Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series by Tricia Daniels

front door. Olivia
pushes it open quickly and stands aside letting them pass. He stops
at the bottom of the stairs and looks over at Olivia. “I’m thinking
that’s not happening.”
    “Not under her own power anyways.” Olivia
slips in under Rachel’s other shoulder and with her and Ethan on
either side, they manage to get her up the stairs. Sitting her on
the side of the bed, Olivia tips her backwards so that she’s laying
flat on her back and slips her shoes off her feet before covering
her with the blanket. Scott is passed out on the other side of the
bed and is completely unaware of their intrusion. Ethan shakes his
head. “Must be bloody nice to sleep that soundly.”
    Heading back downstairs, Olivia suddenly
realizes that she has left Rachel’s stuff in the car. “I’ll be
right back. I need to get her purse.” She turns towards the door
and gets a sharp searing pain in her thigh that forces her to stop
dead and take a deep breath.
    “What’s wrong?” Ethan watches her movements
with concern.
    Not wanting another lecture about making a
doctor’s appointment, she lies. “Nothing.” She takes a small step
and carefully tries to bare some weight on her leg. He crosses his
arms and wrinkles his brow. “You’re a terrible liar. Sit down.” He
motions toward the bench in the front hall. “I’ll go and get the
stuff out of the car.”
    Olivia keeps moving towards the door and
Ethan quickly steps up behind her. “Olivia.” He reaches for her arm
as his voice takes on a much more commanding tone. “I said I’ll get
the stuff out of the car.”
    “It’s ok. I can get it myself.” She’s
determined to be as stubborn as he is persistent.
    He firmly takes hold of her elbow, making
her heart race as she stops and turns to him. Her eyes return his
steely glare. Why is this woman so stubborn? He has already given
in to her once today and it’s not going to happen again. Ethan
stands firm. His tone is militant. “SIT DOWN.”
    Olivia’s legs bend obediently under his
command, sitting her down on the bench in the front hall. Her head
down and eyes to the floor she makes no further objections. Ethan
is aroused by her compliance and standing over her, his heartbeat
quickens as his dick starts to throb and grow. He wants her right
now. Right here. He wants to claim her mouth in a forceful kiss
until she surrenders the rest of her body. She would submit to him.
He’s certain of it now. Rachel’s warning stops him. Damn it! He
swallows his desire in a heavy lump, exhaling a torrent breath of
air and forces himself to walk away. “Thank you. Was that so hard?”
He growls in frustration, his dick twitching inside his pants
without promise of release.
    She says nothing as he opens the door and
heads out to the car. Once he’s out of sight, Olivia puts her hands
over her face, appalled at her reaction. What just happened? Why
did she do that? This is how it starts every time and she has to
stop making the same mistake. She just can’t seem to stop herself;
it’s as if she’s hardwired to submit to dominant men.
    He returns only a few seconds later and as
he comes through the doorway Rachel’s purse slips out of his hands
and falls, spilling all her stuff onto the floor in front of
Olivia. She’s thankful for the opportunity to move from the bench,
dropping to her knees on the floor to pick everything up. Ethan
groans. The sight of her on her knees in front of him is not
helping to discourage his erection. She grabs a black leather
wallet and flips it open to see Ethan’s driver’s license. She looks
up at him.
    He looks surprised. “Is that my wallet?
What’s it doing in Rachel’s purse?”
    Olivia hands it up to him. “Knowing Rachel,
I’d say we’re victims of a little meddling.”
    “What do you mean?” He furrows his brow,
confused.
    “I think she was looking for a way to make
sure I had no overnight guest.”
    “I see.” It occurs to him just how sneaky
and manipulating women can be.