Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series (56 page)

Olivia hangs up and stares at the green key.
How the hell did they get this far in the relationship? A lot of
things have gone down today and it’s an awful lot to try and
process. No time to think now, she needs to get ready.

Rummaging through Ethan’s closet is kind of
exciting. She packs him her favorite black jeans, the ones that fit
snugly over his backside and make her want to sink her teeth into
his ass. She blushes at the thought as she also grabs a pair of
casual slacks and two different shirts she thinks he looks
absolutely sexy in. In an athletic bag she finds at the foot of the
bed she throws a change of underwear, a t-shirt, extra socks and a
pair of casual shoes that look worn enough to be comfortable. She’s
not sure if the restaurant they are attending for dinner is
business casual or comfy informal so she packs him options for both
and heads out to the car.

On the way out the door she notices that
he’s finished unpacking the rest of his stuff and beside the jammed
packed bookcase there is a rather old, antique looking birdcage.
She didn’t see it when she was there before. Maybe it was still
packed in a box or possibly it’s a new purchase? Noticing that it’s
empty she wonders if he intends on getting himself a bird or if
it’s just for decoration. Huh. She’ll have to remember to ask him
about it.

Ethan meets her at the valet outside,
nervously watching the shop across the street, and wondering if Eva
Storm will make an appearance today. She has a tendency to pop out
of nowhere and startle the shit out of him. Everything seems calm
and clear; no crazy psychics in sight today. That’s a good thing,
since he has no idea how he’d explain her ramblings to Olivia when
he doesn’t even understand them himself.

Sliding the bag off her shoulder, he greets
her with a passionate kiss.” Protesting the weight of the bag with
a loud grunt, his eyes start to sparkle and a grin forms on his
lips.

She shrugs an apology. “I wasn’t sure what
you needed so I packed a few things.” He looks pleased about
something but she’s not sure what. His smile looks sweet… happy.
She doesn’t trust that smile at all. As always, it’s likely hiding
some form of mischief.

He holds her hand firmly as they walk
through the lobby and wraps his arms around her middle in the
elevator, keeping her as close as possible and stealing kisses
every chance he can. As he promised, Hannah is nowhere to be found
and they walk down to his office without anybody harassing them.
She smiles a little to herself. Life sure was a lot duller before
Ethan O’Connell.

Ethan heads to the bathroom with the bag and
smiles as he takes a look through. “You’re awesome!” He
hollers.

“What was that? I’m awesome? Could you
repeat that? I’m not sure I heard you properly?”

She hears him laugh out loud and then its
drowned out by the sound of the running water from the taps.
Wandering around his desk, she nosily looks through his stuff when
she remembers about the empty birdcage. “Hey Ethan?”

“Yeah?”

I noticed the empty birdcage at your house
this afternoon. Is that new?”

“No, I brought that with me from Ireland.
I’ve had it since I was a child.”

“Oh, that’s so sad.” She says, teasing him.
“Most kids make up imaginary friends to keep them company but you
were so homely that you had to create an imaginary pet?”

Sticking his head out the door, he laughs at
her. “Funny girl! There was a bird in there. It got out when I
moved to Scott’s. Lost forever now.” He pouts and it’s the sweetest
thing she has ever seen. Man oh man! She thought she cornered the
market on sexy pouty faces.

Ethan exits the bathroom already changed
into the black jeans and plaid cotton shirt over a soft grey
T-shirt. God, he even makes the casual layered look seem sexy.

She continues to explore his desk, not even
ashamed when she’s caught doing so. Mischievously, she smiles at
him when he realizes what she’s doing and crosses his arms in
disapproval and shakes his head. “Don’t mess with my stuff,
woman!”

When her stomach grumbles loudly, it makes
him chuckle. It’s a common thing for him to laugh these days. The
fact that he can do so after today’s events is a miracle.

“Oh please, like you’ve never heard my
stomach grumble before.” She rolls her eyes. He generously sprays
on his cologne and she takes a long breath in, allowing herself to
enjoy it. “Maybe we could just stay here.” She suggests, the devil
in her smile as she backs up against his desk, beckoning him to
join her with her finger. Ethan swaggers to the desk, pressing into
her so that the edge digs into the back of her thighs. Looking at
his watch, he frowns. “ Sorry, sweetheart. We need to be on our
way. I promise I’ll take care of you the minute we get home.”

Her bottom lip puffs out in disappointment
and he runs his finger across it. “God, I can’t stand it when you
pout, baby.” He presses his lips to hers, starting her engine
running all over again and then abruptly moves his mouth away. “Is
it that bad for you?” He asks with concern.

She shrugs. “I’ll live.” She stares at him
boldly.

“You weren’t the only one worked up.”
Looking down at her breasts, he lifts his hand to palm one, and
then rolls her nipple between his fingers, making it respond.
Olivia moans into his mouth as he reclaims her lips, her body
tensing and clenching with the touch of his hands. Suddenly he
pulls himself away looking conflicted and heads across the room to
lock the door.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to take care of you before we
go.”

Yes! Oh wait… No! “We’ll be late.” She
reminds him.

“I don’t care.” He answers without
hesitation. His eyes now taking on a look of determination.

“Well I care! I don’t want you to be pissy
all night because I made you late, Mr. intolerant to tardiness.”
She has a very valid concern having witnessed his anxiety over
being just “on time” on a few occasions. It’s no wonder John didn’t
have a list of excuses prepared this afternoon. Ethan Is ALWAYS
early. She ponders for a moment that this is the second time TODAY
that he has been willing to be late for an appointment in favor of
being with her. That’s almost as huge as giving her a house key.
She takes a deep breath in through her nose feeling a little
overwhelmed at how quickly things are moving again. She watches him
turn the lock on the door and check to make sure it’s secure.

“It will definitely piss me off knowing that
I’ve left you uncared for. I’ll be thinking about it all night. I
like control, Olivia. However, I’m not a sadist. It gives me no
pleasure knowing my woman has unmet needs.” He makes his way over
to the windows. “Lose the pants.” He says closing the blinds.

“Excuse me?” Olivia stands still, not
moving.

“I don’t like to repeat myself. Do it… NOW!”
There is enough authority in his command that without hesitation
she unzips them and lets them slide off her hips, as he watches
from across the room.

His eyes burn into her, studying her
intently as they hit the floor and she steps out of them. There is
something unnerving about standing in a room under the gaze of a
gorgeous man, while wearing nothing but a pair of black silk
panties from the waist down. Her skin starts to tingle as cool air
flows around her, making her wish she could cover herself up.

Wearing a very smug grin, he’s pleased at
how she submits to his command. “Now your top. Take it off too.”
Knowing that she will obey him, he takes a few steps closer. “I was
just going to take care of you down here…” He smoothes his hands
over her panties and down between her legs. “Now that I see you
like this… I want to see more.” There is something edgy in his
voice and it makes her stomach tighten and twist in knots as she
raises her arms to pull her shirt off over her head and drops it to
the floor.

The matching bra barely holds her inside the
cups, allowing the soft swells of her breast to spill out over the
edges, teasing him, begging for his mouth. “Fuck.” He growls as he
takes in the sight of them, his hands reaching for them and roughly
grasping the round sensitive flesh. Despite her rising body
temperature from the fire starting deep in her, goose bumps start
to show on her arms. He smoothes his hands up and down her sides
trying to warm them away but he makes her shiver instead.

“Lay down on the couch baby, the desk is too
hard and cold. I want you to be comfortable.”

Moving to the couch, she sits down feeling
awkward, not entirely sure how he wants her. Although she was
momentarily disappointed about not living out her fantasy of being
ravaged on his desk she’s thankful for the soft, warm leather
underneath her. When he walks toward her with that confident,
commanding swagger her stomach bottoms out. Roller coasters were
less exciting than being alone with this man. He grins. “Look at
you. You’re so beautiful.” Sitting down beside her, he studies her
expression. “You look nervous. Like it’s the first time we’ve ever
been intimate.” That seems to give him great pleasure. Running his
hands along her leg, he makes her pulse quicken. Parting her lips
to breathe through her mouth, she tries to ease oxygen into her
lungs.

“I love the reactions I get from you.” He
says, twirling her hair around his fingers before brushing his
thumb across her bottom lip. Moving his hand from her thigh to
explore the rest of her body, his touch brushes fire across her
skin. Holding her chin and tipping it up he claims her lips in one
hell of a possessive kiss, adding to the intensity as he parts them
to slip his tongue inside. When she shudders in anticipation he
pulls his lips away to look at her face. He’s intrigued by her
reaction to him tonight. It’s driving him wild, feeding into his
inner caveman. “Why do you look so nervous, baby? Tell me.”

Her brain can’t produce anything but the
truth now. The words spill from her mouth unrestrained. “I never
know what you’re going to do. One day you’re all love songs and
twinkle lights… the next day you’re all about ripping panties and
fucking. I never know what to expect.”

His shoulders tense as he leans forward and
rests his nose against her forehead, nuzzling for a moment, needing
to know the answer but afraid to hear the truth. “Do you think I
could ever hurt you?”

“No, I’m not frightened.” She says
confidently, not wanting to give him the wrong impression and have
him pull back.

“So you’re nervousness is from suspense
then? You’re excited?” She can feel the relief roll through his
body.

“Yes.” Her body tenses and she squeezes her
thighs together growing impatient for him to touch her.

“I’m not gonna lie. I like that.” He brushes
his cheek down hers moving his mouth to her ear. “Do you trust me
to look after your needs?” He whispers before sucking her ear lobe
into his mouth and nipping it with his teeth.

“Yes.” She moans as he slides his hand
between her thighs and gently pries them apart moving upwards
towards her panties.

“Good, because that’s my job now. Only
mine.” Skimming his hand over the outside of her panties, he makes
her body respond again, arching her back and adjusting her hips
allowing him better access. He slowly smoothes his hand across her
stomach and then downward beneath her panties. She’s smooth as silk
and his dick grows hard as the tips of his fingers glide over the
slick folds of her cleft.

“Look how wet you get for me.” Lightly
grazing over her opening, he uses his fingers to gather moisture
and spread it around, making sure she’s completely slick and ready.
When his fingers find their way to her clit they dance over it
delicately, tormenting her by denying her the heavier touch that
she’s craving.

“Please, Ethan.” Begging through panting
breaths, she arches her back, trying to press the pad of his index
finger more firmly against the swelling and sensitive knot of
nerves. He lets out a low guttural growl, as he begins to rub in
small circles, gradually increasing the pressure and making her
body tremble under his touch. Every so often, he lowers his finger
and teases it across her opening.

Her body twitches and she starts squirming
desperately wanting release, but he seems intent in making her wait
as if it’s some kind of a game he’s playing to keep her frustrated
as long as humanly possible. I thought he wasn’t a sadist?

“Ethan!” She complains. “Just how late are
you intending to be for dinner tonight? Because at this rate we’re
going to be VERY late.”

He grins and places kisses along the edge of
her jaw. “At the moment, I wouldn’t care if we didn’t make it at
all.”

Right on queue his phone rings and Rocky
once again interrupts them. Reaching for it, he’s stopped by
Olivia’s firm grip on his wrist. “Don’t even think about it. I’ve
got it this time, you keep on doing what you’re doing.” She reaches
for his phone and Ethan grins, trailing kisses down her neck as he
heads for her breasts. He allows her to answer, eager to hear how
this conversation will go.

“Mr. O’Connell’s office.” She says in her
best secretary’s voice, trying not to laugh when she feels Ethan
chuckle against the breast he has in his mouth.

“Hi John. I’m afraid Ethan can’t come to the
phone right now. There is some last minute business he’s tending
to.”

Ethan listens in and unintentionally slows
his movements as the phone conversation commands his attention.
Olivia puts her hand over the phone to try and mute the speaker.
“Hey!” She says waiting for him to look at her. “Union rules… you
don’t get a break until you’ve worked at least 3 hours. Stop
slacking off and get back to work.”

“Sorry.” He chuckles against her breast
again, immediately resuming his previous mission with renewed
determination.

“Ok, John. I’ll let him know that Miss
Daniels will be there in 20 minutes.” She takes a deep breath in as
Ethan hits a very sensitive spot, causing a pause in the
conversation. After a few seconds she continues speaking, the
frustration very evident in her voice. “Fine John, I understand.
I’ll make sure he gets on his way right now.” She disconnects the
call and takes a disappointed breath as she tries to push his hand
away. “Forget about it Ethan. We need to leave now.”