She’ll control what she wants and what she doesn’t. She will no longer be anybodies victim. She lets him slide in, sheathing him completely with her body. It’s even tighter this way and she gasps slightly at the feeling of being stretched so wide. She has never been with a man whose so long and thick and without a condom on, the raw feel of him against her causes an amazing friction that only ratchets up her desire. Ethan tries to slow her movements. “Go slow, baby. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” She tightens her muscles and squeezes him as she lifts her hips, forcing him to come to the edge of withdrawal. With both hands on her hips, he guides her back down and buries it deeper inside her. She purrs her pleasure. ”Oh God, YES!”
That’s all the encouragement he needs to wraps his arms around her waist and lift her as he is gets to his feet. When he does, his pants slide to the floor and he steps out of them. She wraps her arms and legs around him as he kneels on the floor and lowers her to the ground. He’s already inside her but he pushes himself in further as he lays her down, this time meeting the end of her cervix. His balls land heavily against her bottom and stimulate the sensitive nerves around her anus. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the new sensation. “Oh,Ethan… Oh!”
This time Ethan goes slowly, careful not to overpower her. Running her hands all over his body, she feels every taut muscle, every ounce of glorious male flesh. It’s far better than she had ever imagined. Rolling her hips in small circles on his inward strokes, she forces his pelvic bone to brush across her clit. The continuous and deliberate pressure makes the tiny knot of nerves swell. Ethan wants to kiss her so badly, and finally claim those full sensual lips. To hell with the rules. He lifts himself, supporting his weight on his forearms, moving his lips to hers and claiming them for a few moments before she turns her head and offers him her neck. He growls his displeasure. “We’re going to talk about that later as well.” He warns as he lowers his mouth to nibble along her collarbone.
Moving downwards, he finds her very sensitive nipple and tongues it gently before gently sucking it completely into his mouth. Taking the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger he gives it a little twist as he tugs on it. His touch fuels the fire already burning strong between her legs and she desperately calls out his name wanting him to deepen his thrusts. He lowers his body, pressing her bare breasts against his chest and meets her needs, filling her with every inch of himself.
The sensation is too much for Olivia and the ripples of a small orgasm begin to pulse through her, building in intensity. Ethan arches his back and holding himself over her, he lowers his forehead to hers. He holds her gaze and not for a moment does he abandon her eyes. It’s the most intimate thing she has ever experienced. She lifts her hips to meet his thrusts and Ethan adjusts his weight above her, stroking into her with hard, slow thrusts. His skin becomes damp with perspiration, making his body glisten above her.
The sound of rushing blood in her ears is all Olivia can hear, her body stiffening as anxiety once again takes hold of her, pulling her into a dark place and erasing all promises of pleasure. Ethan grunts as he pounds himself against her, his release near. Turning her attention to his pleasure, she bites at his neck and digs her fingers into the flesh of his ass pulling him forward. She feels his balls draw tight and she knows that with a few more thrusts he’s going to come HARD.
Somehow through all the glorious sensations rushing through his body, the pleasure building and thrumming from his core and spreading outward, he has the presence of mind to remember that he’s not wearing a condom. “Shit!” He curses as he withdraws harshly, taking himself in hand and giving himself the last few strokes he needs, spreading warm spurts of cum all over her stomach. She runs her hand through his hair, damp from their lovemaking, as he nuzzles against her neck and gently rolls to the side freeing her from the weight of his body.
“Were you going to stop me?” He asks through panted breaths.
“I meant to” She whispers.
Exhausted, she stretches and tries to relax the muscles in her legs, noticing the strained feeling in her vaginal walls. She lets out a small groan of discomfort.
“Baby? Are you ok?” He’s alarmed. “Olivia, I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“You didn’t come again. Let me make it right for you.” Sliding his hand down between her legs, he’s intent on making her come. She winces, feeling chaffed, sore, and far too sensitive. Grabbing his hand, she stops him.
She puts her finger on his mouth and shushes him. “Shhhhh. I did come and I’m just fine. I’m just a little sore. It’s been a long time for me.” She moves her head against his chest and caresses him with her hands. Cuddling was against the original set of rules but she really doesn’t care now, in fact, she’s willing to let that rule fall by the way side.
Ethan wraps his arms around her and holds her close, guilt haunting him. She’s lying to him again and he knows it. He doesn’t understand why but he’ll let It go for now. “I shouldn’t have forced you at the bar.” His hands rub apologetically up and down her back.
“Ethan, I was a willing participant. You didn’t force me to do anything.”
“But afterwards, you were upset. I was too rough.” He strokes her hair in a loving and nurturing gesture that seems to make him feel better. “Rachel said…”
She interrupts him. “I’m fine. I just needed to sort some stuff out in my head. And I really don’t want to talk about it anymore.” She pulls away from him, grabs the tea towel from the chair and wipes her stomach clean. Sitting up, making sure to avoid his eyes, she grabs her dress off the floor and tugs it back over her head.
Leaning on his elbows, he props himself up, watching her curiously. “OK then… let’s talk about you leaving the bar and taking a cab home without your panties.”
She can tell that agitates him. Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, she tries to make it seem like it’s not a big deal. However, it’s a HUGE deal to Ethan. His domineering nature won’t permit him to let things like that go. He sits straight up so he can look her straight in the eyes. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” His voice no longer tender and loving as it was a few moments ago. His body language changes and his expression becomes harsh as he chastises her. “You could have bumped into any one of those drunken assholes on the way out of the bar. What if the cab driver noticed while you were getting into his car? Jesus, Olivia! He could have locked you in and driven you out to some remote area…” His blood starts to boil just thinking about it.
She gets defensive. “But I didn’t bump into anybody and the driver didn’t see anything.”
“But he could have. And then I get here and you haven’t even locked the doors to the house.” He scolds her like a child. “You put yourself in a very dangerous situation.”
She hadn’t thought about that when she left. She only wanted to put some distance between them. She pouts and looks down avoiding the harshness of his stare. “I’m sorry.” She has no idea why she’s always apologizing to him.
Ethan lifts his hand to her face and forces her to look at him as he brushes his thumb across her pouting lip. His words slightly soften but his expression is still hard and intimidating. “If anybody hurt you baby girl… I swear to Christ I’d come unglued!”
The tormented expression on his face, confirms that he’s telling the truth. His words are overwhelming and she gets a heavy feeling in her chest as her heart fights the feelings starting to build. She stares at him, trying to figure out what it is about him that gets her all tied up into knots. Especially considering the short time that they’ve known each other.
She’s going to have a difficult time trying to stay in control of this relationship. If that’s even possible. His hard tone diminishes and he leans forward, kissing her on the forehead, feeling her anxiety as his lips touch her. “Ok then.” He takes a deep calming breath. “So let’s just agree that from now on… YOU” He taps her on the nose. “You WILL wear underpants at ALL TIMES when you’r
e out in public.” His words are playful but stringent at the same time. She manages a somewhat forced smile. How does he do that? How does he go from dark and controlling to warm and fuzzy within seconds? It makes her feel uneasy and yet oddly aroused. Still, he has had some good points about her safety.
Then it dawns on her. The way she felt at the field when all the women were enjoying the view of his body. “Ok... It’s a deal.” She gets to her feet and starts to walk towards the bathroom safely out of range and making sure that she gets in the last word. “AND… YOU” She says pointing at him for dramatic effect. “Will no longer be dropping your pants at the soccer field so all the girls can gawk at you.” She gives him back one of his own ‘I mean business’ looks. Closing the door behind her, she smiles, pleased at her counter request.
Ethan smiles at her rebuttal. He had no idea that had upset her but he likes that she feels jealous and just a tad possessive. It’s further proof that she does have feelings for him. She’s not submitting completely to him yet, but she is submitting. If she needs to feel that she has some control in this relationship then he’s willing to let her. Especially if it means she’ll start to drop her guard and let him in to her life.
When she steps out of the bathroom, he’s coming downstairs after having used the other bathroom to clean up and get dressed. He reaches for her as she walks towards him and pulls her into a warm embrace. His stomach gets all jittery as he holds her there. This is where she belongs, in his arms, and he doesn’t want to let her go. “I can stay if you like. John can handle things at the bar.”
She had often wished that she were one of those girls that had long sexy legs that went on forever, adding a few more inches to her height. Snuggling against his chest, considering his offer, she’s thankful for the first time ever for genetics and her mere 5’ 4” of height, tucking her head perfectly in under his chin. It feels good… it feels right… and she worries about how quickly she could develop feelings for him… how could she not? Hell, it was happening already, and she’ll be devastated when he leaves. There is no doubt in her mind that he’ll leave. He’s too suave and charming to be a one-woman man. As much as she wishes she could lay all night in his arms she knows that she has to stick to the plan. “No, you need to go. Staying over is against the rules of our arrangement.” She says it in a very businesslike tone and it irks him.
“Olivia, listen… about these rules.”
Before he can utter another word, she becomes distressed and interrupts him. “You’ll follow the rules won’t you, Ethan?” Her body goes rigid in his arms. “Please… promise me you’ll follow the rules.” Clenching his jaw, he looks towards the ceiling, mumbling something she thinks is a prayer for strength. “Please.” She pleads one last time in a way that he can’t deny her anymore.
Against his own desires, he agrees. “Ok, ok… I promise.” Feeling resentful of her demands, he releases her and heads for the door. Following him to the stairs, she struggles with what to say. “Goodnight, Ethan. Thank you.”
He digs his keys out of his pocket and looks back at her with an injured expression that conveys his discontent. “Thank you for what? Fucking you?”
Embarrassed by the apparent stupidity of her remark her face flushes. “I guess.”
He turns the doorknob and opens the door. “You’re welcome.” He stares at her with an agonizing fury as he lets himself out and closes the door. Standing just outside he stops and waits… angry…conflicted. He shouldn’t leave things like this. He was hurt when she rejected his offer to stay but then he shouldn’t have given her a choice. He should have just told her that he was staying.
Inside, Olivia’s bottom lip begins to tremble as a storm of different emotions hit her with all the finesse of gale force winds. Overwrought by their intensity she sits on the top step covering her face with her hands and starts to cry. Still standing just outside the door Ethan hears her sobs through the open window. You would think with three younger sisters that he’d be immune to the sounds of a woman crying but this is gut wrenching torture for him. Putting his hand back on the doorknob, he hesitates, listening to her gasp for air between sobs while trying to catch her breath. Leaning his forehead against the door, he curses before he forces himself to turn and walk away.
Chapter 11
Ethan arrives at his downtown office the next morning more than an hour late and feeling extremely out of sorts. Already agitated, he waits in traffic trying to turn into the parking garage and looks up to see the silver haired woman standing out front of the rustic little storefront. His eyes skim across the front of the building, reading the sign in the window. Eva Storm – Psychic. Well that explains a lot. Now he knows for certain that she’s off her nut. She stares at him, making him feel uneasy while he waits to make his turn. Great. As if he isn’t stressed out enough. He parks, and then with a quick pace makes his way to the elevator, continually looking over his shoulder expecting to find her there.
Forgoing his usual morning flirt with Hannah, he heads straight to his office without stopping to talk to anyone. Dropping his bag heavily on the floor beside his desk he sits, feeling like a first class asshole for leaving Olivia crying. Ten minutes later John finds him still sitting in that exact spot, staring out the window and looking crestfallen. Closing the door behind him, he walks to the desk and puts a coffee down in front of him. “Thought you might need that.”
“Thanks.” He makes a face at its potent taste and grimaces as he swallows.
Almost forgetting, John reaches into his pocket. “Oh, and these, apparently, are for you.” Ethan isn’t quite sure what to make of it when John drops the small rolled up ball of fabric on the desk in front of him.
He glances up at John as he unfolds Olivia’s panties and holds them up by the corners. “Sweet Jesus.” He grumbles as he crumples them up and quickly dashes them into his bottom desk drawer. The last thing he needs before his conference call is his dick to get hard, thinking about how good it felt to be deep inside her with nothing between them.
John fights a smile. “Interesting night?”
Ethan puts his hands over his face and leans forward resting his elbows on the desk, his voice muffled through his fingers. “You have no idea. And NO, I don’t want to talk about it. Just dial my father’s office and let’s get that over with.”
John dials the number and hits the speaker option on the phone so they can both listen. After entering the four-digit code the automated attendant announces that they will now be joined in the conference. Voices are already engaged in a conversation when the connection is made. “Ethan is that you that’s just joined? This is Ian Walsh.”
“Yes, I’m here.” Ethan looks over at John and shrugs his shoulders. He’s not surprised that his father has left it to someone else to do the communicating and it’s only natural that person is his brother-in- law. “How’s McKenna?” Ethan asks, trying to lighten the mood.
“She’s well. She misses you. And Kaylie is going right out of her mind with you gone.”
Ethan feels homesick for his family and he can’t wait to put this whole mess behind so that he can resume his position from the head office in Ireland. He wants to go home. Ian quickly steers the conversation back to business and takes full control of the meeting. “We’ve been talking about the Artemis Project.”
Ethan’s muscles tense, feeling he’s about to be blindsided. “I’ve skimmed through the latest update. We’re way behind schedule. What’s the delay?”
Ian clears his throat in a nervous gesture. “The design and manufacturing engineers are having problems with the criteria set out by the physician you have working on the project.”
Ethan sits back in his chair. “Ok, so there must be a solution. The technology is available, why can’t we apply it to our prototype?”
A young, quiet voice speaks up. “Sir, this is James, one of the engineers working on this project. The problem is that in order to meet the specifications Dr. Cameron has set out, we need to apply several different
types of technology. We’re having problems trying to integrate them all with the same software. We keep testing but the failure rate is still extremely high.”
A firm commanding voice impatiently interrupts. “In short, we are hemorrhaging money on this project and there is still no light at the end of the tunnel.”
Ethan diligently sits up in his chair as if the school principle has just entered the room. “Hello, Dad.”
“Ethan.” He acknowledges out of obligatory politeness. His cool tone is one evident of a father and son at odds with one another. “We’re recommending that we suspend any further work on this project. We need these resources elsewhere.”
“That’s not acceptable.” Ethan snaps. “There is still money in the budget that we allocated. Keep working at it. I’ll be there in a few weeks and I’ll review it then. If we’re still getting nowhere at that time, then I’ll privately fund the project.”
There is a short silence before Aiden O’Connell speaks again. “Ethan, be reasonable. I know this is important to you but we stand to make little profit on this project to begin with.”
“Profit?” Ethan shakes his head and lets out a frustrated chuckle. “It’s important to me because it will save lives, Dad. The lives of premature babies arriving into this world in distress. I don’t care about the profit.”
Half way across the world, several men sit in an office at O’Connell Industries staring at each other nervously, afraid to speak. None of them brave enough to step between the two O’Connell men currently competing for Alpha Male status.
Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series Page 23