Apache Lover PDF
Preview Apache Lover
Nighthawk hadn't meant to kiss the pretty White Eyes photographer. But when he touched her soft skin, inhaled her sweet scent, saw her eyes widen in awareness, his need to taste her mouth took over. From the moment he'd met her, he'd lost the ability to think rationally—a dangerous thing for an Apache warrior who prided himself on always being clearheaded. But as soon as Mariah Corbett entered his life, everything had changed. Though aware of the danger, Nighthawk couldn't make himself stop. He wanted to kiss Mariah, and so he did, with little forethought given to the consequences. And when she recovered from her initial shock and pressed against him with an urgency that took him by surprise, concern about his loss of clear thinking faded. His thoughts centered solely on the woman in his arms and the desire spreading through him like wildfire.. . . LEISURE BOOKS NEW YORK CITY A LEISURE BOOK® October 2000 Published by Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc. 276 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10001 If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book." Copyright © 2000 by Arlene S. Hodapp "Chapter Eleven" of Lair of the Wolf Copyright © 2000 by Madeline George All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publish- er, except where permitted by law. ISBN 0-8439-4779-9 The name "Leisure Books" and the stylized "L" with design are trademarks of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc. Printed in the United States of America. AUTHOR'S NOTE Apache Lover begins a series of books featuring the proud and courageous people called Apache, in particular the Chiricahua Apache whose home territory was southeastern Arizona. Through these books I hope you will come to appreciate and respect the Apache life-way as much as I have. The culture of the nineteenth-century Apache was both complex and fascinating. They were extremely generous to others in their band and absolutely fearless when fighting the enemy. Their religion was a mystical combination of beliefs and ceremonies. Obtaining supernatural power, receiving visions from the Spirits, and fear of ghosts and witches all played a significant role in how they lived their lives. Join me now for the story of former Chiricahua Apache warrior Ethan Nighthawk and Wild West photographer Mariah Corbett, then watch for my next book in the series, Apache Destiny, in October of 2001. —Holly Harte Chapter One The mountains of southeast Arizona Territory, 1864 Tu Sika flinched, the storm intensifying with his every stride. The Thunder People must be extremely angry. He had never seen their arrows create such a fiery display across the sky, never heard them shout so loudly from their homes in the clouds. He spared a quick glance over one shoulder, hoping to see his friends Chino and Nacori. They hadn't been far apart, trying to pick up the trail of a deer they'd been track- ing, when the sudden thunderstorm blew across the mountains. The brightness of a sunny midday had abruptly changed to the deepest of nighttime shadows, and somehow he and his friends had become sepa- rated. Tu Sika could only hope the Great Spirit would keep them safe. Another shout from the Thunder People boomed Holly Harte off the rocks, making the earth shudder beneath Tu Sika's feet. As the first splats of rain hit the rocks around him, the wind picked up, whipping strands of his hair across his face and pelting his bare back with stinging grains of sand. He had nearly reached the protection of a small cave when the hair on his arms and nape stood up. In the next moment, the area around him suddenly lit up with the blinding flash of another lightning-arrow, this one striking a nearby tree. His ears rang with another resounding shout of thunder. His nostrils filled with the scent of charred wood. The earth shook violently, jerking his feet out from under him and tossing him through the air as if he weighed no more than a feather. He landed on his back with a grunt. Dazed, he lay still, barely aware that the storm's fury had already begun to recede. A few minutes later, Tu Sika stirred. Blinking at the glare of sunshine, he tested his limbs for injury, then slowly got to his feet. A short distance away, he found Chino and Nacori, who agreed to his sugges- tion to end their hunting trip and return to camp. His friends walked in silence beside him for a long time, apparently as deep in thought as he. Finally Tu Sika said, "One of the Thunder People's arrows was so powerful, it threw me to the ground. While I lay there, I had a dream. But it was not like any dream I have ever had. I think it was a vision, because the Spirits talked to me." Chino and Nacori exchanged a look, then Chino said, "The Spirits also spoke to us in a dream-vision." Tu Sika stopped in midstride and turned to face his
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