Yellowstone Heart Song Read online

  “Are you hungry?” she asked tentatively, motioning at the food she had set out.

  Daniel’s hands framed her face, and he drew her to him. He claimed her mouth with possessive urgency, leaving her momentarily stunned by the intensity of his kiss. When he broke away seconds later, they were both gasping for breath.

  “Yes.” Daniel’s eyes locked onto hers, and he pulled her into his arms.

  Yes, what?

  She couldn’t remember what she’d asked him. Did she even ask something? She placed her palms on his chest, feeling the strong beating of his heart, the warmth of his skin, and inhaled his masculine woodsy scent. She slid her hands up and around his neck, as Daniel’s mouth found hers again. While the kiss a moment ago had been full of hunger, he now kissed her with agonizing slowness and deliberation, coaxing her lips apart as their tongues met. Her head spun dizzily as shockwaves of desire reached each and every one of her nerve endings. She was sure she would have collapsed from pure pleasure if Daniel hadn’t been holding her up against him. No one had ever made her feel this way before, nor had she ever been kissed like this. Her body had certainly never reacted this heatedly to anyone’s kisses.

  After several tantalizing minutes of exploring her mouth, Daniel trailed his lips all over her face and down her neck. His hands slowly moved up and down her back, caressing her tenderly, almost reverently. She shuddered under his touch. Goose bumps erupted all over her skin.

  His exploring hands went under the shirt, and she lifted her arms to help him slip the garment over her head. He let it fall to the ground. Her hands traced the contours of his chest, exploring his firm skin over taut, solid muscle. She slid her arms around his waist, her fingers feeling their way along his chiseled back, arms, and shoulders with feather light touches. He shuddered. How could a man this big and strong, who was able to kill another man at a moment’s notice, be so tender at the same time?

  “My body burns for you,” Daniel said huskily against her lips. “I have dreamed of this moment since I first laid eyes on you.” His kisses down her neck and his hands on her bare skin sent renewed ripples of desire coursing through her.

  “You have?”

  His hand moved across her flat stomach and up her ribcage, and finally covered one of her breasts, his fingers stroking gently.

  “How does this come off,” he whispered, fingering the shoulder strap on her bra. Aimee smiled seductively, and reached her hands behind her back to undo the hooks. Unashamed she slid the bra off her shoulders.

  Daniel devoured her with his eyes, and groaned. “You’re so beautiful.” His voice was raspy.

  “Daniel . . . ” she whispered slowly.

  “Hmmn?” he asked absently, stroking his thumbs across the top of her breasts. She found it harder and harder to breathe while his thumbs teased her nipples into hardened peaks, but she needed to say something.

  “Daniel, I . . . I just want you to know that I’m not . . . oh God.” She squeezed her eyes shut at the sensations he was awakening in her body. Concentrating on what she wanted to say became more difficult as his hands and mouth made every nerve ending on her skin come alive.

  “Daniel, you’re not the first man I’ve been with,” she finally blurted out. “I just thought you should know.”

  He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bed, where he lay her down gently and covered her with his own body, bracing his weight with his elbows on either side of her. He kissed her again, long and gently, while slowly getting to know her body with his hands. His thumbs brushed across her nipples repeatedly, and Aimee moaned, arching her back to his touch. His tender caresses left scorch marks on her skin. Nothing and no one had ever made her feel this good. With Brad, it had always been hurried. Daniel was in no rush as he slowly explored every inch of her with his large and capable hands.

  “I will make you forget any other man you’ve been with,” Daniel growled softly in her ear.

  “You already have,” she barely managed to respond. Daniel continued to kiss her neck and moved lower, kissing her shoulders, then the top of her breast.

  She almost protested when she felt his weight slide off her body, until she realized he was removing his breechcloth. He drew her into his arms an instant later and kissed her so deeply and with such hunger, it took her breath away, and sent her mind spinning into a dizzying vortex. She wound her arms tightly around his neck, and one leg around his lower back wanting to hold him to her forever.

  He hesitated when he made contact with her bikini briefs. She slid her fingers down the elastic band and pushed them down. Daniel’s hand was on hers as he followed her motion, helping her remove the offending underwear. His hand abandoned hers to slide slowly and torturously up her inner thigh. He drew her right nipple in his mouth and made gently circling motions with his tongue, while at the same time his fingers found her most intimate place. Aimee thought she was going to burst. She opened her legs to him, meeting him with her hips.

  “Daniel,” she panted as his relentless, torturous exploration continued. “Please . . . ”

  Daniel moved on top of her once more, and entered her slowly. Aimee couldn’t take the slow sweet torture any longer. She was standing on the edge of something she couldn’t define, and she wanted to let herself fall.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist to draw him fully inside her. She gasped at the sensation of him filling her. Her body began to convulse almost instantly, and she fell over the edge as her senses exploded in a million brilliant stars.

  Daniel moved slowly and rhythmically within her, his momentum building until he plunged deeply inside her. She arched her hips to meet each one of his thrusts. His mouth crushed down on hers when she felt his body shudder and he spent himself inside her.

  “I have never known a woman like you.” Daniel lay on top of her, breathing hard, nuzzling her neck. Her hands moved lazily up and down his sweat-dampened back, her eyes glazed over in wonder at what had just happened.

  “I’ve never . . . you’re amazing,” she whispered in awe.

  Daniel was still inside her, and Aimee kept her legs wrapped tightly around his middle, loving the feel of him there. When she moved her hip slightly, Daniel growled and in one quick movement rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him.

  She let out a playful cry, then sat up and straddled him, moving seductively on top of him. To her surprised delight, she felt him grow hard again inside her. He reached up and cupped both her breasts and squeezed and kneaded gently, as his hips began to thrust upward. She arched her back, leaning into his hands as she rode him thrust for thrust. Soon, she could feel the waves of another orgasm overtake her as Daniel took her over the edge once more.

  Aimee collapsed on top of him.

  “You are the most incredible man.” She rolled off and snuggled herself against him, her head resting on his chest. As impossible as it seemed, she shuddered with renewed desire when she inhaled deeply of his woodsy scent that mingled with the musky odor of their lovemaking. Daniel glanced down at her, a thoroughly satisfied grin on his face.

  “I am not good with words, but you make my heart sing, Aimee.” He kissed her forehead, and caressed her face. “I swore I would never have feelings like this for a white woman, but I was lost to you the moment I first saw you.”

  “Did you feel this way about . . . her?” she asked. This was probably not a good time to bring up the woman who hurt him, but the words were out before she could hold them back.

  She felt his hesitation.

  “I thought I was in love with her,” he finally said after such a prolonged silence, she wondered if he would respond to her question at all. “I was young and foolish. I had never been further east than St. Louis when my father took me to Philadelphia to meet his sister. It was a world I didn’t even know existed. I was there for almost a year when I first met Emma.” He smiled warmly at her and kissed her forehead repeatedly.

  “Emma,” she repeated the name.

  “She was the daught
er of one of the wealthier merchants in the city. I had never seen a more beautiful woman, but then my contact with white women was pretty limited.” Daniel gave a short laugh. His eyes roamed over her face, his hand moving from her face to gently caress her shoulder and arm. “And now I found you. Emma hasn’t entered my thoughts in weeks. My mind is consumed only by you. I don’t even have words to describe what I feel for you.” She raised her eyes to gaze into his. The warm glow she saw told her everything she needed to know, even without the words.

  “I wish to tell you about her.” Daniel held her gaze.

  She shook her head slowly. “You don’t have to do that.” Her hand came up to touch his face. He covered it with his own.

  “Yes, I do. I want you to know. I have never spoken to anyone about it. My father and Elk Runner know I thought myself in love and nothing came of it. They don’t know the reason.”

  Aimee waited patiently while Daniel seemed to gather his thoughts.

  “We met through a mutual acquaintance at a social gathering. She seemed as smitten with me as I was with her, and I called on her a few times. As I said, I had no experience in the ways of eastern ladies, and I chose to turn a blind eye to her delicate and frail ways. Growing up, my father has often told me of the gentle nature of a white woman raised in the city, and warned me not to fall in love with one unless I planned to abandon my life in the mountains. He blames himself for my mother’s death because he brought her here, but that’s another story altogether.” He took a deep breath.

  I already know that story.

  She ran her hand down his jaw and along his neck, curling some strands of his hair around her fingers.

  He continued. “I didn’t listen to his advice. I was so taken with Emma, I became blind to everything else. I had visions of bringing her here, about how she would fall in love with the mountains.” He scoffed. “I never saw that she couldn’t stand to even get her shoes dusty. One day, I went to her home unannounced. A servant told me that she had gone to the stables. When I sought her out, she was there . . . ” Daniel’s voice hardened.

  Aimee felt his body stiffen. She caressed his shoulder and kissed his chest. His fingers entwined in her hair as he held her tightly to him. “I called her name when I didn’t see her at first. At the far end of the barn, in one of the empty horse stalls I saw her, clutching her dress to her body. She was obviously quite surprised to see me.” Daniel let out another short disgusted laugh. “She asked me what I was doing here. That’s when I saw him. William . . . something, I don’t even recall his last name. By the looks of him he had just gotten dressed himself. I was overcome with rage, and ready to lunge at him, when she yelled at me to stop.

  “I asked her how she could do such a thing, that I thought she loved me. She just laughed at me. She told me she could never love a heathen, that I was nothing but a filthy savage. She mocked me by saying she was merely using me to get the attention of William, and even thanked me that her plan had obviously worked. She started to scream. She called for help, yelling to anyone who would hear that I had attacked her. That I had . . . attacked her and intended to rape her, and William came to her rescue.”

  “Daniel . . . ” Aimee gasped. The savage look on his face reminded her of that first day, when he had looked at her with such hatred. Anger welled up inside her, at the thought of it. She wanted to give that little twit a piece of her mind.

  “Wasn’t it obvious what really happened?” she asked. It was a simple matter to resolve, she reasoned. Yes, but not in this time. There was no such thing as DNA testing and forensic evidence.

  Daniel snorted. “My word against hers? I wouldn’t have stood a chance. So I ran,” Daniel continued, as if speaking to himself. “I’ve never run from anything before or since, but that day I ran. I didn’t stop to bid my aunt farewell. I ran straight back here, and I’ve never looked back.”

  “I see why that would leave you bitter towards white women,” Aimee said simply. “I was really shocked those first few days after you found me, when you seemed to absolutely hate me.”

  “The only thing you and she have in common is your fair skin,” Daniel reassured her. “I wanted to hate you simply for that – that you are a white woman. I had all but forgotten Emma, but seeing you brought all those unpleasant memories back. And I was angry with myself because I had these overwhelming feelings for you right from the start. It left me confused, and I lashed out in anger. I swore I would never succumb to the lying, deceptive ways of a white woman again.”

  It was her turn to stiffen. Wasn’t that exactly what she was doing? Everything about her was a lie. How would Daniel react if he ever found out the truth about her? She shivered at the thought.

  Daniel bent his head and kissed her, a languid gentle kiss that melted her from the inside out.

  “I know now that my infatuation with Emma was only that. It wasn’t love. And I didn’t love Morning Fawn. I was fond of her, but my mind and body didn’t burn for her the way I burn for you. I have fought my affection for you all these weeks. I can’t fight it anymore. You are my heart song,” he whispered.

  “I love you, Daniel,” she simply said, a sad note in her voice.

  “You are a mystery I can’t explain, and I will wait until you enlighten me. You are the bravest, strongest, and most beautiful woman I have ever known. It is selfish of me to ask you to stay here in the mountains with me.”

  She tried to keep the tears from flowing, but it was no use. In a little over a month she would be leaving, never to return again. She wasn’t free to tell him this, though. She’d made a promise. What was she going to do? She was happier than she had ever been in her life, and at the same time she was miserable for the secret she carried with her. Daniel lifted her chin with gentle fingers, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

  “If you don’t wish to stay in the mountains, I’ll go to the city with you” he said soberly.

  “You would do that for me?”

  “I would.”

  “I could never ask you to do that,” she shook her head. “You are a part of these mountains, and they are a part of you.”

  “You are part of me. You belong to me now,” Daniel said softly, stroking her cheek.

  “Let’s not talk about this, ok?” She took a deep breath, and tried to smile. “Can we just live in the moment, and not think about what might happen tomorrow. We’re together right now, and that’s what matters to me, not what might be in the future.”

  Daniel gave her a puzzled look.

  “Aimee.” Daniel inhaled slowly. “The man you are promised to, he is not coming for you.”

  “I told you that a long time ago.” She wore the puzzled look now. Why is he bringing that up?

  “I wish to be your man . . . your husband. I want you for my wife.” He gazed intently at her, his eyes speaking of hope and expectation.

  Her own eyes widened in surprise.

  “You want what?” she exhaled incredulously. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her mind raced so fast, she couldn’t hold on to one coherent thought.

  “I am a good provider, and I will protect you with my life,” Daniel stated passionately, raising himself up on one elbow, staring down at her. “I was also wrong to think you could not survive here. You have proven repeatedly that you can.”

  His hand cradled her cheek and he kissed her again.

  She squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the tears. This was killing her. Her heart screamed to tell him yes, she would love nothing more than to be his wife. Her mind told her this was insanity. How could she say she’d be his wife and then disappear? Why was fate so cruel?

  “There are so many things about me that you don’t know,” she began with a long sigh. Should I tell him? God, this was torture.

  “All I know is that I can’t give you up. You belong with me.” He rolled on top of her and claimed her mouth with possessive urgency. This time there was no slow and sensuous lovemaking as he pushed her legs apart, and entered her with one swift thrust. With t
his joining she felt branded, and Aimee surrendered herself completely, silent tears streaming down her face.

  Chapter 18

  Aimee had never been more happy and miserable all at the same time in her entire life. Daniel took her with him wherever he went. They would scout rivers and tributaries for beaver habitat in the morning, or go on hunting forays. He insisted on teaching her how to load and shoot the rifle, and how to use a knife and tomahawk to defend herself. She surprised him with some self-defense moves of her own. He started teaching her the language of the Shoshoni, showed her how to tan hides and make arrowheads from obsidian. After supper they would sit together outside the cabin, or walk the riverbank until the sun went down, and often made love late into the night.

  One evening after they’d eaten and walked down to the banks of the Madison, Daniel stopped abruptly. With his hands on her upper arms, he turned her towards him. His eyes roamed over her face for a few moments, as if he was looking for something.

  “What?” she shrugged her shoulders when he didn’t say anything.

  “Are you with child?” he blurted out.

  “Am I what?” she asked, taken aback at the unexpected question. Then she laughed. “Good God, no I’m not pregnant. Why would you think that?”

  “Elk Runner has often complained that during the months Little Bird carries a child, she is always weepy and absent-minded. And you haven’t bled.”

  “You think I’m weepy and absent-minded?”