On Dublin Street

“Uh…” I blinked, trying to figure out what was going on. “What just happened?”

Craig winked at me. “Just pissing off Mr. Money over there and having a hot time doing it.”

I shook my head in disbelief and shoved him away, catching Alistair’s grin as Craig swaggered by him, obviously pleased with himself. As I returned to preparing my friends’ drinks I forced myself not to look up. I didn’t want to know if Craig was right about Braden. I didn’t want to acknowledge whatever feelings he might have for me and vice versa. But damn, it pleased me to know someone else had noticed his interest in me other than a hopeful, die-hard romantic like Ellie. At least I knew I wasn’t seeing things.

And wasn’t I just a confused bundle of hormones?

Putting the drinks on a tray, I stepped out of the bar and ignored a ‘hey, sweetheart’ from a customer who’d obviously caught the Craig Show, and dodged around people so I could get the drinks to Ellie & Co without spilling a drop.

“Here you go.” I put the tray on the table and started passing the drinks out.

“Uh, what was that?” Ellie asked me wide-eyed as she took her drink from me.

I don’t know what possessed me to think that playing dumb was the way to go. “What was what?”

Adam grunted. “The guy with his tongue down your throat?”

I couldn’t even look at Braden because I could feel his burning gaze… well… burning into me. I shrugged. “It’s just Craig.”

And then I fled before they could ask me anything more.

But Craig wasn’t happy with just sticking his tongue in my mouth. For the next forty minutes, he upped the flirting, kissing my neck, patting my ass, teasing me mercilessly with sex talk.

I guess not being more upset about him kissing me let him think he could. And the truth is, I didn’t do anything to make him think otherwise. I’d decided I wanted to send Braden a message.

We were not friends.

And we were never going to be anything more than not friends.

So we were… nothing.

“Break time, Joss!” Alistair swatted me on the behind with a dishrag as he came in off of his break.

I sighed. “I’m going to take that damn thing off you if you don’t stop using it as a weapon. Seriously, was that necessary?”

He gri

“Fu

Encouraging Craig was a bad idea. We’d always joked around but tonight he’d crossed the line and I’d let him, and it was all because Braden was messing with my head. I hated the punch to my gut when I thought Do

I had to find a way to let him know once and for all that nothing was ever going to happen between us.

My eyes snapped up from their hook on the carpet when Su’s door opened, and I straightened, the butterflies in my stomach raging to life as Braden stepped inside and closed the door.

His eyes were calculating as they trained on my face, his features hard, clouded.

Braden looked pissed.

“What are you doing here?”

He didn’t answer and my eyes did that thing again… losing control, ru

I felt that squeeze right in the bottom depths of my body and my jaw locked. Why did he have to turn me on so much? It wasn’t fair.

Covering, I took a swig of my soda. “Well?”

“I don’t like to share.”

My eyes flew to his and if it was possible, he looked angrier than ever. In this tiny room, Braden was huge and intimidating, and the comparison between our sizes more notable. He could crush me like a bug if he wanted to. “What?”

His eyes narrowed. “I said, I don’t like to share.”

I thought of Vicky. “That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“Let me rephrase.” He took a seething step toward me. “When it comes to you… I don’t like to share.”

There was no time to process that. One minute I was staring incredulously up at him, the next the soda can was hitting the floor and my ass was on the desk as Braden collided with me. The heat and strength of him overwhelmed me as his large hand gripped the back of my neck and his other tugged my left thigh up, allowing him to push in between my legs and position me over the desk. His mouth crashed down on mine and the desire my body had been harboring for him for weeks took control of me. I clung to him, my hands digging into his back, my legs climbing his hips as my lips parted on an exhalation of relief that allowed his tongue inside my mouth to tease mine. The smell of him, the taste of whisky on his tongue, the feel of his warm hands gripping me tight it… it all overpowered me and I made this throaty sound I couldn’t control.

His kiss wiped out any memory of Craig’s.

Braden’s hand tightened around my neck and he groaned, the vibration of it surging through me, skimming down my body like hands teasing my nipples, whispering across my belly and sliding home between my legs. His kiss grew harder, more demanding—long, drugging kisses that stole my breath. We were panting and pulling at each other’s mouths like we couldn’t get deep enough, my nails scoring into his sweater as I tried to urge him closer.

When I became aware of his erection digging into my stomach I was lost. My belly squeezed and I whimpered against his mouth, my panties drenched with arousal. The need grew hungrier as Braden’s hand slid up my waist, brushing my breast and coming to a stop at the wide strap of the tank top. He broke the kiss, pulling back only an inch to gaze into my eyes. His own were dark, his lashes lowered over them, his lips bruised. I felt two of his fingers slide under my strap and lower it, tugging the left side of my top down so my bra was visible. His gaze never left mine as he repeated the process with my bra strap.

Cool air hit my naked breast and my nipple puckered up invitingly. Braden’s eyes dropped to it and I felt his hand glide up to cup me. He caressed it, his thumb brushing over the nipple and I gasped as it tightened and shot a bolt of lust between my legs. He looked back at me. “You like that, babe?” he murmured, his eyes returning to my mouth. “Do you like my hands on you?”

Well… yeah!

“Or…” his head dipped and his lips brushed softly against mine. “Will any man’s do?”

It took a moment for those words to penetrate and when they did I squashed the hurt and drew back in anger, my arms falling from around him to yank my bra and top back up.

“Fuck you,” I snapped and tried to push by him only to have him press deeper into my legs, his hands grabbing hold of my wrists to stop the fists that were about to fly at him.

“What the hell was that out there?” he fumed at me, but was still definitely turned on, his hard-on digging into me, making my own body go to war with my head.

“None of your business, that’s what it was.”

“Are you fucking him?”

“None of your business!”

He made a low, irate sound under his breath and tugged on my arms. “Considering I want to fuck you, it is my business. And considering you definitely want to be fucked by me, I think it’s in your best interest to answer me.”