Arielle Immortal Seduction (11 page)

“Miss me,”
he said, and then he was gone.

After they hung up, Arielle lay in bed and closed her eyes, her thoughts turning to Gabrielle and Troy. She knew Troy was in great pain, trying to make Gabrielle understand who he was. She had seen how difficult that was for Sebastian. She also knew how frightened and alone she had felt when she had first learned about Sebastian’s true nature. If she loves him half as much as I love Sebastian, she will make the right decision, she thought. Still, I should be there for her.

She walked out the bedroom and saw that everyone was getting ready to leave. It had been a long, hard day, and everyone was tired. Ian stayed with Eva while Troy took Gabrielle to his house, volunteering to drop Paul off at his flat on the way home.

Arielle went back to bed, and as she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was about Sebastian’s amazing face. I miss him so much. Being with him is really all I want. His face is what I want to see before I go to bed every night and the first thing I want to see when I wake up every morning.

When she next opened her eyes, she realized that she had slept for a long time. She got out of bed and pulled the curtains back, letting the sunlight burst into her room. The sky was clear, but it looked like it had rained all night. She walked into the kitchen and put the teapot on, then jumped into the shower. Her head was still tender and she had to be careful not to get water on the stitches. When she heard her phone ring she turned the water off, reaching outside the shower door to answer.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hey, baby!”

A huge smile covered her face and she felt her body go limp with excitement.

“I miss you so much, I can feel it in my bones,” she said, giggling.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m actually standing in the shower, dripping wet,” she said. “I thought it might be Troy calling and I didn’t want to miss the call.”

“Mmmm, I wish I was there,” he said, desire in his voice.

“Me too,” she said, sighing softly.

“I guess you haven’t heard from Gabrielle or Troy?”

“No, but I’ve been thinking about them. I didn’t want to intrude because I know what is going on right now. I’m sure Troy will call me when he’s ready.”

“Arielle, I don’t like this long distance relationship. I’m hurting every moment I’m away from you. I couldn’t sleep last night after we hung up. The vision of you is like a burst of stars that keeps me mesmerized. I’m worthless without you.”

“I’m happy to hear that you miss me because I don’t like being away from you either.”

“Finish your shower and call me later.”

“I’ll call you after I talk with Troy,” she promised.

“Miss me!” And once again, he was gone.

She was dressed and finishing up her first cup of tea when her mobile rang again. This time it was Troy.

“Hey, Troy.”

“Can you come over?” Troy asked, voice subdued, filled with concern.

“Yes, I can. Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure, but I think Gabrielle is very scared,” he said. “And she doesn’t want me to be anywhere near her,” he added.

“Don’t worry, Troy, that’s exactly how I felt. She will change. And I’m on the way.”

“Thanks, Arielle,” he said softly, and then he was gone. Arielle took a cup of tea with her as she got into the car and drove to Troy’s house. He was waiting for her at the door. “She’s in the bedroom,” he said. “And she’s pretty upset.”

Arielle walked into the room. Gabrielle was sitting on the bed looking gloomy, no expression on her face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she was shaking slightly. Arielle ran to her and put her arms around her friend, who held her tightly.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Gabrielle said, beginning to sob uncontrollably.

“Gabrielle, it’s all right. I know you love Troy more than anything in this world. He is nice, warm, and loves you. He isn’t some wicked person that would ever hurt you. He’s just a guy that has lived for a long time, and he’s going to live forever. He’s not evil. He isn’t a ghost. He’s an immortal, and there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Gabby shook her head as if she was unable to understand what Arielle was saying. Arielle took her friends hands, looked her straight in the eyes, and then asked, “Do you love him, Gabby?”

“Yes, more than anything in this world.”

“Would you have fallen in love with him if you knew what he was?”

“I am sure I would have,” Gabrielle said. “I don’t think I can live without him.”

“So, then you need to let him know how you feel. He’s so worried about you. He loves you, and he’s afraid of losing you.”

“How do you know about Troy? Why did he tell you before he told me?”

“He didn’t tell me, Gabby, I knew what he was the first time I met him because…because I’m familiar with immortals.”

Gabrielle stared at her motionless, transfixed, as if waiting for her to continue, afraid of what she might say next.

“Sebastian is an immortal too,” Arielle said.

Gabrielle’s eyes were still full of tears but now her expression was one of shock.

“Sebastian?” she asked. “Your Sebastian? He is also an immortal?”

“Yes,” Arielle said. “Do you remember when you and Eva asked me where I had found him? And do you remember how he could dazzle you just by looking into your eyes?”

“Yes, I remember that,” Gabrielle said slowly, a faraway look in her eyes.

“Well, Troy has the same ability to dazzle anyone at any time. He just hasn’t chosen to release it on you as of yet,” Arielle said, smiling.

Gabrielle was very quiet, her lips pursed in anxiety. But she had stopped crying. Finally, she looked at Arielle.

“How did you feel when you found out about Sebastian?” she asked.

“Pretty much like you do right now,” Arielle said. “I completely freaked out at first. But as the time passed, I realized that my heart was telling me that no matter what, we belong together.”

“I need time to absorb this,” Gabrielle said. “I spent the whole night with him, listening to words that didn’t make any sense to me at all. I wouldn’t let him touch me,” she added. “I was afraid to be near him.”

“Gabby, you have to let him know that you love him. He is crushed, thinking that you don’t want to touch him because he is some kind of a freak. Rejection is a terrible thing, and that is exactly what he feels right now.”

She kissed her friend on the cheek and whispered softly, “He needs to feel your arms around him, he needs to know that you love him. I saw his eyes when I walked in. He is dying. He thinks you aren’t going to accept him for who he is.”

She paused, searching for the right words. “This isn’t something he chose, you know,” she said. “This is a life that was given to him by someone else, and he just has to make the best of it.”

She looked at Gabrielle, trying to find the right words, the words that would make her understand. “How would you feel if you were unable to make friends just as you and I can? How would you like to see the people you love get old, get sick and die, while you remained young and beautiful forever? Do you think that would be a blessing or a curse? I think it’s a terrible curse,” she said. “But he has to live with it.”

“I’m starting to understand a little bit about the way he feels,” Gabrielle said. “I love him so much, and it hurts me to think that things might not work between us.”

“Then you will have to do everything you can to
make
it work,” Arielle said firmly. “Troy is wonderful, and I love him as a friend. He has saved my life three times since the day I met him, so I also pretty much consider him a guardian angel. Please don’t hurt him. He loves you so much.”

“You’re right,” Gabrielle said. “I
do
love him, and he is wonderful.”

“You told me yourself he is a great lover—so, as you can see, he is very normal in every way apart from that one small little thing, that he will live forever. Is that so bad?” She couldn’t hold back her laughter, and now Gabby even joined in. Arielle was so glad to see her friend’s smiling face again, and to know that Troy could hear her laughter. Gabrielle’s eyes dried up and Arielle could see a faint smile peeking out.

“Do you want me to call him?” she asked. “I think he is aching for you.”

“Yes, I think I’m ready.”

Arielle found Troy sitting in the living room with his face resting in his hands, looking miserable.

“She wants to see you now,” Arielle said with a smile.

Troy’s eyes sparkled as he jumped up, and he gave Arielle a huge hug. “Thanks, Arielle,” he said softly, looking back as he practically flew to the bedroom.

As Arielle left Troy’s place she was filled with happiness, knowing that her friends were together, and that they loved each other. They had a lot of making up to do. Arielle knew the feeling. She too was aching for her beautiful dream, but he was so far away.

What a great day for them, she thought as she got into her car and headed home. She hit the button on her phone and her own magical dream answered the phone.

“Hey, you sexy man,” she whispered, in her most seductive voice. Joyful laughter coming from the other end was his response.

“Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Lizzy?” he asked, with a soft chuckle.

“Yep. How am I doing?”

“You’ve got me all flustered,” he said, “and you are lucky I’m not there.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Arielle teased, as if she had no idea what he was insinuating.

“I think you know exactly what I’m saying,” he laughed again.

“Well, you got me so excited I almost forgot what I called you for. I just left Troy’s place. They had a pretty wild night, just like we did a couple of months ago.”

“How is Gabrielle doing?”

“She freaked out, just as I did, but she’s fine now. She loves him, so it doesn’t make any difference what he is.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that.”

“Mmmm…” Arielle murmured.

“What?”

“I am trying to feel your arms around my waist and taste the amazing scent in your mouth.”

“You will be the death of me for sure,” he murmured. “I have my eyes closed and I am holding you now, do you feel me?”

“No, that’s not working for me,” Arielle snorted. “I need you really right here, right now,” she replied, with a rueful laugh.

“You sound very demanding,” he said. “Are you?”

“Yes, I am. Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, not at all. I’ll be there soon.” Arielle could hear him take a deep breath and exhale, as if he were pretty flustered. She chuckled with great satisfaction as she heard him say, laughing as he spoke, “Well, you’ve succeeded in getting me all rattled. I’m going to have a hard time getting back to work now.”

“I am glad to hear that,” she said, smiling. “You know they say that misery loves company.”

He chuckled again as he whispered softly, “You don’t know how lucky you are that I’m not there.”

“How lucky am I? Please do tell,” she pressed on, and giggled.

“The way I feel right now it could be dangerous to your health,” he snorted.

“Bring it on, Gaulle,” she said.

“Oh, is that a challenge?” he whispered breathlessly.

“Yes, come and face it, Gaulle. I’m waiting!”

“Oh, my God, woman, you will be the death of me,” he said, sucking in a shuddering breath.

“I love you, Sebastian.”

“I love you too.
Miss me
, baby,” he said. And the phone went dead.

Chapter 10

I
t was getting close to the time of her parents’ Christmas party, and Arielle was getting very excited. This was going to be a most special time for her. Sebastian, her miracle boyfriend, would be her date for the party. One day, shortly before he was due to arrive, her mother called and asked her to come by the house to check the last minute details for the party. I guess I can do that, after all I haven’t had anyone trying to kill me in the past two weeks, and I will not be alone, Arielle thought. She smiled inwardly.

Gabrielle, Eva, and Arielle had made plans to do some Christmas shopping together, so they agreed to drive by Arielle’s parents’ home on the way to the shopping center. Eva jumped into the shower, leaving Arielle and Gabrielle to chitchat about details of their shopping needs.

“When do you think we can talk to Eva about Troy and Sebastian?” Gabrielle said in a low voice, after making sure that Eva was out of earshot.

“I think we should clear that with the guys, and make sure that it’s okay with them for us to make their identity known. I don’t think that we should make that decision for them,” Arielle said, and Gabrielle agreed.

Twenty minutes later, they were on their way. When they arrived at the house they embarked onto a delightful Christmassy atmosphere. The house was freshly painted a soft bone color that enhanced the look of the large white marble staircase leading to the front doors. The front garden was absolutely gorgeous. The large green trees and bushes were neatly trimmed, and there were thousands of holly berries glistening like rubies when the sunshine burst over them. There were flowers blooming everywhere, broadleaf evergreen shrubs loaded with little strands of gem-like buds, and finally helleborus, with its magnificent blooms, amazing against the dark green foliage. All these flowers created a beautiful sweep of colors, making the house indescribably beautiful.

The beveled glass on the two front doors had been cleaned, and it sparkled like diamonds. Two huge evergreen wreaths were hung on the doors, decorated with pinecones and beautiful ornaments. The bottom of each wreath had a large, elegant bow, with ribbons extending close to the ground. Smaller wreaths were hanging in all the windows. There were huge pots full of stunning poinsettias decorating the front balcony and on the stairs leading up to the front door.

My gosh
, Arielle thought. If this is the outside, I wonder what it will look like inside. Gabrielle and Eva noticed every little flower, wreath, and bow pointing out the details with excitement. They all loved this time of the year. They walked around to the back door and went inside.

As they entered the house, they enjoyed the wonderful aroma. Arielle loved the fragrance of freesia potpourri. To her, the familiar scent was part of being home. Inside, the house looked just as fabulous. The chandeliers had been shined and were sparkling. There was pine garland on the staircases, and the four fireplace mantels were all decorated with elegant red bows and sparkly gold ribbons. Everywhere there were gorgeous candleholders with red and green candles.

In the ballroom, a twenty-foot Christmas tree stood loaded with beautiful ornaments. Each ornament was unique, representing some special moment in Arielle’s parents’ lives—some purchased during various family trips to faraway places, others representing sentimental events. A red velvet tree skirt was embroidered with beautiful holiday designs. A magnificent toy train set up in a large circle around the tree made Arielle smile with happiness. Glancing up, she met her father’s gaze. Instant recall flooded their thoughts, and they both smiled wide at the vivid memories of Christmas mornings she had spent lying on the floor, making the train run fast and slow, blowing the horn every five minutes, and hearing her father laugh with pure delight. She could almost smell the hot chocolate once again from those memorable Christmas mornings so long ago.

Another large tree in the foyer was also loaded with ornaments, some sentimental, some just pretty. Driving by the house at night, the lights on the tree made the foyer look magical through the beveled glass. There were poinsettias in every corner of the house and in front of all the fireplaces. Gorgeous silk tablecloths covered the tables and mistletoe was hanging on each chandelier and hallway light, giving people ample opportunity to kiss and be merry. Arielle’s mother walked into the ballroom smiling; she could tell the girls were mesmerized, and she was very pleased.

“Oh, Mummy, everything is perfect,” Arielle cried, giving her mother a big hug.

“I can’t wait until Saturday night,” Eva cried out joyfully. Arielle’s mother smiled, pleased with their reaction.

“We’re going Christmas shopping, is there anything you need, Mum?”

“No, dear, have a nice time,” she said, giving her a peck on the cheek. “I will see you girls on Saturday night,” she called out, standing at the door as they all climbed into Arielle’s car and left to do their Christmas shopping.

Arielle already knew what to get for her parents and her friends, but she had to think hard about what to give Sebastian. There was no way she could spend the kind of money he could, but she wanted to find something special, something that would be meaningful to him.

Bristol is a beautiful and enchanting seaside town with seven miles of seafront and tons of places to shop. The girls drove to the oldest part of town, where the Lanes, the girls’ favorite place to shop, was located, and parked the car.

There were no cars allowed inside the small streets of the open-air mall, allowing people to walk safely from one store to another. The sun was shining, and the girls could smell the fresh sea air. It was very busy, due to the approaching holidays. They walked through the narrow, winding streets full of happy people shopping at the boutiques and specialty shops. It was a nice day and they walked slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. The ocean breeze felt cool on their faces and made them smile with pleasure. Everything was so festive; all the windows were decorated with wreaths, red bows, and candles. It was such a cheerful atmosphere that it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement.

Arielle usually preferred to shop alone, especially when she was planning to spend hours in a bookstore. It was Christmas, however, and it was time to shop with her friends, gossiping and having a great time. Gabby and Eva needed to shop for their parents as well, so it was easy to choose where they were going first.

Arielle’s mother was first on her gift list. Arielle wanted to find something that would make her holiday extra special. She wasn’t very hard to shop for, she always appreciated everything, no matter how small or large the gift. They walked into one of the boutiques and spread out to look for gifts. Arielle’s mother loved clothes, so she purchased a beautiful light blue cashmere sweater to complement her eyes, and a gorgeous multicolored scarf that would look great with the sweater.

“Scarves are one of my mother’s weaknesses,” Arielle said to the cashier who admired it. “She’s going to love this one,” Eva said approvingly, and Gabby nodded. They had their gifts boxed and wrapped, and walked out, pleased with their choices.

Arielle’s father was next on her list. She had the perfect gift in mind for him. They walked into one of the oldest bookstores in the mall and she looked for something she knew her dad would love. It was a first edition of Bury’s 1835 edition of Gibbon’s eighteenth century masterpiece about the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. It included a huge nineteenth century engraved folio and a map of the Roman Empire under Constantine, with the original outline hand colored. Arielle knew her father would absolutely love this book, as he had an enormous interest in the Roman Empire as well as in Constantinople.

Gabrielle found and purchased a rare 1720 Boston edition of Culpeper’s
Pharmacopoeia Londinensis
, the first full-length medical book published in the American colonies about household treatments for illness. It was quite rare, with only a few copies in the world. She was so excited, knowing that her father read medical journals day in and day out, and loved anything that had to do with medicine. Arielle caught a glimpse of sadness in Eva’s face and knew she was missing her father. She put her arm around Eva and whispered, “Your father is always with you now.” Eva squeezed Arielle back and smiled a grateful smile.

The girls’ next stop was at a small boutique, where they looked at custom-made jewelry. Arielle knew how much both of her friends loved jewelry, and that is exactly what she found for them. She knew they would be doing the same thing for her, and that made her smile. She also purchased a beautiful blue shirt for Paul, and shirts for Ian and Troy, consulting with Gabrielle and Eva concerning color and styles. Gabrielle and Eva also bought beautiful shirts for Sebastian. Again they had their gifts boxed and wrapped.

“Well, that’s it,” Arielle announced as they left the store. “At least as far as family and friends are concerned.”

There was only one person each of them still had left on their list, and they knew it would take time and a lot of thought to get the right thing for the men who had given purpose to their lives. The girls walked back to the car and locked their packages in the trunk. They agreed to spend the rest of the afternoon shopping for their new outfits for the party and searching for special gifts for their guys.

They had already been on their feet for a while, so they decided to sit down first at one of the bistros and order some delicious freshly baked pastries and cold drinks. Eva was so happy with her engagement ring that she kept looking at it every five seconds, making Gabrielle and Arielle laugh with delight. They talked about everything and anything. Arielle told her friends that she still didn’t have the flight information from Sebastian, and she was hoping there would be an e-mail message waiting for her when she got back to the flat. He was supposed to arrive the next afternoon and she just couldn’t wait.

After a pleasant hour spent at the bistro, the girls moved on to find a boutique that specialized in holiday dresses. Arielle fell in love with a little silver strapless dress that looked amazing on her and found a pair of high heels to complement the dress. She walked into one of the fitting rooms while Gabrielle and Eva were still searching for their dresses.

When she had the dress on, Arielle thought it was the most beautiful dress she had ever owned, and with the high heels, she looked amazing. Suddenly she heard gasping and laughter outside the fitting room.

“What’s going on out there?” she called.

“Oh, nothing important,” said Gabrielle, still laughing. “How does the dress look?”

“I love it! I’m going to buy it.”

“Come out and let us see!” Gabrielle urged, still chuckling.

“What has gotten into you two? What’s so funny?”

“Oh, it’s Eva, you know how she is,” Gabrielle said. She was trying to suppress her giggling but not succeeding very well. Arielle smiled, thinking of Eva and her frequent outbursts of nonsense.

“I’ll come out in a sec,” Arielle said. She wanted to make sure the dress was right for the party. She was thinking about what Sebastian would say and hoping he would think she looked amazing in it. She fixed her hair and put a little blush on her cheeks, wanting her friends to have a realistic sense of what she would look like at the party.

“Well, can we see it?” Eva asked impatiently.

“Yes, let me know what you think,” Arielle said, as she pushed the door open and stepped out. Then she gasped in shock, eyes wide, unable to speak. She felt lightheaded and nearly lost her balance. She had to grab onto the door to keep from dropping to the floor. There in front of her stood the most beautiful man on this earth, the love of her life. He looked like Adonis with that amazing smile on his gorgeous face. He wore a pair of jeans with a white shirt that accented the beauty of his body. Arielle was taken aback, not understanding how this was possible.

“Sebastian!” she cried out, and flew into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him without holding back. He looked elated at her reaction. Gabrielle and Eva were laughing with sheer delight.

“But how? When? What?” Arielle stumbled. She had all these questions, but she couldn’t seem to get out a complete sentence.

Sebastian pushed her softly back away from him, and looked at her from head to toe. His eyes were fixed on her. He let out a long whistle of approval and then pulled her back into his arms.

“You will be the death of me,” he said, in that hushed voice, adding almost in a whisper, “You look spectacular.”

Arielle wrapped her arms around his neck again and pulled herself flush against his gorgeous body. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath, and leaning down he brushed his lips against her ear. He pressed gently at the lower part of her back and pulled her even closer.