Another Chance (34 page)

"
E …e
," he said softly, then shuttered and collapsed on her.

She kissed his nose
. "That was wonderful."

He raised his upper torso, supporting himself with his arms, and lightly bit her chin
. "You are a wild cat."

"And thee is the 'Tom' that I've longed for
."

He looked bewildered, but before she could explain, a cool breeze brushed across her naked body causing her to shiver from the cold
.

"I will get a blanket
."

"Thee can be my covering
." She tried to pull him down, but his trunk like-arms resisted all her attempts. 

"If I get cold?"

"I shall be thy covering." Her fingertips traced a pattern from his neck to the middle of his chest.

He shuddered
before smiling. "While both are enjoyable concepts, I believe a cloth covering might be helpful."

"Oh," she pouted
.

He kissed her and eased away
.

Mixed emotions ravaged him
. Sarah was not a virgin. This he knew, but her wholehearted loving surprised, no, shocked him. Again, he wondered if she had been married. Wolf removed the branches from the lean-to, checked his son, and withdrew the other bedroll. After replacing the pine boughs, he knelt next to Sarah.

"How is he?"

"He sleeps peacefully."

"I feared we might have awakened him,"
Sarah said.

"Lenape children very seldom hear what adults do
."

She lifted her arms and smiled at him
. "Come join me. I'm lonely."

After lying on his side, he spread the light woolen blanket over them, but she kicked it aside
. "I prefer thy warmth."

Desire rose in his loins as he covered her body with his
. He entered her without foreplay, but once inside he teased her by pulling in and out to increase her pleasure.

Finally, she locked her legs around him
. "Thee will not escape this time."

"I never wanted to
." Saying this, he pierced her deeper.

He gazed upon her face, enjoying the pleasure clearly showing
. Small, sweet moans of pleasure filled his ears and increased his delight. Her nipples became as hard as pebbles. "Come …with …me," she murmured.

He tightened his hold on her hips and drove again
.

She gripped his forearms and shuddered just as he came within her
. A sheen of moisture decorated her skin and enhanced her beauty. He rolled her on top of him and licked the salt from her shoulder. "Good!"

Sarah
laughed.

"Now, you can keep me warm," he said with a contented sigh
.

Bending over, she kissed him
then twisted as if escaping.

Unwilling to release her, he grabbed her buttocks and held her securely
. "No, no. You kicked off the blanket and said you would be my cover. I accept your offer."

"But …
"

Feeling shivers racing across her arms, he said, "I shall take pity on you
." He caught the edge of the blanket and eased her to her side, but remained buried within her. With a little difficulty, he spread the cover over them. "Comfortable?"

"Very," she sighed
.

He fiddled with the ends of her hair
. "Sarah?"

She looked at him, her eyes bright and showing the passion they had shared
. "Ummm?"

"
Sarah. I must ask you something."

Her fingernails touched his chest and circled his flat breast
. His stomach tensed, and his manhood flickered lightly with life.

She chuckled, obviously enjoying his reaction
.

He grasped her hand and rubbed her palm
. "Were you married?"

Sarah
leaned back, but did not break their connection. "No. Why?"

"You are not a virgin
." He kept hold of her, but his manhood diminished inside her.

"Thee knew that from when we made love before
. Why ask tonight?" She eased away.

"A Quaker woman
…" Stopping, he plowed his fingers through his short, scalp lock, severing their last link.

Sitting up, she bent her knees, placed her arms around them, and stared into the darkness
. "Let me finish thy sentence, would be a virgin until she married. For most Friends, that is true. For me, it is not." Shifting her gaze, she looked at him. "Does my lack of virginity make a difference to thee?"

He reached up and tried to pull her down
.

She shook her head and looked over at him
. "Not without an answer.”

His grip tightened on her arms
. "Most Lenape women have several lovers before they take a husband."

"Thee has not answered me
. Does my lack of virginity matter?"

Moisture filled her eyes where only moments before passion had
. The sight troubled him. He loosened his hold, and he rubbed her upper arms. "Nothing matters except what we have shared." As he spoke the words, he realized their truth. Still, he sensed she had kept something from him.

"Is thee sure?"

Her tears had dried, but one trickled down the side of her face. Reaching over, he wiped all trace of moisture away with his tongue. "Very."

She smoothed his face with kisses
.

Even in the semi-darkness, he saw the relief reflected in her countenance
. "If you don't stop, neither of us will get any sleep tonight."

"Oh
." Sarah slid away.

"Come here, woman
. I want you next to me." He twisted her hair around his wrist and gently eased her toward him.

She rubbed her nose against his, and he chuckled as he freed the lock of hair
.

"Turn on your side
."

Pressing her breasts against his chest, she asked, "Like this?"

"No. The other way."

"Oh, like this
." She positioned her body so her buttocks touched his lower stomach.

"Almost there
." He shifted until his penis buttressed her closed legs.

"
Who's starting now?" she teased then scooted to give him access.

"No one
." His arm encircled her chest, then his hand rested securely on her breast. "I'm just getting comfortable."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sarah
snuggled into the bearskin padding, yet could not get comfortable. She rolled over, stretched out her hand, and blindly searched for Wolf, but discovered only compressed fur. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw an empty space next to her. Her hand caressed the area where he had lain while she recalled each moment of their lovemaking.

Then she remembered his question about her being married, and a shower of uneasiness spread over her
. Should she have told him the truth about herself and her previous life? Had she missed an opportunity to reveal her secret? Was she prepared to share her strange experience? Would he believe her? She’d asked this question countless times, and each time failed to find an answer. How long could she allow herself to deceive Wolf? By not telling him, she was doing exactly that. She vowed that the next time they were alone she would reveal the truth about herself. Sarah swallowed hard and added a prayer.
Please let him understand. Please don't let this knowledge change the way he feels toward me.

Turning onto her back, she stared at the gray sky and wished for her watch
. Wolf had told her he would be leaving early and asked her to wait at the camp for his return. When she objected, telling him of her progress with Quick Rabbit and her promise to return to the woman, Wolf reminded her that the surrounding country was not safe. He added that she and Little Turtle had been fortunate yesterday that he had found them before anyone else had.

Sarah
glanced at the lean-to, but from her position, she saw only the side. Needing to relieve herself, she wrapped the blanket around her body, found her shoes where she had kicked them off the night before, and trudged toward the woods.

After taking care of a necessary task,
Sarah returned to the camp and quickly dressed. She combed her hair with her fingers. For the first time since she had arrived, she wished for a hat to hide the mess. Having finished, she looked at the lean-to. The pine branches had been pushed to one side. Curious and a little apprehensive, Sarah walked over, bent down, and peeked inside. A blanket lay bunched at one end of the shelter, but Little Turtle was not inside. Her heart missed a beat. She fought back the kernel of fear, surveyed the area before glancing toward the horses. Thunder-Arrow and Sweet Water still stood nibbling on a small patch of grass.

Had Little Turtle gone to rel
ieve himself? Was he washing? She laughed to herself at this idea. From what she had heard from her friends, boys hated bathing or brushing their teeth. Where could the boy be? Glancing at the tree, she noticed the water bag no longer hung from the branch. Perhaps he had gone for water. The seed of uneasiness sprouted.

After walking around the camp and calling quietly from various locations, she decided to check the river
. Trying to choke the growing fear, she reminded herself she needed to cleanse her mouth and wash anyway.
Who knows, I might find him at the creek or on the path.

As she headed toward the river, she searched the surrounding woods, occasionally stopping to whisper his name
. Wolf's comment about danger increased the apprehension growing within her. When she reached the dirt cliff overlooking the Brandywine, she glanced down, searching first one side and then the other.
Where could he be?  Don't panic, do what thee came to do. Surely, he's returned to the camp.

Hastily, she completed her bathing then climbed the hill
. Fear flowered inside her. Although the path ran parallel to the stream, trees restricted her vision. Carefully, she examined the narrow trail that she and Little Turtle had taken the day before. Hoof prints decorated the dusty road. Her observation pleased her, but did nothing to nullify the anxious feeling in her stomach. She decided to walk south, the way they had ridden and search. Although she identified a mixture of horse and raccoon tracks, she saw no signs of moccasins. Reversing her steps, she checked the opposite direction. After having gone ten yards or so, and beginning to feel foolish playing "tracker," she chanced to see a small footprint. Bending, she examined the mark.
How do I know how old this is? Should I follow the trail? Not until I recheck the camp.

Running most of the way, she reentered the small clearing
. As she hurried around the perimeter, she called, "Little Turtle?" She inspected the lean-to, knowing it was useless. Panic, now in full bloom, threatened to overwhelm her and chase all rational thoughts aside. With effort, she overrode the mounting dread and regained control. She gathered her skirt in her hands and, forbidding any negative thoughts, trotted back to the juncture of the two pathways. Following the only lead she had, she turned north. She saw no other signs of moccasins but pushed on. Over and over she repeated the words;
I must find him.

Wolf had mentioned that his camp was less than a quarter of a mile from the planned ambush site
. Yet, to Sarah, the short distance seemed endless. Every few paces, she stopped, scanned the area, and called Little Turtle's name softly. Only silence greeted her. She must find the boy, for herself and Wolf. As close as he and the child were, if anything should happen to his son, she gulped. Had she missed him? Should she return to camp? She hesitated, trying to decide which way to go.

A shot sounded, quickly followed by a volley
. She froze then ran forward. Ahead, but at a distance, she saw smoke rising above the trees.
Don't let Little Turtle be hurt.
A horrible picture of the small boy lying injured, or worse, along the path bombarded her mind. Sarah hastily shoved that terrible idea aside. As she rounded the next bend, she heard, "What are you doing here?" Instantly, she recognized the voice.

"Little Turtle," she said with a sigh of relief
. "God, thank thee." She closed her eyes as she offered her prayer. When she opened them, she glanced around. "Where art thou?"

"Up here,
in the tree."

Shifting her gaze, she surveyed the partially bare branches of the forest trees
.

"Not there
. Over here. In the sycamore." His voice sounded impatient.

Spotting the peeling bark and off-white color that marked the tell-tale trunk, she searched the lower limbs
.

"Higher
."