Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street, #3)(97)

I stood with an ornament wrapped in newspaper in my hand as Joss and Jo dug through boxes. ‘You can stop thanking us,’ I assured her. ‘We’re happy to help. You’ve got a lot on your plate. New house. New job. Wedding plans.’ I frowned at her, putting down the ornament to reach for a drink. ‘Did I tell you lately that you’re crazy?’

It was a few weeks since our night out with the gang, and Ellie and Adam finally had the keys to their new home on Scotland Street. On top of the stress of the move they were now well into their wedding plans. The wedding was only nine months away.

Ellie laughed. ‘Well, I thought I’d have help from a certain someone, but she had to go and get knocked up by my overprotective big brother, who, I might add, barely let her out of the house to help me unpack.’

Joss glanced up at her. ‘Yes. I got knocked up deliberately so I wouldn’t have to help with the heavy lifting or bouquet choosing.’

‘Speaking of heavy lifting,’ Jo said with a frown, ‘where is Cole?’

I looked toward the front of the house. ‘I think he went outside. Want me to haul his ass back in?’

‘Aye,’ she said with a sigh. ‘Bribe him with food if you have to.’

‘You didn’t have to make him help.’ Ellie smiled as if in sympathy with the teenager.

‘Why?’ Hannah suddenly appeared in the hallway, arms wrapped around a box. ‘You made me help. If I can’t escape, Cole can’t escape.’

‘I’ll go get him,’ I muttered, making my way out of the huge living room into the wide, spacious hallway. The double doors were both open against the wall, giving us better access to the property, and as I neared them I heard Cole’s voice, followed by a softer female voice. I slowed my steps, quietly making my way to the entrance.

My eyes widened at the sight of Cole standing at the bottom of the front stoop next to a small redhead. It wasn’t that the sight of him talking to a girl was surprising; it was his body language. He hovered over her, almost protectively, and the way he was smiling down into her face …

The girl laughed at whatever Cole was murmuring to her and I bit my lip at the bright look that entered his eyes. They continued talking in hushed voices in an intimate way, and I decided I definitely was not intruding. On silent feet I made my way back into the sitting room.

Jo looked up from her packing box. ‘Where is he?’

I grinned. ‘He’s flirting his ass off with a pretty redhead. There’s no way I’m interrupting that.’

Her eyebrows hit her hairline. ‘Seriously?’

‘Seriously. And by the looks of things, I’d expect a girl to be coming around the apartment from now on, if I were you.’

Hannah smirked. ‘Great. Now I have ammunition.’

Ellie nudged her. ‘Be nice.’

‘Why? He’s always taking the piss out of me. Now I finally have something to torture him with.’

We shook our heads at her and continued to unpack.

Twenty minutes later, Cole strode in, a dark scowl marring his handsome face. Worry creased Jo’s brow. ‘Hey, baby boy, you okay?’

He grunted at her and moved toward a box.

I shared a look with his sister before plucking up the courage to ask, ‘What happened to the girl? The redhead.’

Cole jerked as though I’d shot him. Without looking at me he muttered, ‘She had to leave.’

‘Well, did you get her number at least?’

He lifted his head and his green eyes blazed into mine angrily. ‘What do you think?’ And at that he stormed out of the room, ignoring Jo’s shouts to him to apologize for his rudeness.

‘Leave it.’ I shook my head. ‘Just let him be.’

Before Jo could reply, my cell rang and seeing Nate’s face on my screen lightened my mood. ‘I have to take this.’ I ducked out of the living room and wandered toward the empty kitchen as I answered, ‘Hey, baby.’

‘Hey, yourself.’ His low, warm voice soothed me. ‘You about done at Ellie’s?’

‘Unfortunately not. I’ll be a few more hours.’

‘Okay. Cam and I will just hang out for a bit, then.’

‘You know, it might be good if you swing by the house and pick up Cole.’

Nate snorted. ‘Bored, is he?’

‘Upset. I think something happened. With a girl. So obviously he doesn’t want to talk about it with us.’

‘We’ll be right there.’

My stomach melted. ‘You are so getting laid tonight.’

He laughed softly. ‘Don’t I get laid every night?’

‘Yes, but tonight I’ll do anything you want.’

‘Anything?’ he growled.

‘Absolutely anything.’

‘Remind me to be a nice guy more often if this is the benefit.’

I smiled a little goofily and leaned back against the wall, my body all pliant just thinking about him. ‘Okay. But don’t be too nice of a guy. I do like it when you’re bad.’

‘Do people actually talk like that?’ Hannah’s voice ripped me back to reality, and I jumped off the wall to see her giving me a wide, teasing smile.

My cheeks flushed and I heard Nate laughing on the other end of the line. ‘It’s not funny,’ I snapped at him.