“I can help you.”
She’ll try John’s advice before she completely loses her mind, clear and to the point. “Ethan, I’ve been alone for a very long time. I’ve always looked after myself.”
Ethan swipes his hand over his mouth, closing his eyes and concentrating on something. “Elaborate,” he says finally.
“What?” She turns her head toward him in confusion.
“Elaborate… explain why.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m capable of looking after myself. I don’t expect you to understand… I don’t care if you agree; but I need you to respect my financial independence. I don’t want to depend on anyone to pay my bills or buy the things that I need. EVER! It’s extremely important to me,” clear point made. Humph.
If life imitated a Warner Brothers cartoon, a light bulb would have appeared over his head. That charming boyish grin, sweeps across his lips. “Alright. That, I understand.”
“Thank goodness!” She finally feels like she’s making some headway. When he reaches over and takes her hand, she lets him.
“But you have to be willing to compromise sometimes,” he adds.
“You think that I’m the one that needs to learn to compromise?” she says, surprised. Hanging her head, she groans her disappointment, “And we were so close.”
Ethan has let her have her say, but it’s his turn to talk now and Olivia will listen.
“Look at me,” he demands.
Still annoyed, she turns her head slightly and lifts her eyes to peek at him from under her long lashes.
“Not good enough. Turn around and look at me.”
As she does what she’s told, it occurs to her that he has a particular talent for knowing when she’ll comply with his militant demands. It’s a good thing that he’s come to know her so well. He can sense when he can push her limits and when not to. Most of the time he reserves his dominance for the bedroom… oh, and when he’s angry… or wants something. Crap!
“Olivia, everybody needs help once in a while. You don’t always have to struggle alone. Sometimes it’s okay to accept help. It doesn’t make you any less independent. It doesn’t make you weak or incapable of looking after your own needs. It makes you human.”
Oh, great! Now he’s going to say stuff that actually makes sense. Her recent conversation with Shannon about shopping crosses her mind. Curious, she decides to come at the problem from a different direction, “Why do you feel like you need to pay for everything?”
Ethan sighs and answers only because he knows she won't let it go until he does, “Because that’s the way it’s always been. I pay all the bills. I buy whatever’s needed.”
Shannon had already confirmed that, but it still shocks her to hear him say it out loud. “You mean every girl you’ve been in a relationship with has let you pay for everything?”
Feeling insulted and not liking being on the other side of the interrogation, he snaps at her, “Yes, it’s the only way I know. It’s the way it should be!”
Suddenly Olivia feels sad for her poor, sweet Ireland. She’s always thought that his actions were out of his need to be in control. She had never considered any other reason. Now it’s clear. She knows what kind of women thrive on a relationship that imbalanced. Ones who have expensive taste and the need for an unlimited bank account; someone to fund their desire for high priced jewelry, fancy clothes and everything else their hearts desire. Women who are in love with the money, not the man.
She feels angry that they’ve taken advantage of his misguided chivalry. “I’m not like them,” she professes.
He laughs once, breaking the tension as he lifts his hand to her face, brushing his fingers along her cheek. Melting into his touch, he soothes the craving that she’s had all night, and fought hard to deny.
“This is true,” he pulls her closer to him, pressing his lips to the side of her head. “A compromise, then. You’ll let me pay for things, occasionally, because it makes me happy. BUT… you need to promise me that you’ll ask for help with your finances when you need it.”
She sighs and relaxes into his arms, letting his warm breath wash away her anxiety. “One last thing,” she whispers.
“What?” he asks, hesitating.
“Promise me that if you see me struggling and you want to help, you’ll have a conversation with me instead of just taking over. And if I say no, you’ll leave it alone, and let me deal with it my own way.”
That irresistible, Irish grin spreads across his lips, “Oh, that’s a tough one, Princess. My inner control freak might have problems with that,” he teases.
Staring into his sparkling eyes, she tries not to smirk, “Promise, or I’m out of here, and you can spend the rest of the evening with any redhead you want.”
“That’s kind of harsh.” At least he knows now that she was paying attention. When she struggles to get to her feet, he grabs her arm and pulls her back down, making her land on his lap. His muscular biceps wrap around her, trapping her there. “I’m only interested in one particular brunette.”
“Good answer.” She grins. “Now promise me.”
“Can I promise after I tell you that I did something you’re not going to like?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! What did you do?” she groans.
A guilty look flashes across his face, “Well, if you were that upset about me paying the car repair bill, I imagine you’re going to be furious about this. But here goes nothing.” Reaching beside him, he picks up a plain white envelope off the small end table and hands it to her.
Hesitant to take it from him, Olivia looks at him nervously. She lifts the flap and slides out a ticket folder for one of the local airlines. She doesn’t say a word until she reads the destination. “Ethan,” she says softly. Tears form in her eyes, and she puts her hand over her mouth.
“You’re not mad?”
She shakes her head no and sniffles as she wipes at her tears.
“Bloody Hell! I’ve finally done something right!” he says amazed. “I know how much you’ve been missing your sister. We fly out Friday morning and return on Sunday. I’ve made all the arrangements with your work for you to have Friday off, and Megan knows you’re coming.”
“You made arrangements with my work? Wait… you’re coming with me?”
“Yes, but I have a meeting with a client in Halifax, not too long after we land on Friday. I’ll be able to spend the day with you and your family on Saturday, if that’s what you want. I want this weekend to be about you spending time with your sister.”
“Thank you!” Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugs him so tightly that he can’t breathe. She’s overjoyed at the thought of introducing him to her sister.
“You’re welcome.” He doesn’t mean to ruin things, since he’s finally done something to make her happy, but something has been bugging him. He needs to know, “Olivia, can I ask you a question?”
“I suppose so. I’m not saying for sure whether or not I’m going to answer it,” she laughs.
“Why don’t your friends know about us?”
She pauses for a moment, not sure how to answer, “I wasn’t sure if I should tell them.”
“Because you don’t want them to know about me?”
The insecurity in his voice makes her sit up so she can see him. She isn’t prepared to see the wounded look on his face. She needs to put him at ease. “No, that’s no it at all.” She runs her fingers through his hair.
“Why then? Tell me the truth. I’ll know if you’re lying to me.”
She sighs, not knowing where to begin. “Well, you’re Ethan O’Connell! Senior Vice President of a huge corporation. Boy genius of the business world. Google has hundreds of pictures of you attending big fancy balls and charity events,” she blurts out rather anxiously.
“So?” He’s not following.
“Ethan, around here I’m that girl. I’m the girl that everybody heard horrific details about in the news. The one that nobody has seen since it happened. The one the
y whisper about when I walk into the room, thinking that I can’t hear them.”
“And you think that will somehow reflect poorly on me?” he says, surprised.
She frowns and strokes her hand down the side of his face, “Well, it occurred to me earlier that someone like you, who’s in the public eye so often, should live up to certain expectations for the company he keeps.” Feeling a little uncomfortable, she gets to her feet and puts a little space between them. “I thought that it might be unacceptable for people to know that you’ve been spending time… with me.”
Ethan is stunned. Getting to his feet, he closes the space between them, “Olivia, I can’t believe that you’d think that. I thought we resolved this days ago. You’re my girlfriend now. Is this because I was flirting with your friend earlier? Or something that happened at the grand opening?”
“NO! Earlier the girls were looking you up on Google and,” she stops. Thinking about what she’s just confessed, she looks up to see his raised eyebrow. Damn. No backing out now. “Don’t let it go to your head, Ireland. Girls do that kind of stuff sometimes.”
He smiles a huge cocky grin and answers in that swoon worthy Irish accent, “I bet they do. Please go on. You were looking me up on Google and…”
Shaking her head at his amazing ego, she continues, “Well, all the pictures of you there have you with pretty impressive women on your arm when you’re out in public.”
“And you don’t think that you’re impressive? Come here.” Scooping his arm around her waist from behind, he pulls her in close.
“Baby, you’re so beautiful that half the time when I’m around you, I can’t think straight. I wish that you could see that.” When she doesn’t respond he turns her around so he can look at her face. “Listen to me,” changing his tone to one more authoritative. He knows that sometimes it’s the only way to get through to her. “I am done. Done with rules. Done with agreements. Done with worrying about what anybody else thinks. All I want is for us to be together. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.” Holding her face in his hands, he lowers his lips to kiss her. “Have I finally made myself clear?” He tilts his head slightly and frowns, when she nods.
Olivia knows he needs to hear her answer out loud. She wonders if she could ever bring herself to deny him what he needs ever again. He has such a hold on her. She couldn’t untangle herself from him if she had to. “Yes.”
He smiles and runs his hands down her backside, caressing her firmly. “Good girl. You should get back to your friends; you’ve been gone a long time. Do you have a jumper?” he immediately answers her unasked question, “Sorry, I mean a sweater.”
That’s kind of random. She looks at him confused, “A sweater? I have one in the car, why?”
Moving his hands to her ribcage, he holds her as his thumbs brush across her breasts. “I was kind of hoping I could convince you to cover the girls up a little.”
“The girls?” she shudders. He’s nicknaming her breasts now?
“Yes.” He looks down at her exposed cleavage. “They’re enjoying ‘girl’s night out’ just a little too much for my liking.”
“You’re joking right?”
“No, I’m serious, and I didn’t like the way that guy was looking at them.”
Olivia shakes her head and starts toward the door. “Get over it, O’Connell… they’re just breasts. Every woman out there has them.”
Ethan moves toward her, getting to her quickly and bands his arms around her from behind, stopping her. “Yes, but these,” covering her breasts with his large palms, he holds them firmly, “are mine now. I can’t help but feel a little possessive. I don’t like to share.”
Olivia could have protested or argued that they most certainly did not belong to him. That was her intention, after all, when she readjusted her cleavage earlier. To show him who’s in control; stand up for the rights to her own body.
Instead, she turns herself in his arms so that she’s pressed hard against his chest. She kisses him, biting at his lip, and teasing him with her tongue. She moans when he moves his mouth to her neck and kisses her there, moving downward along her throat. Enjoying his touch, she tilts her head back giving him unrestricted access.
Ethan makes his way inside her top. He cups her breasts, squeezing and teasing her nipples, until they are hard and taut under his touch. His lips continue moving downward, nibbling and biting playfully along the way, drawing from her moans of pleasure as his lips replace his hand on her nipple.
“Stop,” she begs, feeling like she’s about to lose control. “I need to get back.”
Protesting with a low growl, Ethan rubs his face against her, nuzzling between her soft breasts. Before moving away, he stops one last time and sucks deeply on the rounded edge of her breast. The pull of his mouth, long and hard against the sensitive skin makes her clench. Once he’s completely satisfied, he raises his head and claims her mouth again for one last kiss.
“Okay, go enjoy yourself. I’ve got some paperwork to do.” Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, he sends a quick text. As she approaches the door and pulls it open, he looks up at her. “Oh, one more thing.”
She turns to look at him, holding the door open. Behind her, the bass of the music is loud and the flashing lights of the dance floor flicker. “John will be keeping a very close eye on your new friend.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that for a minute,” she scoffs. Stopping just outside his office door, she allows her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the dance floor.
Seeing her come out of the office, her new friend heads toward her, hoping he can pick up where they left off. Olivia looks nervously around the room for John but doesn’t see him. Stopping a few feet away, a strange look appears on the man’s face.
Surveying her from head to toe, his eyes land back at her breasts. Glancing at something behind her, he turns, and walks away. What the hell? She glances over her shoulder to see Ethan’s well-toned, muscular body filling the doorway of his office, like a mighty warrior. Watching his opponent retreat, he relaxes. Leaning against the frame with his arms folded, he crosses his legs at the ankle. He shrugs and tries to hide a smile when she glares at him. Gaaah!
Spotting Olivia across the floor, Diana waves for her to join them. She declines using hand gestures to indicate that she needs another drink.
The bartender slides a vodka cooler toward her and smiles. Taking out a few bills that she tucked in her pocket, she unfolds them. The bartender quickly responds by holding his hand in the air and stopping her, “No charge tonight, Miss James, Mr. O’Connell’s orders.”
The poor young bartender watches her nervously, afraid that he’ll lose his job if she refuses. O’Connell. Geez. She’s just too tired to fight anymore tonight. She’s not going to win anyway. How is she going to get this man under control? She smiles at the bartender, putting him at ease. “Thank you.”
John is waiting for her, with her sweater in hand, when she gets back to the booth. Olivia looks at him, surprised at first, and then unmistakable annoyance takes over. “Do you have a problem with my breasts tonight too, John?” She says in a snarky tone, feeling like this is the second time tonight he’s betrayed her.
“No, Olivia, I like your breasts just fine,” he smirks. “I thought, however, that you might want to cover that up.” He lowers his eyes to one of her breasts and extends his hand, holding the sweater out in front of him. He tries extremely hard not to laugh.
That? “Did I spill something?” Olivia looks down and sees that Ethan has branded her with an enormous hickey on the side of her breast; she utters very loud, unladylike curse words. It’s a glowing, bright red marquis, screaming to the world that she belongs to Ethan O’Connell! Brilliantly placed, so that it can’t be covered by the neckline of her top. Now she knows why her dancing partner bolted when he saw her.
Through clenched jaws, she growls, “Fucking Neanderthal! I suppose I’m lucky that he didn’t mark his territory by lifting his leg and peeing on me!” She huffs out a long angr
y breath as she snatches the sweater out of John’s hand. “What is this, high school? I hate your boss!” she grumbles, as she slips her arms into the sweater, buttoning it angrily. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees John’s shoulders move up and down, as he tries to contain his laughter. Olivia looks up at him with a threatening stare, “I’m serious, John! Don’t you dare laugh!”
As she turns her attention back to the rest of the buttons, John regains his composure and holds out his hand, “I need your keys please, Olivia.”
“What?” she asks confused.
“Your car keys. You’ve been drinking, and it’s not safe to drive. Ethan rented a limo for the evening to take his clients downtown for dinner. It’s paid for until the end of the night. It will take you and your friends home when you’re ready.”
Olivia grabs her purse from under the table. Digging through it for the keys, she hands them to him. Shifting her weight to her hip, she crosses her arms, like a spoiled child who didn’t get her way.
“Thank you. Ethan and I will drop it off on our way home. Oh, and from now on you need to lock your car doors. If Sam’s lurking around, we don’t want you to get into your car one day and find him in there waiting for you.” Turning to walk away, he leaves Olivia feeling a little unnerved by that thought.
“John?”
“Yes?”
“Since I’m not driving anymore can you have them send over another drink… or three?”
John grins, “Of course.”
As the bar starts to empty, Olivia and her friends gather up their stuff. She hasn’t seen Ethan for the past two hours, so she takes out her phone and texts him.
Olivia: We’re getting ready to leave now.
Ethan: I’ll come and say goodbye, meet me at the front door.
Margaret and Kelly push through the front doors, anxious to get a look at their ride home. Diana stumbles along behind them. The driver stands at the door. He’s been instructed by John not to open it for them, until Ethan has joined them to say good night.
Souls ReAligned Page 15
