answer.
As he entered the woods, he heard Jordan's excited voice mingling with Kari's. Relief flooded him at the sight of the two, carrying their baskets filled with vegetables to the teepee they shared. Young Wolf saw him first and nodded.
Gray Hawk raised his hand in greeting, unable to keep his eyes off Jordan, who if possible, had grown even more beautiful with the passing days. Her silky hair was worn loose, falling past her hips, swaying with each step. Both she and Kari appeared at ease, laughing and smiling. He wondered if the time away had made them think any more about being here. Perhaps in time they would even want to stay.
His thoughts were cut short when Jordan noticed him. The smile instantly disappeared from her face and she tripped, spilling the vegetables on the ground around her.
Gray Hawk strode toward her as she scurried to pick up the carrots. He noticed how Jordan's hands trembled, making him wonder if it was from fear, or something else.
Silence ensued for a few awkward moments. Young Wolf came to help, and Gray Hawk saw how the younger man's fingers brushed Jordan's, who didn't flinch or look uncomfortable by the contact. A horrible image crossed his thoughts. What if Young Wolf and Jordan had become lovers in his absence? They were closer in age than she and Gray Hawk, and Young Wolf was a good-looking man who had already caught the eye of many young maidens.
"Young Wolf, could you take Kari back to camp? I would like a moment alone with Jordan."
The younger man glanced up, and without a single word, walked with Kari back to the village.
Dropping the last of the carrots into the basket, Jordan stood and met his gaze with a forced smile. "I thought maybe something happened to you and the others when you didn't return. "Many feared for you."
"Did you fear for me?"
She swallowed hard, her gaze dropped to his chest. "A little."
The knowledge that she did care for him warmed him as much as her uncharacteristic shy smile.
The sweet smell of her filled his senses, and desire flooded him. Unable to resist, he reached out and touched her cheek, letting his thumb run over her lower lip. He felt her stiffen beneath his touch, but he continued, his fingers moving along her jaw, before weaving through her silky hair.
Her eyes were luminous as she stared at his mouth. It was as though her gaze pulled and invited him. He leaned forward. Encouraged even more when she made no move to stop him, his lips brushed lightly against hers.
"You didn't leave," he whispered against her lips.
Jordan's heart pumped furiously, wanting him to kiss her again, yet wanting him to walk away, to leave her alone to sort out her tangled emotions. She couldn't deny she enjoyed his touch. Her body tingled, wanting to experience these new sensations that rippled through her, making her forget who she was.
But as his hands moved up her arms, pulling her closer to his hard body, she knew this was wrong. They had no future together. All they had in common was lust, pure and simple.
She pushed against him, desperate to put some space between them. "I tried to escape but Young Wolf stopped us," she replied, instantly regretting the words when all softness left his features.
He released her hand abruptly, stepping away from her as though she'd burned him. She almost took the words back, but knew doing so would cost her more than her pride, and she refused to give anyone her heart. "You can't possibly think that I want to stay." Even as she said it, she hated herself for hurting him.
His eyes were dark with anger. "Do you hate me so much?" he asked.
"No, I don't hate you. I could never hate you," she whispered. But I should , she thought, knowing the attraction she felt for him was a dangerous thing, not to mention just plain wrong. Her parents were surely rolling over in their graves
As he entered the woods, he heard Jordan's excited voice mingling with Kari's. Relief flooded him at the sight of the two, carrying their baskets filled with vegetables to the teepee they shared. Young Wolf saw him first and nodded.
Gray Hawk raised his hand in greeting, unable to keep his eyes off Jordan, who if possible, had grown even more beautiful with the passing days. Her silky hair was worn loose, falling past her hips, swaying with each step. Both she and Kari appeared at ease, laughing and smiling. He wondered if the time away had made them think any more about being here. Perhaps in time they would even want to stay.
His thoughts were cut short when Jordan noticed him. The smile instantly disappeared from her face and she tripped, spilling the vegetables on the ground around her.
Gray Hawk strode toward her as she scurried to pick up the carrots. He noticed how Jordan's hands trembled, making him wonder if it was from fear, or something else.
Silence ensued for a few awkward moments. Young Wolf came to help, and Gray Hawk saw how the younger man's fingers brushed Jordan's, who didn't flinch or look uncomfortable by the contact. A horrible image crossed his thoughts. What if Young Wolf and Jordan had become lovers in his absence? They were closer in age than she and Gray Hawk, and Young Wolf was a good-looking man who had already caught the eye of many young maidens.
"Young Wolf, could you take Kari back to camp? I would like a moment alone with Jordan."
The younger man glanced up, and without a single word, walked with Kari back to the village.
Dropping the last of the carrots into the basket, Jordan stood and met his gaze with a forced smile. "I thought maybe something happened to you and the others when you didn't return. "Many feared for you."
"Did you fear for me?"
She swallowed hard, her gaze dropped to his chest. "A little."
The knowledge that she did care for him warmed him as much as her uncharacteristic shy smile.
The sweet smell of her filled his senses, and desire flooded him. Unable to resist, he reached out and touched her cheek, letting his thumb run over her lower lip. He felt her stiffen beneath his touch, but he continued, his fingers moving along her jaw, before weaving through her silky hair.
Her eyes were luminous as she stared at his mouth. It was as though her gaze pulled and invited him. He leaned forward. Encouraged even more when she made no move to stop him, his lips brushed lightly against hers.
"You didn't leave," he whispered against her lips.
Jordan's heart pumped furiously, wanting him to kiss her again, yet wanting him to walk away, to leave her alone to sort out her tangled emotions. She couldn't deny she enjoyed his touch. Her body tingled, wanting to experience these new sensations that rippled through her, making her forget who she was.
But as his hands moved up her arms, pulling her closer to his hard body, she knew this was wrong. They had no future together. All they had in common was lust, pure and simple.
She pushed against him, desperate to put some space between them. "I tried to escape but Young Wolf stopped us," she replied, instantly regretting the words when all softness left his features.
He released her hand abruptly, stepping away from her as though she'd burned him. She almost took the words back, but knew doing so would cost her more than her pride, and she refused to give anyone her heart. "You can't possibly think that I want to stay." Even as she said it, she hated herself for hurting him.
His eyes were dark with anger. "Do you hate me so much?" he asked.
"No, I don't hate you. I could never hate you," she whispered. But I should , she thought, knowing the attraction she felt for him was a dangerous thing, not to mention just plain wrong. Her parents were surely rolling over in their graves
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