“How could you possibly know that?”
“Sebastian… please.” She laughed out loud as she rolled her eyes. “I can see an immortal coming with my eyes closed.” She snorted. A long silence followed.
Sebastian’s eyes flashed frigidly. Pausing, he sucked in a breath and said in a barely audible voice, “He was my best friend, and we spent countless hours together. He never gave any indication of extraordinary abilities.” Sebastian shook his head, his frustration evident.
“Do you know that we had our first fight over you?” he asked. “We never fought over girls. If he wanted someone, he could have her, and if I wanted someone, he moved aside. But it didn’t work the same way when it came to you. I guess we both knew that you were special, and I’m happy to know you are mine.” He beamed, gazing at her, and she could read satisfaction and male possessiveness in his eyes, which was fine with her.
“Sebastian, Gaston never had a chance with me,” she said. “I was there for one reason and one reason only, and that was you. I wanted so much to fall in your arms and love you, but I had to restrain myself and pretend I didn’t know you,” she said. She moved into his beautiful masculine body.
“Oh, Arielle, you have no idea how much I wanted you. I fell in love with you the moment I saw your remarkable sapphire eyes.” He nuzzled his face in her hair. “I love you deeply,” he murmured over and over again. Putting his finger under her chin, he pulled her face up to his and locked them into a fevered kiss. “I asked you about Gaston because he came over the next morning before breakfast looking for you. I asked him to leave as I wasn’t going to step aside and make it easy for him to pursue you. He wouldn’t hear of it, and he became enraged. That was the breaking point that severed our friendship. I refused to stand there and listen to his nonsense. He insisted that you told him that you wanted to be with him.” Sebastian sent her an inquisitive look.
“I never wanted to be with Gaston. I was yours, and our lives are intertwined for eternity,” she said and held his gaze. “Sebastian, what if Gaston is out there somewhere and he finds us? He gives me the creeps.” She shivered and bit her lower lip. “He told me that he always gets what he wants, and I was what he wanted. Do you know that Matt told me the same thing before he tried to rape me? Gaston makes me nervous.”
“I don’t believe that after all this time he will show up here in Brighton,” he said thoughtfully. “I’m sure he thinks that you’re dead and gone. He is not going to be looking for a human soul five hundred years later.”
“I suppose you’re right. I didn’t think about that.”
“I wouldn’t worry about Gaston.”
“What if he finds out you’re an immortal now from Annabel?”
“He and Annabel never liked each other.”
“Sebastian, it’s possible. Look at all the immortals that have shown up to either claim you or kill me. One more would not tip the scale of immortality in Brighton,” she said with a bitter chuckle.
“Arielle, I don’t want to believe something like that, but if it happens, then we’ll have to face it together,” Sebastian said awkwardly. “Can we just forget about Gaston right now and enjoy this moment?”
She pressed a few kisses on his chest and rested her head back on the crook of his shoulder.
“Marcus was pretty disappointed when Gabrielle left. He found himself extremely fascinated by her. He thought Gabrielle was the most beautiful girl he had ever met. He loved her humor and vigor for life. He was so excited to find a girl that loved riding as much as he did. Marcus was an exceptional rider and loved horses more than anything else in his life. He was crushed to hear that Gabrielle had a man—or should I say a suitor?— waiting for her back home.”
“She’s amazing,” Arielle said, “but she did have Troy waiting for her.” Sebastian nodded in understanding.
“My brother Anton was enthralled by you. Did you know that?”
“Yes, I did. Marcus told me while we shared a dance. Can you imagine how awkward I felt knowing he was your brother?” she asked.
“Yes, I can, but I happen to know that my brother had exceptional taste in women. You can’t help the fact that you are irresistible,” he said, squeezing her tighter, and she giggled. “However, my brother saw that I was so taken by you he pulled back. He was an amazing brother, and we had an incredible love for each other.” He looked away somewhere in the distance, and if she didn’t know better, Arielle would have thought that there was mist in his eyes.
“Eva was the one that created a huge distraction for the men,” Arielle said, giggling. “Sebastian, I wish you had seen the line waiting for a dance with her.” She snorted.
“I know! I heard from my brothers that all three of you created mayhem in the Gaulle residence.” Sebastian was amused. “I vividly remember our walk in the garden and how much I wanted you. You were different, beautiful, graceful, and full of life. There was something about your eyes. They were brilliant and sparkled like a pair of the most exquisite sapphires. They have been etched into the core of my soul. Their familiarity has lingered there quietly for many centuries now,” he said easily. “It was on the beach at St Jean de Luz that the familiarity awakened and became an extremely troublesome feeling once again. I was sure that your eyes had something to do with a very special moment in my life. I spent countless hours trying to remember that special moment, but I wasn’t successful, and now…I understand.” He moaned, and his arms tightened around her body like a steel vise. He rested his eyes on her face, and she saw a hint of sadness cross his gaze.
“What is it, baby?” she asked.
“I long for a chance to see my family again,” he said, looking wishful.
“I’m sure that Eva can make your wish come true; however I can’t afford to lose you. I couldn’t possibly live in this world without you. You are my present, my future, and my life. You complete me.”
“You are never going to lose me. Why would you ever think something like that?” he asked.
“Eva told me that if you made one mistake or said anything that could be associated with the present while you were in the sixteenth century it would alter the future, and you wouldn’t be able to get back to me. I believe with all my heart that if you saw your family again you would say something that would interfere with the outcome.” She placed her hands on either side of his face, and pulling him to her, she kissed him passionately.
“Arielle, I’m aware of the danger in altering the future. Nathan has the same ability as Eva, and even though I’ve had the desire to do this several times in the past, I have refrained knowing the consequences.”
Arielle lay perfectly still with her ear to his chest. She heard only silence. She turned and pressed soft kisses onto his warm chest. She couldn’t understand how a warm, passionate man like Sebastian could have died at one point in time. She lifted her gaze to meet his and smiled wide.
“Eva gave me a very special gift today.”
“Are you talking about your adventure in Calais?”
“That was enthralling, but there something else that was even better than the adventure.” Her eyes glittered with awe.
“What?” he asked.
“It was when we danced. I felt your heartbeat, and I was consumed by infinite pleasure.” She breathed in deeply. She traced his lips with her fingertip, and he quivered.
“Do you remember the first time I touched you in the garden?” she asked.
“Yes, I do.” She felt his finger running softly down her cheek, across her jawbone, and around her lip line.
“You mean like this?” he purred.
Arielle closed her eyes, bringing the moment back into her mind. She shivered.
“Mmm,” she said. “Did you really look for me?”
“Arielle, you have no idea how long I looked for you.” He scowled, and his eyes looked more impenetrable than she had ever seen them before. “My brothers and I traveled to England and looked for the Young family in Hampshire.” Arielle’s eyes widened.
/> “Oh…” her voice trailed.
“I went back home with empty hands and a broken heart. You had bewitched me, body and soul.”
“Do you remember our first kiss?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.
“Which century are we talking about?” he asked with amusement.
“But of course in Calais!” she exclaimed, smiling sweetly.
“Arielle, I went looking for you in another country. I remember every moment we spent together. How could I possibly forget these lips?” He bent down and pressed his lips against hers hungrily. Reluctantly, he pulled back. Lying back down, he gathered her in his arms in a protective way, holding a wide grin on his face. In the silence that followed, they enjoyed each other’s warmth. Sebastian broke the quiet.
“Did you and your friends enjoy Calais and the ball?”
“It was exhausting but worth every moment. Your home was utterly amazing and the gala was a lot of fun,” she said delightfully.
“I would love to hear what Eva, Gabrielle, and you did before you saw me there. Did I miss anything exciting?” he asked with a half-smile.
She laughed gently and turned in his embrace to face him. He arched a brow. “Well?”
She laughed. “I do have a funny story to tell you.”
“I can’t wait.” He popped himself again on one elbow and stared down at her. Her eyes were as amused as ever, and her mouth stretched into a wide smile. She chuckled out loud and started to speak. “When we arrived, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the house and the brilliance of the ballroom. From the top of the landing, we marveled at the spectrum of colors created by the silk gowns swaying in the ballroom. We walked around between your guests, and we noticed how uncomfortable most of the ladies looked.”
“What do you mean?” He raised a brow inquisitively.
“Well, some of the corsets seemed to be a bit too tight.” She giggled. “The ladies looked as if they wouldn’t be able to draw a deep breath if their lives depended on it. We watched them having difficulty bending down or even sitting. They just stood stiff as pillars most of the time. We were sure that the steel used for the corsets in those days had to be intrusive, if not painful.” She started to laugh softly.
“Very interesting. I don’t think I ever thought of that. Actually, I never noticed,” he said, rubbing his chin with his hand.
Arielle looked out in the distance, trying to recall the details of the events. Suddenly, a stifled giggle escaped her. Soon another wave of laughter shook her body.
“I’m now quite curious as to what happened,” Sebastian said, staring down at her.
“Well, Eva, Gabrielle, and I were standing behind a group of girls that seemed to be in their twenties. They were quite busy tearing apart most of the other females in the room. The girl that stood in front of Eva was a bit plump, wearing a gorgeous blue gown with tiny buttons extending from the top of her nape to her lower back. She sounded very bitter and extremely jealous of one particular lady that was on the dance floor.”
“Oh,” he said.
“She didn't seem to think that girl was good enough for the guy she was dancing with. She sounded like she wanted the lady’s dance partner for herself. She was ripping that poor girl’s reputation to shreds. So we watched and waited for the outcome. To tell you the truth, I wanted to reach out and slap her, but I didn’t. Now that I think about it I wish I had,” she said and laughed again. “It wasn’t long before something was said between them that we couldn’t quite catch. Laughter exploded from their group. What followed was absolutely hilarious.” Arielle stopped talking and recalled the image. Suddenly, she busted out in vigorous laughter that brought tears to her eyes. Sebastian looked shocked.
“What happened next?” he asked curiously.
She stopped laughing and coughed to clear her throat. She continued with mirth in her voice, “Oh my God, Sebastian, everything happened so bloody fast it left us, and everyone around us, in utter shock.” Arielle fought to suppress a flood of laughter from bursting out again. “The woman in the blue dress began to laugh out loud, and her body shook fiercely. She doubled over with laughter, causing two things to happen simultaneously. A loud pop and a shower of tiny little objects shot up in the air. They flew over our heads and lingered in the air for a short moment, then came crashing down over us and onto the floor. We tried to follow the tiny objects with our eyes. Everyone around us was doing the same thing. When we finally turned our eyes back to the woman in front of us our jaws hit the floor. The little buttons on her dress were gone and her gown was wide open in the back.”
The back of Arielle's eyes throbbed from the pressure of laughter, producing a stream of tears down her face. “The woman tried to put her arms around her back to keep the sides together, and she lost her balance, falling forward face first onto the floor. Her skirt flipped up in the back exposing all her privates. Most of the guests stood frozen in dismay. ” Arielle’s words were breaking. She couldn’t hold in the laughter any longer. She succumbed, exploding into robust laughter. Sebastian followed. She wiped her eyes once again and continued.
“Eva, Gabrielle, and I could hardly speak. We stared in horror as her friends helped her up and tried to put her dress together. We ran to the other side of the room and laughed until we cried. Sebastian, that was the funniest thing we had ever seen. If you had seen the faces of the men that were standing around us, you would have screamed with laughter.”
“That had to be pretty comical,” Sebastian said, still snickering. “Did anything else happen?”
Arielle was trying to catch her breath. “No, nothing like that, but I do have a question for you.”
“Go ahead,” he said, trapping her gaze.
“How in the world did women get close to a man’s body dressed in those gowns?”
“Was it difficult for you?” he asked, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.
“Yes, it was. While in the garden, I wanted to feel your body and tried hard to get close to you, but it was impossible.”
“Whatever do you mean?” he asked, feigning surprise.
“Sebastian Gaulle, what I mean is that I had yards and yards of bloody material between me and you that prevented me from getting close to you.” Her eyes narrowed.
Sebastian broke into hearty laughter. He rolled on top of her. Pulling his head back, he stared into her eyes.
“Do you mean like this?” he asked, his lips hovering over hers.
“Yes,” she replied and chuckled. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
Sebastian bent his head and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. Arielle closed her eyes and eagerly fell into the kiss.
“You never stop surprising me, I must be the luckiest man on earth,” he murmured into her mouth.
“Don’t you ever forget that,” she said and laughed again. “I was curious to see if Annabel attended, but I didn’t see her anywhere.”
“I didn’t meet Annabel until I was twenty-one-years-old. I wish you hadn’t brought her name up in a precious moment like this.”
“I am sorry,” she mumbled. “There is one more thing I would like to ask for.”
“Anything, anything at all,” he replied. Sebastian loved giving her things.
“I want the portrait of you that was hanging in the gallery.”
He seemed to be thinking but looked as if he didn't know which portrait she meant. “What did it look like?”
“You were standing in front of a huge fireplace wearing a white shirt open in the front, a pair of black pants, and boots. I fell in love with that portrait, and I would love to have it.”
“It must be somewhere in the St. Jean estate. I’ll make sure I get it for you. But I’m not sure why you want a portrait when you have me.” He pulled her to him and locked them in a voracious kiss. She couldn’t help laughing through the kiss.
She blissfully closed her eyes. For the past year, she had striven to define happiness, and she was convinced that it comprise
d love, gratification, joyfulness, and contentment. Her life was structured around her friends and family, people who brought significant meaning to her life. Sebastian had become the focal point of her existence. He made life worth living.
“Oh, Sebastian, I almost forgot something very important,” she said, filled with excitement.
“What is it?”
“I met Brandon Burgejion.” She chuckled. “Now I know why I was so intrigued by him at that meeting. Next time I see him, Eva and I will remind him of it.”
“He is an incredible guy. I like him a lot. Marcus had a lot of respect for him. He is quite an honorable man.”
“Yes, we all thought so. I was a bit surprised to see him, but it answered my concerns.” Silence stretched again as Arielle became lost in her thoughts. His velvety voice snapped her out of her haze.
“Are you tired, baby?” Sebastian asked, watching her stretch and sigh sleepily.
“No, not really; I just feel a bit lazy,” she said, opening her eyes and grinning wide. “Why? Is there something you’d like to do?”
Sebastian smiled tenderly and tightened his embrace. He brushed his lips across her cheek.
“Would you like to go out with me tonight?” he whispered, his lips brushing back and forth against her cheek. Arielle turned and rested her eyes on his flawless face.
“I’d go to the ends of the earth as long as you’re with me,” she beamed. “But…” her voice trailed.
“But?” he asked curiously.
“I thought you said you were going to keep me here until the morning hours, and I kind of liked that thought,” she said, drawing a shuddering breath and stretching leisurely across the crisp white sheets.
Sebastian shut his eyes. A deep groan escaped him. “Oh, baby, what am I going to do with you?” He pulled her to him once again and dropped his mouth to hers. He glided his hands tenderly over her silky skin, and Arielle let out breathless moans as she surrendered to the pleasure of his passion.
Chapter 6
A LITTLE WHILE LATER, Arielle opened her eyes and fell into Sebastian's desire-filled gaze. She smiled wide and lifted her head to press a soft kiss to his lips.
Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6) Page 5