“I would love to see him again,” he said, and shook his head.
Arielle fumbled with her hair. “So, does that mean that you don’t have a problem with a friend of yours trying to pick me up?”
Sebastian blinked in dismay. “I hope you don’t mean that. I would never allow another guy to touch you but, Arielle, Brandon is a great guy. He would never do anything to hurt you or a friend. I’m sure he doesn’t know that we are engaged. How could I blame a man for trying to pick you up? You are gorgeous.”
Arielle humphed and rolled her eyes, making Sebastian laugh once again.
“Did you tell him that you were my fiancée?” He leaned closer and brushed his lips against her cheek.
“No, it didn’t come up,” she mumbled.
“Well, then tell him when you see him next. I’m sure you’ll see a totally different person.” Arielle was speechless. He shifted his face and covered her mouth, driving her into sheer bliss.
Arielle finished her dinner and rose to her feet. Sebastian followed her, and leaning against the counter he took the plate out of her hand and set it in the sink. Spreading his legs he drew her into the “V” of his thighs, and wrapped his arms around her.
“Tell me that you love me,” he breathed against her lips.
Arielle gazed deeply into that emerald ocean of his eyes and felt the floor shift beneath her. He kissed her gently and she groaned. He lifted his head and smiled wide.
“Wha–”
He bent down again and her words were lost against his sizzling mouth. She closed her eyes and surrendered. He held her to that kiss for a long time, but she didn’t object. Arielle felt him lift his head away but she kept her eyes closed and enjoyed being lost in the warmth of his steely embrace. As she lifted her eyelids unhurriedly, his lips curved into an amazing smile.
“Did you want to say something before I kissed you?” Before she had a chance to reply, her phone rang. Reluctantly, she pushed away from his blistering embrace, and picked up her phone.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Arielle, is this a bad time?” Arielle sent a warm look in Sebastian’s direction and moving away, she replied, “Hi, Eva, no, not at all.”
“So, how was it? I have been wanting to call you for a while, but it was hard to get away from Ian, if you know what I mean.” She laughed out loud.
“I know exactly what you mean, I have the same issue here with Sebastian,” she said, giggling. She threw another quick look in Sebastian’s direction. He arched his eyebrows inquisitively. She giggled again and walked away, trying to calm her nerves.
“The meeting was amazing but guess what? Olivia arranged for you to come with me to the followup meetings. The head of the assembly will help us advance our ability to communicate telepathically. Would you be interested?”
“Yes, I’d love to do that. I thought that it was against the rules to have an outsider attend.”
“Olivia has a lot of influence in that place. She also knows that we are more than friends. We’re family,” she said firmly.
“Yes, we are, and I can hardly wait,” Eva said excitedly.
“Great. I’ll give you the schedule next time we see each other.”
“Okay, see you later.”
Arielle smiled and shut the phone. She turned to face Sebastian and barreled right into him. She was surprised as he put his arms around her and picked her up.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m carrying you to bed.”
“No, I have things to do.”
“All right then, I’ll go to bed alone.” He set her back down, and gathering her close, he took her mouth in a warm kiss.
“Stop that,” she said breathlessly. “I know what you’re trying to do, and it will not work. I have homework.”
Sebastian laughed gleefully. “I have no idea what you are talking about,” he said and released her. He walked into the bedroom. Relief washed over her, knowing that if he had stayed a few more minutes, she would have given in to his endless desire. Arielle heard his soft laughter and smiled. She walked into the study and sat in front of the computer. Three hours passed and she finally finished her homework. She decided to make some notes into her journal.
October 14th
I am back once again in these blank pages to chat about the bizarre situations that have invaded my world since the last time we talked. You would think that I should be used to shocking events, which keep occurring more often than I want them to ever since I met Sebastian, but somehow I am not.
I found out that Colt Allworth, my professor, and his two colleagues at the university are immortals. I am beginning to ask myself if Gabrielle, Paul, and I are the only humans left in Brighton.
Allworth along with another immortal, Brandon Burgejion, are the heads of the Veneti Society. He knew that I was not a member, so he was very curious as to how I came to wear the amulet Olivia gave me for protection. It was quite unnerving for a while. I hated going to class with Allworth, but in the end it all worked out. He found out the truth and he is pleasant every time we see each other.
Gabrielle was told about Eva and Ian gaining immortality, and at first she freaked out, but she finally came to see that it was better to have them here instead of buried.
Gabby, Eva, and I also told Paul about Loren’s immortality and I think he was very close to throwing up, especially when we followed up with the immortality of Troy, Sebastian, Eva, and Ian. It took him a long time to recover, but it all worked out as well. He still adores Loren and is planning to propose on Christmas.
I have a stalker at school. His name is Christian. I didn’t meet him or talk to him, but I overheard someone calling him by that name. He seems to be everywhere I go. I am a bit freaked out about that but nobody else, including Sebastian, seems to be worried about his presence. I do find that quite strange since I know how overprotective Sebastian is about my well-being.
Olivia and I attended an assembly at the secret society's headquarters where I met Brandon Burgejion. He is absolutely gorgeous. At the assembly, he seemed to study me with great interest. It made me uncomfortable and quite puzzled. After the meeting we were finally introduced and he told me that he was sure we had met somewhere before. How strange is that? I know that I have never met him and I have never seen him in Sebastian’s or his parents' circle.
In any case, we had to drop the subject since neither one of us could remember such a meeting. I have made a commitment to attend the next meeting with all the new members, and I’m bringing Eva with me! I’m so excited about that. Eva and I are looking forward to a better understanding of the amulet's powers. We'd also like to find out a clear explanation of the symbols and the cryptographs in the little black book. When I know more I will come back and put all of it in your pages.
Oh, one more thing, Annabel has not shown her ugly self in Brighton in quite a while, and I am absolutely thrilled.
Closing her journal, she put in her desk drawer and went to get ready for bed. Sebastian was still awake, lying on his back on the crisp white sheets with his arms behind his head, watching the telly. He looked magnificent. Her mouth went dry as she let her gaze roam the length of him. His lips curved, and her world fell apart. She sucked in a deep breath. Yanking her eyes away, she walked into the bathroom.
When she came out, he hadn’t moved an inch. He turned to look at her, and his eyes followed her until she climbed into bed. She lay next to him and draped her hand over his bare chest. Her legs wound around him. His arms moved fast, and with a soft groan he gathered her into a tight embrace. He crushed her lips beneath his. Her body fused to his, and his gaze watched the passion in her eyes. Arielle surrendered once again into the sizzling pleasure, letting him love her witless. Ecstasy enveloped them like a drug that altered their consciousness and overpowered their emotions.
“I love you, Arielle,” he purred against her lips, and she grinned.
“Thank you for loving me,” she breathed into the kiss. They had no idea when they fell
asleep, but they knew that they were in each other’s arms, utterly sated, and bathed in poetic rapture.
Chapter 19
ARIELLE PROMISED HER PARENTS that she and Sebastian would have dinner with them on Sunday evening. The dinner was prompted by Sebastian’s intense request. Her parents were leaving for Spain the following week along with Gabrielle’s parents, Eva’s mom, and a couple more of their friends. This was going to be their first trip together following the accident that landed Gabrielle, Eva, and Ian in the hospital, and changed Eva and Ian’s lives forever, though their parents didn't know the extent of their children's changes.
Sebastian was just as charming as ever, and they had a wonderful time discussing her parents' preparations for the trip. Sebastian gave them great tips just as he did when they went to Africa the year before. He told them the best places to visit, restaurants to frequent, and things to do for fun. Her parents were grateful to receive Sebastian’s input. They had used a lot of Sebastian’s suggestions while in Africa, and found them to be immensely helpful.
Arielle had already discussed her progress at school with her father the day before during their long walk in the garden, so there were no further questions on that subject. Sebastian and her dad turned the conversation to a discussion about business when Arielle helped her mum clear the table.
Soon after Arielle and her mum sat back down, Arielle realized that it was getting late. She rose to her feet, saying, “I have an early class. I think we should be going.” She gazed at Sebastian. He smiled and rose to his feet to stand next to her.
“We’ll be pretty sad to miss your birthday,” her mother said gloomily.
“I’ll be thinking about you,” her father said, and she could sense a wretched tone in his voice.
“It’ll be okay, Daddy, it’s only a birthday and not an important one at that.” Her father smiled kindly. Arielle could feel his affection through his smile. It gave her a warm feeling. Her mother hugged her lovingly.
“I’ll miss you, honey, but I’ll call you on your big day,” she said softly.
“Mummy, I’m not worried about this birthday. Last year’s party was so awesome that it’ll hold me for the next few years.” They all laughed.
Sebastian reached over and took her hand. She rested her eyes on his beautiful face, and she felt nothing but love for this amazing man that the grace of God chose her to be his partner for life.
“Dinner was delicious,” Sebastian said, leaning over and giving her mother a hug. Her mother packed some of the leftovers for them. They promised to keep in touch while they were gone. It had been a wonderful visit and Arielle knew she was going to miss them both, but she was really happy that they were taking this trip with their friends.
In the car Sebastian reached over and took her hand as he always did. “I love you, Arielle,” he whispered.
“Ditto,” she murmured warmly.
“Oh, is this a new expression?”
Turning she met his gaze. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Ditto…” his voice trailed. “Ditto, I’ve never heard you use this word before,” he said, and gave her a slight smile.
Arielle laughed gently realizing that in fact she’d never used that word in his presence. She used it a lot with her girlfriends. “I’m sure that the real reason I’ve never used this word before is that when it comes to you, one word isn’t enough to explain how I feel.”
That amazing smile painted his beautiful lips again. She felt her heart thud wildly. She leaned closer asking for a kiss and he didn’t hesitate. He didn’t start the car, he just turned and literally crushed her lips in a passionate kiss. She shivered as excitement spread across her body; she wanted more. As soon as he broke the kiss, she put her hand behind his neck and pulled him back to her asking for more. She was breathing heavily, and she heard his musical voice.
“Arielle! Stop…” He was panting hard.
She pulled back reluctantly with a frown on her face. He gave her a pointed look, and she winced. She shrugged her shoulders and turned in the other direction. She heard him chuckle softly and felt his strong arm pulling her back toward him. He pierced through her eyes one more time, and a sexy smile tugged the corners of his mouth.
“Don’t be upset, baby,” he murmured. “We’re going home and there is plenty of time for you to show me how much you love me.” He pulled her even closer. His tongue circled her lips and landed in her mouth. She could almost taste his immortal scent. She indulged for as long as she could, wrapping her arms around his neck and refused to let him pull back even one inch. He chuckled through the kiss, but she was too excited to worry about what he was saying. Her hands reached underneath his shirt and she heard him moan. She could feel him shivering every time her hands run over his bare skin. He was panting hard and she was pleased that she was winning this battle until she heard his voice gasping.
“Do you want your parents to wonder why we’re still parked in front of their house? Or do you want to take this home?”
She immediately pulled back horrified. She was so taken by Sebastian’s electrifying presence that she momentarily forgot where they were. She groaned. She shifted awkwardly and laid her head back on the seat, taking in several deep breaths to cool off. She heard his soft laughter and then the car accelerated down the street.
They drove in silence while she fought to regain control of herself. She just couldn’t understand her eagerness to touch him or the heat that his presence ignited inside her soul. What on earth is happening to my self-control? She had been with him for more than a year now, so why hadn't her desire for him faded a bit? Why did his touch feel exactly the same way as it did the very first time he wrapped his arms around her in St. Jean de Luz? Why did her feelings remain so intense and powerful? His amazing self, his gentleness, his gracefulness, and the way he made love to her would have been unimaginable before she experienced them firsthand.
She looked away from Sebastian and stared out the window. Her mind churned with more wild thoughts. Eternity, she thought, and smiled bitterly. Eternity was an inconceivable dream. I am only human and he is this amazing immortal that will live forever, how are we going to work this out? She pressed her lips together and her thoughts fast-forwarded to another day, a day when this dream would come to its ultimate peak: her wedding day. She could vividly see herself walking down the aisle with the implausible desire to become his wife. She could see Sebastian waiting for her, in front of the altar with that beautiful smile on his astonishing face, reaching out to take her hand. She shivered and felt her body tremble from excitement.
A soft clanking sound snapped her back from daydreaming and she jolted in her seat. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. When she looked down, she saw her necklace lying on her lap. What in the world happened? She was still trying to come out of her haze when she felt the weight of his gaze boring through her.
“How...um…how.” She was unable to find any words to complete the sentence. She averted her gaze from the necklace to Sebastian, and met those magical eyes that were releasing all the dazzling power they possessed on her. She immediately went numb. Her mind was wiped clean of every single thought. She stopped breathing altogether and couldn’t focus on his face. She heard her heart hammering in her chest and the blood rushing through her veins, pounding in her ears and brain. She tried to clear a lump in her throat, but she didn’t seem to be able to do anything at all. She gave up and slumped back in her seat. She heard a faint chuckle, but she had absolutely no idea what transpired in that small fragment of time. The last thing she could remember was those deep emerald eyes. It took but a few minutes and suddenly everything came slamming back in her head.
“What in bloody hell happened?” she finally called out, finding her voice.
“What happened?” she asked again, staring at the amulet still lying on her lap in disbelief.
Sebastian laughed softly and unbuckled his seat belt. She looked around and realized that they already parked inside the garage. She picked up he
r necklace and placed it back where it belonged. She was startled to hear her door open. Sebastian was already standing outside her door and reaching in to help her out of the car. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him. His mouth found hers in a longing kiss. He held her close as his lips traced the side of her face and then came back to her mouth. Once again she became lost in his warmth and eagerness. He pulled back gasping, and she pulled him back to her not wanting the moment to end.
“Sebastian, what happened to my necklace?” she asked. He chuckled again and his voice dropped to a mere whisper.
“Arielle, I’ve told you before, that I can’t stand not knowing what you are thinking. You went for a very long time without saying a word lost in your thoughts. I just couldn’t bear it any longer! I had to know, so I took your necklace off.” He was smiling, clearly amused. “I loved everything I saw in there,” he said, and pointed at her head. She winced, her face registering perplexity.
“Your speed is something I still can't understand. It’s driving me crazy and sometimes it scares that hell out of me. I never saw you move and never felt your hand undoing the clasp. How in the world? When?” She was mid-sentence when she realized that they were not standing at the garage any longer. They were lying in bed.
“Is this what you mean?” he said, and broke out into a hearty laugh.
“This is exactly what I mean,” she said, out of breath. “How did we get here?” She shook her head and groaned again. “I just will never understand! This will remain a total mystery. I’ll have to try hard to get used to this kind of speed.”
Sebastian seemed to be oblivious to her ranting. “Do you want to pick up where you left off when we were outside your parents' house?” he asked.
Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5) Page 18