Arielle Immortal Resolve (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 8) (10 page)

EVA WAS THE PERSON
to whom Gabrielle and Arielle had poured their hearts out all through their youth. She was the one who could see their future and warn them of bad things ahead. Arielle needed that kind of support right now.

“Eva, I need you, I’m desperate and don’t know what to do,” Arielle said. They exchanged looks and just before either one of them could utter a single word Gabrielle exhaled loud in frustration, making them look at her.

“Arielle, can’t you understand that this isn’t about you. This is about Sebastian and the horrible ordeal he had to endure. You have to trust him. He needs time to figure things out and he’ll come around before you know it. He’s in love with you. How many times does he have to tell you?”

Arielle was hurt by her friend’s tone, but deep inside knew she was right.
What in the world is wrong with me?
Why couldn’t she trust the man who fit the blueprint of her existence? His words came back to her with unexpected clarity,
“When are you going to start trusting me?”

Eva’s gentle voice brought her back to reality. “All I can see between you and Sebastian is great! He loves you more than his own life and you’re never going to be apart,” Eva said.

Arielle stared at her intense gaze and felt warmth that made her smile. Arielle knew that Eva could see right through her, just as Eva’s lips quirked into a gentle smile.

“Are you feeling better?” she asked.

“Yes, thanks, Eva, I do feel much better.” Arielle smiled.

“Do you want to walk down to the beach for a little while?” Gabrielle asked, and without another word they made their way down the path and descended the wooden steps that lead to the secluded beach. They took off their shoes just before they stepped onto the soft, cool sand.

“Are Troy’s friends coming for the wedding?” Eva asked and Gabrielle was happy to go on and on about the four guys responsible for saving Troy and Sebastian’s lives a few weeks back. And yes, she informed her friends, they would be part of the wedding.

“So when are they coming back?”

“They should be here in a couple of week,” Gabrielle said, smiling. On that note Arielle decided to talk about Gaston.

“Eva, I think Gaston was standing next to Annabel at your reception,” she said. Eva stopped walking and turned to face her, dumbfounded.

“Gaston from Calais?” she exclaimed with a high-pitched tone in her voice. Arielle pursed her lips and nodded.

“Are you sure?” she asked again.

“No, I’m not completely sure but there was a man standing next to Annabel and somehow when I looked at him I knew he had striking blue eyes,” she said softly.

“And….” Eva prompted.

“Well, it was dark and they were a few hundred feet away so there wasn’t any bloody way for Arielle to see the color of his eyes,” Gabrielle chimed in.

“How did you know?” Eva asked Arielle, watching her carefully.

“I’ve no idea, but I had this feeling that it might've been Gaston,” she said. She was now rubbing her hands together in nervousness; she could close her eyes and see his face and those striking blue eyes piercing through her very soul, making her shake. She felt her heart beat in a low monotonous rhythm. Suddenly she felt sick to her stomach and sank to the sand.

“I think I'm going to throw up,” she whispered and Eva moved fast to her side. They sat and Gabrielle handed her a bottle of water. Arielle took a sip and closed her eyes, trying to slow her breathing.

“Hey there!” Troy’s voice came from up the hill. They saw Ian and Sebastian standing next to him, looking down at them. Arielle never saw them move but before she could blink they were standing next to them. She’d never get over their speed.

“What were you talking about?” Sebastian asked, glancing between the three of them judiciously. Arielle thought he could see that she was a little anxious.

“Something about going back to Calais but nothing specific,” Eva replied, trying to play the whole thing down. Everyone seemed to turn their attention to Arielle, who was now breathing a little better. The guys exchanged looks and Sebastian moved slowly and sat on the sand next to her, putting his arm around her, making her shiver.

“What is it, baby, are you okay?” he asked tenderly. She forced a smile, winding her fingers through his.

“I’m fine,” she whispered. She closed her eyes, trying to wipe the thought of Gaston away from her mind and suddenly fright took over her again, as she bit hard down on her lower lip. The rusty taste of blood told her that she broke through a few layers of skin. A very beautiful face with striking blue eyes appeared again in front of her. She felt Sebastian’s arms pulling her closer and turning her head to face him. Their faces were a breath apart and she heard his soft voice.

“What’s…going…on in there?” he asked pointing at her head anxiously. Arielle was silent for a moment. She exhaled a long breath trying to hold back the nausea.

“It was Gaston,” she murmured.

Sebastian lowered his eyes scanning her face in alarm. “Gaston!” Sebastian exclaimed. “Gaston Bartaud!” He looked at her, thunderstruck.

“I’m sure he was the man standing next to Annabel the night of Eva’s wedding,” she said softly and Sebastian winced.

“What I don’t understand is what he was doing here with Annabel. He never liked her, I even remember many occasions that they came to blows right after Annabel and I were married.” He shook his head and swallowed hard.

“I wonder what he's doing here?” he murmured. Arielle wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him close.

“I remember something he told me just before he left the ball that morning in Calais,” she said, gazing in his eyes.

“What was that?” he asked.

“He said that he always gets what he wants and I was what he wanted. I remember the fear that took over me because the last person who told me the same thing was Mat Winston just before he tried to rape me.”

Sebastian mumbled a curse under his breath as he pulled her tighter. “It all makes sense now,” he said looking at her, extremely worried.

“What makes sense?” she asked.

“Annabel told me that Gaston was here to claim you for himself. I didn’t put much significance on those words until now. I’m sure that you saw Gaston, and Annabel is using him to try and destroy what we have.” He kept gazing in her eyes and she saw darkness cross those beautiful emerald eyes.

“We know that Annabel is unpredictable but I’m sure that sooner or later we’ll figure out her sick game,” Troy said. His musical voice had a resolved tone.

Sebastian nodded, grimly.

“Right now let’s all concentrate on the wedding coming up, and our friends arriving for the festivities.”

Troy pulled Gabrielle into his arms, pressed his lips on hers and groaned with pleasure. “I hate to think about a whole week without you,” he said frowning. “Can’t you just stay with your parents for one day?” He was pleading with that miserable voice of his, and even though Arielle was still pretty upset, she broke out laughing. The atmosphere became lighter and more relaxed after Troy’s short statement.

“When are the guys flying in?” Sebastian asked.

“Two weeks from today and that includes Jon, Pierre, and Jacques,” Troy said with a satisfied smile.

“We invited Nathan and Christian as well, and I hope they'll make it, however, they haven’t replied as of yet,” Gabrielle added.

“I’m sure they will,” Sebastian said, looking around. “I guess there'll be a lot of partying since Gabrielle won't be home.”

Troy chuckled at Sebastian’s remark and gazed at Gabrielle sheepishly. Ian smiled as he remembered the good old days in Saint Jean De Luz. He was sure that being an immortal himself, partying would be much better this time around with all these guys.

“Let’s go home, baby,” Sebastian said to Arielle as he pulled her up gently. They all walked back up the steps holding hands. They thanked Ian and Eva for their wonderful gift and walked out the door, Troy and Gabrielle right behind them.

“Three more weeks!” Gabrielle exclaimed, and they waved as they got into the cars and drove away.

Sebastian took Arielle’s hand and held it tight all the way home. Arielle fell quiet. Passion was thick in that small space but no words were spoken. When he pulled in the garage he turned the engine off and turned to face her.

“I don’t want you to worry about anything. I can’t imagine Gaston conspiring with Annabel to hurt you. He severed our longtime friendship over you, so I’m sure he would never agree to harm you.” He helped her out of the car and put his arm around her as they walked into the house.

“What if he’s trying to hurt you?” Arielle pressed her lips together, trying not to hyperventilate over that thought.

“I can take care of myself, Arielle, don’t worry. I will never walk into a trap again. This was a grand lesson for me and I have our nightmare to thank.” He smiled softly, looking totally unruffled. Arielle understood that by their nightmare he meant Annabel. She reached up and their lips met. He took her in his arms and held her tight, making her quiver as her lips moved feverishly beneath his. He gently broke away and she understood that tonight would be exactly like every other night since his unfortunate incident with Annabel.

She took a deep breath and ran her tongue over her lips, savoring the sweet taste of his immortal kiss. He gave her a peck on the forehead before he walked into the shower and pulled the door closed. A strong ache shot right though her body and tears welled up blurring her vision. She walked quietly into the bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth and change into her little camisole. Disappointed, she slipped under the covers, consumed with sadness. Her desire for Sebastian was overwhelming. She missed his seductive ways, his never-ending cravings, and the way he made love. How long was he going to reject her? How long would she have to wait? Her pulse throbbed as she tried to hold back tears. She lay still as the ache for him increased. She closed her eyes, overcome by a numb coldness and tears poured down her face, drenching her pillow. Sleep claimed her before Sebastian came to bed.

Sebastian finished his shower and walked into a dark silent bedroom. He was sure that Arielle was asleep and that made things a lot easier. He slipped under the covers and moved closer, gathering her in his arms, spooning around her. She didn’t try to get any deeper into his embrace, so he was sure she was asleep. Sebastian moved even closer as her breathing slowed. He buried his face in her hair and the smell of freesia made him smile. He was madly in love with her. His desire to be with her was something he'd never be able to understand. He wanted to love her every moment of every day but he felt unclean and dirty. Not good enough to touch or claim her beautiful wholesome body. Hurting Arielle was the last thing he wanted to do but that was exactly what he was doing. He cursed under his breath and squeezed her softly.
Oh, God,
he thought, the torture was unbelievable. Her body was so soft, her skin felt like silk, and her scent was sweet as honey. Sleep took a long time that night to claim him.

Arielle woke tightly encircled in his embrace. The room was dark and the clock on the end table showed 2:30 a.m. Sebastian was sleeping quietly with his face against her nape. The feel of his naked body against hers and his erection pressing against her buttocks sent a crashing wave of heat across every fiber in her body. Anticipation aroused every muscle and every craving she’d held for the last three weeks. Then reality hit her and she squashed those feeling just as fast as they’d come. She swallowed hard and sobbed quietly until sleep claimed her again.

The phone startled her and she fell out of bed trying to answer it. She looked around the room and her heart sank. Sebastian was already gone to the office and even though she knew that this was his new routine, she felt extreme disappointment. Her eyes welled up again and she answered the phone in a barely audible voice.

“Hello.”

“Arielle,” Gabrielle said, voice filled with joy. “What are you doing?”

“I just woke up,” she murmured, and yawned.

“Did I wake you? Sorry!” she said.

“No…No…I needed to get out of bed,” she said.

“Do you want to come over? The weather's beautiful and there are a lot of people at the beach just enjoying the day.”

“Sure, I'd love that.” She put the phone away and got in the shower still upset from the night before. She put on her bathing suit and was on her way. The weather was cool so there would be no swimming, however the sun was bright and warm and it would be wonderful to just lay out and get some sun. Gabrielle was ready when she arrived. They took a couple of beach towels and grabbed bottled waters from the fridge then crossed the short distance from the garden to the steps that separated the house from the beach. Brighton’s beaches have a rare natural beauty and are always very sought after.

The sun was absolutely breathtaking, shining brilliantly in the clear blue sky. A large crowd had invaded the beach at this early morning hour. Some people ignored the cold long enough to enjoy the ocean waters, and others simply relaxed and sunbathed.

They descended the long brown wooden steps and stepped onto the soft white sand. Arielle felt stress and anxiety as people’s thoughts and concerns invaded her head. The two women picked up pace and walked among all these people, trying to get to a private spot. Arielle pursed her lips in concentration as she focused on compartmentalizing the information she was getting, away from her own thoughts. Gabrielle understood what was happening to her so she remained silent while heading for their private spot. Soon they were at the familiar quiet cove away from all the commotion.

“Is this all right with you?” Gabrielle asked, her eyes fixed on Arielle.

“It’s great,” said Arielle softly.

They spread the beach towels on the soft sand and took their clothes off. Arielle looked over at Gabrielle and smiled wide.

“What’s so funny?” Gabrielle

“Look at me and look at you,” she said, waving her hand between the two of them.

“What do you mean?” Gabby said guardedly.

“Gabby, you have to most beautiful tanned body. Why can’t I get a decent tan?” she said gloomily. “I love the sun and have spent countless hours trying to get tanned. Well look at me, just as pale as ever.”