Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series (25 page)

Ethan shrugs. “It was just two guys working
some stuff out on the pitch. Nothing serious.”

John bites his tongue, waits for the
waitress to clear Ethan’s empty plate from the table, and then
slides some papers in front of him. Taking the pen out of his hand,
Ethan scribbles his signature on the dotted line and then hands
everything back to John, establishing eye contact for the first
time since he sat down. “Tomorrow I need you at the bar all day.
There will be people coming by to give estimates on some
renovations and a new sign.”

“Ok.”

“That reminds me.” Ethan pulls his phone out
of his pocket and types Olivia a message.

From Ethan: Don’t forget that you promised
you’d go with me to look at an apartment tomorrow. I will pick you
up at 8

Sleep eludes Olivia most of the night.
Confusion being the culprit of her restlessness. What exactly were
all those memories she had of Ethan at the field? She’s fairly
certain that some of them were things that happened when she was
sick. Or maybe things she hallucinated during that time? With
hallucinations like that who wouldn’t want to run a fever?
Nevertheless, if they were hallucinations why does she have such
vivid memories of how his skin felt under her touch? Why does she
remember the warmth of being surrounded by his large masculine
body?

It’s very unlikely that she conjured up
those feelings out of the blue, right? If something happened
between them, then why doesn’t she remember and why would he lie
about it? He may be an arrogant ass with a childlike temper when he
doesn’t get his way, but he doesn’t strike her as the kind of guy
who would take advantage of a woman when she’s not in her right
mind. Or is he?

What does she really know about him? She
thought she knew Sam well. SAM. The name makes her feel nauseated.
Is it possible that lying beneath all that sexy Irish charm there
is a Sam lurking inside him too? She’s felt his dominance.
Responded to his authority. Witnessed his temper. His dark,
dangerous mood swings have set off warning bells and yet, there is
some kind of inexplicable force that draws her to him, assuring her
that he would never hurt her. He’s here to SAVE her and somehow she
just knows it to be true. Confusing.

Rolling over, she tries to untangle the
blanket and get comfortable. Her eyes feel heavy but her brain just
won’t relax. Visions of the silver hair psychic begin to haunt her
as she tries to force herself into sleep. Opening her eyes, she
looks around the room, having the strangest feeling that she’s
being watched. Her words roll around in her brain, making her feel
unsettled. He’s looking for you. He will find you. Is he here now?
Is that the eerie feeling she’s experiencing? Olivia gets out of
bed and checks the windows and doors, making sure they’re locked up
tight. Everything seems to be in order but on her way back to bed
she decides to turn on several lights so the house is not in
complete darkness. It’s silly, but it makes her feel better.

Climbing back into bed she turns the TV on
and turns up the volume just enough to drown out all the little
noises that houses make. Every little thud and creak will have her
nerves raw by morning for sure. When she closes her eyes and
finally starts to drift off to sleep, she thinks about the cabin.
The small wooden shack in the middle of a heavily treed forest. The
one she saw in her mind as Ethan walked towards her after being
thrown out of the game.

Why is she thinking about this place? It’s
not a place that she knows; in fact, she’s positive that she has
never been there before. Why is it that, in her mind, she sees
herself there with Ethan? The memory brought to her with amazing
detail. Ethan moving to lie on top of her on a small single bed in
a dark, cold room. A thin red blanket is tousled on the floor and
the only source of light is the full moon through the window. He
makes love to her gently, innocently, as if it was her first time.
She can feel the intense emotion as if she’s right there in the
moment, as if their souls are intertwined.

Her eyes open and she stares at the ceiling
for a long while, still unsettled and more than a little restless.
That’s it! Enough is enough! She’s going to ask Ethan to take care
of her needs. After all, there is no denying, that he’s the one
that makes her body burn with an insatiable desire whenever he’s
near. She sits straight up, throws her legs over the side of the
bed, and takes a deep breath. Not so fast girl! If he holds that
much power over her, he could also steal her heart and smash it
into a million pieces. If she’s completely honest with herself,
that thought terrifies her more than his wicked temper. What’s the
solution?

A few blocks away Ethan tosses and turns for
hours before getting out of bed and pacing the floor, checking his
phone constantly. He’s sent her at least a dozen text messages and
called twice. Why isn’t she answering? He’s beyond feeling
stressed. Looking at his watch, he considers getting in the car and
driving over there. She was very upset about the fight and seemed
extremely worried about his temper. Jesus! His fucking Irish temper
has always been one of his demons. It’s the source of all his
problems back home and now it’s going to screw up everything here
as well. It has always been the one thing that he can’t seem to
control. If he wants Olivia to be in his life then he’ll have to
find a way to curb it. He’ll talk to John about it in the morning
and figure it out.

After getting very little sleep Olivia is
almost late for work and frantically searching through her purse
for her phone. When she can’t find it, she hits the floor on her
hands and knees, searching under the couch and the chairs.
Thoroughly frustrated, she grabs her keys and heads for her car,
accepting the fact that she will just have to survive the day
without it. On the way through town she notices the Challenger
parked outside the bar, an odd sight since Ethan and Scott are
usually well on their way into the city by now. As she passes, it
occurs to her that the last time she remembers using her phone was
on the way to the coffee shop. Wondering if it fell out of her
pocket in his car, she checks her watch and decides that she has
time to stop. Screeching to a halt along the curb, she rushes to
the front door and pushes it open in a hurried manner. “Hello?” She
calls out.

Expecting to see Ethan emerge from the back
office, she’s startled when the door swings open and a tall
handsome stranger with dark hair appears. “Hello, did we have an
appointment this morning?”

Olivia’s face starts to flush. “No, I’m
sorry to bother you.” Confusion is evident in her voice “I… I was
looking for Ethan.”

“Ah. Let me guess… Olivia James?” Walking
towards her with a confident swagger, his smile brighter than the
afternoon sun.

Suddenly Olivia feels a little shy.
“Yes.”

He extends his hand. “John McCabe. We spoke
briefly last week.”

Olivia relaxes as she shakes his hand and
takes in a deep appreciative breath of his cologne. She didn’t
think it was possible for anyone to smell better than Ethan, but
John McCabe is a very close second. “It’s nice to meet you. I hope
you had a safe and ‘alpaca’ free flight.” She teases.

“Yes, thank you.” John smiles, revealing the
small wrinkles around his bright blue eyes; evidence of his age and
the years of long, tireless hours of service. There is a subtle
appearance of grey mingling throughout the short, black, silky
strands of hair, that he’s obviously taken time to style. He’s much
more distinguished than she expected for a personal assistant, and
every bit as handsome and charming as Ethan. Just older.

“I’m sorry to bother you. Is Ethan
here?”

“You’re no bother at all. And you’re much
prettier than the big hairy contractor that was here at 7am. I’m
afraid Ethan isn’t here.”

“Oh. His car is out front.” She feels
disappointment wash over her.

John quickly offers an explanation. “Yes, he
had a business lunch today with some important clients and we
thought it a better idea that we switch vehicles instead of him
trying to cram them into his car.” He takes on a look of amusement.
“Which, by the way, I understand was your doing.”

She grins. “Yes, I guess it was.“ Olivia
likes the idea of having John to herself for a few minutes and
despite knowing that she’s going to be late for work, she decides
that she’ll try to take advantage of it. “Have you known Ethan
long?”

John raises an eyebrow, apprehensive about
what he suspects is coming. “Yes, I’ve known him for several
years.”

She hesitates. “Can I ask you a few things
about him?”

He knew it. Crossing his arms, he leans back
against one of the booths. “Well I’m not entirely sure that would
be appropriate. If there’s something you need to know you should
ask Ethan. You’ll find he’s very forthcoming with the truth.” He
watches her noticeable discomfort as she persists.

“Please, I just need to know about his
temper and his tendency to get into fights.” Feeling a little
embarrassed for putting him on the spot during their first meeting,
she reaches out and touches his arm as if they’re old friends.

John stares at her for a long while before
he answers, the despair on her face and his earlier conversation
with Ethan, convincing him that he should. “Ethan used to have a
tendency to get into fights, when he was younger. He’s a very
passionate man, as I’m sure you’ve already discovered, but he has
come a long way in learning to control his temper.”

“Not far enough unfortunately.” She
frowns.

He nods his head in acknowledgement. “You’re
talking about the fight at the game last night?”

“Yes. He hit one of my friends.” She notices
that his accent is distinctly different from Ethan’s and curiosity
hijacks her thoughts for a moment. “Why does your accent sound
different from his?”

John laughs. “We’re from different regions
of Ireland.” They are interrupted by the loud exchange of foul
language between a couple of workers who are busy in the back of
the bar. John looks agitated. “Excuse me a minute.”

When he disappears around the back, Olivia
takes a minute to admire the transformation taking place in her
favorite place. For the most part, everything is the same, but
partitions are being installed between booths. The stained glass
panels proudly highlight Celtic symbols in a rich frosted glass,
providing its occupants some privacy but allowing a gentle light to
shine through. She thinks Ethan’s choice is very elegant.

John reappears, and Olivia notices for the
first time his incredible body. Tall and beefy, his chest and
biceps bulging with muscular definition. “Please accept my
apologies. Some men have no class at all. Where were we?”

“We were talking about Ethan’s temper.” She
pulls her eyes away from his chest hoping he hasn’t noticed her
staring.

“Right.” John rubs his hand on his chin
while he thinks about his words. “My employer would be furious if
he knew I talked to you about this, but I can tell you’re
concerned. Ethan is not perfect.” He holds his hand up to halt her
interruption, while a wry smile forms on his lips. “I know it’s
hard to believe, but it’s true.” He chuckles. “He loses his temper
often without warning and sometimes reacts without thinking about
the consequences. Sometimes… he’s downright bossy and rude.”

Olivia nods in agreement. “You obviously
know your boss very well.”

“Yes, but here is the key to handling him.
Don’t let him intimidate you.”

She squints her eyes, trying to focus on
what John is trying to say. Everything Ethan does intimidates her.
How could she possibly avoid that?

He notices her distressed look. “Olivia,
he’s a brilliant man, but he’s still JUST A MAN. One who doesn’t
respond to subtle cues and hints. He only understands open and
honest communication. You’ll have to tell him clearly what your
needs are.”

Olivia thinks for a moment about her needs
and she sighs heavily. “That’s easier said than done.”

“Open and honest.” He assures her. “I know
that can be a difficult thing to do sometimes but trust me, if he
likes you as much as I think he does, he won’t disappoint you.”

She does find some comfort in his advice,
noting there does seem to be some truth to it. Yesterday Ethan
seemed oblivious to how his behavior made her feel until she
blurted it out blatantly later in the evening. “Thank you, John.”
She manages a warm smile. “I can see why Ethan considers you a
friend.”

John lets out a half chuckle as he moves to
the door, holding it open as one of the contractors tries to
maneuver in supplies.

“You’re very welcome. But if anyone asks…
this conversation never happened.” He waits for her to nod her
acknowledgement and then looks at his watch. “Why were looking for
him this morning?”

Olivia had almost forgotten. “OH! My phone!
I can’t find my phone and I thought maybe it fell out of my pocket
in his car.”

“Ah, well that I can help you with.” He
pulls the key fob out of his pocket and holds it in the air. She
grins and follows him outside. The door unlocks as they approach
and John swings open the passenger door and searches the floor.
When he stands, he has it in his hand and holds it up for her to
see, his eye brows raise straight up as he looks at the display.
“15 missed messages since last night… and all from Ethan.” He
announces. “Well Miss James, seems like you have quite a hold on my
friend.” He passes it to her but when she tries to take it from
him, he holds it firmly, forcing her to look up at him. “Be patient
with him, Olivia. He’s going to make mistakes. Probably a lot of
them.” With that, he releases her phone to her.

She thinks about John’s advice all the way
to work. Should she tell Ethan what her needs are? She is so deeply
into her thoughts that she doesn’t even notice Rachel as she walks
past her office. Sitting at her desk she absentmindedly starts up
her computer and looks up to see Rachel standing at her door,
looking at her watch. “Awesome! The afternoon shift is here.” She
says in a sarcastic tone.