“Don’t do that, you scared me!” she said.
He laughed with pleasure. “Do you really think that I would have let this chance go by?”
She smiled and leaned into him, letting the water run over them as the next hour became an exquisite encounter, blending passion, eagerness, and desire and sending them into a whirlpool of rapture. When they finally came back to the real world, Arielle kissed him softly before getting out of the shower reluctantly.
“When you get ready, just go to the study and read the paper. I’ll be preparing our picnic,” Arielle called out as she walked out of the bedroom. She located a beautiful picnic basket that her parents had given them and made a few sandwiches. She packed some soft drinks, fruit, cheese, and a bottle of wine. After she packed some of his salve, she was ready.
“I’m ready if you are,” she called out.
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll drive,” she said, flashing him a sexy smile.
“Mmmm, another surprise?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, I’m your prisoner,” he said, extending both hands together towards her as if to be handcuffed.
She handed him the picnic basket and taking his other hand pulled him toward the garage. He laughed with excitement like a little boy. They drove for several miles through short hills and small winding roads towards the beach, ending up in a very private wooded area.
“Here we are,” she said. She parked the car and took him by the hand. They walked down a small trail between rows of blossoming trees.
“It’s beautiful,” he said, letting his eyes roam the surroundings.
“I know. I think this is a very nice, private location. It’s one of my favorite spots.”
They walked hand in hand for a short time. At the end of the trees they could see the blue ocean expanding as far as their eyes could see. Arielle spread a blanket in a clearing between nature’s lush growth of thick scrublands and shrubs full of white and blue flowers. The ground was soft and lush, and they could hear the water murmuring as it rolled softly and kissed the shore.
“Arielle, this is a beautiful place!” he said again, joyfully.
“I know! I used to come down here with Gabby and Eva to go swimming. I wanted to avoid the people on the beach because their thoughts would always take over my mind and it drove me crazy. This is the place where Eva told us about her amazing gift and her abilities with magic.” She chuckled thinking back on that day, how strange it had seemed. She had encountered much stranger things since. Now, it all seemed normal.
Sebastian put the picnic basket down and before he had a chance to say a thing, Arielle stripped her clothes off and darted toward the ocean naked. She looked back at him and he stood without moving, speechless, his expression that of clear astonishment. He finally shook his head in amazement, and then grinned in sheer pleasure. He was out of his clothes and into the water next to her before she could blink her eyes, taking advantage of his immortal speed. They swam and held each other tight as their lips moved together in sensual rhythm. They made love in the water, a new and strange experience for Arielle, a muscle clenching experience for Sebastian. The warmth of their bodies in the cold water gave her a tingling sensation. They stayed together filled and spent, holding each other tight for a long time. Finally, they walked to the blanket and wrapped themselves in their beach towels.
“Wow. Now this is what I call a picnic!” Sebastian said.
Arielle took a sandwich out of their basket and handed it to him, but he declined. She poured a glass of wine for herself and asked him if he would like a glass of salve.
“You brought salve? When are you going to stop surprising me?” he said, reaching out and taking the salve gratefully.
“I wanted to be sure I had brought something that would make you happy. That is what it’s all about, making you happy.”
“All I want is you, Arielle, and then I’m happy.”
He came closer and put his arms around her. She took a large sip of the wine and he finished the salve in one swallow. She kissed him softly and he responded eagerly. They sat and talked about pleasant situations and summer holidays. She had plenty to talk about but wanted to hear him talk too. Some of his memories were so much more interesting than hers. After a long, pleasurable conversation, they lay back on the blanket and closed their eyes.
When Arielle opened her eyes, Sebastian was sitting up, watching her. Their gazes connected and, bending down, he took her mouth thirstily. Her lips parted and his tongue found the softness of her mouth, pouring heat and excitement throughout her body. He removed her beach towel and before long they were engaged in a fiery and scorching encounter. The beauty of the place and the perfection of her man was the ideal concoction for Arielle. She couldn’t imagine greater pleasure. He was moaning with delight and holding her tightly against his perfect body. When it was over they lay in each other’s arms for a long time.
Late in in the afternoon, they got up and put their clothes on. Sebastian picked up the picnic basket while Arielle folded the blanket, and they walked back to the car holding hands. He put the basket and the blanket in the trunk and came around to open Arielle’s door for her. He pressed her against the car and, releasing some of his dazzling power into her eyes, made her lose her balance. He steadied her with his strong arms and bending down he kissed her until she lost touch with reality.
“Thank you for a beautiful day, my love,” he purred.
“You’re welcome,” she stammered, completely dazzled. “Please stop dazzling me,” she begged, turning away.
Sebastian grinned and, bursting with anticipation, he brushed his lips against hers.
“I am driving home,” he murmured.
Her gaze flew to him. “Why?” she asked, feigning surprise.
He raised a brow and chuckled. “I think you’ve had a little too much wine.”
“All right,” she replied, handing him the keys. She knew he wouldn’t budge.
“How would you like to do this again tomorrow with our friends?” Sebastian asked with a chuckle.
“I would love that!” Arielle said.
The next day, they all went for a picnic and had the best time. They spent the whole day swimming in the warm ocean, walking in the woods, listening to music from Eva’s iPod, and holding each other while exchanging stories from their times together. It was a glorious and relaxing day after twelve stressful weeks of school. They stayed until it was nearly twilight, then they parted.
“See you!” they called out to each other as they got into their cars and drove away.
When they got home Sebastian looked at Arielle with a soft smile, and said, “Do you need any help with your physics test?”
Reaching out, Arielle pulled him close to steal a kiss. “Thank you, I actually find physics pretty easy,” she said. “And I want to graduate on my own. I know that this year has been much harder for me than before, but I’ll be fine. And I promise that I’ll not let my schoolwork get between us ever again. Nothing would mean very much to me if I couldn’t have you with me.”
“Well, then, let’s just sit down and talk about what has been bothering you for a while now, and maybe I can help. Arielle, I want to be involved in every segment of your life.” She hesitated and then nodded in agreement. They sat down on the sofa together. He met her eyes and she started to speak softly.
“Well, there are a lot of things I’m thinking about,” she said. “I know who I am right now and I know what I want, but I wonder who I will become after graduation. I tell myself that I have to stop thinking about this over and over again because it is driving me crazy. I thought I would be elated that I’m graduating after next semester, but I’m really not. I’m going to start a new phase in my life and I feel so much pressure, anxiety, and sometimes even sadness. At least I know that is what I felt over the past six weeks.”
Sebastian listened carefully until she paused. Then he said, “Well, I’m sure of one thing. You will be a great engineer. You
are creative, inquisitive, analytical, and very detail oriented. I also know that you have great communication abilities, and that is very desirable in your field. If all that doesn’t make you a perfect engineer, I don’t know what would.”
Arielle hung on his every word and beamed, feeling a surge of satisfaction. “I’m so happy that you have faith in me, Sebastian. These last six weeks have been brutal for me, and I know it has been very easy for you,” she said, laughing ruefully.
“Arielle you do know that you don’t have to work. I have told you that one hundred times before.”
“I know… I know… but… I don’t want to talk about that now.”
Sebastian’s gaze remained locked on hers. “I think there is something else that is bothering you,” he said. “What is it?”
She chuckled and cleared her throat nervously. “Um… Well, I’m torn between taking a job when we graduate or going back for my master’s degree, what do you think I should do?”
“I will stand behind you whatever you decide to do.”
“Well, I’m sure that school will get better and better as we move on into the last semester. Or at least I hope it will.”
“I’m sure it will too,” he said. He put his arms around her and kissed her gently. They stayed quiet for a while, just holding each other.
One thing was sure, their lives together represented complete fulfillment, and everything about the two of them being together was perfect.
I’m so glad I have someone with whom I can share my feelings, my worries, and my ecstasies, Arielle thought. It’s so good to be able to talk freely with him. She resolved to do this as much as possible, and not let her worries pile up and get between them ever again.
It was the end of a perfect weekend. Arielle felt re-energized and ready to face her last test. Sebastian was her Mr. Positive. He was also her Mr. Darcy, beautiful, affluent, and loving.
She finished her exam, knowing she did well. It was finally the end of the first semester and springtime was in full flower. Jasmine and forsythia were blooming in the backyard, filling the air with a sweet aroma. The gardens that surrounded the house were rejuvenated, the flowers were in full bloom. Freesia, Arielle’s favorite flower with its legendary fragrance, was everywhere, and the colors of the daisies, lilies, and chrysanthemums were amazing.
The scent reminded her of her parents’ home and happy memories from her childhood. It seemed to Arielle that this house and its amazing garden had been created just for her. The thought made her smile with contentment. She and Sebastian spent a lot of their time sitting in the garden reading or enjoying the ocean view. If someone had ever told her that at age twenty-one she would be content sitting quietly outside just watching nature, she would have told them that they were out of their minds. Nevertheless, here she was doing just exactly that, and feeling completely at ease.
Their home had breathtaking views, one of the things that had made her fall in love with it from the first day. They could stand in front of their family room window and watch the sunbursts reflecting off clear blue ocean waters. They could hear the soft musical swishing sound of the wind as it blew between the leaves of the trees in their garden. The weather, especially in springtime, was extraordinary, capable of filling their hearts with optimism and excitement.
It was on one of those glorious spring mornings that they decided to take a walk in the garden, holding hands and talking about anything that came into their minds.
“I love spring,” Arielle said in a burst of exhilaration.
“Why spring?” Sebastian asked.
“I’m not sure. But it always makes me feel enthusiastic, ready to start something new.”
“That’s a good thing, I guess. But my preference is definitely for summer,” he said.
“Why is that?”
“Because it was summer when my eyes saw you, for the first time,” he said, pulling her closer to steal a kiss.
“I can’t imagine that, that was the most important moment in your life,” she murmured.
He gathered her to him and turned her to face him, his gaze piercing into her eyes, releasing all his dazzling power, making her lose her balance. She immediately lost control of her thoughts and fell into a haze. In the next few seconds she tried desperately to regain her focus. Still in a fog, she heard him laugh blissfully as his steel embrace steadied her.
“Arielle, I guess you don’t know me very well. You have given a meaning to my existence, and that definitely is the most important moment in my life.”
Arielle kissed him tenderly. “Your love is the most wonderful thing in my life!”
Chapter 19
FINALLY, THE BREAK BETWEEN SEMESTERS was upon them again. Normally, Arielle would have been preparing for holiday with her parents at St. Jean de Luz, but she had just been there with her friends not long before. And this year was anything but normal.
Sebastian and Troy were able to spend more time at work. They had begun to go to the office in London together every day. Every morning when Arielle woke up she found a sprig of freesia on her pillow and a note written in Sebastian’s beautiful sixteenth century calligraphy: Miss me!
She spent a lot of time going to the beach and shopping with her friends. They would go out to lunch and talk about their plans for after graduation. Paul and Loren were together all the time now, and anyone could see that they were deeply in love. Loren didn’t enjoy lying on the beach, and they understood her immortal reasons for why, so they would see her when they went shopping or got together for dinner and a movie.
“I wonder how Paul will react when he finds out Loren is an immortal,” Arielle said one day.
“Well, if he loves her as much as you love Sebastian and I love Troy it shouldn’t really be an issue,” Gabrielle said.
“We just have to wait and see,” Eva said in that mysterious way that made Arielle wonder if she knew something she wasn’t telling.
Gabby was planning a trip to Italy in a couple weeks, but this time with Troy, not her parents. He was taking her to show her his family home. His parents weren’t alive, but he had lots of great friends he wanted her to meet. Her parents would be at St. Marcus, just as they were every year, so Gabby and Troy would be spending part of their time with them.
Ian and Eva were planning a trip to Germany to visit Ian’s parents and friends. Sebastian and Arielle didn’t have any plans at the moment, but Arielle was sure they would be going somewhere interesting.
At the end of May, she told her parents that she wouldn’t be joining them on holiday. They were disappointed, especially her dad.
“I’ll miss your jokes and your constant chatter,” he said, putting his arms around her. “I already miss our walks in the garden, you know,” he whispered in her ear. Tears welled up in her eyes and she felt Sebastian’s hand pressing hers softly. She kissed her dad tenderly.
“I love you, Daddy, and I miss you too, but I’ve been working so hard this year. I haven’t had time for much of anything but my studies,” she apologized, casting a meaningful look in Sebastian’s direction.
“I know, darling, and I do understand,” her dad said smiling. “And even though we miss having you around here, we are awfully proud of you.”
When they were ready to leave her parents’ home that night after dinner, Arielle’s father looked more tired than normal and he seemed unusually quiet. Arielle felt a pang of worry in her heart but she brushed it off quickly. She sensed Sebastian’s eyes on her and noticed that he was watching her carefully. She raised a brow, but quickly she returned her gaze to her father’s face. He’ll be fine, he just needs a holiday, she thought. It’ll be very relaxing for him to go to St. Jean de Luz and get away from everything. I know they’ll have a great time with all their friends.
This last thought made her feel a bit easier. But beneath all the smiles she felt an imprecise concern about her dad and his health. They are always so happy when they are there, she thought with a soft sigh.
At the door, Arielle�
�s dad held her tight one more time and let out a soft, sad sigh. Then he whispered, low enough so that only she could hear, “I love you, little girl, and I’ll miss you.”
“I love you too, Daddy,” she said, hugging him tight.
“Stay in touch with us, darling,” her mum said.
“I will, Mummy, don’t worry,” Arielle promised as she kissed them both and walked out the door.
A few weeks later, during one of their walks in the garden, Arielle’s life took an electrifying and thrilling turn. Sebastian reached over, put his arms around her, and pulled her close to face him. His lips curved into what Arielle called his “killer smile,” and his eyes were filled with excitement. He bent down and pressed his lips on hers, holding the kiss for a long time. When she was almost out of breath, he finally let go.
She looked at him and smiled faintly.
“What?”
“How would you like to go away with me for a couple of weeks?”
“What have you got in mind?”
“Ahh! That’s my surprise.”
“When?”
“As soon as you can get ready.”
“I can be ready in thirty minutes,” she chuckled.
“Then we are leaving in thirty minutes,” he said and laughed out loud.
“You’re not kidding, are you?”
“Of course not. I never joke when it comes to you.”
“All right, on a more serious note. When do we leave?”
“How about first thing in the morning?”
“How do I dress?”
“Just bring a few summer clothes. We’ll shop when we get there.”
“Okay,” she said with a giggle, excitement seeping through her bones.
This was the first time anything like this had ever happened to her. I’m living a dream, she thought. But then her life had been like a fairytale ever since she had met Sebastian.
Sebastian kept his arms around her and he kissed the side of her face as they both stared at the calm of the ocean.
Arielle Immortal Passion (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 3) Page 23
