[Music recommendation: PIXIE-T - The Attic]
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On a stormy night, the wind howled as heavy rain poured outside a dimly lit room.
Aliana stood by the window in a red backless gown, watching the stormy weather outside. The gown hugged her body snugly, giving one a sight of her perfect, curvy, toned body. Her long, thick blond hair fell over one shoulder, leaving her flawless, milky back exposed.
Her breathing grew uneven, her heartbeat erratic as she felt a presence behind her.
The muscles in her neck tensed, and her chest felt heavy as that looming presence came to stand right behind her.
She knew who it was… yet she did not turn.
A large, warm hand reached out to clasp her delicate neck, pulling her back until she was pressed firmly against his hard, powerful frame.
A soft gasp escaped her red lips as her grey eyes fluttered shut, and she sank into him. She tilted her head to the side, fully exposing the line of her throat and the soft swell of her chest to his gaze.
His other hand moved slowly, brushing just beneath her collarbone before trailing lower, inch by inch over her curves, sending a shiver through her.
But he did not stop there.
His palm dragged over the silk gown until he found the dip of her waist. He tightened his hold, his fingers splayed across her stomach while his other hand anchored her by the neck. The heat radiating from his powerful frame left her breathless against him.
Just then, she felt him dip his head, his nose brushing against her hair, before trailing down ever so slowly, along the curve of her neck, only to drift back up again.
Aliana held her breath under his touch until his low, sinuous voice vibrated against her skin, "Aliana…"
At the sound of her name, her glossy grey eyes fluttered open, catching his opaque reflection against the glass, those icy blue eyes fixed intensely on her.
"Yes… I can see it," he murmured, his voice dropping into a dark whisper. "Your soul is bleeding for me… only me."
With that, his grip tightened around her neck.
A rush of thrill and something forbidden coursed through her entire body, igniting every nerve. She saw him lower his gorgeous face into the crook of her neck and….
And Aliana's eyes flew wide open.
She drew a sharp breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her pulse raced against her nerves.
Heat flooded her body, so intensely it felt as though she had drowned in the pool of ecstasy.
Covering her flushed face, she took another deep breath.
'It was the same dream again,' she thought.
Letting her hand fall loosely to the side of her head, she continued to stare at the dark ceiling above her, 'Just why….am I dreaming of something like this?'
As she thought about it, her grey eyes darted around as if to make sure to herself that she was no longer in that room from her dream, but safely in her own bedroom in her parents' mansion.
Her throat felt dry.
Releasing a soft sigh, she pushed herself up to switch on the lamp beside her bed. But just as she reached for it, her eyes caught something.
A figure… standing shrouded in darkness near the balcony doors, partially concealed as the sheer curtains fluttered softly in the early dawn breeze.
Aliana's heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest, and she quickly turned to fumble for the switch. Snapping the lamp on when she whipped her head back towards the spot, it was….empty.
In the soft, warm light, only the white curtains continued to sway gently in the faint breeze.
Turning to her bedside, she glanced at the digital table clock, which read four o'clock in the morning.
"Are you going insane, Aliana? For God's sake, get a grip!" she muttered under her breath.
Throwing the covers aside, she got out of bed, poured herself a glass of water and drained it in one go.
Her eyes drifted back to the space near the balcony, lingering there just a second longer than necessary, where she had "imagined" seeing the figure.
Her fingers closed around a heavy golden ballerina showpiece on the console table, and she began padding barefoot across the cold, high-end white marble floor.
As she drew closer, she swallowed hard, her grip around the showpiece tightened, and her pulse picked up until she slowly peeked out.
Her gaze swept across the balcony before the tightness in her chest loosened, and she released a breath she had not even realised she had been holding.
Setting the showpiece down on the sofa nearby, she let out a quiet sigh, "I really must be going insane to be imagining something like that."
With that, she pushed open the slightly ajar balcony door and welcomed the cool morning breeze against her flushed skin.
It was still pretty dark outside; the outdoor lights around the entire estate were still lit up, making it look like a palace from a fairytale, but her mind was far too occupied with thoughts she could not share with anyone.
It has been two weeks since she returned from the hospital to her family home, where she focused on recovery, undergoing physiotherapy and various rehabilitation exercises so that she could regain her full strength before stepping back into the world.
The media had gone into a frenzy upon hearing that she had woken up, but Ali, along with her team of bodyguards and PR managers, ensured she remained out of the public eye until she had fully recovered.
Of course, she had protested at first, but her parents had become far too overprotective lately, unwilling to take any chances when it came to her well-being.
It was something she found herself quietly grateful for, especially as she was aware of just how strong-headed and a workaholic she could be, often neglecting her health.
So she agreed to return temporarily to her family home, as the estate was vast enough, with the mansion situated at its heart, to keep it completely hidden from the outside world.
She knew the media was camped outside the main gates, but she didn't worry about them catching even a glimpse of her. But between the relentless security patrols and the sheer distance of the mansion from the perimeter, she knew she was untouchable.
But today would be the day she would finally show herself to the world again.
Her doctor had given her the go-ahead the previous night, assuring her parents that she was ready to return to her usual routine as long as she keeps in mind that she does not overexert herself.
Ali had been overjoyed at the news, eager to move forward with her life again.
However, there was one small problem.
Since the day she returned from the hospital, every single night she dreamt of a mysterious man with icy blue eyes, only to forget his face the moment she woke.
And that was not all, the dreams were always so intense…so consuming that they left behind a strange, hollow ache within her… one she had never known before.
Aliana had always been a perfectly normal twenty-two-year-old woman. She had boyfriends before, many if one were to keep count.
And with that, she had her fair share of experience when it came to being sexually active, but only up to a certain point. She never went all the way, and whatever act she indulged in was usually more about her own gratification rather than her partner's.
She knew that made her a little selfish, but honestly, she had never been that into any of them anyway.
Even so, she had never felt this kind of intense, burning need for someone, not even in her most heated moments.
So it was beyond baffling that her body was now behaving like that of a hormonal teenager… all because of a few steamy dreams about a man she did not even remember, let alone know!
Suddenly, her tranquil, beautiful face twisted in a mask of utter chaos as she sat on her balcony floor, tugging at her hair in frustration.
'What the hell? Am I thirsting over an imaginary man now?'
'Did all those blind dates turn me so desperate that I'd rather get off on a figment of my imagination than find a real one?!'
'No, no, no! This is not happening to me! The doctor said I had blunt trauma to my head, not brain damage! The recent tests came back clear, and I'm medically certified sane! So just what in the living hell is this?!'
Her thoughts spiralled out of control, grasping at any explanation for this absurd and cursed situation.
Just then, it suddenly clicked.
One word echoed in her mind.
"Cursed."