The panic that had started to wash over her mysteriously subsides. He feels her surrender as her breathing becomes steady and calm. The tension in her muscles slowly melts away as she finally trusts him to know what she needs. It’s the most useful skill that Reese taught him about being a Dom.
Taking a step back, he turns her toward him so he can see her face. He frowns when she keeps her head lowered and eyes downward. She is truly a submissive soul, instinctively responding to his actions. He doesn’t want that from her tonight. Lifting her chin, he forces her to meet his gaze. This time she doesn’t fight him. “Stay,” he says calmly.
Her thoughts scatter and she doesn’t respond. Moving forward he closes any space between them. “STAY,” he says more forcefully, knowing that she’ll respond well to his authoritative tone.
Emotions start whirling around inside her like a cyclone, making it impossible for her to grasp onto any one thought. Before she can object, his mouth is on hers. Parting her lips, his tongue surging softly into her mouth, he deepens the kiss.
When he breaks away, he pleads with her once more, “Please, Liv. I don’t want you to go. I want to take my time making love to every inch of your body. I want to wake up in the morning with you beside me. I need you.”
His kiss has left her breathless, as if there’s no oxygen left in the room. His eyes desperately search her face for some sort of a response. She can feel the longing in his voice, deep within her. It echoes, right down in between her legs. She no longer feels frightened. He’s wiped that emotion right out of her mind. Her thoughts flash to what Rachel has told her repeatedly. Maybe you should start thinking about Ethan’s needs. If she’s not mistaken, he’s just declared it… He needs her. For the first time, in a long time, she’s not thinking about shielding herself from harm. She’s thinking about being safe and surrounded in his protective arms. Letting him in and giving back to him, everything he gives unselfishly and unconditionally to her.
Her heart still feels irreparably damaged on occasion. The thought of losing Ethan, after everything they’ve been through in the past three months, frightens her far beyond anything Sam ever did to her. She tries to speak, but the words are stuck in her throat. Moments feel like a lifetime.
“Okay,” she whispers, shocking herself. Ethan’s chest heaves and falls in relief. Stepping back, he gives her some space. Gently, he leads her by the hand up the stairs and down the hall to the bedroom. As he walks through the doorway, he senses her hesitation, as she fights the urge to bolt. Determined that he’ll not let her change her mind, he turns and wraps his arms around her.
She blinks her eyes in an attempt to pre-empt the flashbacks already threatening to roll through her thoughts.
“It’s okay. He’s not in town. If he was, we would have found him by now,” kissing her tenderly on the forehead, he whispers his reassurance, “Trust me. You’re safe here with me.”
Looking into his ethereal green eyes, how could she not be convinced? Stepping into the room behind him, she follows him obediently to the end of the bed. Covered in a fluffy white comforter and soft pillows it looks safe and inviting; it looks like heaven. It is heaven. She doesn’t understand how she knows that Ethan would never hurt her. She just knows it to be true. She’ll push all her fears and anxieties deep into the ground and give this to him. He needs this from her tonight.
Turning so he can undo her dress, she gives him absolute authority over her, letting him slowly unzip it. Standing in front of the mirror, she watches it slide seductively down her body to the floor. Standing behind her, his cheek presses against hers. Reaching up, she removes the clip from her hair, letting it fall across her shoulders.
Moaning at the sight of it, his cock surges hard and thick, tenting the thin material of his boxers. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispers in her ear, watching her reaction in the mirror as he presses his hips forward and rubs against her back.
“Every time I looked at you tonight, I started to get hard.” His mouth trails heat along her skin as he kisses his way down her neck and across her shoulder, releasing her bra, and letting it fall. “Every time I was close enough to smell your perfume, all I could think about was how good it feels to be inside you.”
His warm, sensual words make her feel completely feminine as she leans against him, looking at their reflection in the mirror. She’d be completely naked if it weren’t for her black lace panties. With want desperately aching between her legs, she turns to face him.
Holding her gaze, he moves her to the side of the bed and sits her down. Lifting his knee, he begins to join her, climbing in on top of her and gently laying her back as he does. Desire begins to pulse through her, making her nipples pull tight in anticipation. Ethan moves slowly and with careful consideration. He needs to know that she’s okay, that she wants to be here. He wants to make sure that nothing he does gives her a reason to fear him.
His hands trail up her thighs and across her panties, his fingers teasing along the edges. Caressing upward toward her breasts, he makes her tremble beneath his touch. Bringing his mouth to hers, he brushes a kiss across her lips, and gazes into her eyes with an infinitely tender expression. His lips retrace all the places his hands have just been.
The only thought in Olivia’s mind right now is how he’s making her feel. She’s a sensual storm of emotions that she can’t seem to identify: Happiness? Fear? Desire? Love? All jumbled up together, she can’t separate them. It’s undeniably clear that new emotions are pushing out the dark thoughts that have ruled her life for so long.
Sensing something has suddenly changed in her; he stops and lifts his head so that he can see her face. Finding her utterly glowing, his breath sticks in the back of his throat as he tries to swallow. Unhappy with the space he’s just put between them she pushes her hips against him, silently pleading for him to continue. He’s never felt this way with her before. Every ounce of anxiety has left her body. For the first time she seems unburdened. Feeling a sense of urgency to meet her needs, he reaches down and rids himself of his boxers.
Firmly gripping the edges of her lace panties, he strips her out of them in one swift movement. Opening her legs, she invites him in, and he wastes no time moving between them. Lifting her hips, she spreads wider, as his thick, hard shaft slides between her swollen folds.
Her breasts crave the feel of his warm mouth. She moans, her need overwhelming her. As if reading her mind, he closes his mouth around her tender nipple, dragging the heavy head of his cock against her clit one last time. She almost screams out in pleasure, as he teases her with one last hard nip of his teeth, before reclaiming her mouth. Opening her lips, he lets his warm tongue slip inside, and groans as if it’s the first time she’s tasted him.
Balancing his weight on muscled biceps, he lifts himself off her, and then very slowly, adjusts his position. Lowering himself between her legs, he enters her with gentle penetration. At the very moment of their joining, she is free from her demons. Giving herself to him completely, not just her body, but all of her. He sinks himself all the way inside her and stops. Feeling this new profound intimacy between them makes him feel like he’s strung tight, his cock so full of blood that it’s painfully hard inside her.
Thick, intense desire surges through his body, but he doesn’t thrust, doesn’t move. He just lies there, absorbing the sensation…breath-to-breath…heartbeat-to-heartbeat, soul-to-soul.
Olivia moans restlessly, as the pressure building inside her becomes unbearably intimate.
He acknowledges her quiet intake of breath, his cock surging and lengthening inside her. Pushing his hips against her, he forces himself in deeper.
The connection between them is like a lightning strike, vibrating inside her, right down to her aching clit. It makes her cry out as the force of a powerful orgasm rips through her. He barely had to move to send her there. As her body quakes around him, he erupts, coming harder than he has ever come before.
Coming back to Earth, he rolls to his side, being care
ful to slide out of her gently. Lying on his back, he lifts his arms over his head. Taking a few deep breaths to further ground himself, he runs his fingers through his hair and then whispers her name, “Olivia.”
Rolling so that she’s pressed against his side, her mouth rests at his ear. Waiting for him to speak, her warm breath makes his senses stir again. Bringing his arms down, he wraps them around her, folding her into his chest and giving himself time to gather his thoughts. Finally, he manages to get the words out, “I’ve never experienced anything like that before.”
She breathes out a sigh of relief, lifting her head so she can see his eyes. “Me, either,” she confesses. “I don’t even know how to describe what I was feeling.”
Exhaustion consumes them and within moments, Ethan is asleep. Olivia lies awake for what seems like hours, watching him. Occasionally running her fingers across his cheek, needing to feel the warmth of his skin to prove that he’s not a dream.
She can do this, right? For the first time in three years, the strong emotions, beating in her chest, are not driven by fear. What is this emotion? Maybe it’s love, maybe it’s not. She doesn’t have to put a name to it right now. She can just simply surrender and trust him, give herself permission to enjoy this incredible man.
She’s not entirely sure what happened between them tonight. She felt something shift, something profound. It was a celebration; an awakening…a realignment of souls. Ethan felt it too.
When Ethan wakes a few hours later, his skin feels cool. Reaching through the darkness for Olivia, he finds her gone. In a panic, he jumps to his feet and throws on a pair of sweat pants. Searching the other rooms on the second floor, he doesn’t find her. His stomach twists at the thought that she’s left him. Needing to find her, he grabs a t-shirt and pulls it on over his head as he hurries down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, he stops abruptly.
She’s there. Sound asleep, curled up in the chair with the leather bound book hugged tightly against her chest, Romeo and Juliet. Opened to the page from where he took the quote…
“With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;
For stony limits cannot hold love out.”
Panic is replaced with the warmth of love. Carefully prying the book out from under her hands, he returns it to the shelf. Opening her eyes, she grins at him, as he lifts her into his arms and carries her back upstairs.
Lowering her to the bed, he crawls in beside her, pulling her against his chest.
Trailing kisses across his neck toward his ear, she gently slips her hand around his already awakening erection. Taking a deep breath, he holds it while she strokes him with a firm hand.
Making good on his promise, Ethan thoroughly makes love to every inch of her body. Finally feeling like she’s given all of herself to him, he lay spent in her arms. Tangling his legs around hers possessively, he stakes his claim. Falling asleep beside her, he never intends to let her go.
Chapter Ten
Over the next couple of days, Olivia finds herself stressing over Ethan’s trip back to Ireland. She doesn’t like the fact that she doesn’t want him to go, not one bit. He’s asked her several times a day, for the past three days, to change her mind and go with him. He’s begged her, in fact. She’s trying so hard to let him in to her life, wanting to give him what he needs; but determined not to lose sight of her independence. That’s not easy with Ethan, by any means. Things… emotions, rather, have happened too quickly. For Olivia, it feels right, but it’s terrifying.
Olivia’s co-workers all gather in the kitchen for afternoon break and decide on a plan for this evening’s Girls Night Out. A tradition they’ve tried to keep going every couple of months over the years. Olivia has always found a way to be unavailable, but this time they’ve convinced her to join them.
It’s been two days since Shannon has returned home to Ireland, and she’s starting to miss her company. Rachel is busy re-kindling her romance with Scott, and Ethan is focused on landing a new client. Thank God!
They haven’t slept apart since the night of the grand opening. Actually, they haven’t slept much at all. She might have reconsidered staying, if she had known that Ethan often wakes in the middle of the night with a rock hard erection and rapacious needs. She’s never met a man with such a voracious sexual appetite. He claims that it’s all her doing; that his self-control simply unravels when she’s near him.
With Shannon gone, there’s definitely an imbalance of power. Now she’s left to deal with John and Ethan alone. A night out with just the girls is definitely something she’s looking forward to.
“We should all go together,” Kelly suggests. “You know, reduce our carbon footprint.”
“Good idea. I vote Olivia drives,” Margaret says. “It would be so much cooler than arriving in Diana’s minivan or your Volkswagen, Kelly.”
“Yes, that would be awesome,” Diana agrees. “Is that okay with you, Olivia?”
She shrugs, “Sure. I don’t drink much anyway, so it makes sense that I’m the designated driver.”
Having entered the room without being seen, Rachel stands at the counter making herself a coffee. “Sounds like you’ve just been voluntold. And, you don’t drink much? Who are you kidding?”
“Hi, Rachel!” Diana greets her with a huge smile. “Are you coming with us for ‘girl’s night out’? We’re going for all you can eat Chinese food!” She tries to entice her.
“Sounds tempting,” Rachel says, fixing her strawberry blonde hair in the reflection of the vending machine. “But tonight is date night with my hubby.”
Olivia smiles. “That sounds romantic.”
Rachel rolls her eyes, “Not really, it’s his turn to pick so we’re going to see the latest Quentin Tarantino movie. Unless you find that kind of violence romantic.”
Olivia looks at her watch, “Shoot! I have a conference call in a few minutes. Text me your addresses.” Hurrying down the hall, she disappears into her office.
The afternoon goes by quickly. As the workday ends, she finds herself excited about dinner with her friends. Standing at her kitchen counter sorting through the flyers and the bills, when she comes across one that catches her attention. Sliding her finger under the seal of the envelope, she opens the letter that bears the logo of the automobile garage where Ethan had her car fixed. She becomes nervous, afraid that there’s been a problem with the payment arrangements she made. The document inside is neatly folded and her check is stapled to the corner. Non-sufficient funds? They were kind enough to let her pay the bill over the next three months. She’s meticulously taken care of her account, ensuring that there’s enough money to cover it. Lifting the check out of the way to read the attached letter, she finds a copy of the invoice marked PAID IN FULL.
Her brow furrows in confusion, when she realizes that the other two checks are attached as well. Someone has clearly marked VOID across them. Obviously, there’s been some kind of mistake, she’ll stop on her way and get it sorted out.
Pulling into the parking lot of the modern looking garage, she notices that it’s uncharacteristically clean; compared to any other automobile shop she’s ever been to. A handsome young man stands smiling at her, from behind the customer service desk, just inside the door. She smiles back at him, “Hi, do you remember me?”
“Of course! Vintage Mustang, right?”
“Yes, that’s me. I think there’s been some kind of mistake with my bill. It says here it’s been paid in full.” She hands it to him and waits.
Reading it over, he punches something into the computer. “No, there’s no mistake.”
“But I still have 2 months left to pay and my checks have been returned.”
The women sitting at their desks behind the counter are now exchanging glances; pretending that they aren’t eavesdropping.
“A man came in last week and paid your balance.”
“A man? Just walked in and paid my bill?” She bites her lip and shakes her head, “Do you know his name?”
“No,
Ma’am. He paid cash.”
She’s annoyed that this young man, only a few years younger than her at the most, would refer to her as ma’am. “What did he look like?” She crosses her arms in front of her and leans her weight on one hip. As if she doesn’t know.
“Well, he was quite a handsome man. Not that I lean that way,” he clarifies. “In his early thirties with short brown hair.” He leans forward and whispers. “He had the ladies in the office all a flutter.”
Gah! “Irish accent?” She already knows the answer.
“YES! You know him then?” He folds the receipt and hands it back to her.
Sighing as she takes it from him, she tucks it back in her purse, “Yes, I know him.”
“Good! I’m glad we got to the bottom of that. We’re here anytime you need us.”
She glances past him; distracted by the women behind him that are now whispering and staring, “Thanks.” After pushing open the door to the parking lot, Olivia stomps angrily to the car. How dare he! How is she supposed to have a relationship with him when he does stuff like this? Why is the concept of equality in a relationship such a foreign idea to this man? Frustrating! She’s barely slid in behind the wheel when Ethan sends her a text message.
Ethan: Hey! Taking a short break. What are you doing?
Olivia reads it and tosses her phone onto the empty passenger seat. She’s way too angry to talk to him right now. Ethan is not a patient man, and she doesn’t get very far before her phone beeps again.
Ethan: Hello?
She can’t stand it anymore.
Souls ReAligned Page 13