Olivia frowns. “Not exactly. We were arguing and then I tripped and fell into the door.”
Rachel Scowls at her. “Olivia, really? You’re not lying to me again I hope.”
“No, trust me. This time I’m telling the truth.” She puts her hand to her heart. “Honest.”
Rachel shakes her head. “What did Ethan say? I’m surprised he didn’t kill him.”
“He wanted to. You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to distract him while Scott got Noah out of here.”
“Oooooh! Is that what was going on? I was wondering… WAIT! What did you do to distract him?”
Olivia smiles, her blushing cheeks so bright they are visible in the darkness.
“Are you kidding me? You two are unbelievable! Where?”
“You don’t want to know.” She snickers as she changes the subject. “It looks like things are pretty steamy between you and Scott tonight.”
“Things are great, I feel like we’re in love again.” She swoons. “You know? I have Ethan to thank for that.” She admits.
“Really?” What did he do?”
“He gave me a pep talk last night. He says the sweetest things.”
Olivia nods her head in agreement. “That’s so awesome, Rach. You know what… I think I’ll let Ethan take me home tonight. I promised him he could if he was a good boy. And he has been a VERY good boy.”
Rachel raises her eyebrows but before she can get the details Ethan returns with Olivia’s clothes. Rachel nods her head and gives him a knowing smile. He narrows his eyes suspiciously. “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing, I’m going back to my husband.” She walks away and turns to look back at them over her shoulder, smirking.
Ethan scratches his head and looks over at Olivia. She tries to look innocent as she takes the sweatshirt out of his hands and puts it on. When she’s done she starts to undo the button on her shorts. Ethan is shocked. “Whoa! What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m going to change into my track pants.”
“Ah, No! Just put them on over top.” He’s adamant about it.
She makes a sound with her mouth, sucking air against her teeth. “I don’t want to, they’re uncomfortable.” She glances up at him and wrinkles her nose in disgust. “And sticky.”
Hearing her say that makes his dick twitch. Damn thing. “Well then, go into the house and change.” He’s dumbfounded. “I’m not even sure why we have to have this conversation.”
She challenges him stubbornly and unzips the fly. “Don’t be silly, nobody will see.”
As she tucks her thumbs into the waistband and prepares to yank them down Ethan has a full out anxiety attack. “Jesus Christ, woman!” Grabbing her around the top of her thighs, he lifts her. She screams and then laughs as she folds over his shoulder and he quickly moves her away from any possible stream of traffic and into the darkness behind the garage. When he sets her down, she’s still laughing.
He hands her the track pants. “Here, get changed. I’ll watch to make sure nobody is coming.” Turning his back, he keeps an eye out. “Are you determined to drive me crazy?” He asks arms crossed in frustration. “It’s almost like you’ve made it your personal mission.”
Olivia strips down, steps out of her shorts, and then launches them at him. They whiz past the side of his head and land in front of him. He shakes his head. “Obviously the answer is yes.”
She laughs as she pulls her long pants up and over her hips.
“Is this what I have to look forward to every time you drink?”
“Maybe.” She sneaks up behind him and wraps her arms around his waist, hugging him from behind. “What makes you think that it has anything to do with me drinking?” Standing on her tiptoes, she leans against him and presses a kiss on the back of his neck.
“Then God help me because I am in serious trouble.”
She lets go of him as he turns to face her and then immediately sinks into his chest, her soft body and warmth, soothing the tension from his body. A mischievous smile spreads across her face. “Do you still want to drive me home?”
Chapter 18
Olivia cuts branches from the lilac bushes that outline the garden path. They are in full bloom and fragrant, planted in an alternating pattern of purples and white. Lifting them to her nose, she inhales deeply, and considers it one of Mother Nature’s biggest crimes that they bloom for such a short period of time.
The garden gets the perfect balance of sunlight and shade making it a sanctuary to many feathered friends. She has done her best to make them feel comfortable there with feeders and a birdbath that was a loving gift from Ethan. Of course, her friend, the little green bird sits on the perch of a birdhouse that hangs from the branch of a willow tree and it sings her the most beautiful song.
Entering through the wooden garden gate, Ethan smiles at the sight of her. His cotton shirt unbuttoned all the way and his skin glistening from the heat of the midday sun. Approaching her from behind, he wraps his arms around her and nibbles on her neck while she arranges her cuttings in a heavy crystal vase to take into the house. Smiling she leans back against his chest, breathing in the delicious combination of lilacs and him.
Lifting her left hand out in front of them, he admires how the diamond in her wedding ring sparkles in the sunlight. With his heart bursting at the thought that she belongs to him for all eternity, he brings her ring to his lips and kisses it. Spinning her around gently, he brushes the loose strands of hair away from her face so he can see into her beautiful hazel eyes. His hands tenderly hold the sides of her cheeks as he leans in closer, brushing his nose against hers before softly pressing his lips against her mouth.
When he pulls away, she wraps her arm around his neck and presses her palm against the back of his head, pulling him forward and forcing his mouth against hers. Her fingers splay through his hair and hold him so he can’t escape. Moaning, he deepens the kiss, his tongue parting her lips and licking at her, devouring her mouth. She returns his kiss with equal desire, not able to get enough of him.
Leaning down, he scoops his arm behind the back of her knees and lifts her into his arms, still kissing her possessively. Carrying her into the house and directly into the bedroom, he sets her down and she quickly tugs his shirt off his shoulders and lets it drop to the floor. Her hands explore broad shoulders and his muscular chest as they spend several minutes kissing and undressing each other, neither of them in a hurry, taking time to play and enjoy the seduction. When she’s completely naked and standing in front of him, he reaches behind her and pulls out the pins that hold her hair on top of her head. Her soft, dark brown hair falls to her shoulders and he runs his fingers through the tendrils, pulling them forward and twisting them around his finger playfully. Laying her back on the bed, he crawls over her, parting her legs with his knee and settling against her. He makes love to her all afternoon, slowly and gently, fulfilling her every need and extinguishing her every desire.
When her body is exhausted and boneless, unable to take any more, he holds her, smoothing her hair and gazing into her eyes. His kisses never decrease in passion, always cherishing her as if it’s the first time. As he sweeps his thumb along her lips, he whispers to her with unquestionable sincerity. “I love you.” With gentle languid movements, he trails sweet kisses down her neck and between her breasts continuing downwards. As his mouth kisses across her belly, swollen with child, he presses his lips against it and whispers. “And I love you too.”
Olivia wakes from her dream still feeling his love so deeply that her heart aches. Her face and pillow damp from tears, she brushes her hand across her belly, feeling momentarily disappointed. Mourning her return to reality, her breath skips as she tries to inhale, holding back the sobs deep in her throat. Drying the moisture from her cheeks with the edge of the blanket, she sniffles. In the waking hours she can stay off these feelings, but at night, in her dreams she’s defenseless. She’s aware that there is an alarming correlation between the amount of time she s
pends with Ethan and the frequency and intensity of these dreams. But she’s not sure what that means.
Dragging herself off the couch and into the kitchen, she pours herself a cold glass of water from the jug in the fridge, and then leans against the counter to drink it. She thinks about Ethan’s love; how thoroughly and unselfishly he tended to her needs last night… more than once, and the hurt look on his face when she asked him to leave. She imagines that she could have slapped him in the face and it wouldn’t have hurt him as much. Feeling extremely inadequate in her current relationship abilities she closes her eyes tightly, trying to squeeze away the tears. Pulling herself together she forces herself to eat half an apple and heads upstairs to shower and dress before picking up her car keys and driving into town.
One of her favorite things about this small country community is their main street shops and vendors. On the weekends they close off two of the side streets so that the local farmers can set up tables to sell fresh produce and home made goods. Parking at the end of town, she walks along the busy sidewalk, stopping to window shop along the way. She pauses for a long time admiring the paintings and stained glass in the window of the Art Gallery when something next door catches her eye. On the sidewalk table just out front of the Nature store is a hand made wooden bird house. There are several different ones sitting along side it, some painted to look like hotels and others like two storey homes. The one that she’s drawn to bares a remarkable resemblance to the home in her dreams, right down to the number of windows and the color of the door. It’s not even a home by many standards but more of a cottage.
She picks it up several times and then walks around with it while checking out the inside of the store before changing her mind and returning it to the table. She’s several shops down the road before she turns around and goes back to buy it. Stopping to sit on a bench for a rest, she stares at it, turning it to look at all sides. It’s uncanny really, the only thing missing is the stone pathway through a garden of lilacs… and Ethan. Taking out her phone, she checks for messages, but there are none. She’s not surprised, as a matter of fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if she never hears from him again.
When she gets home, she gets a stepladder out of the shed and unfolds it under the tree, wiggling it and making sure it’s on solid ground. Holding the bird house by the heavy jute string that’s tied to it for hanging, she climbs to the top step, and searches for a branch that’s sturdy enough to hold it. Finding the perfect limb, she leans to reach the small branch, trying to slip the string over it, but it’s just barely out of her reach. Any normal person would step down off the ladder and move it closer but not Olivia, she’s a rebel. She strains herself, stretching until she’s on one foot and leaning as far as she can. The ladder teeters dangerously and then two legs lift off the ground. Olivia’s eyes grow wide and she stops moving, aware of what’s happening. Dropping the birdhouse to the ground, she tries to grab a branch to steady herself.
Unsuccessful in her efforts the ladder slowly continues to tip and she’s on her way to the ground. Closing her eyes, she prepares for impact. He reaches her just in time, one hand firmly on the ladder pushing it back onto four legs, the other wrapped around her, catching her as she slides from her perch. The smell of cologne is absent but she can tell by the familiarity of every hard chiseled muscle, as she slides down his body, that it’s Ethan.
With both feet firmly planted on the ground, she opens her eyes and locks them with his. Images of her dream whirl around in her head making her feel like she’s all raw emotion as he holds her safely in his arms. He’s here! Relief washes over her, putting her earlier fear to rest. But why isn’t he saying anything? She moves her arms to his chest and leans back so she can see him. Unable to read the expression on his face she worries that he’s still angry about last night. She tries to project a calm, somewhat cool demeanor. “Good timing.”
He exhales harshly. It’s almost a grunt actually. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Trying to hang my birdhouse.” Feeling as if she’s a complete idiot, her bottom lip starts to pout as she points to where she tossed it onto the ground.
A smile starts to curl at the edge of his mouth as he rubs his thumb across her brooding bottom lip, taking note that it’s no longer swollen. A fact he’s glad about, since he has big plans for her lips later. “And are you trying to kill yourself at the same time?”
“NO!” She steps back away from him and scowls as she crosses her arms in front of her. “Well, not on purpose anyways.” She starts to smile as she makes her admission.
Walking over to where she abandoned the birdhouse on the ground, he picks it up. “Why didn’t you just call me and ask for help?” Pulling the ladder over a few feet, he climbs it with the birdhouse in hand.
“I wasn’t entirely sure you would want to see me today.” She frowns.
He stops at the top of the ladder and looks down at her, surprised by her answer.
“Why?”
“You looked so upset with me when you left last night.” Her heart stings when she thinks about it.
Ethan nods. “I was more than a little upset, Olivia. I didn’t want to leave.” With little effort, he slides the string over a sturdy branch and checks to make sure it’s secure. “But I’m not going to stay if it makes you feel uncomfortable.”
Confirming what she already knows makes her feel even worse. “When I didn’t hear from you this morning I just figured you’ve given up on me.” Moisture gathers in the corner of her eyes. He gets half way down the ladder and stops. Is she crying?
He jumps down, ignoring the bottom two rungs and moves to her side with an urgent need to comfort her.
“NEVER!” Taking her hand, he lifts it to his mouth, pressing his lips against it. “NEVER, will I give up on you. There is no doubt in my mind that we are meant to be together. Until I have convinced you of that, I will fight hard enough for both of us.” He pulls her into his arms and against his chest, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I was at the gym this morning, I thought I’d give you a chance to rest and catch up on some sleep.”
A single tear perches at the corner of her eye threatening to fall and she wipes at it hoping he doesn’t notice. She doesn’t want him to see her cry, ever, but sooner or later it will be inevitable. Her raging hormones make her extremely emotional and he has this amazing way of drawing it to the surface.
Still in his arms, she looks up through damp eyelashes at the birdhouse.
“Ethan?”
“Yes?” He breathes against her hair.
She can’t believe she’s going to ask this question but she’s curious. “Does that house look familiar to you?”
“What house?” He releases her and looks curiously around at the adjoined townhomes before looking back at her for clarity.
“The birdhouse, but not the birdhouse per say.” She struggles to find the right words. “The house that the birdhouse is designed to look like.” She wrinkles her nose. “Does that make sense?”
He squints at her and turns to look at it again. Well I’ll be damned. It’s a long time before he speaks; too long, and it makes her feel uneasy.
“No, I can’t say it does.” There’s an odd sound in his voice, a solemn tone that makes her suspect that he’s lying. And he is. He’s seen that house many times in his dreams.
Taking her hand, he leads her to the porch. “Does it look familiar to you?” Turning to sit on the step, he reaches for her other hand, positioning her directly in front of him.
She shrugs. “Kind of, but I’m not sure why.”
He decides to lead her thoughts a little, without actually disclosing anything. “There were older country homes in Ireland that looked similar to that, but most of them are in ruins or have been torn down and rebuilt.”
“Really? In Ireland?” That would explain why her dreams feel like they are in a far away land.
She speaks softly, risking the chance that he’ll think she’s completely nuts. “I think that
I’ve dreamt about it.”
This time Ethan looks down, hiding his eyes from her. It’s such an odd thing for him to do that she doesn’t know how to react. What is he hiding?
When he looks back up, he opens his mouth as if there is something he wants to say and then presses his lips closed tightly and gives his head a little shake. How can he tell her the truth? That he dreams about this house too. This is not the first time she has mentioned a dream that he has also shared. She barely trusts him now, how would she react if he told her that he’s somehow stalking her in her dreams? Deciding to say nothing, he tugs gently on her hands and pulls her forward. Moving his hands to her hips, he directs her between his legs and towards his lap. Bending her knees, she sits, putting her arm around his neck. His eyes look dark and hooded.
Feeling a little concerned and totally off balance by his strange behavior she asks, “Is everything ok?”
He recovers quickly. “No, actually. I came by because I noticed on my way out last night that one of your tires looked like it was losing air. It’s been bothering me all morning.”
“What?” Where did that come from? Why was he checking out her tires at 3am in the morning?
He reaches into his pocket and takes out a key fob. “I want you to trade me cars for the day so I can take yours and get it checked out.”
She blinks at him a few times trying to ascertain if he’s serious or not. “You want to take my car and have the tires checked?”
“Yes.” He drops his hand to her knee, still holding the key fob tightly in his palm.
She starts to chuckle.
“Why is that so funny?” He asks, feeling like he’s missed a private joke.
“You’ve got quite the inner control freak.” She laughs, not realizing that he’s not laughing with her.
He starts to get defensive, his tone harder, colder. “I won’t make excuses for wanting to make sure you’re safe. When was the last time you bought new tires?”
Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series Page 35