Echoes of Scotland Street (On Dublin Street #5)(41)
Author: Samantha Young

Rae had just opened her mouth to speak when Cole beat her to it. “Before you say anything, I’d like to remind you I’m your boss.”

She replied with a long, drawn-out snort. “I don’t think we’re the ones who need that reminder since we’re not the ones who just fucked an employee or our boss.”

I glanced up at Cole. He looked comically affronted. “I did no such thing.” Something wicked glinted in his eyes. “If anyone did the fuc—”

“Finish that sentence and die.” I let go of his hand and crossed my arms over my chest.

He grinned and strolled over to Rae and Simon to give them the coffee we’d brought them.

To my relief, the ribbing seemed to be over. Rae sighed. “Big day today. Cole, you’ve got a five-hour piece, I’ve got two second sessions for removals, and that means, Simon, you’ve got a fuck load of smaller appointments to contend with. Try to keep up.”

Simon gave her a wry smile. “No pressure, then.”

I grabbed a pad of paper off the desk. “Give me your lunch orders now and I’ll run out and grab some sandwiches. It’ll be too busy later on today for me to be able to nip out for them.”

They gave me their orders and Rae and Simon went to their rooms to set up. Cole, however, stayed.

I put the lunch money in my purse. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Just trying to work out how I’m going to get through today—all I can think about is how good it feels to be inside you.”

My blood instantly heated at the sudden turn of conversation. I pressed a hand to my hot cheek. “I’m so glad I’m not a typical redhead. I’d be wearing a constant beamer around you.”

“Personally I think the blushing would be fun.”

I rolled my eyes and gently nudged him aside. “Yeah, for you.”

Cole’s hand wrapped around my wrist and he pulled me back to him. He swallowed my gasp as he lifted me clean off my feet and crushed his mouth down on mine. Arms around his neck, I kissed him back for a few seconds before he gently lowered me to the floor, kissed my nose, and strode off into the back of the shop.

Feeling more than a little foggy, I had to physically shake myself out of the sexual stupor he’d put me in.

I was beginning to feel less and less in control of this whole situation.

*   *   *

It was an understatement to say we were busy. The odd few times I did see Cole he was completely professional around the customers and I didn’t have to worry about him making any more heated comments that flustered me. I did, however, have to contend with an increasingly itchy tattoo.

“I want to rub myself up against a scratching post,” I complained to Cole as we entered his flat later that evening with Chinese takeout in hand.

He smirked as I followed him into the kitchen. “Please don’t. You’ll ruin all my hard work.”

“I won’t. I just want to.”

“It’s healing. The itchiness will go away. You just need to persevere.” He lifted up his kettle. “Coffee?”

“Please.”

As he walked over to the sink I noticed he was a little stiff. He grimaced and pulled his shoulders back on a groan.

“Are you okay?”

He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Hunching over for a five-hour tattoo always pisses my back off.”

It occurred to me I hadn’t even thought about how physically uncomfortable Cole’s job could be. Feeling like a shitty nongirlfriend that I hadn’t considered this, I immediately thought of a way I could help. “I could give you a massage if you want. Years ago I had this friend Caro and when she was training to be a masseuse I was her guinea pig. I picked up a few things.”

“You don’t have to do that.” He threw me a tired smile as he walked back to put the kettle on.

“I want to.” I put the unopened takeout on the table. “Dinner can wait.” I left the kitchen, glad to hear his footsteps following behind me. Once in his bedroom, I pulled down the duvet and pointed to the mattress. “Shirt off. Lie on your stomach.” As Cole did as I said I went looking for moisturizer in the bathroom.

Finding it among other girlie stuff in the back of his bathroom cabinet, I felt a burn inside me that I could have likened to jealousy if I wasn’t so sure Cole and I weren’t ever going to be serious.

In the bedroom, Cole lay on his stomach, head on his arms. The sight of his broad shoulders and muscular back caused a little flip in my lower belly. Kicking off my shoes, I climbed onto the bed and straddled him.

“I like this already,” Cole murmured.

I tapped some moisturizer onto my palms and rubbed them together. “Did you live here with a woman?”

I felt him tense beneath me. “Yes. Why?”

“There’s still some girlie toiletries in your bathroom cabinet.”

“There is? I’ll get rid of them if it bothers you.”

“No. I was just curious.” I began to work gently at the muscles in his neck and shoulders first. The low groan he emitted shot straight between my legs and I squeezed my eyes closed. This was not a sexy massage. Cole was in real discomfort. I was helping him. Dirty thoughts back into the gutter, please.

“Her name was Elena.” He sighed, his whole body relaxing under my touch. “We split up eight months ago.”

Ignoring the sharp object that seemed to have lodged itself in my chest, I went for a casual tone. “What happened?” Shannon, you are clearly a glutton for punishment.

“We dated for nine months, lived together for three of those. First time I’ve ever lived with a girlfriend. It was a disaster.”

“Why?” I held my breath, hoping despite higher reasoning that Cole had no lingering feelings for this Elena person. Rae had not told me about an Elena person, and that, in itself, caused me concern. Had she broken Cole’s heart so badly no one talked about it? Crap.

“We weren’t really compatible. You really get to know someone—” He groaned again as I found the knot that was bothering him. I began to gently work it out. “Feels good, Shortcake.” His eyelashes fluttered closed and I almost growled in frustration.

“You were saying,” I prompted, trying to sound casual.

“Mmm? Oh yeah, Elena. Yeah, you get to know someone when you live with her. She discovered that she couldn’t deal with someone as laid-back as I am—apparently it means I don’t care enough—and I discovered she was a bitch. She talked about her friends behind their backs and was always making negative remarks about people, even strangers on the street. It was when she started in on Hannah that I’d had enough.”