He'd sworn when he was ten that he'd never say he was sorry for anything he said or did, but as he unbuttoned her blouse, he found himself whispering, "Forgive me," even though, for the life of him, he couldn't remember doing anything wrong.
"I always do." She laughed as he shoved his hand beneath the material and gripped her breast still warm from his touch. She leaned her head back as he lowered his mouth and tasted her flesh. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes."
His arm braced her back as he feasted on the softest spot he'd found. When he covered her wet breast with his hand and returned to her mouth, she melted against him in welcome.
She was his, warm and ready. She was his, he thought as he kissed her. She just didn't know it yet.
She was out of breath when he finally set her gently away from him.
"Come to me tonight, Sage. We're not finished.”
She let him hold her for a while before she answered, "I'll think about it.”
"Don't think. Come," he said as he let her go.
That night, around the small evening fire in Grandfather's tepee, neither said a word, but her gaze often rested on him, and he saw the passion building in her eyes.
The fog remained when he returned to his campsite. Tonight he couldn't see the Apache tents, and he felt totally alone. He lit a small fire so she could find him if she came, then he lay down and waited.
It was after midnight when he heard her cross through the trees. The swish of her skirt against the tall grass made him smile. Without a word, he lifted the blanket and let her slip in beside him.
Her body was cold against his. For a while, he just held her, warming her.
“Are you sure?" he whispered into her hair.
"I'm sure.” she answered. ”To my great surprise, it seems you're the one man I can't live without. I don't want to live without."
He waited until her heart slowed, then he began making love to her. She was ready, welcoming him against her, moving as he moved, answering every touch with one of her own.
When he started to unbutton her blouse, she stopped him. "I can do it.” she whispered.
"No. I'd like to, if you've no objection.”
She moved her hand away. "All right. If it pleases you, go ahead."
"It pleases me greatly." He kissed her temple. "You made me very happy by coming tonight. Now it's my turn”
He leaned close and whispered of her beauty as his hands worked the buttons and ribbons free. She tried to unbutton his shirt, but her hands trembled, and he ended up rolling away to tug off his own clothes. When he returned and pulled her against him, she laughed nervously.
He brought her slowly to passion, taking time to caress every part of her. He pulled her hair free of the braids and wrapped it in his fist as he kissed her full and deep. When she was warm and shaking with need, he pressed his body over her, loving the way her soft curves molded against him in invitation.
When he pushed into her, she cried out softly, and he froze. Reason sliced through the desire, and he forced himself to lift his weight so that he was no longer crushing her, even though he didn't pull away.
"Am I hurting you?" he whispered in a voice raw with passion.
"No, not so much?" She took a deep breath and relaxed against him. "I knew it would be uncomfortable; I was a virgin” Her voice was low as her body moved, begging him to continue.
He didn't know how that was possible. He didn't care as he brushed away a tear on her cheek. All he cared about was that she was his, all his, only his. He kissed her deeply as he began to move inside her, easing away the pain as passion built once more.
Hesitantly she moved with him, and he laughed at the pure joy of feeling her beneath him. It seemed he'd dreamed of this night all his life, and the magic of it was so much more than he'd thought it would be.
Swearing, he finished before he'd pleased her. She didn't seem to understand or mind.
He rolled to his side and whispered, "It'll be better next time”
"It was perfect," she whispered. "Very nice.”
"No. It wasn't perfect, but it will be” He had to ask, "Are you sorry?"
"No” she answered, "and if it gets much better, I'll die from the joy of it." She cuddled beside him and fell asleep. He covered them both with the thick blanket and slept for the first time in weeks. Sage was with him.
At dawn, he came awake all at once as a shadow passed between him and the first beams of sunlight.
Drum pulled the blanket over her as he reached for his gun.
"No need for that gun." Daniel's familiar voice cracked the silence. "I best be getting my Bible out, though.” He rifled through his saddlebag. "I swear I'm using the book more lately than the bottle. Something must be in the air."
"What do you think you're doing?" Drum smoothed her hair off Sage's face as he tucked the blanket tightly about her shoulders.
"I don't want to be around when her brothers find out what you have been doing up here. I figure the only way to save your life is to marry you two right and proper.”
"We're already married.” Drum insisted as Sage continued to sleep.
"Sure you are.” Daniel said as if he didn't believe a word. He read a few lines, then said. "Do you take…"
“I do” Drum humored his friend.
"And do you, Doctor…"
"She does," Drum answered for her. "She already has." He shook her shoulder gently. "Wake up, wife. We've got unwanted company for breakfast.”
Sage opened sleepy eyes and stared up at Daniel just as he said, "Then, I pronounce you man and wife."
She opened her mouth to object.
Daniel added, "If I were you two, I'd get dressed. I rode in with your brother Travis, and as soon as he says hello to the chief, he'll be looking for you”
Daniel swung back up on his horse. "I think I'd be wise to vanish until the gunfire settles. Travis being an old Ranger won't take to talking before he starts shooting.”
Sage pulled the blanket over her head. "I think I'll lie right here and sleep.”
"Oh, no, you don't” Drum stood, picking up his trousers. "You might sleep, but if they find you like this, I'm the one who'll die. Get dressed, wife”
She picked up her clothes and tried to put them on beneath the blanket. "Don't talk to me. I'm still not speaking to you, and don't call me wife.”
"That's fine with me. How about we only communicate in moans after midnight? As long as you're here all warm and willing at night, I'll become mute all day.”
She tried to wiggle into her skirt. "Don't talk about it.”
He grabbed his shirt. "Fine. While we're not talking, why don't you explain to me how it could be possible that you're a virgin?"
"Was a virgin.” she corrected. "And I don't have to explain anything to you”
"But-"
"Oh, figure it out, Drummond.”
He stopped dressing and watched her trying to button up her clothes without seeing them. "First"-he smiled-"why are you hiding while you dress? There isn't a freckle on you I haven't seen, touched, and probably kissed.”
She saw his logic and tossed the blanket as she pulled her camisole over perfect breasts brushed by the sun.
"What's the second thing?" she asked as she laced up the silk with a ribbon.
Drum had forgotten. He was too busy staring. Finally when he was able to form words, he said, "Maybe we should both get back under the blanket.”
She glanced up at him then and smiled, almost knocking the air from his lungs. "Not a chance.” she said. "You told me to get dressed”
She was torturing him again, he thought, but about now he'd gladly die on the rack.
"Second," he managed to say, "your first husband must have been dead when you married him not to have touched you” The memories of their first kisses came back. "He didn't even kiss you, did he?"
Sage held her head high. "He was very involved in his work, and toward the end, he was very ill." She turned away, offering him a quick view of her backside as she slipped into her skirt.