Ember
With shaky fingers, I run my brush through my auburn hair. My emerald green eyes are bright with nerves, reflecting in the mirror, staring back at me. I set the brush on my dresser and judge my choice of clothing: a v-cut black nightgown. It stops above my knees, and it’s the closest thing I have to some kind of lingerie, even if it’s made from cotton, not some kind of fancy fabric.
A shiver travels down my spine, imagining Aiden’s long fingers pulling down the spaghetti straps.
But is this too much? Maybe I should’ve been lighter with my makeup and ditched the mascara, or not have chosen such a dark red lipstick. Or will Aiden be expecting more? Less? Should I put on a bra? Does it matter? What if he gets here and he’d rather go out to the training field or something? And here I am, ready to jump his bones the moment he walks through the door.
I drop to my bed, holding my head. C’mon, Ember. Get it together! Aiden and I were pretty intimate just a little over a week ago. Why am I freaking out so much now? What has changed?
The little pirate moose looks at me from my desk. I take a deep breath. I shouldn’t be worrying like this. There’s no reason for it. Aiden loves me. Everything’ll be okay.
Knock, knock.
My heart bounces in my throat. Nope. I’m wrong. All of this is too much. Aiden will think I’m some kind of sex-crazed woman.
Knock. “Ember?” The door muffles Aiden’s voice. “You there?”
I stand, wishing I had a robe nearby to throw on. “Yeah!” My voice cracks. “I’m coming.”
With every step, my heart beats harder, like a steady drum.
I crack open the door, keeping my body positioned behind it. Longing burns through me at seeing Aiden standing in the hallway. He’s the picturesque view of strength and charm. His aquamarine eyes shine, and his white hair is down, lying in the sexiest way imaginable around his chiseled face. He’s wearing a simple white t-shirt and dark jeans, but my gaze lingers on how his shirt hugs his strong torso. The definitions of his pecs are alluring, as well as his toned biceps and broad shoulders.
“Em?” A chuckle forms in his stare. “You okay?”
I blink and clear my throat. “Of course.”
He smiles, causing my heart to skip. “Can I come in?”
I guess it’s now or never. “Um, sure,” I say, trying to downplay my awkwardness. “Totally. Come in. Everything’s fine.”
He laughs, looking amused. “Are you sure?”
“Mm-hmm. Yep. Everything’s great!”
“If you say so.” He chuckles and passes me, dropping his backpack to the floor. “I wasn’t sure what I should bring, since I didn’t know if you wanted me just to stay for a few hours or—” He faces me, and his mouth drops open.
I rub my arms, and embarrassment crawls up my neck. “Um, I was just getting dressed, so don’t mind this old thing.”
Aiden’s arms are suddenly around me. “I hope you don’t mean you were changing out of this.” He brings my hips closer against him.
Not only is the nearness of his lips distracting, but his cinnamon scent overrides any coherent thoughts I should probably have. “Um, well, uh…”
He brings his lips near my ear, and goosebumps tickle my skin. “Then again,” he whispers, “I wouldn’t mind seeing it on the floor.”
Aiden’s lips meet mine. His touch is like an electrical current running through me, sending a shock through my entire body. My legs quiver, and a warmth that has nothing to do with my abilities swirls within me. He moves, trailing kisses to my neck, and my breath catches in my throat at the feel of his soft lips.
“Aiden,” I say his name like a sigh, curving into him.
He cups the side of my face. “I could absolutely devour you, Ember.” He brushes my bottom lip with his thumb. “You smell so sweet, like the ripest strawberries in summer.”
I seductively bite my lip, noting he likes my shampoo, and hold his smoldering gaze. “Then, why don’t you?”
A lustful longing drowns Aiden’s eyes, and he focuses on my lips. He leans in, softly kissing me, painfully teasing me with the promise of more. “Em, I want you.”
I run my fingers through his hair, planting gentle kisses up his neck. His fingers press harder into my hips. “Then have me,” I breathe into his ear.
He shivers and captures my lips. His sweet and savory butterscotch taste tickles my tongue, encouraging me to indulge in him. Our hands get lost in each other’s hair, and his tongue slowly enters my mouth. I moan, melting against him, and he moves us toward my bed. His shirt becomes an irritation. I pull it over his head, and he tosses it behind him. We resume our kiss with a new kind of desperation. I enjoy the feel of his sculpted chest underneath my fingertips and let my hands drift to the edge of his jeans.
Aiden pulls back, and I whimper, missing his electrifying lips.
His thumb teases my bottom lip. “Em,” he says, breathing hard, “are you sure about this?”
Though every inch of me is screaming for us to take this step finally, his words cause me to pause. There’s no doubt I want this, but… we’re going into uncharted territory. I’m not sure what to expect. Will it hurt? Could it be awkward? Do I even know what the heck I’m doing?
“Um,” I say, trying to shake off my thoughts, but there’s no denying the change in my tone. “Sure. Yeah. Of course.”
Aiden frowns, but with tenderness. “That wasn’t very convincing, hun.”
“I’m sorry.” I focus on the bed, trying to wrestle with the strange mixture of so many emotions. “I–I’m fine. I guess I just got a little nervous.”
“Em, you have nothing to be sorry for.” Aiden caresses my cheek. “But talk to me, beautiful. What’s going on?”
I step away from Aiden’s safe embrace and sit on my bed, feeling a little defeated. “It’s just… I have no clue what I’m doing.”
“And you think I do?” Aiden sits next to me and rubs the back of his neck. “If I’m honest, I guess the reason why I asked you if you’re sure is that I’m nervous too.”
“You are?” I ask, feeling slightly relieved.
“Of course,” he says reassuringly. “It’s not like I have much experience in this area.”
I chuckle. “And you think I do?”
He takes my hand in his. “I don’t want to hurt you.” His eyes crease with a soft sadness. “And I know it’s a possibility that I will, no matter what I do.”
I swallow back my fear. “We’ll go slow. I think that’s all we can do.” I trace the definition of his abs, rekindling my desires. “Because I do want this, Aiden.” He trembles, and I inch closer to him, kissing above his heart.
He sighs, weaving his fingers through my hair.
“We have thought this through, and I know we’re ready.”
“I know we’re ready too,” he whispers and pulls down one of my straps. His lips brush against my shoulder, and my entire body ignites with tingles. “I love you so much, Ember.”
“I love you too, Aiden.” I nuzzle my way to his neck and kiss him, tasting his skin.
“Ember…” he moans, and something about his tone erases any insecurities I had. I stand, feeling more confident than I ever have in my entire life.
Aiden eyes me curiously, not understanding why I left his side.
I lower the other spaghetti strap, and Aiden’s eyes widen. My chest is tense, my breathing shallow, and my heart might explode, but I let my nightgown fall to the floor, revealing me only wearing my black underwear.
Aiden inhales sharply, beholding me, seemingly lost for words, but he manages to say, “You’re gorgeous.”
My heart soars. Aiden’s words encourage me.
I step forward and lower myself onto him. The rough fabric of his jeans rubs against my thighs, and he stiffens underneath me. I focus on his handsome face, soaking in every detail: the sharpness of his strong jawline, the gentleness of his aquamarine eyes, the smoothness of his pale skin, and the sexiness of his long, white hair. I rest my hands on his shoulders. “You’re pretty gorgeous yourself.”
He swallows hard, and I realize he’s gripping the bed. “Is it okay if I touch you? I know it probably is, but I still wanted to make sure.”
I smile, appreciating that he asked for permission. I take his hand and lay it on me. Our eyes get heavy, and our lips gravitate toward each other, like two planets destined to merge. His hold gets firmer, more confident, and I gasp, savoring his electrifying touch. Thermal energy rushes through me alongside my desires. Every inch of me feels alive, yearning, needing more.
Small sparks shoot from Aiden’s fingertips, and he effortlessly flips me over onto the bed. He settles between my thighs and hitches my leg over his hip.
He still has his pants on. That just won’t do.
I fidget with the button on his jeans, and he quickly gets the hint, helping me undo the zipper, and discards the pants to the floor. He moves above me, taking my mouth once again. Our hands grip each other, desperate to get closer. I can’t catch my breath, and my warmth grows into a roaring fire in my veins.
“Em, you’re so hot.” Aiden breaks away, panting. A soft glow illuminates his eyes and he smiles. “Figuratively and literally. Try to breathe. We don’t want to set your bed on fire.”
“I know. I know.” I wet my lips and take a long breath trying to calm myself. “I’m trying.”
Aiden reaches for my hand, and he holds my gaze. “Breathe with me.” We slowly breathe in and out, letting our chests brush each other with each inhale. Though my passion for Aiden is still as strong as ever, my abilities settle, letting just my desires take precedence.
“Is that better?” Aiden asks, moving my hair off my face.
“Yeah,” I say with a nod. “I think I have it better under control.”
“Trust me,” Aiden says, a laugh behind his words. “I know it’s hard, but we can’t let our abilities get too intense. It’d be too easy for us to recreate that electrical storm we made, and that’d be really bad.”
I laugh out loud at the thought of explaining to Stella that I destroyed our dorm while having sex with Aiden. “Yeah. You’re right.”
Aiden eyes my body with a smoldering smile. “Now, where were we?” He runs his fingers down my torso, leaving a trail of sparks that feel like small fireworks bursting underneath my skin.
I bow into him, begging for more.
He traces the swirling flame around my belly button, and before I know it, his lips are on me, teasing me. I gasp as intense sensations overcome me. He brings his lips back over mine. We share the same air, like we need each other to survive. I let my hands take in every inch of his strong body over me.
Aiden groans loudly and leans his forehead against mine. “Em…” He slips his fingers lower. “I need you.”
Every inch of me trembles with nerves, but mostly with want. “I need you too,” I say, inching down his briefs.
He looks deep into my eyes, and I lose my breath at seeing the love pouring from them. “I’ll go slow,” he whispers. “But tell me if you need me to stop.”
I nod, forcing away any worries I have, and focus on the marvelous wonder of a man above me.
The man I trust and love with all my heart.
* * *
I snuggle against Aiden and lay my hand on his chest. My smile spreads across my face. “That was amazing,” I say.
Aiden pulls me tighter against him, his breathing slowly normalizing. “Amazing. Incredible. And heart-stopping are a few words I’d choose.”
Love wraps around me. Nothing seems like it could ever be better than this moment. “Me too.”
“Are you okay though?” He kisses my forehead.
“Yeah, it stung for a little bit at first, but it didn’t really hurt, and it quickly felt really good.” I meet his eyes.
“I’m glad, but…” Aiden tugs on my red bedsheet, revealing some new holes around a blackened handprint—my handprint. His smile reaches his eyes. “Things got a little intense there for a second.”
My cheek burns with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
He chuckles; it’s light and comforting. “I know, but we really can’t burn down your dorm room with our lovemaking. That wouldn’t make for good headlines.”
“What about you?” I point to the black streaks on the white wall between my side of the room and Stella’s. “You’re not so innocent here either.”
He grimaces, eyeing the scorch mark. “I didn’t realize a bolt would shoot from me like that.”
“I’m going to have fun explaining that to Stella when she comes back tomorrow. Just so you know.”
His cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink. “I guess we both have to work on our control, huh?”
“Well…” I inch my hand down his torso, letting my warmth soak into him.
He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, enjoying my touch.
“I guess we’ll just need to practice a little more. What do you think?”
“Just so you know…” His breathing grows ragged. “I have no clue how I’ll keep my hands off you from now on.”
I giggle. “We’ll have to work something out.”
“Is that a promise?” He kisses me deeply.
“Yes.” I gasp. “Because I’m not sure how I’ll keep mine off you either.”
Aiden’s delicious lips overtake mine again, and he turns on his side, pressing his naked body against mine. A sensation of an electric current hums between us, and my skin faintly glows with my inner warmth, coming to life at his touch. He grips my back passionately, pressing into me, and I hitch my leg over him.
He breaks away from the kiss. “Good thing summer is coming up, huh? We’ll have plenty of time for our hands.”
I sigh, the mention of summer being a slight mood killer. “We won’t have that much time. I’ll have summer classes, and you may have the internship.”
His eyes dimmer, realizing he said the wrong thing. “I guess that’s true, but, to be honest, I’m not so sure about the internship right now.”
“What?” I sit upright. “You’re not?”
“No.” He props himself onto an elbow. “With everything going on, I don’t know if it’d be too much for me.”
My eyes almost pop out of my head. “Wait. You’re actually admitting this?”
He weaves his fingers through mine. “I have to. You were right before about me being too hard on myself with trying to keep my top spot.”
I lay my other hand on his forehead, ensuring he’s not feverish. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes,” he says with a laugh, but as quickly as his good mood shows, it melts away. “I have to make sure I’m taking steps to limit the stress in my life. Accepting that the serum is really in me… well, it’s making me reevaluate what’s really important.” He leans in closer, and a new determination forms in his gaze. “And that’s making sure I’m taking care of myself. Not only to keep me safe, but everyone else around me. I also made you a promise that I intend to keep, but if I let the serum get the best of me, I don’t know what will happen.”
My heart grows heavy, accepting that no matter what Aiden does right now, what will happen in the future is not guaranteed. There’s still a real threat he could lose control or somehow get poisoned with more serum. Then what would we do?
We need to get control of the situation at the source.
“Have you told Valentino yet about Twisted Bill and Susan?” I ask, trying to keep my tone even. “After the other night with Billy, I’m wondering how long it’s safe to leave Stu in place. He’s a threat to the whole university, and he may hold the key to helping you.”
“Not yet, but I’m stopping by her office tomorrow. I was going to tell her about that, and also see if I could train with someone other than Billy. Maybe Stella, since she’s who I’m mentoring, and I’d be attacking her golems, not her.”
“You don’t want to train with Billy anymore?”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Aiden says quickly. “Billy’s a powerful foe and great for combat practice, but we trained together for years before coming here.” Sadness inches its way across his features. “And yesterday, I really hurt him. I don’t want to risk something like that again.”
“Oh, honey.” I tuck some of his hair behind his ear. “You guys were having a tense conversation, and you said you were aware enough to not shock him to your full potential. Give yourself some credit.”
“I just can’t risk it.” Regret and pain fill his eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to risk it with anyone, and that’s why I’m doing this separate training, but if I ever seriously hurt Billy, I’d never forgive myself.”
“Okay.” I rub his arm to comfort him. “It may not be a bad idea to train with someone new anyway.” I remember what I talked about with Jomo during our study session. “Stella, of course, is a good option, but someone else could be, too. Even someone like Jomo. You could learn more about his abilities, and maybe it could help you two be a little more friendly to each other?”
Aiden frowns. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. Or if Valentino would even allow it.”
“I think that’s reasonable. I just brought him up because he seems to handle your abilities more than the average person.”
“I could say the same thing about you.” The sexiest smirk forms on Aiden’s face, stirring a deeper longing in me. “You’re able to handle all my abilities just fine.”
The sight of Aiden’s tousled white hair, his wonderful sensual lips, and his strong naked form ignite every inch of me. My eyes burn, longing for his tingling touch. “Let’s talk about training later.” I let my hands wander up his toned leg, past the long white scar on his thigh. “I’d rather focus on your other abilities right now.”
“I agree.” Aiden pulls me to straddle him. A spark bounces between our chests. “There are more important things to take care of right now.”
“Oh?” My cheeks rise with my smile. “What would that be?”
His smile grows. “Like making sure we take advantage of the fact we have the whole night to ourselves.”
“What shall we do?” I tease.
“I can think of a couple things.” Aiden lingers over my mouth while adjusting underneath me. “Have any ideas?”
I gasp, letting him have me again. “We’ll figure something out.”