Elizabeth’s pleasure bubbled from deep within as Strong Heart enfolded her in his solid arms and showered heated kisses over one breast and then the other. Anchored fiercely against him, in an embrace long and sweet, she was soaring—she was thrilling. She reached around and placed her fingers on his muscular buttocks, and urged him even more deeply within her.
And again he kissed her—a blazing, searing kiss that left Elizabeth weak with a delicious languor. She clung to him, now in a torrid embrace, the air heavy with the inevitability of pleasure.
Tremors ran down Strong Heart’s back and perspiration laced his brow, the bliss drenching him with warmth. He moved in steady strokes inside her, feeling the tightness of her encircling his throbbing member.
It was that tightness that he was answering, sending him to a world that was far from the sadness of this land of sudden heartache and death. He was delirious with sensation, feeling the last vestige of his rational mind floating away.
He pressed himself closer to her moist body and plunged more deeply inside her. Soon their bodies jolted and quivered, then grew quiet, yet still entwined.
“We are the only two people in the universe tonight,” Elizabeth whispered, her hands skimming his perspiration dampened back. “There is no one else, Strong Heart. No one.”
Strong Heart looked down at her, smiling. In the light of the fire, her body gleamed golden. He ran his hand across her curves. “If I died tonight, it would be with a smile on my face,” he whispered, then again drew her into his arms and gave her a soft kiss. Their tongues touched as Elizabeth slightly parted her lips.
* * *
The moon was casting shadows across the land as Earl looked from the window. He felt the strangest, God awful loneliness tonight without Elizabeth. He had gone to the prison today and had checked with Sheriff Nolan, and the posse had still not returned with any sort of answer.
Hope was dwindling within Earl’s heart that she would be found alive. And he felt as though he had let her down by not having searched for her himself. He had probably been wrong to listen to the sheriff’s advice.
The sound of a horse approaching drew Earl away from the window, and he rushed to the door and swung it open. His heart pounded and his mouth went dry when he recognized Sheriff Nolan riding toward him. Surely the sheriff had some kind of news about Elizabeth, or why else would he be way out here this time of night?
Earl stood on the porch, clasping and unclasping his hands as he waited until the sheriff reined in and dismounted. Nolan ambled toward him, his hands resting on the heavy pistols at his hips.
“Posse’s returned,” Sheriff Nolan said, as he came eye to eye with Earl. He spat a long stream of tobacco over his right shoulder, then turned his gaze back to Earl. “They’ve given up. There’s no sign of your daughter or the escaped renegade anywhere. Sorry, but the men refuse to look any longer. Those who have wives have gone home to them. Those who are itchin’ to bed up with a whore, are probably smellin’ their cheap perfume even now. I thought I owed it to you to come and tell you the news. Now I’d best get back to more important business.” He turned and began to saunter away.
Anger quickly welled up inside Earl. He stomped to the sheriff and stopped him,
swinging him around so that their eyes met again. “More important business?” he said, his voice threatening. “You call my daughter unimportant? You give up on finding her this easy? I think you’d best rethink things, sheriff, or I’ll—”
Sheriff Nolan sneered at Earl and knocked his hands away from his shoulders. “Or you’ll what?” he said, thrusting his bearded face into Earl’s.
Earl swallowed hard and took a step back. “Surely there are other men that you can get together to continue the search? I’ll personally lead the posse. I’ve got to find my daughter. If you can spare the men, I can damn well spare the time!”
Sheriff Nolan pulled his beard thoughtfully, then nodded. “That’s fine with me. Come into town first thing in the morning. I’ll see what I can do.”
Sighing heavily, Earl nodded. He wiped the perspiration from his brow as the sheriff rode away. Then he turned with a start when Morris came out of the shadows, his gaze on the sheriff’s back.
“I heard everything,” Morris said, turning his eyes to Earl. “I don’t think you have any business leadin’ a posse. You’ll never find your daughter, and might even get yourself killed in the bargain.”
“I’m going to go, so save your breath,” Earl said, turning to walk back up the steps. He stopped and gave Morris a stern stare. “And I expect you to cooperate. While I’m gone, I’m leavin’ the business in your hands totally.”
Morris didn’t answer.
Chapter 15
Come, live with me, and be my love!
—MARLOWE
Several days later, with everyone’s feelings still raw since the burial, Strong Heart felt that it was still too soon to take warriors to seek vengeance for the devastation and deaths at the hands of the raiders.
But the village was being restored quickly, with all of the braves who were healthy enough working.
Elizabeth stood near Strong Heart as he helped construct a longhouse. She watched several young men carve figures into six-foot-tall cedar logs to support the roof.
“You are admiring the handiwork of my people?” Strong Heart said, moving to Elizabeth’s side. He leaned on a tall, heavy wooden mallet that he had been using to pound cedar poles into the ground. “Some are carving the legendary guardian spirits of our tribe. Others are carving the cedar log into a story pole, which records the history of the Suquamish to instruct future generations.”
Elizabeth glanced from one pole to another. On some of the poles were a number of carved toads, bears, blackfish, and other spirit guide symbols. But the ones that showed a red-tailed hawk, carved in detail at the top, drew her most keen regard. They looked real, as if they could take flight.