Lily watched Hawke pace the cabin and worried that at any moment he was going to either catch the wooden floor on fire or go straight through to the dirt below.

"Hawke, you're making me dizzy." she said with a tired sigh as she stirred the thick venison stew she was cooking. Hawke stopped abruptly and looked over at her.

"How can you say that Nathan deserves to live after what he has done to you?" he demanded. Lily shook her head and laid the mixing spoon down on the counter before crossing her arms over her chest.

"I did not say that he deserves to live, I just said that you cannot kill him."

"Doc Mason needs to learn to mind his own business." Hawke grumbled as he threw himself down in a chair at the table.

"Hawke, you aren't thinking about this clearly." Lily said walking to him and dropping to her knees in front of him. She took both of his hands in hers and locked her eyes with his. "If Nathan is murdered, everyone will suspect you because they have seen us together. They will know that you killed him to have me all to yourself and they will come after you without a second thought. I've heard about the posse's that form out here where there isn't much law. Marshall Yale would be powerless to stop them and they would hang you and then what would happen to me? I love you, Hawke, and I can't lose you… I just found you."

Hawke's green eyes softened, just a little, and the tension in his jaw eased slightly as he looked at her.

"What is your plan then?" he asked. Lily sighed.

"Doctor Mason told me about this thing called divorce. He is talking to a lawyer friend of his in Helena about what I would need to do… If I divorce Nathan, then he will no longer be my husband." Her eyes took on a happy excited light. "Isn't that wonderful? I could be your wife! And Allie is already on her way so Nathan won't be able to threaten me with her… Everything will work out just fine."

Hawke knew that Lily was wrong. Nathan would not just divorce her and then walk away without a word. Lily's life would be in danger for as long as Nathan breathed and Hawke had already vowed to keep her safe. He would kill Nathan but he did not want Lily to worry needlessly. Nathan would not be back for several more weeks.

"How long until supper is ready?" he asked changing the subject. Lily's eyes narrowed.

"Hawke, did you hear what I said?" she asked. Hawke nodded.

"I heard you. We will try your way but you need to understand that to keep you safe I will do anything." Lily sighed in defeat. She knew Hawke would kill Nathan if he felt he had to and that scared Lily to death. Nathan deserved death.. He deserved it a thousand times over for the things he had done to others but she did not want Hawke being the one to kill him. In Hawke, lie every dream and hope that she had for her future. She wanted to live her entire life by his side, loving him and being loved…. If he killed Nathan she had no doubts that he would hang and if that happened then she might as well be swinging from a rope beside of him because her soul would die when he took his last breath.

"How long before supper is ready?" he asked again. Lily shrugged.

"An hour or so. I still have to bake the bread." Hawke nodded and stood up pulling her up with him.

"I must go get some things done. Just yell for me when it is ready." He kissed her forehead gently and then walked out of the cabin. Lily shook her head as she walked to the kitchen counter to mix up the bread dough. She hoped it wouldn't take long for Doctor Mason to get in touch with his lawyer friend because she wanted to be able to ease Hawke's mind. He was so protective of her that he was sure to drive himself crazy if Nathan was not out of their lives soon. Lily knew that once she got the divorce Nathan would leave. He was too big of a coward to try to take Hawke on. Nathan only went after people who were physically or mentally weaker then he was and Hawke had him beat on both accounts.

Lily could hear the pounding of an axe outside as she finished mixing up the bread dough and laid it into a pan. She wondered why he was chopping more wood when the woodshed was already full but then she figured he was probably just releasing tension.

She sat down at the kitchen table and thought about her little sister. She was a little nervous about Allie traveling all this way alone but Lily knew that Allie was smart and would make it just fine. Lily had already done the math and Hawke had agreed to take her into town the day Allie should arrive on the stage so that she could greet her.

Lily stood and walked to the bedroom to get the new fabric that she had gotten from the mercantile earlier. Hawke had offered to buy her the ready made dresses to save her the trouble of sewing her own but she had finally managed to convince him that she enjoyed sewing. She settled herself into the armchair beside the big window and got to work on her new dress.

When the bread was ready she pulled it from the stove and then walked outside to call for Hawke. What she saw shocked her. Hawke was just stepping out of the woods. He had pulled off his buckskin shirt and his dark skin was gleaming with sweat. His dark hair hung in his face as he tugged on Triggers reigns and pulled the horse along behind him.

She realized Trigger was dragging a long log, similar to the three already lying in the yard. They were large pine logs, the branches had all been removed but they were still covered in bark.

Wolf came out of the woods behind Trigger carrying a branch in his mouth and looking awfully proud as he dropped it beside the logs.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked as Hawke unhooked the log from the straps and rolled it next to the others. He looked over at her and wiped sweat from his brow.

"Cutting wood." he replied

"Our fireplace isn't that big." Lily said motioning to the logs in the yard. Hawke laughed deeply and the sound surprised him. He tried to remember if he had ever really laughed before but he could not recall a single time.

"I am going to add some rooms to the cabin." Hawke said as he walked toward her. Lily leaned against the cabin wall as her legs grew weak beneath her. She could see every muscle in his lean stomach working as he walked and she realized that his stomach reminded her of her washboard and she wondered if she could clean clothes on it.

"You are?" she asked breathlessly. Hawke nodded and scratched at his arm causing the muscles in his arms to bunch and coil and the heat in Lily rose.

"We will need more room with your sister and the baby." Lily nodded and forced herself to focus on their conversation instead of on the heat coiling low in her belly at the sight of his muscular torso.

"Shouldn't you get someone to help you?" she asked. Hawke shrugged.

"I am used to doing things alone. This will be no different."

"Suppers ready." Lily replied finding that she couldn't seem to put very many words together at once right now. The air did not seem to have enough oxygen when he was standing this close to her. She wondered if he was having as much trouble breathing as she was.

"I will clean up and be in in a moment." Hawke replied. He turned and walked away from her quickly before he gave in to the temptation to kiss her. He knew if he kissed her he would not be able to stop until he made love to her and he did not want to do that covered in dirt and dust.

He quickly went about removing the straps from Trigger and leading him to the barn. He rubbed the gelding down and gave him some oats before walking back out of the barn and down the path to the lake.

888

Lily felt her nerves fluttering inside her stomach as she slid herself into the tight doeskin dress she had worn her first day here. This dress fit her so snugly that wearing underclothes was impossible and so she had left them off. She pulled the pin from her hair and let the dark waves tumble down her back.

Her hands were shaking as she ran them over her hips and chewed on her bottom lip. How exactly did a woman go about seducing a man? She had never done it before but she had seen enough 'loose' women walking the streets as she and Nathan had traveled across the country to know that they always showed a lot of their chests. She tugged on the dress pulling it as low as it could and she blushed crimson when she realized that she could see the smooth curve of her breasts.

She forced herself to stop chewing on her lip when she tasted blood and took a deep breath. She could do this. She wanted Hawke and she knew that he wanted her. For some reason he was slow in getting down to business so she would help him.

Suddenly she felt his presence behind her. She had not heard him coming and she realized that she should have known that she wouldn't. Hawke moved as silently as his Indian ancestors. She turned away from the bed and there he was, in all his bronze glory, standing behind her in nothing but his buckskin pants and boots. His hair was dripping wet and droplets of water were still clinging to his skin and running down the hard muscles of his chest and stomach.

Her mouth was suddenly too dry to speak and she found herself unable to say all the teasing words she had been planning. She looked up at his face and saw that his green eyes were dark and narrowed. She bit her lip and his eyes focused on the movement before dropping lower to her chest.

She took a deep shuddering breath trying to rid herself of the nerves fluttering around inside of her and before she had time to let it out Hawke was across the room and taking her into his arms.

"You are beautiful, naakiiwa'" he said and she could hear the gruff quality of his voice. He pulled her close against him and she felt the proof of his arousal pushing against her belly as he laid his finger on her chin and tilted her head up.

Their eyes locked for several seconds and no words needed to be said before his hungry lips sought out hers and devoured them. There was nothing gentle about the way he kissed her. It was hungry and possessive and it melted her completely.

Hawke moved his lips to her jaw and then lower to her neck as she threw her head back. He buried one hand in her thick dark hair and put his other hand on her rear, pulling her closer to him. He felt her small soft hands on his chest and stomach and was glad that she did not seem to mind his lack of hair…. He knew that white men had hair covering their bodies but he had taken after his mothers side of the family. It had always bothered him before but judging by the soft moans coming from Lily it did not bother her.

He was desperate to taste every inch of her pale skin as he moved his lips along her collarbone and lower still to the gentle swell of her breasts. He felt her sag as her knees buckled and he grinned against her skin and wrapped his arm tighter around her to hold her up.

He growled in protest as she pulled herself away from him and took several steps back. He thought maybe she had changed her mind but then he saw a mischievous glint in her lust filled eyes.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked, thinking that she was going to succeed in her attempt if he did not get her back in his arms soon. She shook her head and then began to shimmy her way out of the tight doeskin dress. Hawke nearly came undone watching as her delicate body was revealed to him inch by breathtaking inch.

"Come here." he said holding out a hand for her. Lily shivered with pleasure at the look of pure passion on his face. She knew she could not look that beautiful with the sickly green bruises covering her body but he was looking at her as if she was the loveliest thing he had ever seen.

She went to him and then moaned with pleasure as his big hands roamed over her body leaving trails of flames in their wake. He covered her lips with his once again and as he deepened the kiss and tasted her with his tongue, she matched his actions. His hands took their time, touching and teasing every inch of her bare body until she thought for sure she would die from the ache he was creating with her… She ached for more and he seemed to sense this as he led her to the bed and without breaking their kiss, he lowered her onto it covering her body with his own.

Hawke pulled away from her and stood straight. He had never seen a more beautiful sight in all of his life than the one his eyes were taking in right now. His woman soft and warm and burning with passion lying in his bed… Her dark hair falling across the blankets and surrounding her head like a halo. She was his angel. His reason for living. She was the reason for every single beat of his heart.

He slid off his pants and boots and fought back a smile when her eyes widened at the sight of him. He knew that she was innocent when it came to making love…. What Nathan had done to her was not love making and Hawke wanted to make her forget every touch that man had ever given her.

He wanted to love her thoroughly until every inch of her body could remember only him and the man before him was forgotten. He lowered himself back down to the bed and this time he used his mouth to explore, taste and devour her body until she buried her fingers in his hair and guided his lips back to hers.

He could wait no longer.. His body ached for more of her and he gave in to his desires. He made love to her long and slow. Every moan and whisper of his name was like the sweetest music he had ever heard.

The pace of their lovemaking became quicker and quicker until both of them were tumbling over the edge and calling out the others name. Hawke laid down on his back beside of her and pulled her into his arms. She curled up on her side and laid her head on his smooth, sweat covered chest.

"I had no idea…" she managed to whisper as she listened to the thundering of his heartbeat. He could not stop the proud grin from forming and he was glad that she was not looking up at his face.

"When we make love it will always be like this. That I can promise you." he replied.

"I love you, Hawke." Hawke buried his face in her hair breathing in the scent of lavenders.

"I love you, naakiiwa." he vowed. "You are my mosskitsipahyo."

A/N: Blackfoot translations:

Naakiiwa- my woman

Mosskitsipaho- heart