Souls ReAligned

by Tricia Daniels

  “The reason I have condoms in my office is to refill it. Not for my personal use.”

  The door swings open and a few more guys enter and look uncomfortably at Olivia.

  “Sorry guys, we’re leaving,”

  Bolting out the door, she waits for him to follow. “Ethan, I’m sorry.”

  “Stop it,” he warns. “I don’t want to hear anymore. You’re driving me insane. If you’re finished accusing me of intending to fuck another woman, I’d like to introduce you to my sister.”

  Sister? Did someone just suck all the air out of the room? Olivia puts her hands over her face and groans, “Oh my God! Just kill me now. Ethan, I’m so sorry.”

  He starts to say something, several times, and then stops, giving up on being angry with her all together, “Let’s just forget about it,”

  “Okay,” she says frowning.

  His lip starts to twitch and then curl into a smile, “Hey, no pouting. I’d prefer it if my sister doesn’t think that I make you miserable.” Bending down, he bites her lower lip playfully, making her finally start to smile. “Come on, I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

  “She saw me at the door.”

  “I know, she told me. That’s why I came after you. Good thing I did, too. Fucking Griffin.”

  Olivia would like to forget all about that, “Do you think he’s okay?”

  Ethan laughs, “Yeah, he’s fine. If he only gets punched once, it’s a slow night for him. He has a steel jaw.”

  Olivia watches Ethan rub his knuckles, remembering the impact. Reaching down, she grabs his hand, lifts it to her mouth, and trails soft kisses across every bruised knuckle, “I’m glad you hit him.”

  Ethan raises his eyebrows, “Well, well… aren’t you full of surprises?”

  “I know. Usually, I can’t tolerate physical violence; anymore than you can tolerate being late.”

  He scowls at her and it makes her smirk, “There’s something just not right with that guy, Ethan. I can’t put my finger on it, but he makes me feel really uneasy.”

  Ethan scratches his head as he looks over at Griffin. Sitting on the edge of the stage, he has a bag of ice against his face. “Hmm. I don’t think he’ll bother you anymore.” Looking up, he steers her toward the bar where his sister is now waiting. “If he does, you let me know. I’m glad Carter was there so quickly to put a stop to it.”

  Olivia nods in agreement, “Me too. He’s a good friend.” She looks up to see a moment of insecurity flash across Ethan’s face.

  “You are just friends, right?” he asks, swallowing hard. That thought has been skulking in the back of his mind all night since Carter’s reaction to her dress.

  “Ethan,” she grabs his hand and locks their fingers. “Carter and I are just friends. I belong to you.” She lifts their tangled hands and places them together against her heart. “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out.” His meadow green eyes shine as she gives him the reassurance that he needs. He has so few moments of vulnerability. When she gets a glimpse of it, it’s a welcome reminder that he’s not just a hardened, controlling badass, but a man with a heart capable of being hurt.

  She feels extremely embarrassed as they approach Ethan’s sister, who smiles warmly at her trying to put her at ease. “Olivia, this is my sister, Madison.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Olivia says, feeling like a complete moron. She extends her hand only to be pulled into Madison’s embrace.

  “Call me Maddie. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. My brother doesn’t stop talking about you. Ever!” she giggles.

  Olivia flashes a quick look at Ethan who shrugs. “Guilty,” he confesses.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet McKenna and Kaylie next week,” she says with excitement.

  “Next week?” Olivia asks, confused.

  “Yes. When you come home with Ethan, next week.”

  There’s that sick feeling again, as she glances over to see the look on Ethan’s face. “You’re going home next week?” she asks.

  Ethan flashes Madison a distraught look, “She’s not coming with me, Madison. She can’t take time off right now.”

  “NEXT WEEK?” Olivia repeats again sounding anxious.

  Ethan glances at her with regret, “A week from Monday actually. We talked about this, Liv. You knew I was going.”

  “Well yeah, but… I guess it seemed like it was far away at the time.”

  “Ethan, you can’t possibly tell me that you’re considering coming home without her? Kaylie will have a meltdown.”

  “Fuck, Maddie, I don’t want to,” he snaps. “I can’t force her to get on the plane and come with me!”

  Olivia looks over at Madison as her spine straightens with tension at Ethan’s sharp words. Then suddenly as if she’s terrified of his reaction, she tries to appease him, “You’re right, Ethan. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  What the?

  Ethan expels a frustrated breath and wraps his arms around his sister, “No, I’m sorry, Maddie. I’m sorry I yelled.”

  Olivia is curious about the confusion on Maddie’s face, as Ethan makes his apology. She almost looks like she’s in shock.

  Pulling away, Ethan looks at her. “Did you get here in time to see Nate perform? You should go over and say, hello. I bet he’d love to see you again.”

  “I will,” she reassures him.

  Olivia watches Maddie’s face, as she turns a pale shade of pink and avoids her brother’s eyes. It’s a subtle reaction to Nate’s name that only another woman would recognize. When Maddie looks over at Olivia and gives her a smile, it’s as good as an admission of guilt.

  Ethan turns at the sound of his name and excuses himself, leaving the two girls to chat on their own.

  “I’m sorry about earlier, Maddie. Ethan didn’t tell me you were coming.”

  “Well, that’s because he didn’t know. I wanted to surprise him.”

  Olivia laughs, “Well, that explains the look on his face when he saw you.” She pauses a moment and notices the glow on Maddie’s face. A quick look over her shoulder confirms that Nate Ross is on his way over to them. “Nate sure is hot, don’t you think?”

  “Very,” Maddie agrees, her eyes locked to his.

  “Well, why don’t I leave you two alone to catch up?” Olivia makes her way back to Shannon and Rachel with a smile. “That’s Ethan’s sister, Madison,” she explains.

  “We know,” Shannon says, “John came over to tell us she was here, but you had already gone to his office.”

  “What happened to Griff?” Rachel asks.

  Olivia cringes, “Ethan hit him for sticking his tongue in my ear.”

  “Shut up!” Rachel says, playfully. “I miss all the fun.”

  Ethan’s friends finish a song and Nigel takes the mic and introduces another very popular artist.

  “See Scott! I knew it was him!” Rachel says, glaring at her husband. Scott grins and leans in to give her a kiss.

  The band engages the crowd in a little show business banter, welcoming everyone and asking if they’re having a great time. The place is buzzing with excitement, “I’d like to invite your host, and my friend Ethan O’Connell to the stage to sing one of my favorite songs with me.

  Olivia beams at the sight of Ethan with his guitar as he joins the band on stage.

  John joins them at the table and snuggles up to Shannon. “Ethan sings?” she asks him.

  “Yes, he’s quite good actually.”

  “Did you know that, Olivia?” she asks.

  Olivia blushes, “He’s sung me a love song or two.”

  “Great,” Scott says, looking over at John. “Is there anything he can’t do? How’s a guy supposed to impress his wife, with a guy like O’Connell around?”

  Rachel creases her brow, “Since when are you concerned about impressing your wife?”

  “All the time,” he says defensively.

  “Well, that’s just silly, I love you. Everything you do impresses
me. Besides,” she snuggles in to her man. “Ethan fucks up as often as he does things right… so it kind of evens out.”

  “That’s very true,” Shannon adds, nodding her head.

  Olivia stopped listening to their conversation a long time ago, focusing on Ethan. She can’t sit any longer. Hearing his smooth sexy voice has worked its way through her system. She makes her way to the front of the stage needing to be near him. Ethan smiles when he sees her. A few times, he sings the words directly to her, as if there was no one else in the room, and really, there wasn’t. To her, it was just the two of them sharing an intimate moment. One where she fantasizes about ripping off his clothes and taking what’s hers, right there, on stage. It leaves her feeling restless and eager for this night to end so she can get him home.

  When the song is over, the room erupts in cheers and applause. Ethan jumps down from the stage and takes her in his arms. Lowering his mouth to hers and capturing her in a kiss fueled by lust and adrenaline. When he finally pulls away, her lips feel swollen and bruised. God damn it, if she doesn’t want more.

  Ethan doesn’t let her out of his sight for the rest of the night. Keeping her tucked closely at his side, he drags her into every photo, every conversation and dances with her in between. Exhaustion is starting to set in as the evening starts to wind down. Wrapped in Ethan’s arms, in a final slow dance, she sighs and closes her eyes, leaning in against his chest.

  “Tired, Princess?” he asks, caressing her gently.

  “I am. It’s been a wonderful night, Ethan.” When she opens her eyes and glances up at the pool tables, the hair stands up on the back of her neck. Shivers cause goose bumps to form across her flesh.

  “Olivia? What’s going on? You just tensed all over.”

  Terror strikes her when she sees Sam’s face in the darkness.

  Ethan pulls away and turns to see what she’s looking at. Searching from one side of the room to the other, he sees nothing, “Olivia?”

  Shaking her head, she blinks her eyes rapidly searching the room for him again. “Hey?” Ethan says, trying to regain her attention.

  “I’m okay,” she assures him. “I just thought I saw something.”

  He looks her at her suspiciously and creases his brow, “Something? Or someone?”

  She breathes in a couple of short breaths and tenses again. She tries to play it off, but he can sense her anxiety.

  “Sweetheart, trust me. Every security person in the place has a copy of his picture and strict instructions. There’s no way he could be in here,” Ethan raises his hand to her cheek and caresses it, “Let’s get you home. I can’t wait another minute to get you out of that dress.”

  Chapter Nine

  Olivia walks cautiously to the limo, watching over her shoulder. Her stomach tightens every time she gets a glimpse of a tall male with dark hair. Ethan assures her that it’s impossible for Sam to be anywhere near there, but she senses him and it’s terrifying.

  The limo ride home is quiet, except for Rachel’s constant babbling about all the famous people that Ethan knows. Olivia is glad that the Parkers will be dropped off first, since Rachel is starting to give her a headache. Maddie has joined them, since she’s staying at the same hotel as John and Shannon.

  “Did everyone make it safely to the hotel downtown?” Ethan asks John.

  “As far as I know. Well, except for Nate.”

  “Nate?”

  “Yes, he asked me to switch his reservation to my hotel yesterday. Something about wanting to be closer to the venue and being too tired to deal with the after-party the band was planning.”

  “Oh? We could have dropped him off as well then.”

  “He left about an hour ago in a cab. He said he needed to get some sleep,” John shrugs.

  Olivia glances over at the guilty look that washes over Madison’s face. She’s definitely hiding something. When Olivia smiles at her, she quickly looks away, confirming that she’s guarding secrets. Imagining the angry melt down Ethan would have if he thought, for even one second, that his sister was having sex with Nate Ross, Olivia decides to keep her observations to herself. Silently, Olivia roots for Maddie, hoping that her evening represents every woman’s wicked fantasy of being with a hot rock star.

  After they’ve dropped everyone off, Ethan looks over at Olivia in that obscenely short burgundy dress, “Come here,” he says, his dick twitching, “You’re too far away.” Sliding his hands under her legs, he lifts her gently and slides her on to his lap. Exhausted, she quickly drifts into sleep against Ethan’s shoulder.

  The weight of something heavy holds her down, making it hard to breathe. SAM! She begs him to stop, but it only seems to encourage him to thrust harder. Fighting him with everything she has, she pushes hard against his chest. Protesting only provokes him into more of an unrestrained fury. Withdrawing, he sits back on his heels, staring at her for a long time. Getting to his feet, he reaches for her as she tries to get away. Grabbing her by the throat, he effortlessly hurls her toward the top of the bed. She feels a sharp pain as her head hits the corner edge of the night table. His hands grab for her, painfully pulling her hair and jerking her head back.

  Olivia gasps as she wakes in the limo, wrapped in Ethan’s arms. “Ethan?” Opening her eyes, she glances around the limo, thankful that they’re alone.

  “I’m right here.” Holding her tightly, he rocks her back and forth. “We’re almost home.” When the limo pulls into the driveway, Ethan lifts her into his arms and carries her inside. Placing her on the couch he sits beside her, nurturing her like a parent would a small child, “I hate that you still have nightmares.” His hands stroke through her hair and across her skin, trying to erase her fear with his touch, “Are you okay?”

  “I’m okay. I guess… when I saw him, it freaked me out a little,” she confesses. She can’t deny the fear that’s still racing through her veins.

  “A little? It was dark, so I don’t know who you saw. Trust me, there’s no way Sam could have been in there tonight, and he won’t get in there any night in the future.” Ethan assures her, pressing his lips to her forehead. Pulling her onto his lap, he caresses her thigh. Doing everything possible to try to ignore that the short length of her dress is exposing the black lace panties she’s wearing. He struggles as he feels his touch switch from nurturing to need. His body betrays him, reacting with arousal that he fights desperately to discourage. There’s only one solution.

  “I’m going to take a shower. Do you want to head to bed or rest down here until I’m done?”

  “I think I’ll just rest down here,” her heart races, making her feel anxious, unnerved. She needs to get out of here. The thought of being around any man right now is about to make her become unhinged.

  Unaware of the angst washing over her, Ethan kisses her softly before he leaves her to have a cold shower, “Okay, I won’t be long.”

  Forcing herself to smile and nod, she gives him the illusion that everything’s okay. In reality, she’s anything but okay. That dream was the very first time that she remembered any part of that evening with such stunning clarity.

  Panic sets in and the room closes in on her as she watches Ethan climb the stairs. When she hears the bathroom door close and the water turn on, she grabs her phone and sends John a message.

  From Olivia: Can you arrange to have the car come back to Ethan’s and get me?

  From John: Sure, what time?

  From Olivia: Right now. As quickly as possible

  From John: Is everything ok?

  From Olivia: Yes, I just need to leave

  From John: Where’s Ethan?

  From Olivia: In the shower.

  From John: Has something happened?

  From Olivia: No. I just can’t be here right now. Are you going to send the car or should I start walking?

  From John: I’ll call now and send it back for you. Don’t go anywhere.

  Standing, Olivia takes off her heels and begins pacing the floor like a nervous animal. How fa
r could the limo have gotten in that short amount of time? Thinking that she sees headlights coming up the country road, she heads to the door with her shoes in her hand. Watching impatiently, so caught up in her thoughts, she doesn’t hear the water turn off. Pressing her face against the glass window, she prays for the car to arrive quickly.

  Thundering footsteps descend the stairs behind her, hinting that John has once again betrayed her. She can hear Ethan exhale short panting breaths, as he approaches her cautiously at the door.

  He doesn’t want her to leave. He’s not going to let her go without an explanation or a full out fight. “You’re leaving?” he asks, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

  Lowering her eyes to the floor, she remains facing the door. She can’t bear to turn around and look at him. “Yes.”

  Moving slowly in a non-threatening manner, he tries to gauge where her head is at. Standing behind her, he wraps his arms around her middle. Protecting her with his strong muscular body.

  “You’re trembling,” he says concerned. He’s seen this reaction before in women engaged in Reese’s Dom lifestyle. It was through his experiences with Reese that he learned how to redirect that fear. Refocusing that energy, bringing a submissive woman down into ‘subspace’ was something that Ethan excelled at. He would never force Olivia to stay if that wasn’t what she wanted. Damn it, he’s going to try to prevent her from running.

  “I can’t stay. I… I have to get out of here,” she tries to gain control of her fear, but her continued trembling gives her away.

  “The car isn’t coming back. If you want to leave, I’ll drive you home,” he tries to comfort her, swaying her softly, but she remains tense in his arms.

  Olivia swallows hard and closes her eyes, “Please Ethan, I need to go home.” How can she tell him what it was she recalled in her dream? How does she explain that she can’t be around any man right now, not even him?

  “I don’t want you to go,” placing his hand on her shoulder; he squeezes with gentle, but firm, pressure. He holds her there, until he feels the muscles beneath his grip start to ease. When they do, he presses his bare chest against her back and slowly takes in deep heavy breaths. Without prompting, she quickly synchronizes her breathing with his, just as he taught her to do. Whispering tender, reaffirming words into her ear, he repeats his actions until he feels her body go lax against him.