Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6) (3 page)

“Thank you,” the girls replied simultaneously, bringing laughter to their small group.

Sebastian’s mother retrieved her hand from her husband’s arm. Excusing herself, she walked toward the huge staircase leading to the upper floor. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she paused. She
looked
up and motioned to someone on the top of the landing. A young girl came running down to meet her. There was a short discussion between
them, and soon the girl was climbing back up the stairs and
disappearing just as quickly as she had appeared.

Syele Gaulle returned to her husband’s side, a soft smile
lingering
on her beautiful lips. She placed her hand back on his sleeve, and he covered it with his reassuringly. He glanced down at her, and they smiled into each other’s eyes. Arielle grinned, causing Sebastian's heart to lift.

“They are getting your chambers ready, and I have asked the chambermaid to lay out everything that you might need for the
night. If there is something you want, they will be happy to get it for you,” she added, glancing between the girls.

“Thank you,” they said appreciatively.

“When you are ready to retire, they will show you to your chambers,” she said. She sent a meaningful glance to her sons.
“We’re really happy you are staying.”

Turning to face her husband, she said softly, “Are you ready, dear?”

“We will see you at breakfast,” Monsieur Gaulle said just before they departed to join their friends on the other side of the room.

Sebastian was exuberant. His brothers appeared to share his
feelings regarding the outcome. They began fervently planning the next day’s activities.

Chapter 2

GABRIELLE AND ARIELLE
moved closer to Eva, eager to discover her reasoning behind the decision to stay in the Gaulle home overnight.

“Eva, can we really do this?” Arielle whispered anxiously.

“Do what?” Eva asked, feigning ignorance.

“What about our guys back home?”

Eva smiled calmly. “A whole day here is but mere minutes in our century. We have plenty of time and ample portals to use for returning home.”

“But…but…I don’t understand,” Gabby stammered.

Eva leaned closer, her voice a low whisper. “We can stay
tomorrow
and leave late in the afternoon. We can enjoyed a day with the
Gaulle
family and learn a bit more about them, and their way of life in this
century.”

“That will be an amazing experience,” Arielle said.

“It will be an experience of a lifetime,” Gabby agreed.

“What are you all whispering about?” Three heads swung Sebastian’s way. Arielle felt him before she heard him. He was
standing extremely close, looking down at her. Heat spread across her veins, creating a prickling sensation.

“We were discussing our concerns about staying overnight,” Eva said.

“And?” Marcus jumped into the conversation, moving closer to Eva.

“And?” Eva mimicked his voice and grinned up at him.

Marcus raised his brows refraining from bursting into laughter.
“Did you come to any conclusions?” he asked, amusement in his
voice.

A quake of cognizance seemed to skim over Eva’s senses. It was clear that Marcus was smitten with her.

“So?” he insisted.

“Ahem, we decided that it would be absolutely wonderful to
have a little more time with your family.”

Marcus' expression gave him away. He was clearly pleased.

Anton stood next to Gabrielle, his gaze locked on her. His
beautiful
lips relaxed in an exquisite smile just for her. “Come dance with
me,” he said, his hand clasping hers before she had a chance to reply.

Gabrielle laughed joyfully and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Sebastian watched Arielle scanning the crowd, observing her sisters moving with grace around the ballroom floor. He could tell
that she
was aware of his nearness. He knew when a young woman was
thinking about him. She sighed softly.

He leaned closer. “Come take a walk with me,” he said, his voice lower than a whisper. His warm breath brushed against her skin.
She
shivered. He closed his fingers around her hand and steered her
through the crowd toward the huge doors that were open to the terrace.

Sebastian was distracted by the startling sensation she was
creating
in him. He could still taste the sweetness of her mouth and feel the
softness of her lips. That first kiss had left him breathless, drowning in a sea of passion. He wanted to keep her in his arms and kiss her witless forever.

“Your parents are so nice and so in love,” Arielle said, snapping Sebastian out of his haze.

Managing to rein in his wild thoughts, he smiled down at her. “Indeed they are.”

They crossed the threshold in silence and stepped outside. There
were a few couples lingering about, chitchatting quietly. Sebastian
led
her down to end of the terrace that ran along the length for the
ballroom. Stopping for a short moment, he looked around and then steered her down the stairs and into the garden. The thick brush shielded them from the moonlight and curious eyes.

“It’s a lovely night,” she said.

“Indeed…” his voice trailed. He wanted to kiss her as he had the
last time they were alone together outside. Heat flared and scorched every muscle in his body. Clasping her hand tighter, he held her back
and came around to face her. The need to get lost in her arms became unbearable; her nearness set him on fire. He was overcome with a primitive desire, a feeling he had never known until this very moment.

Arielle raised her face to his, and under the moonlight, their
gazes locked. Silence fell and stretched for the longest moment.

How strange!
I have never felt so lost for words in front of woman.
Trying
to breathe normally had become a difficult undertaking for
Sebastian. His world had come to an abrupt stop, and he was left with intense desire swirling in the pit of his stomach.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he breathed
softly,
their lips nearly touching. His whispered breath brushed her face
gently, and she inhaled his musky scent.

He bent down and covered her mouth with his. Her lips parted,
and he surged eagerly into the softness of her mouth, tasting her
sweetness and seizing the sensuousness of her soft lips.

Arielle moaned in his mouth, and the sound resonated deep into
his very core. He angled his head and deepened the kiss, leaving
Arielle utterly witless. He lifted his head for a short moment, trying to catch his breath. She pulled back.

“No…no…” he murmured, pulling her back into his arms. “Kiss me, Arielle,” he pleaded, and his eyes closed as she rose to her tippy
toes and pressed her lips against his.

He felt like he was losing his mind. This was utterly strange. He was the one that left women witless, wanting more, and eager for his desire, but not tonight. He was at Arielle’s mercy, lost in her passion, unable to pull away or control his needs.

“Are you a witch?” he breathed in her mouth.

Arielle giggled softly, and he pulled back startled.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“What a silly question,” she said giggling.

“Well, you must be,” he said, his lips curving softly. “Look at
me, I’m acting like a fool.”

“It must take a fool to know a witch,” she said grinning.

His head fell back, and he sucked a deep breath. “Where have
you been all my life?”

Arielle's mind appeared to drift away.

“Arielle, are you with me?”

His words appeared to snap Arielle out of her thoughts. “Yes,”
she said softly.

“So where have you been all my life?” he asked again, his voice amused.

“I’ve been in England,” she replied evenly.

He let out a long sigh and pulled her closer. “You’re driving me
mad, I can’t understand what is happening to me.”

Arielle kissed him. He became lost in bliss. They stayed there for a long time, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“I think we should go inside,” she finally said. “My sisters will
be looking for me.”

“They know you are with me.”

“I know, but it’s getting late.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“I have to.”

Sebastian watched her intently. Leaning in, he kissed her again.
His kiss was hard, passionate. He felt unwilling to let her go.

Pulling back from the kiss, Arielle looked up at him and grinned as she pushed softly against his chest. He released her.

She turned and walked toward the stairs. She knew that he was close behind her. Soon, he was clasping her hand with his. They
ascended the stairs in silence. Arielle became lost in thought.

As they reached the doors to the ballroom, Arielle saw that most of the guests were departing. The band members were gathering their instruments.

  She spied Eva, Gabrielle, Anton, and Marcus standing in the
middle of the dance floor talking animatedly. As they walked toward their
companions, Arielle thought that the ballroom was enormous
without all the bodies on the dance floor.

“There you are!” Eva called out. They all turned to face Arielle and Sebastian approaching. The couple was still holding hands.
Marcus’s brows furrowed, presumably at the sight of Arielle holding another's hand. Sebastian simply grinned.

“I would like to go to bed if you don’t mind,” Gabrielle’s voice broke the silence. “I am simply exhausted.”

Eva and Arielle nodded in agreement. Sebastian, still holding
Arielle’s hand, led the way to the upper floor. They walked down the same long corridor they had taken earlier during the house tour. The first room was assigned to Gabrielle. Eva was in the room next
to Gabrielle, and Arielle’s room was across from Eva. They all said goodnight, and the guys walked away chatting a mile a minute, laughing joyfully.

“Eva, we’ll need some clothes for the morning,” Arielle said
anxiously when the guys were out of sight.

“Don’t worry, Arielle. I saw Mademoiselle Gaulle estimating our sizes just before she left us tonight. I could see that she’ll make sure that garments are laid out in the rooms for us to use,” Eva said.

They already knew that the rooms would be amazing from their
earlier visit. Arielle thought that the beds seemed comfortable and
inviting. The ladies hugged each other, and Arielle thanked Eva one more time for a gift she would never forget.

“I love you both for this amazing gift. I’m at a loss for words,” Arielle added as she walked through the door of her room.

Basins of hot water were brought into the rooms. The servants had laid out fancy nightwear for them. Arielle chuckled as she slipped into an elegant nighty. Getting dressed to go to sleep was not
something she
was used to, especially when sharing her bed with a man like
Sebastian.
He disliked any type of clothing in bed. She sighed deeply as she
thought of the heated encounters with the man she adored, the man that was waiting for her back home. She shook her head as a wave of passion burst through her muscles.

She thought about the amazing time she'd had that night.
Sebastian
as a mortal was just as amazing and passionate as he was as an
immortal. Being in his arms was mind-blowing. She basked in the memory of
the feel of his touch. She winced at the thought that she had nearly
lost control while gazing into his amazing eyes.

She remembered seeing Gaston dancing after his altercation with
Sebastian. He was stunningly beautiful, and it was obvious that
many
women wanted to be with him. She had caught him staring her
down
several times while in the arms of other women. She also
remembered
getting a glimpse of him in the early morning hours. He had come
back just as Sebastian said he would, and he had stayed quite late.

Climbing into bed, she lay down and hugged her pillow tightly, her thoughts drifting to Sebastian once again. She would have to be
careful when they were together that she didn’t appear like a wild
female. Being a wanton was unacceptable in the sixteenth century. Arielle snorted at the thought. Who was she kidding? He was turning her world upside down each every time they touched. The immortal scent was the only difference between mortal and immortal
Sebastian. Was
she going to be able to remain strong for one more day? The fear that making a small mistake or saying the wrong thing might expose her made her recoil. She pursed her lips together and closed her eyes. Exhaustion made her fall asleep in the middle of her thoughts, though it was the first time in years she’d slept without her beloved by her side.