Soul Elements: The Fiery Lake: Soul Elements, #1

By Lisa McNeil

Ebony Stevens has the almost perfect life. She's got a great job, working on a university degree and she has wonderful family and friends. In between her study time and hanging out with her friends, Ebony chases peace around water, something she's been drawn to since she was a child. There's really only one thing missing – that chemistry that comes with real love.

Aiden Steele had a hard upbringing, he went through the foster care system after his parents deaths when he was just a boy, and other than making some life-long friends with the other foster kids, he never did find his happy family life that he wanted. That didn't stop him from turning his life into something great, and he worked hard to create himself a successful online company. Despite this, he still felt a sense of loneliness, which was only enhanced by the dark haired beauty who was haunting his dreams.

Was it a co-incidence that they met, or was it fate bringing them together?

The moment their eyes locked, sparks flew between Ebony and Aiden. Their connection was undeniable, irresistible and the closer they get, the more magical it becomes. Is this the bond that they had both been waiting for?

CONTENT WARNING: Contains some explicit sex scenes and language.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisa McNeil
• Release date: Feb 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224297412

Book preview

Prologue

The air hissed with the crackling of flame touching water, the combination of the two forming a steam that enveloped the entire lake.

Their hearts started beating as one, the force of their connection creating an energy which pulsated from their bodies. The water of the lake swirled madly underneath the fire that flickered over the top. The light of the flames cast a beautiful glow over the two bodies intertwined in a passionate embrace. It was in that moment that the elements combined, forming an unbreakable soul connection.

Chapter 1.

The waning sunlight glittered on the lakes little peaks, the light wind creating tiny little waves on the otherwise smooth and dark surface. Whilst the wind had quite a chill to it and it felt as though snow was coming, it also brought the distant smell of home cooking from the nearby homes. If Ebony focused, she could just place the smell of garlic, onions and fresh bread.

Scanning the area, Ebony felt a wash of serenity and with a flick of her wrist gently skipped the stone she held in her hands across the surface of the lake.

This had been her happy place for as long as she ever could remember. She used to come here as a child with her mum, they would sit on a rug in the warm autumn sun dusting off the ants that would come to pick at their picnic lunch. Her mum would always lovingly package up a delicious meal in a wooden basket for them to enjoy.

Now that Ebony had grown and moved out of home, they still made the effort every few months to come to the lake and revisit their favourite place. Nowadays was more a quick coffee catch up than a long picnic lunch, but it was still always a blissful moment for the two of them to share.

There was no particular reason Ebony had come to the lake today, she wasn’t meeting her Mum, she just felt like she needed a moment of peace in her busy life. It used to be so much easier as a child – you didn’t have responsibilities and no one ever really expected much of you. Children certainly didn’t have any real deadlines that potentially affected their life choices going forward, like she had now as an adult.

Thinking back, Ebony knew how lucky she was to enjoy a wonderful life growing up. She had lived on small farm that they had unoriginally named The Stevens Ranch, which of course was simply their last name. The farm was just on the outside of town, and her father ran a handful of cattle while her mother worked as an accountant both for the farm but also had her own small business.

They had a modest homestead, and a beautiful big red barn that she had spent much of her childhood playing in, mucking out the horses stalls, playing hide and seek with the family dog or lounging on a hay bale reading one of her favourite books. When she wasn’t playing around with the animals, Ebony usually found herself at the riverbed that passed through their property. She had always felt an affinity to the water, and day after day she would swim to her hearts content before stretching out to sunbake and dry out.

It was an idyllic life, one without the pressures of today’s modern world, and one that she now truly appreciated. As an only child, she had grown up a little bit of a tom-boy and often followed around her Dad, helping him out with his daily duties, or at least she thought she was being helpful. As she got older, she had learnt that being a bit of a girly girl was fun too and loved her make up, dress ups, hairdo’s and perfumes, which she would put on before going out to help with the dirty chores that she still enjoyed. She was a bit of a contradiction really.

Today’s Ebony hadn’t fallen too far from the tree, so to speak – she had moved just into town into an older style but large, solid studio apartment. The apartment building had an excellent security system at the front, just the way her Dad had wanted. From a distance it overlooked the very lake she was standing in front of just now. She still led a simple life, although her day to day routine at the moment mostly revolved around her studies. She was studying only part time, choosing the longer process so that she could also work and not rely on her family. It was something that she was proud of. Her parents had offered to help her with her expenses so that she could study full time, but Ebony had refused. It simply wasn’t what she wanted, and in fact she actually rather enjoyed the feeling of independence that came with it all.

Ebony knew a lot of people around town from her school and because of her parents’ businesses. Although she always felt like she made friends easily, she did keep just a small group of close friends and of those, two very best friends that she shared everything with. It had been that way for as long as she could remember - everyone would call them the three amigos. Jordan & Cally had been her fast friends since they started day-care together when they were just 3 years old, and the three had been inseparable still when they had finished school last year. Both the girls were studying full time to be nurses, while Ebony’s interest was deeper rooted in the business world and her degree was following that. She still wasn’t quite sure where she planned to take it long term, but she knew it was an ideal foundation for anything that she wanted to put her mind to, and lucky for her she didn’t have to commit just yet to a path with it all while she was learning the basics.

Shaking off the memories as her thoughts drifted back to the current moment, Ebony breathed in deeply. She took in the fresh chill to the air, the smells and sights of the lake, the fresh bubbling sound where the little river ran into the lake. With a brief nod to acknowledge the beauty of the area, picked herself up and dusted herself off. She had a date night with all her favourite ladies on the cards she needed to get ready for.

A brief walk home and a short shower later, Ebony stood in front of her mirror analysing her appearance. Her long dark hair which she had just straightened framed her face, and she had dashed on a touch of makeup and light lipstick. Her cheeks were flushed a little from the hot shower, which really drew out the deep aqua flecks in her otherwise bright blue eyes. She had pulled on a soft pale blue woollen sweater, paired with a dark blue scarf which not only matched well with her jeans but she knew would be nice and warm outside. Finally, she slipped into her comfortable nude flats that she wore every day. Her reflection looked back at her, happily enough. I look fine! she told herself and excitedly headed outside.

It had gotten dark and cold in the short time since she’d gotten home, and Ebony found herself snuggling deeper into her scarf, hiding her nose against the chill in the air. Snow had started falling just on dusk and a light covering had already settled on the ground since she’d come home. The chill was a pleasant change from the previous month which had seen an unusually dry heat passing through, and the beautiful red and orange colours of the end of the autumn leaves that had made it through winter were looking spectacular in their final days before succumbing to the new growth of spring that was imminent in the coming months.

Ebony walked quickly into town, joining her group of her friends as she arrived at the cinema, ready to see the latest movie. She hadn’t even checked to see what they were going to see, but it was funny, and Ebony laughed through most of it. It was one of the nicest nights that she'd had in a long time – the last few months had been filled with work and classes, her nights studying and assignments. It felt nice to relax, enjoy herself and forget about all the chores she still had waiting for her when she got home.

The group decided to stop off at the local coffee shop before they headed home, conversation still flowing as they discussed the movie, what had been going on in their lives and of course, who had the latest love interest and what they were doing about it. This was always the topic that made Ebony feel awkward. She had never really found a strong love interest like the girls, so whilst she enjoyed living through them a little bit, she also felt a little ajar from it all. Tonight wasn’t the first time she wondered if she would ever be lucky enough to find someone who made her want to talk about them.

The music was playing soft, old tunes and she realised just how much she missed her friends; she really hadn’t seen them enough lately. Decision made... at least once a week she was going to stop studying, get out of the house and enjoy some much needed fresh air. Even if it were just for a short time.

Soon enough, it was nearing 11pm, only the three of them were left. Ebony glanced down at her watch. It was about time to head home. She had an early start to a long shift in the morning and already knew that tomorrow was going to drag on for way too long. Just as she cleared her throat to say goodbye, a change in the air shifted her attention to the door. And Ebony completely forgot that she was leaving.

Chapter 2.

Aiden felt the warmth of the café hit his face as he entered, an instant relief compared to the harsh chill from outside. Breathing in the homely smells of cooking deeply, it took a moment before he realised everyone was looking at him, and that the cool air was still following him inside. He hurried to close the door behind him, sealing in the heat. With a deep flush in his cheeks, he avoided all the stares and made his way to the counter.

Flat white thanks, takeaway.

Certainly, would that be all tonight? The timid response from behind the counter was barely louder than a whisper.

Looking through his eyelashes, Aiden realised the girl behind the counter could not be older than sixteen. She had a soft face framed by her brilliant red hair, with glasses that couldn’t dull the look of desire flickering through her eyes. She was looking up at him as though he could scoop her up, fly away with her and make all her dreams come true. Sighing inwardly, he simply nodded. Occasionally it would be nice to simply go unnoticed but once people saw his eyes, they always seemed to end up mesmerized. Please hurry, he thought.

∞

Ebony felt the breath return to her lungs just as the blood started pumping back into her body. The force of her heartbeat hit her with such shock she nearly choked. As she turned to her friends, she realised that she hadn’t been the only person to be struck by the man walking in the door. Both Cally and Jordan were also both recovering from being slack-jawed and in dreamlike trances.

Have you ever seen anyone so.... amazing? stuttered Cally.

Jordan, ever the snob decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed. Hmm, who? Me? But of course we all knew that, it’s not breaking news! Glad you've finally realised just how lucky you are to be sitting here with me Cally!

No. The words Ebony spoke were barely audible as they glided out between her teeth, as though she thought he could possibly hear her from the other side of the room. Him.

Jordan looked at Ebony sideways, pretending she only just caught onto what she was saying. Him? Meh, he might be a bit of alright. Haven’t really noticed...

Cally smirked. Oh, you wouldn’t know a good piece of meat if it fell on your plate Jordan!

Vegetarian is the new black Cally. Jordan pointedly looked at the ham and cheese croissant that Cally had mostly eaten on the plate in front of her, turning her nose up. She’d been a vegetarian for all of about three months but she was taking it quite seriously.

Ebony was drifting in and out of the conversation by now. Her brain was too busy ticking over what more she could possibly order at the counter to get closer. She'd drank more than enough coffee to keep her going for some time, even though she knew she didn’t need it. She'd always been a night junkie, which is probably why she was usually up at this time anyway still doing her assignments.

Without being aware of her drifting mind, she jumped when she realised she'd actually made it to the counter.

Miss, are you going to order something or not? We'll be closing soon and I certainly don’t plan on staying here waiting for you to return from la-la land and place an order! The sweet sixteen year old behind the counter had obviously recovered from her temporary lack of words, and instead gained a lack of manners.

Sorry, um yes, I would like to order something. Quick, think of something Ebony!! Her mind screamed at her, but she couldn’t think. I, ah... I’ll have a.....

The choc chip cookies are good. I've tried them before. The words felt like they dripped straight into her ears and trickled down her spine until they finally reached her currently weak feeling knees. Ebony whirled around to find the owner of the warm, sultry voice. It was him, of course. With a quick smile, she turned back to the waitress and agreed. Yes, I’ll have the choc chip cookie. Actually, make that two – two bags please. Now's my chance, she thought.

Hungry? she asked, offering the second one to him whilst she took a small nibble on the corner of hers. What was she thinking, she wasn’t hungry at all. Although the cookie did taste like a little bit of heaven had been placed on her tongue. When she realised that she’d closed her eyes to savour the taste her stomach dropped in embarrassment, and she placed the rest of the cookie back in the bag.

Sure! Aiden took the cookie from Ebony’s outstretched hand. "Thank you.

Ebony tried again. I haven’t seen you around here before? She realised the question came out more like a statement, but was far too nervous to make anything but random, idle chit-chat.

I’m not a regular but have been here a few times! Hang on a moment, I’ll get my coffee changed over to a normal cup. Aiden glanced at the waitress.

Ah, well it's already in a takeaway one... The raised eyebrow and pointed look the waitress gave them was obviously her attempt to deter the conversation growing between Ebony & Aiden.

That’s ok, Ebony said, I was actually just about to walk home.

Walk home? Aiden’s brow furrowed, which Ebony felt was quite cute. A beautiful girl like you shouldn’t be out alone at night this late. I’d be happy to walk with you to make sure you get home safely.

Ebony could see a confused look flit over Aiden’s face, and she wondered whether it was due to his offer to walk her home, or the fact that he actually seemed to care about her not walking home alone.

Um, well I’m not actually alone. My friends are over there by the corner. Ebony indicated with a flick of her wrist while mentally kicking herself for being responsible. It wasn’t like she knew him though. They both turned towards the corner, to see her friends openly staring at them. Ah, sorry about them. They're not usually so rude.

It's ok. Aiden laughed. Well, here's my coffee. Thank you very much for the cookie. They're amazing, I promise! He gave her a barely noticeable wink. I guess I should let you get home.

I guess. Hey, um, well ah, do you come around here much? Ebony was floundering. He already said he had been around there before. She felt like an idiot but it was too late to take it back. She knew she needed to leave, before she made a fool of herself any more than she already had but it was just so hard. It was like her feet had become completely rooted to the floor, while she was immersed in his eyes. She'd never seen eyes like his. Golden, with flecks of black and reds.

Enough to know what the cookies are like. Catch ya around. Without another word, he picked up his coffee and dashed out of the coffee shop, leaving just empty air filled with a deliciously spicy scent of his aftershave, and a very quiet murmur behind him.

∞

Ebony had been listening to her friends exclamations about her exchange for the past half an hour, although the time had slipped by quickly she couldn’t focus on them at all. Not while she had those golden eyes in the forefront of her mind. After her friends eventually left her at her door and walked to the unit they shared, she was so glad to crawl into bed for some peace and quiet. But the quiet she was craving never came.

‘Enough to know what the cookies are like??’ What sort of answer is that? Could he be any more evasive? And he literally seemed to run out the door just moments after he’d offered to walk her home. It was so strange. Ebony mulled over the encounter in her head over and over again.

The flare of attraction that she felt for him had sparked something in her that she had never felt before. And when she was speaking with him, she could have sworn that he was feeling something back for her. Then he just took off so quickly, it was like the moment was broken in an instant and the air around where he’d been standing was frozen with unspoken words left behind.

Why didn’t I try to find out if I could see him again? Asked what he did? She could have 'accidently' bumped into him walking past him in the street. Will I ever see him again?

She didn’t even know why she cared, she had barely met the guy let alone knew enough about him to know she