Free elemental 02 - blaze by Larissa Ladd Page B

brush of a hand against her arm or shoulder.
    Finally, she managed to locate the stores she wanted, and Dylan and Aiden waited patiently as she moved through the racks indecisively. It was a special birthday and she wanted to look her best, not only because of the occasion, but because she had decided whether or not it was a good idea, she wanted Alex. The tarot cards had been unclear; she knew that she had difficulties ahead, but didn’t know what form they would take. Aira was aware of the store clerks watching with amusement as she tried on different dresses, showing them to Dylan and Aiden and eliciting their feedback. She knew Aiden had lost interest in the exercise quickly, but Dylan was patient, commenting on both the strong points and the weaknesses of each attempted outfit. After half a dozen dresses, Aira pulled the final selection on, zipped it up, and stood before the mirror; compared to some she had tried before, it was almost demure. The skirt fell almost to her knees with satiny folds that flowed from underneath the bust. The plunging neckline and sleeveless top paired with its colors: vivid red with a black bow and black shoulders, was daring enough that Aira felt a rush of sensuality. She slipped on a pair of black patent heels and spun in the confines of the dressing room, giggling with almost girlish delight. The plunging neckline demanded a different bra from the one she wore, and she thought that a pair of stockings would complete the look—but it was perfect.
    She stepped out of the dressing room to where Dylan and Aiden were waiting for her final attempt. Dylan’s eyes widened and he gave Aiden a shove to call his attention to Aira’s appearance before them. Aiden stopped looking around idly, and Aira felt her sense of undirected lust fasten on him as he stared, taking in every inch of her. “Oh my god,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You… you could kill a man, looking like that.”
    Aira blushed, smiling shyly, her heart pounding in her chest. She reminded herself firmly again she had no interest in them; that she was reacting to the desire pulsing a constant dance up and down her veins, to their admiring glances. She licked her lips unconsciously, trying to control her sudden need to pull Aiden into one of the dressing rooms and let him rip the dress off of her.
    “I think you’ll be torturing pretty much every man—and likely women—in that dress. It’s perfect,” Dylan said, grinning at her.
    Aira felt her shy smile spread wider with the warmth of being desired, knowing both of the men were reacting to her physique and the way the dress emphasized each one of her strengths. She almost didn’t want to take it off, the feeling was so potent. But she knew walking around the mall, finishing up errands, would be difficult in the dress and heels. She retreated into the dressing room, stripping carefully out of the dress and slipping into the clothes she had come into the shop in, taking a few moments to calm herself. It would be soon enough, she thought, her mind turning to Alex.
    She got through the last of her purchases—some makeup, the stockings she wanted, and a better bra—just as the potion Dylan had given her was beginning to wear off. “We need to go home,” she said lowly. “Now.” She was becoming overwhelmed by the feeling of increasing energy in her body, her senses in overdrive, her mind propelled to startling lengths of lightning-fast thought. When they stepped out into the parking garage, she heard the wind picking up, and slid into the back seat of the car, closing her eyes and focusing all of her mind on controlling the potent power welling inside of her. She would have to be on her best behavior, at least until she got alone with Alex. She didn’t care if her lack of control started a tornado; as long as she could be with him, she was willing to risk it.
     

Chapter 7
    By the time Alex arrived at the bar where Aira, Aiden, and Dylan met with her