Do you love me, Hunter? Truly love me?"
"I have great love for you."
"Then take me away from here," she whispered raggedly. "It's the only way for us to have a future together. The only way. Please think about it? If you love me, love me, you won't torture me like this."
The words of the prophecy returned to haunt Hunter. Lifting his hand, he touched Loretta's braid and lost himself in the fascinating azure depths of her gaze. As the song predicted, she had divided his Comanche heart. Only moments ago he had turned his back on a lifelong friend. Now she asked him to turn his back on his people. "Blue Eyes, I cannot leave."
Tears welled in her eyes. "I love you, Hunter, but my mother's screams call out to me. I'll never be free of that, not as long as I stay here. One morning you will awaken and I won't be here. And I'll make sure this time that you never find me." He started to speak, but she silenced him, touching her fingertips to his lips. "Don't. Empty threats won't keep me here. You won't beat me." She moved her palm to his cheek. "Do you think I don't know that by now?"
He clamped a hand behind her head and drew her against his chest, burying his face in the hollow of her shoulder. "It is not the way of a Comanche to beat his woman," he rasped. "Just as it is not his way to let her go away from him."
She turned her face to touch her lips to his neck. "Make a memory with me, Hunter," she whispered huskily. "One more beautiful memory."
Cinching an arm around her waist, Hunter stretched out with her on the fur. Never before had she initiated lovemaking. His hand trembled as he skimmed his palm down her spine. As he dipped his head to kiss her, he wondered why it was that those words had a ring of farewell.
"I have great love for you."
"Then take me away from here," she whispered raggedly. "It's the only way for us to have a future together. The only way. Please think about it? If you love me, love me, you won't torture me like this."
The words of the prophecy returned to haunt Hunter. Lifting his hand, he touched Loretta's braid and lost himself in the fascinating azure depths of her gaze. As the song predicted, she had divided his Comanche heart. Only moments ago he had turned his back on a lifelong friend. Now she asked him to turn his back on his people. "Blue Eyes, I cannot leave."
Tears welled in her eyes. "I love you, Hunter, but my mother's screams call out to me. I'll never be free of that, not as long as I stay here. One morning you will awaken and I won't be here. And I'll make sure this time that you never find me." He started to speak, but she silenced him, touching her fingertips to his lips. "Don't. Empty threats won't keep me here. You won't beat me." She moved her palm to his cheek. "Do you think I don't know that by now?"
He clamped a hand behind her head and drew her against his chest, burying his face in the hollow of her shoulder. "It is not the way of a Comanche to beat his woman," he rasped. "Just as it is not his way to let her go away from him."
She turned her face to touch her lips to his neck. "Make a memory with me, Hunter," she whispered huskily. "One more beautiful memory."
Cinching an arm around her waist, Hunter stretched out with her on the fur. Never before had she initiated lovemaking. His hand trembled as he skimmed his palm down her spine. As he dipped his head to kiss her, he wondered why it was that those words had a ring of farewell.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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