On Dublin Street The Bonus Material - Samantha Young Page 0,13

the one who fucked someone two seconds after we broke up!”

She reached for a glass but Braden was done. He was on her before she could grab at it, pinning her wrists to her sides as he pressed his body into hers to restrain her against the counter.

“Let me go!” Jocelyn sobbed, struggling violently with him and making something sharp and devastating twist in his chest. “Just let me go! I hate you. I hate you!”

No, she loved him. “Shh. Shh, Jocelyn,” he was almost begging her, he couldn’t stand that he’d done this. He’d wanted a reaction, though, and now he had to deal with the consequences of being a complete and utter bastard. “Shh, don’t say that. Don’t say that. I didn’t mean it. I lied. I was angry. I’m a fucking idiot. I lied. I was with Elodie all night,” he confessed, desperate now for her to believe him. “You can call her and ask—she’ll tell you the truth. You know I would never do to you what was done to me.”

Braden felt her struggling cease as his words penetrated. He wasn’t lying. He would never cheat on anyone. And he most definitely would never cheat on Jocelyn.

He loved her.

Though, he sensed a battle ahead, Braden’s anger had dissipated. He’d hurt Jocelyn and he felt like a right bloody git, but he also felt assured.

Today he’d find out whether his little sister had a fight on her hands, a battle he’d determinedly fight with her. But for now he felt less burdened than he had that morning because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jocelyn Butler loved him back. She’d admitted it, even if she hadn’t said it with words. They both knew. She couldn’t take that back.

So while Braden fought for Ellie, he’d be fighting for Jocelyn, too.

5

Braden’s POV – The Plane Ticket

ON DUBLIN STREET

Ellie’s bedroom had been transformed while she was in the hospital. Braden took in the changes. The bed now looked like something out of a homestyle magazine. There were more cushions on there than twenty people needed. However Ellie seemed delighted. Everywhere Braden looked there were touches that proved Jocelyn had come to know Ellie extremely well over the last few months. Sitting on a new breakfast tray, that swung over the bed so Ellie didn’t have to get up to eat, were fresh flowers. Chocolates. On her bedside table were her favorite magazines. Puzzle and crossword books. There was now also a small flat screen television and DVD player in her room. And the bedding and cushions were all in her favorite shades of green.

He studied Ellie’s face and his heart started to pound harder at the wonderment and affection that softened her features. “Oh my God.” Her gaze flew to Jocelyn. “You did all this?”

Jocelyn shrugged. “It’s not much.”

The fact that she was uncomfortable with what she’d done made Braden want to stride across the room and hold her. He’d never met anyone so capable of love and so bloody terrified of expressing it. Braden was trying to show her that loving him, loving this family, would be the best thing Jocelyn would ever do. But the woman was trying his patience. He thought giving her space would make her miss him. That she’d see how shit life was when they were apart. However, he’d underestimated her stubbornness.

“You’re a little bit awesome.” Ellie moved toward Jocelyn slowly, reminding him of the physical trauma his sweet wee sister had just gone through. “I love it, thank you.”

He glowered as the two friends hugged. For fuck sake, Ellie had been braver than most people this week. Surely to hell her courage was inspiring to Jocelyn.

Eyes narrowed on his woman, he watched her boss his sister around and felt his heart pound faster as the last of his patience diminished.

Adam helped Ellie off with her shoes and into the bed and Elodie started giving Jocelyn instructions on her care. She happily accepted her role as Ellie’s nurse. Braden knew it was a start. But her defenses weren’t crumbling fast enough for his liking. In fact, she hadn’t looked at him once since they’d gotten there. While her defenses with Ellie were down, her defenses with him seemed to have grown a new armor-plated layer.

What. The. Ever. Loving. Fuck?

“And then she has a check-up three months after that.” Elodie was telling Jocelyn. “If everything’s fine, it’ll be a year after that.”

Jocelyn’s frown melted into a soft smile of hope as she