He cupped her breasts, covered them with kisses. "I have ached to touch you in this way."
Makinna sighed as he removed the last of her clothing. Soon she lay naked beside him, and she felt no shame when he looked at her with admiration. When she felt one of his hands leave her breasts and spread across her stomach, she thought she would die from the unknown fluttering within her heart.
"Makinna," he said, his hand sliding lower, "you were created for a man to love and cherish."
Unable to speak for the tightening in her throat, Makinna reached out to him and placed her hand against his muscled chest, then slid it down to his taut stomach.
At her intimate touch he clasped her tightly against him, pressing her naked body against the throbbing erection beneath his breechcloth, trembling and gritting his teeth to hold himself in check. He knew he should not have gone this far, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.
Makinna moaned and threw her head back, biting her lip to keep from crying out as a powerful tingling started in her toes and worked its way up to the very core of her womanhood.
To gain control of his own desires, Tykota took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her fingers one by one, and then the palm of her hand.
Makinna shut her eyes, her entire body coming alive. Surely this could not be wrong when it felt so right. She was born to be loved by Tykota. Surely he must feel it, too.
Tykota raised his dark gaze and looked into her eyes, and the softness she saw there brought tears in her eyes.
"You know this is wrong," he whispered. "We are from different worlds. No one will accept that I love you."
Her fingers slid through his, and she arched toward him. "I don't care what the world thinks. I love you."
He inhaled a deep breath, despising himself for what he was doing. "We cannot be together, Makinna. I cannot do this to you and then send you away. What do I do about us?"
She placed a hand on his bronzed cheek, knowing that if he didn't love her, nothing in the world would matter. "Just love me, Tykota."
He closed his eyes, savoring her soft touch against his cheek. She would never know the depth of his love for her. She could never belong to him. His voice came out in a harsh whisper. "Love you? I can't take a breath without thinking of you. Nothing has any meaning if I am not with you."
Her heart was beating so fast, she could hardly breathe. "Oh, Tykota, Tykota," she said, tears now spilling down her cheeks. "I would have wanted to die if you did not love me."
He scooped her into his arms. "I cannot love you as you wish. But I will give you a gift to take away with you. It will show you the depth of my feelings for you, and it will leave me something to remember on those nights when I ache for you."
He waded into the river, kissing and caressing her. "We will swim with the stars tonight."
The river was dark and reflected millions of stars. And when he lowered her into the water, it did seem that she was surrounded by stars. They were above her, below her, all around her. It was magical.
But she forgot about the stars when Tykota pulled her against him, his hardness pressing against her and making her cling to him with weakness.
Slowly his hand went between her legs, and he caressed her there, creating a desire so strong that she collapsed against him.
"I will show you the depth of my feelings for you, Makinna. I will worship your body. But when you leave me, you will be a maiden still, for I will not take my pleasure with you."
She did not understand. She only knew that he was carrying her to a higher plane of passion. He dropped his dark head to kiss and suckle her breast, while his wonderful hands worked magic on her trembling body.
Tykota knew it would take all his willpower to satisfy Makinna while leaving his own body unsatisfied. She could not imagine the restraint he was exercising over his own desires. But he was about to show her what the beauty of love could be like.
There, submerged in a river of stars, Tykota caressed, kissed, and gently stroked Makinna into submission. She gave little sobs as he touched her so intimately, her body quaked, and she fought to get closer still to Tykota, instinctively sensing there was even greater pleasure to be had if their bodies could be joined. But Tykota held her away from him.
Makinna stared into his passionate eyes. "Please," she whimpered. "I want-I want you to
"Shh," he said, bending his head to her lips. "Let yourself feel, Makinna. Let me make your body sing." He was fighting his own battle to keep his fierce arousal from taking over his thinking. Tonight was for her; he would deny himself in order to pleasure her. His lips moved over her face, tasting the saltiness of her tears.
She threw back her head as he slid a finger into her hot, moist core, and he watched her eyes widen with wonder, her breathing come out in small gasps. When he touched her maidenhead, he pulled back. That he would leave undisturbed, even though she should be his, and he should have the right to break through that barrier. Instead, he smothered her mouth with his.