Scent : Animal Senses Series Book 2

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Before she had time to go into full panic mode, the branches moved. She held her breath and then Gage stepped back into sight.

"Just some people in a boat out on the lake."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You could tell from here?"

Nodding, he brushed a few pine needles off his arm and then tapped the side of his nose.

Kelsey frowned at him, "I can't smell anything but trees." She shrugged, "Maybe I won't change like you think."

Walking back to her, he grasped her shoulders and grinned at her. "Oh, you're changing, don't doubt that."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Close your eyes, cover your ears and then turn slowly and inhale."

Her look was the equivalent of you're nuts.

"Just do it. Take away one sense and the rest are stronger..."

Inhaling, she exhaled in an exasperated way and then reached up and covered her ears. Turning away from him, she closed her eyes. Gage rested his hands lightly on her waist. Ignoring the warmth of his touch, she inhaled deeply and then paused before exhaling. She was just doing it so she could tell him he was wrong. It shocked her when she could actually smell different things. A week ago, she would have described it as the bush smell, but it was so much more. She could smell pine trees, birch and cedar. The smell of the dirt filled her.

Gage's hands gently guided her to turn to her left slowly. She moved and then inhaled again. This time in addition to the trees, she could smell a raccoon. She didn't know how she knew that's what it was, she just did.

With a firm touch this time, he turned her back to the right where she was able to smell the lake. It amazed her because she knew how far down it was, not to mention how many trees were between here and there. Yet, she could smell water.

With a smile on her face, she let him turn her again. His hand dropped away for a second before resting on her hips. Taking a deep breath, she waited to see what else she could smell.

Her eyes popped open when she realized it was Gage, a scent that was pure unadulterated masculine power. He was standing right in front of her, his eyes moving over her face slowly.

Dropping her hands from the sides of her head, she looked at his chest and kept her focus there. "I smelled the lake and a raccoon."

"What else?"

She looked up to see him grinning at her. Smiling back, she felt giddy. "Different kinds of trees, dirt," she thought about it for a second, "moist soil, maybe a form of moss or loam? And..." glancing away, she had almost said him.

He was nodding, "And?"

Inhaling slowly, she let the scent of him fill her again. "You," she whispered and then exhaled. His hands she realized were still holding her, they flexed slightly. She knew she should look away, step out of his reach but the way his eyes held hers had her unable to remember how to do either. His dark eyes are gone a shade of deeper blue.

"Kels," he whispered as he lowered his face closer to hers. "I'm going to kiss you. If you don't want me to, all you have to do is stop me."

She knew he spoke, his words registered slowly, but she didn't want to stop him, not when she'd been wanting him to kiss her for six years.

His lips brushed against hers so lightly she was afraid she imagined it. Reaching up, she placed a hand on his chest, the solid muscle flexed under her touch; she could feel his heart beating strong against her hand.