Tykota's Woman (Historical Romance) (28 page)

Tomorrow, she would walk out of his life and
set him free to do what he had been chosen to
do. But tonight she would give him everything
she had.

She stepped back a pace, took off her gloves,
removed the golden snood, and loosened her
hair. Tykota stared at her when she began to
unhook her gown. She pushed it off her
shoulders to her waist, and the flickering lantern
light illuminated her bare breasts. Gently placing
her hands on either side of his face, she brought
his head to her breast.

A strangled moan came from deep inside him
as his mouth moved across her skin, his breath fanning the nipples into sharp points.
"You stoke the fire inside me until it bums out of
control, beloved."

"You once offered me a gift, Tykota. I now
give one to you. Tonight, I belong to you." She
blew out the lantern, the only light now was a
faint glow from the moon coming in the loft
door. She turned her back, saying, "I cannot
reach the rest of the hooks."

He closed his eyes, trying to gain control of
his feelings. He needed to touch her, to hold her
to him, to feel her silken body, to kiss her until
she wanted him just as much. Tykota shook his
head to clear away such thoughts. He had to
walk away from her. Now. "I cannot do this to
you."

Turning, she wound her arms around his neck
and brought her body closer to his. "It's what I
want. I ask only this night from you. It will be
our gift to each other."

Tykota's iron control snapped. He had never
had a more painful arousal. He wanted to rip off
her clothing and drive his hardness into her. He
took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he
unfastened her gown.

She turned to him as the gown floated to the
floor, and she unfastened his coat, pushing it
off his shoulders. Impatience clawed at him. All
he could think of was burying himself in
her body and finding ease for the fire that
threatened to consume him. He quickly dis posed of the rest of his clothing while she did the
same with hers.

Lifting her into his arms, Tykota carried her to
the tack room, where there was a cot for when
someone had to stay in the barn all night with an
ailing horse. His lips found hers, and he kissed
her reverently, his hand moving gently over her
breasts.

He lowered her to the cot and came down with
her, hard, muscled, bronzed skin against white
silkiness. He was on top of her, but he balanced
his weight so he would not be too heavy. His
mouth never left hers as his hand went between
her thighs, touching, caressing, feeling the warm
moistness and knowing she was ready for him.

"Makinna," he said in a husky voice.

"Yes," she breathed against his lips.

A groan started deep in his throat. "I want
you. I want all of you."

"Yes," she whispered. "I am yours tonight."

"Tomorrow-"

She placed a finger across his lips. "Tomorrow
will take care of itself. Tonight, we have each
other."

He parted her legs, gently stroking her. She
tried to pull him to her. She needed no caressing;
she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

He positioned his hard arousal, knowing he
must be gentle with her this, her first, time. She
was moist, so he carefully entered her, going in only far enough that he would not cause her
pain.

Makinna gasped and tried to move forward, to
take more of him, but he gentled her with a hand
on the small of her back. The feel of him inside
her was golden, magical, something that was
meant to be. In that moment, she knew she
belonged to him-would always belong to him.

Tykota trembled with the intensity of his
desire and love for this woman denied to him.
He resisted the urge to give her all of him,
knowing she had never been with a man, and he
was so big.

"Do not try to hurry it, beloved. Trust me to
guide you."

She arched her hips, and he bent forward,
touching his mouth to hers. His tongue went
around the shape of her lips and then darted
inside, arousing her and stealing her breath.

Makinna felt her toes curl, and she whimpered
against his mouth. She was sure she would die if
he didn't give her more of him.

He eased deeper inside her, slowly, with
control. He filled her emptiness with his
throbbing erection, joining with her as he had
only dreamed of doing.

Tykota did not move, but held himself still
inside her, trying to beat down the desire to drive
into her.

"Sweet, sweet," he murmured, gathering her
to him, holding her closely, raising her body so her breasts were crushed against the hard wall of
his chest.

He spoke some words Makinna could not
understand, but she understood the soft tone and
the huskiness of his voice.

"Tykota, I want-I need..."

"I know, I know," he breathed hotly in her ear.
"I know what you need."

He inched forward to the barrier of her
maidenhead, and again he told himself she was
not his to deflower. But she chose that moment
to arch her hips, and he broke through.

She buried her face against his shoulder, and
he lifted her chin, pushing her hair out of her
face, kissing her lips, whispering, "Let this be
the only pain I ever cause you, beloved."

On the small cot in the dusty tack room,
Tykota introduced Makinna to feelings she had
never dreamed she could feel. She clung to him,
riding a wave of impossible desire. Her mouth
received his kisses, her body received his, she
groaned when he suckled her nipples and stroked
her hair. Floating on a sea of hot passion, they
both realized that their bodies had been created
for each other.

Just when Makinna thought she could not
stand the aching tension inside her, Tykota
would satisfy that ache and create another. He
filled her, stroked the inside of her with his
thrusts, and took her to new heights when he
pulled back. Soon she understood the rhythm of his sensuous movements, and she thrust
forward and pulled back in harmony with him.

The moment was so glorious, so sweet, as he
continued to swell inside her, to give her more of
himself.

Again he murmured something in his own
language in her ear, and she turned to catch his
mouth with hers. His kiss was intoxicating as he
plunged faster and faster into her. She clung to
him, feeling as if she might die from the pressing
ache building inside her.

She gasped and trembled with surprise when
her body climaxed for him. But Tykota did not
stop. He took her to still new heights, pushing
more of himself into her, until she had received
all his length. When he pulled back and pushed
forward, he awoke still deeper sensations.

This time her body erupted with his, and they
both trembled. His lips crushed hers, and he
whispered hotly in her ear, "Corera con tomac
meamore."

Makinna felt as if she were coming out of a
silver mist. "What?" she asked, floating on a
cloud of sweetness. "What did you say?"

"My heart is yours forever, my love," he
replied.

For a long time, they held each other, neither
knowing what to say but unwilling to lose these
few precious moments they had left. Both also
knew torment. Tykota, knowing he could not live without her, and Makinna, knowing that she
had to set him free.

"My love for you is so deep, so strong, I
cannot put it into words," he said, easing off her
and lying at her side.

"I know. I feel the same."

He kissed her deeply, and she clung to him.
Finally he untangled his legs from hers and
stood. He disappeared only to return with a pail
of water. He took Makinna's hand and pulled her
to her feet, then gently, tenderly washed her. The
intimacy of the act took her breath away.

When he had finished, he helped her into her
clothing and kissed her cheek. "This type of
clothing is something I will never grow
accustomed to."

She smiled. "You seem very adept with it,
making me think you have done this many times
before."

He tilted her chin, straightening her hair and
replacing the snood. "Not like tonight, Makinna.
Never like this."

"I know." And, somehow, she did.

He ducked his head so he could see her face in
the pale moonlight filtering into the room. "You
do know I will never do this with another
woman?"

"I... do not know."

"I could never touch another woman after tonight. I would not even want to. You are all I
will ever need or want."

"Don't make that promise, Tykota." Makinna
laid her head against his shoulder, knowing that
these were the last few moments they would ever
have. "I won't hold you to it."

Something squeezed painfully at his heart, and
a fierce sense of ownership surged inside him.
She belonged to him now. "My love for you will
never change, beloved." He turned her head so
he could look into those blue, blue eyes. "Never
doubt that."

Oh, why did it have to be this way? she cried
inside, wishing she could hold on to this moment
until the end of time.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that Tykota and
Makinna had first entered the barn, and yet they
could still hear the sound of music and laughter.
The party was young yet. It was just that the two
of them had changed.

Tykota was silent as he finished hooking
Makinna's gown. He bent to kiss the back of her
neck, then turned her to face him.

"You belong to me now."

She did not bother to deny it. "Yes. I will
always belong to you."

He touched her face, his gaze soft as he looked
at each feature. "My heart will never belong to
another."

"I know."

His arms tightened around her, and he held her fiercely to him. "I do not want to spend one
day that I cannot see your face. We must be
together. I will need to leave my tribe."

She slipped out of his arms and away from
him. What she had to do was going to take all
her strength and courage. "I want you to do
something for me."

He took a step toward her, but she held up a
hand. "Promise."

"Anything."

"I want you to go back to your tribe."

"Why?"

"If you remain there, for one month, it will
give us both time to think. We can consider our
lives and what we want. If, at the end of that
month, you still feel the same way about me,
then we will talk about what we are going to do."

"I do not need a month. I know I want you
more than I want my own life."

"I feel the same way. But you must do this.
For me."

"Do not ask this of me!"

"But I do ask it of you."

He lifted her chin. "Do not send me away like
this." His gaze softened, and he spoke in his own
language. "Tutha mecata yethoa."

"What did you say?" She touched his face, her
fingers sliding along his strong jaw.

"It translates to something like, If love is true,
it will find a way."

She lay her head against his shoulder and
closed her eyes to keep from crying. "I will not
have you torn between love and duty. We must
both be very sure of what we want. If we are
meant to be together, one month is not so long
when measured against a lifetime."

His dark gaze settled on her lips. "Even now, I
want to take you back to the cot and make love
to you."

Makinna stepped away from him, because his
tone was so loving, and because she wanted the
same thing. "You must go now, tonight."

Tykota took her arm and brought her to him.
"If this is your wish, if this is some test I must
pass before you will know how deeply I love
you, I will do it."

"Perhaps it is a test. I'm not sure."

He dipped his head, and his mouth settled on
hers, stirring her desire anew. "I will see you in
one month. Then we shall never be parted
again."

He turned to leave her, and she called out to
him. "Tykota! Always remember that someone
loves you-will always love you and wish you
well."

Tykota paused and turned back to her. "That
sounds very much like a final good-bye."

Makinna laughed, trying to sound lighthearted
when her heart was breaking. "It is good-bye for
now."

"You could come back to the valley with me,
Makinna."

"No. You know I can't."

She gazed into his ebony eyes and saw what
looked like tears. But how could that be? A man
such as Tykota did not cry over a woman. Still,
she saw that his throat was working, and he
gazed upward, as if seeking control over his
emotions.

"Makinna, why do I get the feeling that I am
never going to see you again?"

She smiled and shook her head as tears spilled
down her cheeks. "Until I touch you again, I will
see you in my dreams."

He walked away from her, and she heard him
mount his horse and ride away. She listened until
she could no longer hear him.

"Carry him safely, Indian pony," she said
between sobs. "Carry him back to Valle de la
Luna."