Tender savage (42 page)

Viper rose up on his elbows, then leaned down to kiss Erica's cheeks and eyelashes sweetly before giving her another lingering kiss, which was still filled with a promise of passion. His eyes were accustomed to the darkness now, but he still could not make out her face clearly. Finally deciding that was a blessing, he made his request.

"There is something I want you to do for me," he began.

Misunderstanding his mood, Erica responded with a throaty giggle. "Why Viper, what is there left to do?"

The handsome brave had to laugh, too, then. "Perhaps nothing new, but we can do everything again. But first, I want you to listen to me carefully. I was not talking about making love."

He had grown so serious. Erica was frightened. She did not want him to talk of death, for that would be too sad to bear. "Oh please, don't—"

"Just listen," Viper commanded firmly. "I love you with all my heart and soul. I want only what is best for you. I want you to have a happy life, the life you would have had had we never met."

Erica could see Viper's face no more clearly than he could see hers, but she knew his expression would be as serious as his tone. "Without you, I will never be happy," she replied sadly. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled

over her lashes, but she made no move to brush them away.

Viper leaned down to kiss her, his affection flavored with the salty taste of her tears. "I will be with you always. Erica," he whispered as fervently as a prayer. "I will be in the warmth of the sun, the beauty of the stars, the gentle whisper of the wind. You will see my love painted across the sky in the bright colors of each sunrise and sunset. After each rain, I will put a rainbow in the sky to make you smile. I will teach birds to sing my love songs, and each spring I will cover the earth with a fragrant blanket of wildflowers so you will know I have not forsaken you. Keep me alive in your heart, my beloved, and we will be together always."

He felt her chest heave as she drew in a deep breath, but before she could give in to the torrent of tears he was certain his bittersweet words of farewell had inspired, he lowered his mouth to hers. As his tongue slid between her trembling lips, he began to move his hips with a fierce rhythm, bringing her swiftly to the brink of rapture this time. He took full advantage of the passion that flowed between them, eagerly lifting her spirit aloft with his knowing that the warm afterglow of this far more violent loving would restore a blissful calm to her soul. When she again lay relaxed in his arms, he explained the last part of his request.

"I want you to marry Mark, today, if it can be arranged."

"What?" Erica could not believe her ears. "How could you ask such an imp)ossible thing of me?"

"Are you refusing to grant my last request?" Viper asked with a touch of his usual teasing attitude.

"Yes! I won't do it. How could you possibly expect me to marry him when I am so in love with you?"

Viper rolled over slowly with Erica still cradled in his arms, bringing her up on top of him where she could lie comfortably upon his chest as they discussed her future. His hands moved up and down her spine in a soothing motion he hoped would prove relaxing. "I will not pretend that I like or admire him, because I do not, but he will make a good husband for you. I want you to have a family and be happy. I told you that. I do not want you to SF)end the rest of your life all alone."

"I would never be truly alone," Erica reminded him

softly. "You promised to be with me always."

"Yes, and I will. Mark knows you love me, and it does not matter to him. When he makes love to you, he will know you are thinking of me. He will expect that and forgive it. No other man ever will."

Erica gave his request the careful thought she knew it deserved, but still couldn't grant it. "I don t want to make love with another man, nor do I want another husband. No. I won't do it."

"You are only seventeen years old," Viper pointed out wisely, "and very pretty, too. You may not think you will ever want another husband, but one day you will. I should be the one to choose him for you."

Erica did not reply. She could feel the steady beat of his heart and did not want to talk of spending the rest of her life with another man when she loved him so dearly. "I wish," she began slowly.

"No," Viper cautioned as he clasped her more tightly. "We can change nothing. Now you are to obey me in this, Erica. Mark would not have let me have you tonight, had I not promised to g^ve you to him at dawn. I will not go back on my word, and you cannot either."

That Mark had made such a despicable bargain revolted Erica completely. "How can you ask me to marry a man who would force you to make such a heartbreaking trade?"

Viper diuckled to himself, then decided to admit the truth. "I was the one who forced him to make the bareain, not the other way around. This was my idea, not his, out I would have traded away my soul to have spent tonight with you. And it would have been worth it."

Erica wound her arms around his neck to press close as she kissed him. "I will love you forever. Viper. I will."

"You will marry Mark," the determined brave insisted before her delicious kiss sent all coherent thought from his mind. "It has already been decided, but for the rest of the night, you are still mine." That he returned her abundant love in full measure was apparent in his every caress and kiss. He made love to her again, this time with a playful sweetness, and as always, the pleasure they shared was rich and deep. He could not see the joy in her expression until the sky began to lighten in the east and filled the small house with a dreamlike aura. Then he knew their

tragically brief marriage was at its end.

"It is time to go," Viper stated simply, a world of sorrow deepening the usually mellow tone of his voice. While it was the most difficult thing she had ever had to do, Erica left his arms and pulled the simple buckskin dress over her head. She fluffed out her hair with her fingers, but she had kicked off her moccasins and had to hunt a moment for them. When she turned back toward Vif)er, he was already standing by die door, fully dressed and holding the neatly folded blanket. Before she reached his side they heard Mark's insistent knock. Viper whispered a reply, then held out his hand.

As the lovely girl's fingers touched his, the Indian could no longer pretend a composure he did not feel. With a forceful grasp he pulled her into his arms, then, turning swiftly, forced her back against the door. Before Erica could utter more than an astonished gasp. Viper's mouth covered hers in a savage kiss, his whole body shuddering with a wild rejection of the terrible blow fate had dealt them. Casting the blanket aside, he pushed Erica's dress above her hips, freed himself from his buckskins, and took her with an all-consuming passion that proclaimed his anguish at their parting more eloquently than words ever could. She clung to him, eagerly accepting the depth of the sorrow he would never express with tears, until the life force of his last act of love had finally been spent within her. When he released her and hastily pulled her dress back into place. Erica drew him back into her arms for one last lingering kiss of farewell.

Viper did not apologize ior being so impulsive, since he saw no need to ask Erica's forgiveness for the desperate emotion that had prompted their final union. Readjusted his clothing, grabbed up the blanket, again took her hand, and then opened the door. With an anxious glance he made certain Mark was still alone, then he slipped through the door and drew Erica out beside him.

Viper handed Erica the blanket that had proven to be so useful, then offered Mairk his hand. After an awkward hesitation, the officer took it. He had been standing right outside the little house and could imagine only one activity that could have made the wooden door rattle with such a steady rhythm. While he was disgusted that the

brave would treat Erica so disgracefully, he was too eager to return the man to the Indians' comp)ound to tell him so.

"I am giving Erica to you," Viper stated solemnly as he shook Mark's hand. "She is the only woman I have ever loved. She is a great prize, and you must treat her well."

"I always have," Mark replied, and, insulted that the brave thought such a demand necessary, he ended their handshake abruptly. "We must hurry. You've been away too long as it is."

Vifjer did not turn back to look at Erica as he left the house, and she covered her mouth with her hands to keep from crying out as he and Mark walked away. As he passed into the shadows she saw the angry red welts where her fingernails had raked his shoulders and wondered how he would explain those telltale mairks to others. That was th^ first time passion had so swept away her reason that she had left her mark on him, and it broke what was left of her heart to think it would also be the last.

When Mark returned to his tent, he was disappointed to find Erica sound asleep. She had tossed the buckskin dress over the end of her cot, and from the glimpse he had of one bare shoulder, he was certain she was sleeping in the nude. He had expected her to be awake so they could make their plans, but he knew she had slept no more than he had that night. While he was tired, he doubted he would be able to sleep, but the moment he stretched out on his cot, his mind slipped readily into the world of dreams.

It was nearly eleven when Mark awakened Erica. He had already spoken with the Reverend Riggs, and the veteran missionary had agreed to perform their wedding ceremony during the noon recess of the trials. "I'm sorry to wake you, but we're to be married in 2in hour, and I want you to have time to bathe and dress."

Erica raised her blanket to cover her breasts as she sat up. Far from refreshed, she felt completely drained, as though she had spent the night weeping uncontrollably rather than making love. "You want to be married today?" she asked hesitantly.

Mark tried to control his temper, but failed. "I had the word of that damn Indian that he would convince you to become my wife, so I'll not debate the issue with you. You must hurry, as we've no time to waste. The steamboat has

already docked. The provisions will be unloaded within a few hours, and we must be on board when it leaves. Since it will simplify our travel arrangements, I want to make you my wife as quickly as possible. If your fanny is filled with splinters, then I'll dig them out now, but you are going to marry me today,"

At first Erica had no idea why Mark would make such a ridiculous remark about splinters. Then she recalled that he had been standing on the opposite side of the door while Viper had made love to her the last time. She blushed deeply at that memory, but managed to respond demurely. "I'm sure I don't have any splinters."

"That's good, although I'm surpris^. Eros, my footl That brave is more satyr than god. It makes me sick to think I agreed to his bargain, but I expect you to keep his promise about marrying me, although I doubt he would have."

"Viper's word is good," Erica insisted proudly. "He is a passionate man, and I'm sorry if we ishocked you, but it is not every day that someone so proud as he is forced to give away the wife he loves dearly."

"I doubt the savage is even capable of love, but that is neither here nor there. Keep the dress he gave you, his bow and rifle, too, but I do not want his name ever mentioned again. As far as anyone will ever know, I am the only husband you have had. You need never discuss the details of the uprising other than to describe them as unpleasant. This whole affair will be forgotten soon, and I want it to remain forgotten. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Erica agreed reluctantly, but she knew she would never forget Viper nor how desperately she loved him. "I am to be your wife, you needn't worry that I will disgrace you by talking about my love for an Indian brave in front of others."

"Thank you. I told you I considered this whole regrettable incident my fault, since I insisted upon postponing our wedding last spring, and I will do my best to put everything right now. We'll make a home for ourselves in Wilmington, and I will get leaves as often as I possibly can to be with you. When the war is over, I'm sure there will be a rush to rebuild everything that's been destroyed, and I should do very well. I'll give you a happy

life. Erica. I promised you that when we became engaged, and I'll make it happen.''

He was so earnest in his promise. Erica tried to smile. "Yes, I know you will. I'll do my best to make you happy, too." Mark left her then to allow her the privacy to dress, but Erica found it difficult to leave her cot. The fragrance that clung to her every pore was Viper's heady masculine scent rather than her own, and she didn't want to wash it away, although she knew she would have to. "I will be with you always," she whispered softly to herself, and hoping she could be as brave as he, she got up and began to prepare for her wedding day.

Erica had only the pink gown to wear as her wedding dress, and after bathing she put it on. She combed her hair in the elaborate style she knew Mark admired and gave no further thought to her appearance. Had they been wed in Wilmington in the spring, she would have had an extravagant gown and a lavish wedding attended by more than a hundred family friends, but that this ceremony would be but a simple one did not make her feel slighted. When Mark came to fetch her, she was the vision of loveliness he had hoped to find. She had scrubbed herself so clean her fair skin flowed with the pink blush of health, while her hair had dried in the sun with a glorious golden luster. If anything, the tears she had shed during the night had made the remarkable dark blue of her eyes all the more deep, and she looked as pretty as he had ever seen her.

"I have never told you how handsome you are in your uniform," Erica replied to his effusive compliments on her appearance. He was tall and handsome, and the well-tailored dark blue uniform showed off his unusual coloring to every advantage. Few men had such light hair and dark eyes, and she had always thought it an attractive combination. She laid her hand upon his sleeve as they left his tent. "Where is the wedding to take place?"

"In the tent serving as the chapel. I haven't invited more than the two men we'll need to serve as witnesses. I hope you don't mind."