For Love Alone (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 8)

This time, Carlotta had no hesitation standing up and taking it. To her delight as soon as their palms touched Phillip entwined their fingers. When he smiled that gently at her there was nothing that she could deny him. She had no qualms following him out of the room and up the stairs to her bed chamber. Carlotta had never felt this kind of connection, this closeness with anyone before. She had never felt as protected either. There was something about the look in Phillip’s eyes whenever he glanced at her, as he did often before they reached the door, that was almost possessive. She flushed beneath its warmth and felt something unfamiliar yet strangely appealing flutter to life deep within her.

‘You need to get your cuts cleaned,’ she whispered.

‘They aren’t that bad. I will check them when I change my shirt,’ he assured her. He kept his voice low because he truly didn’t want anything to break the intimate peace that had settled between them as they made their way across the landing. ‘Just try to get some sleep.’ Phillip escorted her to her bed chamber and opened the door.

When he stepped back to hold the door open for her, Carlotta eyed the bed chamber with little enthusiasm.

‘I can sleep in the chair if you like, just so you are not alone,’ he offered.

Carlotta seriously contemplated it but the prospect of trying to sleep while he was so close was just too distracting. She rejected his offer before she could question the wisdom of it. Rather than step into the room, Carlotta quickly stood on tiptoe and pressed a swift kiss to his cheek. She caught his smile before she turned away but didn’t dare look back. It was impossible to understand what had compelled her to do such a thing, but she didn’t regret it for one second.

‘Good night,’ he murmured quietly before stepping out of the room.

‘Good night and thank you.’

When he had gone, Carlotta removed her boots and lay down upon the bed. The covers felt heavy and swiftly chased the warmth away. Unfortunately, they did little to chase away the horrifying nightmare that followed her into slumber.

The thick sea fog swirled around her. Shadows danced within it. Not a sound could be heard. When she spoke, nothing left her mouth. Carlotta knew what she was trying to say, the words just wouldn’t escape her. She was cold. Painfully, shockingly cold but couldn’t feel any pain. She couldn’t feel much of anything. Something, an icy hand of Fate, compelled her to walk forward although she could not feel the soft blades of the grass beneath her feet, or the chill of the soil that held on the autumnal night. She couldn’t feel the sea breeze that gently teased the edges of her nightgown. All she could feel was a dread. A deep, sickening, dreadful knowledge that all was not well; that her fate was full of doom if she carried on the path she was on. But she couldn’t stop herself from putting one foot in front of the other. She couldn’t stop hers

elf from looking over the edge of the cliff. It wasn’t just a brief glance either. That horrid, forcing hand made her stare long and hard at the crumpled body that lay at the base of the cliffs, its limbs twisted and bent at unnatural angles. The deadly stare that looked straight back at her saw right into her soul. Carlotta knew it wasn’t there to give her any kind of message. That, she had already had. She knew, deep in her heart, that the man who lay at the base of the cliffs was someone who had the power to change her life for the better. Unfortunately, he was now so far out of her reach, Carlotta knew that if she jumped, she still would never reach him. He was gone forever, and it was all because she had remained on the path which she knew she shouldn’t take and hadn’t been able to change.

‘Noooo!’ It was her scream escaping her that jolted Carlotta awake. Her eyes flew wide as she sat bolt upright in bed only to find herself faced with impenetrable blackness that was as suffocating as her nightmare had been. It took her a moment to realise why she couldn’t even see the bed chamber she lay in. Whilst she had been asleep, someone had closed the curtains and shutters. She cried out in alarm when the door was suddenly slammed open with such force it ricocheted off the dresser behind it.

‘What? What’s wrong?’ Phillip demanded as, gun drawn, he raced into the room.

Carlotta stared at him. She opened her mouth to tell him all about her very vivid dream only to realise that the words still failed her. Just like in the dream, she couldn’t tell him the things she wanted to say. She had no idea why. The words just locked in her throat and threatened to choke her with their ferocity.

‘Carlotta?’ Phillip peered around the bed chamber until he realised that she was still all alone.

Earlier, he had waited until she had fallen asleep and then had checked all the windows were locked before closing and securing the shutters and closing the curtains across them for good measure. Nobody could get into the room without having to make a lot of noise, and the only sound to break the stillness of the house had been Carlotta’s scream.

‘I just had a bad dream,’ she stammered tearfully, her voice weak and shaken. ‘I am sorry I woke you.’

Phillip edged closer and placed his gun onto the small table beside the bed.

‘Was it about your father and mother?’ He lifted his brows when she shook her head.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell him her dream had been about him. ‘It was about something else,’ she murmured vaguely.

‘We talk about dreams a lot. It sounds odd but we often have nightmares about some of the things we have seen and done. It helps to talk about it. I won’t find whatever you tell me unusual, believe me. I have had my own fair share of strange dreams over the years. Some of them horrible, others recounting what I have done or witnessed, others are memories from past times on the battlefields. They come back to haunt us all at some time or another.’

Phillip didn’t ask if he could sit beside the bed. As he talked, he settled himself next to her and propped his shoulders against the wall at the head of the bed. With a yawn, he settled into a comfortable position and stared at his feet.

‘Can I ask you something?’ she murmured quietly.

‘Go on then,’ he replied with a smile.

‘Why do you work with the Star Elite? Do you not get frightened running around the woods like you do?’

‘We would be foolish if we didn’t. If you are not afraid in situations like that you are doing something wrong. A little bit of fear makes you warier, and apt not to take stupid chances with your life. Fear helps sometimes,’ he replied honestly.

‘I seem to be afraid all of the time lately,’ Carlotta whispered with a shiver. She found herself instinctively edging closer to him.

Phillip slid an arm around her but allowed the silence to settle between them. ‘Try to get some sleep,’ he murmured several long and thoughtful moments later.

Carlotta yawned. She knew she should ease away from him. It was highly inappropriate of her to be like this with him, but this was the first time she had felt truly protected in her life. He didn’t ask anything from her, and she didn’t ask anything of him either. They simply enjoyed this moment of unity and took from it the comfort being together brought them. When they were together like this, they were stronger and able to withstand anything life could throw at them. Together, they could be honest about themselves; their wants, needs and emotions without fear of criticism or censure.

‘Where do you see yourself in the future?’ he asked quietly a few minutes later.