“Oh, mon Dieu, Arielle! Why did you not tell me how badly you were hurt?”
“What do you mean?” she asked. Instinctively she moved her hands to cover the red mark on her chest, but he took her hand gently, firmly and looked at it carefully.
“Do I need to take you to the hospital?” he asked. “How bad does it hurt?”
“I don’t think anything is broken,” she lied. “But it does hurt.”
She walked in front of the large mirror and gulped in horror. Right in the center of her chest there was a huge bruise. It looked horrible and extended a little way on either side of her breasts. As she looked at herself, sickened, he came behind her and wrapped his arms around her, his soft lips touching the back of her neck.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I love you so much, and I’m really worried about you.” His eyes looked so troubled. She lay down on the bed and asked him to lie down next her. He lay to her right, trying to avoid touching her left arm. He lifted himself onto one elbow and gazed down at her. He ran his fingers across her cheek, down the side of her face, and back up again, sending a hot sensation throughout her whole body. His eyes were locked on hers as he bent down and crushed her lips beneath his with wild hunger.
She was overwhelmed with desire and she could feel his passion too as he whispered over and over how much he loved her, his lips pressing on hers with an urgency greater than ever before. She forgot all about her pain and her worries as she was totally consumed in his touch and in the heat of her incredible desire for him. Then he broke away from the kiss and pulled back, a worried look on his face.
“Sebastian, please hold me,” she said.
“Baby, I’m afraid I might hurt you.”
“I’m in some pain, but I need you close to me,” she murmured.
“I’m here, but I’m worried about you,” he said. “I think I should be taking you to the hospital.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “I’m fine. It’s not as bad as it looks.” She smiled, trying to convince him she was okay. His eyes were still troubled, so she reached up and put her hand onto the nape of his neck. She pulled herself up and ran her tongue around his lip line. He moaned and reluctantly moved his hands slowly down to her hips and around her stomach, sending her heartbeat into double-time.
“I don’t seem to able to breathe right when we’re apart,” he murmured.
“Your calls and your e-mails are all I look for every day when I get out of bed,” she said. “I want you near me, I need to be in your arms to feel safe.”
“That’s a good thing,” he chuckled joyfully as he pressed his lips on hers again.
She ran her fingers over the hard planes of his gorgeous chest and drew her fingers slowly down his stomach, making him quiver with excitement. He lightly caressed her breasts and, bending down, he fastened his mouth around them. He groaned as he took his clothes off with soft movements. His mouth was hot and she could smell his magnificent immortal scent. He put one arm under her neck carefully and with the other arched her body toward him, keeping her against him without pressing on her chest. She could feel his arousal pressed against her side. Her heart surged, full of anticipation and a sweet, aching pleasure. His lips moved slowly down her stomach and with his tongue he softly caressed her skin, filling her with longing. Moving his face back up to her, he groaned loudly and placed his hands around her hips, gently pulled her toward him and held her close. Their lips locked in a deep, sensuous kiss, and it wasn’t long before their senses soared and they swirled into a shattering obliviousness of heat and passion. Their breathing was exceedingly elevated as pleasure consumed them. Arielle’s heartbeat pulverized her chest before she slowly surrendered to a heavenly profundity of fulfillment.
She looked at his face; his eyes were closed tightly as his expression showed intense satisfaction, and she saw him smile in a way she had never seen him smile before. She held him softly, not believing the deep fulfillment he had given her without forcing her to break her commitment to abstain. His lips were moving against hers again and his body was moving closer. She was astonished at what had happened and how they felt about each other. She was completely surprised at herself, not knowing where she had learned the things she had done to please him as she gave herself up to his intoxicating heat.
Afterward, they both lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling, smiling with complete and utter satisfaction. She noticed that he seemed to have difficulty finding the strength to move and that his breathing was still uneven. She laughed in sheer bliss, and he looked at her smiling.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Are you having trouble moving?” she giggled. “I thought I was the one who was hurting. Is your age catching up with you?” He laughed out loud and she heard his voice muffled.
“Yes, that’s it,” he laughed. “And you’ll be the death of me for sure.” Still laughing, he encircled her in his arms and pressed his lips on hers. They lay together, their bodies scorching in a conquering heat, and continued the absolute enjoyment of touching, exploring, and caressing each other. She had forgotten all about her pain as the feelings she was so enjoying took over completely, filling her with sweetness and a deep contentment.
Finally the spell was broken and, as he caressed her arm softly, Sebastian’s brow once again was furrowed. “I’m worried about you,” he said. “I don’t like the looks of the bruise on your chest and the swelling on your upper arm. I think you should see a doctor.”
“Oh, I’m okay,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt that much. I’m sure it’ll be better by tomorrow.” She really didn’t want to go anywhere, not even across the room. She just wanted to stay in his arms forever.
Sebastian grimaced, looking at the nasty bruise on her body and the bloody cuts on her arm. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most,” he said. “Let’s make sure not to forget the necklace from now on.” He put his arms around her and pulled her closer. They fell asleep in each other’s arms and didn’t get up until late in the afternoon.
Sebastian had a very late flight out of Gatwick, so they got up and got ready slowly.
“Arielle,” he whispered when it was almost time for them to go. “I don’t want to leave you. Promise me that if you don’t feel any better by tomorrow you will go to the doctor. Please promise me.”
“I promise,” she said, “but I’m sure I’ll be all right.”
Before they left the room he made her sit on the bed and he handed her a small black velvet box.
“Happy birthday, baby,” he whispered, and kissed her softly.
She opened the little box and she fell speechless. There, staring her in the face, was the most beautiful emerald ring she had ever seen. The emerald was surrounded by small pear shaped diamonds. She was overwhelmed.
“Sebastian, I can’t take this,” she said. “It looks very expensive.”
“I had it made especially for you. And you will wear it if you love me,” he said. He reached down, took the ring, and put it on her right finger. It was a perfect fit.
“The next ring will be for your left hand,” he whispered as he brushed his lips against her ear.
She held her hand up and couldn’t stop looking at the ring. It made her hand look so beautiful! She smiled with gratitude and wrapped her arms around him.
“Thank you Sebastian, I love it. It’s the most beautiful ring I have ever seen.”
“You are perfectly welcome, and you completely deserve it,” he said. “Happy birthday, my love.”
They drove to the airport without saying a word. He held her hand and she stared at him, trying to memorize every detail of his beautiful face. He looked at her as his lips curved up into that smile that she loved so much. Then she sighed and said, “Sebastian! I’ll never get used to the fact that you love me.”
“Why would you ever say that?” His voice was a little surprised.
“Well, look at you, and then look at me!”
“I am looking at you, and all I can
see is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life – and that is a very long time.” He smiled warmly. “Arielle, you are the only one for me, so you should just get used to that. Our lives are intertwined for eternity.”
The drive back to the flat was lonely and empty. Despite the terrifying encounter with Savanna and the pain it had caused Arielle, it had been a great birthday, and Sebastian’s presence her most amazing gift. When she arrived back at the flat it was nearly midnight, and she assumed that Gabby and Eva would be in bed since they had early classes on Monday morning. But they were both up, waiting to talk to her.
“What’s up?” she asked, surprised to see them still awake.
“How are you feeling?” Gabrielle asked. “Eva told me what happened. I just can’t understand why she can’t let go of Sebastian. What’s wrong with that woman?”
“I don’t know, but I certainly am happy that Troy was there to help me.”
“I don’t know how I missed all that activity,” Gabrielle said. “Troy told me that she was bloody crazy.”
“It seems that Annabel sent her, and there is nothing I can do about it.” Arielle said. She looked down and shook her head, upset all over again thinking about the incident that had almost ruined her birthday. “Eva, thank you, as well, for being there,” she added.
“I love you, Arielle, how could I do anything else?”
“Sebastian is so wonderful!” Gabrielle said, a huge smile lighting her face.
“I think we are all very lucky to have great guys that really seem to love us,” Arielle said.
Eva and Gabrielle both smiled and agreed with her. But they also made it clear that they had never seen anyone affect them in quite the way Sebastian had. Well, Arielle knew all about that already, but she didn’t want to go into any detail, so she just smiled. Then she showed them her new ring, and they were amazed.
“Wow, Arielle, that looks really expensive! That must have set him back quite a few pounds,” Eva exclaimed.
“I don’t know anything about his finances, but I do know that I love him and that is good enough for me,” Arielle said. They chatted a bit longer before going to bed. Eva followed Arielle to her bedroom, seeming like she wanted to talk some more.
“What is it, Eva?” Arielle asked.
“How do you know that Annabel sent her?” Eva asked, then added, “I could see that she was evil. She wanted to hurt you. I’m so glad Troy took care of her.”
“She mentioned Annabel just before she hit me,” Arielle said. “Anyway, I’m just glad it’s over.”
“How is your arm?”
“I think it will be fine in a couple of days,” she said, rubbing it. She wasn’t actually so sure about that, but she didn’t want to worry Eva.
“There is something very special about Sebastian and Troy,” Eva mused. “I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but it’s something. The vision I had about him is all good, but it’s a little strange.”
“Well, as long as they are good to us, I’m happy,” Arielle said. “I think Ian is amazing too, and he is going to make you very happy. Your gifts will be a big plus in your life; keep using them wisely,” she said, and chuckled.
“I hear you, Arielle. I will try not to summon anyone tonight,” Eva replied, grinning.
They both giggled and hugged each other as Eva wished Arielle a happy birthday one more time, and then they went to bed. Arielle wanted to write in her journal but she didn’t feel well enough. As she lay down and closed her eyes, she knew this would be a birthday she would always remember.
She had embarked into a very strange world, and she had found the man of her dreams. As she drifted off to sleep, she could hear both the warmth of Sebastian’s voice and the coldness in Savanna’s – an astonishing contrast, almost as if to demonstrate the balance of good and evil forces in the universe. She couldn’t believe how his presence made her dizzy with excitement. She smiled, thinking about all that had taken place over the last two days as sleep claimed her.
Chapter 21
THE NEXT MORNING the sound of Eva’s voice woke her up. She had a class at ten o’clock but no desire to get up and move. She missed Sebastian terribly, and the emptiness inside her was palpable. As she tried to move, she felt a sharp pain on the left side of her chest. She walked to the shower gingerly, finding that every small movement caused pain. Washing her hair was an ordeal. Lifting her arm brought tears to her eyes as she let the hot water run over her body, hoping it would make the pain a little more tolerable. As she reached for a towel, her eyes fell on the beautiful emerald ring sparkling on her finger. Bliss stretched across her face and once again the vision of Sebastian completely engulfed her mind.
She heard her e-mail ping just as she stepped out of the shower, but when she glanced at the bathroom mirror her jaw dropped. The spot in the center of her chest was now black and her whole left side, including her breast, was bruised. The upper part of her left arm was swollen, and as she looked closer, she could see that pus was oozing out of the four cuts from Savanna’s nails. Her throat was burning, her lips were dry, and she felt a sharp pain each time she took a breath.
She couldn’t seem to focus on anything but the pain. Her whole body was clammy and sweat was dripping down her forehead. She suddenly felt weak and no matter how hard she tried to stand, her legs gave out and she found herself on the floor.
She knew something was terribly wrong and she called for help, desperation in her voice. Eva and Gabrielle came rushing in and she heard them gasp as they entered the bathroom and found her on the floor. They helped her to her bed and she could barely hear Eva’s voice as she called for an ambulance. She became extremely nauseous and could hardly keep her eyes open. She had no clue what was happening to her. She was desperately trying to understand; that was the last thing she remembered.
She tried to open her eyes a few times but soon gave up. She had no idea how long she was asleep. She could hear people and voices all around her, but she was unable to understand what was being said, or to communicate herself. She felt numb and very drowsy. Her throat was dry and she was extremely thirsty. She didn’t seem to have the strength to talk and she couldn’t move her arms. What was happening to her? Where was she? Why couldn’t she open her eyes?
She felt like she was trapped in a terrible isolation and there was nothing that she could do about it. Tears rolled down the side of her face and she moaned, trying to understand where she was.
Then she felt someone’s soft hands cup her face, their thumbs wiping her tears away. A low voice was telling her to relax and be quiet. When she was finally able to open her eyes she saw her mother’s worried face.
“Hello, my darling!”
“Mummy, where am I?”
“You are in the hospital, Arielle. You need to try to stay quiet, dear.”
“What happened?”
“You had some type of poison in your body. You have some broken ribs, and you have been in a deep sleep. Don’t worry, dear, I’ll take care of you.”
“How bad is it?”
“Your fever is down, but not by much. However, it is better than it was yesterday. You are improving every day, but you’ll still need to be in bed for the next few days.
“What day is it?”
“Friday.”
“Oh my God, have I been sleeping for five days?”
“Not quite five, but pretty close to that. You have been trying to wake up, but you kept falling back asleep. There’s a lot of medication in your body,” she explained.
Arielle was trying – trying hard – to think, to remember. Something was bothering her but she couldn’t think clearly, and she couldn’t express what she was thinking about. She felt exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep.
“Your friends have been coming by to check on you,” her mum said. “Eva and Ian, Paul, Gabrielle and Troy…”
Troy’s name jolted her mind alert and suddenly she saw his face in her head. Oh my gosh! What about Sebastian? she thought. He mus
t have been trying to call me, and he must be worried.
“Mother have you seen my mobile phone?” she asked anxiously.
“No, dear. But I have your purse right here. Let me check.”
She came back with the phone, but the battery was dead.
“Oh, Mummy, can you please call Gabby and ask her if she can bring me my charger? I need to call Sebastian, and I only have his number in my phone. He’ll be so worried. I haven’t been able to talk with him, and we usually talk every day.”
“Sebastian is here, dear,” she said, smiling, and added, “When your phone kept going to voice mail for three days, he flew back in to check on you. He was really worried.”
“Where is he?”
“He was here for three days straight, day and night, while you were running a high fever. When you started to get a little bit better he began to go back to the hotel to take a shower and change his clothes. He’ll be back shortly.”
Arielle smiled at this piece of news. “Oh, Mummy, please help me clean up a little. I don’t want him to see me this way.”
“Arielle, he sat on this very chair right next to your bed all those hours. He was worried about you, not about the way you look. You have been sick and he understands that.”
Arielle didn’t have the strength to argue. She felt very tired, and she drifted away into a deep sleep.
The next time she opened her eyes she saw Sebastian’s beautiful face before her.
“Arielle! How are you, baby?” His soft voice was more familiar to her than the air she was breathing.
She tried hard to smile, wanting to show him how ecstatic she was to see him, but she didn’t quite succeed.
She reached over to take his hand and grimaced as she felt a pinch from the IV setup that was holding her arm in place.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice full of anxiety.
“Nothing, just a little pain when I tried to move my arm.”
Arielle Immortal Awakening (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 1) Page 25