Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6) (5 page)

“Are you ready to go? Do you feel comfortable?” he asked. She nodded and watched him mount his horse in a graceful movement.
He
looked so distinguished in his riding gear that he took her breath
away.

“Let’s go; we’ll ride at your pace,” he said smiling.

She gave a gentle nudge to Moonlight’s side and set out on a low gallop, picking up speed gradually. She knew she could go faster,
but she was set to surprise him to better enjoy his reaction. They rode for more than a half hour, talking about all kinds of subjects. He
was
clearly enjoying her company. She thought this was a good time to let him know that she could ride quite well. She chuckled under her breath
and took a firm grip on the reins as she gave a hard nudge into Moonlight’s gut. He took off at full gallop. She looked back and
laughed out loud. Sebastian appeared shocked. She heard his joyful laughter as he took off after her.

“You lied,” he called out with elation. He had caught up with her easily. She looked at him with eyes full of love, but she hoped that he didn’t know her inner feelings. Complete exhilaration took
over her as
the ground seemed to fly right past her and the scenery became
blurry.
She took a deep breath and smiled, watching the horse’s ears tuck
back tightly. Moonlight's hooves were barely touching the ground.

They crossed quite a distance when suddenly they were in front of the beautiful lake she had seen from the bedroom window the night before. It was breathtaking. She pulled on the reins and
stopped close to the water. Sebastian stopped next to her.

“You are a pretty good rider. How come you lied?”

“I never lied. I said that I was scared of horses, and that is an absolute truth,” she said.

“I took it to mean that you couldn’t ride when in fact you can,” he said grinning. She didn’t reply, just stared wide-eyed over the water.

“What is it?” he asked, watching her intently.

“The view…is breathtaking,” she said. She slid off her horse,
quite
a feat with the dress around her. Taking the reins, she walked slowly to the edge of the water. Enjoying the scenery, she stood silently. Sebastian dismounted and walked to stand right next to her. His
body brushed
her side, leaving his fragrant scent to tempt her. Her breath held in
her throat, and her body shivered.

“You are beautiful,” he whispered. Arielle turned to look at him. Their lips locked in a warm kiss filled with desire. She quivered, and he pulled back gasping. He looked lost for words. Clearly struggling to suppress his desire, he shook his head.

“Will I see you again?” he asked anxiously. She could hear
anxiety in his voice.

“Yes,” she replied, knowing that her reply was true.
Maybe not
this century
,
but certainly in mine
. He watched her thoughtfully.

“Arielle!” The anxiety was evident in his eyes.

Electrifying emotions filled her mind. Sebastian looked into the depths of her sapphire eyes. Arielle raised her eyebrows. “What is it, Sebastian?”

Startled at the sound of her voice, he swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “Arielle, do you promise that I will see you again?”

“Yes, I promise,” she said without hesitation. He had no idea
how
long it would be before their next miraculous encounter in St. Jean
de Luz.
Five hundred years plus.
The almost unbelievable thought made
her chuckle under her breath. “We’ll meet again, Sebastian, but
please,
in the meantime, try to be happy. Your mother told me something
last night that I believe is true.”

“Oh, what was that?” he asked.

“She said that the world is full of undeniable beauty, awe, and wonder. Try to experience all of it as life is short with no guarantees.”

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed blissfully. “That
sounds like my mother.”

He drew her back into his arms and held her tight. He lowered his head once again and pressed his lips on hers with unleashed
desire that
left her breathless. After a very long moment, he released her and
then lifted her to the saddle.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips as a puzzling thought entered her mind. She wondered how much time had passed back in her century. It was a fraction of time, but how small? She was
mesmerized at the
thought of time passing at different rates. She looked out into the distance, and lowering her gaze gradually to his face, she smiled wide.

“I wonder where your parents took Eva and Gabrielle?” she
asked, straightening her back while seated on the horse.

“There are many places in the estate that you can ride. If we don’t find them soon, we will meet with them back at the house,” he said and
grinned. She found his smile enchanting. He mounted effortlessly,
pulled on the reins, and started out with Arielle by his side. They enjoyed the next couple of hours, riding across beautiful green fields without talking.

They finally turned the horses in the direction of the house. It
was around mid-afternoon when they reached the stables.

They didn’t have to wait long before they heard lively
conversation
and laughter. Looking up, they saw the others trotting over the hill. Soon, everyone was off the horses and walking toward the house, chatting together cheerfully. They had a little less than an hour before the five o’clock portal, and Eva had made sure that the
carriage was still waiting for them. They changed back into their gorgeous gowns, and promising to keep in touch, they walked toward the exit with the Gaulle family on their heels.

Sebastian lifted her face to his, and his eyes spoke volumes of the
turmoil he was feeling. Arielle was unable to utter a single word.
Deep
emotions were tightening her throat knowing how desperately he
didn’t want her to leave.

“What is it?” she asked. Reaching up, she ran her finger lightly down his cheek.

“I’m trying to memorize your face, because I have a feeling you will not come back. If you don’t come back, I’ll come looking for you. One thing I know for sure, I’ll never forget your eyes,” he whispered.

The ladies thanked the family for their warm hospitality and climbed onto the carriage, waving feverishly. The Gaulle family
waited on the
front lawn until they couldn’t see them any longer. It was now a minute before five. Eva took their hands and asked them to close their eyes. She
imagined that she heard Sebastian’s voice calling out “Arielle…Arielle…
Arielle,” several times. That was the last thought she had before the swirling, hard push she had experienced last time they time traveled knocked the wind out of her lungs. Her mind went blank until she felt the familiar stillness. Her eyes snapped open in dismay.

The three of them were standing in the middle of Eva’s study, still holding hands as if they had never moved. They looked at each
other in silence, immersed in the moment. Exhilaration filled Arielle, and she screamed out loud with sheer pleasure. She started to jump up and down and hugged both her friends. Tears ran down her face.

“That was absolutely amazing” she said. “Eva, you’re an angel, and I love you beyond words.” Her eyes filled with exultation.

“I love you, too, Arielle, and happy birthday! I hope it was as
amazing an experience for you as it was for both of us,” she said,
waving her hand between Gabrielle and herself. Arielle remembered
that Eva's immortality allowed her to read Gabby's mind, so she
knew exactly how much she had enjoyed the trip.

“Oh, it was much more than an experience. It was a wonderful,
amazing, fantastic gift.” Arielle was laughing as she ran out of
adjectives. “Can we keep the clothes?” Arielle asked.
I want Sebastian to see me in this awesome gown.

“Sure.”

“Thanks again, Eva. What time is it?”

Eva glanced at the clock on the wall. “Five twenty four,” she
said. Gabrielle and Arielle gasped and spun around to face her.

“Are you saying that we were only gone for fifteen minutes?” Gabrielle gulped.

“Yep,” Eva replied. She looked amused by her best friends' reactions.

“Wow,” Arielle said. They stood silently, acclimating to being once again in the twenty-first century. They sat around and talked for a
while, and then Arielle and Gabby were ready to go home and face
their
miracles in their sixteenth-century gowns. Arielle picked up her
amulet from Eva’s jewelry box and clipped it back on her neck. With a final hug, they were on their way home.

Chapter 4

ARIELLE AND GABBY
stepped outside of Eva’s door and
exchanged a stunned look.

“I can’t believe that we were gone for two days, do you,
Gabby?”
Arielle’s breath caught with excitement. “Fifteen measly minutes
have lapsed since we left. It…it…it’s…mindboggling,” she stammered.

Gabrielle turned to look at her and hauled in a deep breath. She shook her head in disbelief. “This whole thing is insane,” she said. “I wonder what Troy and Sebastian will think about this?”

“Who knows? Let's go home and find out,” Arielle said and chuckled,
climbing into her car slowly. She had to pour herself in that little sport
car, trying not to mess up her beautiful sixteenth-century gown. It
wasn’t easy; however, the excitement made it painless. She was on
her way to test her own miracle.

Will he be able to recollect our meeting almost five hundred years ago?
She knew that was a long shot, but she hoped he would remember.
Knowing she would be in his arms in a short time and that he was all hers, she drove home with a smile painted on her face. She pulled into the garage, and stepping out of the car, she feverishly
straightened out
the dress before she entered the house. She wanted him to gaze at her the same way he had back in Calais in another century. The
thought made her grin as she shook her head again in disbelief.

He was in the shower. She leaned in through the bathroom door and called out, “Hey, baby!”

“What are you doing back this soon? Did you forget
something?” he sounded surprised.

“Yes, I did, but I don’t have to go back for another hour or so,” she said smiling, eager to see his reaction to her appearance.

“I’ll be right out.”

She moved quickly, knowing how fast he could get out of the shower, and stood by the huge window in the study overlooking the
beautiful
ocean. She wanted him to take a full view of her gorgeous gown, hoping to replicate their encounter at his parents' estate ballroom.
She gazed out
the window as the sun crept behind the horizon, leaving the sky
bright and blue and the ocean calm and inviting.

Sebastian stepped inside the study and saw Arielle in the blue gown that outlined the curves of her body.

Arielle felt his presence and turned around slowly to face him. She saw desire spread across his face as he leaned against the doorframe. He was half naked with only a small towel wrapped around his waist.

Sebastian’s jaw dropped. A wide smile spread across his flawless face. His gaze journeyed slowly from her beautiful face, down over her stunning gown, to the tip of her toes. His smile broadened as his gaze traveled once again leisurely upward until their eyes met, and
he pierced through depths of her sapphire eyes. He peeled himself
away from the doorframe and eliminated the distance between them with a fast stride.

Arielle raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He lifted his arms, ready to seize her and pull her in his starving embrace and he froze mid-air. His bright emerald eyes turned dark as a jungle in moonlight and became
immobile on her face. A flash of disbelief crossed his eyes. Arms
dropped
like dead weight to his side and remained motionless. His gaze
probed deep into her amazing eyes, and appeared confused, bewildered, as
if trying to grasp a memory just out of reach. He ran his hand
through
his thick, sandy hair, clearly frustrated, and exhaled deeply, never
taking his eyes off of Arielle.

Arielle shifted uncomfortably, confused by his reaction, and
frowned. “Sebastian, what’s wrong, baby?” Her voice appeared to jolt him out of his thoughts. He looked somewhere in the distance, and his lips
moved slowly. She could hear his soft, velvety voice coming out in
gasps, draped with a painful edge.