Not hearing a word from Ethan last night made her restless. He went from calling every ten minutes, to nothing at all. When she couldn’t stand it any longer and sent him a message, he didn’t respond. This incredibly frustrating man has turned her world upside down. She wishes she could put him out of her mind, but she can’t. Now she’s wondering if he hasn’t gotten tired of her nonsense and moved on.
She wouldn’t blame him if he did, but after that dream, she needs to see him. Picking up the beautiful dress she’s bought special for him today, she pulls the soft silky material over her head. Looking in the mirror, she hopes that it’s not too late.
A familiar female voice yells from downstairs.
“Hello? Come down! Rachel and I want to see you before you go,” Shannon hollers.
Putting in her earrings, she makes her way downstairs, stopping when she gets to the landing to do a little spin. Shocked at the cool breeze that brushes under her dress, she starts to feel a little too exposed. She can tell from the look on her friends’ faces that they’re concerned as well.
“You’re screwed if there is any breeze downtown today,” Rachel advises.
“Can you imagine if I accidently expose myself? Ethan will lose his mind,” she says, making her way down the rest of the stairs. Her dark brown hair now glows with beautiful caramel highlights and flowing curls.
“You look beautiful,” Shannon says, snapping a picture on her phone.
Feeling like a proud mother sending her little girl off to the prom, Rachel throws her arms around her in a huge hug. “Olivia, I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done. I hope that you’ve forgiven me for being such a horrible friend.”
Olivia pulls out of her arms. “Rachel, you’re not a horrible friend. I understand why you did it. Just promise me you won’t help anymore,” she says with a grin.
“Cross my heart,” she says sincerely. “My husband has put his foot down.” She pauses for a minute then looks over at Olivia. “Come to think of it, Scott has become extremely bossy these days. I don’t think I should let him hang around with Ethan any more.”
Olivia laughs, “As frustrating as he can be sometimes, Ireland is extremely sexy when he goes all caveman. There is just something about his confidence and the way he takes over and fixes everything. Ireland is definitely ‘a fixer’. And do you know what? Sometimes it’s nice to surrender control and just let him take care of me.” She drifts off in a little fantasy and the girls start to giggle.
“She’s got it bad,” Shannon says, pulling her phone out of her pocket.
“Hello? Earth to Olivia! What are you waiting for? Go and get your man, bring him home and claim him as yours once and for all,” Rachel demands.
Reality sets in, making her hesitate, “Am I really going to do this? I mean, really? Ethan and I?”
The girls scowl at her and she starts to blush, “Right! I’m on my way.”
“Girl… you look positively bad ass! There is something else about you today. You look happy… confident. I haven’t seen you look like this in a long time,” Rachel struggles to keep her emotions under control.
Olivia smiles. “It’s the dress.”
Rachel frowns. “No, it’s the MAN!” she corrects her. “Be careful driving that car down town. That thing terrifies me.”
Olivia stops, her hands in her purse clutching her key chain. Looking at Shannon, a very playful grin starts to form on her lips. “The boys took a limo downtown yesterday, right?”
“Yes, why?” Shannon looks at her suspiciously, trying to figure out what’s going on in her mind.
She’s full on smiling now, from ear to ear, “Because that means O’Connell’s Challenger is sitting at his house.”
Rachel looks confused, “How can you take his car?”
“I have my own set of keys,” she says, jingling the key chain in the air.
“He gave you a set of keys to his car?” Both Shannon and Rachel ask in unison and then look at each other annoyed.
“Yup, and he gave me keys to his house, as well.”
“Holy crap! Where have I been?” Rachel asks. “At what point did your relationship move forward into exchanging keys for cars and houses?
“A few weeks ago,” Olivia shrugs.
“Do you have any kids together that I should know about?” Rachel asks sarcastically.
“No, not yet,” she teases, “Maybe nine months from today though.”
Glancing at her watch Shannon hurries her along. “Go!” Shannon insists, pushing her toward the door.
Olivia says a silent prayer, as her car jumps and sputters all the way to Ethan’s house. What’s wrong with this car? She still has three more payments left on the last repair bill. Ethan will be furious if he finds out there’s something else wrong with it. She smiles, thinking about how his jaw tenses and his nostrils flare when he’s angry. How that little nerve in his temple starts to jump and the deep, low growl in his voice when he tries to calm himself. Jesus, she misses him. She misses everything about him, his sense of humor, that annoying boyish grin, his temper and the frustrating way he fusses over her safety. Most of all, she misses how she feels alive and loved when he’s around her. Holy Shit! It’s only been two days but it feels like she hasn’t seen him for weeks.
Jumping into the Challenger, she puts on the aviator sunglasses that he’s left hanging over the visor. She turns up the stereo and puts that car through its paces on the highway. Nearing the downtown core, she starts feeling all riled up. Gently flowing air blows through the car vents, circulating the seductive smell of her perfume. The silky feel of her dress, rubbing against her skin, has her hormones working overtime. Her heart races with excitement. She can already feel the ache of arousal between her thighs. Squeezing the steering wheel tightly she has a moment of anxiety. There’s no turning back now. She’s going to do this.
Ethan doesn’t join the boys for breakfast or lunch, leaving John somewhat worried and Scott extremely agitated. The boys are all outside with the smokers when Ethan finally shows up. He’s greeted with cheering and barking from his hometown boys, celebrating what they think is a victory.
“Tell me you didn’t,” Scott pleads.
“I did,” Ethan ignores the look of disapproval from John. “I took her upstairs to her room. I laid her on the bed, and undressed her.” Glaring at them, he briefly pauses. “Then I tucked her in, and I left.” Shaking his head, he’s disgusted that they’d think the worst.
“Are you kidding me, O’Connell?” comes Griff’s voice from behind him, laced with laughter. “You took her to her room and left her there alone? Why the hell didn’t you tap that bird when you had the chance?”
Ethan’s anger rushes to the surface, “Because, Griff! That poor girl was extremely drunk. Somebody responsible needed to make sure she got to her room safely. Away from men like you, who would take advantage of the situation.” When Ethan starts to walk toward him in a threatening manner, both Scott and John are quick to get in between the two men.
“Okay, O’Connell, don’t freak out. We’re just messing around,” Griff says defensively.
The boys tease Ethan about the blonde for several minutes until he can’t stand to hear another word. “All right you bastards, that’s enough. I told you I’ve found the girl for me,” he pauses briefly. “After the dream I had last night, I’m convinced more than ever. She’s not talking to me right now, but I’ll fix things.”
They all laugh. “I still think you could have taken one for the team,” Nigel complains. “Your girl would have never known. And that little blonde bird was looking mighty sweet.”
For the next several minutes, they exchange crude comments about the girls who kept them entertained last night. Ethan notices a perplexed look on Scott’s face as he reads something on his phone.
“Everything okay, Scott?” he asks concerned.
Scott scratches his head, “I’m not sure. I have a text message from Rachel, for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes, it says… Tell Ethan I said he’s welcome.”
Ethan narrows his eyes, “For what?”
“Dude, I have no idea. I married her but I can’t figure her out half the time.”
Olivia rolls the Challenger in along the curb and parks in a spot available right out front of the hotel. The parking gods are smiling on her today, that’s always a good sign. She takes a deep breath when she sees the boys standing out front of the building, laughing and roughhousing like teenagers. Stepping out of the car, she watches Ethan, trying to judge his mood, and still wondering about the reason he never called last night. He’s not wearing a suit today. The black cotton shirt, unbuttoned casually at the neck is decorated with large ornate pockets and is tailored to narrow in at his trim waist. As always, he looks hot in jeans and these black denim ones are no exception, hugging his hips and clinging to his magnificent Irish ass.
She can’t shake that dream from her mind. The sight of him starts that fire deep down inside her. Her pulse races as she thinks about his kisses. It feels like forever since he’s held her captive with his lips.
Swallowing hard, trying to stop her confidence from slipping, she starts toward him. The breeze gusts in circles between the buildings making her dress blow dangerously in the breeze. Rounding the front of the car, she smooths it down over the top of her thighs. Still sporting his aviator glasses, she takes short sexy steps in her heels, swaying her hips and trying to ignore the nervous feeling in her stomach.
An extremely handsome businessman, passing by, stops and holds out his hand, helping her to step up onto the curb. As the breeze makes the alluring scent of her perfume drift in his direction, he smiles at her seductively.
Aware that he’s still watching her walk toward the hotel she regains that feeling of her powerful femininity. Her growing aura is one of pure, raw sexuality and it shows in the way she moves.
Scott stands frozen, watching her approach. Nigel whistles his appreciation, causing John to look up. Blinking his eyes, he gives his head a shake to make sure that he’s not seeing things. Brian slaps Griff on the chest to get his attention, and then nods in her direction. One by one, she captures their attention; everyone’s except Ethan’s, that is. He’s on the phone, arguing with somebody. She can tell by the way his jaw is tense and that vein in his temple sticks out.
“Hey, baby!” Trevor calls out.
The white halter dress with the romantic black and lilac floral pattern gently flows around her as she sashays toward them with an exquisite grace. Her full round breasts, sway enticingly with her movements; commanding their virile thoughts.
Letting out several more catcalls while she approaches, they carry on like a bunch of horny teenage boys.
“Hey, girl!” Brian calls out, “Have you heard about the luck of the Irish? I’ve got something lucky for you in my pants.”
Scott and John look at each other nervously. Ethan isn’t paying any attention to them right now, but when he realizes that they’re talking about Olivia, it’s not going to go over well.
“Don’t listen to him, girl,” Griff says as she nears, “He’s all talk, small cock. Me, on the other hand; I can take care of you.”
“Guys!” John starts.
Scott shakes his head, stopping his warning.
Olivia is focused on one man. The one who makes her burn with a powerful desire. Ethan O’Connell.
With his back to her, ignoring the nonsense around him, Ethan busies himself with messages on his phone. Completely engrossed in what he’s doing, he’s unaware of what’s going on. Exiting the building, Carter heads out to join the boys, stopping abruptly when he sees her. “Holy shit!”
Ethan glances over at Carter, narrowing his eyes at his behavior. Curious about the words he just muttered, he turns to see what’s stopped him dead in his tracks. He’s not prepared for the shock of seeing Olivia James heading toward him. At least he thinks it’s her. She looks… different; really different!
“Well, I’ll be fucked!” Ethan says in shock. Watching her approach, he’s stunned by her beauty. His eyes settle on the V-shaped neckline that plunges low between her breasts, revealing her ample cleavage. Lord have mercy! How short is that fucking dress? The sight of her sends a jolt of energy through his body like lightening. Lowering his gaze to the banded waist that accentuates her assets, he watches as the skirt flows gently in the breeze, revealing her thighs. Angst washes over him as he considers that a brisk gust of wind would bare her most private parts to all his friends. That’s something he does not intend to share with any of them.
All the air has seemingly vacated his lungs. Inhaling deeply, he tries to calm the impulse to grab her, manhandle her into the hotel, force his way between her legs and possess her. Finally claiming her as his own. Only his! Jesus, this woman brings out the dominant man in him. He has no idea how much longer he’s going to be able to maintain control.
Ignoring the stares and crude comments, Olivia walks right up to Ethan leaving the other men speechless, open mouthed, and stunned. Tipping the sunglasses to the top of her head, she puts her hands flat on his chest.
Standing perfectly still, his eyes slide down her body in a slow perusal, drinking in her beauty.
Slowly she rubs her hands all the way down his chest, her eyes following their movement. She knows every tensed muscle by memory.
Neither of them says a word, they don’t have to. The air around them is charged with their powerful energy. It’s as if the touch of her fingertips sends electricity into his body, bringing to life every blood vessel, every twitching nerve ending. That very touch confirms that her fingerprints are truly on his soul, marking him as hers forever. Every muscle in his body tenses and flexes involuntarily. As she reaches his waist, Ethan has to remind himself to breathe. His chest expands as he parts his lips to allow air to flow in.
Licking her lips, and then biting at the bottom one in anticipation, she re-establishes eye contact with him. Her hands follow the same path upwards, feeling every taut muscle of his abdomen. Skimming across his chest, she brushes across the rigid definition of his pectorals. The way he tightens his muscles under her palms has sparked that fire inside her, pulsing outward through her veins. The tension between them, right now, is so powerful that she’s certain she could come right here, just from having her hands on him and that look he’s giving her. It’s that same hot panty-melting look he gave her the first time they met.
Her eyes follow his Adam’s apple, as he swallows hard and tries to maintain his breathing. Reaching for his collar, she grabs it firmly on both sides and pulls him toward her. His heart pounds as she brings her lips to his, hovering there. Leaning in, Ethan tries to claim them, but she moves slightly, denying his advance. Knowing that she’s sending him a message, he closes his eyes and breaths out. He’ll gladly give her complete control, FOR NOW. Moving in again, Olivia brings her lips so close that he can almost taste her. The anticipation is driving him wild. She knows that she’s won when he doesn’t move this time.
Tightening her grip, she pulls him all the way into her. Leaving no space between them, she rewards him with a very passionate kiss. Lips part and her tongue invades his mouth, dancing along his tongue, licking and teasing. Instinctively, he brings his hands to her hips and holds her there, forcing her body to rub deliciously against his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulls him even closer, her lips crashing against his in a rough possession. He returns her kiss with equal desire, panting for air when she breaks it and pulls away.
Putting down the sunglasses, Olivia turns and walks away, leaving him standing there with the beginnings of an erection straining in his pants.
On the way back to the car, her dress blows in the breeze, raising his anxiety. Ethan turns to look at his friends, who are now standing with their mouths wide open; eyebrows raised in disbelief as they watch her sway her hips back to the car. Reaching her destination, she turns to lean her back against it, waiting for him to follow. All eyes now turn to Ethan who dis
creetly tries to adjust his arousal. Although it seems that, there’s no way to be discreet about it. He glances over at Scott, “Thank you, Rachel, indeed!”
Scott nods his head in agreement.
“Well, fellas, my ride is here!” He wastes no time joining her at the car.
Trevor turns to Scott, “Who the hell is that?”
Scott grins, “THAT… is his girlfriend.”
Griff’s head snaps in shock. “His girlfriend? What the hell does a girl like that see in O’Connell?” he asks aloud.
“I’ve been asking myself the same question,” Carter admits, looking over at a disapproving look from John.
Griff suddenly becomes fixated on her, staring at her.
“Well, it’s no bloody wonder he wouldn’t do the blonde last night.” Brian starts to laugh.
A villainous grin curls at the corners of Griff’s lips. It’s positively wicked. Malevolent.
“Hey,” Brian continues, “maybe, if we’re lucky, the wind will pick up and we can get a peek at what keeps O’Connell coming back for more.”
“Shut the hell up, Brian,” Carter warns.
“Did you see those gorgeous tits?” Trevor asks, looking at his friends as they all nod their acknowledgement.
“I was too busy looking at her ass,” Nigel says, “I’d love some of that action.”
Six foot-two of tensed Australian muscle vibrates with anger at the conversation taking place right now. Carter is disgusted at their vulgarity. Not that it surprises him, but they’re talking about Olivia; and that, he won’t tolerate. “How about, I knock out the teeth of the next asshole that opens his mouth and says something crude about her?”
Souls ReAligned Page 6
