“Show me,” he whispered.
All the emotions that she had tried to keep in check up until that moment burst out of her as she pulled him closer, pressing her lips against his sensuous lips down the side of his neck, back up to his gorgeous mouth until she couldn’t breathe anymore. Sebastian ached with desire for her and it took all of his strength to resist the urge to tear her clothes off.
“Mmmm,” he moaned. His kiss became more and more passionate until suddenly he pulled away.
“I think we’d better be going,” he said, “before I lose control of myself.”
They went outside and he held the car door open for her. She got in, thrilled with the thought of spending the whole day with this beautiful man.
He drove to Hove Park, where he parked close to the beach. “I thought we could take a walk,” he said. He reached over and gently pushed a wisp of hair away from her eyes.
“Yes, I love the beach,” she said.
They walked quietly along the beach holding hands. Their feet dug into the warm sand and they felt perfectly content. The sun was bright, and a light breeze touched their faces. The waves rolled softly, folded, and broke with a light murmur, kissing the warm sand. The beach extended for a few long miles down the road, and they couldn’t see the end of it.
After a little while they found a spot on the beach that looked private and they sat down. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
“Arielle,” he said, “we must talk about Annabel. And we have to do it today because I am leaving tomorrow. I need to talk to you about her, and then there will be no more secrets.”
“Well, I can’t say that this is my favorite subject,” she said. “But I do need to know what she’s doing in your life and why you can’t make her go away.”
Sebastian sighed a deep sigh. Then he took her hands in his, sighing again.
“The reason I missed your parents’ party is that I needed to be in London,” he said. “I wanted to meet with the woman who has been my mother since I lost my own parents centuries ago. Her name is Olivia Dillon and she is a very powerful woman. She has the answers to my problems almost all the time. She is helping me now to find a way to get rid of Annabel forever.”
“Your mother lives in London?” she exclaimed.
“No, she lives in Canterbury, not far from Brighton.”
“That is incredible! How come you never told me about her before?”
“It never came up before now,” he said. Then he looked at her seriously, adding, “The situation with Annabel is very dangerous, Arielle. She will try to hurt you if she finds out about us, and she will find out sooner or later.”
“What do you mean, hurt me?” Arielle asked nervously. She felt a sudden rush of fear course though her body. Immediately Eva’s warning came back to her and her face grew tense. She could hear Eva’s words again clearly, as if she were standing right next to her. “You are in grave danger,” she had said. Oh my God she was right! Maybe Annabel was the woman that Eva had been seeing in her visions.
How was she going to deal with this? How was she going to fight an immortal? She was just a mere mortal with no special powers, no ability to protect herself from someone like Annabel.
As he continued to speak, Sebastian’s words only compounded her fear.
“She is willing to seriously hurt anyone who becomes part of my life,” he said. “She vowed to do that when our annulment went through.”
“Sebastian, you’re scaring me,” she said. Her voice was calm but her head was full of anxious thoughts.
“You need to take this seriously,” he replied. “I have always been aware of Annabel’s fury and her promise to hurt any person that I fall in love with. But I have never felt true love for any woman until I met you. Now I’m very worried, and I have to do all I can to keep you safe. Olivia suggested a solution that seems to be the best idea for now,” he added.
“Oh? And what is that?”
“She is the owner of a very special necklace – it has extraordinary powers – and she is giving it to you,” he said. “You will have to wear it at all times.”
As he spoke, he handed her a small black pouch, which she took with a wondering mind. The necklace inside was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen. The blue stone was magnificent and the chain shimmered like sparkling sunlight. She smiled with pleasure and asked him to put it around her neck.
“Is this really going to protect me?” she asked. “How exactly does it work?”
“The stone is very powerful,” Sebastian replied. “It belonged to an Egyptian pharaoh centuries ago. It was known to keep evil spells away from the owner of the necklace, and now that is you. Everything you need to know is in this little black book,” he said, handing her the book. “You’ll need to keep it in a safe place. This is not something you can play around with.”
Arielle nodded solemnly as he spoke. Of course she was completely aware of spell books and their powers because of Eva’s interest in the occult.
“Please make sure you never take this necklace off while you are away from me,” Sebastian said. “When you wear it Annabel is weak and she can’t touch you.”
She was silent for a long moment as he watched her anxiously, waiting for her reaction. She ran her fingers over the necklace and assured him that it would stay on her neck for as long as he wanted her to wear it. Then, without a word, he pulled her into his arms again and kissed her tenderly.
“I love you, Arielle,” he whispered. “I’m not sure how I will be able to live without you for the next few months. I’ll call you and I’ll try to visit as often as I can. And next year, I’ll move here.”
“Move here?”
He laughed out loud, thinking how crazy it was for him to attend college yet again, just to be near her, but he didn’t say anything. He just pushed her softly down onto the sand and laid his head on top of her chest.
With his beautiful body next to hers she closed her eyes, feeling his warmth, his love, and his sizzling touch. She ran her fingers through his beautiful hair, and as she did, she felt as though they were becoming one body and one soul. They stayed on the beach for hours like that, just holding each other, not wanting to move. But finally it was time to break the silence.
“What time are you leaving tomorrow?” she asked.
“At two o’clock.”
“I want to come with you,” she said. “I’ll drive you to the airport.”
“If that’s what you want, then that is what we will do,” he murmured, nestling even closer to her.
It was late when they finally decided to stand up. The feel of his body against hers made her tremble. Waves of heat shot through her; she wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met with fervor. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes he might just disappear. She didn’t want him to leave the next day; she was so afraid something might happen, that he would never come back.
Reading her thoughts, he pulled her even closer, wanting to reassure her that everything was going to be all right.
“What are you thinking, Arielle?” he asked with a low chuckle.
“Sebastian, why do you keep asking?”
“Tell me what you’re thinking. I want to hear you say it.”
So she told him about her fears. He smiled wide. “There is nothing on this earth that will keep me away from you, Arielle. Not now, not ever. All I want is to be with you. But we both have to sort through several things before we can be together, don’t you agree?”
She nodded, and they walked to the car.
“Can I take you to dinner?” he asked.
“But you don’t really eat!” she said.
“Well, I’m sure you are hungry, and I will be happy to sit with you and watch you eat something,” he replied.
“No, thank you,” she said. “I’m not really hungry.”
He drove her to the flat. “I wish you could stay with me all night,” he said as he kissed her goodbye. He knew that she wanted to do the same thing,
but she pushed herself away reluctantly, smiled, and waved as he drove away. She stood there, watching his car move away into the distance until she couldn’t see it anymore.
She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t gone with him to the hotel. She was sure there was nothing that she wanted more in this world than to spend the night with him, but she had made a vow to herself that she would remain abstinent until she was married. She was determined to keep that commitment as she pondered the potential consequences. She just wasn’t ready to take that step yet.
She sighed and went to bed, but it took her a long time to fall asleep that night. She was too excited and she had so much to think about. She was sad that he was leaving the next day, but happy that they’d had two days together and that he had cleared up all the questions she had to her satisfaction.
She didn’t know how it was going to work out between them, him being an immortal and she being a human, but at this point she didn’t care. All she knew was that she loved this man beyond any doubt and that “forever” was the only word she could think of when she thought about how long she wanted to be with him. Finally she fell asleep, completely exhausted.
The next morning her phone woke her up, and Sebastian’s voice sent a warm sensation coursing through her body.
“Good morning! Do you still want to take me to the airport?” he asked.
“Yes, of course I do!” she said.
“I’ll have the hotel take my car to storage and wait for you to pick me up. Will that work for you?”
“I’ll be there within the hour. I’m getting up right now.”
“Great! We will have a little time here before I have to leave. Did you miss me last night?”
“Missing you is all I seem to do lately,” she said, smiling.
“And that is all I want you to do every time we’re apart,” he chuckled. “Miss me!” she heard him whisper, and the phone went dead.
She got up and put on a plain white silk blouse and a pair of jeans. Her hair spread over her shoulders and her face was blazing with desire for him.
Getting to the hotel seemed to take a century, she was so eager. When he opened the door to his room, she gasped. He was so stunningly beautiful that she couldn’t utter a single word. He was standing there like Adonis, naked from the waist up, showing his amazing bare chest, his lips curved in that beautiful smile of his. Once again she had to ask herself if he was even real. He reached out, pulled her into the room, and closed the door behind them.
“What am I going to do with you?” he said, pressing his lips to hers and kissing her passionately. “Do you have any idea what you do to me every time you are near?”
She threw her arms around his neck and pulled herself close to that amazing body, smiling and letting him know that she was crazy about him. He could read her thoughts, so she knew there was no need for her to say a word.
“Sebastian, I don’t want you to go,” she said. She hesitated for a moment and then sighed. He bent down and pressed his lips on hers again, his arms tightened around her waist. “I don’t want to go either, but I have to.”
He took her hand and pulled her over to the bed. He leaned toward her and his lips traced each part of her face, neck, and shoulders. She was burning with desire, and when his lips found hers she stopped breathing. His kiss was filled with longing. She was trying to keep her mind straight, but she almost lost it when she felt him push her softly back onto the pillows and roll over her. His body pressed softly on hers and she flinched.
He pulled away immediately. “I am sorry, Arielle, I got carried away,” he murmured. “It’s hard not to lose control when I’m so close to you. Don’t worry, I know how to wait.”
They talked for a while longer, and then it was time for him to go.
The drive to the airport was quiet. He held her hand and squeezed it softly several times. She leaned in and pressed her lips on his cheek, and he assured her that he would be back very soon.
At the airport she wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met passionately. She let go of him with a heavy heart, but he tightened his grip on her again and pulled her hard against him as his mouth landed on hers with unmistakable hunger. He didn’t want to let her go, and she was elated. His beautiful eyes were gazing into hers as if he was trying to imprint the image of her face in his mind. She didn’t need to do that – his beautiful face had been permanently imprinted in her mind since the very first time she saw him. He pulled her closer to him one more time and kissed the tip of her nose. They stayed in each other’s arms and he finally let go as he turned and walked towards the security gate.
“I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you, baby,” he murmured. “Miss me, Arielle!”
He asked her to miss him every time they parted. He knows that I miss him even when he’s standing here, right next to me, she thought.
He waved, and then he was gone. She pressed her face against the huge terminal window and watched the plane taxi down the runway. She watched it lift into the air and kept watching until it finally disappeared into the sky. She drove back to the flat, sad that he was gone, but happy about what they had accomplished and what was still to come.
Sebastian sat on the plane looking out the window, watching the city disappear as they climbed above the clouds. His thoughts were full of Arielle and her beautiful face. He knew how she felt about abstinence and remaining a virgin until she was married, and he didn’t want to do anything to make that difficult for her. He was going to marry her and he knew how to wait.
But he was trying to understand what had happened on the beach when he had put Olivia’s necklace on Arielle. He had definitely been taken aback. As soon as he had closed the clasp and the necklace had touched her skin, there was complete silence coming from Arielle’s mind. She kept telling him that he knew what she was thinking, but the truth was that after that moment he couldn’t hear her thoughts anymore. He hadn’t said anything about it, but he didn’t like that at all. He wanted to know what she was thinking at all times. Well, at least I know that the necklace is protecting her from everything, including my ability to read her mind, apparently, he thought ruefully.
Her face had haunted him every day since the day he laid eyes on her on that beach, and her voice tore through his soul every time she spoke. Being able to read her thoughts had filled him with such pleasure, and the strange silence that had occurred once he put the necklace on her was puzzling and unsettling. He would have to find out why it was blocking her thoughts from him.
Chapter 17
IT WAS SIX O’CLOCK when Arielle arrived back at the flat, and both Gabrielle and Eva were there. They decided to go out and get something to eat, and didn’t get back until quite late. They knew they had classes the next morning, but they wanted to tell each other all about their romantic adventures, so they decided to open a bottle of wine. They sat on the floor, eager to hear about each other’s new guys.
“I fell in love with Sebastian from the very first moment I saw him standing on that beach, just a couple of feet away from me.” Arielle’s voice came out softly as the memory of his touch fueled her passion and sheer bliss spread across her face. “He explained to me why he missed our party, and we’ve worked things out. I get the most extraordinary feeling just by standing next to him, just holding his hand,” she said, and closed her eyes. Pleasure surged through her body, and she quivered.
She was startled to hear Eva’s voice saying, “Arielle, snap out of it!” She opened her eyes and smiled wide.
“Oh, I’m just thinking about him,” she said. “I hate being away from him,” she muttered, frowning. “But he did say that there is a possibility that he will move here next year. For now it’ll be a long distance relationship, and I must say I hate it. He did say that he would try to visit as much as possible. I just can’t believe this is really happening,” she added. “I just can’t believe it!”
She didn’t mention anything about Sebastian’s true nature to her friends. But how could she explain something
like that? She exhaled, feeling his absence almost as a physical ache, longing for his arms.
She did tell them that there was a crazy woman who was infatuated with Sebastian, and that she was stalking him. This woman could become a problem for her down the road, and that was something she was a bit worried about. Eva’s body seemed to tighten and her gaze pierced through Arielle’s. Arielle knew just what she was thinking, and she tried to look unruffled, but in fact she too was a little shaken up just remembering Eva’s prophetic words.
When Eva spoke, her voice was soft but determined. “I promise you, Arielle, if she ever tries to harm you, we will stop her,” she said. As she spoke, the softness in her voice gave way to resolve, and even anger. Gabrielle looked startled and Arielle laughed, trying to make light of the situation. She knew that Eva was serious, but deep down inside she also knew that the problem of Annabel was not so easy to dismiss.
“Anyway,” she said rapidly, wanting to change the subject, “tell us about Troy, Gabby.”
Gabrielle’s eyes lit up and she placed her hand over her heart.
“I’m totally in love,” she said. “Completely captivated by his mere existence! He is extremely clever and indescribably beautiful.” She stayed silent for a few moments while she took on a faraway look. A wide smile spread across her face and they knew that she was thinking of him, remembering some kind of sweet moment she hadn’t yet shared with them. They let her just enjoy the moment. Finally Arielle coughed loudly enough to bring her back to what she was saying.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I guess I got carried away for a moment,” she giggled.
Eva and Arielle laughed, knowing exactly how she felt.
“I’ll be spending a lot of time with him,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Gabby, we don’t care what you do as long as you’re happy,” Arielle said, trying to hold back her laughter. Gabrielle looked away again and the same dreamy smile appeared on her face while they listened to her barely audible voice.
Arielle Immortal Awakening (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 1) Page 19
