Angrily, he throws the pen across the room and picks up the phone. “Get Miss Quinn on the phone. NOW.”
Olivia only got a few hours of sleep then returned to the police station for a very emotional day. Noah stayed with her as long as he could, but a canine emergency required his attention. As nervous as she was, meeting with the female officer about the undisclosed additional charges, she insisted that Noah leave.
Finally home, she curls up on the couch and pulls a blanket around herself. Breathing in the faint scent of his cologne.
The stench of liquor on his breath is all too familiar. She fights, using everything she has to push him off of her, but he laughs. “The more you struggle, the harder I get. This is about to get very interesting.”
She fades in and out of consciousness, fighting as hard as she can when she has her lucid moments. “Why?” she asks him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Why are you doing this to me?” The image stops and rewinds, replaying this same nightmare several times. She recognizes the voice but she can’t see his face.
She’s startled awake from the sound of an incoming Skype call. She connects and instantly sees his face.
“Ethan,” she sighs.
“Hello, Beautiful. You look tired, were you sleeping?”
“I dozed off, but I’m glad you woke me.”
“Oh?”
“It’s been a rough day.”
“I bet. Is everything getting sorted?”
“Yes.” She hesitates, deciding not to tell him, just yet, what she learned today. “I wish you were here.”
“Me, too.”
“Is Thompson behaving himself?”
“Of course,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Where are you now?”
Olivia picks up her phone and moves it around the room. “Your place.”
“Where’s Thompson?”
“At work. He had an emergency.”
“He left you there alone?”
Olivia laughs. “Hardly alone, Ethan. The security detail, you’ve secretly assigned, is right outside, and down the street, and around the corner.”
“Well, a guy can’t be too careful when his girl might be in danger.”
She squints at the phone, frustrated with the grainy video. “The video quality is awful. Where are you?”
“I’m in the car.”
“Not Skyping and driving, are you?”
“Hands free, Love.”
She mocks him. “Every moment your eyes are on that screen, means they aren’t on the road.”
Ethan laughs out loud. “Don’t worry, I’m safe.”
“I miss your smile.”
“I miss every part of you.”
“You do?”
“I do. Tell me, how are the girls?”
Feeling cheeky, Olivia tips the screen to her chest. “It’s a tragedy, the neglect that they’ve had to endure since we’ve been apart.”
“Now that’s a shame. What would be a good remedy for you?”
“Your lips, your tongue, your teeth… don’t be gentle.” The display gets dark and grainy then goes completely blank. She curses at the loss of video and drops her phone on the cushion beside her. A thrill runs through her as his dark edgy voice comes from behind her. “Well then, I should tend to that right away.”
She turns to see him standing in the doorway, his dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. As he drops his belongings on the floor, she gets to him in two strides, launching herself into his arms.
“How?”
“Shannon got an international business exception that lets me travel for business.”
Olivia smashes her mouth against his, holding on tightly around his neck. A fevered joining of tongues turns into deep passionate slow kissing. Ethan takes a few steps and sits her on the edge of the table. As he pulls his shirt off over his head, revealing the massive mountain of Irish muscle, she quickly undoes his belt, pulling it slowly through the loops. He growls, taking it out of her hands and pausing before tossing it on the floor. Unzipping his trousers he lets them slide down his legs and land at his feet. His large cock stands at full attention and she reaches for it. Grasping it with both hands, she strokes it from base to tip. Inspired, he pulls the bottom of her t-shirt forcing her hands off his cock. She leans back, supporting herself on her forearms.
When she lifts her hips, he strips off her pants. “I need to be inside you,” he growls.
“What are you waiting for?” she moans.
He pauses, almost afraid.
“Trust me, I’m ready for you.”
Ethan leans forward, forcing her back against the table. In one lustful movement, he slides in. Olivia gasps with his first thrust, and it makes his cock twitch and harden inside her.
“God, it feels so good,” he groans.
“Welcome home to Canada, Mr. O’Connell,” she moans and pauses. “I’m sure I could think of a clever innuendo about my beaver, but I really just want you to fuck me now.”
Chapter Nineteen
Ethan becomes consumed with protecting his job. Over the next few days, he completely immerses himself in it. Multiple territories over various time zones keep him busy around the clock. He barely sleeps, hardly eats, and there’s been little time for love.
With the Artemis Project still on hold, Olivia returns to the office at Dunn and McLellan, but there’s little for her to do to keep her mind busy. Several visits to the station to go over statements and testimony have left her feeling depleted and drained. There’s so much that she wants to tell Ethan about the case, but he’s never home. If he is, he has his phone glued to his ear and is yelling at some poor innocent soul, halfway around the world, who has gotten sucked into the middle of the crossfire between himself and J.P. Lebeau.
Nights have been cold and lonely. When he does come to bed, he’s exhausted and disinterested. For the first time since Ethan O’Connell walked into her life, she feels unattractive and unloved. Digging up old memories of Sam, and being forced to recall the details of that night, has left her emotionally drained. Nightmares frequently interrupt her slumber, leaving her feeling anxious and afraid to sleep. Ethan is the only one who can settle her, but he has no clue what’s going on, since his mind has checked out of their relationship at the moment.
Standing in front of the mirror, she fusses with her clothing, trying to pull her top down over her pregnant belly. Tears slide down her cheeks. It’s been days since she’s seen him. He hasn’t even come to bed the past few nights. She waited for him, hoping they could find a few moments to talk about the tragic development in the case. Now, more than ever, she needs him.
There’s only one way that she’s going to get a few minutes of his time. Olivia makes the long drive into the city, feeling lonely and unloved. Mona smiles when she steps off the elevator.
“I’ll just go down to his office on my own,” she whispers, while Mona finishes her call. Ethan’s office is empty. She waits for what seems like forever, watching traffic through the large picture window. When he doesn’t show up to his office, she decides to text him. Today, just like many others lately, he doesn’t answer. Frustrated she decides to go looking for him. When she gets down to the end of the hall, she can hear him behind the closed boardroom door. She stands there a moment, trying to decide if she should go back and wait in his office or just give up and go home. The door opens and Scott steps into the hall, closing it behind him. He looks at her confused. “Is everything okay?”
The door swings open with a fury and Ethan screams Scott’s last name, expecting him to be halfway down the hall by now. Scott winces.
“What are you doing here?” Ethan asks, surprised to see her. The tension in his body sets off warning signals. Nervously, she searches his face looking for something… anything to put her at ease.
“You left this morning without saying goodbye.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.” He looks at his watch. “Let’s take a ten
minute break, Scott.” He ushers Olivia to his office. “What brought you all the way down here?”
“I needed to talk to you.”
“Tell me you didn’t drive the Mustang.”
She gives him an apologetic smile. “I did, but it’s perfectly safe.”
“We can talk about that when I get home, as well.”
“You didn’t come to bed last night.”
“I was busy, working.”
“I know but…” She pauses, noting his aggravated look. “We’ve barely spoken in days and...I need a hug.”
Feeling guilty, Ethan wraps his arms around her, giving her a sympathetic squeeze. “Go home, get some rest. We can talk tonight.”
“Stop dismissing me,” she insists. Ethan tries to release her, but she holds on to him tightly, not letting him escape. “What are you working on that’s so important?”
“The business plan for Finland.”
“I thought you were done?” Ethan becomes tense, his heavy chest expands against hers, making it hard for her to breathe.
He forces himself to take a calming breath. “No, not yet.”
“Why is it taking so long?” she asks, desperate for answers.
“Sometimes it takes a long time to hammer out all the details.”
“Can’t JP look after it?”
“NO!” he says, impatiently. “I need to get back, we can talk about this later.”
“I thought that was his job?” she persists, feeling like he’s hiding something.
“What’s with all the questions?”
She leans back so she can see his face. Something flashes in his eyes, making her nervous. Her insecurity starts to take over. “It feels like you don’t want to spend time with me.”
“That’s not the case.”
“Is there something or someone, I should know about?”
“For fuck sakes! I’m trying to save my job, here!” he snaps, losing control. Pulling away, he glares at her.
“I don’t know why you put yourself through this stress. Just quit and take over for your father full-time at OCI.”
“Olivia!” he says, exasperated. “This is not the time, nor the place, for this conversation. Go home.”
“So you can ignore me when you get there?” she says frustrated.
Ethan growls, expressing that he’s at his limit. “For once!” he yells, making her jump. “Would you just do what you’re fucking told and stop asking so many questions!” Catching himself, as he slides over that edge into anger, he backs away. The look in her eyes cuts deep into his chest. Letting out a frustrated breath, he implores in a gentler tone. “Please, Liv. Just do what I ask.”
Hesitantly, she nods her head, knowing that she’s pushed him too far. Instinctively she falls back into that familiar survival mode. “Yes, of course.”
Feeling like she’s agreed under duress doesn’t make him feel good at all, but he needs her to leave. He has to deal with another important matter today, and he doesn’t have the emotional energy to argue with her. “Thank you.” Pulling open the door, he leaves.
Olivia stands at the office door and takes a couple of deep breaths. She watches him make his way to the boardroom, and stop when he gets to the door, hesitating. Pacing in the hallway, he runs his fingers through his hair and holds his head. Sensing her stare, he turns in her direction, looking as if he wants to say something. Olivia can feel his strife from where she stands. Her entire body stiffens when he starts to walk back toward her.
The boardroom door swings open, causing him to stop.
“Are you ready?” Scott asks, leaning out to acknowledge Olivia at the end of the hall.
Ethan looks conflicted. “Yes.” He turns and nods in Olivia’s direction. “I’ll see you at home tonight.”
Olivia merges the Mustang on to the highway and heads north. It’s a mild November for Canada, so far. Overcast skies make the day seem even more dismal. A light rain dampens the roads and slows the journey. She becomes concerned when the engine begins to sputter, chugging its way through the rolling fog. She changes lanes and pulls off to the shoulder as it coughs one last time and surrenders. She tries several times to revive her, each attempt providing disappointing results. “Just fucking awesome,” she complains, as she messages Scott to arrange a tow truck and makes him promise not to tell Ethan.
It seems like hours pass, the temperature begins to drop. She continues her attempts to get it started, in hopes she can at least turn on the heat. Her efforts only drain the battery completely. Shivering, she waits for the tow truck and then decides that she’s likely going to freeze to death before it gets there. There’s a gas station, not to far off the next highway exit. She’ll walk there. She can message Scott and he can pick her up on his way home. She leaves the keys under the seat for the tow truck driver and gets out of the car. Walking along the paved shoulder of the highway in the fog makes her nervous. Cars zip past her with limited visibility, their tires spraying her with the dirty water from the road. It’s cold and a much further walk than she thought. The dampness makes her muscles cramp and ache. A car slows as it passes and pulls over, ahead. She can only see the red glow of taillights through the mist. As it comes clearer into view, she curses.
Ethan stands beside his Challenger Hellcat, holding open the passenger side door. Soaked to the bone and freezing cold, she gets in, feeling defeated. He cranks the heat, concerned about her shivering. He drives the first couple of kilometers in silence, clenching his jaw until the muscle begins to twitch.
“Perfectly safe, huh?”
She sighs. She has no valid argument.
“You do understand my concern here, right? What if you hadn’t been able to get it off to the side of the road?”
“But I did.”
“Right. And I suppose you think that it’s perfectly safe to be walking on the side of the highway in these weather conditions?”
“Well, no, not really.”
“Why didn’t you stay with the car?” he asks, frustrated.
“I was upset and cold. I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“Grand,” he says loudly, losing his temper. “So you’re not just putting yourself in danger, but the baby as well.”
Olivia frowns and wraps her arms around her stomach.
“Well, I hope you said your final goodbyes,” he says unsympathetically. “I’m done with that death trap. Sentimental attachment or not, this time I’m telling them to scrap it.”
There’s an awkward tension between them the rest of the way home. When he pulls up in front of the house, she gets out of the car before he comes to a complete stop. Without speaking to him, she rushes her steps up the walkway, ignoring him when he calls her name. Ethan tries to catch up to her, stopping short when he’s hit with the rush of air, from the slamming door. He curses as he turns the knob and pushes the door open. Her clothes have been discarded in a wet pile at the bottom of the stairs and he hears the shower turn on. He suddenly feels guilty. Upsetting her wasn’t good for her or the baby. In a hurry, he takes the stairs two at a time, with the intention of climbing into the shower with her and atone for his behavior.
Growling, he heaves out a loud breath, then leans his forehead against the locked door. “Olivia, open the door.”
She’s completely lost under the hot spray of water, trying to warm her bones and forget the stress of her day. When he receives no response, Ethan tries the knob again, hoping that his continuous fidgeting might encourage it to unlock. When he’s unsuccessful, he heads downstairs, picking up the pile of wet clothes on the way into the laundry room.
Olivia adjusts the stream, hoping to relieve some of the pressure and discomfort in her back. The mixture of cool air and hot water cloaks the room in a rainforest type mist. It isn’t until she’s done, and pulls back the shower curtain, that she sees Ethan leaning against the sink with his legs crossed at the ankle, waiting for her. She looks at the tools on the counter beside him, and then over at the doorknob that he’s remove
d to gain access. Trust Ethan O’Connell to ignore the intendment of a locked door and the courtesy of allowing her some time to get her thoughts together.
He holds out a towel that he’s warmed in the dryer. He may be an asshole sometimes, but how can she stay mad at the man who loves her so deeply that he’d do that? Wiping the wet hair out of her eyes, she steps carefully out of the shower. No words are spoken. Ethan moves to help her, noticing as he nears how much her belly has grown. How is it that he hasn’t noticed? Has he been neglecting his lover for so long, it’s allowed her to keep it hidden? He uses the towel to absorb the water from her belly, caressing it gently. She sighs, missing his touch. It’s the first time in days that he’s made any kind of intimate connection with her. It seems like it’s been an eternity since they last made love all night. He lovingly wraps her in the warmth of the towel, shielding her from the cool air of the hallway.
Ethan guides her into the bedroom and holds up the edge of the blankets. “In you go,” he instructs.
She does as she’s told, watching as he strips off his clothes and leaves them in a pile on the floor. He climbs in beside her and pulls the blankets over them. Pulling her closer, he wraps his arms around her and presses his lips against her forehead.
“I’m sorry.”
She relaxes in his arms. “It’s okay.”
“No, don’t say that. It’s not okay. I yelled at you.”
“I’m used to that.”
“I frightened you,” he corrects. “I saw it on your face, I could see it in your eyes. Believe me, there’s nothing okay about that. I just,” he pauses, his voice straining, “I’m just stressed out right now.”
“I know,” she assures him, yawning.
“I guess I was just feeling insecure.”
Indivisible Souls: Book 3 of the Bound4Ireland Series Page 20