Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series

by Tricia Daniels

  Ethan rubs his hand on his forehead and then drags his hand down over his face. “Fuck, I know.”

  “What’s going on?” Shannon asks curiously, when Ethan leans his elbows on the edge of the desk and then rests his head in his hands.

  John looks up at her. “Miss Daniels would like Ethan to accompany her tonight for a night on the town.”

  “Is that a bad thing? I thought you two entertained clients all the time?” She looks puzzled.

  With Ethan still struggling with his thoughts, John continues to field Shannon’s questions.

  “Well, yes we do. But Miss Daniels has suggested that it would be wise for Ethan to ‘entertain’ her this evening as she has some leverage over the decision on whether they do business with us or not.”

  “OOOH!” Now she gets it.

  Ethan lifts his head in disgust. “She expects me to prostitute myself out in return for her approval on our business proposal.”

  Now this is interesting. John leans back in the chair and stretches out his legs before crossing them at the ankles. “So let me ask you a question, my friend. You’ve never had a problem with doing this in the past.” He watches, as Ethan grows more uncomfortable. “In fact you’ve always rather enjoyed it. Stacey Daniels is an extremely sexy and desirable woman.” Shannon raises an unimpressed eyebrow at John’s assessment.

  Ethan had barely noticed her beauty. She was young and blonde and very well put together. The fact that her legs seemed to go on forever was the only thing that caught his attention but other than that he really felt no attraction to her. Where exactly is John going with this? Ethan stares straight ahead clenching his jaw.

  “So what’s changed Ethan?” John presses him for an answer as if he just read his thoughts.

  Ethan looks over at him, surprised that he even has to ask him that question. “You know damn well what’s changed, McCabe…Christ.” He shakes his head at his audacity. “Olivia. Olivia has changed everything.”

  John grins. “I expected that’s what you’d say.”

  “So then why are you being such a dick?” He shoots him an extremely aggravated look.

  “Because I wondered if you knew the reason why. So it’s simple then… go in there and tell her no. Tell her that you are madly in love with a beautiful woman and that you won’t compromise that for a business deal. Whatever happens… happens. Worst case scenario, you don’t get the business.”

  If it was only that simple but it’s not, this is a HUGE business deal. He shakes his head no and looks back and forth between John and Shannon. “Other options?”

  Shannon leans forward. “What about accepting her invitation but inviting Olivia to join you?”

  “Even better.” John interrupts. “Shannon and I will join you as well. Then you can tell her that we already had plans for this evening and invite her to join us.”

  “I like that idea better. Call Scott and get him to round up a few of the guys from soccer. Get a few drinks into those boys and they should keep her and her friends ‘entertained’ for the evening.” Something on his phone momentarily distracts him. “Let’s have dinner at that British pub beside the hotel I just invested in. It’s close. Get the guys to meet us there around 8pm; there is plenty of stuff to do to distract them. I’d like to avoid clubbing afterwards if I can. ”He looks at his watch. “John, can you make the arrangements, get Stacey’s contact info, and then let her know what the plans are? I have to meet with Mike Johnson in a few minutes in the conference room.”

  John starts to grin. “You just don’t want to go back in your office.”

  “You’ve got that right. First the pregnancy and now this. I’m afraid to go back into that office ever again.”

  He looks terrified and it amuses John. “What about Olivia?”

  “I’ll call her on my way to the conference room. I’ll see if she can swing around, grab me a change of clothes, and meet me here around 6:30ish. Lets plan on dinner around 7?” Ethan is half way out the door and on his way down the hall with his phone in his hand, trying to get away before John makes him deal with Stacey himself.

  Ethan holds his phone to his ear and walks slowly as it rings. He laughs when she answers.

  “Trouble Maker here! How can I help you?”

  “Hey beautiful, I need a favor.” He says, chuckling.

  Olivia smiles. “Hmm, I’m not sure if I’m up to doing favors. I’ve had a very stressful day.“ There is a teasing element in her voice that he has come to recognize, and he knows that she’s messing with him.

  “That’s a shame. Do you want to tell me about it?” On his way past Mike’s office he stops at the door and waits until he gets his attention. When Mike looks up he holds up his hand flashing his five fingers at him three times and mouths. “Give me 15 minutes.” Mike Nods and Ethan continues towards the conference room and closes the door.

  “It was horrible.” She jests. “I was held captive in a stairwell by a sex craved lunatic.”

  Spinning the conference room chair to face the window so he can see the city horizon, Ethan leans back listening intently. Smiling. The playfulness in her tone makes him crave her with an overwhelming selfishness that doesn’t want to share her with anyone else tonight.

  “It sounds horrible.” Amusement is heavy in his voice. He plays along, thinking about those few brief moments where he held her captive and the intense feelings she stirred in him.

  “It was!” Her voice exaggerated. “He touched me in very inappropriate places.” She imagines what this conversation must be doing to him right now and smiles wickedly at how she fully intends to continue despite of it.

  “I’ll kill him for touching you.” Ethan says, playing at being her protector. Though he’s not really playing, he would do anything to keep her safe.

  “He held me against the wall so I couldn’t move and then rubbed himself against me, it was absolutely awful.” She sits sideways on the couch lifting her feet up onto the cushion and gets comfortable.

  “Sounds like it, baby.” Watching the dotted traffic move slowly through the city, he tries to distract himself from the state of semi arousal in his pants.

  “Can you believe that he was actually going to rip my panties so he could get to my naughty parts?” She says, holding back her laughter.

  “Bastard!” He adds, as he loses the battle and begins to harden. His eyes watch the doorway hoping no one enters until he can get himself under control.

  “So I was thinking…” She pauses, clears her throat, and then tries to sound sincere. “I was thinking that I should take the stairs more often.”

  There is a brief pause as Ethan processes her joke and then starts to chuckle. “Promise me that you’ll never take the stairs without me.”

  “Oh, I promise.” She breathes into the phone trying to control her heightening arousal as she considers just how close she was to being fucked in that stairwell.

  “Jesus, stop it. I can’t think straight when your voice gets like that.”

  “Like what?” She pretends that using her best phone sex voice wasn’t intentional.

  “All warm and soft, like you’re purring.” His voice is low and lustful. “Shit, I’m so screwed. I have a meeting in a few minutes and now all I can think about is all the different ways I’m going to fuck you.”

  She wonders if it’s wrong that she’s pleased about having such a powerful affect on him. His words are usually so sweet, carefully orchestrated to be romantic with precision timing. Today is different; his words are raw and unfiltered. The way he speaks so blatantly about his sexual desires is such a total turn on, leading her mind to wander all sorts of directions.

  “Jesus, I need you to do something for me and I don’t have much time to explain.”

  “Ok, sure. What’s up?” She forces herself to focus.

  “I really hope you don’t have plans tonight.” He suddenly realizes that she might and that would not be a good thing.

  She snickers. “Like that has ever made a differe
nce to you.”

  He laughs. “True, but do you?”

  Her voice gets a little more serious. “No, other than hoping that you would find a reason to stop by and finish what you started. I’m feeling a little... um... err... restless.”

  Ethan lets out a loud sigh. Proof of his disappointment. “Something has come up. I have a client that I need to entertain tonight.”

  “Oh, well that’s ok. I can always just… take care of things myself. It’s not like I haven’t done it for the past three years.” She’s still teasing him, but she’s not sure if he’ll take it that way. She’s starting to predict his behavior a little too well.

  He jumps to his feet alarmed at her suggestion. “OH HELL NO! You will NOT touch yourself. Absolutely NOT!” He says with punctuated force.

  “Whaaaat?” She’s shocked at his comment and her jaw drops. He can’t honestly think that he can tell her what she can and can’t do with her own body? “SERIOUSLY DUDE?”

  “YES, I’m very serious! You won’t ever touch yourself for pleasure again, unless ‘ I ‘ instruct you to do so.” He paces back and forth in front of the window. She starts to protest and he cuts her off short. “I’m sorry baby, but you’ll just have to stay frustrated until I can look after you myself.” He says it with enough authority that she thinks twice about defying him. There would be hell to pay if he ever found out. Still, she has to bite her tongue to stop from arguing for the rights to her own body.

  A sudden look of confusion washes over his face and he scratches his head. “Wait… did you just call me Dude?”

  Chapter 23

  Olivia holds back as long as she can and then finally she bursts out laughing, no longer able to contain it. Ethan is only mildly amused but he starts to laugh himself, thankful for the break in the tension. Time is running out and he needs to have this conversation. “Olivia, I want you to come downtown and join us tonight for dinner.”

  “US?” She asks curiously.

  “Yes. You, I, and Stacey Daniels… my client. John and Shannon are going to join us as well. I know you’ve probably just got home and it’s a long way back into the city… but I need you to be there, baby. Will you come?”

  She doesn’t need much coaxing. She’s not going to pass up on the opportunity to see the great Ethan O’Connell schmooze a business client, since she’s been quite curious about what that entails. Especially with the female clientele. “Sure.” She answers enthusiastically. “What should I wear?”

  “Nothing formal. Whatever you’re comfortable in. Would you mind going by and grabbing me some clothes to change into and then meeting me here at work so I can change first?”

  “No, I don’t mind but how am I going to get into your house?”

  “Go get the key chain I gave you.”

  Reaching for her purse, she digs through the accumulative junk in it, and takes it out when she finally comes across it.

  “Ok, I’ve got it, why?”

  “Obviously the key fob is for the Challenger. Do you see the single key with the green marker on it? That’s the key to my house.”

  Olivia’s heart races as she stares at it, feeling very overwhelmed by the gesture. “You gave me a key to your house?” She asks, only a little louder than a whisper.

  “Well, yeah. Of course.” It seemed like a very natural thing to do and he’s not sure why she sounds almost sad. He’ll have to ask her about it later, right now he needs to get back to work. “Take a cab into the office ok? I’ll bring you home later.”

  “No, it’s ok. I’d rather drive.”

  “Is there any point in me insisting you take a cab? “ He asks, aggravated that she’s always fighting him.

  “Nope, so don’t even bother. Is there something in particular you want me to bring you?”

  Jeans and a casual shirt. You decide.” He likes the idea of her picking out his clothes. It’s something a real girlfriend would do, one that’s in his life because they’re interested in looking after him and his needs. Most of the women in his life were only there because he demanded exclusivity while they were spending time with him, none of them would ever venture to engage in any domestic duties. It was beneath them. So his personal errands et cetera would fall on John. Regardless, he would always provide generously for the woman who was sharing his bed. He always has. But now, now he wants a woman who is in love with him for what he has in his heart, not in his bank account or in his pants. He has never truly felt like he’s had that before and never really cared until he laid eyes on Olivia.

  “Ok.” She pauses. “Is it safe for me to come up to the office?” She snickers, remembering how angry she was at Hannah earlier.

  “There will be nobody here but you and me. I promise.” The door opens and Mike walks in. “I have to go now. I’ll see you soon. Text me when you’re almost here and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  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 ki
ds 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.