Staring Into the Eyes of Chance Read Online Free Page B

offensive. Olivia knew her friend well. Even through the foggy brain-stuff going on, Olivia recognized the beginning signs of Lindsey’s confrontation mode.
    The man, who Olivia thought she sensed, regained his composure and spoke again. “I’m Chance Grayton, a forester with the U.P. National Parks and Forestry. I’d like to introduce my associates, Trevor Drakeland, and Dir and Jasmine Payton.” None of them reached for her hand. “We appreciate your kindness and green-eco-nature in caring for our wildlife. We came out today for an opportunity at canvassing and assessing your healthy productive habitat. Would it be all right if we took a hike through your wooded area?”
    Olivia heard his name and related it to her sister’s conversation last night, and the next thing she heard was he wanted on her property. She recalled her sister talking about this man looking for knowledge of wolf sightings, and here he was the day after a wolf visited her. Coincidental? She didn’t believe it.
    Olivia’s body tensed, anger setting in, coated with a stale feeling of being duped into some kind of coercion. She sensed his lie.
    How? She’s never read a human before.
    Chance stepped in front of the others, closer, and whispered, “Your sister also left a message on my cellphone.” He shuffled his feet and his lips trembled, almost like he was embarrassed, or maybe he recognized her disapproving attitude toward him. “I wonder…would you join me for a mid-afternoon lunch?”
    “Did you just ask this fine woman to go out with you?” Trevor interrupted, perfectly timed for stopping Olivia’s negative response.
    Jasmine kicked Trevor, and Dir told him, “Shut up.”
    Chance faced them and witnessed it all. Olivia watched his body lose some of its proud posture, shoulders drooping and head tipping forward. Strange.
    “Beware, he hasn’t dated in years. You might find yourself holding up a one-sided conversation,” Trevor said with a chuckle and winked at Lindsey. Chance whipped around toward Olivia, red-faced, eyes bulging, and she read him as terribly agitated.
    Olivia decided her little battle with Chance over his lie could wait until there wasn’t an audience.
    “I look forward to it,” she said. Olivia heard Lindsey gasp, followed by a nervous-catchy cough. “In fact, I insist on having lunch together before you go canvassing my property, as you call it.” She’d be damned if his intent was hunting down the visitor she had last night. Not happening on her watch. Her psyche believed the wolf she met last night was one of the good guys.
    All four of them looked at each other, and again her senses went into overload with restlessness and wonder of “now what?” She studied them for a moment.
    Am I reading them all?
    “I’m sensing you have a few animals with you. Were you releasing them here?” Olivia ventured.
    Again, an uncomfortable-looking expression exchange from all of them, and Trevor, Jasmine, and Dir walked back to their trucks. Chance stared at her. Olivia couldn’t tell if his look was of shock or surprise.
    “Why would you ask that?” He studied her face. His eyes softened, but not their intensity. His gaze burned the top of her head, singed her body all the way down, until his heat stroked the tips of her toes.
    “Naked” formed in her psyche, stimulation, his, sexually. She gasped. He was fantasizing about her!
    “Stop looking at me that way,” the words rushed from her mouth. He stepped back as if slapped, curiosity crossing his face, and he arched an eyebrow.
    “You didn’t answer my question–why would you think we had animals with us?”
    “I’m an animal sensitive. I possess the psychic ability of sensing an animal’s emotions, feelings, energy. And I sensed four healthy animals with you. So I ask again, do you have animals you want released on my protected property?”
    “I’d question this ability of yours if I were you. We brought no animals with us.”
    Olivia knew she must