Free elemental 03 - whitecap by Larissa Ladd

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 not 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