Speak to the Wind (23 page)

Later they would retreat to her turquoise-and-
beige
bed
room and make love.
Wild, passionate, sweet.
Finally they would sleep, holding each other. And tomorrow he would leave. He had his busy world; she had hers. It had been this way since they'd returned from Mexico. Not very satisfying for either of them, but it was the way it had to be. For now.

Joe knocked lightly
and without hesitation inserted his key in the lock. He stepped ins
ide and
loving
strands of
Bocelli filled the air.
The can
dles were already lit, flickering a romantic welcome throughout the room. He paused and let the atmosphere surround him, engulf him, draw him in. For a few blissful hours he was transported to another world, Maria's world.

Yes, he thought. This was where he belonged. What had taken him so long to get here tonight? She was so good for him. She was what he needed, his refuge as well as his source of strength. He missed her terribly
.
He wished his life weren't so complicated.

Then she was there, in his arms, pressing her slender body to his, hands clutching his back beneath his coat, her face lifted, her lips slightly open, begging to be kissed. And his lips closed over hers, seeking t
heir sweetness in an almost des
perate fierceness.

When they finally parted, both were breathless.

“
You're beautiful, Maria. I can hardly wait to see you each time."

"Sometimes the weeks go by so slowly without you, Joe."

"How are you? How's work?"

"Okay." She shrugged. “I’
ve just missed you, that's all."

He shook his head. "I've been unbelievably busy."

"I know." She began slidi
ng his coat off his tightly mus
cled shoulders. "I saw you tonight on TV."

"And..."

"You were..." She loosened his tie and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his pale blue shirt.

"Yes, teacher?"

"Magnificent!
" she whispered and kissed the warm pulse spot on his neck.

"I had a good teacher." He lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her lips. Then he planted kisses along her nose and on the paper-thin skin of her closed eyelids. "
My teacher
is
also
the perfect lover. Do you know how much I enjoy coming here, Maria? This place, and you, are like a little haven away from my crazy, hectic world."

"I'm glad, Joe. I look forward to your coming so much."

“I’ll
be glad when this running around is all over."

Maria held the
singular
question
, ‘t
hen what
?’
on the tip of her tongue. She didn't know what the future held for them. Joe hadn't made a commitment, but neither had she. He couldn't halt everything in his life and move to Phoenix
for her
. And she couldn't imagine trailing after him on the campaign
and in the White Mountains
. They had both agreed to keep their relationship private, at least until after the election. Actually it gave them some time
and space, which
they both needed to understand and sort out feelings and emotions.

“I’ll
bet you're tired," she said gently. "Get comfortable, and I'll pour us some wine."

In a few minutes she curled up beside him on the sofa and snuggled into the curve of his arm. She rested against his solid body, relishing his steely strength. They sipped their wine quietly and listened to the words of
Bocelli and Dion singing “The Promise.”

He turned to her, sliding his hand beneath the silken weight of her hair. It lo
oked golden in the soft light. “
These nights with you are better than I ever dreamed they could be." His lips brushed her ear with sex
y whispers as he kissed her tem
ple, then her cheek. "Hmm, y
ou smell delicious... taste fan
tastic."

He nibbled sweet moist kisses over her face and lips. She closed her eyes and let his k
isses take her away,
slipping
to ec
stasy. Just being with him, feeling him next to her, lifted her spirits and renewed her hopes that someday they would be able to live like this every da
y. Every night. A routine of be
ginning and ending each day together sounded heavenly but seemed remote at the present.

Joe shifted away from her and lay back with a heavy sigh. He reclined his head on the sofa, stretched his long legs out and propped his feet on a cushioned stool. Then he took her wineglass and set it on the side table and pulled her head gently down to his lap. "Closer," he mumbled.

She rested on the sinewy cushion of his thigh
and
couldn't help wondering if she was taking a chance with her heart. But she was helpless to change a thing.
She wanted him, any way she could get him.

When Joe touched her, though, and held her in his arms, Maria was convinced there were no risks for her heart. He had to feel the same as she did or he couldn't react to her so positively. And he wouldn't still be finding time for her in the midst of his hectic schedule. Like tonight.

He moved one hand caressi
ngly over the curls at her fore
head and temple. It was soothing, yet sensuous. He let his other hand rest on her rib cage. Occasionally he stroked her breast, as if to reacquaint himself with her softness, her femininity. The unobtrusive motion was quietly erotic and alerted her senses that more would follow.

"This McAndrew thing is getting more complicated," he said finally.

"I know the media is trying to play it up. You handled it well tonight, saying other areas are important, too."

"Well, they are. I really believe that without proper health care, improved facilities an
d skilled professionals, my peo
ple's health will decline. We have some specific problems that I intend to address when I'm in office. And I feel strongly that education is the key to the future. We have to improve that, as well."

"Nobody could argue with those points. They're pretty general."

"But I can't deny the
importance of economic develop
ment for my people, particularly on the reservation. And McAndrew is offering a tempting opportunity. It looks good on the surface."

"What about beneath the surface, when you dig deeper
?
"

"Problems. Good and bad. Pros and cons."

"What are they? List them, Joe. Sometimes it helps to write them out, look at them, study them. Weigh them."

He sighed and began to recite what he'd reviewed in his mind numerous times. "First, the pros. They'll provide jobs for my people. Good jobs. They'll be hiring construction workers, large equipment op
erators, bricklayers, electri
cians, carpenters, interior finishers and designers, every
thing that goes with building a large project. Even engineers."

"So they claim."

"We'd cover it by contract to make sure they hired Apache first and foremost."

"Good point.
But do you have the skilled workers for that?
"

“There’s the rub. On the other hand,
when the project's finished, there would be other jobs available for locals. Maintenance
, cleaning, possibly even lower
level administration."

"Sounds pretty good so far, Joe."

"Yep." He sighed and curved his hand around her face. "And I'm not denying that we need those jobs. Damned bad."

"Okay, what are the cons?"

"We'll have a major business on our reservation over which we won't have complete authority. There are
potential prob
lems in the future with some
thing so large and so long last
ing that we don't own. My people are disturbed by that. You can't blame them for wanting controlling interest in any large industry located on the reservation."

"Perhaps the tribe could buy them out eventually."

"It's possible, I suppose. But that's still questionable. It would take an amount of money the tribe doesn't have right now and may not have in the future. Anyway, that's a highly doubtful speculation. What if McAndrew doesn't want to sell? Or circumstances and policies change? We could do nothing about it except take him to court—another expensive endeavor."

"Even though it isn't likely, it's always possible."

He caressed her cheek.
"So why set ourselves up for po
tential problems? The o
ther major objection is that Mc
Andrew insists these condos be built in the high country. The forests are thicker, making the entire site more appealing. The views are doubly spectacul
ar, and the commercial possibil
ities of promotion and marketing will be greater."

"He's probably right. Is this on presently undeveloped land?" She caught his wrist and moved his palm over her mouth so she could kiss it.

"
The area is u
ninhabited by humans. But the tall trees, high in the mountains, are the nesting grounds of the bald eagles. You
know what importance the Apache place on the eagle. Building anywhere in the area could drive the birds away. Or eventually destroy the
m completely. My people are dis
turbed about this."

"I can understand why." Maria thought of the great bald eagle, extinct in much of its former habitat in the U.S. How beautiful and majestic it was in flight. She also knew the Apache used the bird's feathers in certain ceremonies, so it had religious significance.

Joe continued. "On the other hand, should the future and potential of people be pushed
aside for the welfare of a crea
ture? Is a bird, even a ra
re one, more important than peo
ple's needs?"

"You aren't asking me to answer that, are you?"

"No. Of course not. I'm mulling all the possibilities and options over in my mind. And I appreciate your listening. Actually, there are no easy answers here, and I don't expect you to come up with any. There are definite pros and cons; and there are strong reasons to consider this project, even though I personally reject McAndrew's approach and meth
ods."

"Then it isn't all bad."

"No, nor all good. The bottom line is what's best for my people. And a decision won't be made finally until after the election. It will be a joint decision and eventually be put to a vote, but people are looking to me to lead them in the best direction."

“I’
m sure you'll figure out what's best for your people, Joe."

"Maria..." He touched her breast, then slipped his hand beneath the thin material of her wraparound dress. The soft mound grew taut, the nipple button hard. He rubbed his palm across the pebbly tip, then sought her other breast. When it.
too, responded, he whispered, "Maria, what's best for me is you. Make love to me."

Eagerly she led him to the bedroom and quickly un
dressed him, caressing, stroking, kissing. Seductively she dropped her dress and panties at her feet, undulating her hips
even
as she joined him on the bed.

Joe lay back, thoroughly
enjoying Maria's sexual aggres
siveness. She kissed his lips and chin and chest, letting her tongue trail sexily over him and travel lower to his flat belly. Joe found that it was all he could do to remain still as she continued her maddening advances.

Finally she lowered herself over him until they were joined intimately. Sensuous, heated, breathing strong, passionate, hotly pressed together, touching, caressing, loving, softly murmuring.

Suddenly the fervor that drove them together increased in intensity, and he surged with an almost uncontrolled speed and force. She received him with a res
ponsive, erotic eager
ness. They rocked, matching thrust for thrust, in a wild fury. Passion swirled them in a fierce, voracious frenzy and slowed only when they climaxed and she slumped into his arms.

She awakened to his tenderly stroking hand. "Maria, I'll be so glad when this whole
thing is over, and we can be to
gether all the time."

"Will we?"

He stared at the ceiling. "We'll figure out a way."

"I hope so, Joe," she whispered and started to get up.

But he reached out and pulled her to him. "Don't go yet," he whispered.
“I love feeling you close to me.”

Maria rested her head on h
is chest, pressing her knees to
gether, trying to retain the f
eelings of having the most inti
mate part of Joe within her. And she knew she was trying
desperately to hold on to him, to eliminate the fear she would lose him in the end.