Caution to the Wind: Book One of the Elementals Series

by F. R. Southerland

  “It appears I’m the last one to the party,” Eva said as she took as seat in another armchair. Her hands folded in her lap and her attention drew to Callum. “What was so urgent?”

  He cleared his throat. The chair squeaked as he moved forward. His cool blue eyes looked at each of them. Loren met them when he glanced at her. “I apologize for the lateness of this meeting. A few important matters have come to my attention.

  “Levi has informed me of some issues with the security system in and around the manor. There has been some maintenance but the issue continues to be a problem.” He gestured toward Levi, giving him the floor.

  Levi put the laptop aside and scooted to the edge of his seat. “Okay, the security system is fucked up, to put it lightly. It’s been sending false signals and I’ve corrected them, but it keeps doing it. I messed with some of the panels and tried to get it reconfigured but there’s a bug in the system. I’m shutting down the entire system until further notice.”

  “What?” Avery blinked. “Are you putting in a back-up?”

  “See, you’d think that, but no. The back-ups going down too. I may have to reroute everything.”

  “Won’t that leave us compromised?”

  Callum’s face was impassive. “It’s a heavy risk, but necessary to make the needed adjustments.”

  Avery’s eyes narrowed. “For how long?”

  “Two days.” Levi shrugged. “Give or take.”

  Loren brought her lips together as she glanced between Avery and Levi. Avery’s temple throbbed when he clenched his teeth. Levi had both his eyebrows lifted in a challenge. Avery didn’t take the bait but his fingers twitched and tightened into fists.

  “A lot can happen in two days.” He looked to his brother. “I thought you were super strict about security and safety? Can’t this be done without bringing down the entire perimeter?”

  “Believe me, I weighed the decision for some time.”

  “I can’t fix it completely if it’s up,” Levi added. “It has to be down and it has to be done. Two days isn’t that long. Might even be marginally less if I’m left alone to concentrate.”

  Avery didn’t look pleased. “It’s a bad idea.”

  “It’s necessary.” Callum’s voice was cold.

  Eva pursed her lips, disapproval apparent on her face. She remained quiet on the matter, but Loren couldn’t sit by in silence.

  “I agree with Avery.” She cleared her throat. “I know I haven’t been here long but it feels wrong. I feel safe here and I don’t like the idea.”

  Callum tapped his fingers against the desk. “If we don’t fix this now and the system malfunctions in the future, it could be catastrophic.”

  “And having two days of complete vulnerability is fine?” Avery questioned.

  “In the larger scheme of things, yes.”

  “I thought you’d be more sensible than this, Cal.”

  “I am sensible. There are no immediate threats to us right now.”

  “Oh, getting shot up with arrows doesn’t count as an immediate threat?” Avery stepped toward the desk.

  Eva rose from her seat. “Stop it. This is ridiculous.” She glared at her brothers. “We can all agree being unprotected for any amount of time is unacceptable.” She looked to Levi. “Can you do it in a day? I know you’re highly capable.” There was a bite in her tone.

  Levi shook his head. “I did the calculations. Two days. That’s the quickest.”

  Callum leaned back in his seat. “The system goes down first thing in the morning. Levi will begin the necessary maintenance. In two days, we will have a new security system implemented. In the meantime, we will remain on our guard. The com system will be down, but we have our phones for communication should the need arise.”

  “I uh don’t have my phone,” Loren said quietly.

  “I’m aware. I don’t believe the lack of a phone will be an issue. I’m certain Avery will be more than happy to accommodate you, with anything you need.”

  Loren shivered from the chill in Callum’s tone. The implications were harsh. She nodded.

  Avery scoffed. “That’s it? It’s happening whether we like it or not?”

  Callum fixed Avery with a stare. “That’s right.”

  “Then why bother calling us all here? It doesn’t fucking matter, right? You’d do it with or without our say so.””

  “I’m sorry. Did I interrupt plans?”

  Avery gripped the edge of the desk and leaned forward. The air surrounding him grew hot. Callum didn’t budge from his seat but stared up at his brother with a stern glare.

  Loren’s heart kicked against her chest.

  Eva seized Avery’s arm. “Let it go, Avery. Go back to bed.”

  He jerked his arm, but Eva’s grasp was strong and held him in place. “You always were a jealous prick,” he told Callum.

  When Levi chuckled, Loren shot him a look. The amusement on his face grated her nerves. She took Avery’s hand. “Come on.”

  Callum said nothing. Avery kept his glare fixed on his brother and neither of them broke it. His hand slipped into hers. His skin was hot, but Loren didn’t let go.

  Eva stepped back to let them leave. Loren tugged Avery along with her and he finally cut off his stare with Callum. They left the room together.

  Once in the hallway, Avery scrubbed his free hand over his face. The air began to noticeably cool. Loren said nothing and walked with him toward the foyer.

  “It’s dangerous and I don’t like. Callum is being so fucking stupid.”

  Loren nodded in agreement and squeezed his hand.

  “He always talks about dangers and exposure and he doesn’t put any back-up security in place while everything’s being repaired? That’s impractical. He knows better.”

  “He’s putting a lot of faith in Levi.” The idea made her uncomfortable.

  “Yes and he’s an idiot for it. Levi’s good at what he does, but I don’t trust him. I never have.” As they neared Loren’s room, they slowed. Avery turned to her. “At least Callum was smart enough to make sure the stones aren’t kept at the manor. I’d start to question his sanity then.”

  “Where are the stones kept?”

  “I don’t know. Callum has the locations secret, just as dad did. You heard him yourself. It’s all secure.” He sighed. “I hope to God they’re secure.”

  Those stones falling into the wrong hands would be bad and if things were complicated now, why not throw in a functioning mystical tablet capable of open a portal to another world?

  “What worries me is you.” Avery took her other hand. “The people looking for you.”

  “You said they had no way of tracing you back here. It’s been a week and they haven’t come yet. Don’t you think they would’ve tried if they knew?”

  “Maybe. It put my mind more at ease knowing nothing was getting into Fairhaven regardless. Without that protection, even for a few days… it makes me uneasy.”

  “I’ll stick with you,” Loren said. There had been some truth in Callum’s words, despite the slight in them. She would be much safer if she stayed close to Avery.

  “For two whole days?”

  “Or longer. However long it takes.”

  Avery’s features softened and a small smile touched the corner of his mouth. “I actually kind of like the sound of that.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  She smiled too. “How angry are you?”

  “More ticked off and annoyed than angry now. Why?”

  “Well…” She paused, licking her lips. She put her hand against his chest. “I kind of want to get back to where we left off, if you’re not opposed to the idea.”

  “I’m not opposed to it,” he began. “But I think the moment’s gone.”

  Loren had expected as much and she hid her disappointment behind a nod. “That’s fine. Could we sleep together? Not sleep together sleep together but just—”

  He chuckled lightly. “Yeah, we can sleep.”

&n
bsp; “Good.” She took his hand again and led him into her bedroom. The door shut softly behind them.

  Chapter Sixteen

  She’d curled up against Avery the second they’d fallen into the bed and she’d stayed close the entire night. He was warm. She felt safe, and in light of the new developments with the security system being offline, she would cling to whatever safety she could.

  Her room was dark when she woke up. Avery slept pressed against her back. His arm draped over her side. She smiled and sleepily shifted to rest against the curve of his body.

  She’d forgotten how nice it was to share a bed with someone.

  Loren couldn’t help but think of the last person she’d been close to. Mark claimed to love her. They’d even lived together. And he’d known about her powers—one of the few who hadn’t been afraid of what she could do. At least, that’s how it had been at the start of it.

  But then she caught him cheating. All her feelings of worthlessness swirled to the forefront of her mind again. Her anxiety was high and she’d accidentally used her powers to hurt him.

  The relationship ended on a sour note. She didn’t blame him. She had driven him to it. She hadn’t been enough.

  Falling in love wasn’t for her. It was ridiculous, stupid. People ended up getting hurt. People never understood.

  Even though she was in bed with a man she had fallen for didn’t change how she felt about it. She still had uncertainty and fear. At any moment, something could happen to jeopardize what they had.

  Did Avery think she was enough? Loren carefully shifted to face him. He rolled onto his back and let out a sigh in his sleep.

  Loren smiled and brushed back a piece of hair from his face. He looked peaceful, his brow smooth and unlined. There couldn’t be a single worry in his head.

  She rested her head against his arm while her fingertips gently traced his brow and across his cheekbones. She drew her fingers along the stubble his jaw and chin. She liked the roughness.

  As her hand came to rest against his neck, Avery stirred again. His hand brushed against hers. Smiling, Loren kissed his jaw. She pressed her lips to his cheek, to the corner of his mouth.

  He woke at the touch. His eyes were bleary from sleep and he rubbed at them as he stretched. She shifted in his arms.

  She continued placing soft kisses on his face. When she pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth again, he turned. Avery drew her in for a slow kiss.

  He brought her bottom lip between his and tightened his arms around her. His fingers were warm against her side. She sighed against his lips.

  When he rolled, she moved with him. She arched against his body. A hand slid beneath her t-shirt and cupped her breast. His mouth trailed down her neck. When he pulled her shirt up, he shifted and began to kiss her breasts. Loren let out a small sigh.

  “Too many clothes,” he murmured against her skin. She agreed and sat up slightly to peel off her shirt and toss it aside. She lay back against the pillow, her lip between her teeth in anticipation.

  Avery took in the sight of her before he looked to her face. “Stop that.”

  “What?” She was confused.

  “The lip biting.” His thumb flicked back and forth across a nipple. “I want to bite it.”

  “Oh.” She released her lip, breaking out into a grin.

  Avery chuckled. When he kissed her, he took her lower lip between his teeth and teased her with a small nip. His thumb rubbed circles on her nipple. Loren moaned.

  Her hands traveled along his back, his sides, and his stomach. Her fingers slipped down to the lounge pants he wore and tugged at the waistband. He lifted away from her and she pulled them down. He kicked out of them and they became lost in the rumpled bed sheets. His head dipped, taking her peaked nipple into his mouth.

  Loren didn’t try to suppress her moan. As his tongue flicked around her nipple, her hips came up again. His hardness pressed against the fabric of her panties and she rocked her hips to create friction.

  He groaned softly and pulled away from her breast. His thumb swept across her now wet nipple and she shuddered. He gave her a half-grin before he switched to the other breast to give it the same attention.

  Her back arched off the bed.

  His hands found their way to her panty line. His fingers traced along the fabric before tugging them down. She wiggled as he worked the fabric down her legs and tossed it aside.

  His mouth pressed to hers again as his fingers touched her clit. She moaned against his lips as he rubbed back and forth against her sensitive nub.

  The teasing was torture. She wanted him now. She broke the kiss and moaned when those skilled fingers pressed against her throbbing clit. “Avery…”

  He slid one finger into her. She sighed in pleasure and moved her hips. As he worked his finger in and out of her folds, she matched the rhythm of the thrusts. Soon she rocked her hips faster, begging him for more.

  He slid another finger inside her. Loren moaned and gripped the sheet tightly. “More…”

  Avery watched her face. “How much more?”

  “All of it. All of you.”

  A third finger entered her. Loren lifted her hips to his touch. “That’s… mm…” Unable to finish her sentence, she trailed off into a moan.

  “Not what you had in mind?” Avery’s lips brushed against her ear.

  “N-not exactly. I—oh!” His fingers curled inside her, rubbing against her g-spot. Her hands tightened in the sheet.

  “Like that?”

  Loren could barely nod.

  He did it again and she moaned. As he curled his fingers once more, he pushed them inside her. She bucked against his hand.

  “Oh God!” When his thumb brushed over her clit simultaneously, she arched off the bed. “Avery, please.”

  He withdrew his fingers from her and ran them along her thigh, ridding them of most of the wetness. His hand immediately went to her hip.

  He looked down at her face as he moved over her. “I think you’re ready.”

  “I’ve been ready. So ready.” Her words were breathless. She parted her legs to welcome him but stopped. “Wait. Wait!” “What is it?”

  “Do you… have anything?”

  “Yeah.” He drew back. His warmth left the bed as he picked up his discarded jeans and searched through his pockets.

  Loren shifted to sit up in the bed. She looked him over, taking in the gorgeous sight of his naked body. She chewed her lip.

  Damn.

  She smiled and welcomed him back to the bed by drawing him in for a long kiss. Her hands ran along his shoulders and down his arms. When she reached his hand, she took the condom from him and pulled back. “Let me do it.”

  Avery didn’t protest and he rolled onto his back. He settled himself against the headboard, shifting the pillows behind him for support. Loren tore open the condom wrapper and moved over him.

  She gave him a small grin when she placed the condom against the tip of his cock. Her hand circled around him as she rolled it down his length. Her movements were slow. If he noticed her hesitation, he didn’t say anything. Loren glanced up to see Avery’s gaze intent on her, his lips parted.

  She leaned down to kiss him when she’d finished with the condom.. “Okay. I think we’re ready now.”

  He silenced her with another deeper kiss. As her lips moved against his, his hands came to rest on her hips. She let out a small surprised noise when he lifted her up and moved her leg over him.

  She straddled him. At first, she pressed her wetness against his cock and ground her hips. Avery gave a small moan in approval. The friction of her clit against his cock was amazing. She rolled her hips slowly to draw out the pleasure.

  Avery groaned. “Enough teasing.” His hands held her hips tightly as he lifted her up again. He pressed against her entrance and quickly slid into her without hesitation.

  Loren’s eyes fluttered shut and she moaned. “God.”

  He held himself there, buried inside her until she began to wiggl
e. She needed more. It wasn’t enough that he was inside her. She needed to really feel him.

  He groaned, rolled his hips, and began to thrust. They started slow. Avery pushed into her and she met each of his thrusts. Soon, they formed a rhythm.

  She placed her hands on his chest to as she pressed down on him. Avery groaned his appreciation. His hands cupped her breasts, pushing them together. Her back arched as she moaned.

  The pace picked up. The slow, long thrusts became sudden and quick. Loren moaned and tried to keep up with him. She dug her nails into his chest and rolled her hips. Her head fell back as she lost herself to him.

  His hands left her breasts and to hold onto her hips. She let him guide her and each stroke left her gasping.

  “Fuck.” Avery’s head fell back on the pillows.

  “Avery… I’m close,” she managed to say through another moan. He thrust harder and she gasped. “Oh!”

  His nails dug into her skin. She rolled them faster until he slammed her down onto him. He groaned and bucked his hips off the bed.

  “Come for me.” He lifted his head to watch her.

  She rocked on him again. When his fingers pressed against her clit, she whimpered and pressed against his questing fingers. Quickly, he worked them back and forth.

  “Come for me,” he repeated. The lust in his voice drove her over the edge.

  “Oh God.” She closed her eyes. “Avery. I can’t—I’m—” She cried out when she hit her climax and gripped his arm tightly. His fingers rubbed against her clit once more before he moved his hand to hip again. He slammed into her.

  She clenched around him, coasting on the waves of ecstasy. When his hips bucked again, he gave a final, loud groan. He held her onto him as he lifted his hips from the bed.

  Her movements slowed. She looked down at him as she tried to catch her breath. “Damn.”

  “Damn,” Avery repeated. His head fell back against the pillows. “Damn.”

  “Uh huh.”

  He smiled and rolled onto his side with her. She sighed and slipped her arms around his neck. Her face buried against his chest.

  He held her close.