O’Connell looks at me, confused. Then turns to look over his shoulder at what has me mesmerized.

  “Well I’ll be fucked,” he says shocked.

  I’d be full of shit if I said their reunion hasn’t gutted me. The two of them slip away, as if the rest of us don’t even exist.

  Griff’s head snaps to the side in shock. “What the hell does a girl like that see in O’Connell?”

  “I’ve been asking myself the same question,” I say out loud. John gives me a disapproving look.

  Griff suddenly becomes fixated on her, staring at her, and it bothers me.

  “Did you see those gorgeous tits?” Trevor asks, looking at his friends. They all nod their acknowledgment, and I begin to experience a very strong moment of déjàvu.

  “I was too busy looking at her ass,” Nigel says, “I’d love some of that action.”

  I’m disgusted with their vulgarity. Every Australian muscle in my six foot two body vibrates with anger. Not that I’m surprised about it from this bunch, but they’re talking about Olivia, and that, I won’t tolerate. “How about, I knock out the teeth of the next asshole that opens his mouth and says something crude about her?” I add to the conversation in an angry tone.

  Silence washes over them. I scan the group, establishing eye contact and confirming I’ll keep my word. “Are we good?”

  Nigel holds up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “I’m good, Brant. Not another word.”

  All the way to the grand opening of Ethan’s restaurant, I think about Olivia. As much as I want to believe her, I feel like something happened between us the other night. I arrive and do a quick security check around the outside of the building. I’m sure McCabe has already done it, but I don’t think I’ll relax unless I check things out for myself. I need to keep her safe. I’m on my way in to join them when O’Connell texts me, asking my whereabouts. I wasn’t prepared for what I see when I pull open the door.

  My loud, angry words echo in the room, “What are you wearing?” I take a few steps into the room and stop, shocked. “For fuck’s sake! What were you thinking? Do you have any idea the thoughts that are going to go through every man’s mind tonight, when they see you in that dress?”

  “Carter?” Ethan says, lifting his eyebrows in question.

  I can’t let it go. Who knows what kind of scum is following her, and what might have happened if George hadn’t called me the other night. “Tell her, Ethan. Tell her she’s not wearing that dress tonight. Haul her ass home, right now, and make her change into something else.” My jaw sets in a rigid line.

  Olivia’s tenses and looks at me with regret. “Carter,” she says softly, as I approach her.

  “Christ almighty! Could there be any less material in the front?” I stare at her breasts, and I remember how warm they felt when I closed my lips around the nipples that are hiding, not too far below the neckline of that dress. “Ethan?” I persist, “Are you going to tell me this is okay with you?” Razor-sharp fury dangerously hangs on my words.

  Taking another long look at her, Ethan clenches his jaw as he looks back at me. The tension in the air is so thick it creates a heavy feeling that makes everyone struggle to breathe. Shannon and Olivia glance at each with silent acknowledgment.

  “I think she looks beautiful, Carter,” Ethan finally says. “If this is the dress she wants to wear, then I’m not going to make her change.” Smiling at her, he gently rubs his hands up and down her arms, making her feel at ease. “What’s wrong with you?” he asks, turning toward me.

  I feel my face turn red and I turn sharply to face him, my eyes lit with anger. It’s all I can do to stop myself. I’m about to lose it. Erupting like a volcano, I overturn a chair or two and stomp out of the room. Things crash to the ground as I go.

  Close on my heels is the Irish military watchdog. “Leave me alone, McCabe,” I warn.

  “Not going to happen, Brant. Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”

  I pace angrily, like a caged animal. “I take it that nobody told Ethan about someone following her?”

  John takes a sigh of relief, “Yes. I did. And you know I’m keeping tabs on the ex. He’s thousands of miles away, in a different province. It wasn’t him.”

  I growl. “That’s no reassurance at all.” I stop talking when Ethan walks through the bar, heading toward his office. Olivia stares at me as she follows behind. I lock my gaze to hers, and I know when she looks away, she’s experiencing unwanted feelings.

  John gauges the dark intensity in my eyes. “Since when do you have this much concern for someone Ethan is dating?”

  I clench my jaw. “That was not the only time she was being followed.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I run my fingers through my hair, hesitantly. “Okay, listen. She made me promise not to tell Ethan. So you keep your piehole shut.”

  “Would you just tell me? I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on her tonight,” he says annoyed.

  “The other night, someone ruffied her drink at the bar.”

  “What?” he asks concerned.

  “George called me when he couldn’t get a hold of Ethan. When I got there, she was completely out of it. The waitress said there was a creepy stranger, lurking in the shadows, watching her all night.”

  John raises a brow. “And you thought it was a good idea to withhold this information from Ethan?”

  I sigh, feeling conflicted. “Yeah, well… maybe not the best idea, but now she’s here, in that dress… and Griff and the boys.”

  John holds his hand in the air. “Say no more. I was there. Well, this is going to be fun. We’ll have to keep a close eye on her and not let O’Connell know why.”

  “There’s something else,” I admit, feeling the need to come clean. “I drank what was left in her glass before I knew it was doped. Then I took her back to my place, so I’d know she was safe.”

  John begins to look worried.

  “We passed out…in the same bed…n…”

  His eyes open wide and he rigorously shakes his head. “No, no, no… I don’t want to know.”

  “Neither of us remembers what happened. Maybe nothing,” I continue anyway.

  John curses. “I understand why you kept it from him.”

  “Olivia insists that neither of us would do something like that,” I justify.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter at this point. We just need to make sure she’s safe.

  I spend the evening on high alert. There’s a very suspicious man hovering near the door that leads into the alley.

  “McCabe, are you there?” I ask into the microphone on the headset.

  “Yes.”

  Olivia crosses the room and gives me a small, reassuring smile. I nod.

  “There’s a creeper at the back door. I don’t like the looks of him,” I answer once she passes.

  John comes into view on the other side of the room. “Got it. I’ll check it out. You keep an eye on Olivia.”

  “Believe me, I’m not going to let her out of my sight.” She stands at Ethan’s office door but doesn’t go in. Griff crosses the floor and places his hand on her shoulder. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but I don’t like it. I move to be closer to them.

  “One dance,” I hear him demand.

  Olivia looks at Ethan’s office door and then turns to look for me. I’m already on my way through the crowd to be at a better vantage point. Griff firmly takes hold of her wrist and pulls her out onto the floor. Adrenaline starts to pump through my body as if it senses a need for alertness. There’s something really gross and dirty about the way that he touches her. I search for John in the crowd. I have a feeling I’m going to need backup. I push my way past people on the dance floor to get to them. Griff leans in, running his tongue across her neck and into her ear.

  “Oh, hell no.” I’m not waiting for reinforcements. I grab the slimeball by the scruff of the neck.

  “Carter? What the fuck?” he screams angrily.

  “I’m saving you, Griffin,” I say as I pull him away.

  “From what?” he protests.

  “From O’Connell. Do you have any idea what he’d do to you if he caught you with your tongue in his girl’s ear?”

  “He’d fucking kill you!” I hear Ethan say furiously, as he approaches from the side. Too late. I let go and take a step back into safety. I know what’s coming Griff’s way. Ethan’s fist connects with his jaw, knocking him to the ground.

  “Nice shot,” I say in admiration. Stepping aside, I make room for Nigel and Trevor to peel Griff’s ass off the floor. I’m sure it’s something they do on a regular basis.

  Ethan shakes his hand out, opening and closing his fingers, and grimacing as he turns to Olivia, who’s staring at him with an open mouth. “Are you okay?” he asks her.

  I feel a weird kind of energy like my body has just become a lit sparkler. I recognize this as the universes way of announcing her presence. I look up to find Kate’s sapphire blue eyes watching me from the railing. I can’t take my eyes off her. I’m tormented by the strange emotional tug-of-war I experience between them. Despite feeling like I’m somehow bound to Olivia, an inexplicable force draws me to Kate. It’s overwhelming.

  Right now, I’m jacked up on adrenaline and not sure where I belong, so I make myself fade into the background and leave. I feel like I’m not needed here to protect Olivia any longer. Staying only gets me more confused. A strange rustling noise in the bushes by my parked car heightens my senses. I cautiously approach, ready to react. I’m about to reach in, grab him by the throat, and beat him to a bloody pulp when the frail, gray-haired woman lifts a branch and reveals herself.

  “What the?” I lower my clenched fist to my side. “Why are you hiding in there?”

  A small green bird flutters its wings and hovers over her shoulder, as she steps out into the dimly lit parking lot.

  “You’re leaving,” she states.

  I nod.

  “It’s not yet time for you to return to Australia.”

  I laugh once, “I think you’re wrong. There’s no reason for me to stay.”

  “Your journey here is not complete. The one you’ve been looking for is here.”

  I watch as Ethan escorts Olivia to his car. “I found her, and she’s made up her mind.” The little green bird squawks as it takes flight, causing me to duck.

  “Their journey is a complicated one. They’ll still need you to watch over her, boy. But their journey is together. The Universe has another planned for you.”

  “Oh?” I glance around me to ensure nobody is witnessing me engage in this odd conversation.

  “Her eyes are like sapphires and her hair like spun gold.”

  Now I’m feeling annoyed. Why is everybody fucking with me? “When will I meet this magical woman?”

  She grins, and her appearance seems more youthful as her eyes sparkle in the moonlight. She walks toward me. “You know you’ve already met her, but you’ve overlooked her. You’re blinded by your memories. You have to let them go. Open your heart and make yourself available for love.”

  I feel the muscles in my shoulders tighten. “What a crock of shit.” I reach for the handle of the car door.

  “Liam,” she says with an Irish brogue.

  The hair stands up on the back of my neck. She reaches out and places her hand on top of mine. I can’t move; she’s a frail elderly woman, who weighs no more than a small child, and yet, I’m magically pinned in place with her touch.

  “She will love you with intense passion and a fierce loyalty. But first, you have to give yourself to her completely. Unconditionally. You let her down in another life.”

  She’s talking about Kate. My chest starts to feel heavy. “She sounds a little too needy for me,” I joke, trying to divert the tension from an uncomfortable topic.

  “It’s what you’ve been looking for. She’s the one you need.”

  I grit my teeth, trying to hold back an emotional response.

  “Not Olivia. Not this time,” she whispers before I can speak. She lifts her hand, and I feel a cool breeze dance around me, lifting away the heaviness and releasing me.

  I pull open the car door and pause. “I’m going back to Australia, tomorrow.” I wait for her objection, but I’m met with silence. I glance around the parking lot and then settle my gaze toward the holly bushes in front of me. She’s gone.

  I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. My dreams haunt me. They’re a fucked-up mess of past memories and new adventures. My head is spinning right now. I look at the time and do what every single man faced with conflict does. I call my mother. My anxiety lessens when I hear her voice.

  “Hi, Mum.”

  “Hello, Carter,” she says sounding concerned. “Isn’t it the middle of the night there?”

  “Very early morning,” I correct.

  “What’s wrong, Son?”

  “Nothing,” I say unconvincingly.

  “Mmhmm.”

  “Really, Mum. I’m okay.”

  “Who is she?”

  “Who?”

  “The girl that you’re thinking about. The one who’s keeping you awake.”

  I scratch my head. “Yeah, well… it’s complicated.”

  “Don’t quote a Facebook status to me, Carter. You’ve called because you want my advice.”

  “There’s a girl.”

  “Shocker.”

  “Come on, Mum. Don’t judge.”

  “Sorry, I’m listening.”

  “There’s something about this girl. Something I can’t explain. It’s like we’ve never met before, and yet, we’re connected somehow.”

  “Sounds magical.”

  “It felt like I loved her.”

  “Past tense?”

  “Yes, we can’t be together.”

  “Why not?”

  “She’s in love with another man.”

  “So? If you love her…”

  “Ethan,” I interrupt.

  “Fuckin’ell.”

  “Right. But here’s the problem.”

  “That’s not the problem?” she jokes.

  “There’s another girl.”

  “Lord.” There’s a moment of silence. “Carter, I’m not a young woman, can you get to the part where you need my advice?”

  “Sorry, sorry. I was all set to come home. Put everything behind me. Move on.”

  “But?”

  “The crazy lady said the one I’m looking for is here, in Toronto.”

  “Uhhh. I’m not even going to ask.”

  “I think she means Kate. The other girl, not Ethan’s girl,” I explain. “Kate is brilliant and beautiful. At least she is in my dreams.”

  “You sound smitten to me. What’s the problem?”

  I sigh. “I don’t understand why, Mum, but my heart seems connected to Olivia. I’m so confused by it all. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Good Lord, Son. I don’t know who’s more confused, you or me.”

  “Definitely me.”

  “Carter, come home. Take some time off. Spend some time with your friends and family, and learn how to relax and enjoy life. You’re going to end up with ulcers or in an early grave, just like your father. For what?”

  I roll my eyes. You can always count on your mother for giving you the advice you don’t really want to hear. “I’ve thought about Kate a lot tonight. I think there could be something there if she’ll give me a chance.”

  “Sounds like you know what you’re going to do.”

  I look at my packed suitcase across the room. “I guess I’m staying.”

  “Brilliant. So… if she’s the one, does that mean you’re whoring bachelor days are over?”

  My mouth opens in shock. “MUM!”

  “I’ve often wondered how many grandchildren I have that I don’t know about.”

  “None I’m being held accountable for,” I assure her.

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  “I’m joking, Mum.”

  “Well, my job here is done,” she sighs. “Let me know when you’re on your way home, Carter. I do miss you.”

  I throw my suitcase back on the bed and begin to unpack. “Miss you too.”

  It’s not business, as usual, these days. Ethan and Olivia have gone to Ireland to settle his business and meet with his family. Thanks to my lack of sleep, I’m cranky, and I hate the new guy brought in by corporate. He’s an arrogant French bastard.

  Scott Parker sticks his head around the corner.

  “Hey, we’re going to the pub downtown for a little post-conference unwinding. You in?”

  I mute the line and think about it a moment. I can’t think of any reason not to go. Maybe a few drinks will help put to rest my insomnia. I nod. “Okay, I’ll meet you there after the call.”

  I’m not going to lie; I’m hoping I run into Kate tonight. However, the last time I was in this pub I was with Olivia, and I can’t help but think of that night as the rusty hinges squeal when I open the heavy wooden door. “Good evening, Mr. Carter.”

  “Good evening, George. It’s just Carter. I was wondering. Did you ever find out who laced Olivia’s drink that night?”

  “There was a man the waitress saw lurking in the shadows; watching her. She said that he gave her a bad feeling. He hasn’t been back. If he comes, we’ll call the police, immediately.”

  “Thank you. Keep me posted if you get any information.”

  I find a dark, quiet spot at the back of the bar. Sometimes I like solitude. It’s hard to keep Olivia out of my thoughts, especially after what happened the last time we were here. I sit and watch the people around me, not as entertained as I usually would be. I order a Jack and Coke, thinking something stronger than beer will help me loosen up.

  It seems like I’ve only taken a few swigs, but already I’m staring past the ice at the bottom of the empty glass, feeling disappointed.

  “Another?” the bartender asks, already sliding one toward me.

  I nod. “Thanks, mate.”