Arielle Immortal
Seduction
Lilian Roberts
Booktrope Editions
Seattle, WA 2014
COPYRIGHT 2013, 2014 LILIAN ROBERTS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
Inquiries about additional permissions
should be directed to: [email protected]
Cover Design by Shari Ryan
Previously self-published as Arielle Immortal Seduction, 2013
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.
PRINT ISBN 978-1-62015-210-2
EPUB ISBN 978-1-62015-306-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014904120
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Preview of Arielle Immortal Passion
Note to Readers
About the Author
More from Lilian Roberts and Booktrope
Acknowledgments
There are a few people I would like to thank for their help with the second book in the Arielle Immortal Rapture series.
First, I want to thank my so-incredible husband, who has never complained about the long hours I have spent in front of the computer working on this series.
Many thanks to Sarka-Jonae Miller, my wonderful editor, for the strong support and encouragement she provided me with while I was working on the manuscript.
Thank you to my Booktrope proofreader Katrina Randall and cover designer Shari Ryan.
To my wonderful sister-in-law Janet Hulstrand, for encouraging me and answering my myriad questions.
To Christy, my beautiful daughter, for her overall support, as well as the great suggestions she made, which improved the story. To Jiolanda, my lovely niece, who has never stopped believing in me and in my ideas.
Tracy Steward, for the long hours she spent creating an amazing cover; Kat Sheridan, for taking a manuscript of more than 80,000 words and crafting a brief synopsis that would give readers a vivid peek into the story. And to Kathy Logan, for her ongoing support and advice, which has made my life as a new writer a whole lot easier.
And finally, sincere thanks to all the friends who enthusiastically supported me and my first book, motivating me to get the next one ready for publication.
For my Sister
I miss our chats. I miss your laughter.
I miss you! The void you left is vast.
Chapter 1
SEBASTIAN HAD BEEN IN NEW ZEALAND for almost two weeks and Arielle hadn’t spoken to him once. She hadn’t been able to call him because his number was in her mobile phone, and she couldn’t find the phone anywhere. She was sure that it would turn up sooner or later. She spent her days in class, shopping with Gabby and Eva, and studying for exams. She managed to keep her mind on the books, but she ached for Sebastian’s touch every moment of every day.
She went out with Paul a few times, sometimes to nightclubs for drinks. He was an attentive friend, but she could feel that something was different between them now. She didn’t want to ask him about it, though, and encourage any heart-to-heart conversations about their friendship. At times the temptation to clear the air was dangerously strong, but her instinct to leave it alone was stronger.
Paul called her house to tell her that he had found her phone under the back seat of his car, and that Sebastian had been trying to reach her. There was an undercurrent of jealousy in the tone of his voice.
Arielle frowned and stifled an oath. How stupid of me, she thought to herself as a flare of guilt spread across her mind. She had promised Sebastian she would have her phone with her at all times. Anxiety spread through her, partly because of Paul’s jealous tone but mostly because she knew Sebastian would be furious with her about Paul answering her phone.
“Please bring the phone to school tomorrow,” she said.
“I will,” Paul replied, his voice short.
What’s wrong with him? Arielle thought, but she chose not to ask. “Thank you, Paul, I’ll see you tomorrow in class,” she said quickly and ended the call.
When she got the phone back, the battery was dead and it wasn’t until later that afternoon that she retrieved nine missed calls, four voice messages, and several text messages, all with the same question, “Where are you? I’ve been trying to contact you.” His voice on the first message was warm and eager, but by the third and fourth voice message his voice was clipped, filled with frustration.
Arielle scowled at the tone in his voice, but she understood why he was disappointed with her. She wasn’t very happy with herself right now, either. She regretted missing a bunch of his calls, but there was nothing she could do about that now. When they finally spoke, she tried to explain to him what had happened. She emphasized how much she had missed him but Sebastian was not happy about the amount of time she was spending with Paul. She felt vaguely dissatisfied with the way their conversation had ended.
The third Friday Sebastian was gone, Arielle and her friends decided to go out. They were at their regular pub, laughing and talking, having a lot of fun. The conversation was stimulating and before long it was after midnight. Arielle was tired, her eyes were watering, and her throat ached. She began to feel like she might be coming down with a cold.
She was busy talking to Frances, a new girl, and was engaged in their conversation when she heard someone making a lot of ruckus sitting in the seat next to her. She looked over and noticed a tall, blond, and extremely good-looking guy gazing at her and Frances. There was an arrogance about him; he had that kind of expression that proclaims, “There is no female on earth that would reject me.”
Arielle turned away from him and continued her conversation with Frances, but he leaned closer and rudely interrupted, “Hi. I’m Matt, and you are?”
“My name is Frances,” her friend said excitedly.
Arielle glanced at her, surprised that anyone would fall for that kind of guy.
“Are you here with anyone in particular?” he continued, looking directly at Arielle.
“No,” Frances replied. She was either clueless or determined to take advantage of what she thought was an opportunity.
Arielle was a little uneasy, and slightly startled. She couldn’t tell what this man was thinking; he didn’t belong to that special group of people in her head. He was looking at her like he was getting ready to start
some kind of superficial game playing. She was sure that he was directing his questions at her, but she got up and let Frances pick up the game since she was clearly interested.
She walked over to the bar to tell Eva and Ian that she was leaving.
“Is something wrong?” Eva asked.
“No, I’m just tired. It’s almost one and I’d like to get to bed. I think I may be getting a cold.” They both hugged her and she started to walk toward the bar exit.
“Where are you going?” It was that rude man again, his voice right next to her ear. Arielle turned and looked at him startled, but she didn’t stop walking and didn’t answer.
“I think you’re very beautiful and I’d love to get to know you better,” he said as she increased her pace.
“I’m not interested,” she said.
“Aren’t you interested to know anything about me?”
“No, not at all.”
“You don’t look to me like you’re not interested,” he said with an insidious grin on his face.
His words took her by surprise. She was close to the exit now. She stopped and turned to face him, an annoyed look on her face. She hesitated for only a short second, “What would ever give you that impression?” she snapped.
He closed the distance quickly and pulled her close forcefully. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
Shocked, she drew back and slapped him. He put his hand over his cheek and just smiled.
“I can’t understand why you’re so mad,” he said. “I just want to be friends and have some fun together.”
“I have plenty of friends,” Arielle said. “I don’t need your friendship, and I’m not interested in anything you have to say, so please go away.”
She started to walk towards the door again, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Arielle’s jaw nearly dropped. She whirled around to face him and tried to snatch her hand back, nearly losing her balance.
“Let me go, you idiot,” she hissed.
He kept smiling, totally unaffected by her outburst. “Don’t go,” he said. His voice was hard. His eyes conveyed that he had drank too much. “I think you like me, but you don’t want to say it,” he said. His voice had taken on a luring overtone.
“I think you are seeing things that aren’t there. You need to let go of me because if you don’t I’ll scream.” Arielle’s heart raced, but her voice was surprisingly composed.
“I find you very exciting, and if you have a drink with me, I promise I’ll behave.”
“I’m involved with someone and I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. Please let go of my hand. I hate to make a scene, but I will if I have to.”
He finally let go of her arm but said, “I don’t see any ring on your fingers so I know you are neither engaged nor married. I’m not giving up.”
“You can do whatever you want to do, but I’m telling you one more time I’m not interested. I have a serious boyfriend. You’re wasting your time.”
“Oh, but you don’t know me,” he said, chuckling in a distasteful way. “I never waste my time on anything I don’t think I can have.”
Arielle suspected his attitude was related to his drinking, but she wasn’t interested in analyzing him. She wanted to get home and go to bed.
“Hey, Arielle, are you leaving?”
She turned and saw Paul walking in. Her face lit with pleasure and she grinned wide. A delightful feeling of relief overwhelmed her. He came close to her, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He was warm and cheery. There was no hint of the jealous disposition she had detected in him during their last awkward conversation about Sebastian.
“Did you just get here?” she asked.
“Yes, I had to go back home to get my wallet. Nothing is free,” he laughed, and Arielle joined in. She was so relieved to see him and grateful that he had gotten her out of a difficult situation.
“Are you okay? You look a bit pale.”
“Oh, I think I’m getting a cold, and I’m tired,” she said, and looked down at her shoes, trying to hide her anxiety. Something in her voice made him look at her quizzically. Reaching out, he hugged her again and she returned his hug affectionately. Paul was one of her best friends. She liked spending time with him and hoped that Sebastian would get over his jealousy. She got distracted when out of the corner of her eye she saw Matt watching them intently. His gaze was creepier than his appearance. At least he wasn’t coming closer. Arielle relived the distress she felt when he had grabbed her wrist. She quivered and pressed her eyes shut for a long moment. She shoved the weird feeling out of her mind, and when she opened her eyes she found Paul watching her carefully.
“What is it?” he asked. Looking past her, his gaze fell on Matt. “Is there a problem?” he asked again, without taking his eyes off Matt.
“No, I just don’t feel very well,” she replied quietly.
Paul sensed her uneasiness and arched an eyebrow. “It doesn’t seem like nothing to me,” he said and rolled his eyes. “Are you all right?”
She hesitated to speak, but then chose to remain silent. She glanced quickly toward Matt. He was still there staring at them.
“Do you want me to take you home?” Paul interrupted her thoughts. “It’s no trouble at all.”
“Oh, please, that’d be great,” Arielle said, trying not to be overly enthusiastic. But she definitely didn’t want another encounter with Matt. She felt much safer going home with an escort.
Paul put his arm around Arielle and they walked out. As they drove home, tense silence filled the car.
“What happened back there?” Paul finally broke the quiet.
“Oh, there was a guy trying to pick me up. He was drunk and he made me nervous,” she muttered.
“You should’ve told me,” he said protectively. “I would have taken care of the creep right then and there.”
“I didn’t want to create any problems for you,” she said.
“That wouldn’t have created a problem for me, sweetheart,” Paul snorted. “But it would have created a huge a problem for the creep,” he added, laughing quietly.
Arielle chuckled at the smug tone in Paul’s voice and pressed his hand gratefully with her own. A long silence followed as they both fell deep into thought. Arielle got the feeling that something else was bothering Paul. She didn’t want to ask, but felt a caring urge rise up inside of her from wanting to be there for him.
When Paul pulled up to the flat, Arielle cleared her throat and decided to ask the unspoken question that had been lingering between them. “Paul, I’ve noticed there is something strange about you lately. What’s going on? Can you tell me?” Arielle asked, gently.
“Do you mean what’s wrong with me besides that fact that I’m in love with you and you are in love with someone else?” A dash of sadness was in Paul’s voice.
Arielle turned to face him, stunned. She closed her eyes for a long moment and took a deep breath. “For the love of God, Paul, I thought we had cleared the air about that a while back.”
He shrugged and a smile brushed his lips but swiftly disappeared. “Please forgive me, I didn’t mean to say that,” he said apologetically.
She watched him carefully and remained quiet, giving him time to say what really was on his mind.
He drew in a deep breath and seemed lost in thought. She smiled dimly, and snapped him out of his trance. “Paul, what else is wrong? Please talk to me.”
He shifted slightly and gave a nervous laugh. “I think there is something going on between my parents. They’re hardly talking to each other, they are arguing a lot. And they’re not sharing the same bedroom any longer.”
She looked stunned. “Have you tried to talk to them about it?”
Paul’s face paled. “No, they seem to quiet down whenever I go home, and they never say a word. But I know things are not right. I have a feeling that my father may be cheating on my mum.”
“I’m so sorry, Paul,” Arielle said. “They are in a
very challenging business and around a lot of beautiful people. I’m sure they have to deal with enormous temptations.”
“I understand all that. But he doesn’t have to be submissive to every shallow bimbo he encounters just because she’s beautiful.”
Arielle was quiet. She knew that she didn’t have any good solution for Paul’s problem. Nothing anyone could say would make him feel better about a situation like this.
“I’m so sorry, Paul,” she said again. “I hate to see you hurting.” She reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled and gave her a grateful look.
“Thanks, Arielle,” he said. “I feel better just being next to you.”
“Well then stay next to me,” she said. “Because I like to see you happy. I’ve been worried about you the last couple of weeks. I wish you had said something to me about this. I thought maybe you were mad at me.”
“I love you, Arielle,” Paul said, shaking his head. “Even though I know how you feel about Sebastian, and I do respect your decision, I can’t stop loving you. Anyway, I hope you can forgive me.”
“I feel privileged to know that you love me,” Arielle said. “I’m just sorry that I can’t return your love in the same way. But I’ll love you as my friend forever. I’ll be here for you anytime you need me. You can count on me for that.”
He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips, and she didn’t pull back. He needed her; she could see the tears in his eyes. His kiss felt like a call for love and understanding, not a sexual thing, and she was glad to kiss him back, as a friend.
“Are you all right?” she asked gently after he pulled away.
“Yes, I’ll be okay, don’t worry about me,” he said as he stepped out of the car. He walked around and helped her out. After a warm hug, Paul made sure she got in the door safely, and she waved as he drove away. She went to bed, and fell asleep immediately.
Arielle Immortal Seduction (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 2) Page 1
