On Loverose Lane (Return to Dublin Street #1)

31. Callan

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CALLAN

J ohn’s birthday was the perfect distraction. He liked to dance, so Baird and a few guys off the team took him out to a nightclub. This was usually the time in the season when we started to feel the need to decompress a bit.

I was wound up more than usual because Gavin had shown up at practice on Saturday. I told security to get rid of him. But word reached me he was at the game yesterday and this time was drunk and saying shitty things about me. The thought of Gavin back in my life, hounding me—most likely for money—was something I couldn’t deal with. I needed a distraction. I’d been getting plenty of that from Beth over the past week, but the guys needed to blow off some steam, too, so a nightclub it was. The gaffer didn’t like us partying too much during the season, but even he recognized we needed an outlet now and then.

John had told me to invite Beth and her friends, so I did. She’d brought along the girls who worked with her, Cara and Michaela, and it occurred to me as we strolled into the club on the Cowgate together that Beth didn’t talk about the girls much other than in relation to work. She didn’t talk about any friends.

It seemed weird to me. If we were in a place where it was my business, I might ask her what was up with that.

Tonight was clearly hip-hop and R&B night at the club. Baird raised both arms as we walked in, drawing attention to us with his size. “That’s what I’m talking aboot!” He spun around, grinning as he did a couple of booty pops that made Beth fall into my side laughing.

I curled an arm around her waist, my hand resting possessively on her hip.

She looked amazing. She always looked amazing, but tonight I’d wanted to pull her back into her flat and peel the sexy blue dress off her. It molded to her gorgeous body like a second skin, and the hem stopped midthigh, showing off her long, strong legs. It had barely any straps and the round neck was low enough to tempt a saint. On her feet were blue heels that made my cock hard.

Even baring all that skin, she still had this classiness no amount of money could buy. It was in the way she held herself. She was just one of those women who always looked put together, even in joggers and a T-shirt. But it was more than that—it was also in the way she treated people.

We’d gone out for dinner a couple of times this past week before ending up back at my place, and anyone we encountered she was warm and friendly and polite to. On the cab ride here, she’d asked Cara and Michaela a ton of questions, never once steering the conversation back to herself, and she seemed genuinely interested in their lives and what they had to say. She’d even been warm and sweet to the girls I’d had one-night stands with before she and I got together. She treated everyone she met like long-lost friends and family.

It was how she’d been when we were kids. Why I’d liked her so much.

Something unpleasant burned in my chest.

Before it could take hold, John appeared with Kaito, Botan, and Eric at his back. Loud introductions were made, and I ignored another unpleasant sensation that arose when John enfolded Beth in a tight hug and kissed her cheeks.

“Happy Birthday!” She beamed up at him.

The sight of his hands on her lower back, near the curve of her arse, had me stepping forward. I gently pushed between them to embrace John. “Happy Birthday, mate.”

“The girls and I are going to grab drinks. What do you want?” Beth asked as I pulled back from my teammate and friend.

“We’ll get them,” I insisted.

“Opened a tab.” John smiled down at her. “Under the team’s name. Just put everything on that.”

“Nice!” Cara grinned. “Thanks.”

“Hey …” John’s gaze dragged down her body. “You’re welcome?”

“Cara,” Beth introduced. “And this is Michaela.”

“Nice to meet you both.”

Beth touched my arm. “What do you want?”

You in my bed right this fucking second . “Whatever they have on draft.”

She nodded, and she and her girls made their way through the club. I scowled as a group of lads spotted them and turned to watch them pass. They nudged each other and moved closer to the bar as Beth reached it. Strobe lights bounced off them and they stared at Beth’s arse in a way that made me want to rip off their balls.

I scowled and started to move forward.

“Whoa.” Baird slung an arm around my shoulders, appearing out of nowhere. “No starting fights on John’s birthday.”

I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to relax. “I’m fine.”

“You’re wound up tight, mate. Look, she’s a sexy lassie in a nightclub. People are going to look at her, so rein it in. Thought this was only casual between you, anyway?”

“It is.” One of the blokes was breaking away from his group, stepping toward Beth. “Excuse me.” I pushed by Baird and marched through the clubgoers, shoving past their jumping bodies.

Michaela and Cara had disappeared. The bloke was leaning on the bar next to Beth, but for his sake, I was glad to see he’d kept some space between them as he tried to chat her up. Not caring if I came across as an arsehole, I inserted myself between them, my hand on the curve of Beth’s arse as I leaned in, giving my back to the stranger flirting with her. “How’s it going here, princess?”

Beth turned into me, her eyes hot as she smoothed a hand down my chest. “The drinks are coming. Did I tell you how good you look tonight?”

I pulled her closer, our lower bodies pressed in a way that was dangerous, but I didn’t give a fuck. “Not as good as you look. This dress.” I skimmed a hand over her taut arse. “You trying to kill me?”

Beth laughed, eyes flashing wickedly as she leaned up to press a soft kiss to my mouth. She murmured, “Maybe a little.”

“Where did your girls go?”

“Took their drinks and went off to dance.”

Leaving her alone at the bar to get hit on. Nice.

Our drinks arrived as Baird and the rest of the guys stopped at the bar to order. John had secured a table at the back of the club, up on a platform near the rear entrance. It offered a modicum of privacy from the rest of the room but not from the music. We sat there with our drinks for a bit, shouting over the music about football and movies and random shit.

Then one of Baird’s favorite tunes came on, so he bounced out into the crowd to dance, John following in his wake.

“Do you dance?” Beth asked.

“Do you want to?”

She nodded.

I stood and held out my hand to her. A soft smile played on her lips a second before she took it and rose. As I turned, I saw Eric zero in on Beth’s arse. “Eyes,” I clipped at him over the music.

The left wing raised a hand in apology, and Beth nudged me toward the dance floor with a huff of annoyance.

Just as we found Baird with John and Cara and Michaela, the music changed to a slow, sexy track by the Weeknd. Beth wound her arms around my neck and moved into my body with confidence. My blood heated as her soft curves pressed up against me, and I wrapped my arms around her waist to bring her closer. She let out a little gasp of excitement as we rolled our hips to the rhythm of the music. Turned the fuck on, because apparently everything she did turned me the fuck on, I kissed her as we swayed.

It was a dirty kiss and there was no doubt she could feel what it was doing to me.

A slap across my shoulder drew me out of it.

Baird, the bastard, grinned at us. “Get a fucking room. You’re arousing us all!”

Laughter broke out among our friends and anyone in the vicinity who heard. Beth shook with amusement as she pressed her forehead against my jaw. I could feel her trying to get a hold of herself. My arms tightened around her. It was true we couldn’t seem to keep our hands off each other.

I’d never experienced this kind of attraction before.

It was all-fucking-consuming.

Unable to help myself, I smoothed my hand over her arse and squeezed.

She chuckled and pulled back to stare at me. Her smile died at whatever she saw on my face, her blue eyes turning hot.

I wanted to pull her tiny dress up and slide my cock inside her right here on this dance floor.

Instead I kissed her, slower this time, but no less dirty.

Beth shivered in my arms and blazing triumph burned through me.

Maybe we could leave early. John would understand.

“Beth!”

The female cry broke us apart. My date blinked rapidly as she turned to greet the gorgeous stranger standing in our personal space. Then she beamed with absolute joy. “Maia!”

The two women embraced and then Beth pulled back to gesture to me. “Maia, this is Callan, my … friend. Callan, this is my cousin Maia.”

I held out my hand to the dark-haired beauty. “Nice to meet you.”

She smiled, eyeing me in consideration. “You too.”

“How are Logan and Grace? And Lachlan?” Beth asked about people I didn’t know.

“All good!”

“Who are you here with? Elliot?”

“No. The girls from work, but we’re heading out.” She waved in a vague left direction.

“And who is this?” Baird boomed, sidling up to us, his gaze fixed on Beth’s cousin.

“Maia.” She eyed him with a playful smile.

Baird stared as if dumbfounded. “Maia, I’m Baird,” he finally replied, “and you are the most stunning fucking woman I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Maia laughed like she thought he was joking.

“That’s really very nice of you, but”—she flashed her left hand where a large diamond ring winked on her finger—“I’m taken. And you’re too young for me.”

My friend appeared crushed by this news. “No way.”

Maia laughed again and turned to Beth to hug her. “It was great to see you. We need to catch up. Call me, ay!”

“Will do!” Beth waved her off.

Baird stared after Maia as she disappeared out the exit. “I’m going to marry her.”

“She’s marrying someone else.” Beth patted his arm. “And she likes older men. You’re actually younger than her, Baird.”

“By how much?”

“She’s twenty-nine.”

“Pfft. Four years is nothing.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Who’s the bloke she’s marrying?”

“Are you serious?” Beth turned to me, wide-eyed and laughing. “You met her for like two seconds.”

“Two seconds is all I needed.” Baird nodded determinedly. “You should throw a party or something so I can talk to her.”

“She’s engaged.”

“But not married.” He winked and danced backward toward the rest of our group.

“He’s serious, by the way,” I said as I drew Beth back into my arms.

I loved how easily she came into them, and the way her fingernails scraped absentmindedly across my nape. “He’s hilarious. And so not Maia’s type.”

“Baird thinks he’s everyone’s type.”

She chuckled at that, her eyes flaring as my hands coasted down her back and onto her arse. “Not mine,” she promised huskily as she leaned up toward my lips.

“Nope!” Michaela was suddenly pulling Beth out of my arms. “You two need some breathing room before you get arrested!”

Scowling, I watched as she dragged Beth deep into the dancing crowd, away from me.