Never Dare A Duke

Chapter 12 (Melted Hearts) part 2

(edited and more details will be added later)

Candice’s eyes flew open as the loud scream pierced through her ears. She sat in cold sweat and watched as Nathan screamed in horror. She clasped her hands over her chest and breathed in. She knew what was happening to him. It wasn’t very far back when she used to do the same. It was a gene passed down from her father to her. She took Nathan’s face in hers and patted his cheek.

His scream only grew louder; her heart began to thud faster and faster. Candice didn’t really know what he went through, but what it ever it was her heart was ripping apart from the sound of it. She stopped thinking and threw herself over him; gripping him as tight as possible. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him tighter.

“Candice?” Nathan moved slightly beneath her letting out a painful grunt. Candice loosened her hold and stared up beneath her lashes and met his confused gaze.

“Sorry. I uh didn’t know what else to do.” she said sitting up. He still stared at her as if he had seen a ghost but she just looked at him with a satisfied smile and pulled her hair back. 

“For what? Is everything okay?” he asked leaning in closer.

“Yes; you were just screaming in your sleep; probably a bad dream.” she answered watching his slurred eyes grow stiff and dark. She could feel him pull away internally.

“You probably heard someone else; I don’t scream.” he said shrugging her off. Candice sighed not wanting to get into a fight. She didn’t know how much longer she had to stay with him. They could at least try not to kill each other.

“It was you.” she said sternly as if her brain wasn’t connected to her lips.

“Impossible.” he snipped back. Candice would have strangled her brother by now; she didn’t have the patience to take the whole macho man ego.

“Why is it so impossible? Last thing I knew you are just as much human as the rest of us.” she finished getting up from the mattress. She dint’ take this from her brother and she wasn’t going to take it from any other man.

Anger was not what he was scared of. Nathan had been completely flabbergasted when he had seen Candice gripping him tightly around the waist. Her soft curls over his chest ;and when she looked at him with those effulgent green eyes from beneath those thick dark lashes-He never wanted a woman as much as he did then. The fear in her eyes was clear so was the anger. Although she didn’t raise her voice Nathan knew he wouldn’t have a chance winning this one. There was something steely in her eyes; something he didn’t dare bring out. Candice wasn’t like the other women he had met; she truly cared. No matter who or what it was ,she cared. Even if they’ve only known each other for a few days, Nathan felt that once they walk out of each others lives; they would truly miss one another. He would miss her wild fit of laughter, those daunting dimples underneath her eyes, that sweet mellifluous voice that was made for comfort and the passion in her eyes. What he would truly miss was the way she looked at life. Seeing the good in everyone was a rare quality and Candice possessed it. She even saw good in him.

Candice took a quick shower and pulled over another dress Agatha had given her as a present. She chose to pull on a short pair of shorts under due to it being a bit too revealing from the hips down. Her mind kept going back to the frightful screams that woke her that morning. The sudden emotion of  worry towards Nathan was alien to her. The loud screams made her scared; he was in pain and she couldn’t stand it..

She pulled the dress down uncomfortably and walked out shaking her wet hair. Candice found Nathan perched over the mattress; looking through the glass window. Before she could ask; he turned towards her with a look so dark she didn’t dare say a word.

“What happened?” she asked. He pulled the duffel bag over his shoulder and another carry on rolled behind him.

“We need to get out of here.” he hissed. A sudden realization dawned on her. They found them.