Down London Road

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 fuckable.’
    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 asshole, 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.
    Peetie chuckled. ‘Nate, mate, when you try to convincea teenager to spend time with you playing video games, it’s time to re-evaluate your life.’
    We laughed, earning us the middle finger from Nate.
    ‘I’ll be home in a few hours,’ Cole informed me with a small smile before he left the flat. That smile warmed me up better than a mug of hot chocolate.
    ‘Actually, you guys should go too.’ Cam moved towards them, making a shooing gesture.
    Peetie stood up with a knowing grin. ‘Sure, no problem. Lyn wants me to meet her on Princes Street anyway.’
    Grumbling, Nate switched off the console and telly. ‘You’re both whipped.’
    ‘Did you see the shoes?’ Cam asked smugly, making me blush. If I didn’t know he had plans to screw me imminently, I did now. And so did his friends.
    Nate did some more grumbling, making me blush harder with a ‘Lucky bastard’.
    ‘See you soon, Jo.’ Peetie nodded at me as he passed us.
    Punching Cam on the arm, Nate advised, ‘Watch those heels on your back. Those fuckers can hurt.’
    I groaned in mortification as Cam laughed.
    ‘Wear protection.’ Nate winked at me. ‘And have fun, kiddies.’
    As soon as the door shut behind them I glowered at Cam. ‘We’re not having sex.’
    His mouth fell open. ‘Why not? I threw them out. We have a