Earlier this year, I read and really enjoyed On Dublin Street by self published author Samantha Young (I wrote my Top Ten reasons to read it here). It’s super sexy and an overall great romance.
Recently Samantha Young announced On Dublin Street and a second book have been picked up by Penguin. On December 31st, the trade paperback of On Dublin Street will be released! You can Pre-Order here.
To celebrate, Samantha Young has written a special short story featuring Braden and Joss on Christmas. I encourage you to read On Dublin Street first!
“An On Dublin Street Christmas”
by Samantha Young
The smell of coffee and cinnamon teased my curious eyes open and I pushed lazily up onto my elbow, grinning at Braden. He stood over our rumpled bed wearing a long-sleeved pajama top and matching pants.
Boo to winter for stealing my naked Braden time.
Strands of his gorgeous, dark hair flew out in different directions courtesy of my fingers and the rough treatment they’d given it when Braden had gifted me my first Christmas present of the morning. A stocking filler, he’d called it before he’d pushed my legs open and well… filled me.
Sigh.
I eyed the mugs of cinnamon-topped coffee in his hands. “Another present?” I asked as I took my mug from him. He placed his coffee on the bedside table before getting back into bed with me. I snuggled into his side as he reached back for the coffee and once he was settled I knocked my mug against his. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” he murmured and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.
Mmm, he tasted good. He tasted Christmassy.
Braden shot me a teasing look when he pulled back. “Definitely better than last year so far.”
Un-amused at the reminder, I flipped him the bird. He threw his head back in laughter.
Last year we’d spent Christmas day barely saying a word to each other, passing time in awkward conversation, swapping overly expensive Christmas gifts, and lending support to Ellie as she anticipated her upcoming surgery to remove tumors from her brain. The surgery part had obviously not been my fault. The weirdness with Braden had been. I’d broken up with him. I’d messed up hugely, terrified of being in love with him, and terrified of losing him.
I’d given him the run-around and it hadn’t been easy on him.
Every now and then he’d mention it and my guilt transformed me into a rampant sex goddess, bent on making it up to him.
Well, he’d already gotten sex this morning and I was getting wise to his manipulation.
“It’s Christmas. You can’t pull that card. You get presents instead.”
Braden pouted comically. “I just want sex.”
“Tough. You’ve had sex. Now you get a sweater.”
“A sweater?”
“It’s cold outside.”
“I own plenty of sweaters.” He eyed me in disappointment. “You seriously bought me a sweater for Christmas? And then told me before I opened it? Why bother wrapping it?”
“Maybe it’s a special Christmas sweater.”
“Does it have a reindeer on it smoking a hash pipe?”
I snorted. “No.”
“Then it’s not a special sweater.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Maybe it’s pieced together with Velcro so that when I feel like having my wicked way with you I can just tear the damn thing off. That’s pretty special.”
Braden took a sip of his coffee. “You didn’t buy me a sweater, did you?”
“No! Who do you think I am? Your Aunt May?”
“I don’t have an Aunt May.”
“I know that. I’m just saying that only Aunt May’s buy sweaters. If your girlfriend buys you a sweater on your first freaking Christmas together you kick that tool to the curb.”
Lips twitching, Braden’s eyes glittered as he stared into mine. “Even if you’d bought me a sweater I wouldn’t kick you to the curb.”
I felt my stomach flip flop and wondered if I’d ever get used to his scrumptiousness. “Really?”
“No way. Far too uncomfortable to have sex on a curb.”
“Oh, ha ha.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Funny man.”
He was still grinning as he nodded his head towards the door. “Let’s open our presents before Ellie and Adam get here.”
I reluctantly got out of our warm bed, shrugging on a thick robe and slippers, hugging the mug of hot coffee to my body as I followed Braden out of our bedroom and into the sitting room.
Ellie had complained to me about our Christmas decorations. Last year the flat had a big ass Christmas tree in it, as well as strings of tinsel arching every door, hanging from every window, and trimming the mantel on the fireplace. All Ellie’s doing. Braden and I were a little more low-key. This year there was not a single rope of tinsel to be found. Instead we’d bought a classy non-traditional white Christmas tree that stood in the window and had our little pile of presents under it. The window was lined with pale, twinkling fairy lights and I’d draped more fairy lights through decorative reeds I had in a large vase in the corner of the room.
I liked Christmas and this was Christmassy enough for us. Ellie and Adam’s flat looked like Santa had dropped around for a party, had too much to drink and puked up Christmas everywhere.
That was Ellie. Clutter freak.
God love her.
I sat down on the sofa and waited patiently, content, as Braden brought out piles of presents out from under the tree and placed them at our feet. “You go first,” I murmured, pointing to one of his smaller gifts.
We commenced the unwrapping of presents, having bought each other silly little things that made one another laugh, and things we’d overheard the other saying we needed. Braden had also bought me some very lovely and very expensive jewelry. I thought the diamond earrings and matching necklace was my main present, but he insisted he’d kept the most important gift for last, just as I had.
We stared at the last two gifts.
“You first,” I said again, feeling a little nervous.
Braden took off the paper and then opened the slim box, his eyes lighting up when he saw the Rolex Submariner in steel with the emerald green dial. He’d been ogling the damn thing online for months but couldn’t bring himself to buy it since he didn’t need it. It was a nice gift, one I knew he loved, but it wasn’t the whole gift.
“Turn it over,” I murmured, and my heart rate sped up as I awaited his reaction.
Brows furrowed, Braden turned the watch over and held it up in the light. On the back of the Rolex he found the inscription: Braden, Yours Forever, Love Jocelyn x
It was the most sentimental gift I’d ever given him. I didn’t say I love you a lot, and though I knew he knew that I loved him, I wanted him to know that I had no plans to ever stop loving him.
When he looked up from the inscription his eyes were dark with heat and emotion. “It’s beautiful, babe, thank you.”
I smiled shyly. “You’re welcome.”
“Open yours now,” he ordered gently, shoving his sleeve up so he could put on the watch. He looked up at me from under his long lashes, sensing my gaze was still on him. He grinned. “It’s never coming off.”
Relieved my gift had gone over so well with him I smiled and then picked up my last present. I unwrapped it. It was a box. It felt pretty heavy. I opened it, my hands freezing over the contents. Nestled in tissue paper was a photograph inside a modern, clear crystal photo frame. The photograph was of me and Braden standing by Mons Meg at Edinburgh Castle. We were wrapped around each other, kissing.
Ellie must have taken it when the four of us visited the castle during the summer. I thought I’d seen all the photographs Ellie had taken that day but clearly Braden had asked her to keep this one aside. Only he knew what the cannon meant to me, that it was my special place, and that made his gift that much more special.
I loved it. It wasn’t one of those cheesy, ‘hey, look how cute we are as we pose for the camera’, pictures. It was a candid shot of an unaware couple stealing a kiss.
I picked it up, about to tell him how great I thought it was, when I realized there was more. Under the photograph was another framed photograph. I lifted it, my fingers trembling, and I saw that underneath this one was another.
They were photographs taken out of the photo album I’d retrieved from my family’s self-storage unit in Virginia at the beginning of the year. I’d thrown away a lot of stuff, but I’d taken the photo album home back to Scotland with me. For the past ten months I kept saying I was going to get some frames for my favorite shots and put them up in the sitting room, but I’d kept putting it off, still fearing the thought of going through the album again.
So Braden had done it for me.
I gazed down at the photograph of me holding my baby sister, Beth. I looked so different, and not because I was just a kid. There was a light in my eyes that had since gone out. Braden and Ellie had done a lot to try and put it back and it was almost there, but there would always be that tiny shadow in the back of my eyes. I missed the eyes of the girl in this photograph. The other photograph was of my mom and dad kissing. It too was a candid shot, but one I had taken during a picnic down by the river.
They photos were perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
I looked up at him, determined to keep the sheen of tears out of my eyes. I think I failed.
“Shouldn’t I have…?” Braden asked quietly, seeming worried.
Shaking my head, I wrapped my hand around the nape of his neck and pulled him down for a long, slow kiss. When I pulled back I rested my forehead on his. “They’re perfect.” I sighed, smiling teasingly. “You know, I think I might kind of love you.”
He chuckled against my lips. “I think I might kind of love you, too.”
Our front door suddenly slammed and Ellie’s voice rang through the flat, “Merry Christmas!”
Braden cursed under his breath. “We need to take that bloody key off her.”
The rest of the day was relaxing and fun and exactly how Christmas should be. Braden and I made breakfast for Ellie and Adam, swapping Christmas morning stories without mentioning the naughty parts since that would just freak Braden and Ellie out, seeing as they were brother and sister and all. Afterwards, once Braden and I were washed and dressed for the day, we jumped in a cab and headed over to Ellie’s mom’s house for Christmas Day. Elodie Nichols was an awesome cook and the rest of the Nichols was kind of my adopted family now. It would be weird to spend Christmas without them. Declan, Ellie’s ten year old half-brother was hyper as all hell, bounding from one present to the next and one person to the next, showing off his presents to anyone who could be bothered to listen. He had a captive audience since we all thought he was pretty cute. Although I did learn that giving a kid that much chocolate in the morning wasn’t the best idea if you were looking for a headache-free day.
Hannah was the opposite. She’d curled herself up in an armchair with a new book and was successfully blocking us all out.
Dinner was delicious. We had the works—soup, a big old fat turkey, three different kinds of potatoes, steamed vegetable goodness and gravy, followed by profiteroles and a chocolate pudding. We had lots of wine with dinner and little cappuccinos afterwards.
By the time Braden and I left just before midnight, I could barely walk I was so stuffed full of food. I also felt irritably overheated from all the wine. Once in the flat I stomped down the hall to our bedroom, listening to Braden’s footsteps as he followed me. I turned around to face him as he came through the doorway, and I yanked my sweater off, throwing it on the floor. I patted my slightly-rounded stomach and then popped the top button on my jeans with a huge relieved sigh.
I flopped back on the bed, my arms and legs spread wide. I eyed him and offered magnanimously, “I’ve had a lot of food but if you don’t jiggle me too much you can have your wicked way with me.”
Braden laughed, strolling slowly over to the bed, peeling his coat off and placing it on a nearby chair. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stopped directly above me. “I think that’s possibly the sexiest offer I’ve ever gotten.”
I grunted at his sarcasm. “Look, this elf is almost done for the day so if you want me to fly the North Pole before I fall asleep it’s got to be now.”
He laughed even harder, almost choking on it as he reached up and pulled the zip down on my jeans. I felt him tug them from the hem of each leg. He whipped them off with practiced efficiency.
I raised my arms to him with a sleepy smile and he slid his arms under me, picking me up and pulling the bedcovers down in one smooth motion. Gently he rested me back on the bed and pulled the covers up to my chin.
Confused, I watched through blurry eyes as he began to undress. “No flying the North Pole?”
Braden grinned. “Not tonight, babe.”
“I’m not sexy?”
“You’re always sexy. You’re also drunk and stuffed full. I don’t think you can take any more.”
“But I want another stocking filler.” My eyes drifted shut and I felt the bed move as Braden slid in beside me, his arm coming around my waist to pull me close.
“It’s Boxing Day tomorrow. I’ll give you four stocking fillers,” he promised.
My eyes popped open. “By stocking fillers we mean orgasms right?”
His breath huffed on my neck. “Right.”
I smiled and closed my eyes, snuggling against him. “Best. Day. Ever.”
Braden made a low sound of agreement as his lips brushed my shoulder. “Merry Christmas, babe.”
What a great story!! I love these characters and can’t wait for book 2. Thanks Samantha!
Thank you Samantha! I wanted to read more about Braden and Joss! Merry Christmas!
Loved it!!! Thank you for sharing.
Oh, wow! Thank you, Samantha! On Dublin Street is one of my favorite books in 2012, I’m so glad Penguin picked it up… Now, will somebody make a movie out of this phenomenal book???
‘Stocking fillers’ lol What a cute story. Looking forward to book 2.
Thank you for the short story. This was my favorite couple of the year!!
Thank you so much Samantha for this story….. I really do miss Braden and Joss……
Loved it!
Loved it! Thanks so much Sam for a peek at how Joss and Braden are doing. Looking forward to ODS2. In the mean time, I’ll be re-reading my ODS original again and again :)
I am so happy for you that this book has become such a hit. It is very well deserved.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Michele
I can’t wait to read this book even I already download the ebook but I demand to wait for the book to come ouch
Thanks for this story! ODS was among my top 5 books for the year. Cannot wait until book 2!
How nice of Samantha to give us a gift on her Birthday! Love Braden and Jocelyn! Happy Birthday Samantha and Thanks for the awesome gift!
What a sweet treat!
Love love loved it!! Way cool to read a christmas story of them. Thanks!!
That was awesome! Thank you!
Loved it, loved them I want more!!!!
It called Stephen’s Day in Ireland, Boxing Day is UK, and Irish don’t use that name ever!
Hi Eliza,
On Dublin Street is set in Edinburgh, Scotland. We call it Boxing Day :)
Happy holidays
Samantha xx
My bad… :)
Awwww Samantha that was awesome!! I loved it and I miss them so much! Thank you for giving this to us! I’m not gonna lie, I would love some of them!
Have a great day!
thank you!!!!!!! that definitely made my birthday today that much better I absolutely love joss and Braden they are the the top five list of books couples for me . I can not wait until on Dublin street book 2 comes out!! my kindle is going to be so excited to add to its book collection. I seen someone say it was your birthday as well Happy birthday !!! hope you have a relaxing and memorable day !! and thank you again for your amazing talent of writing amazing books for all to enjoy
Amazing! So good to read more about these two.
Thank you!!
Can not wait for the second book.
Loved it! Thank for the snippet and I’m ready for the next one!
Thank you! I loved this little Christmas story! Can’t wait for book 2.
Thank you so much for posting the xmas story, Mandi! And thank you everyone for your awesome comments. I’m so glad you all enjoyed a wee peek back into the ODS world. And although it isn’t my birthday today I appreciate the well wishes :)
Much love
Samantha xx
“Stocking Fillers” may be my new favorite code phrase now. I’ll definitely try it this Christmas and see if anyone catches on to what we’re talking about. :) Just maybe not in front of our parents! This was a great way to get my ODS fix to hold me over until the next book. Thanks Samantha!
a sexy scottish brogue in your ear…..how i wish!
I loved it! I just love Joss and Braden! I cannot wait for the second book
I can never get enough Braden and Joss. Can’t wait for book 2!!!
On Dublin Street was one of my favorites this year, thanks for this little bit. Can’t wait to see what the next book brings
I LOVED On Dublin Street so this is quite a treat! Thank you so much Samantha! I can’t wait for ODS #2!!
Absolutely loved this! <3 What a treat to revisit the ODS world. Thanks Samantha! :)
Oh fun! Thank you so much for this! :)
Aw, thanks so much, Mandy for hosting Sam’s wonderful little treat. Sam you know how special Jocelyn (I know you’re reading this too, Mr. Cool) and Braden are to me… and so many others. Couldn’t have asked for better gift- other than Braden himself- on my front porch. A girl can dream! ;)
That was so sweet and fun. Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours! Much love. Happy holidays, everyone!!! xxx
Awesome! What a happy little surprise this post was. Best wishes on the print release.
Thanks so much for sharing! Loved it. Can not wait for book 2!
I broke my ankle yesterday in three spots and i had surgery today to fix it. I am sitting in my hospital room right now feeling a little down and i get this email about this short story. It made my day, helped me feel alot better and i laughed for the first time in 36 hours. I loved the story and im thinking about reading on dublin again (i lost track how many times i read it now) so thank you for posting it!!!!
What a great little Christmas nugget! Thank you, Ms. Samantha Young. I hope we can revisit these two again.
When can ODS2 be expected to be released?!
Ahhhh, I can never get enough Braden! Thanks Samantha! That was a great “stocking filler”! ;)
They need to continue the story. I love joss and Braden and want more. I want to read that they had a baby.
Loved it!! Thanks for the story!
Ah i loved it! Just learnt that there will be a second book… SO EXCITED!! eeeekk!
Love! I love Brayden and Jocelyn and I loved getting a peak back into their world. Thank you!
Thanks so much for doing this I loved it!
LOVE it! Thank you so much Samantha. Can’t wait until your next Adult book :)
Love. Love. Love.
OMG. I forgot how funny Jos is. And how damn sexy Braden can be. DAMN!!!!! Can’t wait for more
loved it, so can’t wait for the new book will be re-reading On Dublin Street again just before the new book comes out :)
I love this!
Thank you for bringing Braden and Josh back into my heart – I LOVE their story. I have to share: I talked my daughter into naming her son Braden :) Merry Christmas!
Awesome treat Samantha! I will never get enough of Joss & Braden. Thank you and Happy Holidays :)
I loved it! What a Christmas present. I absolutely LOVE these characters and cannot get enough. I didn’t know there is a book #2. When does it come out?
That was great!
wow… thank you :)
I love this post SO much! Braden & Joss are too cute together and this was hilarious! Dying for more!!! ODS is def one of my favs!
Vivian
Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
Deity Island
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I can’t wait for book two to come out! I miss Braden already! :)
Thank you so much for the short story! Loved it as usual. Glad to see they still have their same spark! Can’t wait for the next book to come out!!
i hope Book #2 is Braden & Jocelyn against the world…not inner-turmoil between them. They’ve earned their happily ever after.
I am in love with your book I can’t wait till the second one comes out’n ur awesome!
Thank you. The book ended & I was sad. The short story & I am sad. I just love these characters. :)
I loved “On Dublin Street”. It’s one of those books you just can’t leave down. The Christmas story is a great catch up with Braden and Jocelyn but I would really like to see a follow up novel !!!
Loved this little extra about Braden and Joss. Have just read On Dublin Street, (2nd time in a week) and was really at a loss when I finished, I just fell in love with them both. Now I found this and it was an unexpected surprise. Definitely loved it!!
awesome
Can’t wait for more
I loved On Dublin Street and loved this short addition as well!! I can’t wait for book 2! Will it be about Braden and Joss? I thought I saw something about the friend from the bar. :( I really hope there is more on this couple and I agree with the comment about a movie! What a great movie it would be. :) Thanks for sharing this.
Samantha Young – THANK YOU so much for giving us more of Jocelyn and Braden. I loved reading about them. On Dublin Street just wasn’t long enough :-)I loved this couple and their wit and the special love they shared. I can’t wait to read On Dublin Street again. This Christmas scene was a pure treat. Thank you again.
God I miss Braden and Josie so much I hope we get to see them in her second book(:
:-) Thank you…. waiting waiting for more!!!
I ❤ this book. When is book to coming out?
Down London Road comes out 5/7
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16140408-down-london-road
2
I know you’re writing or have written and we’re waiting for Johanna’s story but I’d really like a continuation with Braden and Jocelyn :) great stories!
Loved On Dublin Street and will miss Braden and Jocelyn. It was so nice to get a chance to see how things go on for them
I’ve missed these characters…
Wow! This is extra! I just finished reading On Dublin Street. It’s SO GOOD. I enjoyed it so much.
Best. Book. Ever.
Braden & Jocelyn? Best. Couple. Ever.
I love reading this short story. Thank you for sharing!
Looking forward to the next one!
I loved on Dublin street! I hope to read more of joss and Braden! Loved this Christmas story! Definitely one of my favorite couples! What an awesome book!
I thought Braden’s Christmas present was joss pregnant. God I would like a book on that.
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Well, even with PAYG, if they’re all homeless and desparate, how do they pay for the topups?Also, what was with that godawful flag thing between scenes? Was it incase you forgot what country the show is set in? If they go abroad, does it change to a different flag? Like the old transformers cartoon used to change from Autobots to the Decepticons.
Loved your Joss and Braden Christmas story. Miss them. Hope theres more to come. Can’t wait!
Loved that can never have enough of Braden and Joss
What a lovely Christmas Treat! Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Braden & Joss with forever me my favourite!
I found On Dublin Street at some little store completely unaware of this author and since I have tracked down all her books and want to read more. This book so needs to be made into a movie or even a tv movie id settle for that. It is beautiful written and so full of life, and happiness, I hope there is more to come.
Oh gosh… I just finished reading Moonlight On Nighttangle Way a few days ago and I still feel so sad that the ODS series is finally concluded. I went back to read ODS because of that little ending scene between Braden and Jocelyn. I totally miss them. Samantha, you should totally write some Braden POV scenes. I would definitely buy it. They’re still my favorite couple.
Congratulation on your successful series. You have a big fan here. I have all your books after I read ODS. Still my fave collection to go to.
This has to be one of my favourite series ever. I know you said the series is finished, but could we have some novellas once in a while about Braden and Joss just to know what is happening with their lives…… Please!
This is one of my favourite series ever. I know you said that the series is finished, but could you write some novellas regarding Braden and Jocelyn, it would be great to know what is happening with their lives.
Hi Samantha, love this small story about joss and brad… hope you will continue to write more on the Dublin street series…. there are so many other characters…… and I’m hoping you will write on them too…..
so hot..I could read this a million times
Thank you Samantha . Merry Christmas
Love Josh and Braden.
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Samantha Young – THANK YOU so much for giving us more of Jocelyn and Braden. I loved reading about them. On Dublin Street just wasn’t long enough :-)I loved this couple and their wit and the special love they shared. I can’t wait to read On Dublin Street again. This Christmas scene was a pure treat. Thank you again.https://hoidulich.net/