Woman had resented Joanna, but that was before Joanna had proven to the older woman that she was worthy of her friendship and of her son’s love. It was often Sun Woman’s way to be stern and withdrawn, but Joanna knew that inside she was a very loving woman, and Joanna had come to love her a great deal.

“If I seem to bloom, it is because I am so happy, my mother. My days are filled with useful tasks, and I was just thinking that I am a true Blackfoot now.”

Sun Woman nodded. “I would like to see the day you bloom from carrying my grandchild within your body. You and my son have been together for many moons now. I see no reason why you have not conceived.”

Joanna looked into her mother-in-law’s dark eyes. “What if I am barren and cannot have a child?” she asked, expressing her secret fears. It had been nagging at her that she had not yet conceived. Joanna knew Windhawk wanted a child very badly, and she was troubled that she hadn’t, thus far, been able to give him a baby.

Sun Woman very rarely laughed, but she did now because of Joanna’s remark. “My son is a very virile man—he keeps
you on his mat much of the time. I think it will not be long until I hold my first grandson in my arms.”

Joanna blushed at Sun Woman’s remark and lowered her head, which only caused Windhawk’s mother’s laughter to deepen.

Joanna and Windhawk had tried so hard to have a child. What if she did prove to be barren? Would Windhawk turn to another woman to give him the son he wanted so much? It was not unusual for a Blackfoot warrior to take more than one wife. Joanna knew she would never stand idly by while Windhawk brought another woman into their lodge. No, she told herself, Windhawk had told her he would never take another wife, and she believed him.

The dust from the lead horses caused Joanna to cough, and her eyes stung from the particles of dirt that sifted into them. As the morning progressed, the summer heat seemed to intensify. By midday it was almost unbearable.

Joanna was fully aware that She Who Heals kept a watchful eye on her. She knew the old medicine woman was remembering the time when Joanna had lost her sight from snow blindness. How dear these people of the Blackfoot tribe were to her! They had opened their hearts to her, letting her know she was one of them.

Occasionally, Joanna would have to check Fosset’s pace, or he would outdistance the other horses with his powerful gait. She could feel rivulets of perspiration running down between her shoulder blades and knew she must look a sight, since her face was streaked with dust. She would be glad when they finally reached the new village site.

Joanna’s hair was blowing free, and she lifted the heavy tresses off her neck, hoping she would feel cooler. She was glad she had exchanged her knee-length moccasins for ankle-length ones and was wearing a sleeveless gown. Glancing about her, Joanna noted the women and children who were riding beside her. She knew them all very well—most of them were like family to her. There was She Who Heals, to whom
Joanna owed her life and her sight; Gray Fox’s two wives, who were both her good friends; and, of course, Windhawk’s lovely sister, Morning Song, whom Joanna adored. The young Indian maiden was sweet-tempered and loving. Joanna had rarely heard her raise her voice in anger.

There were many women and children traveling on foot, since some of the poor didn’t have horses. The families with horses slowed their progress to match the pace of those who had to walk. The sick and ailing were allowed to ride on a travois horse. The travois were made of wood and rawhide and were pulled by horses, which allowed the Blackfoot to easily transport their belongings from one place to another.

Joanna scanned the distant valley, looking for signs of the other Blackfoot tribes that would be joining the Bloods in their summer camp. Most of the warriors had ridden on ahead, but several had remained with the main body to protect the women and children should they encounter any unforeseen danger. Sun Woman had told Joanna the summer would not only be a season of hard work, but also a time for visiting relatives and friends whom they hadn’t seen since the summer before.

Joanna looked forward to the summer camp because she would be reunited with her friend Amanda, who had been captured by the Piegan Blackfoot at the same time as Tag. Windhawk had rescued her along with Tag, but Amanda was now married to Tall Bear, a member of the Blood Blackfoot tribe, and was very happy. Joanna had heard that Amanda was expecting a baby any day, and while she was happy for her, she was also a bit envious.

Joanna shifted her weight, trying to find a comfortable position. Finally, in desperation, she decided to walk beside Fosset for a while to exercise her cramped legs. When she dismounted, Sun Woman followed suit. As they walked along beside the horses, they were soon joined by several of the other women.

“How far is it until we camp for the night, my mother?” Joanna asked.

“I am told that we reach the summer camp just before nightfall.”

“I will be glad when we get there. It is hot, and I am weary of riding.”

“We are about to have company,” Sun Woman said, watching the dust cloud that rose ahead of them. The intruders were still too far away from them to be able to tell whether they were friend or foe.

Joanna noticed that the warriors who rode with them had become alert. Gray Fox, who rode beside his wives, deftly strung his bow and called out for Joanna and Sun Woman to mount their horses. When Windhawk was away, Gray Fox, as war chief, was in charge. As Joanna mounted Fosset, she became aware that all the warriors were now armed and had formed a protective barrier around the women and children.

Tense moments passed as everyone waited to see who the riders were.

Joanna looked at her mother-in-law apprehensively and watched as Sun Woman’s worried frown relaxed into a smile. “There is no cause for alarm—it is Windhawk and several of his warriors.”

Joanna could now clearly see Windhawk’s giant horse, Puh Pom, bearing down on them, and her heart lightened. She hadn’t seen him in three days, and she was glad that he would be rejoining her.

When Windhawk drew even with them, instead of coming straight to Joanna, he rode up to Gray Fox. Joanna watched as the two men talked for a moment before Windhawk’s gaze rested on her. His face was solemn as he moved to her side.

At first, he said nothing, only scanned her face. Her heart seemed to swell inside her when his dark eyes sent her a silent message of love. How magnificent he looked! Because of the heat, he wore nothing but a breechcloth. The muscles in his body were taut and firm. His hair glistened blue-black in the sunlight.

“I have missed you,” she told him.

She noticed his eyes softened before he turned away to speak to Sun Woman. Joanna couldn’t hear what he said to his mother, but whatever it was, Sun Woman nodded her head in agreement. Without a word to Joanna, Windhawk reached over and lifted her from her horse and placed her in front of him on his giant horse.

“What are you doing?” she asked, as several of the women giggled at their chief’s daring display, while the men cheered loudly.

Puh Pom reared up on his hind legs, protesting at the extra weight, but Windhawk easily controlled the steed with his powerful leg muscles.

“I am taking you somewhere special so we can be alone,” he whispered in her ear. It had been over two weeks since Windhawk and Joanna had been alone together, and she could hear the impatience in his voice.

Joanna leaned her head back against Windhawk’s chest and closed her eyes. The powerful horse raced across the prairie and the ground thundered beneath his flying hooves. Soon, the others were left far behind, to be lost from sight.

Joanna looked up into Windhawk’s face and saw he was watching her through veiled lashes. “Everyone will know what you have on your mind, Windhawk. Could you not have chosen a less dramatic way of carrying me off?” she asked, feeling embarrassed that the whole tribe had witnessed their chief’s antics.

Windhawk smiled at the reproach he heard in her voice. “The women all know what I have in mind for you. They probably wish their husbands would carry them away as I have my wife. As for my warriors, they will think I am a very fortunate man.”

Joanna’s mouth eased into a smile. “I would like to see Gray Fox perform that deed with his two wives.”

Windhawk’s lips brushed her forehead. “Let Gray Fox worry about his wives, while I take care of mine.” He shifted Joanna’s weight so she was sitting across his lap.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“That is a surprise, inquisitive one.” His hand drifted down to rest against Joanna’s thigh and she felt a deep longing to be with him. His head dipped down and tasted the sweetness of her lips, but Joanna turned her head away and laughed aloud, teasing him. “What you have in mind cannot be performed while riding a horse, Windhawk.”

He raised a dark eyebrow inquiringly. “So, woman, you issue me a challenge? I find it hard not to prove to you that the deed could easily be accomplished if we both put our minds to it.”

Joanna laughed so hard she felt tears in her eyes. “I think that would be even beyond our skills,” she replied between peals of laughter. “Still,” she said, smiling mischievously, “the idea does have its merits.”

Windhawk’s eyes sparkled with amusement. Without ever breaking his mount’s stride, he turned Joanna around so she was straddling the horse.

“What are you doing?” she asked, struggling against the firm hand that gripped her waist, pulling her tightly against him.

“I believe I am going to prove to you that I can have you anytime and anywhere I choose,” he said, laughing against her ear. He loved the way Joanna’s cheeks turned a delicate pink tinge.

He easily raised her doeskin gown and pushed her undergarments aside.

“Windhawk! NO!” Joanna renewed her struggling until he gripped her around the waist and lifted her up, then set her down on his pulsating manhood.

Joanna was unable to do any more than draw a shuddering breath as he penetrated deeply inside her. She threw her head back when his lips settled on her arched neck.

“Shall I stop, Joanna?” he whispered.

“No,” her voice was almost a whisper as he plunged deeper into her female core. Windhawk groaned as he lifted Joanna up and pushed her against him in a slow, mind-destroying
movement. The movements of the horse were smooth and even, and Windhawk matched his movements to Puh Pom’s.

His strong hands gripped Joanna about the waist, and she groaned as he took her to a new plane of delight. With each forward plunge he made into her body, she caught her breath. She wasn’t aware of anything but the burning urgency that Windhawk had awakened in her.

For Joanna, this was a new, exciting adventure into the pleasures of the body. Her head fell back against the hard wall of Windhawk’s chest, and he sprinkled kisses over her upturned face.

“Joanna,” he whispered, slipping back into the way he had spoken her name when they first met. Joanna had often noticed that when he was moved by their lovemaking he would call her Joanna.

She could feel the excitement building with the tempo of Puh Pom’s pounding hooves. Her body quaked uncontrollably. Windhawk’s body shuddered, and he clasped Joanna tightly to him until the tremors in both of them subsided. Her head fell forward as she tried to catch her breath. She felt his lips move to her ear.

“You make me feel so alive, Joanna. When I am not with you, I feel this emptiness inside. When I am with you, I want to keep you beneath me.”

She smiled and threw her head back, causing her red-gold hair to fan out across his shoulder. Windhawk caught his breath at the sparkle in her eyes. She reached up her hand and touched his cheek.

“I love you so much, Windhawk. I sometimes wish that we could be alone, with no responsibilities to anyone but ourselves. Do you think that sounds selfish?”

Windhawk noticed that Puh Pom had halted, and he dismounted with Joanna in his arms. He pushed a curl out of her face and looked deeply into her eyes.

“It is not selfish, Joanna, but I have a great many who depend on me for guidance.”

She sighed and rested her head against his chest. “Yes,
Windhawk, I know what you say is true, but it would be nice if we could spend more time alone.”