Drumbeats Within His Soul

Dan smiled shyly, embarrassed, his facing turning red.

Melanie laughed. "Was it that good?" she teased, still laughing.

"Do you really want to know?" He wasn't sure if he should tell her or not.

"Sure," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Why not?"

"It was weird," he began. "I was holding you just like was before I went lights out."

"You were holding me?" Melanie interrupted.

"Well, you as in Three Feathers, that is," he explained. "Anyway, you pushed away from me and you took your dress off. And you were...well...naked." Dan cleared his throat, thinking about the scene again. "You just stood there in front of me and I was staring at you. Then it ended and I saw you staring at me and here we are talking about it."

Melanie was quiet for a minute. "Interesting vision," she said thoughtfully. She then smiled wickedly. "Did I look good naked?" she asked playfully.

Dan smiled at her before he answered. "Breathtaking," he said softly.

They stared at each other for the longest time, neither one blinking an eye as each took in the moment. But, the moment was gone as Melanie lost the nerve to ask him to make love to her at that instant. She wanted to very badly, but she knew it was too soon for both of them.

She broke her gaze first, taking him by the hand and guiding him to the bed before sitting down on it. "So," she sighed, "why are you here and not in Cincinnati?"

Dan set about and told her everything, from the good start on Monday and Tuesday, to the meeting with his boss, to the past two days and his journey back to Oklahoma. Melanie couldn't believe the events and would have thought he was making it up except for when he produced the tape and played it for her. She listened in disbelief, shaking her head back and forth. She wished he had come under different circumstances, but she was happy nonetheless. And she was worried about his financial situation although he didn't seem bothered by it at all.

After he told the story, he claimed a headache and asked to rest before dinner. He was tired from the trip and from the vision, so he thought a nap would help. Melanie set his alarm clock for him, kissed him, and left him in his bed. Looking back at him before she closed the door, she wished she could have stayed and slept with him, but she needed to get home. Quietly, she shut the door and made her way out of the lodge and into the Oklahoma sunshine.

Dan didn't know the precise moment when he knew he was in love with her. It could have been when they were staring at each other in his room, waiting for one or the other to make a move. Or it could have been during dinner when he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Somehow, though, he thought he was in love with her from the first time he met her, that she triggered his deepest subconscious memories and that he would love her no matter what moment in time they were living. He knew she was the reason he was having these flashbacks and dreams.

But, the woman beside him on the couch wasn't a flashback or a distant memory. She was flesh and blood and a living and breathing being. He could touch her and kiss her and she was sending sensations through him that only a real woman could.

Dinner was simple and very good; pork chops, baked potato, and a salad. Dan was starving by then since he hadn't eaten anything since early in the morning. He had seconds of everything and Melanie enjoyed watching him. He insisted on helping with the dishes and wouldn't take no for an answer, no matter how much she protested.

The small living room was quiet as Dan and Melanie sat on the couch holding and kissing each other and not finding a reason to speak. Melanie's hair was loose and not tied back and Dan thought she should never have it any other way. She was wearing a loose fitting v-neck top and jeans and Dan couldn't help but notice the hint of cleavage at the neckline. He knew she didn't have much as far as breast size went, but he didn't care. Cheryl had only been a 32B and he thought they were perfect. He suspected Melanie was about the same or maybe a bit smaller, maybe even like Three Feathers in the vision he had. Hers were beautiful.

Dan ran his hand through her soft hair, loving the feel of it against his fingers. She tossed her head to the side, giving him easier access behind her ear and to the back of her head. She really loved having her hair played with. He continued to run his hand through it, occasionally massaging the back of her head with his thumb and fingers. Melanie sighed happily before she moved towards him and began to kiss him again. Her kisses felt different than normal to Dan and that wasn't a bad thing. They were a bit more playful, seductive, than they had been before. Every once in a while, her tongue would brush against his lip, almost flicking against it. Her hand was on his thigh, massaging it and teasingly getting closer to his groin.

Dan groaned lightly and Melanie giggled in spite of herself. She looked down and saw a nice bulge growing. She looked at Dan and he had a serious look on his face, one of love and lust, a combination she had never seen before. Slowly, her hand slid upwards and soon, she lightly grasped the bulge beneath his cotton pants and lovingly stroked it.

Dan's eyes widened but he said nothing. He was quite surprised by her forwardness, but he wasn't going to stop her. She continued to stroke him and kiss him, her kisses fiery hot and more urgent. Dan took his hand from her hair and found her right breast and gave it a small squeeze through her shirt. Melanie loved the feel of his hand against her as she stifled a groan. As he continued to massage her, she took a firmer grip of his erection, stroking and pulling on it faster, all the while kissing him.

Abruptly, she stopped, pulled Dan's hand away and broke their kiss. They looked at each other, this time knowing what they wanted and needed from the other. Their breathing was quick and audible. Melanie reached up to touch his face, but Dan took her hand and kissed it.

"I want to make love to you," he said quietly. He hoped it was the right moment and he was willing to take the chance. He had loved her for centuries and he was in love with her now. One could say it was the beginning of a new love affair, but Dan knew better. It was the continuation of a love story that had gone on for ages.

Melanie nodded, unable to speak. She took his hand and walked him to her bedroom. It was simply furnished with a bed, dresser, and dressing table. Dan's stomach was churning nervously, waiting to see what Melanie would do. She was nervous, too, as she lit candles at each end of her dressing table, her hands shaking slightly. She flipped off the light and stood and faced him, the candles casting eerie shadows throughout the room.

"I'm kind of nervous," she said softly. "It's been a long time."

"I understand," he replied. "If you want to wait..."

"No," she said quickly. "I want this." She paused momentarily. "Let's just take it slow. Okay?"

"Sure."

Melanie moved forward and hugged him, placing her head against his chest. "I really want this," she sighed. Dan held her tight, rubbing her back with his hands.

A few minutes passed before she let go and backed a couple of steps away. She smiled shyly and said, "You may have seen me naked in another lifetime, but I hope you like the current version." She kicked off her sandals and pushed them behind her near the bed. Next, she tugged her shirt out from her jeans and slowly pulled it over her head. Without waiting, she unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans before she yanked them down past her curvy hips to the floor. She stepped out of them and kicked them to where her shirt and sandals had landed.

Dan couldn't stop staring at her. His eyes traveled from her dainty, white lace panties to her bra covered breasts. She had broad shoulders and a trim waist and her legs were nicely shaped. Melanie giggled lightly at him. "You know," she said, "it's not fair that I'm getting undressed and you're still clothed. If we're going to make love, it might be better if both of us were naked."

Speechless, Dan nodded and quickly he began to undress. When he was down to his briefs, Melanie could see his penis straining to find an opening. She moved closer to him and began to stroke him through the thin cloth. "I think someone wants to come out and play." she laughed.

As she continued to play with it, Dan reached behind her and deftly unhooked her bra. "Oh my," she murmured and she slipped her hand inside his waistband. Soon, her hand was around a thick, pulsing piece of flesh, wet from his lubrication, and jumpy from her touch. Dan moaned and thought he was going to explode at any minute if she kept it up.

"If you keep doing that," he gasped, "you're going to have a mess on your hands."

Melanie smiled shamelessly. "That's okay, we have all night," she said as continued to play. It was but seconds later when Dan tensed and gritted his teeth. "It's coming," he managed to say. His penis pulsated and began to spew abundant amounts of sperm all over her hand and into his briefs. When he finished, she drew her hand out and was amazed as his sperm started to drip from her hand and onto the carpet.

She laughed and went to her night stand for a Kleenex. "I'm sure glad I'm in my safe zone right now otherwise we'll be having a baby in nine months." She wiped her hand dry and came back to him, shrugging off her bra and tossing it onto the dressing table as she walked. She held her arms outward from her sides and said, "Well, what do you think?"

"They're lovely," he said as he reached out and touched her left nipple. They were indeed very small, maybe a 32A, but her nipples jutted out from her dime sized areolas. He gave them both a tender squeeze before she stepped back and took off her panties. Dan stared at the black, glossy triangle that covered her pubis.

"Sorry," she apologized, "but I haven't trimmed for a while."

"That's okay," he gulped. "I don't mind at all." With that, he removed his own underwear and stood before her. His penis was twitching and beginning to get hard again. Melanie was impressed with it's girth and began to get excited thinking about it inside her. Her only other partner had been longer in length, but not as big in circumference. She had enjoyed having him inside her and he filled her nicely. Naughtily, she thought Dan would feel even better.

Gently, she took his hand and led him to her bed where soon, they were laying side by side kissing and exploring each other's bodies. Dan loved the feeling of her breasts in his hands, small and unbelievably soft to his touch. Nervously, he moved his hand down to her pubic area and began to rub and caress her coarse, black hair. Melanie murmured a content sigh and parted her legs, all the while lightly rubbing his scrotal sack and the underside of his penis with the back of her hand.

He soon found her little nub and took it between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it softly. Melanie shuddered and moaned at his touch and Dan could feel her moistening quickly. Melanie opened her legs wider, panting, wanting more than foreplay now. After a few more minutes of playing, she could stand it no longer. She broke their kiss and turned onto her back, staring at Dan the entire time. "It's time," she said sincerely.

She opened her legs wide and even in the candlelight, Dan could tell that she was glistening and ready for him. He positioned himself between her legs, but before he began, he moved forward and kissed her sweetly. "I love you," he said, looking deep into her eyes. He hoped against hope he wouldn't fall into his other world. As much as Three Feathers was a part of his life, his former life, he wanted to be totally with Melanie. She was the one he was in love with at that moment. She was the one he wanted to make love to. Melanie was his life, his world.

"I love you, too," Melanie said, her voice shaking.

Dan began to kiss her, moving slowly down her body; her lips, her neck, her breasts and nipples. As he came to her soft thighs, he inhaled her strong, yet pleasant fragrance. Every woman he had been with had a distinct aroma there and Melanie was no different. It was wonderful and sexy and Dan knew he had to taste her. He began to kiss her inner thighs and slowly made his way to her labia. Melanie squirmed a bit, but her hands were soon touching his head lightly, gently guiding him. When he reached her shrouded, sensitive nub, he felt her stiffen and tremble.

With his tongue, he slowly encircled the clitoris, alternating between licking and sucking it. Soft moans could be heard from Melanie as she continued to tremble and writhe with the pleasures invading her. A couple of minutes later, she held his face firmly against her as the first waves of her orgasm swept through her. She alternated between shrieks and moans, tossing her head from side to side calling Dan's name over and over again. Melanie held him there until the spasms subsided, relishing the delicious feeling between her legs and loving the man who was responsible.

She relaxed her thighs and let Dan up for air. Dan was smiling as he saw Melanie in her afterglow. Her hand was toying with her clitoris, lazily rubbing it. He loved to bring a woman to orgasm that way and he never tired of it. A little bit of time and patience was all it took, and most of the time, they would let you know when you were hitting a good spot.

She was still feeling little waves of pleasure going through her as she smiled back at Dan. "Please, Dan," she said softly. She reached forward and guided him into her. Although he stretched her a bit, she didn't have too much trouble getting him in. Despite being clumsy and ill-timed, it still felt wonderful to them and even though Dan came too quickly, Melanie didn't mind at all. It was more than she had hoped for.

They made love one more time before they fell asleep in each others arms, not waking until early morning.

When Blackhawk stopped by that afternoon, he was not surprised at all to see Dan there eating lunch with her. He suspected he spent the night, but it wasn't his place to pass judgement. He knew what it was like to be young and in love. How else did Melanie come into the world?

He dined with them and shared stories. He knew of an apartment nearby that was unoccupied when Dan inquired about housing considering his job status. Blackhawk, too, was amazed at the developments surrounding Dan's dismissal. He had only known of Dan's arrival, not the circumstances.

After lunch, Blackhawk took them to see the apartment that was available. Unfortunately, it was badly in need of repair and remodeling. Although the landlord agreed to fix it up, he was not handy in that line of work and it would take quite a while before he felt everything would be in order if he hired out the work.

Disheartened, but not defeated, Blackhawk said he would continue to look for him and would secure a suitable home for him before he returned for good.

Impetuously, Melanie blurted out, "He could always stay with me."

Both Dan and Blackhawk looked at her, Dan with amusement and Blackhawk with fatherly concern. Dan dared not say anything at that moment. This would be strictly between father and daughter. But he was surprised when Blackhawk said, "You are an adult and I have no say with whom you share your house...or your bed." The last part was a subtle dig at her, but he reproached her no more. And it was the last time it was ever discussed between father and daughter.

Dan was certainly okay with the arrangement, even if he slept on her couch. But, of course, that wasn't the case. In fact, she even insisted he stay with her instead of at the lodge during his visit. Even though it was against his better judgement, he relented and agreed to stay with her.

It was a wonderful weekend for both, especially since Dan stayed in the present and had no dreams or visions of the previous century. They made love often during those few days with each getting more and more used to each others bodies. Their lovemaking sessions became longer as Dan gained better control and he helped Melanie to her first vaginal orgasm that Monday night, their last night together before Dan headed back to Cincinnati.

It was quite an emotional morning for Melanie when Dan was getting ready to leave. Even though she would be leaving for school an hour after he would begin his journey, she clung to him as if she would never see him again. She insisted upon making love twice that morning after they woke, but still wanted more. Eventually, she realized she had to let him to go and knew he would come back to her. Although she cried and told him over and over how much she loved him, she let him go.

A brilliant sun shone that early September morning. A crowd of one hundred or so gathered at the council chambers including many school children from Melanie and Dan's classes. Dan was dressed in the traditional wedding finery of a Shawnee that he had borrowed from a friend of Blackhawk's. The holy man of the reservation stood in front of him as they waited for Melanie

Within minutes, Melanie was escorted into the chambers by her father. She was wearing the same dress her mother wore for her wedding to Blackhawk. Melanie wished for her to be there, but she died shortly after Melanie was born. Although she never knew her, Blackhawk assured her that she would be there in spirit. It was her way.

Melanie had feathers placed on both sides of her head and wore many strands of colorful beads. Dan gasped slightly as the sight of her simply took his breath away. Melanie smiled broadly at him when she caught sight of her intended husband. When she reached his side, Blackhawk moved behind them. They gazed at each other for a moment before the holy man began to speak. It was entirely in Shawnee, old style, just the way they wanted it. Dan listened to the words, trying to understand it's meaning. He would catch a word here and there, but he enjoyed listening to it's melodic rhythm nonetheless. The drumbeats within his soul were pounding, showing him he was in the right place. He was where he was supposed to be. He was home.

The holy man stopped speaking and Dan and Melanie turned to face each other, holding each others hands in front of them.

Melanie looked at Dan with tears forming in her eyes. He said, "Ni haw-ku-nah-ga." You are my wife.

Melanie replied, "Ni wahsiu." You are my husband.

The holy man spoke again, giving them his blessing for a long and prosperous life together. Although Dan didn't know exactly what was being said, he knew from studying the wedding ritual of the Shawnee the general idea of it. He smiled broadly and laughed inside. They had loved each other throughout many centuries and nothing was going to stand in their way for this lifetime. It may have taken them a few years to find each other, but the drumbeats within his soul showed him the way to her heart once more.