Down London Road (On Dublin Street 2)

Blowing air out between my lips in boredom, I eyed my eBay pile. I’d sold a few things but I still had to take photographs of a couple of items and post them on the site. The profits were paying for Cole’s judo lessons, so it needed to be done. I had to crack on. Next up, a pair of Jimmy Choos. Staring at them, I realized I was going to need one of the boys to help me with this. The gorgeous six-inch heels were made up of a lot of spaghetti ties. Off the feet, they didn’t look like much. On the feet, they looked sexy as all hell. I’d have to be wearing them in the photographs, which meant I’d need someone to take photographs for me.

Bundling them into my arms, I left Cole’s room and stopped outside Mum’s door. Loud snoring from within assured me everything was normal with her, and I headed out of the flat and downstairs to Cam’s. Cam and Cole had texted me after their judo class to let me know they were going to Cam’s to work on the graphic novel.

From the sounds of machine-gun fire coming from Cam’s flat I realized I’d been bullshitted. They were playing Call of Duty.

I walked in without knocking and slipped quietly into the sitting room. Cam, Cole and Nate were sitting on the couch, Nate and Cole holding the controllers. Peetie was in the armchair directly facing me. I’d met Nate and Peetie a couple of times since Cam had moved in, but I still hadn’t really spent that much time with them, mostly because when they were over they played video games, only really interacting with me when I took the time to feed them snacks.

Peetie saw me and waved, drawing Cam’s attention. He turned and flashed me a welcoming smile that hit me in the gut, waking up all those annoying little butterflies fluttering around in there. ‘Hi, baby.’

I raised an eyebrow at his flatscreen. ‘This is working on a graphic novel?’

‘Nate and Peetie came over with us after class.’ As if that explained everything.

‘Hi, Jo!’ Nate called over the sounds of gunfire, his eyes flicking to me briefly. ‘Did you bring sandwiches by any chance?’

That was me. Sandwich lady. ‘No.’ I held my shoes up to an inquisitive Cam. ‘I need you to take a picture of me wearing these.’

Cameron eyed them and then raised his eyebrows. ‘Whoa.’ He held up his hands, gesturing to his friends. ‘Not in front of the boys.’

I narrowed my eyes on him. ‘Not that kind of picture, you sex-craved pervert.’

‘Eh, before anyone says anything else,’ Cole interjected loudly, ‘remember her wee brother is in the room.’

Cam grinned and stood up. ‘Is this for eBay?’

Handing him my camera, I nodded, and then began taking off my shoes and strapping on the Jimmy Choos. Once they were on, I lifted my leg to eye them, turning my ankle to the side, feeling their loss already.

‘Baby, if you love them that much, keep them.’

I pouted. ‘I can’t. They cost a ridiculous amount of money. It would be stupid to keep them.’

‘Fuck, man,’ Nate breathed, his attention suddenly on the shoes and my legs. ‘Don’t let her sell those.’ His heated eyes devoured me. ‘Those are shit hot.’

‘I will seriously hit you,’ Cam warned him darkly.

Nate shrugged, threw me a cheeky grin, and turned back to the television screen. ‘Not my fault your girlfriend is so bloody f**kable.’

Cole slammed his shoulder into Nate before Cam could retaliate. ‘Dude, that’s my sister.’

‘And, dude, watch your language.’ I tried not to blush. Ignoring Nate’s unrepentant smile, I turned my feet so Cam could get a good shot of the shoes. My eyes fell on Peetie, who was texting someone. From what Cam had told me, I figured it was probably his fiancée, Lyn. Peetie was wrapped around her little finger, apparently. He seemed like a nice guy. A balance to Nate’s unpredictable, blunt, Jack-the-lad persona. Nate was gorgeous – not rugged sexy like Cam, or rough-around-the-edges hot like Braden. He was movie-star stunning, with his thick black hair and even blacker eyes, and he knew it.

My gaze moved to Cole, who was starting to look more and more like our father every day. My dad may have been a brute and an ass**le, but he’d been a good-looking one. Once Cole realized he was a good-looking kid, it would depend on the influences in his life as to how he would react to it and to girls.

I did not want him to become a Nate.

‘I hope you three aren’t corrupting my brother.’

Nate huffed. ‘You kidding? If anyone’s doing the corrupting, it’s him.’

Cole grinned at that and I felt a weird mixture of happiness and worry. Over the last few weeks I’d noticed a difference in him. He still grunted and shrugged a lot and was definitely destined to be broody, but he’d actually begun to converse with people other than Cam and me, and I took that as a good sign. Hanging around Nate, however, might turn him cocky. Or, hey, hanging around Cam might turn him cocky.

‘Done.’ Cam handed me my camera with a quick peck to the lips.

‘Thank you.’ I had just bent to unhook the strap at my ankle, when Cam’s mouth brushed my ear.

‘Be here tonight, waiting for me in nothing but those shoes.’

My skin flushed hot at the thought and I quickly glanced over at Cole and the boys to make sure they hadn’t heard. They were completely oblivious. My eyes met Cam’s dark gaze and I nodded in agreement.

A phone buzzed and we reluctantly broke eye contact.

Cole held up his phone. ‘Me. I’ve got to go. Guys are waiting for me at the cinema.’

‘We’re not finished,’ Nate complained.