On Dublin Street(63)

“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.