“What was all that about?” he asked.
“Do you know what film we are going to see tonight?” Arielle said with a chuckle. He looked at her, clueless.
“Pride and Prejudice,” she said, starting to laugh again. This time Sebastian burst out into a hearty laugh as well.
“That’s pretty funny, I have to admit,” he said, grinning.
Arielle was still laughing as she walked out onto the balcony to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. Sebastian came right behind her, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. Leaning close he whispered, “We have been invited to my parents’ home for a New Year’s Eve ball, do you want me to accept for us?”
Arielle spun around without leaving his embrace and gazed into his beautiful eyes. “Of course. I would love to see Loren again and meet your mother,” Arielle said. “I can’t think of anything else I would rather do on New Year’s Eve.”
“Thank you, baby,” he murmured, and his lips moved against hers as his hands stroked her hips.
“What are you doing?”
“I am trying to stimulate you, am I doing a good job?” he asked, laughing out loud. She threw herself against him and held his body close as his grip on her tightened. It was as if they were trying to make each other understand the depth of their love. He threw her on the sofa and made love to her with a wild hunger.
“Is this going to happen all the time when we live together?” she asked breathlessly.
“Do you have any objections to it?” he replied, gasping for air.
“No, not at all,” she giggled. “I just want to make sure that I understand the rules.”
He laughed again, holding her tight, not wanting to let go.
They turned the telly on and stayed there relaxing, just enjoying being with each other.
“What am I going to do with my car?” she asked suddenly, realizing she now had two of them.
“Well, I think you should sell it,” he said. “Your new car is all paid for, and the insurance is covered, you don’t have to worry about any of that.”
“You’ve done so much for me, Sebastian,” she sighed. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“First, I want you to marry me,” he said kissing her again. “Then I want you to finish school and be happy. You are going to be my own private engineer,” he chuckled, and kissed her again, this time on the tip of her nose.
“I have to move my things out of the flat by the end of next week,” she said. “Today is the twenty-sixth, so we have only five days left on the lease.”
“But there is a whole month before classes start. So you have plenty of time to do anything you want,” he said. His musical voice always made her feel secure.
“I also have a lifetime to love you,” she said. She felt utterly blissful.
“I think you meant to say that you have eternity to love me,” he corrected her again.
“Okay. I have eternity to love you.”
“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. He sighed contentedly.
They had a wonderful time at dinner, and then settled in at the cinema, anxious to see the film together. Sebastian had his arm around Arielle and every time Darcy or Lizzy was on the screen he gave her a little squeeze. In the part when Darcy tells Lizzy that she had bewitched him, and that he was hopelessly in love with her, Sebastian leaned over and searched for her lips. She turned to him and their lips met in a passionate kiss.
“I love you, Mr. Darcy,” she whispered.
“I’m hopelessly in love with you, Lizzy,” he answered softly and chuckled.
What both Sebastian and Arielle loved about the story was how Jane Austen suggested that both Darcy and Elizabeth had lives that continued beyond the ending of the book. That was a very intriguing point for both of them. Arielle also related to Elizabeth having to deal with the burden of secrets, secrets she couldn’t confide to her family or friends. That’s exactly what I have been doing with my dreadful secret, Arielle thought. I guess I could find tons of things in this story that would relate to my life and to my beautiful dream, Sebastian, she thought and sighed happily.
They walked out of the cinema discussing the details of the film and comparing it with the book. Then, they decided to go dancing. Once again, they got back to the hotel late. Arielle giggled blissfully, remembering that tomorrow they would start house hunting. Then, Sebastian gathered her in his arms and she snuggled close against him. By now it had become a wonderful routine. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep without him by my side, Arielle thought as they drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 18
THE NEXT MORNING, ARIELLE WOKE UP EARLY. Sebastian was still next to her, looking like a sleeping angel. She drew a deep breath and took a minute to take in his amazing looks. He was so perfect, and the warmth of his body sent a surge of desire across her. She bent down and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. Strong arms wrapped around her so fast that she was startled.
He laughed out loud, enjoying her surprise. He had been pretending to be asleep, but in fact he had been awake for a while, lying in bed waiting for her to wake up.
She traced her fingertips over his bare ribcage and trailed them down to his flat stomach. He moaned with pleasure and gathered her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. She nuzzled his neck and he groaned his approval. He cupped her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. “I love you so much,” he murmured, and his lips claimed hers in a swift move.
She pulled back gasping for air. “I love you too,” she purred and her hot breath coursed beyond his skin, right into the core of his soul. He parted his lips and let her taste his sweet scent. He didn’t try to move away, just stayed in her arms, moaning with the thrill of her touch. He brings me to such incredible heights, she thought. She could never have imagined such pleasure, such joy.
“We’re meeting the realtor at ten,” he said tenderly.
“I’ll be ready,” she smiled.
“What are we going to be looking for?”
“I would love to find a house with huge windows looking out at the ocean. And a beautiful garden.”
“Mmmhmm… That sounds a lot like what I had in mind.”
“I guess we won’t have a hard time knowing when we find the perfect place, and it’s going to be perfect for us,” she said.
“You are perfect for me.”
She just giggled and, framing his face with her hands, she pressed her lips hard against his. He moaned and closed his eyes, savoring her touch.
“Remember where we left off,” she said giggling as she jumped out of bed and ran into the shower.
Their first day of house hunting was uneventful. They saw many beautiful homes, but nothing that especially appealed to them or fit their plans.
On the second day, they stopped in front of a brand new home that captivated Arielle before she even got out of the car. It was a very large two-story home with huge windows facing the ocean. The garden was full of beautiful trees, green foliage, and hundreds of blooming winter shrubs. Beautiful winter hazel, with colorful bell shaped flowers, winter jasmine with branches cascading like waterfalls, and Edgeworthia chrysantha, with tiny yellow flowers mixed with a creamy white covering. In the center of the garden was a large fountain. Golden streams of water lit by the bright sun flowed from the top tier fountain to the bottom.
Sebastian took Arielle’s hand and they walked up the large marble staircase and through the beautiful front door. She was completely mesmerized.
A striking young woman was standing in the middle of the foyer. As they approached, she smiled widely at Sebastian. Arielle immediately stopped breathing.
“Good morning Mr. Gaulle,” the woman said brightly, her voice soft as velvet.
What? Arielle thought. Is she an immortal? She looks like an immortal, and she talks like and immortal. What is she doing here?
“Good morning, Sonia,” he replied, smiling at her. He clasped Arielle’s hand and pulled her closer. “This is my fian
cée, Arielle Lloyd,” he said. “Arielle, this is our realtor, Sonia Dankworth.”
Sonia smiled politely and approached Arielle, offering her hand. They shook hands amicably. “Good morning,” Sonia said politely.
“Good morning,” Arielle replied, giving Sebastian a sidelong, quizzical look.
“Please look at the house and if you have any questions I will be happy to answer them,” Sonia said. Then she walked into the other room, leaving them alone.
Sebastian gazed down at Arielle, noticing her stunned expression. “What is it?” he asked curiously.
“Is she…?” Arielle began to ask, but she couldn’t finish the question.
“Is she what?”
“Is she an immortal?”
“No! Why would you think that?”
“She is stunningly beautiful,” she whispered.
“Are you an immortal?” he asked without replying to her question, mirth in his voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you are stunningly beautiful too, much more beautiful than this woman. Are you an immortal?”
Arielle chuckled and he folded her in his arms. “Sorry, I just thought…” she said, her voice trailing off. “Oh, I don’t know what I thought,” she added, waving her arms in frustration.
“Come on, baby, let’s check the house out,” he said and pulled her through the foyer’s archway deeper into the house. When they reached the back of the house, Arielle gasped. The view was simply breathtaking.
The magnificent white beach below extended as far as her eye could see. It was a full view of the ocean, the ocean she adored. Floor to ceiling windows provided a clear, unblocked view of the magical beach world, as if they were framed paintings untouched by human hands. Arielle looked at Sebastian, her eyes filled with tears of excitement. He took her hands and drew her against him. He nuzzled her hair and set his lips on her temple.
“It seems to me that you like this house,” he whispered.
“I absolutely love it!” she exclaimed. “I love watching the water in Brighton. It changes so often. Sometimes, it is as dark blue as sapphires, at others it’s green, like your eyes. Sometimes, it is as gold as, oh, as when the sun is slowly replacing the dark skies at dawn!”
“I think this is my favorite house too,” he chuckled. His lips brushed her ear.
He walked over toward the realtor, and they exchanged a few words as Arielle stood staring out the window.
A few minutes later he came back, and putting his arms around her, he fastened them tightly at her waist. He held her against him and bending down he whispered, “It’s settled. This is going to be your new home, and it’s very charming, I have to agree. However, I still prefer you by far.”
He grinned, and bending down their lips met. Arielle forgot how to breathe. She was full of excitement, her heart overwhelmed with exhilaration.
All the way to the hotel she talked about the house enthusiastically. Sebastian watched with delight as she chattered happily. When they got back to the hotel, she fell into his arms, exhausted. He held her tight and sighed against her lips. “I love the house just as much as you do,” he said. “I can’t imagine being any happier than I am right now.”
Arielle fell onto the bed and closed her eyes. She had the impression that she was living a dream. She was going to live in the most extraordinary home ever, she was to drive a magnificent car, and she had a perfect man to love for the rest of her life. She was overwhelmed with contentment.
“What are you thinking?”
She opened her eyes and saw that his face was an inch away from hers, his lips parted in that sexy smile of his.
She leaned in and kissed him. “You will never know how happy I am right now. This has to be a dream. It just can’t possibly be real. It’s not just the house, or the car, it is the fact that you, the most beautiful person in the world, want me and love me. Why is that? I just can’t understand it.”
“Arielle, you are my life. We have gone over this before. There is nothing for me in this world if you are not in it. I can’t breathe if you don’t love me.” He paused for a moment, gently tracing his fingers over the contours of her face. “Let’s go out and look for some furniture that you might like to have,” he said, breaking into a huge grin.
“Oh, I’m not very particular about furniture,” she said. “I don’t like modern furniture, it’s always so very uncomfortable. But I love most traditional styles. I love your taste, Sebastian, and I would be happy with anything you choose.”
“Well, okay then. You can move your things to the house and be out of your flat by the end of next week. Do you want me to call a moving company?”
“I don’t need movers. We rented the place furnished, so I don’t own any of the furniture. All I have to move is the telly in my bedroom, my clothes, and a few small personal things.”
Two days later, they took a ride out to look at the house again. Sebastian drove slowly, enjoying the day and holding her hand as he always did. She looked at his perfect features and thought to herself how lucky she was. She couldn’t imagine even one moment without him. As they got out of the car, he dropped a set of keys in her hand.
“Here you go, Miss Lloyd, soon to be Mrs. Gaulle, here are your keys to your new house.”
“Our house,” she corrected him.
“Our house,” he repeated, amused.
He put his arm around her waist and pulled her towards the front door. Her hand was shaking as she turned the key. “Let’s open it together,” she whispered. He put his hand on hers and they pushed the door open together. He swept her into his arms and carried her over the threshold. “I love you,” he murmured, stepping into the foyer. He set her lovingly down onto the marble floor, and she let out a cry of surprise.
The house was completely furnished. There was a gorgeous round table in the middle of the foyer with a huge flower arrangement in the center and two stunning antique chairs placed against the wall. A magnificent grandfather clock stood between the two chairs, giving the entryway the look of a picture in a home decorating magazine. Arielle gasped as an overwhelming sensation of joy pricked through her. She turned and looked back at him with wonder in her eyes.
“Let’s go in and take a look at the rest of it,” he urged.
The living room and dining room were beautiful, filled with antique furniture. The dining room table was carved with amazing designs. Everywhere she looked she saw beautiful, fabulous things. The family room was warm and inviting with comfortable furniture. By the large window overlooking the ocean was a beautiful baby grand piano. Sebastian closed his hand about her waist tightly and whispered, “That piano is for you, my love. I want to hear you play, only for me. Will you do that?”
Arielle was speechless. She couldn’t imagine anything prettier than what she was seeing. All she could do was look at him and nod. He pulled her into the master bedroom. The king sized bed featured a magnificent backboard with intricate sycamore inlay carving. It depicted the beauty of nature with floral forms including roses and vines. The other four bedrooms were furnished with exquisite taste, and the kitchen was equipped with all modern appliances. The final touch was the beautiful heavy blue silk curtains and under curtains that hung from every window, caught with rope tiebacks.
“Sebastian, when did you do all this? You’ve been with me most of the time…”
“I have the power to manifest anything I want any time I want it,” he said mischievously. “I know I told you about that a few days ago.”
She looked at him puzzled. “What do you mean? That nothing in here is real?”
“Oh, it’s very real. I just don’t do things the same way as humans do.”
Arielle didn’t really comprehend what he was saying, but she was trying.
“So… are you saying that these things will all disappear at some point in time?”
“No, they will never disappear unless I will them to disappear.” He grinned, aware of how difficult it must be for a mortal to unders
tand how any of this could be true.
“Okay, I really don’t understand anything you are saying, but I’m not going to try anymore. The more I ask the more confused I get,” she said, laughing.
“Do you like it?”
“I love everything about this house, every little part of it. I love it so much I can hardly breathe.”
“Do you love it more than you love me?”
“Sebastian! I love nothing in this world more than I love you. I’m willing to step into an unknown and sometimes chilling world of yours only because I’m completely and utterly in love with you. I can’t live without you, either. You are my world, and honestly I’m scared that one of these days I’ll wake up and you’ll disappear like a beautiful dream. In fact, please hold me right now. I want to make sure I’m not dreaming all this.”
He drew her close. His hands framed her face as he bent down and set his lips on hers. Arielle threw her arms around his neck and moved as close as she could to him. Their kiss deepened, becoming more fervent, more passionate, and they were lost in each other’s warmth. Sebastian broke away first and held her gaze. He could see the fire in her eyes and he could feel her eagerness and desperate need for him, while an obsessive desire burned his soul.
My addiction, he thought, and chuckled. Arielle closed her eyes, moaning breathlessly, and his breath hitched. He fought for control and coughed to clear his throat.
“I’m going to leave you for a short time to go and check out of the hotel,” he said. “Then, we can pick up where we left off, or just talk about moving your things later today or tomorrow. What do you think?”
Arielle’s eyes snapped open wide. “Now?” she asked, staggering back and hauling in a trembling breath. Sebastian chuckled softly, and gathering her close one more time, he set his lips on hers passionately.
“I shouldn’t be long. Don’t forget where we were,” he snickered.
Arielle watched him walk away. “I’ll be happy to stay here and explore this beautiful house,” she said, frowning a bit. She heard a soft snort in reply.
Arielle Immortal Seduction (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 2) Page 19
