Arielle Immortal Seduction (23 page)

“Sebastian, please, baby, I love you. I don’t care about that, I was just curious,” she said, gently cupping his face in her hands and kissing him. “Forget it,” she added, “we don’t have to talk about it.”

“No…no…” his voice trailed off. “I think you have a valid question.”

Arielle moved her legs and curled into his lap, laying her head on his chest. Sebastian bent down and took her mouth in a loving kiss. His voice came out soft and slow, “Immortals can’t produce children,” he said.

“Well, then how can Loren be the daughter of an immortal couple?”

Sebastian took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and then told the story of the Dillons.

“Olivia and Christian Dillon were married in 1425. One early morning, the servants found a small bundle left at their doorstep. To their surprise it was a little baby girl. The Dillons fell in love with her and decided to raise her as their own. Loren grew up to become a true beauty and a wonderful daughter who loved her parents. She had no clue about their immortality, and the Dillons didn’t think they needed to tell her anything about it until it was absolutely necessary.

“It was on Loren’s nineteenth birthday that Christian took his daughter riding on her new horse. A few miles away from the house they ran into a group of drunken riders that wanted to have some fun with Loren. Christian and Loren tried to dismiss them politely, but things seemed to get worse by the minute. Something about the three men didn’t seem right, but Christian thought that as an immortal he would have not any trouble protecting his daughter. But he became alarmed when he saw the speed with which they dismounted their horses, and how quickly they were able to pull Loren off her horse. This let him know they were dealing with immortals. Christian jumped off his horse and fought them hard, but he lost the fight. He was shot in the chest and collapsed at his daughter’s feet. The assailants didn’t bother with Christian any further. They turned their attention to Loren. In the time it took for Christian to heal and regain his faculties, they had assaulted Loren and left her bruised and traumatized young body sprawled on the ground half naked, clinging to life by a mere thread.”

Arielle let out a soft cry and covered her mouth with her hand. Sebastian tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss on her temple.

“What happened then?” she asked, anxiously.

“Christian attended to his daughter’s injuries and when it became obvious that she wasn’t going to make it, he had one choice, and one choice alone. He didn’t hesitate. Unwilling to let her die, he gave her immortality. She had become his whole world. And that’s the whole story, in a short version.”

He looked down at her, and her lips trembled. She had been captivated by the story. There was moisture in her eyes and she gulped down a sigh. Sebastian tilted her head up and set his lips on her forehead, kissing her gently. He then moved his lips over her eyes, and with his tongue he tasted the salt in her tears. He moaned tenderly. They stayed quiet holding each other.

Finally, Arielle broke the silence. “Are you saying that Loren and her family have been around for over six hundred years?”

“Yes.”

“Wow,” she said, and shifted again on his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder, trying to absorb all that information.

“Does it make you sad that I can’t give you children?” he asked, cupping her chin with his hand and turning her face toward him.

“No…no…not really…” she shook her head. “I don’t care about that.” She kissed him tenderly, and he replied with a soft moan. “Sebastian, all I want is you,” she murmured.

“Thank God for that,” he replied, squeezing her softly.

“It was just a question out of curiosity.”

“And a very good one,” he said. How he wished that he were human so that he could give her beautiful children—girls—who would look just like her. He smiled at the thought. “I should have explained that when you met Loren. I have been fortunate to be part of their family for more than five hundred years now. I love them dearly.” His arms held Arielle tightly against him and she didn’t ever think of moving, not even an inch away, from that warm embrace.

When it was time to get ready for the ball, Arielle let Sebastian get ready first, while she made up the bed. When he walked out of his walk-in closet, he took her breath away. He looked stunning. He wore a black suit with a white shirt and a burgundy tie. His hair looked amazing, and his perfect face was magical. She walked up to him, touched his lips softly with hers, and was startled as he grabbed her, pulled her tight against his body and kissed her hungrily.

“I don’t want to mess you up, you look perfect,” she said, gasping for air as she tried to push him away.

“I don’t care about being messed up by you,” he grinned. “I want you right here, close to me.”

“Sebastian, I need to get ready, let go.” She pushed against his chest softly and he let her go, chuckling.

As she jumped into the shower, he called out, “Do you want me to come in there and help you?”

“No, don’t you dare,” she yelled back, knowing what he was capable of.

When she was finished with her shower, she fixed her hair and makeup, applying a soft pink lipstick that accentuated her lips. The blue sash of her dress matched the color of her eyes perfectly. She took a last look in the mirror, pleased with the beautiful girl that she saw looking back at her. She so wanted Sebastian to be proud of her. This night was very important to her, and it was the night she would meet his mother.

As she stepped into the living room he turned to look at her. The look in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. He let out a long, low whistle, and his mouth dropped open.

“Gosh, Arielle, how do you do that?” he exclaimed. “How can you surprise me every time I turn around? You are absolutely dazzling. I’m going to have to keep you by my side all night long. I don’t trust anyone there. You have to understand that immortals are always out there, searching for their next victim. Most of them only want a night of pleasure, not a lifetime partner. You will get hit on many times tonight. Do you understand? You are such a sight. You will not be ignored by any male in the room, especially being a human—that is like the icing on the cake.”

“Don’t worry, Sebastian,” she said. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

He walked up to her, releasing his dazzling power and she lost control. Her heart was in her throat and her lips parted in a moan. She didn’t seem to be able to draw any air into her lungs. She lost her balance, and he had to reach out and hold her steady while he laughed with pleasure. She forced herself to look away from his eyes, and begged him as she tried to catch her breath, “Please, don’t do that to me,” she said. “Let me look into your beautiful eyes for once, without dazzling me. I know you can do that. It’s a choice you make when you look into people’s eyes, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you are right it’s a choice. But I love dazzling you. I love the way you look when you are disoriented and trying to catch your breath. You’re totally irresistible.”

He pulled her closer and put his finger gently on her lips. “I love this color on you,” he said. “But it prevents me from kissing you, and I don’t like that. I will have to mess it up at one point or another.”

“Try not to do that. I’m sure you can hold off for a little while,” she said, giggling.

“Oh, I can’t promise anything like that. Touching you and kissing you is part of what I need to sustain me,” he said and laughed again, with pure pleasure.

Chapter 20

I
t was dark when they left the house, and the streets were poorly lit, with a few light posts set every two hundred feet or so apart. But it was New Year’s Eve and the traffic was thick with partygoers. The feeling of celebration in the air made Arielle happy. Sebastian reached over and took her hand. He pressed it softly, making her turn to look at him. His eyes were shining with love and affection.

“I love you,” he said in a firm voice. “And I want you to save all the dances for me. I’m a very jealous man, I’m warning you,” he added teasingly, squeezing her hand, letting a soft chuckle escape him. Arielle sent him a sweltering look, and “humphed” playfully.

As they entered the gates of the Dillon estate, Arielle felt that they had crossed a time zone. There were a million bright lights illuminating both the grounds and the estate, changing it from night to day. The house was a colossal piece of architecture, stood like a magnificent testament of greatness on the back section of the property. Many of the huge windows gave a clear view of the interior. There were chandeliers everywhere, making the house seem even brighter. Through them, Arielle could see people moving about with happy looks on their faces. It was definitely an atmosphere of exuberance.

They pulled up to a round driveway where two valets were waiting to help them out of their car. Sebastian put his hand around Arielle’s waist and gently led her toward the grand entrance. Again, she had a feeling that she was stepping back in time. She remembered having the same feeling when she had visited Sebastian’s home in St. Jean de Luz.

There were beautiful paintings hanging everywhere and amazing statues she was sure had been created by famous sculptors. The rooms were huge, and furnished with exquisite taste. Richly detailed tapestries hung from the long walls of the foyer, giving it a Gothic look. Arielle was mesmerized. She loved looking at the house and every detail in it. Sebastian pulled her close and pressed his lips softly on hers.

“You didn’t even make it for a short time,” she teased. “Did you mess up my lipstick?”

“No, it still looks great, but I want to know where you are drifting off to…”

“This house is amazing!”

“You are amazing, you look absolutely beautiful, and very sexy. I want you to stay very close to me tonight,” he whispered softly in her ear.

“Where am I going to go?”

“Trust me, I know what I am talking about. You’ll be a very challenging game for the men attending this ball.”

As soon as they stepped into the ballroom, they noticed a lot of people turning and staring at them. Many of the guys came up to Sebastian, shook his hand and waited to be introduced to Arielle. Girls walked up and hugged him warmly, paying little attention to her.

They had been standing there for a few minutes when she heard the delightful voice of Loren calling her name. “Arielle, I’m so happy you came!” she cried out, running towards her and giving her a huge hug.

“Let me see the ring again,” she exclaimed. Arielle stretched her hand out, her eyes sparkling.

“Oh, that’s so gorgeous. Let’s go show Mother.”

“Is father attending this celebration?” Sebastian asked.

“No, you know Dad, he doesn’t like any kind of celebration.”

“What do you mean?” Arielle asked. “Not even the New Year’s Eve celebrations?”

“No, not even those,” Sebastian answered this time. “A new year is of no importance to an immortal. It’s just another day in the very long journey of eternity,” he added sadly. Arielle squeezed his hand gently.

“So where is he?” he asked, glancing at Loren.

“He’s in his study with his friends discussing horses, as always,” Loren said, giggling. “He did ask for one thing, more than once,” she furthered. “He wants to meet Arielle.”

Marcus and Jeanette, who had attended Arielle’s birthday party, walked right behind Loren and the conversation ended. Arielle didn’t see Daniel anywhere, and since he was supposed to be Loren’s boyfriend, Arielle wondered about that.

She received a warm hug from Marcus and a smile from Jeanette, who seemed, however, to be more interested in Sebastian. Arielle shook her hand politely and Sebastian, after offering a soft hello, turned to greet a friend, at which Jeanette clearly looked disappointed. Arielle resisted the impulse to roll her eyes. She glanced at Sebastian. He appeared to be totally transfixed with someone or something across the room. Following his gaze, she could see a young woman surrounded by a group of men who were fighting for the girl’s attention. She looked back at Sebastian, who was still focused at the group.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“Who?” Sebastian said, turning his gaze to Arielle.

“The girl across the room.”

“Oh, that’s Arianna McCaffy.”

“She’s stunning,” Arielle said. A pang of jealousy suddenly hit a nerve.

“She’s all right, I suppose,” he replied, uninterestedly. Arielle tried to remain quiet, but words seem to slip out of her mouth uncontrollably.

“She must be a lot more than all right. She seems to be holding your attention.”

Sebastian’s brow rose and he looked down at her face.

“What makes you think I’m looking at her?”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“No,” he said, his tone smooth. Arielle pressed her lips together and remained quiet. Sebastian moved closer to her, one arm slipping around her waist pulling her hard against him, the other cupping her chin, lifting her face to his. His eyes bored right through hers and a wide smile covered his sensuous lips. “When, oh when, are you going to start trusting me?”

“How can I do that, in a room full of such stunning women?” she protested, as Sebastian bent down and took her mouth in a scorching kiss.

“You are the only stunning woman I’m interested in,” he assured her.

He kept his arm around her while he walked around the room, stopping to pay his respects to a few distinguished couples, introducing Arielle as his fiancée. He had to let go of Arielle as he shook hands with several of his friends and received hugs, some of them from especially eager females and a bit more lengthy than Arielle thought appropriate.

Arielle looked around the room. She felt like she was standing in the middle of a modeling agency. Everywhere she looked she saw unbelievably beautiful people. Each one had distinct differences, but they all were stunningly beautiful, with gorgeous facial features and amazing bodies. Good Lord, she thought. How could any normal human being have a chance around so many amazing people?

Loren hugged her again. “I’m so happy you came, Arielle, have you seen Paul here?”

“No, I haven’t seen Paul since Christmas day,” Arielle replied, a bit surprised by the question.

Sebastian moved toward her and took her in his arms, holding her with affection.

“Why are you so interested in Paul?” he said to Loren. “Is there something you would like to share with your brother?”

Loren looked down and kept quiet as Arielle gave Sebastian a meaningful look, motioning for him not to press Loren for answers. He understood right away, and didn’t say anything more, just gave his sister an affectionate kiss.

“Loren, the type of welcome you gave to Arielle is usually reserved for me. Am I playing second fiddle to her now?” He joked. Loren just smiled and fell into his arms, giving him a huge kiss on the cheek.

“I’m sorry, Sebastian, but Mother has been waiting anxiously to meet Arielle. Can we take her there?”

“All right,” he said. “I’ll be back,” he called over his shoulder to some of his friends, and they moved to the main ballroom. Everyone was busy socializing and some were dancing while a twelve member band was playing a variety of modern melodies and classical compositions. Several couples were already on the dance floor.

Well, that sure fits the surroundings, she thought and chuckled. The room breathed of immortality, creating a highly memorable atmosphere. Arielle felt that she was truly living in another era.

They walked towards the west wall, where Arielle could see several women standing in a circle. They all turned around as she approached, and she heard Loren say in a clear, excited voice, “Mother, this is Arielle.”

A tall, attractive woman stepped forward. She reached out and embraced Arielle warmly. Then, she took her hand and looked at the ring, a beautiful smile on her face.

“Congratulations, my dear, and welcome to the family,” she said in a kind voice. “Sebastian has told me so much about you, and I’m so pleased to meet you.” She gave Sebastian a warm kiss on the cheek. “I’m happy to have you here, darling,” she said.

She introduced Arielle to her friends and Sebastian greeted them all with a smile. Then, Olivia took Arielle’s hand and pulled her closer. “Please come and sit with me for a while,” she said. They walked toward a large sofa against the wall, and Olivia asked Arielle to sit next to her while Loren and Sebastian sat on her other side. She kept Arielle’s hand in hers and gazed into her eyes as if she wanted to read into her very soul. Immediately, Arielle thought of the reaction she had to Sebastian’s gaze and she went rigid, not wanting to be dazzled, but to her surprise she had no reaction to Olivia’s gaze at all.

“You are a very beautiful young woman. I’m happy to see that you are wearing the necklace,” she said approvingly.

“I want to thank you for that,” Arielle replied. “It’s a magnificent gift, and I love it,” she added, running her fingers over the necklace as she spoke.

“Tell me a little about you, and your family, dear.”

“Well, my family has lived in Brighton for thirty-five years. They are originally from York. My father owns BMLS industries. They build commercial airplanes. My mother is involved mostly in charity work, and sits on several boards of directors. She helps to acquire monies for hospitals and museums, and institutions that need the funds to help with illness or abuse.”

“Sebastian says you are in college. What are you studying?”

“I’m an engineering major. I’ll be graduating next year, and moving on to graduate school.”

“What type of engineering do you want to practice?”

“Um, that is a very good question,” Arielle said, smiling. “The only other person that has ever asked me that question was my father, whom I adore.”

Olivia seemed pleased with this reply. “Tell me,” she urged.

“Well, I would like to be hired by an engineering firm that will make it possible for me to design commercial buildings, or bridges across the world. That’s my passion.”

Olivia was now looking at Arielle with tremendous interest. Sebastian was also studying her face as she spoke, a loving grin on his face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman your age who has been so sure about where she was going in life. I’m extremely pleased about this. Sebastian told me that you were exceptionally smart and very beautiful, and he is right on both counts. I know that he has made an excellent choice. I’m so proud of both of you.” She then leaned closer to Arielle and whispered, “He is my son and I love him deeply, so please don’t hurt him. I know he loves you more than anything in this world. He has never really loved another girl. This is all new to him, I want him to be happy, and I will do anything I can to help you both if you need me.”

Arielle smiled softly, and when she spoke, her voice came out as a whisper. “Mrs. Dillon, I love him more than life itself. He is everything to me, but I know we don’t belong in the same world. He is unbreakable, undying, strong, magical, and gorgeous. I’m only human. I am not sure how it will all end up, but I know I can’t live without him.”

After speaking these words Arielle felt a sudden sadness. Olivia noticed, and cupping Arielle’s chin in her hand she tilted her face up so that Arielle could meet her gaze. Sebastian reached over his mother’s lap and took Arielle’s hand.

“What are you all whispering about?” he asked. He heard every single word spoken, but he wanted to be involved in the conversation. Both women ignored his question as Olivia continued talking in her soft tender voice.

“Don’t worry, dear, it’ll all work out. Sebastian is an amazing young man, and he’ll make it work. Just trust in him and be happy.” Then she kissed her on the cheek, and turning to Sebastian she said, “Sebastian, I think you should introduce your future bride to our guests, don’t you?” Sebastian nodded in agreement and rose to his feet.