Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street, #3)(60)

Makeshift handcuffs.

I tugged on them, feeling the material stretch but not loosen. ‘What the hell?’

Nate was no longer smiling as he braced himself over me. ‘When I held you down the other night … it made you so wet, babe, it makes me hard just thinking about it.’ His voice thickened as his eyes darkened. ‘You got off on it.’

I flushed, remembering how much I’d enjoyed the fact that Nate could do whatever he wanted with me and my hands weren’t free to stop him. It was altogether a surprising feeling, but one I didn’t think I’d have with just any man. I allowed myself to be intrigued by the notion of being Nate’s captive, allowed the fantasy, because … I trusted him. Behind the fantasy was the knowledge that he’d only do things I liked, loved, and that he would never hurt me.

Still, I didn’t know I’d made it so obvious.

I tugged on the stockings, growing steadily more breathless. ‘So what now?’

He caressed the backs of my thighs and then curled his hands around them, pulling my legs up around his hips before pressing his hard, hot erection to my entrance. ‘Now you’re completely at my mercy … while I f*ck you senseless.’

Staring at the stripped-out kitchen, I wondered if Ellie and Adam were nuts.

‘Guys, we’re talking a lot of work here,’ I murmured, taking in the loose wiring and a damp patch in the lower left-hand corner of the room.

Ellie glanced back at me and Joss regretfully. ‘Adam said as much, but I wanted another look.’ She stroked the wall. ‘I love these buildings.’

‘Ellie, you know if you want the flat back, Braden and I are happy to look elsewhere,’ Joss offered.

But she might as well have offered to drown someone’s cat. ‘Joss, no! That flat is special to you guys.’

‘It’s special to you, too.’

‘Not as much.’ She shook her head with a heavy sigh. ‘Let’s go. Staying here is depressing.’

We shuffled out of the flat on Dublin Street, Ellie looking back at it longingly as we climbed the hill toward Joss’s place. ‘It’s such a massive renovation job. We just don’t have the time.’

‘It’s a money pit,’ Joss added. ‘There was damp and cabling issues. Els, it would be a constant headache.’

‘You’re right, you’re right, I know you’re right,’ Ellie grumbled, and pouted at me as Joss let us in at her flat.

I rubbed Ellie’s arm in reassurance. ‘You’ll find a place.’

Braden was working at his nightclub, Fire, so we had the flat to ourselves. In preparation for us coming, Joss had already made up little snacks and bought a cocktail mix. We laughed and joked in the kitchen as we sipped mojitos and ate tiny sandwiches.

‘So will you treat us to details about the honeymoon?’ I asked, grinning cheekily at Joss.

Joss smirked at me. ‘With Braden’s little sister in the room? No. All I will say is that a delicious time was had by all. And Braden only growled at one guy.’

I laughed. ‘Growled?’

‘He was staring at my boobs, and I mean staring, while Braden was right there.’ She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. ‘I thought Braden was going to pop a vein.’

We laughed, but my amusement froze up under anxiety when Joss suddenly threw me a mischievous grin. ‘So, Ellie said you went all Lady Sass at Club 39 while I was gone. Got some guy’s number?’

I snorted, trying to cover up the fact that my heart was pounding hard and I was starting to sweat. Lying was horrible, shitty, and excusing it by telling myself that I wasn’t lying, I was merely withholding, was just a crock of crap. I was lying to my friends and I didn’t like it. ‘Lady Sass? It was just a number.’

‘I’ve never seen you so interested before.’ Ellie turned her wide eyes on Joss. ‘You should have seen her flirting her arse off. Speaking of’ – she looked back at me questioningly – ‘how would you feel about going on a date with a guy Adam knows?’

The heart pounding became more of a sickly fluttering. ‘You’ve been talking about me?’

‘Only since that night at the bar. We thought maybe you were taking time to get settled before you started dating, so we never said anything before. But then on Saturday you seemed to show interest. And Dougie is lovely.’

‘Doogie?’

‘Douglas. Dougie.’

I snorted. ‘He sounds charming.’

Joss laughed. ‘I’m picturing Doogie Howser.’

‘Right.’ I giggled immaturely.

Ellie frowned at us both. ‘Um. Who?’

‘It was an American TV show.’

‘About what?’

‘A kid genius doctor.’

Ellie gave us a long-suffering look. ‘Dougie is not a kid. He’s a very nice and very good-looking architect.’

‘Don’t let Adam hear you say that.’

‘Liv, I’m serious. Please consider going out with him.’

‘I don’t do blind dates.’

She eyed me carefully. ‘Did you call the guy whose number you got?’

Uh-oh. How did I tell her I didn’t want to date this Doogie guy because I was too busy screwing Nate? I racked my brain for an excuse that sounded plausible, becoming increasingly nervous as the silence stretched thin between us. My eyes sought Joss for help since she was the queen of not doing anything she didn’t want to do and not giving a rat’s ass if you didn’t like her explanation. Instead of help, I watched as her face turned a sickly color.