“I’m going to have a hard time getting to sleep without you here. And… I like waking up with you beside me,” she protests.
Ethan sits on the edge of the bed. “I’m having a hard time right now. I like hearing you say that. But, Baby, after this weekend I’m going to be gone for a very long time. You might as well get used to me not being there.”
Her stomach tightens as chills run through her body, “I don’t want to think about that. It’s too upsetting.”
Ethan gets to his feet and paces along the foot of the bed, “Then come with me.”
“I can’t Ethan. I can’t just walk away in the middle of this project. This customer has been a real challenge. He’s very difficult to work with. If I walked away now, we’d lose the account. I’m sure of it.” Well that’s part of the reason. She feels guilty for not telling him the whole truth.
“Well, then come for part of the time, a week or two? I want to introduce you to my family. I want to show you Ireland and how beautiful it is,” he softly pleads, knowing it won’t do him a damn bit of good.
There’s a long silence on the phone while Olivia tries to justify all the reasons she shouldn’t go. There’s no explaining her apprehension to Ethan. Not without him losing his mind. Things between them have just moved along too quickly. She hasn’t adjusted yet. He will never accept that as a reason, but he just won’t let it go.
She’ll turn his own game against him and distract him with sex. Smiling, she slips into her room for some privacy, “So… you don’t want me to come join you tonight?”
“I want you to stay there and spend time with your sister. What my dick wants doesn’t matter right now.” Breathing a sigh of relief, he steps out of his pants, releasing the pressure off his throbbing erection.
“So then, why don’t you lie down on the bed? Wrap your hand around that beautiful hard cock of yours, while I tell you ALL the nasty things I would let you do to me if I was there.”
Olivia is a bundle of nerves this morning, making her brother in law chuckle at her behavior, “You’d think you were waiting for a rock star or someone from the royal family. This guy has really gotten to you, eh?”
“Leave her alone,” Megan warns him. Her stern look turns into a smile as she hears a car pulling down the long driveway of their beautiful Wolfville country home.
Rick throws his head back in laughter as Olivia stiffens in her seat, looking panic-stricken. She finally follows Megan to the door and out on to the porch. When Ethan gets out of the car and Megan gets her first good look at him she’s blown away.
“Holy shit! Is that Ethan?”
Olivia’s heart pounds as if she hasn’t seen him in a million years, “Yes. That’s my man.” A million little nerve endings spring to life, making her tingle. It feels good to finally say it out loud, claiming him as her own. She wonders if this feeling of complete exhilaration when she sees him will ever wear off.
“He’s gorgeous!” Megan looks at her sister, amused at the blush that sweeps over her.
Ethan swaggers toward the house wearing a casual military style outfit. Bastard! He knows how men in uniform turn her on. The sight of him takes her breath away. The matching military style hat draws her attention to the piercing brightness of his eyes. He makes that hat look very sexy. Her heart starts to race at an even faster pace. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows that it’s not the hat at all… It’s the man. It’s the masculine gait of his walk, the pure maleness of his hard muscled body.
The faint aroma of his cologne, sweeps gently past her on the warm late morning breeze. “I think he’s hot.” She melts into a puddle as he locks his gaze to hers, his green eyes pinning her where she stands. As thoughts of their recent phone sex replay in her mind, heat surges and moisture pools between her legs. When she overcomes the intoxicating effect he has on her, she starts toward him. Her pace quickens as she grows nearer, until she’s firmly pressed against his chest and his thick biceps wrap around her.
Rick joins Megan on the porch and watches as Ethan and Olivia exchange a toe curling can’t breathe when I’m not with you kiss. Megan looks over at her husband, her face flushed red in response to the sexual tension in the air. Rick raises an eyebrow and smiles, “I’m giving him five seconds to finish that kiss, and then I’m turning the hose on them.”
Cuddling up beside him, she feels the need for a little affection from her own man. “Stop it!” she giggles. The sound of fighting siblings erupts from the garage. Rick sighs and scratches his head. Leaning down, he kisses Megan sweetly, “I’ve got it. You see to your sister’s guest.”
Megan starts down the porch steps and heads toward them. She’s can no longer wait to meet the man who, in her mind, has saved her baby sister. Olivia is glowing when she introduces him.
He immediately lifts Megan’s hand to his mouth to kiss it. Typical charming Ethan O’Connell, he never disappoints. She recalls that, when she first met him, she was suspicious of his warm smile and chivalrous acts. He is captivating, charming, and enchanting; except for the times when he’s rude, quick tempered, and bossy, of course. There’s no doubt in her mind now, that those things are all truly part of the man that Ethan O’Connell is. He was terrified that the real him was going to scare the shit out of her. Instead, she’s certain that it’s made her fall in love with him all the more. It’s too easy to pretend you’re somebody you’re not at the beginning of a relationship. Secrets don’t stay secrets for long. This she knows for a fact.
It’s a perfect day to spend outside in the sunshine. The gentle breeze isn’t showing any sign of the usually cool eastern Canadian autumn air. Her sister has made Ethan feel right at home. It’s awesome that he and Rick have the same sense of humor. She catches them, a couple of times, sharing a private chuckle at the expense of either herself or her sister.
Surrounded by her family, the warmth in her heart almost overwhelms her. With Ethan by her side, Olivia couldn’t feel any more content. Playing with the kids, she’s reminded of her childhood and the times her and her sister shared with her mom and dad.
She tries to soak in as much as she can, knowing that tomorrow she’ll be heading home. It could be another very long time before she sees them again.
“Don’t look now,” Megan says to Olivia, as they walk along the property enjoying the garden. “I think your boyfriend has an admirer.”
Olivia looks toward the porch, where Rick and Ethan are enjoying a beer and doing some male bonding. Three-year-old Leila, with her long blondish curls, has climbed up on Ethan’s lap and stares up at him with her sparkling blue eyes. Leaning down, Ethan kisses her on the top of her head. Whispering something in her ear, he puts a mile wide smile on her face. Giggling loudly, she raises her hands to his cheeks, holding him still, while she reaches up and presses a tiny kiss on his lips. Olivia and Megan melt on the spot.
“That looks good on him,” Megan says, noticing her sister’s unsolicited maternal glow. “Have you found out any more about this girl who claims she’s pregnant?”
Olivia sighs and shakes her head softly, “No, he’s going back to Ireland on Monday to deal with it.”
“So how do you feel about it?” she asks curiously.
“Confused. Supportively conflicted in a possessive kind of way.”
Megan makes a face at her sister, “Okay, whatever that means.”
“He was so angry when he found out about it. We haven’t really discussed what it means for us going forward. He’s convinced that it’s not his baby, so I’m sure he’s hasn’t given it any thought. He’s made it perfectly clear that his relationship with his ex is over. I know him well enough to know that, if this is his baby, he’ll look after them financially. Up until now, I assumed that would be the extent of his involvement. But, look at him Meg. He may be angry that it’s a pregnancy that he didn’t plan for, but he’s not the kind of guy that walks away and has no involvement with his child.”
Megan glances back at Ethan and watches the way that he is with
Leila, “I have to agree with you there. That’s a good thing right?”
“Yes, it’s good that he’s that kind of man. But that means that his ex will now be a part of his life for many years, and I’m going to have to find a way to deal with that.”
“I’m assuming you’ll find a way to do that after the conversation we had last night.”
“Do you really believe that soul mates exist, Meg?”
“Honey, you already know that I believe it. What do you believe?” Megan reaches down and takes her sister’s hand, swinging it between them as they continue to walk.
“I could probably dismiss the psychic as a lucky guess or coincidence. How do I explain the dreams; or memories, if that’s what they are? Ethan can’t explain it either.”
“I have to admit, it’s pretty freaky that he has had the same dreams as you,” Megan admits.
“He’s told me before that he feels like our souls are tangled together, like we’re marked for each other. At first, I just thought he was just saying that to try to get into my pants because… well, because he’s Ethan, and he’s the horniest Irish man I’ve ever met.”
Stopping to giggle, they look at each with the understanding and love that could only pass between sisters.
“I didn’t want to admit it before, Meg. But I felt something, the moment I saw him. I should have been running in the opposite direction, but something reeled me in. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s not subtle at all, but then nothing about Ethan ever is. Sometimes I feel like the elastic on a paddle ball.”
Megan’s eyes start to tear up as she embraces her sister, “Olivia, I know it’s hard for you. Don’t keep trying to talk yourself out of it. If it feels right to you, then you need to stop fighting it and believe.”
Finishing their walk around the far side of the property, they make their way around the side of the porch. Olivia’s heart stands still. Leila is pressed against Ethan’s chest, tucked safely under his chin, sound asleep. He cradles her gently in his arms; occasionally brushing her curls away from her face, while he talks to Rick about cars, sports, and other manly stuff. Glancing over at Olivia, he smiles, making her fall even harder for him. At that moment there’s no denying what this feeling is. It’s love.
Chapter Fourteen
The girls serve an awesome dinner, ensuring that everybody’s stomachs are full. The conversation is full of laughter and embarrassing stories of Olivia’s childhood. Somewhere in the middle of the meal, Leila wriggles herself back onto Ethan’s knee. He finishes his dinner, eating with one hand; holding her safely on his lap with the other. He doesn’t complain once. He just does it as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him, but then, maybe it is. He had been left at an early age to raise three younger sisters, practically on his own.
The kids have taken off to play, leaving everyone to relax. After a few short minutes, five-year-old Trent comes around the corner of the house crying and dragging his bike. Ethan and Rick immediately jump into action. Picking up the bike, Rick takes it into the garage to fix the chain. Ethan follows, lifting Trent up to set him on the workbench, instinctively tending to the scraped knee. The girls watch from the porch.
“Olivia, that man is amazing and I’m begging you right now… Marry him.”
Olivia’s mouth drops open and her eyes widen in shock. “WHAT?”
Suddenly the baby’s crying comes through the monitor. Megan laughs, as she excuses herself to go tend to him. Olivia watches as Ethan sets Trent back down on the ground, roughing up his hair in that manly way of letting a boy know that he’ll survive his injury. Following Trent out of the garage, he keeps an eye on him while Rick fixes the bike.
Olivia takes a good long look at her man. His pocketed cargo pants fit loosely over his hips and thighs. A fabric belt is cinched tightly at the waist to help keep them up. The cotton military designed shirt is buttoned all the way down, but untucked. It has pockets and straps adorned with bright brassy buttons and a silkscreened military sergeant rank that matches the mark on the front of his cap. All of that on his well-defined muscular body. Holy Hell, the man looks HOT!
Rick walks around the far side of the garage and down the bike trail to go looking for whatever it was that caused Trent to fall.
Ethan stands alone, leaning against the fence rail with his legs crossed at the ankles. Holding a bottle of beer, he watches the kids play in the warm sunshine. Olivia stares at him for quite some time before he senses her gaze and looks towards her.
Approaching him with all the grace of a woman on a mission, she gives him a sweeping kiss on the lips. When he stands upright, she darts under his arm quickly moving behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she presses herself firmly against his back.
Moving her lips to his ear, she whispers, “You look very sexy, Mr. O’Connell.”
His body immediately responds to her touch, “I’m glad you like what you see.”
She bites playfully at his earlobe, before brushing her lips along his neck, gently exhaling her warm breath against his skin. The hair on the back of his neck stands straight up as he becomes aroused.
“Oh, I really like what I see.” Scanning the yard, she quickly makes sure that no one’s paying attention. Rubbing her hands down the hard width of his back, smoothing her palms over his perfectly round ass cheeks she gives them a firm squeeze. “I like it so much… it makes me want to report for duty, SIR!”
Ethan lets out a feral growl, “Do you know what it does to me when you talk like that?” Cautiously looking around to make sure they’re alone, he grabs her hand and pulls it around him, rubbing it down the front of his pants, “See how hard you’ve made me?”
Olivia can’t help herself, she rubs her hand along his hardening cock with more pressure, “I’ve been a naughty girl, and I should be punished, Sir!”
Ethan looks around, painfully aware of their surroundings, “What’s your sister going to think if she comes outside and sees me with this raging hard-on?”
Olivia smiles and presses her lips against his ear again, “Well, I suppose she’ll think… look at that guy with the giant boner. He must have it bad for my little sister.”
She laughs as he pulls her around in front of him, moving in for a long sensual kiss that sets her on fire.
“She would be right. I have it bad. So bad I might just have to drag you into the woods and try to relieve this aching hard-on you’ve given me.”
Just then, Trent calls out in excitement, “Auntie Olivia come and see... we found a frog!”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
Olivia stands in front of Ethan using her body to shield his predicament. She’s surprised at how quickly it softens, as Trent approaches.
Trent takes her hand and tugs on it firmly. Quickly she turns to Ethan with a smile, “Well, at least I know how to turn you off now.”
“Kids are definitely a turn off for me,” he says with an odd expression.
“Good to know.” She wonders, as she’s dragged away, what he means by that. He’s so good with kids, could he possibly mean that he doesn’t want any of his own? Ever? It might be too late for that unfortunately, thanks to Jessica.
Olivia hurries over to pick up the baby when Megan joins them outside, “I’ve been waiting to see you, little one.” She’s glowing as she plays with him, kissing and tickling and making him giggle. Ethan stares at her, admiring her beauty. The browns and golds overpower the shade of green in her eyes as they sparkle under the filtered sunlight. He can’t get enough of those hazel eyes. Every time he looks into them, it’s as if some magical metamorphosis has taken place. They’re like colors in a kaleidoscope. He’s intrigued by each change, as if it somehow unlocks dark secrets that she’s been guarding. He wonders if she’ll ever tell him the entire truth about those secrets.
The baby squirms to get down and fusses, “What do you want, Marcus?”
“Down.” He points to the other kids.
“Ah, okay, let’s go play.” She stands hi
m on his feet, taking his hand as he toddles towards his siblings. Olivia sits on the grass beside them playing with the frog, leaving Megan and Ethan alone. Megan begins to stack up dirty dishes and clears the table.
“Let me help,” Ethan offers.
Joining her in the kitchen, he scrapes plates into the garbage as she fills the sink with warm soapy dishwater.
“My sister looks very happy, Ethan. I suppose I have you to thank for that?”
“I find that hard to believe,” he muses. “She doesn’t seem to like me very much most of the time.” He leans in closer and confides in her, “She’s always angry at me for some reason,” he jokes.
“Don’t be fooled by her sharp tongue and stubborn ways. I hear that, all of a sudden, she’s going to soccer games and meeting with her friends at the bar. That’s because of you! She can’t take her eyes off you. And she doesn’t stop smiling when you’re near.”
“She has a beautiful smile,” he acknowledges.
“You have no idea how good it is to hear her laugh again,” Megan takes a deep breath starting to feel a little emotional.
“Yeah, well… she’s laughing AT me most of the time.” Shaking his head as he passes her dishes, he gives her that charming smile.
Megan smiles back at him then her expression changes, conveying her concern.
“Ethan… do you know what happened to her? Has she told you about Sam?”
He’s somewhat unnerved by the sudden change in subject. “I know how he hurt her, yes. I’ve comforted her through the nightmares, and I’ve seen the scars.”
Megan sighs and shakes her head. She stops washing dishes and turns toward him, “There’s so much more than the physical scars, Ethan.”
Putting down the tea towel, he gives her his full attention. Thankful that he’s about to get insight into Olivia James, that only a sister could provide.
Souls ReAligned Page 18
