Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series

by Tricia Daniels

  Ethan stands firm. “We’ll continue working on it until I get there. I want to speak with the engineers ASAP and get more information. John will set up a meeting.” He looks up at John who is nodding his head and already searching for an appropriate time in Ethan’s schedule. “Is there anything else?” Ethan drums his fingers on the desk while he waits for a reply.

  Ian finally acknowledges. “No, sir. That was all we wanted to discuss today.”

  “Very well, good evening, gentlemen.” Ethan hits the button on the phone and disconnects the call.

  John sits on the other side of the desk sending meeting requests while Ethan watches him without saying a word. John senses his tension and glances up at him for a second. “Have you eaten?” Ethan shakes his head no.

  “I’ll have them send something up.” John types furiously into his phone. “I’ve also sent an email to Dr. Cameron asking for a time you can speak with him. Maybe he can help shed light on things. Engineers have a tendency to over think things, maybe they’re making it more complicated than it needs to be.”

  Ethan nods. “Good idea.”

  Gathering up his stuff, John tries to find the courage to bring up what’s on his mind. “Ethan, I know you probably don’t want to hear this today.”

  He stops what he’s doing and sits back in his chair, giving John his full attention “But you’re going to say it anyways?”

  John takes a breath. “It doesn’t help things between you and your father when you continually trump his decisions regarding the business.”

  Ethan’s brow furrows. John is right, he doesn’t want to hear this today. “That’s the whole purpose of having controlling interest in a company.”

  “Yes, I understand that. But this wasn’t just a business acquisition. You became a partner in your fathers business with the intention of helping him out financially during some difficult times.”

  Ethan becomes impatient. “What’s your point?”

  “My point is that your dad sweats blood into that business and has done so for many years. He built it from nothing and kept it on its feet though extremely difficult times. Yes, he needed your help financially to grow the business and pay off some debts… but it’s still HIS business. Despite the fact that you negotiated controlling interest, I think that once in awhile, where his business is concerned, you should just let him WIN.”

  Ethan’s face is stoic and his mouth is pressed in a hard line. He glares at him, biting his tongue. John’s phone distracts him for a minute as he reads an incoming message, expressing his last thought on the matter as he does. “Your father is an extremely competent business man, Ethan. Where do you think you get it from?” He acknowledges the silence that is uncharacteristic of Ethan O’Connell and glances up at him. “Just think about it.”

  They’re interrupted by a loud knock on the door and John opens it to find Scott holding Ethan’s breakfast. Scott can tell by looking at Ethan that it hasn’t been a good morning so far and he regrets that he’s the one that has to give him bad news. Placing the food down on the corner of the desk, he stands there awkwardly. Scott glances over at John who instinctively knows there is something brewing and sits back down digging out his phone again. Ethan looks back and forth between the two of them and then focuses on Scott. “What’s going on?”

  “I was in Taylor’s office when he received the call.” He grimaces. “It looks like we’ve lost the Anderson account.”

  Ethan’s face turns red in anger. Could this day get any worse? “How the hell did that happen? We had that one locked up.” Not realizing that he’s yelling, John discreetly makes his way to the door and closes it.

  “I have no idea what happened. Taylor convinced them to meet with him today before they make any decisions. He’s going to their office at 1pm and I think you should be there.” Scott waits for the proverbial shit to hit the fan.

  John is checking the schedule as they speak and when Ethan looks over at him, he has an answer. “You have a conference call at 2pm with Miss Quinn, everything else I can clear.”

  Ethan rubs his hand on his forehead trying to relieve some of the tension. He looks at John. “You stay here and find out if Miss Quinn has any new information. I can’t deal with her today.”

  John nods.

  Looking over at Scott with clenched jaws he gruffly demands. “You’ll go with us. Make sure you’re familiar with the file and the proposal and try to find out what the hell happened before we go. I don’t like surprises.”

  Scott acknowledges and turns to leave, ignoring the grumbling and cursing behind him as he closes the door.

  Back in Dufferin County, Olivia has spent her Friday morning out and about meeting with clients with much more favorable results than Ethan did today. She returns to the office mid afternoon feeling refreshed and successful. As she opens the front door and makes her way through the foyer Rachel is suddenly at her side and steering her down the hall. “I’m glad you’re here. I need an update on the O’Connell project.” She glances quickly at the nosy receptionist.

  Walking at a brisk pace, Olivia has a hard time keeping up, the muscles in her legs still weary from last night. She looks at Rachel in confusion. “The what?”

  “Just keep walking.” She whispers.

  When they reach Olivia’s office Rachel closes the door behind them. “What the hell happened last night?” Rachel blurts out.

  Olivia is shocked. “Shhhh! Everyone will hear you.”

  Rachel lowers her voice. “What happened at the bar? Did he force you to do something you didn’t want to do?”

  “What? NO!” Blushing, she bites at her lip trying not to smile.

  “Oh my God! At the bar?” She whispers in disbelief.

  Olivia nods her head, her face flushing with heat.

  “Where?”

  “In the office.”

  “In the office?” Her voice gets loud again and Olivia puts her finger to her mouth to remind her to be quiet.

  “And again at my house, afterwards.” Her blushing is barely noticeable past the grin on her face.

  “Holy shit! You had sex TWICE?” She pauses for a reality check. “Are you ok?”

  Olivia’s grin grows a little wider. “Yes, it was my idea. Well… not that we do it in the office but that we come to an arrangement about sex.”

  Rachel’s eyebrows rise. “An arrangement?”

  Olivia scowls. “Ethan said it the same way. Yes, an arrangement. One where two adults with needs get together and have sex. You do know what century this is, don’t you?”

  “So then why were you so upset when you left?” She pauses. “Oh!” She whispers. “Was he bad at it?” She wrinkles her nose in disappointment.

  Olivia laughs. “No, that was definitely not a problem. The man is very good with his body and he certainly knows how to look after mine.”

  “Why then?” She sits in the chair opposite to Olivia and waits.

  Olivia sighs and purses her lips. She’s given that a lot of thought since last night. “I’m not sure. He had me so riled up and feeling sooooooo good and then all of a sudden I got this overwhelming feeling of impending doom. I kind of freaked out a little.” She makes herself perfectly clear. “But it wasn’t because I didn’t want to be there.”

  Rachel leans back and looks out the glass office door making sure that nobody is lurking near by. “Is he a good kisser? I have to know. He has the most delicious looking, kissable lips I’ve ever seen.”

  Olivia shrugs. “I don’t know. Kissing is against the rules.”

  Rachel’s mouth opens in shock. “What do you mean against the rules?”

  Olivia starts to feel very emotional. Her breasts are tender and she’s had cramps on and off all morning. She has just taken her last birth control pill for this cycle and knows her period is about to make an appearance. “I decided that there shouldn’t be any kissing.”

  “Are you nuts?” Rachel blinks rapidly at the absurdity of it.

  Olivia starts to feel defensiv
e. “Well, I want to keep it strictly physical and I thought that if I let him kiss me that I might start to develop feelings for him.”

  “Olivia, honey.” Rachel feels for her friend. “That’s ridiculous and you know it.”

  “What if I develop feelings for him? Where does that leave me when he’s gone?”

  “Why are you so convinced that he’s going to leave you? And don’t even try to give me that nonsense about him not being the kind of guy that can commit to one girl. Guys that are only interested in one night stands don’t spend 3 days nurturing sick girls back to health.”

  Olivia puts her thumb to her mouth and nervously chews on the nail “I’ve thought about that.”

  Rachel tries to put her at ease. “Sweetheart, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Trust me; he’s in it for the long haul.”

  Olivia’s voice cracks. “I just don’t get what he sees in me. How could I possibly keep him interested for any length of time?”

  “Now I know you’re nuts. You’re a bright, beautiful, sexy woman.”

  Olivia squirms uncomfortably and shakes her head, still not convinced.

  “I know it’s scary, especially after Sam. Life doesn’t always bring us relationships that end in “happily ever after”. Don’t deny yourself the love of a man who obviously has feelings for you… even if it’s only for a little while. If things don’t work out with Ethan, someone else will come along. I promise.”

  Ethan arrives back at work after failing to save the Anderson account. His office door is closed and he can see through the side window that John is sitting with his back to him, still on the conference call with Shannon Quinn. Turning the knob quietly, he pushes the door open so as not to disrupt them. He’s so quiet that John doesn’t hear him come in. As Ethan slowly steps into the room he raises a quizzical brow when he notices that Shannon’s voice is unusually casual. He curiously pays attention to the conversation, careful not to alert John of his presence.

  “When will you be home?” She asks.

  “I don’t know. There are a lot of things here to look after. Ethan will be home at the end of the month but he hasn’t told me yet if I’m to accompany him.”

  “I hope so. I miss you.” Her voice is soft and sincere, almost sensual. What exactly is going on here? Ethan wonders.

  “I miss you too. I’ll get home to you just as soon as I can. I promise.”

  Ethan stands silently at the door not wanting to interrupt the obviously personal and intimate conversation.

  “I should go now.” John glances at his watch. “He sent a text a short while ago saying he was on his way back to the office.”

  Shannon looks disappointed. “Ok, will you call me before you go to bed?”

  John smiles. “As always, I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t.”

  “Good bye then.” Her voice is sad.

  As John ends the call Ethan pushes the door the rest of the way closed making it click as it latches. John turns around to find him standing there staring at him with his eyebrows raised. “You and Miss Quinn?”

  Extremely uncomfortable, John tries to explain. “Yes, I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have been talking about personal things.”

  Ethan holds up his hand to halt him. “It’s Ok John. I shouldn’t have sneaked in.” Ethan makes his way to his desk. “Nice catch old man.” He glances over at him trying to make him feel at ease. “How the hell did you manage that?”

  “I have no idea. I guess she’s defenseless against my charm.” A grin forms on his lips as he glances a contented look Ethan’s way.

  “No doubt.” Ethan agrees. “Now get out. Take the rest of the day off. This day just needs to end.”

  John grabs his stuff. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Stopping as he reaches the door, he turns back to Ethan. “Call me if there is anything you need.”

  Ethan looks up at him annoyed. “Have I ever not?”

  John nods. As the door closes, Ethan pours himself a glass of water and walks over to the window. The overcast sky makes the city look dark and miserable, a perfect reflection of his day. His shoulders and neck are stiff and sore from the tension still lingering there. Swirling his glass, the lemons swish around the edge, reminding him of Olivia’s visit the day they went shopping for the Challenger. She was very playful in his office that day and thoughts of her teasing brings a smile to his face for the first time today. Making his way to his desk, he dials the phone. There is only one thing that is going to make him feel better.

  Olivia and Rachel are still talking when the phone rings. Olivia gets nervous as she looks at the display. “It’s Ethan.”

  Rachel gets excited. “Put him on speaker phone!”

  “NO!”

  “Come on, put him on speaker.”

  “Absolutely not!” On the third ring she answers it and when she fails to put it on speaker Rachel rounds the desk and sticks her head against Olivia so she can hear. Olivia rolls her eyes and stops fighting her, turning the phone slightly so they can both hear.

  “Hi!” She says enthusiastically.

  “Hello, beautiful.” Ethan’s voice is seriously sexy but when he unleashes his full Irish accent, it’s almost panty melting. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

  Olivia takes a deep breath and tries to let it out without it sounding like she’s breathing hard. “I was thinking about you too.” She elbows Rachel who is squirming in closer trying to hear. “How’s your day been?” She asks politely.

  There is a short silence before he answers. “Actually, it’s been a very stressful day.”

  She senses the distress in his voice and it upsets her. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?”

  He gets right to the point. “I was wondering if I can see you tonight?”

  The reminder that her period is starting immediately dampens her excitement. “Oh, well Ethan I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

  Immediately Rachel throws her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and pulls it away from her face. “Are you insane?” She whispers.

  “I’m going to start my period.” She says as she grabs the phone back.

  Ethan closes his eyes and clarifies his intentions. “Olivia, I don’t want anything from you tonight.” He sighs heavily. “It’s just been such a crap day and… well… being around you seems to calm my inner turmoil. Let me take you to dinner, coffee… whatever you have time for.” His voice is desperate. ”I just need to be with you tonight.”

  Rachel leans away from the phone so she can see Olivia’s face. Olivia puts her hand over the phone again and looks at Rachel in a panic and whispers. “How do I say no to that?”

  Rachel shakes her head. “You don’t.”

  Olivia turns her attention back to Ethan. “Ok, why don’t you come by my place after work? I’m making spaghetti for dinner tonight. Then we can watch a movie and chill for a bit.”

  Ethan’s shoulders relax as relief washes over him. “I think that sounds wonderful. Is 6pm ok?”

  “That’s fine, I’ll see you then.” She hangs up the phone, panic still evident on her face.

  Rachel finds it humorous. “Oh my God, he’s so adorable. You calm his inner turmoil?”

  Olivia rolls her eyes. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things he says. Sometimes I want to pinch him to see if he’s real.”

  “And this is the man that you don’t want to kiss?” Rachel shakes her head in disgust.

  Olivia flashes her an angry look. “Stop giving me a hard time. I’m just trying to figure things out.”

  “Fine, but it seems to me that kissing is the best way to calm a man’s inner turmoil.”

  Olivia stares at her, not amused “Go away.” She points at the door.

  “Ok, I’m going. But you don’t have to worry about him putting the moves on you tonight. I’ve seen you eat spaghetti and it’s definitely not a turn on.” She smiles as she closes the door behind her and Olivia groans realizing that she’s right. She has yet to
have a spaghetti dinner that she didn’t manage to get all over herself.

  Chapter 12

  Feeling a little bloated, Olivia decides to change into something casual and comfortable once she gets home. A pair of athletic shorts and a bright red T-Shirt, in hopes to disguise any spaghetti sauce she might slop on herself. Bare footed she heads to the kitchen to start the sauce and boil a pot of water for the pasta.

  When Ethan arrives she opens the door to find him standing there, smoking hot and smelling extremely fuckable. Blushing, she remembers every hard line and edge to the muscles on his chest and the dark ink of his tattoo. She tries to smile but his presence makes her feel nervous. It’s an odd reaction since this is a man she has already been extremely intimate with. Why does he make her feel so off-balance?

  “Hey. Dinner smells great!” He hands her a bottle of red wine, which she immediately opens and pours, hoping it will help calm her nerves. “What can I help with?” He follows her into the kitchen.

  “Nothing, dinner is ready, the table is set… we can dish up. She hands him a plate and dishes up a hearty helping, having been told by Rachel that he has a voracious appetite. She’s pretty sure that doesn’t just apply to meals.

  Following him to the table, she sits across from him, giving herself some space and hoping that she stops thinking about his hard body pressed against her and the feel of his strong warm hands on her skin.

  “This is delicious.”He twirls his pasta and gets it to his mouth in an expert manner every time.

  Olivia tries to focus on dinner and nervously tries to eat without making a mess of herself. So far so good. Finishing her glass of wine, she immediately lifts the bottle and refills her glass, noticing that he hasn’t touched his at all. Managing a few more mouthfuls, she starts to get a little buzz and finally feels a little more relaxed. “So tell me about your day?”

  Ethan swallows and wipes his mouth on a napkin. “It was miserable really. Are you sure you want to ruin such a wonderful dinner?”