Down London Road

concerned about Cole and providing for him and making sure he’s going to be okay. I bet half of what happened out in the hall this afternoon was because of him and you feeling like you’d let him down. If you’re so concerned about him, then take a bloody job when it’s offered to you.’
    I pulled out of his embrace, my cheeks burning at beingspoken down to like that. I stretched out on the other side of the couch and reached over for the television remote, bumping up the volume of the sci-fi programme we were watching. Not only was I annoyed by his tone, but I was annoyed that he was absolutely right.
    His weary sigh filled the living room.
    ‘Fine,’ I grumbled. ‘I’ll call Braden tomorrow.’
    Silence greeted me, so I shot him a quick look before focusing back on the television. The overbearing bastard was trying not to smile. ‘Good. I’m glad to hear it.’
    ‘Are you deliberately trying to be a smug bugger?’
    He snorted. ‘How did I go from being the guy who brought your family back together to being a smug bugger? How did we go from cuddling to you sitting as far from me as possible?’ He grabbed my calf. ‘Come back.’
    I kicked out at him. ‘Stop it.’
    ‘Fine, I’ll come to you.’
    I squealed as he launched himself over me, pinning me to the sofa. ‘Get off!’ I laughed as he buried his nose in my neck, his fingers tickling my waist.
    ‘Will you be nice?’ he muttered against my skin.
    I pouted. ‘I’m always nice.’
    Cam lifted his head and kissed the pout right off my mouth and what had started as playful quickly gained heat. I held him to me, his chest pressing against my sensitive breasts as he deepened our kiss.
    When his hips began to thrust gently against me, his hard-on nudging between my legs, I tore my mouth away from his, feeling as if my whole body was going to burst into flames. ‘Don’t,’ I breathed, gripping his hips to stillhis erotic motion. ‘We can’t do anything and I’m horny as hell. Don’t torture me.’
    ‘Yeah?’ Cam’s grin was wicked as his hand coasted up my waist to cup my breast. He squeezed it, setting off a weird mixture of painful tenderness and a bolt of lust to my sex.
    ‘My eyes!’ Cole yelled.
    Cam and I jerked apart, and I twisted my head to see my brother standing in the doorway in his pyjamas, his hair falling in wet locks across his forehead. His forearm covered his eyes. ‘I’m fucking blind,’ he growled and turned around, bumping into the wall before remembering to drop his arm. After that he stomped out of the flat, the door slamming in his wake.
    Horrified, I looked up into Cam’s face, my eyes wide. ‘I think I should let him get away with using the “f” word on this occasion.’
    Cam snorted, laughter spluttering as he dropped his head to my chest, his whole body shaking with amusement.
    I felt an irrepressible giggle escape me despite my mortification for myself and Cole. ‘It’s not funny. We’ve scarred him. I better check on him.’
    Cam shook his head, his eyes bright with mirth. ‘You’re the last person he wants to see right now.’
    ‘But he’s upstairs with Mum.’
    ‘I’m sure he’s barricaded himself in his room and is doing anything he can to burn the image of me dry-humping his sister out of his mind.’
    ‘Why do you have to be right about everything? It’s exceptionally annoying.’
    He just smiled.
    ‘No, I mean it. Either you’re going to have to stop or you’re constantly going to find yourself on the wrong end of the couch.’
    ‘Good.’ He flashed that heated smile at me again. ‘I like the making-up part.’
    I abruptly kissed him hard, liking that answer and too love-fogged to care that he now knew just how much his cockiness could turn me on. When I finally let him up for breath, I brushed my thumb across his mouth, hoping I got to keep that sexy curl of his lip forever and ever. ‘I am grateful for today. For everything. For handling me with care and for going out of your way to bring Uncle Mick to me.’
    His eyes lit with affection and sweet tenderness as he searched my face slowly, seeming to memorize each feature. ‘Anytime, baby.’
    I cuddled him close and we lay in silence for a few moments. Brushing his hair through my fingers, I asked tentatively, ‘Cam?’
    ‘Aye?’
    ‘I know you said you gave up on the idea of looking for your birth parents, but after seeing what happened today with Mick … are you sure?’
    ‘That was different.’ His breath