She thought he was probably right, but the unsettling feeling about Annabel was still making her flesh crawl. She didn’t make any comment. She knew that her uneasiness was mostly because much of her life was unraveling in the pretty bizarre world of immortality. Her visits with her parents, school, and her human relationship with Gabby and Paul were the only points that kept her life a bit normal.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. He was watching her carefully. “I don’t like that look in your eyes.”
She shook her head. “I—I can’t help worrying about Annabel showing up,” she whispered.
Sebastian didn’t answer, but she saw his lips twisting in a faint smile.
“She is evil!” she said irritably.
“That’s obvious, but you have to let it go,” he said, softly.
“How—How can I let it go? I just can’t shake the way she looked at me before she disappeared,” she muttered, nervously.
The grin vanished from his face, and he said passionately, “Arielle, really, you must let it go.”
She was a bit astonished at his statement.
I can’t believe that he expects me to dismiss someone like Annabel,
she thought, but she kept her mouth shut. He was studying her intently, as if he was trying to read her mind.
“What are you thinking?” he asked again, reaching over and cradling her face with the palm of his hand. She looked at him, eyes narrowed, lips pressed together.
“Seriously, Sebastian, you can’t guess what I’m thinking about?” He pulled over to the side of the road and turned toward her. He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her face to his.
“Arielle, I love you.” His voice dropped to a soft whisper. “Don’t let Annabel upset you. There is nothing Annabel can do to change the fact that you and I are linked together forever.” He pulled her closer and kissed her eagerly. The kiss started off sweet and then slowly deepened.
“You must let go, baby,” he repeated against her lips.
“I just—um…now I just feel like someone is watching us constantly,” she murmured as heat spread from his lips to hers.
“Annabel will never become an obstacle between you and me. Do you understand that?” he said. His eyes were grazing over her face.
“Trust me, please, and stop worrying,” he murmured. His breath was warm against her face, and she could smell the incredible immortal sweetness. She was completely captivated by him once again.
“Are you compelling me right now? Because I’m unable to resist you,” she whispered.
“I’ll never do that with you; I love you,” he said powerfully.
Arielle was captivated by Sebastian’s touch, but she was so fixated with her terrifying thoughts about Annabel that she was struggling to get her mind under control. She drew in a huge breath. Closing her eyes, she sighed deeply.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Stop worrying,” he murmured against her ear emphatically, but she wasn’t listening.
She pulled back meeting his gaze. A deep frown was creasing her beautiful forehead, and a scowl was masking the inner battle she was waging.
“Don’t do that,” he said firmly. Gripping her upper arm, he shook her lightly.
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t scowl. It distorts your beautiful face. I don’t like it,” he said.
Leaning in, he skated his lips against hers. “And stop fighting me,” he whispered, pulling her even closer. His lips were brushing the side of her face. Her breath was coming in gasps, and she was panting as her eyes moved from his incredible face to her hands on her lap.
“Will you stop fighting me?” he asked as he crushed her lips beneath his, and her heart raced into double time.
She harrumphed and gazed into his eyes. “I don’t know,” she murmured. He pulled back slightly and looked at her in frustration.
“You are so stubborn, but I love you,” he muttered, releasing her. Starting the car, he maneuvered back onto the road.
Her mind raced, as immortality and eternity consumed every thought in her head. She recognized that the limitlessness of those two words had changed the way she viewed life and the world around her. No other person, outside her immediate circle of friends, could understand what she was dealing with.
Sebastian turned the radio up, and the soft music of an old song filled the air. She leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes, trying to calm down. His touch startled her, as he ran his finger across her lips, down the side of her cheek, and continued lower to her breasts. Her breath caught in her throat, and she gasped out loud. His soft chuckle caused her to purse her lips. He was teasing her, and he knew thoughts of him weakened her. She grinned mischievously before leaning in to kiss him.
“I love you,” she murmured. He made her feel wonderful.
“That’s all that matters to me,” he whispered, his tone even and content.
She held him to a kiss, and he struggled to keep his eyes on the road.
“Mmm…that is delightful,” he said without breaking the kiss. Pulling back and chuckling, he focused on pulling up to the gate of the Dillon estate.
“We are here,” he said. He pushed a code at the panel and waited for the gates to open. Arielle pulled the visor down and took a quick look in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair and pinched her cheeks with her fingertips.
“Why do you do that?” he asked curiously.
“Do what?”
“Pinch your cheeks with your fingertips.”
“To bring a little color,” she said and giggled. “Have you never seen a girl do that before?”
“I don’t pay attentions to what girls do. However, when it comes to you, I notice just about everything.” His expression clearly held love. “You look beautiful!” She chuckled and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek.
“Thank you,” she murmured. He had now reached the circular drive and stopped right in the front. She never saw him move, but he was suddenly standing outside the car, holding her door open. Taking her hand he pulled her out of the car and into his arms. Their eyes met and locked blue against green. Reaching up on her tippy toes she kissed him softly. He released her reluctantly and taking her hand they climbed together the massive staircase to the front door. Sebastian used his key and a chime played a musical tune as he pushed the door open and they stepped into the foyer. It wasn’t long before she saw Olivia appearing at the top of the main staircase.
“Sebastian! Arielle! Welcome…welcome…” she called out as she descended the steps in slow, elegant movements. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, and her smile lit up the foyer. Arielle would never get over the amazing appearances of immortals.
“Hello, Mother.” The tenderness in Sebastian’s voice was clearer than words that he loved Olivia as though she were truly related to him by blood. His face lit up with delight, and he released Arielle’s hand to meet his mother at the base of the staircase. The regal immortal stepped into his embrace, holding him tightly and tenderly patting his back. When they finally parted, she bussed his check.
“I’m so glad to see you!” she exclaimed, cupping his face with both hands. “I wonder why you don’t come more often.” Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Mother, I’m sorry for not visiting more often, but I hope that you do understand,” he carefully apologized. “Between work and school, I don’t have a lot of spare time, but I do love you.”
She nodded. “I just miss seeing you and Loren and spending time together.” She appeared as if she was longing for an earlier time and life. She finally released Sebastian and moved to Arielle. She opened her arms and welcomed her with a great smile on her face.
“I’m delighted to see you, Arielle.” A grin was painting her beautiful face. “I know you’ve been taking good care of Sebastian, because he looked extremely happy.” She laughed quietly, giving her a peck on both cheeks. “Mm…do I smell freesia?”
“Yes, it’s my favorite fragrant flower,” Arielle replied. She remembered only too well Sebastian having the same reaction when they first met.
“What a coincidence!” Olivia exclaimed and held her gaze steadily.
“Oh?” it was all Arielle could muster.
“Didn’t Sebastian tell you? Freesia is one of my most favorite fragrances as well!”
“Really! No, he never mentioned it.” Swallowing quickly, she tried to hide the surprise.
“I’m sorry, Mother; I simply forgot.” They heard Sebastian’s apologetic velvety voice. Inwardly he grimaced, annoyed that the subject even came up.
Arielle turned to glance at him quizzically. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. She lifted her finger to her mouth and sent a kiss his direction. His lips kicked up, and she felt his warmth envelope her.
“When did you fall in love with freesias?” Olivia’s question made her blink, and she turned back to look at her.
“I’m not sure that I can remember the exact time. Freesias were part of my mother’s life while I was growing up. They were all over the house and in our garden. The exquisite scent became part of me,” she responded with a small grin. “What about you?” Arielle asked. Olivia took her hand and pulled her into the sitting room with Sebastian at their heels.
“I know you will absolutely love to sit on this sofa. It faces the garden,” she added, grinning enigmatically. Arielle gazed back at Sebastian, but he shrugged his shoulders, utterly stumped. She turned to Olivia and looked at her enquiringly.
Olivia’s lips curved at the corners as she pointed out the window. “Well, what do you think?” Arielle followed her finger, and her jaw dropped. The grounds were covered with flowerbeds, full of life, with no bare spots. The rainbow of colors elegantly intermingled, extending as far as they eye could see. The blossoms gracefully swayed in the mild breeze, creating a moving ocean of freesias. Olivia opened the window and filled the room with the mind-blowing scent that Arielle loved so much. Arielle choked at the sight.
“Oh…my…God…” she gasped. “You really do love freesias!”
“As an immortal, I could never lie,” Olivia answered, delighted by Arielle’s reaction.
“How did you grow to love them this much?” Arielle asked, still captivated by the sight.
“My husband and I spent a few years during the 1800s in South Africa. Christian, my husband, always loved to surprise me. Every day he brought a new-exotic flower. One morning, he came in with a gorgeous white flower in his hand. I’d never seen anything like it. It wasn’t just the beauty of petals but the fragrance that captivated my senses. At that moment, it became my favorite flower. I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you love freesias.” She turned toward Sebastian and smiled. He diverted his gaze to Arielle, enveloping her with such love that the feeling was palpable.
“Mother, I wish you could come and visit us. The gardens are filled with freesia flowers. I thought it was amazing that she loved the same flower as you do. I just don’t know how I failed in mentioning to Arielle your obsession with the same flower.” Arielle stared at Sebastian, holding a warm grin on her face. His gaze was so irresistibly exciting that she could almost feel his lips brushing against her skin, making her quiver. She closed her eyes, trying to shake all those thoughts out of her head. She heard him chuckle, and she was sure he knew her thoughts.
“Are you all right, dear?” Olivia asked watching her now intently.
She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m fine, I’m also happy that we share this amazing love for freesias,” she muttered. Olivia took a seat on the sofa; reaching up, she took Arielle’s hand and pulled her softly down to sit next to her. Sebastian took a seat in the large armchair across from them.
Olivia drew a deep breath and gazed at Arielle carefully.
“Sebastian told me that you’re worried about your professor’s obsession about your amulet,” she said.
“Yes,” Arielle replied. “He makes me feel quite uncomfortable.”
“I want you to take your time and tell me everything,” she urged in a low, serious voice. Arielle inhaled deeply before gazing in Olivia’s eyes and starting to speak.
“Well, the whole thing is a bit peculiar. It all started a couple weeks ago. Professor Mayfield, our regular physics professor, had an accident during the semester break. He couldn’t return to class. His replacement is a young man, likely in his mid-thirties. His name is Colt Allworth, and he seems to be very nice, though quite strange.” She paused and ran her tongue over her dry lips. “Yesterday, he became very upset with me for not paying attention to his lecture, so he reprimanded me. I was utterly humiliated in front of the class.”
“She was magnificent!” Sebastian chimed in and chuckled, making his mother laugh with him. Arielle scolded him with her expression.
“Anyway,” Arielle pressed on. “He was almost finished delivering his humiliating speech when his eyes suddenly zeroed on my necklace, and he froze in mid speech. He seemed unable to compose himself. His facial expression changed, and he appeared literally mortified. He was so shaken up that he forgot what he was about to say and stared at me apprehensively.” She paused to take a breath. “The whole class seemed transfixed by his bizarre behavior. I couldn’t help but feel a lurch of anxiety.” She stopped talking and swallowed hard, recalling the moment. “I was sure I had touched a nerve, but I was completely clueless as to why he was so sidetracked. He was breathing intensely, and he remained speechless for a long moment. He finally turned around and walked back to his podium, not saying another word to me for the duration of the lecture”
“At the end of the lecture, he asked me to stay back so we could talk, and that is when he asked me about the amulet. He wanted to know its origin and how I happened to have it on. I told him that it belonged to my ancestors. He shook his head back and forth in clear denial. He told me that my ancestors couldn’t possibly be the rightful owners”
“I’ve no idea why he created such a show and why he was so adamant that I wasn’t the rightful owner of the amulet,” she said raising her eyebrows. “He told me not to be afraid of him. Why would he even think that I was afraid of him? He told me he wasn’t going to hurt me. Why would he hurt me? I guess I have all these questions,” she said nervously. “Who is this guy? And why would he warn me to come clean about the amulet?” She looked down and rubbed her hands together uncomfortably.