She smiled and signed, "As are you."
"I am not."
"Yes, you are," she returned briefly, then added, "I have never known a man as masculine as you, and, at first, I admit you scared me. But, now I adore you. Please, I do not understand what is happening to me. I feel as though I am ready to burst into flames."
In response, he shut his eyes briefly. "I should tell you first about me before we commit the act of love," he signed, "but I think not. Nothing is more important than what is between us now, at this moment and in this time. You should know what I am saying when I tell you I want to take you as my wife: I am promising to give you all the protection that is within me to give. I am also freely promising you, on my sacred word, that I will give you all of the love in my heart. Only to you. I know of your white man's faith from my friends who are medicine men, and I understand your God allows a man to take only one wife. So it will be.
"You should know, too, that you, with your kind ways and big heart, have brought love to me again. I thought I was lost, and, until you came into my life, I did not know it would be possible to ever feel love again for anybody or anything. And yet, I love you so completely, I would defy both man or beast to have you and keep you with me so long as I am alive.
"I commit myself to you," he continued with sign. "Now. Always, whether you decide to keep me as your husband or not."
Sharon reached up to take his face into her hands, and, with one of her fingers, she traced the braid on his left side, then caressed one of his ears in much the same manner as he had done to her earlier. She watched with pleasure as she beheld the light of passion filling his eyes.
Smiling up at him, she signed, "I care not what is in your past, but I will listen when you feel it is right to tell me. I am glad of your past, my heroic husband. It is not the opposite, and this is because it has made you what you are at this moment, and I love you. And, as you have sworn your allegiance to me, let me assure you I will love you as my husband, and only you, so long as we are married and for all my life. And, I hope we will have many children, whom I will strive to love as greatly as I love you. I will do all that is within me to keep our home and you happy. I only ask you to forgive me my past."
"I already have," he signed. "It matters not to me because I have seen the beauty of your heart."
"What do you mean, 'you already have'?"
He didn't answer. He merely shook his head, and, bending down toward her, he kissed her gently. But, even this, a gentle kiss, turned quickly passionate. And, as he broke off the kiss on her lips to extend it elsewhere, over her cheeks, up to her eyes, kissing each one of them, even up to the part in her hair, Sharon felt herself surrender to his mastery.
****
Strikes Fast had never felt so much love for a woman. Was it because she was so different from him in skin color and customs? No. He knew exactly what it was: it was her heart. Gentle in nature, she was yet determined to shower her love upon even a man such as he. Even in the face of fear, she had never faltered to show him respect and honor. And, he didn't deserve it; he knew he didn't.
Yet, they were man and wife now, and he'd meant every word of commitment he'd said to her. He began their lovemaking by raining kisses upon her face, then gradually he scooted down lower, his lips finding the tender spots on her neck, then he pressed on downward, his kisses ranging lower and lower toward her breasts, kissing each soft and plump mound even through the material of her dress.
He was ready for her, but he wasn't certain she was ready for him. And so, he tried to push her dress aside, but, oddly, he found it was almost impossible to take it off without tearing the dress. Rising up slightly onto his forearms, he grinned at her and signed, "You wear strange clothes. And, they are not easily removed."
"Hmmm…" was all she said. Nothing more.
He then asked with signs, "How does a man take off your clothing?"
She wiggled and scooted under him, further exciting him. But, then she came to lie on her side. Reaching behind her, she indicated the tiny fastenings at the back of her dress, and, reaching around to them, she unhooked one of the enclosures. Then, gazing over her shoulder at him, she signed, "I will need your help to undo all of these. This is how the dress comes off."
Strikes Fast understood at once, and, being glad to help undo these little hooks, he quickly set himself to releasing the clasps from the very top of the dress to just below the waist. But, he was surprised when he at last released her from the dress to find another item of clothing, white in color, beneath the outer dress.
Looking up at her, he grinned, and he signed, "Like a great forest, a man could get lost in your clothing."
She giggled, the sound delightful to his ears. "Those are a chemise and petticoats," she explained, but he didn't understand since she spoke in English.
Once he took these away, however, there were still more garments beneath. One was a slip-like garment and the other looked a little like frilly leggings. These he removed as well as he was able without tearing her underclothing; he even gently took off her boots and stockings.
She had sat up to help him, but he'd gently, yet firmly laid her back onto the warmth of the robe. It was his duty to disrobe her, not the opposite.
And, then it was done, and, while he was still at her feet, he glanced up to behold the feast of her loveliness. And, she was beautiful, with her tiny waist, full hips and pert breasts.
He was now even more ready for their lovemaking. Yet, he could wait. What was more important was to give her pleasure, and, with the beauty of their passion in the act of love, bind the two of them as one.
Before he scooted up and over her body, however, he rubbed her feet, listening to her moans of pleasure, the tiny sounds affecting him greatly. Would he be able to wait?
Scooting his way up her body, he massaged her calves and her thighs, and, when he reached that feminine place between her thighs, he began to love her in earnest. Leaving his hand right there, he brought himself up to her so his face was over her breasts, and, with his lips, he paid tribute to the gentle mounds, while his hand continued to massage her in that one special place.
And, when she began to move in rhythm with his hand, he rose up over her and kissed her as gently as possible as he became one with her in body.
As soon as they were one in body, he stopped all movement, letting her squirm around him while he sought to hold himself back from meeting his pleasure. And, when her movement became quicker and more exaggerated, he began to dance with her, until, all at once he felt her release, and, as he gloried in the gentle cries of pleasure from her lips, he released himself to her at the same time as she tripped over the ultimate edge of desire.
But, something else happened as they released themselves one with the other. He felt himself join with her spiritually, and the utter closeness between them was an experience he had never expected to have, ever. He was well aware of when she became united with him also, and became a part of him.
And, in that moment, as quick as it was, they merged together, one life so close to the other, that it was difficult to distinguish one from the other. Never in his entire life had he ever felt so close to another human being. And, in this very precious moment, he rejoiced; for the tiny beat of a moment in time, short as it was, he felt almost human again.
