Souls ReAligned (11 page)

John joins them at the table and snuggles up to Shannon. “Ethan sings?” she asks him.

“Yes, he’s quite good actually.”

“Did you know that, Olivia?” she asks.

Olivia blushes, “He’s sung me a love song or two.”

“Great,” Scott says, looking over at John. “Is there anything he can’t do? How’s a guy supposed to impress his wife, with a guy like O’Connell around?”

Rachel creases her brow, “Since when are you concerned about impressing your wife?”

“All the time,” he says defensively.

“Well, that’s just silly, I love you. Everything you do impresses me. Besides,” she snuggles in to her man. “Ethan fucks up as often as he does things right… so it kind of evens out.”

“That’s very true,” Shannon adds, nodding her head.

Olivia stopped listening to their conversation a long time ago, focusing on Ethan. She can’t sit any longer. Hearing his smooth sexy voice has worked its way through her system. She makes her way to the front of the stage needing to be near him. Ethan smiles when he sees her. A few times, he sings the words directly to her, as if there was no one else in the room, and really, there wasn’t. To her, it was just the two of them sharing an intimate moment. One where she fantasizes about ripping off his clothes and taking what’s hers, right there, on stage. It leaves her feeling restless and eager for this night to end so she can get him home.

When the song is over, the room erupts in cheers and applause. Ethan jumps down from the stage and takes her in his arms. Lowering his mouth to hers and capturing her in a kiss fueled by lust and adrenaline. When he finally pulls away, her lips feel swollen and bruised. God damn it, if she doesn’t want more.

Ethan doesn’t let her out of his sight for the rest of the night. Keeping her tucked closely at his side, he drags her into every photo, every conversation and dances with her in between. Exhaustion is starting to set in as the evening starts to wind down. Wrapped in Ethan’s arms, in a final slow dance, she sighs and closes her eyes, leaning in against his chest.

“Tired, Princess?” he asks, caressing her gently.

“I am. It’s been a wonderful night, Ethan.” When she opens her eyes and glances up at the pool tables, the hair stands up on the back of her neck. Shivers cause goose bumps to form across her flesh.

“Olivia? What’s going on? You just tensed all over.”

Terror strikes her when she sees Sam’s face in the darkness.

Ethan pulls away and turns to see what she’s looking at. Searching from one side of the room to the other, he sees nothing, “Olivia?”

Shaking her head, she blinks her eyes rapidly searching the room for him again. “Hey?” Ethan says, trying to regain her attention.

“I’m okay,” she assures him. “I just thought I saw something.”

He looks her at her suspiciously and creases his brow, “Something? Or someone?”

She breathes in a couple of short breaths and tenses again. She tries to play it off, but he can sense her anxiety.

“Sweetheart, trust me. Every security person in the place has a copy of his picture and strict instructions. There’s no way he could be in here,” Ethan raises his hand to her cheek and caresses it, “Let’s get you home. I can’t wait another minute to get you out of that dress.”

Olivia walks cautiously to the limo, watching over her shoulder. Her stomach tightens every time she gets a glimpse of a tall male with dark hair. Ethan assures her that it’s impossible for Sam to be anywhere near there, but she senses him and it’s terrifying.

The limo ride home is quiet, except for Rachel’s constant babbling about all the famous people that Ethan knows. Olivia is glad that the Parkers will be dropped off first, since Rachel is starting to give her a headache. Maddie has joined them, since she’s staying at the same hotel as John and Shannon.

“Did everyone make it safely to the hotel downtown?” Ethan asks John.

“As far as I know. Well, except for Nate.”

“Nate?”

“Yes, he asked me to switch his reservation to my hotel yesterday. Something about wanting to be closer to the venue and being too tired to deal with the after-party the band was planning.”

“Oh? We could have dropped him off as well then.”

“He left about an hour ago in a cab. He said he needed to get some sleep,” John shrugs.

Olivia glances over at the guilty look that washes over Madison’s face. She’s definitely hiding something. When Olivia smiles at her, she quickly looks away, confirming that she’s guarding secrets. Imagining the angry melt down Ethan would have if he thought, for even one second, that his sister was having sex with Nate Ross, Olivia decides to keep her observations to herself. Silently, Olivia roots for Maddie, hoping that her evening represents every woman’s wicked fantasy of being with a hot rock star.

After they’ve dropped everyone off, Ethan looks over at Olivia in that obscenely short burgundy dress, “Come here,” he says, his dick twitching, “You’re too far away.” Sliding his hands under her legs, he lifts her gently and slides her on to his lap. Exhausted, she quickly drifts into sleep against Ethan’s shoulder.

The weight of something heavy holds her down, making it hard to breathe. SAM! She begs him to stop, but it only seems to encourage him to thrust harder. Fighting him with everything she has, she pushes hard against his chest. Protesting only provokes him into more of an unrestrained fury. Withdrawing, he sits back on his heels, staring at her for a long time. Getting to his feet, he reaches for her as she tries to get away. Grabbing her by the throat, he effortlessly hurls her toward the top of the bed. She feels a sharp pain as her head hits the corner edge of the night table. His hands grab for her, painfully pulling her hair and jerking her head back.

Olivia gasps as she wakes in the limo, wrapped in Ethan’s arms. “Ethan?” Opening her eyes, she glances around the limo, thankful that they’re alone.

“I’m right here.” Holding her tightly, he rocks her back and forth. “We’re almost home.” When the limo pulls into the driveway, Ethan lifts her into his arms and carries her inside. Placing her on the couch he sits beside her, nurturing her like a parent would a small child, “I hate that you still have nightmares.” His hands stroke through her hair and across her skin, trying to erase her fear with his touch, “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. I guess… when I saw him, it freaked me out a little,” she confesses. She can’t deny the fear that’s still racing through her veins.

“A little? It was dark, so I don’t know who you saw. Trust me, there’s no way Sam could have been in there tonight, and he won’t get in there any night in the future.” Ethan assures her, pressing his lips to her forehead. Pulling her onto his lap, he caresses her thigh. Doing everything possible to try to ignore that the short length of her dress is exposing the black lace panties she’s wearing. He struggles as he feels his touch switch from nurturing to need. His body betrays him, reacting with arousal that he fights desperately to discourage. There’s only one solution.

“I’m going to take a shower. Do you want to head to bed or rest down here until I’m done?”

“I think I’ll just rest down here,” her heart races, making her feel anxious, unnerved. She needs to get out of here. The thought of being around any man right now is about to make her become unhinged.

Unaware of the angst washing over her, Ethan kisses her softly before he leaves her to have a cold shower, “Okay, I won’t be long.”

Forcing herself to smile and nod, she gives him the illusion that everything’s okay. In reality, she’s anything
but
okay. That dream was the very first time that she remembered any part of that evening with such stunning clarity.

Panic sets in and the room closes in on her as she watches Ethan climb the stairs. When she hears the bathroom door close and the water turn on, she grabs her phone and sends John a message.

From Olivia: Can you arrange to have the car come back to Ethan’s and get me?

From John: Sure, what time?

From Olivia: Right now. As quickly as possible

From John: Is everything ok?

From Olivia: Yes, I just need to leave

From John: Where’s Ethan?

From Olivia: In the shower.

From John: Has something happened?

From Olivia: No. I just can’t be here right now. Are you going to send the car or should I start walking?

From John: I’ll call now and send it back for you. Don’t go anywhere.

Standing, Olivia takes off her heels and begins pacing the floor like a nervous animal. How far could the limo have gotten in that short amount of time? Thinking that she sees headlights coming up the country road, she heads to the door with her shoes in her hand. Watching impatiently, so caught up in her thoughts, she doesn’t hear the water turn off. Pressing her face against the glass window, she prays for the car to arrive quickly.

Thundering footsteps descend the stairs behind her, hinting that John has once again betrayed her. She can hear Ethan exhale short panting breaths, as he approaches her cautiously at the door.

He doesn’t want her to leave. He’s not going to let her go without an explanation or a full out fight. “You’re leaving?” he asks, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

Lowering her eyes to the floor, she remains facing the door. She can’t bear to turn around and look at him. “Yes.”

Moving slowly in a non-threatening manner, he tries to gauge where her head is at. Standing behind her, he wraps his arms around her middle. Protecting her with his strong muscular body.

“You’re trembling,” he says concerned. He’s seen this reaction before in women engaged in Reese’s Dom lifestyle. It was through his experiences with Reese that he learned how to redirect that fear. Refocusing that energy, bringing a submissive woman down into ‘subspace’ was something that Ethan excelled at. He would never force Olivia to stay if that wasn’t what she wanted. Damn it, he’s going to try to prevent her from running.

“I can’t stay. I… I have to get out of here,” she tries to gain control of her fear, but her continued trembling gives her away.

“The car isn’t coming back. If you want to leave, I’ll drive you home,” he tries to comfort her, swaying her softly, but she remains tense in his arms.

Olivia swallows hard and closes her eyes, “Please Ethan, I need to go home.” How can she tell him what it was she recalled in her dream? How does she explain that she can’t be around any man right now, not even him?

“I don’t want you to go,” placing his hand on her shoulder; he squeezes with gentle, but firm, pressure. He holds her there, until he feels the muscles beneath his grip start to ease. When they do, he presses his bare chest against her back and slowly takes in deep heavy breaths. Without prompting, she quickly synchronizes her breathing with his, just as he taught her to do. Whispering tender, reaffirming words into her ear, he repeats his actions until he feels her body go lax against him.

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.