by Larissa Ladd
Aira collapsed against Aiden when they had both finished, falling almost immediately into a deep and satisfying sleep, feeling the residual heat of their lovemaking, of Aiden’s energy coursing through her. She was barely aware of Aiden’s hands gliding over her body, caressing and stroking her, easing the tremors that remained as her nervous system lit up with aftershocks of her intense pleasure. Darkness swam behind her eyes and she fell into it trustingly, resting her head against Aiden’s chest and savoring the comfort with her final conscious thoughts.
CHAPTER 8
AIDEN WALKED INTO THE KITCHEN of Lorene’s house, only to find Dylan seated at the table, meditatively eating a sandwich. Aiden sat down heavily, glancing furtively over his shoulder in the direction of Aira’s bedroom where music still played although the woman herself was in a deep, restful sleep.
“How was it?” Dylan asked him, wiping his lips with a paper towel.
Aiden felt blood rushing into his face and tried to somehow stifle it. “How was what?” He asked, struggling to maintain his composure.
Dylan looked at him levelly.
“Aiden. Bro. I had to come inside because of a spontaneous lightning storm outside, and gale force winds that nearly knocked me over. Don’t think for a second I don’t know what was happening. The music wasn’t that loud, either.”
Aiden’s face burned, but a smile tugged at his lips in spite of his desire to continue to play dumb. He shrugged, not quite meeting his brother’s gaze. “It was…” he shook his head. “I have never, ever, in my life, ever felt that good. Not even with Dolores, and she was amazing.”
Dylan nodded slowly. “Well, it was obviously … an experience.” He chuckled. Aiden looked at his brother quizzically. “I told you—there was lightning, there was wind… it was a pretty intense weather experience. I can only imagine what it was like for you and Aira.”
Aiden smiled to himself, remembering vividly exactly what it had been like. He stood and poured himself a glass of water, using the moment to lingeringly recall what it had felt like to give himself to Aira—to feel her complete and enthusiastic participation, her energy running through his body. He had felt her pleasure as keenly as his own; he had experienced something similar before, with other elementals he had partnered with—but never as intensely as he had felt it with Aira. There had been perfect give and take, their bodies moving, coiling, and twisting as one. It was an experience—a sensation—that he wanted to have over and over again. One taste of it was almost too much. Aiden came back to the table and sat down.
“I think I might be addicted to her,” Aiden said, chuckling at himself, at the words leaving his mouth. “That’s the only way I can describe it. Like if she hadn’t fallen asleep, we’d still be at it.” He whistled lowly, shaking his head slightly. “I could feel her. Not just her body—that’s easy. I felt her mind. We were… completely and totally together.” He shook his head again at the inadequacy of words to describe what had occurred.
Dylan nodded again, smiling ruefully. “I’m happy for you, bro. But maybe hold off on planning the wedding.”
Aiden stared at his brother. “I didn’t say I wanted to marry her—that’s—I—I’m not even…” he sipped at his water, startled and confused.
Dylan shrugged. “I’m just saying… It’s obvious you’ve got very strong feelings for her right now, but she might not be in the right place to want to repeat it, you know?”
Aiden put the glass down and considered what his brother said. His lust simmered, not satisfied but not in full flame, waiting only for the smallest of signals from Aira to burst out once more. He wanted her—he didn’t think he would stop wanting her anytime soon—but he realized his brother was likely right. There was very good reason to think Aira had only come onto him because of her grief. The thought was a cold shower, shocking the inner warmth he felt.
“You’re right,” he admitted quietly. “She needed comfort. Of course she did.” He chewed at his bottom lip and glanced at his younger brother, feeling suddenly guilty. “Did I do the right thing? She… tried to ‘push’ me into it.”
Dylan’s eyes widened. “She did what?”
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t think it was voluntary. She looked me in the eyes and said ‘Lock the door and make love to me right now,’ and I felt her persuasive ability pushing at me. It didn’t work—I did it because I wanted to.”
Dylan’s eyes were full of consternation. “Does she know it didn’t work?” he asked Aiden.
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know—she fell asleep after the second time; we didn’t talk.”
Dylan shook his head slowly and sadly. “This is going to get really, really complicated.”
Aiden finished his water and stood, putting the glass in the sink.
“I should probably go back to her. I don’t think I want her waking up alone.”
Dylan hesitated a moment, and Aiden knew that his younger brother was weighing possible consequences.
“It’s the best thing you can do,” he finally said, sighing. Aiden quietly slipped through the hall and back into the bedroom, stripping quickly out of his pajama pants and climbing carefully back into bed with Aira. She murmured something softly, a word he couldn’t have made out even if the music weren’t still playing, and Aiden smiled to himself as she curled up to him, relaxing as her arm draped across his chest. He knew Dylan was right; it could get very, very complicated between him and Aira. But for the moment he let himself enjoy the feeling of her body pressed against his, the comfort of her unspoken trust. He leaned in carefully and brushed his lips against her forehead, slipping down deeper between the covers and holding her close. If nothing else, he could give her sufficient comfort to let her sleep for a few hours uninterrupted.
He hadn’t missed the fact of her obvious nightmares. He had heard her screaming from them that morning—he knew she hadn’t slept in the days leading up to her grandmother’s funeral, not merely from anxiety and grief but also from terror. It was a very uncertain time for her; Aiden understood enough about the situation to know everything was changing at a pace that would be difficult for anyone to deal with. There was so much at stake for the woman in his arms. Aiden kissed her once more, careful not to wake her, and let himself fall into a light doze.
Aiden woke up to the feeling of Aira pressing against him in sleepy lust. He opened his eyes and saw that she was awake, but only barely – her eyelids heavy, her lips curled in a sleepy smile of recognition as she saw him looking at her. Her energy shimmered through him, and Aiden felt his body responding, the fires of his own essence growing.
“Are you awake?” he murmured, giving himself permission to touch her lightly, to caress the curves of her body slowly. Aira murmured something barely intelligible as a yes, pulling his face to hers and kissing him. He knew he should stop her—that he should make sure she was fully awake and then put a stop to the situation until they could discuss what had happened between them—but the taste of Aira’s lips and the sensation of her body against his made it impossible to think. He felt her readiness, her desire as her energy flowed through his body, as his leapt inside of him to meet it.
They barely changed position, Aiden merely draping Aira’s leg over his hip as he positioned himself up against her. He held her tightly as they began to move together, kissing and caressing, their hips locked in a slow and steady tidal rhythm. Aiden moaned, gasping as Aira yielded to him so sweetly, her body flexing around him and then releasing, her hands dancing over his skin. They rocked together, and Aiden felt himself slowly but surely approaching climax as he kissed Aira hungrily, touched her all over eagerly, thrust inside of her sweet, tight body. She reached her own pleasure only a heartbeat before him, and Aiden felt the delicious tension of her body, the faint quiver of her muscles as she was wracked by pleasure, gripping him as if he were her anchor. He felt the flood of her energy through him, the rush of his own energy into her, and he distantly heard the crackle of lightning and smiled to himself as his body hit its p
eak, tensing for several long moments and then relaxing. Aira’s pleasure echoed through him, feeding the fire of his need, intensifying his orgasm, and they both maintained their climax for as long as they could stand, sensations growing deeper, more and more intoxicating, until they both finally stopped, panting and slick with sweat from their exertions.
Aiden thought Aira might fall into another deep sleep, but instead after a few moments, she pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a faintly troubled expression in the depths of her hazel eyes. “Was… was this a really horrible idea?” she asked him, biting her bottom lip.
Aiden shook his head. “No. You needed it, and I wanted it.”
Aira swallowed, and Aiden, still attuned to her energy, to her body, felt her doubt.
“I need… I need a shower and a painkiller,” she said evasively, not quite meeting his gaze. “My back is kind of killing me.” She slipped out of his arms but Aiden pulled her back, kissing her briefly but thoroughly.
“Take your time,” he said with a smile. Aira nodded, looking away from him and finding her robe, scrambling into it with a hiss of pain. Aiden felt sudden alarm—she was panicked. He could tell Aira was fleeing, not because of the pain in her back, but because she was overwhelmed. He tried to think of what he should do—if he should stop her, try to comfort her, or if he should let her go. Before he could decide, Aira darted out of the room and the bathroom door closed behind her. Aiden sighed and fell back amongst the pillows, cursing lowly to himself.
CHAPTER 9
DYLAN WAS WATCHING TV IDLY, discontented and worried, when Aira appeared. She was limping, hunched over, her hair soaking wet. “Hi, Dylan,” she said with forced cheerfulness. Dylan stood up, taking in the sight of her obviously just out of the shower. He saw the lingering trouble in her eyes and hugged her tightly but carefully.
“Sit down and I’ll get you something to eat and then you’re taking a pain pill and going to sleep,” he said. Dylan had seen Aiden leave the house, but knew his older brother hadn’t left the property. The quickness with which Aiden went outside told Dylan all he needed to know about the situation between Aira and his older brother. He may not know the specifics, but he was fully able to recognize there was more to whatever had happened between them than simple comfort and lust.
He led Aira to the table and pulled out a chair for her. Dylan found a container of soup that someone had brought over, and heated it in the microwave, considering how best to deal with the situation. He knew Aira was upset—she was in pain both physically and mentally. He poured the soup into a bowl and brought it to the table, sitting down silently and giving Aira space. She ate in automatic motions, not looking at him, her face occasionally twisting into worried or saddened lines that tugged at Dylan’s compassionate heart. When she had made it halfway through the bowl of soup, Dylan finally broke the silence.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said, sitting back and making himself look more relaxed than he was.
Aira glanced at him and hesitated a moment. Dylan waited. After a moment she began to speak. “I think I did something terrible,” she said. “I used my persuasion ability to make Aiden have sex with me.”
Dylan shook his head. “No, you didn’t,” he told her firmly. “He did it of his own free will.”
Aira stared at him, tears welling up in her eyes.
“I felt myself doing it—I couldn’t stop myself. Even though I knew it was wrong, I still pushed.” Dylan reached out and grabbed Aira’s hand, allowing his calm, cold water energy to wash through him and into her. He had to stop her headlong rush into panic; he had to get through to her.
“You tried to push him, but he resisted you. I promise you, Aira, anything that passed between you and my brother was mutual. He wanted it as much as you did.” Aira shook her head, fighting the calming influence of his energy.
“You don’t know that!” she said sharply, distress plain in her voice and expression.
Dylan smiled. “I do know that, because he told me himself.” He paused to let the words sink in. “I can tell you from experience, when you push someone to do something they know their will has been overridden.” Aira’s panic began to subside visibly—if only slightly—and Dylan let his smile deepen. “Trust me when I say that Aiden was very, very enthusiastic about being with you.” Aira blushed a bright red and Dylan laughed. “You could find him right now, wherever he is on the property, and take off your robe, and he would be on you in a heartbeat.”
Aira groaned, burying her face in her hands. “It’s still wrong,” she said, her words muffled slightly by her hands pressed against her lips. “I can’t… I can’t do it again. I want to. God, Dylan, every single nerve in my body is screaming to do it again, but I can’t. It’s not… I’m too volatile, and he’s too… you know what he’s like.”
Dylan bit his lips together, shaking his head in spite of the fact that Aira couldn’t see it. He smiled wryly to himself, thinking he knew something about the two of them that neither of them was willing to recognize or even see.
“You don’t have to do it again,” he said instead, reaching out and pulling her hands from her face. “Look, it’s going to be awkward, sure, but you don’t owe him anything. If you never want to have sex with him again, you don’t have to.”
Aira smiled ruefully. “The problem is that I do. Want to, I mean.”
Dylan held her gaze for a moment and nodded slowly. “Yeah, that is a problem.” He sighed, thinking with only a small amount of regret that his and Aiden’s lives had been so much simpler before they had been called upon to guard this woman. He dismissed the regret with the very real knowledge of what Aira had brought into their lives, and reached across to tousle her wet hair. “But, you’ll figure it out. You’re smart.” He gave her a smile. “Finish your soup, take your medicine, and go to bed.”
CHAPTER 10
AIRA WOKE UP FROM HER deep sleep with her mind still foggy from the medications she had taken. She groaned and tried unsuccessfully to burrow into her pillows, trying to fight the knowledge of daylight. Her body was thrumming with energy, subtly erotic as it coursed through her veins, running along her bones. She realized the sensation had intensified in the wake of her encounters with Aiden and sighed, feeling a kind of bitter regret that she couldn’t resist or evade. She would have to be careful around the older elemental; she didn’t know how he felt, but she could feel the call in her body, the tug of her sudden, swift connection to him. It had been a mistake from beginning to end, she told herself firmly—just as the kiss had been. She had been lonely, full of grief, her instinct for self-preservation and propriety completely voided by emotion and drugs. Aira shook her head, feeling hot tears leak from under her eyelids to soak into the pillow case. None of that was an excuse, she thought.
She was horrified that she had pushed at Aiden’s will; even if he hadn’t given in, even if he had been acting of his own will and not hers, the fact she had done it felt like something irrevocable. She had crossed a line she had never intended to cross in her life—trying to manipulate, to bend someone she cared about to her will, a friend. She knew her persuasive ability was in a moral gray area in the best of circumstances; but to use it, not just in an emergency, not just to help someone or to save herself from danger, seemed like the first step on a road she did not want to find the end to.
Aira tried to will herself to sleep, to the oblivion of dreams, but knew it was no use. She was not going to fall back asleep. She had to get out of bed and face the day—and Aiden. She took a deep breath, pulling her face out of the pillows and exhaling in a gusty sigh. Things would be weird between them; it was her fault. Aira didn’t know what Aiden was expecting, or even whether he had expectations at all. But if he did have expectations, it was partly her fault for inspiring them, and she deserved any anger or bitterness that came from him as a result. Aira turned over and sat up, easing herself out of bed and moving to her suitcase to rummage for a pair of pajamas. Her back was feeling slightly better; Aira thought
Dylan had used some of his healing magic on her as she had been falling asleep. Why couldn’t he have been the one to find her, to bring her woozily to bed? Aira made a face at herself. He hadn’t been the one to find her, Aiden had. It wasn’t Dylan’s fault that she’d had sex with his brother.
They would need to leave the house soon. There would be an official reading of the will in a few days, which Aira didn’t really have much knowledge of. There had been little to no resistance to the idea of Aira continuing to stay in the house until the initial legalities were taken care of—but Aira wanted to get back to her own apartment, to her own home, as soon as possible. While she couldn’t pretend things were, or even could get, back to being normal, she wanted space and a little bit of time to try to wrap her head around everything that had happened. Her grandmother was gone, would never be back; Aira was in contention to become the elemental ruler for air—a position she wasn’t sure she even wanted. Because of the vagaries of her particular alignment, and her particular strength, she was being thrust into elemental politics, a treacherous situation she felt ill-prepared to confront.