Arielle Immortal Resolve (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 8) (18 page)

“Sebastian, you never have to ask if I miss you. For your information, you're a permanent fixture in my head. There’s not a single second in my life that I don’t think about you. Ever since the moment I set eyes on you, you have occupied every one of my thoughts, dreams, desires, and needs. So you see, I find it funny that you ask me such a question.” She was filled with love and lust for the amazing man standing in front of her.

“Thank you, baby,” he murmured.

His arms trapped her in a tight embrace and crushed her lips beneath his. He felt her body trembling as she moved into him and every muscle in his body locked. Anticipation ripped right through his veins and he groaned in desperation. He heard her soft chuckle and that infused his passion. He was aroused and she knew it. She took his shirt off with one quick movement and a wide smile spread across his face. He then pulled her top off. Then it was his pants then her pants until every stitch of clothing was piled on the floor by the side of the bed. They stood completely naked, fused together, unable to feel the cold temperature.

He lifted her and set her on the bed without breaking the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her. Wrapped in his steel embrace, she moaned in exhilaration. His weight pressed her firmly against the mattress and she stopped breathing. The kiss deepened and they merged into a sweltering blaze that took their minds and senses to another dimension, until they both surrendered to the release that shattered them and drove them to the peak of ecstasy.

Arielle couldn’t imagine how the honeymoon could offer anything more powerful, more mind-blowing, more potent than what she was experiencing right now. However, Sebastian, the man of her dreams, the man who would be her husband, assured her that there would more…that was something she couldn’t grasp, and she wasn’t going to try. She would just wait…

Sebastian pulled back and grinned down at her. She put her hand behind his nape and pulled him back down, her tongue circling his lip line. Sebastian inhaled a deep breath and crushed her lips beneath his again. He finally pulled back and rolled off of Arielle, chuckling and laid on his back. He slipped his arm underneath her and pulled her close to his side. She laid her head on his shoulder; one arm resting on his muscled chest, one leg wrapped around him. Sebastian groaned at the feel of the soft warm skin of her leg around his thigh. She closed her eyes and exhaled utterly gratified. Sebastian lifted slightly and pulled the covers over them. He closed his eyes and remained motionless, still wrapped in the aftermath of their scorching encounter. He was at the crest of sleep when he sensed the steady thudding of Arielle’s heart against his side, and oh… so close to his own dead heart. He inhaled deeply and smiled blissfully. She was his private treasure, his salvation from a lonely immortal journey for centuries to come. That was the last thought he had before sleep claimed both of them.

Chapter 10

ARIELLE DECIDED
to spend a couple of nights with her parents while Sebastian and his immortal friends celebrated the last week of Troy’s bachelorhood. She loved spending time with her parents and taking the so-familiar morning walks with her father in the garden. She noticed that her father was walking much slower during their walks, and stopped a few times to take a rest before he could go on. She felt a pang in her heart and tried to hide welling tears. She smiled, knowing that his heart medication had a lot to do with being so tired, but she encouraged him to continue the walks and he did without complaining.

Arielle was avoiding discussing the Gaston incident with Sebastian. She didn’t want to ruin the bachelor celebrations and didn’t want to create any unexpected problems so close to Gabrielle’s most important day. She was on one of those morning walks with her father when her mobile rang.

“Hello!” she said softly.

“Arielle, it’s Loren, how are you?”

“Oh, fine, and you?”

“Fine…fine…” her voice trailed.

“Is there something wrong?” Arielle asked.

“Oh! No, not really, I just wanted to talk if you have a moment.”

“Can it wait?” Arielle asked kindly. She loved talking to Loren, but not now. She should've never answered that call. Her time with her father was very special. She didn’t want anything or anyone to interfere.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you,” Loren said.

“You're not bothering me, I’m spending a little time with my father and we're the midst of a conversation. If this can wait I’ll be happy to call you a little later. Will that be okay?”

“Oh, sure, call me when you can.”

“Thanks, we’ll talk soon,” Arielle promised.

“I love you, Arielle,” Loren said pleasantly.

“Me, too,” Arielle chuckled and snapping the phone shut dropped it in her jean pocket.

“Who was that, Pumpkin?” her father asked.

“Sebastian’s sister, Loren.”

“She's a very nice and beautiful girl,” her father said.

“Yes, she's wonderful,”

“Is there something wrong?”

“She didn’t say, daddy, but it didn’t sound like anything was wrong,”

“Why didn’t you talk to her?” her father said.

“I’d rather talk with you,” Arielle said and planted a soft kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you, darling, I love our talks and especially the morning walks. I've missed them so much. I knew when you left for college that things were changing. I just didn’t know how much,” he chuckled gloomily.

“I’m sorry, daddy, I miss our walks and talks just as much,” she said and looked down at her hands despondently. Her father stopped walking and turned to face her. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him.

“I’m very proud of you, and all that you've accomplished. Your mother and I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter,” he said, teary.

“Thanks daddy, I love you both so very much and I want you to know that I couldn’t have asked for better parents,” she said and embraced him warmly. She pulled back and gazed deep into his eyes. “You'll always be my number one man.”

“And you, my number one girl,” he said and stroked her cheek lovingly. “I think you made an excellent choice with Sebastian. He's a wonderful young man with an amazing future and he seems to love you so very much.”

“I know, daddy, and I love him just as much. He's so good to me. I guess I’m a very lucky girl,” she laughed happily and he laughed with her. Her mother called them for lunch. She put her hand through his arm and they walked back to the house.

***

It was the day before Gabrielle’s wedding and Arielle watched her emotional friend, who was full of excitement, animated and trying not to fall apart from happiness. Arielle was caught up in that excitement, as she knew how close her own wedding day drew.

Gabby’s wedding gown was one of the two Arielle fell in love with and she absolutely adored it. It was an ivory strapless gown of silk and satin, adorned with Venice lace. The bodice was fitted, embroidered with jewels and flowers, while a silk sash wrapped exquisitely around the waist. The skirt flared beautifully outward, giving it a dramatic look. She also chose a long train with a wonderful veil, capturing a 16
th
century look.

Arielle, Eva, and Loren’s dresses were strapless, light taupe, brocaded with silver trim. The soft silk fabric had a raised design and the silver trim looked like metallic threads. They looked like they were from another era and that’s exactly the theme Gabby chose to honor Troy, the man who changed her life for centuries to come. What Arielle loved about these dresses was the 16
th
century style that was appealing to the immortal boys.

It was now the morning of, and everyone was filled with excitement.

The wedding was very similar to Eva’s, with a few small differences. The people standing in front of the vicar at the altar were Gabrielle and Troy but the rest of the players were pretty much the same.

She remembered vividly Sebastian revealing to her how he felt when he saw her coming down the aisle in Eva’s wedding. She couldn’t help gazing into his gorgeous eyes while walking down the aisle this time around. He was watching her intently with a brilliant smile on his beautiful face and knowing what he was thinking made her shiver with excitement. She smiled wide and he moved his lips letting her know that he loved her. Gabrielle and Troy’s vows were so beautiful they made Arielle well up with tears, and Eva, unable to cry any longer, smiled, filled with joy.

The reception was incredible and the music fantastic. They all danced throughout the night and had a wonderful time. It was around two in the morning when they left the county club and Arielle couldn’t help taking a careful look around while keeping close to Sebastian. He understood her anxiety and held her tight against his body, providing the security she needed, but there was no sign of Annabel or Gaston this time.

Gabrielle and Troy were leaving for Italy the very next morning. They would make a short stop at Troy’s estate and from there fly to Sydney. Their final destination was the exotic Islands in the south Pacific.
Gosh that'd be just amazing,
Arielle thought as Sebastian held the door of the car open for her and she slipped in the passenger seat. Her thoughts were full of Sebastian and eager to get home and be in his arms with no worries at all. He pulled in the garage and using his incredible speed he was already standing outside her door holding it open for her. The next few moments were a complete fog. All she remembered was stepping out of the car and the next thing she was in their bed totally undressed, enfolded in his arms.

“What a feeling!” She heard him moan in excitement as his hands traveled eagerly all over her body touching every inch, every grain of her until he stopped and pressed at her most sensitive spot making her grown with hunger for him.

How did I stay away from this for more than three weeks, I’ll never understand,
Sebastian thought and pressed his lips together in wonder.

“I’m sure you knew what was coming, didn’t you?” he whispered, totally out of breath while gazing into her beautiful sapphire eyes.

“I’m not sure that I know what you’re referring to,” she replied with amusement, while gasping for air. Her body burned, her skin shivered, her muscles tightened and she wanted more and more. His tongue pushed tenderly her lips apart, landing in her mouth and she tasted that amazing immortal scent. The kiss started soft and tender and deepened to a passionate, eager, hungry kiss that took her breath away. His arms locked around her hips and he pulled her underneath him, as he shifted eagerly pushing her thighs apart, making her writhe in his arms unable to wait any longer. She bowed her hips upward, wanting to take him in but he wasn’t ready; he pulled back, making her wait, driving her crazy. After his three weeks of rejections she'd become obsessive with her unlimited wants of this beautiful man. She just couldn’t get enough of him.

“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly, and all she could hear was his soft chuckle.

“Is there something you want?” he murmured, voice totally amused.

“Mmmm…please Sebastian, why are you doing this?”

“Because, I want you begging for me. I don’t want to be the one acting so eagerly each and every time we make love,” he murmured, and laughed, as he lowered himself slowly on her eager, soft, beautiful body. He hauled in a deep breath, and pressing fervently entered her with a hard push and she cried out in sheer ecstasy. His movements sent hot waves through her veins and she was unable to consider any other thoughts, except for the fact that she wanted more. Her legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him further in, and he growled in bliss as the rhythm picked up bringing tears to her eyes. She felt encircled in a warm blanket of ecstasy that took her mind in higher levels of pleasure.

“One more month,” he murmured gasping as he pulled back out making her gasp in shock.

“Where are you going?” she cried out desperately, as she wrapped her arms around his neck in an attempt to pull him back in, but before she could finish the though he plunged right back in with a loud growl bringing both of them to an exquisite climax, as tears of pleasure rolled down her face.

“Is this going to be an eternity for us?” she asked.

“Yep, this is exactly what our life is going to be for eternity…” he licked the tears off her face with a smile.

“I love the salty taste of your tears,” he murmured and ran his tongue over his lips wanting to take every bit of that taste in his mouth.

Arielle’s mind was in a fog as she was still folded in the aftermath of their amazing encounter. Her thoughts ran wild and a smile lifted her lips.

Why am I the lucky person he chose to love? I just can’t make any sense of it. He's the most amazing, the most beautiful, the most incredible man on this earth. I know I’m not special and I’m not as stunning as the immortal girls who would die to have him by their side, so why me? Nothing makes sense to me, but I’m willing to ride this train as far as it will take me since I’m irrevocably in love with him.

He watched her in wonder and before she had a chance to move he'd unclipped her necklace and gazed into her eyes, reading her very soul.