Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5)

by Lilian Roberts

  Sebastian sat next to her and leaned in to check the book she was reading. “Another Austen romance story?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, never taking her eyes off of the book.

  He set the newspaper next to him on the bench and reached over to slip his hand under her top. He felt her body shiver and smiled inwardly, pleased that he could arouse her with just a simple touch. She looked up and their eyes met. He pulled her to him and delivered a passionate kiss. The book tumbled to the ground with a small thump, but they were too busy to notice.

  As she pulled back from the kiss, her smile deepened. She reached up and pushed back the hair from his forehead, and then leaned in again to touch her lips to his. Sebastian immediately took control of the kiss and it turned passionate. Their encounters were an experience beyond anything he had ever felt with another woman during his long life. She was the most precious person, the center of his universe, the woman that it was absolutely imperative he make his wife. Seducing her became his top priority as it did every time he touched her. Sensing her excitement, he was sure that she would be receptive to his passion and need, but he knew that he had to talk with Troy, so he eased back. He heard Arielle’s heart hammering in her chest. As if on cue, his mobile rang.

  “Bloody hell!” she said as she pulled away, face flushing bright red. He chuckled.

  Sebastian pulled her back for a quick kiss. “Sorry, baby, rain check?” he asked against her mouth. She nodded seemingly unable to speak. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and saw Troy’s name on the screen.

  “That was fast,” Sebastian said, clearly amused.

  “Not quite that fast,” Troy replied. “Gabrielle has been keeping me quite busy since early this morning,” he whispered, and burst out in a hearty laugh. “What’s up, buddy?”

  “I received a call from Dylan. We have a problem. I already called Nathan and we are meeting him Monday morning in my office. Can you come over today? I’d like to go over a few things with you before Monday.”

  “How about meeting for lunch?” Troy asked. Sebastian turned to Arielle to make sure it was okay with her.

  “Ask them to come and have lunch at the beach. It is a beautiful day, quite warm for this time of the year. I’ll make lunch for Gabby and myself,” Arielle suggested. Sebastian gave her a peck on the nose as he heard Troy agree.

  “We should be there in about a half an hour,” he said, and the phone went dead.

  Arielle picked up her book and walked into the kitchen. She proceeded to make a few small sandwiches for Gabby and herself. She put some sodas in a cooler. When Gabby arrived they walked down to the beach, leaving the guys alone to talk. They loved spending time at the beach even on cool days just as they did when they were young. Words couldn’t describe the feeling that consumed them walking on the soft sand in the crisp air, the waves crashing on the shore. They took a long, leisurely walk while they discussed their problems in the most amusing way. They finally decided to sit down and have some lunch. Gabby took two sandwiches and a soda pop, and averted her gaze out at the beautiful blue waters. Arielle looked at Gabby’s disappearing sandwiches and giggled.

  “Hungry, are you?”

  “Sure, I always get hungry at the beach, don’t you? And these are really good!” she said, pointing at her mouth full of food.

  “Do you want another one?” Arielle asked as she took another bite out of her own sandwich, still laughing.

  “It isn’t funny, Arielle! Even if I did want another, I wouldn’t say yes. Look at you! Laughing at me for being hungry,” she shouted, frowning playfully.

  “Gabby, I’m not laughing because you had two sandwiches, I’m laughing because it took you exactly two seconds to make them disappear.” She broke out into a hearty laugh, and Gabby joined in. They looked out into the ocean and attempted to take in every little detail of the amazing view. They watched boys on their surfboards waiting in the distance to catch a wave.

  “Don’t you think is a bit cold to be doing that today?” Arielle asked, and shivered as the crisp air brushed against her skin. Gabrielle agreed. They laughed joyfully, delighting in their easy companionship.

  Chapter 6

  SEBASTIAN TOOK TROY into the study and they sat down to talk. Each held a glass of salve, but neither were drinking.

  “So, what did Dylan say?” Troy asked.

  “The scums from Russia are on the move again. They have bigger and better plans for taking down our company. Dylan says they have upped their game to a dangerous level.”

  “What exactly do you mean when you say they have upped their game?” Troy asked, puzzled.

  “Dylan says they intercepted a conversation between Alexie, the boss, and his boys. They were discussing the different methods they were going to use this time around to make sure they succeed.”

  “And what did they say?”

  “He said that they are ready to go after me, my family, and the people I love. Extortion comes to mind along with murder.”

  Troy stiffened at the words but remained unruffled.

  “So…have you got any ideas as to what you’re going to do about this? You know we can handle these guys, don’t you?”

  “I haven’t come up with a plan, but I’ve no doubt that we can handle anyone who comes our way. However, I do have to wait for Dylan to get back to London. He’s in Brussels, and should be back next week. He has documentation and photos that he wants to share with us. I want you, Nathan, and myself to get together on Monday, and come up with some solutions or at least a few scenarios. What do you think about that?”

  “I’m in, whatever the issue is, I’m in,” Troy said. “I think we should call on the guys if we find out that we need more people.”

  Sebastian smiled wide and gave him a soft nod. “I thought the very same thing. I’m sure the boys will relish the idea of taking on a new challenge. Don’t you think?” he asked, a mischievous smile on his lips.

  “Absolutely,” Troy said darkly. “Where is Alexie located? Is he in Brussels?”

  “No, he’s in St. Petersburg, and I’m sure he reports to someone higher up, someone not officially associated with Alexie's organization.”

  “As in St. Petersburg, Russia?” Troy was a bit surprised.

  “Yes, I’m sure he is part of the Russian mafia running things from there. There is a top man that we haven’t met yet—and I’m saying yet because I’m determined to get to him. I’ll be the last person he sets eyes on before he takes his last breath.”

  “That’ll be a sight to see.” Troy grinned.

  “I’m really worried about these guys coming after Arielle,” Sebastian said contemptuously. He stood up abruptly and walked over to the large window that faced the ocean. There was a short silence, and then he turned to face Troy. His eyes flashed with rage. “I’ll have to destroy them, there’s no question about that.” His tone was icy. A low curse escaped his tight lips and his face expression turned deadly serious. Sebastian’s hands squeeze into tight fists. It was plain that he was worried about Arielle’s safety. A long silence followed Sebastian’s words.

  After a few minutes, Troy stood up and walked over to stand next to his friend. He reached over and tapped Sebastian gently. “Hey buddy, take it easy. There’s no need to get overly anxious before we have all the facts.”

  Sebastian turned his gaze from the ocean to Troy and nodded. They walked back from the window and Sebastian sank into his favorite armchair. Troy took the seat across from him. He gazed at Troy pointedly and tapped his fingers tensely on the armrest. Troy waited patiently without saying a word. Sebastian pondered the situation before saying anything more. Finally, he said, “All I’m saying, Troy, is that if they threaten Arielle’s life I’ll have to kill them.” He spoke with acid in his voice.

  “I suppose you could, Sebastian. No, I’m actually sure you will,” he said confidently. “But seriously… Listen, we’re not going to have any trouble getting to these guys, so let's just wait until we meet with Dylan and get more
information. What do you say?”

  Sebastian remained silent for a short moment before realizing that Troy was right.

  “You’re absolutely right,” he said, slapping his hands on the armrests and standing up. “Thanks, Troy old boy, how about going and joining the girls down at the beach?”

  “I’m ready if you are,” Troy said joyfully. They started to walk out when Sebastian put out a hand and held Troy back. Troy turned to look at him a little surprised.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “Troy, please don’t ever mention to Arielle anything about the threats on my life and hers. All she knows is that a group of scums is planning to sabotage the company.”

  “Not to worry, I will not say anything at all. I don’t think she anticipates that we’ll discuss business in front of her.”

  “Thanks again, Troy. You are a great friend, I’m sure glad that we crossed paths.” Sebastian chuckled joyfully, and they walked out to the beach.

  The two men stood together on the top of the hill looking down at the water. They immediately located Arielle and Gabrielle walking by the water, clearly enjoying the day. Suddenly, they noticed two guys running down the side of the hill toward the girls and calling their names.

  “I wonder who these guys are?” Troy asked, surprised.

  “I don’t know, but let's listen and find out.” Their immortal hearing could easily pick up conversations from a very long distance.

  Arielle and Gabby had been sitting for a while watching the surfers waiting to catch a wave and then surfing to the shore. It was a pleasurable sight on a calm, crispy day.

  “This is heaven,” Gabby said, breaking the long silence. Arielle nodded in agreement. They talked for a little while longer as they finished their drinks. They then decided to take another walk. They walked for a couple of kilometers. On the way back, two male voices startled them.

  “Arielle! Gabrielle!” They simultaneously looked over their shoulders to observe two young men running toward them with surfboards in hand. Arielle’s eyes widened in astonishment. Gabrielle gulped flabbergasted.

  “I can’t believe it,” Arielle whispered. “Do you see what I see?”

  “Yes. It’s Stefan Broterik and James Drew!”

  “What the—?” gasped Arielle. “That can’t be… I haven’t seen them or heard from them in almost three years.” They turned all the way around to face the men closing in.

  Without a word, both guys threw their surfboards on the sand and swept the girls into their arms, holding them close.

  “Ah, it’s so good to see you!” Stefan said, giving Arielle a squeeze and a kiss on the lips. The squeeze was one thing, but the kiss was indisputably deep; it left Arielle gasping. “Mmm…you feel so good!” Stefan said, his voice filled with indulgent pleasure.

  Sebastian growled at the kiss and Stefan’s words but did not move. Troy’s eyes flashed with rage as he watched James holding Gabrielle in a tight embrace. Sebastian had to hold himself back from acting on his displeasure. He could hear in Troy's mind that he was also struggling.

  The men's behavior caught the girls off guard. The sudden warmth that spread across their bodies when the men touched them confused Arielle. She felt it hit Gabrielle too, but the sensation was gone just as fast as it came. Stefan and James held them for a short moment, and then they set them down. The girls staggered backward, astonished. Stefan’s face displayed a fondness that gave Arielle a strange feeling.

  “Stefan, it is great to see you too,” she said. She looked over at Gabrielle and noticed her stunned look. She then glanced at James, whose eyes betrayed great joy at seeing Gabrielle. Arielle was not surprised about that. James had been in love with Gabby since primary school, but she had never returned his feelings. The girls stood looking at each other as an awkward silence fell between them.

  Stefan’s voice startled Arielle. “I sure missed you, Arielle,” Stefan said. “Where have you been?”

  “I’ve been right here,” Arielle replied. Why would he be looking for me?

  “I returned to Brighton each semester break and tried looking for you. Somehow our paths never crossed. It has been quite frustrating for me,” he said, swallowing hard.

  Arielle tilted her head, regarding him, and shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been right here,” she repeated. She shifted from one leg to the other uncomfortably.

  Stefan didn’t notice her uneasiness. “And here you are!” he exclaimed, waving his hands up and down her body. “I’m thrilled!”

  Arielle cleared her throat distinctly. “Stefan…I don’t know what to say. It has been a while, many things have changed.” Her gaze swept over his face and she gave him a light smile. He inhaled sharply. She paused and, without giving him a chance to say a word, she continued.

  “It has been a while indeed,” she said. She studied him with narrowed eyes.

  “Ah, yes—it has been a while, but my memories of you haven’t faded away.” He fought to keep his face under control, but Arielle could tell he was struggling with strong emotions.

  “What are you guys doing here? I thought you were in school? And how did you end up on this part of the beach?” Gabrielle’s voice came out clear and loud, snapping Arielle out of her deep thoughts.

  “So many questions? So little time! Aren’t you happy to see us?” Stefan asked, turning his gaze to Gabrielle. He laughed playfully.

  Gabby took a long time answering. “Um, yes, of course we are, we were just very surprised to see you here. This section of the beach is private, and we usually know the folks that live here. So, we never expected to see you two here, especially this time of the year.”

  “Well, that's easy to explain, we are spending the weekend with the Saxtons. Their home is up that way.” He pointed behind them towards a house up on the hill. “We met their son, Eric, during the first year at the university and since then we’ve been great friends. He asked us to spend the weekend with his family and go surfing. So, here we are,” Stefan said.

  “Eric should be coming along shortly,” James added.

  “We’re just as surprised to see you here,” Stefan said as he assessed Arielle from head to toe. His excited expression told her that he loved what he saw. “You are more beautiful than I remember.” He dragged his gaze away from her to check out Gabby. He then looked to James and grinned.

  “James, they are both beautiful aren’t they?” James hadn’t taken his eyes off of Gabby since the first moment they walked up.

  “They’re a sight for sore eyes,” James murmured, as if in a trance. “Stefan and I have spent quite a lot of time thinking about you two over the past two and a half years. I guess it’s hard to get over your first sweetheart,” he said sadly.

  Gabrielle blinked at his words and exchanged a puzzled look with Arielle. James and Stefan were undeniably attractive—tall, lean with muscular bodies, and possessing beautiful faces—but they had never been sweethearts. It was hard to believe that these two handsome guys had spent the past two and half years thinking about them. They remembered girls fighting over the boys back in secondary school. Arielle thought the guys looked even more stunning now, so why would they waste their time with old memories?

  Arielle remembered how crazy she was about Stefan the first time she laid eyes on him, and how much she wished he had asked her out. She muttered bitterly under her breath remembering his rejection. She was certainly never Stefan’s sweetheart.

  “So, what have you been doing?” Stefan asked, watching Arielle intently.

  “We’ve been busy at school. This last semester has been rough, and we can’t wait for graduation.”

  “Gabrielle, we had some great times in school, didn’t we?” James chimed in. “I was crazy about you then, and my feeling haven’t changed. It has been very hard to get over you. The truth is that I haven’t gotten over you,” James admitted. “I’m stunned that we ran into each other today.”

  A low curse escaped Troy’s lips.

  Sebastian said, “They
sound pretty determined, don’t they?” He found the guy's behavior amusing but it was also unsettling. He looked at Troy and frowned seeing how upset this was making his friend.

  Gabrielle’s lips curved. “James, we did have some great times, but that was a very long time ago. I’m in love now and engaged to be married to the most wonderful man on this earth.” Troy’s face filled her mind, and she felt as if a volcano erupted inside her. Heat spread through her veins and her heartbeat increased; her grin stretched ear to ear. Arielle felt Gabby's emotions and smiled with joy at how happy her friend was.

  James’ smile faded away, and he pressed his lips together into a thin line. Silence fell between them. Stefan stilled. His face conveyed that he was struggling not to speak. He couldn't hold it in.

  “What about you, Arielle?” he asked reluctantly as if he didn’t want to hear her answer. “I told you a long time ago that I’d wait for you. I thought that you were the perfect girl for me the first day I laid eyes on you, and my feelings have never changed.” His gaze swept over her. Arielle didn't need to read his thoughts to see that Stefan was hoping that she felt the same way, that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

  Arielle set her hand on his arm. She assessed him through narrowed eyes. He appeared to be telling the truth. Slowly, she raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Sorry, Stefan, I’m engaged to be married as well, and very much in love with the man in my life. He is, and will remain, the only man in my life.”

  Stefan and James tried to remain cool. Arielle attempted to smooth everything over. “Stefan, Gabrielle and I don’t believe a word of your assertions.” She chuckled. “We’re sure that there are a couple of girls waiting for you back at school, if not a long line of them.” Both Gabby and Arielle laughed. Stefan and James remained silent.