Page 53 of Vicious Impulses (The Capo and Ballerina)
“Nevi, my chest!”
He grabs my wrist and yanks it toward his broad, muscled chest, right against his sternum. I release a terrified whimper as I do as he says—I pierce him with the thick needle and inject the clear liquid into him.
His groans volumize with even more pain. His panting grows sharper and harsher to my ears. He closes his eyes and clutches at his chest as if another rush of pain’s hitting him.
I watch on with my heart pounding and panic leaving me jittery.
“You need emergency medical treatment. I’ll… I’ll call 911… or whatever the equivalent is here…”
“No. Stay,” he growls. His hand snaps shut on my wrist again and he pulls me back toward him. “La mia bellissima ballerina. Lo rendi migliore. Sei un angelo.”
I don’t understand a word of what he’s saying to me. For all I know it could be gibberish spoken in the throes of pain. But it sounds affectionate just the same.
He holds me in place as slowly, his breathing calms. The grimace leaves his face. He stops clutching at his chest and he lays still as though the storm has passed through him and left him calm.
I do what I can. I reach over and stroke his damp hair. I let him know I’m right here if he needs anything.
He peers up at me, his eyes darker than charcoal, but it’s a look that sends a shiver coursing down my spine. He isn’t saying a word as he comes down from his painful episode, but his eyes speak for him. Gratitude. Affection. Something else that stirs up confusion inside me.
“Caelian,” I say softly. “Are you okay?”
His hand comes up to grab my face and bring me down to him. Our lips touch in a slow, tender kiss I sink into. I can easily lose myself in until Caelian ends the kiss first. He pulls away enough for another long look up at me, his thumbs stroking my cheeks.
“You saved me, Nevi,” he says. “Just like you have saved me in my dreams.”
An uneasy ripple rocks me. “Caelian, I… I can’t be held responsible for what happens in your dreams.”
“It was you speaking to me from afar.”
I have no idea what he’s talking about, but I drop the matter. Caelian is obsessed with these dreams he insists he’s had of me. There’s no talking him out of them. Though he hasn’t outright said it, these dreams are the sole reason he’s sought me out and married me.
I settle down beside him in bed, still drowsy, still unsure what’s happening between us. Last night was full of passion and affection. I had lost myself in him. I had surrendered to desire in a way I never imagined I would… least of all with Caelian.
My body still thrums with the aftereffects of what he did to me. The pleasure he brought me and the sense of fulfillment I didn’t even realize I had been craving all this time.
If last night could be what the rest of my life with Caelian would be like, maybe I won’t be so unhappy after all. Maybe there’s a chance life with him could be tolerable.
Enjoyable.
“Does that happen often?” I ask, folding an arm under my pillow. I roll onto my side to face him despite the fact that he’s lying on his back gazing up at the dark ceiling. “What happened just now… is it normal for you to wake up in pain like that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“That’s a conversation for another time.”
I frown. “So you really are sick? As in… very seriously sick?”
“Nevi,” he scolds. “What did I just say?”
“You aren’t used to being challenged, are you? Caelian, I’m not a doll for you to play with. Some figment from your dreams. I’m a real woman… with thoughts and feelings. I… I should be allowed to express them.”
He falls into disgruntled silence, glaring up at the ceiling as if what I’ve said couldn’t be a worse idea.
I sigh and shift to roll back over, facing the wall like I have every other time we’ve slept in the same bed. He reaches out a hand to stop me.
“Yes,” he answers stiffly. “I really am very sick. If that’s what you want to call it. I have a rare heart condition that’s plagued me since I was a young boy. It is excruciatingly painful and there is no cure. The only solution is temporary. The treatments I receive, which are what keep me alive. It’s a miracle I’ve lived as long as I have. But eventually… eventually, I will succumb to it.”