Arielle Immortal Seduction (19 page)

Arielle rested her head on his chest, feeling his strength and his warmth. How can he love a simple human like me when he could have any of the most beautiful women in his immortal world? she thought. I’ll never understand his thinking, but I’ll accept him as a major gift in my life.

“Sebastian, if we ever wanted to have children we could always adopt,” she said. “But please don’t worry. This will never become an issue in our relationship.”

They walked on the warm sand for a while longer as they talked about their friends and family. That is when he told her about the wonderful friends he had made in the beginning of his immortal life, and how it had all ended badly. He had had to move away when his friends started to age and he remained noticeably young, or they had passed on and left him alone with an unbelievable pain over their loss. He never made close friends again.

They drove to the hotel holding hands. He turned the radio on and whistled to an old song that Arielle had never heard before, making her smile. He really is Darcy, she thought. He is so passionate, so in love with me. She felt contentment and a pleasant sense of ease in her life, but she was sure that the pattern would change at some point in time. She knew she would have to deal with Annabel, so full of hatred and revulsion for her. I’m not going to think about her anymore today, she thought, pushing the thought from her head. I’m going to enjoy the day.

Once in the room, she decided to give Sebastian his presents. She wanted them to be alone and to enjoy his reaction.

“For me?” he asked, looking very surprised. She handed him her small pile of packages.

“Yes, and I hope you like them,” she said, smiling shyly.

He looked like a little boy, full of excitement as he held the packages in his arms. She smiled, pleased, and watched him open the small package first. A brilliant smile spread across his face.

“Oh, Arielle! This is quite a gift. First edition books. I wish you hadn’t spent your money on me. You are the only gift that I’ll ever need. But I do love the books.” His delight was clear.

“This one is one of my favorites,” he said, holding up
Pride and Prejudice
.

“And this one,” he added, holding up the other book. “I’m sure it’s going to be a great book. I’ve read several of Andrew Lang’s books and I think he is absolutely a wonderful author. I don’t know what to say. I’m at a loss for words.” He reached out and pulled her close for a kiss.

“Thank you, you are my Lizzy!” he said, smiling. “You didn’t have to give me anything at all, but I love it that you did.” Next, he opened the CDs and he was pleased with those as well. “You know the music that I like,” he said approvingly. The jacket took him aback. He stood up and put it on, and stared in the mirror without saying a word. There was silence for a long time. Arielle was hoping she hadn’t made some kind of mistake. She moved closer to him and put her arms around his waist.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

He turned to face her with sadness across his face. He said, “This is the first time in centuries that I have received clothes as a gift. The last people who ever did that for me were my real parents.”

She pulled his face to hers and kissed him. “I love you, Sebastian, you are everything to me,” she said. He pulled her into his arms, pressing his gorgeous lips on hers in a fervent kiss.

“Thank you so much for my beautiful presents,” he said. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a present for you, and I feel bad.”

“Sebastian, you have already given me everything I could ever want. Thank you for wanting me to be your wife. And what about my beautiful ring?”

His arms were under her shirt now, his warm palms pressed against her lower back, pulling her close. Arielle held her breath as his mouth came down on hers. Time stopped, as she fell into a whirlpool of sensual emotion.

“I want you,” he whispered, and gasped as she unbuttoned his jeans.

“What do you want, Arielle?” he murmured, mirth in his voice.

Arielle looked up and their gaze locked. His eyes were passionate.

“You,” she breathed. Excitement was overwhelming Arielle, and she was having difficulty in keeping herself erect. Without warning, he swooped her up into his arms and she squealed. His soft laughter washed over her, filling her with want.

“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

“I’m taking you to bed.””

Chapter 16

I
t was nearly 1:30 when they decided to get up and get ready. Arielle took a shower and got dressed. She put on a silk chiffon blouse and a short skirt. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She felt completely happy.

He held her at arm’s length and examined her, grinning with pleasure. “I think this color is beautiful against your skin.”

“You’d better get dressed,” she said. “We’re supposed to be there by around two thirty.” His reply was to kiss her as he walked into the shower, whistling.

While they were driving to the flat Sebastian asked Arielle about her friendship with Gabrielle and Eva. “We’ve been best friends since primary school,” she said. “At first I thought that friends were just people to spend time with to laugh, and to share secrets with,” she said. “But when I grew older I realized that friends are far more than just that. Gabrielle and Eva touched my heart, and I truly love them,” she said. “Sometimes we spent hours together doing nothing, and we still have a great time just because we are together. We’ve laughed and cried so much over the years. I’ve never ever thought of passing judgment on them, and I know for sure they have never judged me, or tried to change anything about me.” She stopped and paused, thinking. “I know that friendship is a true gift from God,” she said. “I treasure every moment I spend with Gabrielle and Eva.”

She stopped talking and sighed as she looked out the window. She was thinking about the dreadful secret she had kept to herself all these years, afraid to share with anyone except her father. She pressed her lips together as she always did when she was feeling stressed over something. Sebastian pressed her hand gently and she looked at him.

“Is it something you can share with me?” he asked.

Arielle kept quiet, as if she had not heard the question, but tears welled up in her eyes. Sebastian pulled over to the side of the road and looked at her intensely.

“Arielle, what is it?”

She looked down. “I really don’t want to talk about it just now,” she said quietly.

“All right, we will not talk about it, then,” he said. “Do you want to go to the flat, or do you want to drive for a while before we do that?”

He was so caring and tender as he put his arm about her.

“It’s all right, there is no need to stress over whatever is bothering you,” he said. “Just let me know what to do.”

She sat quietly for a short time. He reached over and wiped her eyes with his thumb, and smiled lovingly. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too, and I’m sorry about this,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

She composed herself. “I’m ready to go now,” she said, smiling once again. He stepped on the gas and before long they were in front of the girls’ flat. The door was wide open and Arielle’s friends greeted them with happy faces as they walked in. They spent several wonderful hours together, exchanging gifts, laughing, and having drinks. Arielle could see that Sebastian was having a great time, laughing, and talking with the guys. That filled her with happiness too.

She feigned surprise when she got her gifts from Gabrielle and Eva even though she already knew exactly what she was getting. The girls loved the jewelry she had chosen for them.

Next, Arielle walked over to Troy, put her right arm around his back, and handed him his present.

“This is a very small gift, just a token really, for someone who has saved my life three times. I love you, Troy, and I treasure your friendship.” He looked at her, completely taken aback as a smile spread across his face. He pulled her close and gave her a warm, friendly hug.

“Thank you, Arielle. You didn’t have to do this,” he said. “You have already given me the gift of support with the most important step in my life.” He smiled and looked over at Gabrielle, and Arielle knew exactly what he meant. He kissed her on the cheek, looking extremely pleased.

Next, she walked over to Ian and handed him his gift, along with a huge hug.

“Happy Christmas, Ian, I love you as well. And I treasure your friendship more than you will ever know. Thank you for making Eva so happy.” He wrapped his arms around Arielle and gave her a warm and loving embrace.

“I love you, too, Arielle. Thank you for being so thoughtful.” Arielle looked across the room at Gabrielle and Eva, and thought of how much she loved them. They have been better than sisters to me, she thought, with a sudden rush of emotion. She was happy that the three of them had found love at the same time, and that the most important people in their lives liked each other. It would be so sad if they didn’t. She hated that she and Gabrielle were keeping Sebastian and Troy’s nature a secret from Eva. But it’s not easy to explain, she thought. I know we will find a way to do that in the future, but not now. Not today.

As Arielle handed Paul his gift, he held her close and kissed her on the cheek. “You are still my number one girl,” he whispered. She knew Sebastian could hear a pin drop miles away, so she was sure he had heard Paul’s remark, and she saw an uneasy look cross his face. She smiled at Paul and hugged him back.

“You know that I’ll always be there for you,” she said. “I love you, Paul, and thank you for always being there to support me.”

Ian, Troy, and Paul were all happy with the shirts she had chosen for them, and Paul gave her a beautiful sweater that matched the color of her eyes. Sebastian was thrilled with Eva and Gabrielle’s gifts to him. He looked Arielle’s way a couple of times, grinning, and he could see the warmth in her eyes.

Time went by quickly, even though they were there for several hours. But finally it was time to go and get ready for their dinner with Arielle’s parents. It had been a beautiful day, but by the time they were driving to dinner it had started to drizzle. Looking at the sky, she could see that there was more rain to come. The roads were wet and glowing from the streetlights. Arielle stared out the window, wondering what the future held for her. Sebastian took her hand and pressed it lightly, making her turn toward him. When she did, he leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

“You are drifting away from me again,” he said. “I don’t like not being able to read your thoughts. I need to know what you are thinking.”

She smiled and kept quiet. He was right, but she was not sure of what to say. He didn’t press her with any questions, and before long they were standing at her parents’ front door. Sebastian carried her packages in one arm, and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her close. Arielle was carrying the bottle of wine that Sebastian had chosen for tonight.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said. She pushed the doorbell and shortly after, her mother was standing in the doorway, looking happy to see them.

“Your father is in the living room,” she said in a low voice. Arielle handed her the bottle of wine and her mother chuckled with pleasure.

“You do keep your promises,” she said, gazing up at Sebastian warmly.

“Always,” he replied, pleasantly.

Arielle’s father was sitting in the living room reading a book. He looked tired. Arielle crossed the room and hugged him affectionately. “Happy Christmas, Daddy, I love you,” she said.

He stood up and shook Sebastian’s hand with a big smile. They sat and talked for a while about business, about the previous night’s party, and about the plans Arielle’s parents had for taking a trip to Africa. Arielle was happy to hear that they were going to go somewhere alone to enjoy some time together, away from everything. It had been a long time since she had seen them go anywhere without friends or family.

Arielle’s father talked about Africa and all that he had read about it, and Sebastian joined in. He told them about several trips he had taken to Johannesburg and Cape Town, and gave Arielle’s father suggestions about places to visit, expeditions to take, and restaurants where the food was excellent.

“Regardless of when you decide to take an African safari it will be a rewarding experience for you,” he said. “It’s something you’ll never find anywhere else in the world.” His magical voice had taken all three of them to another place, just listening to him.

“This is fascinating, Sebastian,” Arielle’s father enthused. “Thank you so much for all these great bits of information. It will make our journey so much more interesting.”

“Please excuse me for a few moments,” Arielle’s mother said, standing up reluctantly. “I’d better see about dinner.”

“Arielle, can you play something for us?” her father asked. At first she demurred, but Sebastian and her father urged her to play the piano for them.

She chose a very appropriate piece for the night, an excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, the elegant “Christmas” waltz. She loved that piece. When she finished, Sebastian remained transfixed, overcome with pleasure, and her father had tears in his eyes.

“Dinner is ready,” her mother called. When they walked into the dining room, she gave Arielle a huge kiss.

“I love to hear you play the piano,” she said. Arielle smiled shyly and sat down next to Sebastian. He reached over and held her hand under the table, pressing it softly.

The table was dazzling and the food smelled wonderful. There was a beautiful arrangement of pine and holly in the middle of the table. They ate hungrily since they had had nothing since breakfast. They drank champagne to celebrate all being together.

After dinner they exchanged gifts. Arielle’s father was very pleased with his book, thumbing through it with extreme interest. He opened the map and put on his glasses to study it closely. He almost looked like he was lost in another era. How ironic, Arielle thought to herself. Sebastian is the one who really has been lost in other eras. Finally he looked up from the book, his eyes moist, and said, “Thank you, pumpkin. Your gift is perfect.”

“I’m so happy you like it, Daddy. I know you will enjoy reading it.”

Arielle’s mother took the sweater out of its box and exclaimed with joy. “My favorite color.” She went into the other room and came back wearing it. It was perfect, and the color made her eyes look brighter than ever. She threw the scarf around her neck and smiled a brilliant smile, full of delight.

“Thank you dear, I love my gifts, and I love you.” She came close to Arielle and gave her a hug. “I love you too, Mum.” Arielle said, “I love you with all my heart.”

Arielle’s gift from her parents was an Apple notebook and a digital movie camera. She was ecstatic. She needed the computer badly since the one she had was ready to die at any moment. She was happy about the camera because she had left hers back in St. Jean de Luz.

“I couldn’t be happier,” she said, looking at her parents. “Thank you so much!”

“Arielle, come and see what Sebastian gave Daddy and me for Christmas,” her mother said. “They arrived yesterday, and they’re absolutely gorgeous.” She took Arielle’s hand and walked to the front door. Outside Arielle saw two of the most exquisite planters she had ever seen set on either side at the entrance to the house. Arielle’s mouth dropped as she looked at Sebastian in wonder.

“Oh, Mother, they are beautiful.”

“Sixteenth century French,” her mother said. “Finished in unglazed terracotta. They are from St. Jean de Fos. Aren’t they gorgeous?” Then, she turned and hugged Sebastian.

Arielle looked at him and saw a smile of deep satisfaction spread across his beautiful face. I couldn’t love him anymore than I love him right this moment, Arielle thought. He’s so amazing, and he never stops surprising me with how generous and how thoughtful he is. She was so happy to see her mother in such a state of delight it filled her heart with pleasure.

When they walked back inside Arielle saw her father looking at Sebastian, letting him know how much they appreciated his gift. Then it was time for coffee and dessert. They chattered happily about the wonderful meal Arielle’s mother had prepared, and everyone’s delight with their Christmas gifts.

It was getting late, and Sebastian and Arielle were preparing to leave when Arielle noticed her father and Sebastian exchanging strange looks. She didn’t think too much about it until she saw them getting up and asking her to follow them. She looked at her mum in confusion, but she just looked away. Arielle saw a faint smile touch her lips.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“Just follow me, darling, and you’ll see,” was her father’s reply. She followed her dad towards the door leading to the garage, and watched him as he flung the door open and waved her ahead of him. By now her curiosity had reached an incredible height. He flipped the light switch on and Arielle’s mouth fell open. She was shocked speechless. Right there in front of her was a brand new, bright red Porsche Boxster was parked, with a huge red bow and a big sign on the windshield with the words “Merry Christmas, Arielle” written across it.