Flutter (The Discover Series) (56 page)

             
“Heat? You can smell heat?”

             
“I don’t know. I don’t smell anything unusual, and believe me; I have a great sense of smell.” He boasted proudly.

             
“It’s getting stronger.” And then I realized why. “There!” I yelled pointing out his window.

             
The car swerved a little and I bit my lip and gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry. Turn there please.”

             
He flipped the blinker signaling our turn, and veered off the main freeway and onto a dirt road. The sign read Indian 18 – Turnoff to Supai.

             
“Do you have any idea where we are going?”

             
“Nope, but wherever it is, is where the smell it coming from.”

             
“And why is this smell so important?”

             
“I don’t know, I don’t think it’s
important,
but it’s intriguing. Do you mind?”

I realized it was a little late to be asking that, seeing as how we were already on the road, and we just passed another sign that pointed us in the direction of Havasupai Indian Reservation.

“Not at all. So we’re going to an Indian Reservation?”

             
“I guess so. What do you think is there?”

             
“Your guess is as good as mine. This is your adventure, I’m just along for the ride, gorgeous.”

             
“Thank you.”

             
It took another twenty minutes to reach Haulapai Hilltop, which was a dead end parking lot where we learned we had a quite a hike a few miles down to the
Supi
Village
. We had the option of taking horses down the trail, but they didn’t seem to take to Adan all that well.

             
There was absolutely no spectacular scenery down the trail to the village that didn’t include bush, dirt, giant rocks, dirt, trees and more dirt. As we reached the heart of the reservation, three sprawling canyons, highlighted by their rustic color, surrounded the small village. There wasn’t a lot that made up the community. They had two general stores, a school, a post office and a café. It was pretty cut and dry, but it suited the two hundred and eight Native Americas that lived here.

             
The smell had increasingly gotten stronger the closer we had gotten to the gorge of Havasu Canyon, and after finding out that another trail was in the direction the scent was coming from, we took off for another two mile hike.

             
“So how are you going to know if you’ve found what you’re looking for?” Adan asked, a few minutes after we had disappeared between two clay colored cliffs.

             
“I don’t know.” I glanced at him over my shoulder.

             
We had decided that I would be the one to take the lead, since I was the one leading us on this crazy hunt.

             
“Well that’s good; at least we have a plan.” He said, sarcastically.

             
“It’s getting stronger. It’s all I smell now. I think we’re close.”

             
“I wish we knew what we were getting close
to
.”

             
“Are you going to complain the
whole
time?” I was only half paying attention to his answer.

             
The fact that I didn’t know what the smell was, or where it was coming from, was driving me to total distraction.

             
“How can I complain with a view like this?”

             
I didn’t turn around. “I’m going to assume you’re talking about the canyon.”

             
“Yeah, sure, the
canyon
.”

             
I was glad he couldn’t see my smile.

             
We rounded one of the massive stone walls, coming into a clearing. The sight took my breath away.

             
“Oh my god.” I whispered, amazed. “It’s so beautiful.”

We were surrounded by a scene of tranquility. Trees and rocks were scattered around, cradling a turquoise lagoon.

I took a step further, into the oasis. “I feel like I’ve been here before.” I said, trying to find the memory. “I just don’t remember when…” my sentence faded, realizing why this place seemed so familiar. A light flush warmed my cheeks, and my eyes found his instinctively, and he looked as if he knew exactly what I meant. Licking my lips, I looked away, moving closer toward the water.

             
“What?” He asked, following closely behind me.

             
“Nothing.” I said, quickly.

Too quickly in fact, and that only made him more suspicious. Hands on my hips, I pretended my entire interest was on the scenery in front of me. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, staring me down, waiting to see if he was going to have to call me out on my blatant lie. He crossed his arms over his wide chest.  The simple gesture honored the evident strength that surged through his powerful limbs. He didn’t need to strive to look like a warrior. He commanded it. Demanded the acknowledgment of his authority. Bold and daring, wild and powerful: a warrior existed inside of him. The captivating sight of him left me breathless every time, and I was learning to survive on restricted amounts of oxygen when around him.

This warrior was obviously not going to be ignored.

“You’re staring.” I informed him.

“You’re avoiding.”

I faced him. A full on pout controlled the shape of my body. “What makes you so sure?” I questioned him.

“You get this mischievous spark in your eyes when you’re trying to hide something from me. It’s your subconscious way of provoking me, daring me to discover the truth hidden behind your words. It’s a game of cat and mouse, baby girl, and it’s a challenge I willingly accept every time.”

It was frightening how well he knew the way my body responded to him, but I maintained defiance.

“Sometimes I think you’re a little dramatic.” I played aloof. “Put your imagination on a leash and take it easy there, big boy.”

“There’s that spark again.” He gloated. “It’s taunting me. Begging me to prove you wrong. It’s obvious.”

He baited.

“What’s obvious?”

I took.

“That you’re body likes the way it responds to me, just as much as I do.” He responded, confidently.

Hook, line, sinker… sucker! Amateur move, Sara,
I scolded myself.

He took a step closer to me, and my body’s instinctive response was to wilt against him.

“Unfair.” I sulked.

His grin was appreciative of my easy defeat. “I guess that really depends on how you want to look at it.” he swept the inky black strands away from my face. “I think it’s quite appealing.”

“Appealing, huh?”

I shifted my weight, changing positions so I was advancing on him. I left him no choice, but to take a step backwards. He was instantly alert, his posture stiffened, like he was waiting for me to strike. I stopped hoping it would give him enough pause to soften the shield of suspicion he was holding.

“You know what I find more appealing?” I asked, innocently.

“I’m listening.” He said, raising his eyebrows and cocking his head to the side.

             
“The idea of you,” I took another step toward him, but this time he didn’t budge. His mistake. “all wet!”

             
The words were like missiles, shooting out of my mouth fast enough that he wouldn’t have to stop and think about what they meant. I planted my hands on his chest and shoved as hard as I could, attempting to throw him back into the watery landing behind him. It was a great plan. I could see each step in my head. The execution was flawless…and it
would
have been perfect.

             
Except I underestimated my opponent.

             
His hand, lightening fast, lashed out grabbing my arm, just above my elbow, crushing me against his chest. His other arm wrapped around my waist, contracting my body against him, as we fell backwards toward the water. The urge to grasp onto something as we freefell was tremendous, but Adan’s arms were constricted tightly around me, and I could only dig my fingertips into the hard muscles of his shoulders. I had less then a second to inhale a deep breath before we were submerged beneath the water. Warm water melted over my skin, absorbing into my clothing in seconds.

             
The minute we were below the surface, I was assaulted by the sweet scent again. I was blinded by the inky stands of hair that veiled my face, and I tried shaking them away, but that only managed to make it worse. I felt like I should have been panicking, being held under water and all, but I wasn’t. My lungs weren’t supplicating for air. I tried to find Adan’s face through the tangled mess of dark hair, but I couldn’t see him. Seconds later I felt the firm thrust of his muscled thighs against mine, as he launched us for the surface.

             
We materialized from underneath the water, exploding through the surface, sending it spraying all around us. Instinctively, I gasped for air, breathing in deeply, until my lungs were satisfied. I wanted to appear as graceful and elegant as possible, so I came up head tilted back, neck arched so my hair wasn’t a tangled mess in my face. The ends floated over the top, gathering around my shoulders like an oil spill. I wanted to rub the water from my eyes, but Adan still had me pinned against him. Drops slipped down my face, collecting around the outline of my lips, and I realized where the smell was coming from.

             
“It’s the water.” I said looking at him. “The water…it has a smell to it.”

             
“You mean you’ve been smelling
water
this whole time?” For a minute he looked as confused as I was, but then there was a quick spark of something, but then it was gone.

             
I shrugged. “I guess so.”

             
“I didn’t even know water had a smell.”

             
“I don’t think it’s supposed too.”

             
“How is that possible? We’re miles from the highway. Are you sure?”

             
Great, I was no longer a closet freak. I had exposed my bizarre behavior to Adan without thinking, and now all I wanted to do was slip under the water again. I shouldn’t have blurted out loud what I smelled, so people with
ears
could hear me.

             
“I vote super powers.” I said.
             

             
“Well then I’m jealous.” He said, going along with it, and I smiled.

             
“I don’t think a heightened sense of smell for water is anything to be jealous of. For super powers it’s kind of on the lame side.”

             
“Having no power is lame.” He assured me.

             
“Well, leave it to me to be even more of a freak than I already am.” I said, and thought,
pity party, for one, your table’s ready.

             
“You’re
not
a freak. Why would you think that?”

             
Crap!

“I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s nothing.” I bit my lip, waiting, but knowing he wasn’t going to drop it.

             
“You already know I’m not going to drop it. Spill.” He said, firmly.

             
I didn’t hesitate long. For some reason, I needed validation from Adan that I wasn’t the freak I thought I was. I yearned for that reassurance.

             
I sighed. “It’s everything. Like the weird things that happen when we’re together. We’ve nearly set fire to a few establishments since we met! I mean, I’ve heard of sparks flying rhetorically, but we’re pushing the boundaries of physics here. You feel the connection we have to each other.” My hand slid over the slickness of his chest, I felt the thunder of his heart underneath my palm, and my body began to sizzle. The soft hum of the flutter buzzed to life. “I know you feel that. You denied it before, but this is what you’re so proud of, the way my body reacts to you. Don’t you find it… odd?”

             
“I feel it.” he quietly, his voice dark. “I don’t find it odd. It’s different, but different can be damn good baby girl.”

             
“Different can be dangerous.” I felt the need to throw that in there.

             
“A little danger never hurt anyone.”

             
“I fail to find that a convincing argument.”

             
“I can easily fix that.” He replied suggestively.