Senses by Lillybet Holmes

"You know you can't sneak up on me," I taunted. I turned in place and faced my intruder. "Your smell gives you away." I smiled to take the sting out of my words.

I heard the rustle of fabric. A soft scrape against skin. Two legs crossing each other, then separating. The movement of leather as it creaked into place. I knew that Abigail Whistler was standing in front of me, legs apart and arms crossed. I didn't need my eyes, I'd learned to use my other senses when I'd lost my sight.

I faced my silent stalker and allowed myself a deep breath of her perfume. A guilty pleasure I was sure no-one noticed. Flowers danced between us as I inhaled her fragrance. But underneath was her own mixture, tangy and full of leather and heat. I felt a longing deep inside and hoped the blush wasn't obvious.

"Note to self, approach Aisling Sommerfield from down wind." I could hear her amusement.

She stood still. I could feel her eyes on me but she made no move to talk. It wasn't awkward. She would often watch me. A deep yearning would start in my soul when I felt her doing it. I wondered sometimes if she knew that I could feel her eyes on me.

"We're leaving soon." Her voice grew soft as she turned her face from me.

"I know," I tried to hide the strain. I may have been successful in modulating my voice but I was never sure if I was hiding my expression well enough. Zoe had said that I showed all of my emotions on my face. She liked to watch me whenever Abigail was around.

"I hate being away from you." She spoke softly and I almost thought she hadn't said that.

"I hate being left behind," I stated. "But some of us are good at fighting, and some of us are good at holding the fort." I smiled in her direction. Hoping it was more convincing for her.

"It's more than that." The words were soft, almost shy. I heard an inhale and felt movement in my direction. "I love you Ally." Her hands were resting on my arms. She was only a breath away and I could smell her skin. "I want to kiss you."

She hesitated, her breath blowing softly over my lips as she stopped in front of me. "Please," I whimpered.

When she softly brushed her lips on mine, I felt weak. She wrapped her arms around me as my knees gave way. I felt her curves against me and the way she fit me. It was perfect.

Eventually I remembered that I had hands. I tentatively placed them on her back, afraid of breaking the spell. When she didn't protest, I slowly and gently explored her. My hands drifted to the edge of the material and slowly caressed her bare skin. I felt her muscles shift, and detected faint blemishes on her skin that alluded to past fights. I luxuriated in the fact that I was holding this wonderful woman in my arms.

When I pulled away from her endless kisses, she moaned piteously. I took a ragged breath, overcome by the feelings I had kept under wraps for months.

I tried to calm my breathing, using the technique of breathing in through my nose. And stopped. My hands, my mind, my heart, all stopped.

Desire.

I could smell her desire. And it was wonderful.

Abigail's hands and mouth stilled when she realised I wasn't moving anymore. She leaned back from me. She was probably confused and fell back into the nicknames we used in front of others, when emotions were unimportant. "Sommerfield?"

The tone was nervous and slightly hurt. It snapped me out of my trance and I hastened to reassure. "If we're going to continue this, I think you shouldn't be using my last name, Whistler."

I felt a shudder run through her and I hoped it was a giggle. "I like it better when you call me Abigail, Ally." Then she was kissing me.

And passion stirred in me once again. We moved together and connected in a way I didn't know possible.

I explored her thoroughly with all of my senses. I felt the ripples of muscles under her skin, and the twitching of nerves in intimate places. I tasted the salt of her sweat and the sweetness of her desire. I heard the thundering of her heart and the cries of her release. I mapped her face with my fingers as she fell over the edge. I knew I would treasure this.

******

"We will continue this when I get back," I heard the zipper being pulled up on her leather pants.

"As you wish, love." The bed sagged as she crawled back onto it. I leaned away, unsure of the distance. I felt legs and arms on either side of me as I fell back into the cushions.

I smiled at the apparent playfulness when she nipped at my neck. Another moment to lock away and treasure.

"I really do love you. I've always been afraid to tell you." She buried her face in my shoulder.

"Why now?" I stroked her hair gently as I waited.

"I'm afraid not to."

We sat in comfortable silence as we both digested this.

"Go save the world." I pushed her gently on her shoulder. She leaned up and planted feather kisses up my neck, to my mouth. "I'll be here," I mumbled into the kisses.

One more searing kiss and she was gone.