CHAPTER FIFTEEN
He carried her to his tepee by a direct path and, stepping over the lodge flap, bent down to one knee so he could lay her gently upon his own sleeping robes. After these several weeks of lusting after her and pushing himself into the utmost physical activity, he was ready to love her now and quickly put an end to his misery.
But, no. She had never known love. And, since he was her husband now and responsible for her, this included ensuring her experience was one of wonder, of love and of pleasure, even the first time.
He whispered, "I will light no fire, so we might come to know each other with only the light of the moon and stars shining into our lodge through the ears flap."
She smiled up at him. "I would be happy regardless of what you decide. Fire or no fire, I wish to make love to you. I am so in love with you that all else fades before the power of you. I have loved you for five long years, and at last I am here in your lodge, and I am your woman."
He moaned as he reached out to bring her into a sitting position. He whispered, "I do not know how your clothing comes off. Will you help me?"
"Of course." She scooted around until she had presented her back to him and then asked, "Do you see the buttons going down the back of the dress? If you will undo those buttons for me, the dress comes off easily."
He nodded, saying simply, "Áa." But, he couldn't bring himself to undo the buttons of her dress without massaging her back from the top of it to the bottom, his hands often coming around to massage her breasts, as her dress gradually fell to her waist. And, as he took the dress off her completely, he turned her around, staring at her. That's all he did for many, many moments.
So beautiful was she, he couldn't get enough of simply gazing at and admiring her feminine loveliness. At last, he lifted his eyes to the soft glance in hers, and he whispered, "You are the most beautiful being I have ever seen. I am honored to have you as my wife. Hear me now: I swear to you before your God and mine, I will give you and only you all my passion and love, now and for as long as we are man and wife. Many of my people enjoy having more than one wife. But, your sister has told me this is not your way, and I promise you this: I will not take another wife. If you have wondered about this, set your mind at ease. I will not violate your God's law."
Gently, he placed his hands upon her arms and continued, saying, "It is said by our elders that we should make promises to one another, and I will say this to you: I will do my best to never raise my voice in anger to you, but will endeavor to listen to you and understand you. Sometimes this might require me to leave and put any bad thoughts away from me. Do not think, though, that I would ever leave you and never return. Sometimes, however, a man needs distance in order to bring himself into better understanding.
"I say this to you, too: what problems are yours now become mine. Speak well to me of them. In this way, I will always be on your side, though I might advise you on proper Pikuni behavior now and again, as I have done with you in the past. I love you, and I pledge myself to you.
"But, there is more. It has also been told to me by my elders that a man must love his children as much as his wife, and he must show this love by rising early to go on the daily hunt. He must provide his family with game for food and clothing. This I promise I will do unless I am so ill that I cannot rise up to do it. A man is sometimes required to fight in order to protect his wife and family or his tribe, and I promise I will do this.
"I pledge my love and my body to you. And, now I wish to make love to you…at last." He whispered the last two words. As he watched tears falling over her cheeks, he asked, "Are you sad?"
"No. It is the opposite, my darling love. I have never known a man such as you, nor have I experienced so much happiness. I, too, want to love you and make love to you, but, like you, I should make promises, also. Don't you think I should?"
He murmured, "I would be honored if you would, but perhaps after we make love."
"No," she said. "I should do so now."
He smiled. Always would this woman surprise him.
But, she was continuing, and she said, "A woman has but one love, and you have been the love in my life ever since I came to know you. I promise you now before my God and yours that I will give the passion of my love to you and only to you. I will give my love to our children, also, and will endeavor to raise them as we both think best. I will help them, as I will also assist you, and I will do all I can to make our life happy. I will minister to you and to our family if there is illness. I will follow you and will take your part if ever there is conflict with another, and I will try with all my might to not raise my voice to you, either. I am honored to be your wife, and I take you for my husband."
He sighed. This was, perhaps, the happiest moment of his life. Bending in toward her, he placed his forehead against hers.
Then, leaning forward, he pressed her to the ground while at the same time he removed his breechcloth with a single motion. He lay against her, closing his eyes, and breathed in her clean yet spicy fragrance so he might never forget it. Coming up onto his forearms, he kissed her, sweetly at first, then with all the built-up passion within his soul, and he swept his tongue into her mouth, playing with her teeth and her tongue as though this were the very act of love.
He could feel his heart beat in his throat, and his blood pounded through his veins as though he were running down a buffalo bull without the aid of his pony. She tasted of sweetness and balmy femininity, and he thought he might lose his mind before he could, at last, take her in the act of love.
When she threw back her head—as though to experience his embrace better—he did, indeed, lose his mind to her. Gradually, with his lips, he trailed his way down her neck to her breasts, honoring both fleshy mounds with his kisses. Lower and lower, he kissed his way to her belly, then lower still, until she suddenly caught at him and pulled him up toward her.
She said, "No. Please do not go lower. I fear you may not like it. Plus, I would be embarrassed."
He simply smiled at her and said, "You will like it. In this way, I pledge myself to you. I would know all there is to know about you."
"But—"
"Lay back and enjoy it," he whispered, and was pleased when it appeared she might do as he asked.
****
Amelia's breath came in short gasps. How could anything feel so good? Though embarrassment had swept over her at first, it had been silenced by the utter sensual pleasure of his kiss…there….
She squirmed, she twisted, she even tried to help him by opening up to him as a flower might do under a midday sun. And, she struggled against him until, at last, she rose up toward a place much like a sensual plateau where pleasure met love, and suddenly she fell down from that high place. And, then it happened: at the very same moment of her "fall," she felt as though she rose up above them spiritually and looked down on them both.
But, perhaps, what she hadn't known about this act of love was how close it brought a person to another, for he joined her there, in a place above their bodies. So close were they then, she felt as if she were he, and, intuitively, she knew the essence of his very soul.
