by Larissa Ladd
Aiden and Dylan had kept an uneasy vigil, staying up with her, making sure she managed to eat in spite of her insistence that nothing had any flavor. They kept away the most annoying of her relatives, suggesting tasks that would take them away from the house, or otherwise getting rid of them—whether they were polite about it or not. Aira had finally come home, soaking wet, and fell into her bed at her grandmother’s house, too exhausted to worry about the possibility of ghosts.
The pain was intense—the grief was worse. Aira sat up awkwardly in the bed, trying to force her mind to work well enough to remember where her clothes were. She hadn’t made any effort to change into pajamas, stripping her wet things off and immediately curling up with tears still drying on her cheeks. She climbed stiffly out of bed, cringing as every movement sent a wave of agony through her body. She would have to get her back checked again—by someone more inclined to observation and testing than the ER doctor had been. For the moment, however, she hunched over into the least uncomfortable position she could manage and rummaged through her suitcase until she found a nightgown, deciding a pajama set was too much effort. Aira pulled the gown over her head and shuffled out of the bedroom through the hall, feeling another stab of grief as she smelled breakfast cooking. A sob clawed at her throat, and she took a deep breath, suppressing it ruthlessly.
Aiden was seated at the table, and Aira looked around the corner into the kitchen to see Dylan hard at work at her grandmother’s stove, preparing bacon and eggs. She smiled slightly, sitting down uncomfortably in one of the chairs.
“I almost thought I’d dreamt the whole horrible thing,” Aira said, shifting in the seat.
Aiden stood silently and poured her a cup of coffee, putting her bottles of pills in front of her and giving her a stern look. “I need to eat first or I’ll vomit,” she told him defensively, feeling irritated at his authoritarian manner.
“Food’s ready,” Dylan said, bringing a skillet to the table and bringing it down to rest on a trivet. Aira suddenly didn’t want food at all. She wanted to go back to bed; to take her medicine and curl up and forget everything for hours at a time. She forced herself to take a plate and fill it with eggs and bacon; to bring the filled fork to her mouth again and again until the plate was empty, making no conversation.
“You’ve eaten, take your medicine,” Aiden said, taking her plate and bringing it into the kitchen. Aira’s temper began to rise. She stood, gripping the table tightly. The wind picked up, rustling the wind chimes positioned around the house, rattling the branches of the closest trees against the windows and roof.
“Okay, Aiden, listen to me right now.” She turned to face him. “I appreciate that you and Dylan have been here for me through all this, but let’s get this straight: I am not crippled. I am not a basket case. I am capable of making my own decisions and doing things for myself. If I want to take my medicine, I will take it. If I don’t want to take it, you can leave me the hell alone or I will find a way to beat the shit out of you.” Aira scowled at Aiden, who was staring at her in unabashed shock. Dylan chuckled and Aira turned her gaze on him, ruining the effect of her glare by cracking a smile. “Stop it, I’m being serious right now,” she whispered.
“I know. And you totally could beat the shit out of Aiden,” he replied.
Aira laughed, the motion sending a sharp lance of pain through her. She shook her head and sat back down, reaching for her pill bottles.
“Just so you know, I’m taking this because I’m in pain, not because you told me to, Aiden,” she eyed him harshly, swallowing the pain pill and the muscle relaxer with coffee.
Aiden snorted, and Aira felt satisfied she had done what was necessary to stand up for herself. She finished her coffee and tried to decide what to do with herself for the day; the will had been submitted to the court, but she hadn’t read it—it wouldn’t be read until the next week. Aira was at odds and ends, with nothing to do; not even translation work. Her back injury precluded her working in the garden or even going out. After all of the hard work of preparing the funeral, and before that of preparing for her grandmother’s passing, Aira had no idea what she could use to fill her time, now that she suddenly had so much of it.
“You know, I could try and help you with your back,” Dylan suggested, looking at her warily. Aira raised an eyebrow, and Dylan shrugged. “She did… teach me a little bit about healing. I could see if I could help.” Aira smiled, feeling a dull sadness at the mention of her grandmother, oblique as it was.
“Maybe later,” she said. She decided abruptly she wanted to go through her grandfather’s books. He had amassed a respectable collection, and she had only ever gotten partway through cataloging them. It would occupy a few hours at least. Aira hobbled into the den that had belonged to her grandfather before his passing, leaving the brothers behind.
Aira wasn’t aware that she had dozed off until she awoke abruptly, a feeling of fire running along her arm—oddly pleasant and tingling in its burning, rather than painful. She opened her eyes to Aiden hovering inches away. He had knelt next to where she had fallen asleep, books scattered around her. “Aira, you need to get up. You’re going to make your back worse,” he said with concern. Aira chuckled, taking a deep breath and gathering her willpower as she sat up unsteadily. Her back didn’t hurt at the moment, and she decided that she must still have some of the pain medicine in her system. She looked at Aiden, suddenly aware of the stillness in the house, the utter silence surrounding them.
“Where’s Dylan?” she asked, worried. She looked around as if expecting to find him in the room with them. Aiden smiled slightly.
“He’s outside checking on the fish. The ponds just about flooded, you know,” he told her. Aiden reached out once more and Aira felt a thrill run through her body as he began to lift her to her feet carefully, holding her by the shoulders. “C’mon, let’s get you into bed,” he said with surprising gentleness. Aira giggled, thinking she was definitely still under the influence of the medicine—though she was cognizant and conscious. She found herself suddenly, completely aware of Aiden as a man; not as the annoying guardian, the frustrating, overprotective, domineering body guard, nor the occasionally amusing companion—but as a man she had found physically attractive in spite of the fact that he got on her nerves.
“You know,” she said gracelessly as Aiden steered her through the kitchen and down the hall to her bedroom, “You are incredibly annoying. I mean you get on my nerves constantly.” Aiden kicked the door to her bedroom open softly and led her through it.
“The feeling is mutual,” he said, shaking his head and bringing her to the bed. He helped her into the bed and under the covers then turned to leave.
“No! Don’t leave me alone, Aiden,” Aira said, reaching out to stop him. “The house is too quiet. I can… I can almost hear her when it’s quiet like this.” She felt her eyes stinging with tears.
“I’ll put some music on for you, how about that?” he suggested. Aira nodded her agreement, trying to get her ready tears under control. She sniffed, swallowing down the sob forming in her throat. Aiden went to the book bag Aira had left in a chair near the dresser and took out her phone, along with the portable speaker she had brought with her. He turned on the speaker and brought her the phone. Aira smiled slightly at the screen, setting the device to transmit to the speaker’s Bluetooth. She flipped through her music.
“Can I play anything I want?” she asked quietly.
Aiden, smiling ruefully, nodded. “Anything but Elliott Smith. You don’t need an excuse to cry.”
Aira selected the Foo Fighters album she liked best and tapped play, putting the phone aside and sitting back against the pillows. Aiden turned to go, but Aira made a noise of protest.
“Could you…” she bit her lip, blushing and glancing down at her hands. “I really don’t want to be alone right now.” She dared a glance at Aiden’s face and saw bewilderment transform into understanding. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed next to her, close but no
t touching her. Aira hesitated a moment before curling up against him, needing the comfort of contact. But the moment her hand brushed against his arm, her lustful tendencies began to rise up. Aiden was hot to the touch; she knew it was his fire energy that caused the sensation, but knowing it intellectually didn’t stop her from responding to it emotionally.
Aira gasped, feeling his fiery energy sinking into her skin. She pulled back in surprise and instinctive self-protection; she shouldn’t let herself fall into him. Aira took a deep breath attempting to still the lust she felt welling inside of her. Trembling, all pain and grief temporarily gone from her mind, Aira licked her lips, unsure of what she should do. Rationally, she should stop. She should tell Aiden to go. She could go outside and find Dylan to be close to someone without feeling the incredible sense of physical need wearing away at her in Aiden’s presence. Filled with grief and her inhibitions lowered by the painkillers she had been given, her self-control, her sense of good judgment and restraint, was far away.
She looked up at Aiden; his gaze set intently on her, his bright eyes full of emotions she couldn’t quite read. Aira reached out and ran her fingers along his arm, basking in the tingle of contact.
Aiden’s gaze flicked down to her hand, and back to her face. “Aira,” he said quietly, shifting slightly next to her. “Are you…” he licked his lips unconsciously. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.” Aira shook her head, bringing her finger up to cover his mouth. She saw the expression in his bright eyes intensify, and a jolt of white-hot electricity ran through her. It was too easy to remember how it had felt to kiss him; too easy to remember how intensely she had wanted him then—how close they had come to having sex. She felt the temperature in the room rise, heat radiating from Aiden’s body, and Aira smiled faintly at him, feeling oddly shy and unwilling to make the first move, although she knew very well what she wanted.
Aiden pushed her hand away from his lips and reached out for her. Aira trembled with barely contained lust as he lowered his lips onto hers, kissing her hungrily, his arms wound around her waist, pressing her body to his. She moaned against his lips, the contact between their bodies sparking something deep inside she hadn’t felt with any of her previous partners—something secretive and intense, a kind of lust that almost startled her in its intensity. She kissed Aiden back, shifting on top of him, letting him slip his tongue past her lips and tasting the curiously sweet and spicy flavor of his mouth. Aiden rolled over, pinning Aira to the bed. Her arousal intensified as his hands began to wander over her body slowly, the heat sinking through the fabric of her nightgown.
Aiden broke from the kiss, panting slightly as he looked down at her. Aira was shaking, feeling the rush of hormones in her blood, the pulse of energy flowing between them. She fleetingly remembered reading a book about interactions between elementals. Fire-air interactions were volatile, and even dangerous, because the two elements reinforced each other in a continual loop. Instead of being frightened, however, she was intrigued, feeling Aiden’s fiery energy seeping into her, crackling along her body like electricity. She pulled herself up slightly and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing his body to hers. Aiden broke the kiss with a groan, holding himself up and away from Aira. “We have to stop,” he said, his voice harsh with self-restraint. “Aira, you’re not in the right state of mind…”
She held his gaze, feeling the temptation to do something that she had never done before.
“Lock the door and make love to me right now,” she said, hearing the control in her voice, the push of her mind against his. Aiden looked at her, mystified, and then slipped out of the bed, closing and locking the bedroom door before turning up the volume on the speaker for good measure. Aira felt a stab of guilt for what she had done—but forgot it in the midst of the need that consumed her. Aiden climbed back into bed with her, pinning her against the mattress and bringing his lips down on hers. Aira arched into him, nipping at his bottom lip as their kiss deepened. The feeling of Aiden’s body, even with clothes between them, was intoxicating. Aira ran her hands over Aiden’s back and shoulders, surveying the planes and ridges, her body tensing with rising passion as they began to move against each other, caressing and teasing, exploring. Aira squirmed and writhed as Aiden slowly slid her nightgown up, exposing her body inch by inch.
Aira forced his shirt over his head, barely breaking away from the kiss long enough to remove it. She threw it, not caring in the slightest where it landed. Music swirled around them. Aira shivered as Aiden brought her nightgown over her head, lifting her slightly to tug it free. It disappeared and Aira whimpered Aiden’s lips moved from her mouth to her neck, his stubble rasping against her sensitive skin, adding a stark contrast to the softer, hot sensation of his mouth. His energy continued to flow into her, a constant rush of heat and electricity—she opened her mind and flowed into his, gasping at his response. The heat intensified, and Aira momentarily thought she smelled smoke, but dismissed the concern.
Aiden’s hands swept along the curves of her body, cupping her breasts, teasing her and tickling against her waist, brushing her hip, putting Aira in an agony of suspense. Her lips found the column of his throat, kissing and licking, nipping as her hands worked down along his body to find the fly of his jeans. She was moving on automatic, the intensity of her lust blotting out all ability to think, driving out anything but the desire to feel Aiden’s body against her, inside of her. She somehow tugged his pants down over his hips and moments later—bare heartbeats—she felt the unmitigated heat of his skin pressing against hers. Aiden moaned as she nipped sharply at the base of his throat before bringing her lips back to his, her hands testing and touching, her body thrumming and buzzing with the energy flowing through it.
“God, Aira,” Aiden said, gasping as he rocked his hips up into hers. “God, you feel so good…” he slipped his arms underneath her, holding himself up and balancing as he began to thrust against her, not penetrating—teasing her with his hardness. Aira whimpered, pushing her hips against his, twisting and writhing, needing more contact, her whole body wracked with need. Aiden looked down at her, his bright eyes blazing, full of arousal Aira understood only too well. “Tell me you want me, Aira,” he said, thrusting more firmly against her—so close, but a million miles away from giving her the satisfaction she wanted.
“I want you, Aiden,” Aira replied, pulling his face down to kiss him hungrily. She probed his mouth with her tongue, intent on tasting him as fully as possible, ravenous and needy. Aira exhaled with a moan as Aiden finally thrust into her, pushing past her barriers slowly as she forced her body to relax and take him in. Her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, breathless from the energy passing between them; she had never felt it this intensely before in her life—not even with Alex, when she had been at the peak of her air-aligned energy. Aira felt as if she might incandesce at any moment—as if she might spontaneously combust from the heat and electricity she felt rushing into her body.
They began to move together, slowly at first, falling into a rhythm with the music and an instinctive tidal motion neither of them had to adjust to. Aira cried out, moaned, gasped, as Aiden penetrated her more and more deeply, his body pressing against hers. Sweat built and mingled between them, their limbs tangled together, their hands and mouths exploring everywhere within reach. The smell of smoke intensified, accompanied by ozone, and Aira found it oddly erotic, the sense of danger making her desire all the more potent.
“Mmm, Aiden… oh—oh, yes, more, please…” She twisted her hips, quickening the pace, and Aiden obliged, one of his hands trailing down between their bodies, finding her pleasure center and stroking her as their movements became more urgent, hurried, and full of unrestrained need for release.
Aira almost screamed as she reached climax, clutching at Aiden’s body in utter desperation as pleasure rocked her, the sensations as intense as pain. She felt a gnawing ache in her back from the gratuitous activity—but in the next instant, any concept
of pain was blotted out as Aiden tensed on top of her, all around her, as he reached his own pleasure, letting out a low groan that was almost shout. They moved together for a few moments longer before they both collapsed, limbs entangled, bodies slick with sweat.
Aira came back to herself slowly, aware of a dull, throbbing ache in her back. She grimaced at the reminder of her injury, her mind still hazy from the pleasure. Aiden began to stir, lifting himself off of her carefully and falling to the mattress next to her. Still panting, Aira curled up to his naked body, not wanting to lose the comforting intimacy of contact. Aiden threw an arm around her loosely, carelessly proprietary, and Aira let herself hover in the feeling of satisfaction and comfort, closing her eyes as her breath and heart slowed. Aiden’s grip on her tightened, and Aira opened her eyes as he began to pull her on top of him, holding her body against his carefully. She felt his arousal once more, stirring against her, and smiled lazily, pulling herself up enough to look down at him.
“I don’t know about you,” he murmured, looking up with hazy lust deepening his smile and the brilliant blue of his eyes, “but I’m ready for some more.”
Aira chuckled lowly, leaning in to kiss him slowly but thoroughly.
Within moments they were moving together again, Aira on top, carefully straddling Aiden’s hips, rocking and taking him as deep as she could stand. Aiden pushed her up and held her hands to help her balance as she rode him, her head thrown back. He rested her hands on his shoulders and let his wander over her body, caressing and teasing her constantly. Aira felt the heat rising between them, the feedback loop of their passion building once more. Smoke and ozone filled her senses, electricity crackled along her veins, sizzling along every nerve in her body. She wished there could be a way to stay in that moment forever, feeling Aiden inside of her, his hands exploring her body. It was perfection—it was exactly what she wanted and needed—and Aira found herself quickly reaching her peak once more, her body tensing gradually and then all at once, the energy reaching equilibrium between them, flowing back and forth, growing and expanding, until it mingled completely. Aira somehow felt Aiden’s pleasure and knew he was feeling hers as well, their sensations echoing back to each other through the connection of their elements. She cried out as she reached climax, grinding her hips and arching on top of Aiden without any concern for her back, without even a thought for what the activity might do to her.