On Dublin Street

~15~


Braden was the master of the dirty text message. Sometimes he was subtle… other times well…


I can’t wait to be inside you again, babe. x


… not so much.


Buried with work, Braden was A.W.O.L. over the next few days. If I was a different kind of girl, I might have been freaking out that after we’d had sex he’d disappeared, but in all honesty, I enjoyed having that time away from him to breathe. We’d only started ‘our arrangement’ and already it felt like weeks. By Tuesday afternoon, his text messages were starting to get to me. As in… turning me on. It was amazing how for four years I had been fairly okay without sex. I saw to myself and I got by. However, having sex with Braden had awakened my appetite. An apparently never-ending appetite. I wanted food all the time. And only Braden’s food would do. Of course, I didn’t confess this to Rhian, even though she had a bunch of questions about the guy who’d managed to pull me out of my four year dry spell. I told her he was hot. That the sex was hot. The rest of the conversation consisted of her repeating, ‘I just can’t believe it.’


Yeah, that wasn’t very flattering.


Telling Rhian about the hot sex only made me hungrier. That’s why I found myself at the gym. Again. I’d already been there the day before. Pounding my feet into the treadmill, racing the exercise bike and rowing the hell out of the rowing machine, I hoped to burn out all the sexual tension inside of me. It didn’t really help.


“Joss, right?”


I looked at the guy who had stopped by my treadmill. Ah. Gavin. The personal trainer who had been flirting silently with me for the past few weeks, ever since the incident on the treadmill. “Yeah?” I asked casually.


Gavin smiled sweetly at me and I groaned inwardly. One: clean-cut pretty boys weren’t my type. Two: I already had my hands full with a Scotsman. “Back again, so soon.”


Yay, he was watching me. That wasn’t creepy at all. “Uh huh.”


He shifted on his feet, clearly unprepared for my less than enthusiastic response to him barging in on my ‘operation relieve sexual frustration caused by a missing-in-action Braden Carmichael’. “Look, I was just wondering if you maybe fancied getting dinner together some time?”


I stopped the machine and stepped as gracefully off of it as I could, considering I was sweaty and icky. I gave him a platonic smile—you know the one; the pressing of the lips, no teeth showing. “Thanks. But I’m already seeing someone.” I left before he could respond, smiling as I realized that at least the arrangement with Braden had some positives. Not counting multiple orgasms.


After I showered and changed, I left the gym, dodging Gavin, and as soon as I turned on my phone I had a text from Braden.


Make yourself available Thursday night. Business Dinner. Put on a nice dress. I’ll pick you up at 7.30pm. x


I rolled my eyes. It hadn’t even occurred to him I might not be free. Bossy bastard. I text back: Only because you asked so nicely.


Annoyed, I strode down the sidewalk clutching my phone tight in my hand. I’d have to talk to him about his tendency towards obnoxious. My phone beeped and I stopped, still scowling. A scowl that fell away at his one word text: Babe. x


I could hear him say it with a teasing smile in his voice and I shook my head, smiling in exasperation. Jackhole was too damn charming for his own good.


***


Not that I had much to go on about the business dinner – who we would be dining with, or where we would be dining – I did know I didn’t have a dress that would do. So for once I decided to use my money for something frivolous, and head into Harvey Nichols on St. Andrews Square. After two hours of trying on dresses (some of which cost more than my monthly rent), I finally decided on a classy, but sexy Donna Karan dress. In the silhouette of a calf-length pencil dress, the silver-grey jersey material clung to every curve. A drape twisted from the right shoulder to the left hip, adding a touch of elegance to what would normally be just a sexy/casual dress. Adding in a ridiculously expensive black clutch purse by Alexander McQueen with the signature gold skull clasp—I thought the skull appropriate— and black leather platform pumps by Yves Saint Laurent, I looked hot. In fact it was the hottest I’d ever looked. And the most I’d ever spent on one outfit. Ellie was in raptures over it.


Ellie could be in raptures over it all she wanted. I was nervous about Braden’s reaction.


Turns out I didn’t need to be.


Well, depends on how you look at it.


Thursday night, I was standing in the sitting room sipping a glass of wine with Ellie while I waited on Braden. I’d left my hair down and it fell down my back in loose natural curls that Ellie had oohed and aahed over, begging me to wear my hair down all the time. Nope to that. I didn’t really do make up, but I’d put on some blush, mascara, and a deep scarlet lipstick that took the outfit up a notch.


Our front door opened and shut and my stomach flipped.


“It’s me,” Braden called. “I’ve got a cab waiting so we sh-” he stopped speaking as he entered the sitting room, his eyes frozen on me. “F*ck.”


Ellie giggled.


I squinted an eye at him. “Is that a good f*ck?”


He grinned. “Well you’re that too, babe.”


“Euch,” Ellie made a choking sound. “Gag me.”


Ignoring her, Braden sauntered casually towards me. He was wearing a simple, but elegantly cut black skinny suit with a slim velvet lapel, white-gold cufflinks and a dark silver-grey shirt that matched my dress perfectly. His skinny tie was blood-red like my lipstick. We had unknowingly coordinated.


He looked yummier than I did though.


His eyes scanned me from head to toe, and by the time they came back up to my face they were blazing. “Come with me.” He grabbed my wrist and I just managed to hand Ellie my wine glass before I was hauled down the hall in shoes I’d had to practice walking in, and dragged into my bedroom.


He spun around, hooking an arm around my waist and tugging me towards him.


“You have got to stop doing that,” I complained.


“Babe, you look… let’s just say if there wasn’t a taxi waiting to take us to the restaurant for our reservation, you’d be on your back right now.”


Overconfident much?


“In fact…” he murmured, squeezing my waist, his eyes dipping to the low neckline of the dress.


“Braden.”


He jerked his eyes back to mine. “You look beautiful, Jocelyn.”


My stomach flipped again and I smiled softly. “Thank you.”


“But you need to put your hair up.”


“What?” I touched my head, scowling up at him. “Why?”


To my utter bewilderment, Braden’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Just do it.”


I made a ‘pfft’ noise and pushed against his chest, stepping out of his hold. “Not unless you tell me why?” My hair looked good. He would not make me think otherwise.


“Because,” his voice was low, a deep purr he reserved for the bedroom, hence why I felt it all the way down into my panties, “I like being the only man who knows how beautiful your hair is. How gorgeous you look with it down.”


Something nudged inside my chest. An almost ache spread. Outwardly, I smirked. “How very Victorian of you.”


Braden’s narrowed eyes turned into a glower. “Jocelyn,” he warned.


I threw my hands up. “Are you serious?”


“Deadly.”


“Braden-”


“Jocelyn.”


I stopped, my hands on my hips as I searched his face. It was implacable. My God, he was serious. With a huff of disbelief, I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t take well to orders, Braden.”


“I’m not ordering you. I’m asking.”


“No, you’re demanding.”


“I just don’t want you to wear your hair down.”


“Fine.” I cocked my head to the side as my own eyes deliberately perused the length of him. “I don’t take orders, but I do make deals. The hair goes up, but you owe me a favor in return.”


He flashed me a wicked smile. “Sounds good, babe.”


“Oh I didn’t say the debt would be sexual in nature.”


His grin only widened. “So what are we talking about here?”


“Well that’s the thing.” I sidled over to him, pressing up against him with a smile. “You won’t know, until you know.”


Braden’s head dipped towards mine, his lips almost brushing mine. “Deal.”


“Brave man.” I laughed and stepped back. “You also look really good tonight by the way.”


“Thank you,” he murmured, his eyes still eating me up.


“Well, you better tell the cab driver we’ll be out in ten minutes. I need to fix my hair.”


***


I managed to style my hair up into an elegantly messy bun, bid a goodnight to Ellie whose eyes were all teary at the sight of us together—I don’t think she’d quite grasped the concept of f*ck buddies yet—and slid into the cab before Braden. When he got in, he gave the cab driver our destination. It was Braden’s French restaurant, La Cour, the one he’d inherited as part of his father’s businesses, and it was situated on Royal Terrace near the Regent Gardens. I hadn’t been there before, but I’d heard great things about it. As Braden settled back, he settled in close to me and reached for my hand.


For the entire cab ride I stared at his large, masculine hand in mine, fighting the urge to pull out of his touch. It wasn’t because the handholding wasn’t nice. It was nice. Too nice.


Too ‘more’.


This was supposed to be just sex. But there he was… holding my hand.


I barely even noticed we’d pulled up to the restaurant, before Braden was paying the cab driver and helping me down out of it.


“You’re quiet,” he murmured, as he laced his fingers through mine again to lead me inside.


I didn’t answer that. “Who are we meeting?”


But before he could respond, the ma?tre d’ appeared with a huge grin on his face. “Monsieur Carmichael, we have your table waiting, sir.”


“Thank you, David.” Braden pronounced his name with the French pronunciation and I wondered if the guy was really French, or if it was all part of the restaurant’s image. The restaurant itself was opulent elegance. It was modern French rococo with black and silver patterned, gilt-framed chairs, deep-red tablecloths, black glass candelabras and clear crystal chandeliers. The restaurant was packed.


David led us through the tables to a cozy one in the east corner, far away from the bar and kitchen access. Like a gentleman, Braden held my seat out for me, and I couldn’t remember if anyone had done that before. I was so focused on the gesture and the sensual brush of his fingers against my neck as I sat, that it took me until Braden was also seated and ordering wine, to notice that we were seated at a table for two.


“Where are the others?”


Braden flicked me a casual glance as he took a sip from the cold glass of water the waiter had just poured. “What others?”


What others? I gritted my teeth. “You said this was a business meeting.”


“Yes, but I didn’t say what business.”


Oh my God. This was a date! No way. First the bossiness, then the handholding… no. No, no, no. I pushed my chair out, about two seconds from shooting up to my feet when Braden’s next words froze me in place.


“You try to leave, I’ll tackle you.” Even though he wasn’t looking at me when he said it, I could tell he was deadly serious.


I couldn’t believe he’d tricked me into this. With a sullen expression, I pushed my chair back under the table. “A*shole.”


“Just for that, I expect you to wrap that dirty mouth of yours around my cock tonight.” He narrowed his eyes on me.


I felt the impact of those words as they pebbled my nipples and soaked my panties. Despite my body being completely turned on, I was floored. I couldn’t believe he’d just said that to me in a fancy restaurant where anyone might overhear. “Are you kidding?”


“Babe,” he gave me a look that suggested I was missing the obvious, “I never kid about blowjobs.”


The sound of someone choking brought my head up. Our waiter had descended on us just in time to hear those romantic words and his rosy cheeks betrayed his embarrassment. “Ready to order?” he croaked out.


“Yes,” Braden answered, obviously uncaring he’d been overhead. “I’ll have the steak, medium-rare.” He smiled softly at me. “What are you having?” He took a swig of water.


He thought he was so cool and funny. “Apparently sausage.”


Braden choked on the water, coughing into his fists, his eyes bright with mirth as he put his glass back on the table.


“Are you okay, sir?” The waiter asked anxiously.


“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Braden waved the waiter off, his voice a little hoarse as his eyes pinned me to my seat. He shook his head, his grin getting wider by the second.


“What?” I shrugged innocently.


“You’re sexy as f*ck.”


The waiter was now staring at us openly, his head bobbing between us, waiting on what scandalous thing would be said next. I smiled up at him and closed my menu. “I’ll have the steak too. Also medium-rare.”


He took the menus from us and hurried off, probably to tell all the other waiters what he’d heard the restaurant owner say to his date. Grimacing, I kept that look on my face when I slid my gaze back to Braden. “You know, the whole point of this arrangement was that you didn’t have to buy me a fancy dinner to get laid.”


The sommelier approached with the red wine Braden had ordered and we were both silent as he poured a little out for Braden to taste. Satisfied with it, Braden gestured for the sommelier to proceed. As soon as he was gone, I lifted my glass and took a fortifying sip.


I could feel Braden’s eyes burning into me.


“Perhaps this is the ‘friends’ part,” he replied softly. “I want to spent time with my friend, Jocelyn.”


While that was nice… “That’s how things get complicated.”


“Not if we don’t let them.”


He must have seen the doubt on my face because next thing his fingers were on my chin, gently lifting my face to his. “Just try it tonight.”


I could feel his touch like a shiver of ripples across my skin. I’d had him inside of me. He’d given me quite a number of orgasms. I knew the smell, taste and touch of him. I thought that would be enough. That it would be over. But looking at him, I realized it wasn’t anywhere near over. This attraction, this need, whatever the hell it was, it had only just caught fire, and neither of us was ready to call out the fire department just yet. “Okay.”


In response, he brushed his thumb over my mouth and smiled at me with his eyes before letting go.


And then, we were two friends spending time together. We talked about all the usual stuff. Music. Movies. Books. Hobbies. Friends. We made each other laugh. We had fun. But it was all little things. Braden was careful to make sure that he never asked anything he knew I wouldn’t answer. And when I stumbled over a question because it related to the past, he cracked a joke and changed the subject. This was a smart man.


We were just finishing up dessert when a sultry voice with an accent as melodic as Ellie’s, drifted across our table. “Braden, honey, I thought that was you.”


My eyes lifted to the woman who was standing by our table, and was now dipping down to kiss Braden’s cheek, giving him an eyeful of her small but perfectly formed breasts. Her dress was red, daring and as sultry as her voice. She gave me a bright smile as she drank me in.


“Aileen. How are you?”


She grinned and stroked his cheek affectionately. “Better for seeing you.”


Oh hell. I tried not to shift uncomfortably as an inexplicable tightness lodged in my throat. This was an ex-girlfriend. Awkward.


“How’s Alan?”


Who the hell was Alan? Please be her husband.


“Oh.” She waved the question off with a grimace. “We’re separated. I’m here with a very charming date.”


Well, go back to him, lady, so we can get on with our date.


Shit! Not a date! Not a date!


Braden smiled and turned around to nod at me. “Aileen, this is Jocelyn.”


“Hi.” I smiled politely, not really sure how to converse with an obvious ex. As I looked over the tall, blonde glamazon, I was convinced more than ever that I was the opposite of Braden’s usual type.


Her eyes were assessing as they washed over me. After a second her smile widened as she looked back at Braden. “Finally, a girl who doesn’t look like Analise.” She touched his shoulder affectionately again. “I’m glad for you.”


“Aileen...” Braden pulled back, his jaw clenching.


Analise? My eyebrows were raised in question. Who was Analise?


“Still sore I see,” Aileen tutted and took a step back. “I guess we all are about spouses. Takes time.” She waited for someone to say something and then, as if suddenly realizing she was intruding on our dinner, she laughed a little embarrassed. “Anyway, I better get back to Roberto. Take care, Braden. It was good to see you. And nice to meet you, Jocelyn.”


“You too,” I murmured, trying to hide the fact that it felt as though someone had rammed the table into my gut. Spouses? I sucked in a breath, a shot of adrenaline kicking my heart into a riot as Aileen sashayed away, having no idea she’d caused tension between me and Braden.


My lips felt numb. “Wife?”


“Ex-wife.”


Why did I feel betrayed? That was stupid. Or was it? He’d said we were friends. And Ellie… Ellie was my friend, and she hadn’t told me Braden had an ex-wife. Did it matter?


You haven’t told him anything, Joss.


No, I hadn’t. But I also hadn’t been married.


“Jocelyn…” Braden sighed, and I lifted my eyes to see his expression was like granite. “I would have told you about Analise eventually.”


I waved him off. “It’s none of my business.”


“If that’s the case, why do you look shell-shocked?”


“Because I’m surprised. I got into this with you because you were a serial dater. Not a one-woman kind of guy.” I touched a hand to my chest. What the hell was that pain in there?


He ran a hand through his hair and then sighed heavily again. The next thing I knew, he had hooked a leg around my chair leg and was pulling me toward him, until our shoulders were almost brushing.


I stared up at him questioningly, lost for a moment in his beautiful eyes.


“I got married when I was twenty-two,” he began softly, quietly, his eyes studying me as he explained. “Her name was Analise. She was an Australian post-grad student. We’d only been together a year before I proposed, and we were only married for two. The first nine months were great. The next three months rocky. The last year hell. We fought a lot. Mostly about my inability to let her in,” he whirled his wine glass, dropping his gaze now, “And when I think about it, that was true. Thank f*ck.” His eyes came back to me. “The thought of handing her – someone as vindictive as her – all my personal crap…”


“Like ammunition in her hands,” I murmured, understanding completely.


“Exactly. I believe you work hard to make a marriage work. I didn’t want to give up. But one day, not too long before my father passed away, he called me and asked me to check a property we were trying to sell on Dublin Street. Not Ellie and yours,” he added quickly. “He told me there had been a complaint about dripping water in the downstairs flat, so I went along to check.” His jaw clenched. “I didn’t find a leak, but I found Analise in bed with a close friend of mine from school. My dad had known. They’d been going behind my back for six months.”


I closed my eyes, feeling pain for him echo in my chest. How could anyone do that to him? To him? When I opened them, his gaze was soft on me and I reached for his arm, squeezing it consolingly. To my surprise his mouth quirked up into a smile. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, Jocelyn. Years of retrospect took away that. What I had with Analise was superficial. A young man’s dick leading him astray.”


“You really believe that?”


“I know that.”


I frowned, shaking my head. “Why would you buy a property on Dublin Street again?”


He shrugged. “Analise may have f*cked off back to Australia once I divorced her and made sure she left with nothing, but she’d still tainted the city I loved. I’ve spent the last six years creating new memories all over the city, building over the mess she left behind. The same is true with Dublin Street. The flat you’re in was a mess. A shell on a street poisoned with betrayal. I wanted to create something beautiful in place of all the ugliness.”


His words sank inside me so deeply I couldn’t breathe. Who was this guy? Was he real?


He lifted his hand to my face, his fingers gliding softly along my jawline, and curving down my neck. I shivered. Yes, he was real.


And for the next three months he was mine.


I stood up abruptly, grabbing my clutch. “Take me back to yours.”


Braden didn’t argue. His eyes flared with understanding and he got us the check. We were out of there and in a cab before I knew it.