Down London Road (On Dublin Street 2)

‘So is that what you do first thing in the morning? Worry?’

Smiling at him, I nodded. ‘If you’re sticking around you’ll need to get used to it.’

He tightened his embrace. ‘If I’m sticking around, I’ll do my best to make bloody sure you never have to worry again.’

My breath caught. Damn, I hoped it wasn’t going to become a habit of his to say romantic crap that robbed me of speech all the time. ‘Smooth talker,’ I answered a little hoarsely, and his lips twitched with amusement, as if the arrogant bugger knew that his words liquefied my insides.

‘What time is it?’

‘I don’t know. I gave Malcolm back the Omega watch.’

‘That was good of you.’

‘It was the right thing to do.’ I winced, feeling a wave of remorse wash over me. It somehow didn’t feel right to be luxuriating in the heat of Cam and the happiness he brought me, while Malcolm was home hurting over my betrayal. ‘Do you feel guilty?’ I mumbled against his warm skin, my fingers absent-mindedly stroking the lines of his abs.

‘It’s difficult to feel anything but hard when you’re touching me, baby,’ Cam answered gruffly.

I chuckled despite myself. ‘Insatiable, are we?’

‘Apparently around you.’

‘More sweet talk. Am I required to repay you in some way for it?’

‘Now why would you assume you had to pay for it?’

I grinned teasingly. ‘Well, you’re not known for being sweet to me, Cam.’

His chest rose under my cheek as he gave a little huff of annoyance. ‘How long am I going to pay for being a bastard to you?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. I think it might prove useful as leverage in the future.’

His playful growl filled the room as he rolled me on to my back. At the sudden move, I giggled up into his now alert eyes, letting him pin me to the mattress. He nudged my legs apart. His face was still relaxed from sleep, the sexy curl of his upper lip soft and begging for attention. ‘Do you want to know why I was such a bastard?’

‘You’ve already told me why – ah.’ I ended on a gasp, feeling him hard and nudging insistently between my legs. My legs widened instinctively as he moved slowly against me, teasing me.

‘Truth?’ He lowered his head, kissing softly along my jaw until he found my ear. I shuddered at the tiny nip he gave the lobe, at the lick of his tongue against the bite. My chest heaved and my br**sts brushed tantalizingly against his chest. My chest rose and fell in fast, shallow movements.

At the press of our bodies, Cam froze for a second, a guttural moan falling from his lips to land on a breath against my neck.

I brought my knees up, inviting him to take what we both so desperately wanted him to. He reached for the chest of drawers and rummaged around, then pulled out a condom.

As Cam put on the protection his usually cobalt eyes were almost black. ‘Truth?’

‘Truth,’ I whispered on a nod.

‘I wanted you and I couldn’t have you.’

My lips parted in amazement at the confession. ‘That’s why you were a bastard to me?’

‘I didn’t want to want you so badly, so when it appeared that you were someone I could never respect or want, I held on to that and ran with it. But you kept blowing all my preconceptions to smithereens, and I just kept wanting you more.’

As Cameron gazed deep into my eyes I felt a weight bear down on us, like a cocoon wrapping around us, protecting the connection that was developing so deep and fast between us. ‘I guess that means your bastard days are behind you,’ I replied, my words barely audible under the gravity of emotion.

His brows drew together. ‘Meaning?’

‘You can stop wanting me now that you have me.’

Light twinkled mischievously in his eyes as he grinned at me. ‘I don’t think that’s possible. To stop wanting you, I mean.’

Without warning, before I could even reply to that, he pushed into me and I cried out, my hands digging into the muscles in his back as my body grew reacquainted with his thickness. His breath whispered over my lips just before he kissed me, his tongue teasing mine as he pulled out of me a few inches before sliding back in.

His kisses were hot and sweet as he slowly made love to me, pushing us towards another shattering release.

We had just got out of his shower – where I’d finally found my chance to study the ink on his arms with my tongue – and we were in the kitchen making tea and toast when my phone rang. I found it in the pocket of my faux fur jacket, still lying in the hall from last night when Cam stripped me out of it.

A picture of Joss giving someone behind me a sly grin popped up on my phone screen as it rang. I’d taken it at the bar months ago, not realizing Craig was doing some absurd ‘sexy’ dance behind me as I snapped Joss’s picture. I smiled. ‘Hullo?’

‘Hey, you,’ she answered casually. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine.’ More than fine! I just had life-changing sex with Tattoo Guy! I grinned, trying to contain my giddiness as I wandered back into the kitchen, where Cam stood by the kettle, shirtless and all mine. ‘You?’

‘Good. You sound weird.’

‘Weird?’

‘Yeah. Weird.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Cam glanced up at me and smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling sexily. I grinned again. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about at all.’

‘Hmm.’ Clearly Joss was unconvinced. ‘Are you and Cole coming to lunch today?’