Free Apache Fire by Raine Cantrell Page B

smooth, hairless bronze chest. The move was a bold one for her, but not more so than the bold way her gaze searched his flesh, noting the scars of a warrior. His manhood rose proud between his powerful, muscled thighs, and her eyes flew to his.
    Niko grinned at her look, and held his hand out to her. “Come lie with me. I will show you how we fit without pain.” And when he had her beneath him, he whispered, “Like the knife slides easily into the sheath that was made for its blade alone, so will we join. Never again will an Anglo bring pain to my ishton . I would kill not to have it so.”
    â€œNo death, Niko,” she murmured, reaching for him as he brought his lips to her breast. “I want only life. Yours. Mine. Fill the empty places of my heart.”
    Swollen flesh sent her arching up to his hand. She cried out moments later. He drank the cries of her pleasure, filled her heart and mind with his praise. He held back longer than he thought he could as he made a place for himself between the pale skin of her thighs.
    â€œWatch, iszáń ,” he demanded, his voice husky with the need that tore through him. “Watch as we join, and no man can part.”
    She watched until passion sent her head thrashing from side to side. Niko was the sun, setting fire to the earth, quenched with the spill of life till the embers flamed anew.

Chapter 9
    Is
hton. The woman, the beloved of all women. Angie cherished the words as she woke to find him gone from her side.
    In the cool light of morning, she recalled her boldness, reaching for him as he reached for her, touching him as he touched her, until there were no secrets to be discovered.
    From her memory she dragged up the faded image of her first wedding night, lying alone in the dark, feeling stifled by the high-necked, long-sleeved nightgown beneath the linen sheet and quilt. She had felt fear of the unknown, remembering only that Tim’s kisses were hot and wet, his touch was rough, his flesh piercing hers before he rolled over and fell asleep.
    Niko had held her within his arms, stroking her body, coaxing her to do the same. He had made her laugh when she took the same path he had explored on her body on his, telling her he would be a toothless grayhair, soft and useless to her, before she was done if he waited any longer. She had made him wait. She had a mark on her neck from his teeth. He’d never grown soft and useless. The unaccustomed aches of her body were proof of that.
    She missed him. He had told her that he had broken his promise to give her three nights to decide, and would find his way to the new agency at San Simon to see his brother.
    It was foolish for her to look for him, but she did, all day long. By late afternoon, worry came. The sun shone, chasing away the rain clouds that had plagued every day, and the wind sent a freshening breeze to mock her fear for him.
    As twilight came, Angie began to doubt his return.
    Since they had left the lantern burning all night, she lit two candles to conserve her small supply of kerosene. There was no hunger for food in her, only a hunger to see Niko again. She wrapped a shawl around her, too restless to wait inside. Pacing the area immediately around the building didn’t satisfy her. She felt no relief from the tension that was building with every minute of Niko’s delay.
    Angie felt the need to run, but the lengthening shadows cautioned her to keep to a walk. In her mind she framed the land before her, the placement of rocks, boulders, the looming of cacti, the small shrubs. She blocked a path for herself, then followed it, wishing she could shake off this feeling of dread. Like the dark, it had crept up on her, until she couldn’t fight the feeling that something terrible had happened.
    No one would bring her word.
    No one knew that Niko had been with her.
    Why had she let him go? If she had asked him, he would have stayed with her. She knew he would. It was dangerous for him