“I think I love you,” he said in clear desperation.
Arielle threw her hands up in the air and sighed. She looked at Sebastian with a pleading look, and he came right over to her side and put his arm around her waist. Looking at Richard, she introduced the two to each other.
“Richard, this is my fiancé, Sebastian. Sebastian, this is Richard Chevaller.”
Richard frowned and glanced at Sebastian with a shocked look on his face. He mumbled something, and turning swiftly around he walked away, not even bothering to shake Sebastian’s hand.
“He is out of his mind,” Eva was saying to Ian. “He has been after Arielle since they were five years old.” She laughed out loud.
“Five years old?” said Sebastian “Oh, that poor soul really is in love.”
“He’s a jerk,” Arielle insisted in an aggravated voice, and they all laughed. Just then Arielle’s father came back, a big smile on his face.
“Sebastian, can you spare a moment my boy? I want you to meet some of my associates that just arrived, some people you didn’t get a chance to meet the last time.”
Sebastian nodded in agreement and pressing Arielle’s hand softly he leaned closer, “Stay close to Troy. And miss me,” he whispered. Then, with a smile, he walked away.
Arielle and her friends went to get something to eat, and as they were coming back from the table, they noticed that everyone in the room was staring at the entrance incredulously.
Arielle followed their gaze and saw that Loren and her three guests were entering the room. They really did look incredibly beautiful—four very attractive people with perfect bodies and flawless features. It was a stunning sight.
Gabrielle, Eva, and Arielle walked up to them and warmly welcomed them to the party.
“Happy Christmas!” Loren said, handing Arielle a huge bouquet of flowers. “Let me see the ring one more time,” she added. “Sebastian called Mother before he gave it to you, and Mother said to tell you that she is very happy for both of you. She can’t wait to meet you.”
Arielle just smiled, pleased.
She was a bit surprised when Loren introduced Daniel Boelliere as a friend, not her boyfriend, but she tried not to show it. Loren then introduced Marcus, Daniel’s brother, and Jeanette Grullon, Marcus’s girlfriend.
Arielle noticed that her friends looked a little dazed as she made the introductions. She smiled, knowing they were reacting to the breathtaking good looks of the immortals. The men in the room could not take their eyes away from Loren and Jeanette, and the women could not stop staring at Daniel, Marcus, and Troy. They were all charming, and all very friendly. They entered easily into conversation with Ian, Troy, and Paul as if they had known them all their lives.
Arielle and her friends moved towards the ballroom to watch the band, which was playing a mixture of incredible music from the early sixties up to the latest tunes. People were dancing and having a wonderful time. Arielle introduced Loren and her friends to her mother and her friends, and everyone welcomed them with warm smiles. She whispered something to Loren about Troy, and Loren gave him an understanding glance, which Troy understood. He smiled back at her warmly.
They all danced with each other’s dates and had a lot of fun. When the band began to play Chantilly Lace, Ian came over and pulled Arielle to the dance floor.
“What?”
“Eva says you and Gabrielle are the bobbers in the group. I love to rock, so come and dance with me.”
Arielle laughed, looking in Eva’s direction. Eva smiled her approval. “Come on, Arielle. I love to dance, and Eva will not even try to rock ‘n roll with me.” Arielle knew what he said was true, so she allowed him to pull her onto the dance floor. She smiled as great memories flooded her head, from her younger school years and her then dance partner, Andrew. They danced so perfectly together it seemed as if they had practiced for months. Ian was a great dancer and Arielle had no trouble following his lead. She loved bobbing and it made her happy.
The school she’d attended had always organized fifties dances each year, a trend that had started in the United States and that British kids also loved. All the students who attended had to dress in fifties outfits and attempt to win prizes by entering the dance contests, which were held all night long. The memories made her smile wide. Arielle hadn’t been able to dance rock ’n roll with anyone since she had graduated. But back then, Andrew, Arielle, Gabrielle, and Eva’s boyfriend, Jack Wallace, had been the best at those dances, winning some type of prize each year.
Several other couples were on the dance floor now, having a great time dancing. Eva had never really wanted to learn how to rock. Arielle remembered Jack trying to teach her during their last year of high school, but she had always demurred. Now Ian wanted to dance with her too, and that made a big difference. Arielle was sure Eva was ready to do anything she could do to make Ian happy.
“Lets go get her, Ian,” she said.
Loren and her friends were standing next to Eva, smiling with pleasure as they approached. They were all talking about school and the dances they had attended when Arielle felt Sebastian’s arms around her waist and his body close to hers. He kissed the back of her neck and she heard him whisper close to her ear, “I wonder how many other new things I’m going to find out about you…”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Ian dancing out there. Have you danced with him before?”
“No, this was the very first time,” she said. “I can’t believe how good he is. Where were you? I didn’t see you come back.”
Sebastian pulled her back to the dance floor and they moved slowly together to a great old song, Play With Fire by The Rolling Stones.
His mouth found hers and he kissed her with longing.
“What is it?”
“Arielle, I love you, and I want you to keep loving me for eternity.”
“That is exactly what I intend to do, forever,” she sighed.
“For eternity,” he corrected her.
“All right, for eternity.”
His body was so warm and exciting. God, would she ever stop wanting him every time he touched her?
When the song was over she was still holding him, not wanting to let go. He looked at her questioningly, but she didn’t say a thing. Then, still holding each other close, they walked over to shake hands with Daniel and Marcus and to greet Jeanette and Loren. Loren let go of Daniel’s hand and fell into Sebastian’s arms with a big smile.
“Thank you for giving me such a great sister,” she said, looking at Arielle lovingly, as Arielle smiled back at her with appreciation.
As Arielle looked around at the five of them and Troy, it occurred to her that they all looked very similar. All six of them were breathtakingly beautiful, and people were still staring at them. They were all immortals, but Gabrielle and Arielle were the only ones in the room who knew that. They were now part of their lives and they would just have to learn to get used to their extraordinarily handsome looks and their physical perfection.
“May I have this dance?” Daniel asked Arielle with a slight bow and a smile on his face. She accepted, and while she danced with Daniel, Sebastian danced with Loren. Daniel was also a great dancer, and as Arielle leaned on his shoulder she could smell the same intoxicating scent that Sebastian and Troy possessed. Apparently, that was part of being an immortal.
As the night went on, Arielle noticed that Loren and Paul had danced many times together and were holding each other quite closely.
“Do you see what I see?” she murmured to Sebastian, nodding at them as they danced another dance together.
“Well, I think that will be the biggest thing to happen yet,” he chuckled as he whispered to her in a low voice.
“I don’t take anything Loren does seriously,” he admitted. “But who knows? I fell in love with a human and so did Troy. Why not Loren too? Maybe we will start an immortal colony in Brighton,” he joked. Arielle had to laugh at his statement.
Meanwhile, Daniel wa
s busy dancing with another girl, giving no sign of worry or jealousy. Arielle thought that was a bit strange, but she didn’t say anything.
The party was amazing. There wasn’t a single person, including Eva, who didn’t dance all night, eat, and drink until they couldn’t dance anymore. When Marcus asked Arielle to dance, Jeanette asked Sebastian to dance. Arielle noticed that Jeannette was dancing just a little too close to Sebastian and that she was flirting with him. That made her uncomfortable. She was glad when the song was finished and Sebastian came over and took her to the other room.
“Was she flirting with you, or am I imagining things?” she asked, trying to control her jealousy, but not doing very well.
“Jealous, are you?”
“Yes, I suppose I am. Do you mind?” she pouted.
“No, not at all. Because I’m jealous of you too.” They laughed and danced one more dance.
It was three o’clock in the morning when they decided to call it quits. Loren told Arielle’s parents how much she had enjoyed the party and how thankful she was for them allowing her to bring her friends. She took a little longer saying goodbye to Paul than was strictly necessary, a fact that Arielle noticed but didn’t remark upon. They all thanked their hosts and wished them a Happy Christmas. They agreed to meet the following day at the flat to exchange gifts.
“You’ll come for Christmas dinner, won’t you, Sebastian?” Arielle’s mum called as they were leaving.
“With pleasure,” he replied. “And on one condition. That you allow me to bring the wine.”
The hotel was quiet when they arrived and there was not a single soul in the lobby, except for the two receptionists behind the front desk. Arielle shivered, remembering the previous day’s experience with Annabel. But when she looked up at Sebastian, his smile made her feel safe. She was happy to be with him, but she knew her life had taken a giant leap towards unknown changes. I love him so much, she thought. I’m willing to weather whatever storms may be looming just around the corner.
They went to their room and straight to bed. Sebastian pulled her tight, and the touch of his skin made her feel as if she were drifting beyond the stars. Lying next to his warm and beautiful body, Arielle felt she had found heaven on earth. When he encircled her in his arms, she knew that she would stay there forever. She closed her eyes and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter 15
WHEN ARIELLE WOKE UP, SHE WAS ALONE. The door to the bedroom was closed and there was complete silence. The clock on the nightstand showed that it was nine o’clock. She walked toward the balcony and pulled the heavy curtains aside, letting the sun burst into the room. Another glorious morning. She opened the doors and stepped outside to feel the warmth of the sun, and it gave her a delicious sensation throughout her body. She gazed down at her left hand and a blissful smile spread across her face as the sunlight bounced off the diamond, giving it an amazing, bright rainbow sparkle.
The splendor of this morning crept into her very soul and filled her with gratitude that she was alive and completely in love with the most wonderful man.
From the top floor of the hotel, the sky framed a glorious view of the city below, the churches, the stores, the charming homes with all the Christmas decorations, the picturesque park full of gorgeous green foliage, and behind it, all the ocean off in the distance.
A light breeze touched her face and she looked up at the clear blue sky with a wide smile on her face. She extended her hand again to take another look at the ring that symbolized her commitment to the most gorgeous creature on this earth. Exuberance, elation, bliss flooded her head and took over her whole body. She wanted to scream from happiness as tears welled up and she felt his arms enfolding her body, his lips touching her neck softly.
“Good morning. I love that cute little camisole on you,” he murmured, nuzzling her hair. “You’ll get a cold, baby. It’s sunny, but it’s cool out here.”
She spun around and threw her arms around this beautiful man who loved her. He was completely startled as he gazed into her eyes and saw the fullness of emotion pouring out of her.
“What?” He was standing in front of her wearing only a pair of jeans, looking like Adonis. She reached out and pulled him close without answering. She crushed his lips with all the passion she possessed. His body shuddered and his skin was hot from anticipation.
“Mmmm…” she murmured.
“What is it?” he asked, his breath shallow.
“I am overwhelmed with excitement, and it is all because of you, Darcy,” she whispered, her voice husky. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip with a low moan.
“Whatever made you do this, please keep it up,” he said, tightening his hold on her, deepening the kiss, utterly aroused. She could hear a low chuckle as his fingers slipped under her camisole and pulled her flush against his body. His hot breath floated across her cheek, sending a prickling sensation to the end of every nerve. Arielle gasped at the feel of the strong muscles that gathered her into that familiar sanctuary. Her hands came up, threading through his hair, and suddenly she was panting senselessly. She rose up to her toes and pulled his head down until their lips locked one more time.
Breaking the kiss, she looked into his emerald eyes and said, “Happy Christmas, Mr. Darcy.” She giggled.
“Happy Christmas, Lizzy!” He groaned as his mouth glided from her lips down the column of her throat and pressed at the pulse of her heartbeat. This was the essence of Sebastian’s excitement. How he wished he had a heartbeat, but that was never going to happen for him. He shut his eyes, overwhelmed by sensual sensation, and his nerves tightened.
“What are you doing to me?” he rasped, panting hard.
“Nothing.” She giggled as she caught her breath and pulled back from him. His arms pulled her right back and crushed her against his beautiful body. Her head fell back and she gasped again with excitement, feeling every bit of him.
“You’ll be the death of me. You don’t stop when you start something. That was about to set me on fire,” he said, his voice full of barely suppressed emotion.
“I’m utterly in love with you,” she said. “I don’t think I can explain how I feel right now. I want to tell the world how much I love you!” She broke free of his arms and twirled around, her arms extended in the air in exhilaration. He watched her spin, a brilliant smile lighting his face. Then, he crossed the few feet that separated them and pulled her back into his arms.
“Thank you for loving me,” he murmured. The expression on his face was pure bliss.
“When did you get up anyway?” she asked, still giddy with excitement.
“Oh, about an hour ago. You looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“I wish you hadn’t left me. Your face is what I want to see first thing in the morning. I think that was a request you made of me, and now I’m making it of you.”
“All right,” he agreed. “I’ll make sure that I wake you from now on before I get up. I ordered some breakfast for you, and some tea.”
“That’s great! I’m pretty hungry, and I would love a cup of tea.”
She followed him into the living room. She could smell the eggs and bacon on the table and could see two different kinds of toast, a variety of fruit juices, and lots of fresh fruits.
“You didn’t order all that for me?” she smiled.
“No, I actually manifested all that, for both of us,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Manifested? What do you mean by manifested?”
“I told you about my gift of being able to manifest anything I wish.”
“No, I don’t think you ever told me about that gift,” she answered with a curious look.
“Oh, my mistake,” he said and chuckled again.
“I wonder how many more new things I will find out about you,” she said. He didn’t reply. “So, why did you manifest all this food if you don’t eat?”
“Arielle, I told you. I can eat just about anything I want to, and right now I want to h
ave breakfast with you.”
She was a bit surprised, but she moved to pour a cup of tea for herself.
“Would you like a cup?” she asked.
He nodded.
They sat down together, and Arielle ate with a hearty appetite. Everything tasted great, and to her surprise Sebastian ate pretty well too. It was a bit funny to think she was eating food that someone had just “manifested” rather than ordering from a restaurant. It was a little bizarre. But then my whole life has turned out to be a little bizarre, she thought as she took another delicious bite.
Sebastian took the newspaper and started to flip through the pages while Arielle drank her coffee and stood by the window enjoying the view. The quiet was wonderful and a fantastic feeling swept over her at the thought of spending the rest of her life with Sebastian. If there was paradise she was sure she had found it here with him.
“What are you thinking?” she heard his voice saying behind her.
“I was just thinking of how happy I am being here with you,” she replied.
“That’s a good thing, since you have no choice any more. I’ll never let you go.” His lips were curving up again, making her crazy with desire.
She walked over to him, sat on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his softly.
“Mmmm,” he moaned again with pleasure. “What was that for?” he gasped.
Arielle just smiled at him and kissed him again. Then she walked back to the bedroom, knowing that he would follow her. She removed her camisole and stepped into the shower. As she expected, he was right there next to her.
“You always startle me when you do that,” she giggled, as if she had no idea that he had followed her. He laughed, understanding her surprise, and she chuckled. He held her tight against his body and let the warm water run over them. There is no word that can describe his beauty, Arielle thought as she looked at him. His face looked so striking with the water dripping from his amazing hair onto his beautiful face, and his lips were wet and inviting. She reached up and kissed him softly.
Arielle Immortal Seduction (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 2) Page 16
