Arielle Immortal Seduction (5 page)

Chapter 5

I
t was the first of December and nearing the time when Sebastian would finally be back. The holidays were approaching, and everyone was getting ready to start decorating and shopping. Arielle’s mother had already decorated the whole house. She hung beautiful Christmas wreaths with large red bows on every window and door. She had placed Christmas decorations in every room. The halls were decked with branches of holly and mistletoe.

Christmas was a time Arielle always looked forward to. Her mother would decorate two Christmas trees, a very tall one in the family room with its high ceilings, and an even bigger one in the foyer. The stockings hung by the fireplace, and the atmosphere was exuberant.

Exams were coming up the second week of December. Arielle knew she would have to buckle down to get through them. She was happy that Sebastian wasn’t coming before her exams, so she didn’t have to worry about studying while he was there.

It was a Wednesday morning, and a typically rainy day. Arielle had a class late in the afternoon; afterward she decided to go shopping for a new outfit. The rain had picked up but she was determined to get out of the flat and Gabrielle and Eva were in class, so she went alone.

She was searching for a new pair of jeans, when suddenly her phone rang. To her surprise, Sebastian’s name popped up on the screen. Arielle smiled and an exhilarating feeling washed over her. Quickly, she pressed the answer button, and looked around for a quiet corner so that she could hear him better.

“Hello,” she said quietly, walking away from the crowd.

“You don’t sound very excited, baby.” The musical voice that made Arielle’s heart beat a million miles an hour was coming from the other end. She could hardly speak from pleasure. “Sebastian, I’m in a store full of people, that’s why I’m talking quietly,” she explained.

“Why don’t you walk outside?” he replied chuckling.

“I can’t, it’s pouring rain,” she said ecstatically, unable to keep her excitement at bay. “So, are you coming home?” she asked breathlessly.

“Yes, I’ll be home tomorrow night,” he said. Arielle gasped out loud and her knees gave in. She could hardly believe the moment she had waited for so long was finally here.

“I can’t wait to see you!” she said, and the decision she had made sent a flashing, scorching sensation through her veins.

“I was hoping you would say that,” he murmured. “I thought after all this time maybe you had forgotten about me.”

“Have you forgotten about me?” she countered, snorting.

She heard his soft chuckle, through his next statement. “Forgetting about you would be like forgetting to breathe…”

She chuckled with joy.

“What’s your flight number?”

“Have you missed me?” he asked, ignoring her question.

“Yes, of course I have, I can hardly wait to see you.”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” he said.

“I have your face imprinted in my mind and it’s really the only thing that keeps me going,” she added.

“That sounds pretty serious,” he said with a soft titter.

“Yes, it is for me.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon. I love you,” he said, his voice passionate.

“Not as much as I love you,” she countered quickly.

“That depends on what you consider as much.”

“You are my whole world, Sebastian, I don’t think I can convey the enormity of my love for you with words.”

“Arielle, I can’t breathe if you are not next to me, you are the focal point of my existence,” he whispered, longing in his voice. She was so blissful hearing his words that she could hardly speak. He took advantage of her speechlessness to tease her, saying, “So you see? I do love you more.” She could feel his grin, and almost feel his sensuous lips on hers. Her body shivered with excitement at the thought of being in his arms. She took a deep breath. “Please hurry home,” she breathed.

“I can’t wait to get my hands on you,” he said in a deep sensual tone, and she shuddered. He gave her his flight information and she heard him say almost in a murmur, “Miss me.” And the line went dead.

Arielle was so overcome with longing that her throat felt dry and her heart beat faster. She picked up her packages and jumped into the car, barely missing the downpour. His amazing face filled her mind, and she smiled as she turned the radio up, letting the music take over.

It was now raining hard, and the sound of the water thrashing the windshield seemed to balance the beat of the music on the radio. She turned her windshield wipers on and her thoughts drifted to the weekend ahead. She felt completely mixed up and anxious. His last statement had sent ripples of fire across her veins. “I can’t wait to get my hands on you,” he had said, sending a scorching sensation through her body. “Well, I can’t wait for him to get his hands on me either,” she said, and broke out into a hearty laugh. She had been going back and forth in her mind concerning her feelings about her virtue, and she was at a crossroads. Sebastian would never know how many hours she had spent pondering this issue and wondering why she should abstain from sex after her attempted rape. She was happy that he wouldn’t be able to read her thoughts and discover the reasons that she was drastically altering her commitment to virginity. What had happened to her was a secret she was determined to take to her grave. Now that she wouldn’t have to testify in court, she couldn’t think of even a good reason that Sebastian should find out what had happened. She had asked all her friends to keep it quiet and never bring it up, and they had promised to do so.

By now, Arielle was sure that nothing could make her continue resisting what she knew she and Sebastian both desired. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone on the planet. The desire ripped through her like a tornado. She focused on the unshakable craving to surrender her body and soul, and plunge into the astonishing passion called Sebastian. He was the man of her dreams, the man she wanted to be with, to spend every waking moment with, just fulfilling his every sensual desire. She was longing for him and she felt thrilled just knowing that he would be home soon. She loved to press her lips at the hollow of his throat and taste the sweet scent of his mouth. She loved to hear him moan with exhilaration, and to know that she was his absolute benediction.

Tomorrow night she would be in his arms. She just couldn’t wait. She was going to skip classes on Friday because she wasn’t planning to leave him alone, not even for a single moment.

His presence rejuvenates me, she thought. I need him more than anything I’ve needed before. I want to gaze into his beautiful emerald eyes, wrap my arms around his gorgeous body, and kiss those sumptuous lips of his. Her thoughts ran wild. The excitement made her body ache, and she stifled a groan. It was almost unbearable. She went home to drop off her packages and picked up her books for her afternoon class. Then she sat in the auditorium, buried in her own thoughts, and never heard a word of the lecture. She was nearly suffocating from excitement and could hardly wait for the next day to come.

After class, as she and Paul walked to their cars, she looked lost in thought.

“Are you going out tonight?” he asked.

“No, I’m sorry, Paul, I have a lot of things I need to do tonight, because Sebastian is coming home tomorrow!”

“Oh, all right then,” he said. “See you later.”

She smiled a happy smile and gave him a hug, then slipped into her car. All she wanted to do now was get home, read, and then go to bed. As if maybe that might move the clock faster. She chuckled at the thought and squeezed herself in disbelief, delighted that the day she had waited for so long was finally almost here.

Sebastian’s plane took off on time. It was a short flight from Madrid to London. When they landed, he picked up his bags and walked out the sliding doors of the airport. Arielle’s car was parked in front. She had a sensual smile on her face. She jumped out of the car and fell into his arms. His arms closed tightly about her as she stretched up to meet his lips, locking them into a scorching kiss that seared their minds in a suggestive promise of pleasure. She pressed even closer and, parting her lips, she let his tongue savor the softness of her mouth. He groaned and she moaned suggestively.

Sebastian pulled back and sucked in a tight breath. His eyes roamed her face and he savored the sight. She looked even more stunning than he had remembered her. “Mmmm,” he murmured against her lips. “You did miss me,” he said, and chuckled.

They both seemed to have forgotten about the crowds at the airport. She was exciting and extremely sexy. She had an almost transparent, light blue shirt on and a pair of tight jeans. He remembered her saying on the phone that she had made an important decision, and there had been something slightly different in the tone of her voice.

He didn’t want to interpret this the wrong way, but the possibility of her decision having to do something with her commitment to chastity made his throat dry. He wasn’t prepared to hope that that was what she had in mind. He knew that she wanted to wait for marriage, and he was determined not to make her feel uncomfortable. He could give her the ring he had bought for her only a few days after he met her, but he didn’t want to force her into making a commitment she wasn’t ready for.

The thought of her being a virgin was blistering enough to send hot waves of desire throughout his body. He had a feeling that Arielle might be afraid that making love with him might be the end of their relationship. He thought he remembered her saying something like that a long time ago, but he couldn’t remember her exact words.

How can I make her understand that my love for her is like a volcano that has erupted and will remain, burning and smoldering forever? he thought. She’ll be my wife and my lover for eternity. How he wished that she could see the clear picture of his feelings for her. He wanted her to feel his heartbeat, but alas, that was never going to happen. His heart had been dead for centuries and would remain silent for centuries to come. But his love for her was alive, and very real.

He looked at her beautiful face and knew she was not going anywhere tonight but home with him. He was not going to let her out of his sight. For tonight, he was a completely selfish man and he wanted her all to himself.

The night before, as Arielle had prepared for Sebastian’s arrival, she realized that her mind was made up. Sebastian was the man of her dreams, the man she was planning to spend the rest of her life with, and she was not going to make him wait anymore. She wondered if her decision would surprise him enough that he would want to know what had made her change her mind. She couldn’t allow him to take her necklace off and find out what had happened with Matt. The thought of that made her feel so terrible, she bit her lip so hard that only the pain made her realize she needed to relax.

She drove to the airport, parked in front of the baggage claim exit, and turned the radio on. The soft music made her heart feel peaceful as a smile broke across her face. This must be what they mean by bliss, she thought, and her face lit up with anticipation. She closed her eyes, knowing it was about fifteen minutes before the plane would land. She was overwhelmed just thinking of him.

“It feels like I’ve been waiting for centuries,” she murmured, chuckling at the irony of her words. Suddenly she saw him walking out through the sliding doors, and the sight of him literally took her breath away. How could a person who had spent so much time flying around the world and living out of a suitcase walk out and look like an airbrushed painting, not a real person? Every head turned to look at him as he strode toward the car. Arielle was not surprised.

He was so beautiful. Arielle beamed just knowing that he was hers. He was aware of peoples’ reactions everywhere he went, but he paid no attention, he just zeroed in on her face. His amazing lips were curved up into the familiar smile that filled her with joy. She flew out of the car and fell into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and plastered her body to his. Their lips met in a scorching kiss that made her body quiver and his senses leap to unimaginable heights. She could feel his excitement pressing firmly against her stomach and her breathing hitched.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered in her ear. Then he pushed her back gently and stared at her from head to toe, smiling with anticipation.

“You look very sexy,” he murmured.

“I do?” she said sheepishly, feeling suddenly shy.

“Have you missed me?” he asked as he released her and, taking her hand in his, he led her to the car.