Intractable Souls : Book 1 of the Bound for Ireland Series by Tricia Daniels Read Free Book Online Page A

and most of the time he
lets the door close behind him pretending he doesn’t see her. He
nods at her and smiles back. “You’re welcome.”
    There’s a lecture here about how men
shouldn’t reserve their manners just for the pretty girls, but she
lets it go. In the reflection of the glass door she can see him
checking her out as she walks past him through the doorway. His
acknowledgement makes her hopeful that Noah will like what he sees
as well.
    There are only a few people in line and
she’s happy that coming inside, although an inconvenience, was a
good choice. Ordering her usual multigrain bagel with cream cheese
she digs through her purse looking for her wallet when she becomes
aware of a man standing at her side and intruding on her
transaction. A strong masculine hand slides a five dollar bill
across the counter in front of her. “Please... allow me.” She
doesn’t have to look up to know that it’s Ethan O’Connell. The
Irish accent and the shiver that runs through her body gives him
away.
    Feeling a little irritated that he has
invaded her space she turns him down. “Thank you, but you don’t
need to do that.” She makes a huge mistake turning to look at him.
His piercing, green eyes and warm, friendly smile instantly make
her forget that she’s annoyed. How does he do that?
    His eyes wander her body from head to toe,
admiring her figure in that black dress. He nods once and grins,
indicating his obvious approval. Entertaining a little fantasy in
his mind, he has to fight the urge to back her up against the
counter, press his body against her soft, luring curves and taste
those tempting lips. As if she can read his mind, a warm flush
spreads across her skin and she forces herself to tear her eyes
away from his penetrating gaze. Her reaction strengthens the want
already growing deep inside him, causing his muscles to tense and
flex.
    “I want to and I’m used to getting the
things I want.” He pushes the money towards the cashier. Olivia
begins to feel uneasy about the lack of space he’s left between
them and tries to back up, but someone standing behind her halts
her escape. Sensing her resistance, he puts his large hand on top
of hers, pressing it against the counter and stopping her. Leaning
in closer he gestures to the cashier to accept the money he has
offered.
    Olivia tries to ignore the sudden
electricity that passes between them while he traps her hand under
his, pinning her involuntarily where she stands. Ignoring it,
however, is not an easy task since his chest is now pressed up
against her shoulder and as she breathes in his intoxicating
cologne, she recalls the feeling of being pressed against his hard
muscles.
    Reluctantly, she lifts her eyes and meets
his gaze. His green eyes are breathtakingly bright against the
contrast of his royal blue dress shirt, which is unbuttoned
casually at the neck. The sleeves are rolled up away from his
wrists, exposing powerful forearms and large masculine hands that
she’s certain will adequately cover the soft swell of her breasts
and feel like heaven against her skin. What the? Now she’s
definitely heading down a dangerous path.
    Ethan’s hair is slicked back to give the
appearance of a shorter style and his thin beard is neatly groomed.
He looks every bit the successful business executive and she
imagines how the girls in his office must swoon over how seriously
hot his ass looks in his dark grey dress pants. She closes her eyes
and groans internally. Holy Moly! This is going from bad to worse!
Why did she just check out his ass?
    He tips his head to the side looking at her
in a questioning manner. “You aren’t going to fight me on this are
you?” He teases her with a playful smile that she finds both sexy
and annoying at the same time. FOCUS! She tries again to move but
he presses harder, flattening her hand underneath his, not
intending to release her until she gives in. Looking down at his
hand on top of hers, the gesture brings back