Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5) (37 page)

Reality slammed into her brain like a storm and she jerked
herself out of his embrace. Sebastian blinked and their gazes locked.

“What’s wrong?” He let his hands fall to his sides.

She stepped back and fought to suppress her desire for him. All
she wanted to do was to fall back into his arms and get lost in his warmth. But he didn’t know who she was and she was going to
make it a little difficult for him. She giggled blissfully. This encounter was much more than she ever hoped for.

“I would like to dance with you,” she said.

“Now?” he asked breathlessly.

“Yes,” she teased him, and taking his hand, she pulled him
toward the ballroom. Sebastian blinked. Arielle could tell that he was all stirred up inside and nearly screamed in elation from knowing she was the cause.

A rustle of whispers went through the room as they stepped
inside.
Several pairs of eyes stared in their direction. The eyes were filled
with
desire for him and resentment for her. She couldn’t hold back
laughter.
Sebastian looked at her, filled with warmth and affection, and
something inside of her moved.

He leaned closer, and whispered, “What’s so funny?”

“It looks like you are the center of attention again. These young girls belong to your fan club. Just look around and you’ll see that they would be glad to do away with me right now to get to you,” she murmured. He looked surprised, and she laughed again
. God, how ironic!
I have to defend myself against crazy women that are trying to kill me to get to Sebastian five hundred years from today.
Her thoughts were spinning at a wild pace. “History is repeating itself,” she mumbled.

“What did you say?” Sebastian asked.

Arielle was horrified, realizing that she had spoken the words
out
loud. She pressed her lips together just as Sebastian swung her
around to face him and pulled her in his arms. His cheek touched hers and his lips brushed the tip of her ear. The music was mesmerizing, and his body was creating major issues for Arielle. She looked over and spotted Gabrielle and Eva still dancing and smiling in her direction. She looked up and rested her eyes on his beautiful face. Oh, how she wished that she could reach up and pull him down to her. She was
fighting hard to keep her desire under control. She closed her eyes
and let herself enjoy the moment. His soft voice caressed her soul.

“Please, take a walk with me,” he pleaded. “I want to be alone
with you, I don’t want to share you with all these people.” Sebastian was saying the right things to make her want him even more.

“All right,” she said quietly.

He took her hand before the song was over and pulled her back towards the balcony doors. Once outside, he moved again towards the side stairs that lead to the gardens. She followed silently, and he started to talk about all kinds of subjects. He seemed interested in her likes and dislikes. He wanted to know her habits and her desires.
She tried to give him as much information as she could without
saying
anything that would not apply to the present century. She talked
about the stars and the constellations, and he seemed to enjoy that subject.
He finally stopped walking and turned around to face her. The
moonlight was brilliant. She could clearly see every feature in his faultless face. He looked at her intensely.

“There is something about your eyes. I can feel it in my very core.
Who are you, really?” She felt fear, worried that she might be found
out, so she tried to say something smart.

“Nobody in particular, just a girl from Hampshire, and I’m not
sure why I make you feel this way,” she said softly. His face was so close that she could feel his warm breath against her face. She
impulsively
reached up and ran her finger softly down his cheek, across his
jawbone,
and along his lip line. Her hand trembled. She was shocked to find herself in his arms again. He crushed her lips beneath his. She felt
tears run
down her face. This was her Sebastian, the same passion, the same feeling. There was no immortal scent but a sweet pungent smell
similar
to that of musk. He had a masculine scent that was so inviting she
closed her eyes and fell apart in his arms.

There was no holding back as she wrapped her arms around his neck one more time and held him to her. She pulled herself as close to his amazing body as possible, trying to feel every single muscle, but she was unable to do so.
Too many yards of bloody material between our bodies
, she thought, frustrated. She heard him moan through the
kiss. He finally broke away, gasping for air. She pulled back and
cleared her throat several times. Sebastian blew out an exasperated breath.

“What is it?” she asked, never taking her eyes away from his face.

“I’m not sure if I can explain. There was a surge of exhilaration that tingled right through my bones when our lips met. I don’t think
I’ve ever felt that before with any girl, and I must say I’ve kissed
plenty of girls.”

Impulse pushed her to reach up and search for his lips. She felt
his arms tightening around her in a strong hold as his lips met hers once again. The kiss was so passionate and so deep that she never
wanted it
to end. She broke the kiss this time. He stood there completely
dazed.
She was satisfied that he wasn’t going to forget this moment. She guessed that she wanted to put her mark in his life to make her
birthday gift complete. She turned and walked back inside, ignoring his protests.
She wanted to get back to Sebastian in the twenty-first century. She wanted to be in bed with him, tangled and naked, lost in an
immortal encounter. The thought shattered her faculties. She could feel the
desire seeping deep into the marrow of her bones. She needed to
find Gabrielle and Eva to make sure that she was not creating a delay for their departure.

She saw both of them standing at the north side of the huge ballroom talking with Anton and Marcus. She walked deliberately
between the crowds still on the dance floor, knowing that Sebastian followed on her heels. A smile of ecstasy painted her face. She was sure that her friends understood what had transpired because they
were smiling discreetly. Arielle introduced Sebastian to Gabrielle and Eva, and they couldn’t hide their pleasure. The conversation became more alive between the brothers. Gabrielle stole a moment to whisper in Arielle’s ear, “He’s absolutely beautiful. Immortality didn’t change his looks.”

“You can’t change perfection,” Arielle said back, and they both snorted. She then leaned close to Eva. “How are we doing about the time?”

“It’s only one thirty, so just enjoy, we have plenty of time. I’ll let you know when it’s time to go.”

Arielle smiled. She was living a dream in two different centuries. How was that even possible?

Several young men approached to ask them to dance, but it seemed that the Gaulle boys were not going to have any part of that.
Marcus stood by Gabrielle’s side, Anton by Eva, and Sebastian possessively stood next to Arielle. During a dance break they saw Gaston walking back into the ballroom. He took a look around and when he saw them he stalked toward them with long, purposeful strides. Arielle recoiled. He greeted Marcus, Anton, Gabrielle, and Eva with a smile, and then he averted his gaze toward Sebastian, glaring at him with rage.

Oh, God what now?
Arielle’s anxiety escalated knowing that Gaston could easily hurt Sebastian with his immortal strength and speed. Instinctively, she moved behind Sebastian. Her movement didn’t escape Gaston. His gaze turned icy cold and her heart stopped.

GASTON ENTERED THROUGH
the balcony doors and strode purposely
across the room. Arielle watched him, worrying that the shiver his
reappearance caused was apparent. The crowd parted in Gaston’s wake, and then he was standing in front of Sebastian, holding him
with a hard glare. She didn’t like the expression on his face or the
anger that shimmered in his blue eyes. Her jaw tightened, and she moved
closer to Eva. Sebastian’s expression was impassive. She looked at his brothers. Anton and Marcus were engaged in deep conversation
and
never saw Gaston approach. Gabrielle’s gaze flipped from Eva to
Arielle, pinning them with a questioning look.

The tense moment stretched and held, making the girls quite uncomfortable. No words had been exchanged, just silence thick
enough to be sliced with a knife. The sudden quietness brought Anton's and Marcus’s attention back to the group. They appeared surprised by the obvious intensity between Gaston and Sebastian. After sharing a quick glance, they moved closer to their brother’s side.

“What’s wrong?” Marcus asked.

Despite his commanding tone, neither Sebastian nor Gaston turned to look at him or reply to his question. Sebastian seemed
unmoved, a
dispassionate smile on his beautiful face. Fuming emotions
emanated from Gaston's eyes. Marcus’ eyebrows furrowed in surprise, and he turned his quizzical gaze to Anton. He too looked stunned, as if unable to understand this type of behavior between the two best friends. His shrug admitted that he had absolutely no idea what was going on between Gaston and Sebastian.

“I’m not going to back down on this!” Gaston finally spat out, taking everyone by surprise. The icy tone of his voice made Arielle swallow hard. Fear of Gaston’s immortal powers was rooted deep inside her. She was afraid for Sebastian and his brothers, because they were unaware of the horrible strengths that Gaston possessed.

Suddenly, her stomach heaved violently, and for a second, she thought she was going to throw up. She drew in a shaky breath and lost her footing. Before anyone had a chance to say another word, she started to collapse. Both Gaston and Sebastian instantly turned and reached for her, but Marcus was already there, holding her steady and stopping her fall. The relief in their faces was palpable, and their differences seemed to disappear.

Gaston’s eyes swept quickly over Arielle’s face, and his anger vanished. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice tender. His words washed over her like icy tidal waves.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Arielle said.

Sebastian and Gaston leaned closer to Arielle. The move didn’t seem to escape anyone.

“What on God’s earth is this all about?” Marcus asked again, staring hard at the two men.

No one listened to Marcus. Sebastian and Gaston once again boldly faced each other.

Gaston clenched his teeth and firmly stated, “Like I said, I am not backing off this time, Sebastian.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to,” Sebastian replied dispassionately.

Anton moved closer to the two men. He grabbed Sebastian’s arm, making him face him. “We have no idea what is going on
between you two, but it has to stop right here, right now,” he said through gritted teeth. “This is Mother’s annual affair, and it means the world to her.
I’m not going to let you spoil it.” Frost coated Anton’s voice. He
shook Sebastian firmly, getting his complete attention. “Do you understand me?” he asked, pinning him with a cold stare. Sebastian blinked. His brother’s tone took him aback. He sighed mightily and nodded.

“You’ve been best friends your entire lives, so you need to get over this...this…whatever this
is
,” he said again, waving his arm
aimlessly. “Nothing is important enough to destroy this kind of friendship.”

As if a conductor waved a baton, both heads turned and stared at Arielle intently. Her eyes widened.

Why in bloody hell are they staring at me?
Pursing her lips, she
refrained from getting involved or asking any questions. She shifted from one leg to the other, and reaching over, she clasped Gabrielle’s hand.

Anton followed the move of Arielle’s hand with a frown. The girls linked liked their hands, and there was a guarded look on their faces. He allowed himself a short moment to attempt to grasp the situation. Realization sank in his brain quickly, and his attention turned to Sebastian and Gaston.

He cleared his throat and, gripping their shoulders, he leaned closer. “I have no idea what’s going on between you two, but I’m
warning you both to take this outside!” He spit the words out, voice cold as ice.

Gaston’s jaw clenched and his fists curled to his side, but both men nodded in agreement. Gaston turned to Arielle, and his eyes
met hers.
“You owe me a dance, Miss Young,” he said with a soft smile. He
took
her hand, pulling her towards the dance floor. Arielle followed,
seeking
to avoid an incident. Sebastian didn’t try to stop Gaston; he just
stood still, watching them walk away.

Looking back, Arielle noticed a smile that spoke volumes playing at the corners of his lovely lips. She dropped her eyes and
frowned at the thought of her emotions being exposed unconsciously.

Can it be possible that he knows even in this century how quickly he turns my world upside down?
A wave of anxiety stirred through her,
making
her quiver. She swallowed hard. Eva’s words flashed through her
mind.
You can’t let him know who you are.

Gaston’s voice broke through her reverie, startling her. “Arielle, I don’t want you to believe a word that Sebastian tells you. He plays a dirty game when it comes to girls, and I don’t want you to be one of those girls.”