Flutter (The Discover Series) (55 page)

“Thank you.”

“I’ll meet you out here in fifteen?”

She nodded, still looking a little dazed, and disappeared into the house. I punched a fist into my open hand and walked off the porch.

Today was going to be fun.

Sara

“Won’t you just give me a tiny hint?”

             
I had been begging him for clues to where I was being kidnapped since we had pulled out of
Flagstaff
city limits, but he wasn’t budging. I had a lot of confidence that if he was ever caught by an opposing enemy, any vital information would be safe with him.

             
I was turned in my seat, legs curled under me in the tiny passenger seat, giving Adan my most intimidating stare down while he drove down the smooth freeway to our unknown destination. The pleasure he was getting from keeping it a surprise told me no matter how much I begged and pleaded, he was going to stick with the suspense.

             
“Only a tiny hint?” he asked, and my face instantly brightened, and I had to retain a squeal of pleasure.

             
“Yes!” it came out a little more enthusiastic then I meant it too.

             
He wore a big grin when he glanced at me briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

             
“Fine. We have to drive to get there. There, that’s your hint.”

He tried to control his laughter, but the minute he turned to look at my scowling face he couldn’t contain it, and the sound filled the inside of his ‘car’.

“I fail to see the humor in your cruelty!” I folded my arms over my chest, and made sure I put on a believable pout.

“Come one. It was funny!”

Shaking my head, I looked away to stare out the windshield, giving him the silent treatment.

“Aww come on, don’t be mad. If you talk to me again, I’ll give you an actual hint this time.”

I looked at him, shaking my head. “Wow, and here I was impressed by your willpower. How easily you gave in.”

He laughed. “Well played, well played indeed.”

“I thought so too.” I said smugly.

“Although, I still think I’d stand up against torture.” He said confidently.

“Until they bring out the big guns, you know, pouting teenage girls.”

“Funny, but I’m sure I’ll be okay.”

“Oh, yeah? Why is that?”

“Because you’re the only girl who has ever been able to threaten my otherwise superior willpower.”

I looked away from his heated gaze and picked at one of my fingernails, I didn’t look up at him when I finally broke the silence.

“I don’t know about having a ‘superior willpower’, but I can definitely agree with the rest.”

“Good to know.”

He was smiling, staring contently at the road. I sneaked a peek at him though my lashes and my eyes greedily ravished the precision features of his face. He looked different today and I noted how relaxed he was today, less focused and intense then he normally tried to hide from me. Except his eyes, his eyes always emanated an extreme sense of passion. I fell prisoner to the intensity of the deep blue havens more then once, and I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time. He managed to touch the edges of my soul with those eyes, each time felt like I was being struck by lightening. My body tingled at my thoughts and I shifted in my seat.

Adan cleared his throat and I was brought out of my thoughts, a slight blush highlighting my cheeks. I half expected him to have caught me staring at him, but he was still focused on the empty road. It was driving me crazy that he wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but I took in the casual way he was dressed - the simple black muscle shirt and shorts - and I didn’t expect anything extravagant. The way he was dressed didn’t appease my curiosity, but decided to take pleasure in the spontaneity of the situation.

“I hope that blush means you see something you like.” He said, his eyes never leaving the road.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said with as much indifference as I could make believable.

“I bet.”

“You brought your guitar?” Noticing it in the back seat.

He glanced in the back. “Yep.”

“Any particular reason why?” I asked, extremely curious.

“I never know when I might need it.”

“Get a lot of opportunities to break out in a little song and dance?”

“Some, not a lot.” He said causally, “I don’t really dance though.” He confessed.

“Last night?”

“That wasn’t really dancing. That was swaying… with style.”

I laughed. “Some people consider that dancing.”

“Those are the people who can’t dance.”

“I see. So if I ask nicely, are you going to sing me a song?”

             
“I might.” He glanced at me with a suggestive grin. “If you ask nicely.”

             
“Where did you learn to play?”

             
“I had a private music teacher growing up; she taught me how to play.”

“Fancy.”

He laughed. “Not really. She was more like a family friend.”

“So does your brother know how to play too?”

“Yes, but not as well as me.”

“Does he agree with that?” I asked skeptical.

“Yeah. With a little bit of force on my part.” He added with a smirk.

We both laughed at that.

“Any other hidden talents I should know about?”

He grinned. “You’re doing it again.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Setting yourself up.”

I blushed.

“Have I told you how incredibly cute you are when you blush?” I could feel him giving me a stare down, and I purposely avoided his teasing eyes.

“I don’t blush.” I announced, still staring out the windshield.

He threw his head back, and a deep rumble of laughter erupted from his chest. “Right!”

As his outburst spread through the confines of the tiny car, I felt my face flame, and I touched my cheek to make sure I hadn’t actually caught on fire. When he finally settled down, I dared to throw a peek in his direction, and was surprised to find him staring at me with only a leftover grin from his fit just seconds earlier. I gaped at him, and pointed in the direction of the road, that he was currently disregarding.

“You. Eyes. Road!”

His grin grew, transforming the lines and curves of his face, and deepening the lone dimple on his right cheek. I wanted to reach out and caress it, no, what I wanted to do was kiss it. Just thinking it caused heat to spread throughout the rest of my body, and my heartbeat accelerated, making breathing a chore rather than a birthright. There was something building inside of my chest and quickly spreading to the center of my palms. I turned my hands over and inspected them, half expecting them to be on fire by the intense heat that was radiating off of them. I looked at Adan, but he was watching the road, not seeming to notice what I was going through.

I couldn’t seem to calm my breathing, which only intensified the sensation coursing through my body, and was it my imagination, or did it get insanely bright all of a sudden? I had to squint through the harsh glare coming off the windshield, practically melting my eyeballs.

I flexed my fingers making a fist a few times, hoping that would calm the erratic pulsating in my hands. I was starting to freak out on another level, and were my hands glowing? I couldn’t tell if it was my eyes playing tricks on me from the beaming sunlight streaming through the windows, or if they were actually
glowing
.

His hand covered the top of my thigh, his fingers curling into the skin of my inner thigh, creating an entirely different kind of warmth. His touch produced a sense of awareness for me, and I could feel the tension slowly melting away. It was like his fingertips held some kind of calming abilities, and my body was greedily absorbing the tranquility like a drug. I looked up at him and he smiled at me, but there was something in his eyes. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like concern. Could he sense what was going on with me?

Looking down at his hand again, I realized I needed his touch with each breath I took and I covered his hand with my own, my fingers slipping between his and squeezing. He gave my thigh a soft squeeze in return, and then ran his hand down the length of my thigh, taking mine with his, to my knee applying pressure around the bone. I shivered and took in a deep shaky breath. I tried not to think about his touch. I didn’t want another repeat of what happened just minutes ago.

My breathing resumed to normal, and the heat seemed to evaporate along with the suns extreme rays.

Something odd caught my attention and I leaned forward in my seat, a tiny crease forming between my eyes as I tried to figure out what it was that I was…smelling. Turning in my seat, I searched blindly for the button to release the window, but came up empty. Looking down I realized there was no button, but there was however a handle to
roll
down the window.

I looked over at him.
Was he serious?
I thought.

He looked at me. “What?” he asked confused.

Ignoring his question, I rolled the window down and sniffed at the hot air as it blasted against my face.

“What are you doing?” I heard Adan ask.

“Shhh.” I tried to concentrate on the smell, and why it was so strong, and seemed so familiar, but it was something I was sure I had never smelt before.

“Are you…
sniffing
… the
air
?” I could tell he was trying to look around me by the strain of the voice.

I inhaled deeply, pulling the fragrance in until the fresh sent swirled around my lungs. There was something oddly sweet about the scent, clean, earthly and revitalizing.

“Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?” He was getting more confused by the minute. “I don’t smell anything.”

“Where is it coming from?”

“What? Where is what coming from?”

The delicate scent, which actually resembled more like a fragrance, was filling the interior of the car, .  I could smell it on my side, but it was stronger on Adan’s side. Leaning
toward
him, I sniffed the air around him.

Laughing, he looked at me like I was crazy. “Sara, what are you doing?”

Shifting in my seat so I was kneeling, I leaned over, holding my weight on the edge of Adan’s seat until we were face to face. His grin was downright sexy. My breath caught, and I tried to swallow around the lump in my throat.

             
“Hi.” He said, while his eyes bounced back and forth between me and the road.

             
“Hi.” I whispered. “Does your window go down?”

             
“What?”

             
“Your window, does it go down?”

             
“Yes.” He said slowly, drawing out the ‘S’, not sure where I was going with my question.

             
“Lift your arm.” I instructed. “Please.” I added sweetly, giving him my best smile.

             
He lifted his right arm, holding it up behind me.

             
“Thanks. I just gotta…” leaning further over him, I turned the handle, rolling down his window.

             
“This is dangerous you know? My view… it’s… compromised.”

             
I stopped, mid rolling, and turned my head to look back at him. “Hey!” I said, and he looked at me, not even bothering to hide the mischievous gleam hidden in his eyes. “Eyes on the road.” I warned.

             
He just laughed and I turned before he could see my own smile. Rolling the window down as far as it would go; I was consumed by the smell as it whirled inside the car.  It was definitely stronger on this side. The breeze spun through my hair, blowing it away from my face and into Adan’s. He caught the wild strands in his fist and held it captive at the base of my neck, his knuckles brushing the skin there.

             
“You want to fill me in on what exactly it is you’re
smelling
?”

             
“I don’t know, honestly. There isn’t a name for it…I don’t think.”

             
My fingers brushed his as I reached around and took my hair from his grip. “Thank you.” I said, looking at him, and sat back in my seat, my legs curling under me again.

             
I twisted my hair, holding it against my shoulder.

             
“You really don’t smell it?” I questioned him.

             
He sniffed the air. “I smell…heat?”