CHAPTER SEVEN
Stands Strong grinned as he walked away from the beauty. So, she liked him well enough to present him with the gift of her body. But, he realized another pertinent fact: she would never have made the offer to him if she didn't already sense he might be a good mate for her. Women possessed instincts about this, and it was known to him that a wise man paid attention to a female's primeval senses.
A man was also much the same, he figured: he might desire and lie with many women—and without consequence—but he, too, could primordially sense his equal in a woman. And, in this regard, they had much in common.
Still, for Czanna, he assumed there must be some feeling of love for him, or at least passion, for her to even entertain the idea of offering him the gift of her body.Áa,although it might appear she had proffered the suggestion out of the need for his guidance, he knew she would never have suggested it without also desiring to keep him near her.
However, it was now apparent to him why she hadn't said yes to marriage, but had asked him to agree, instead, to love without marriage.
Maybe he should rejoice in her proposition since, in defining her concept of the state of marriage, and seen from her viewpoint, she had paid him a compliment. Marriage, to her, was a loveless cause, not the realization of the spiritual enlightenment that came from two people becoming united. She also thought love was not necessarily a part of marriage, but, rather, it was a precious gift tobe bestowed to another man she desired bodily—a man other than her husband.
And, if this were so, why then should he strive to marry her when she thought real love was to be given not to her husband, but to a stranger?
However, there was a negative concept he had gleaned from her body movements and her facial expressions, and he should give some attention to this, too: not only did she consider him to be unequal to her because of their differences in culture, she also thought him to be lacking in wisdom, perhaps even intellect. It had been there in her eyes, a form of disrespect, as though she considered herself to be superior to him. It was an error—one perhaps garnered from her upbringing.
But, only a strong man, one quick in thought and in action, could protect her in this land of unpredictable weather, war parties and other dangers, where the elements could be as deadly as an enemy. Most likely she would come to realize this…if she were to remain here.
But, perhaps she hoped to return to her homeland. If she did return there, she would take a part of him with her whether he wished it to be this way or not.
What she didn't know and what he wasnotgoing to tell her was this: he would take her into the mountains regardless of desire, love affairs or marriage. He would do it simply because of his male sense of duty to the female of the species. However, he also liked her. Maybe he liked her too much. Indeed, if it were left up to him, he would have already bedded her and, by doing so, would have made her his woman.
Truth was, he didn't care what her ethic was or was not as regards marriage and love, or lack of love. To the Pikuni, as well as the Lakota way of thinking, if a man desired to bed a woman, he married her and stayed married to her.
But, he wouldn't tell her this either; it might scare her away from him when, even now, thinking as he was about her, his bloodwas pooling toward the center of his body, creating quite a masculine response.Áa,it was true: he wished to keep her with him, at least for now. But, despite her negative response to his proposal, if he were to be honest, he would admit he might like to keep her with him for a long, long time—perhaps for the rest of his life.
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On bended knee, Stands Strong leaned over the top of Czanna's head and placed his hand upon her shoulder.
"Wake up,O'tsipi Matsowá'p. Though the sky is still dark, dawn is nearing and we must be on our way."
He had positioned himself on the ground above her head, the best position in which to resist her allure. However, Czanna's high-pitched groan almost caused Stands Strong to throw away all caution and take her in his arms right now and make love to her.
But, it wasn't right. There were others here, and his actions might cause her family—if they were to awaken—to think of her in a bad way. Besides, he didn't wish her to know how much he truly desired her.
Still, when she stretched out her arms and the material of her dress pulled at her breasts, perfectly outlining each lovely mound, he experienced an instant and utterly virile response.
He shouldn't do it, he knew he shouldn't, and yet he found it almost impossible to resist leaning down over her face where he could inhale her luscious feminine scent. His senses reeled, and, positioning his face over hers, he kissed her, gently tracing her lips with his tongue. When her groan—high and feminine—reached his ears and when she raised up her arms to bring him in a little closer, he almost lost control.
Without moving away from her, however, he whispered, "Dawn is coming swiftly, and we must be on our way. Your beauty might cause me to wish to stay with you and make love to you regardless of the others in our camp, but perhaps now is not the time to teach you about lovemaking."
Again she groaned, and Stands Strong knew he had best end this while he could still maintain control over his lust. As it was, an overpowering urge to take her in his arms and have his way with her was goading him on, telling him no one would know if they made love now. And, when she brought back her head to rain kisses upon his neck, he almost consented to the urge.
Instead, he took her arms from around his neck and sat back upon his heels. Then he murmured, "Imagine, if you were my woman, with every movement of the sun, we could awaken each other as we have done this morning…and we might enjoy more than simply admiring the looks of the other."
Again she moaned, then whispered, "So, my knight, you agree to an expanded friendship with me?"
Coming once more over her, his face above her face, he murmured, "I said 'if you were my woman,' which you are not. As for agreeing to your pact, I am still wondering whether it is worth the trouble to teach you about lovemaking only to have you leave and give your knowledge about love to another." Once again, he brought his lips down to hers and kissed her, only this time he rained kisses not only upon her lips, but on the tip of her nose, her chin, her cheeks. Then, he barely breathed, "Awaken, my beauty. We must prepare to leave before the sun is up and a war party comes upon us when we are unaware."
Changing his position, he came to squat at her side and, once settled, reached down and helped her to sit up, admiring the wayward sway of her long, dark curls and the dizzying scent of her body. When she again moaned, his body reacted in a purely male way, as if he needed reminding that he was attracted to her.
He ignored his body's response, however, and, gently taking ahold of her, he turned her so her back was facing him. Then, lifting up her hair, he massaged her shoulders, following the action with wet kisses all along the breadth of her shoulders and neck, basking in the feminine scent of her.
She moaned, and he answered her in return with pure male readiness. He, however, ignored his response—at least for now.
Even though she wore layers of clothing, he could feel the texture of her skin—soft, pliant and utterly feminine—beneath his fingertips. And, her clean, alluring scent was urging him to make love to her now.
Upon this thought came another: if he were to make love to her, their agreement would be set. Strangely, he found he was unwilling to give in to her offer so easily…yet.
