Читать книгу 12 Gifts for Christmas - Джулия Кеннер, Джулия Кеннер - Страница 33

ALMOST finished with the music stage, Declan hammered the last LED star in place on the header then climbed down from his ladder. As he descended, his gaze slipped across the street, like it did every five minutes or so.

After accepting his bet with a hot look and a nervous nod, Mari had skedaddled across the street and he hadn’t seen her since. It was driving him nuts.

“Hey, there, Declan Cole,” said a sultry voice behind him. “Talk about a holiday treat. When’d you roll back into town?”

Declan sighed. He should have known the ghost of girlfriends past would show up sooner or later. He turned, raising a brow at the sight.

Sylvie Ford apparently didn’t realize it was winter. Coatless, her low-cut top was plastered over a set of boobs that she hadn’t been sporting when he’d had the pleasure back in the day. Tight jeans tucked into knee-high boots made him wonder if she had a whip hidden in her pants. Big red hair, sharp brown eyes and a smile that told him she’d be glad to let him sample anything he saw completed the familiar package.

Mari had been a thousand times sexier bundled in denim and those weird shoes.

“Sylvie,” he greeted cautiously.

“And you’re looking even better than ever,” Sylvie said,

stepping forward to press her double Ds against him. “I’m glad to see you again. We have a lot to catch up on.”

Not really. Declan just smiled and retreated, glancing past her at the other woman leaning against a beat-up old Toyota.

“Dec,” greeted the quiet brunette with a sheepish smile.

“Hey, Robin,” he said, not surprised to see the other woman was still in Sylvie’s shadow. “How’ve you been?”

Before Robin could answer, the redhead stepped between them again.

“I heard you were helping out your aunt and uncle with the contest this year,” Sylvie said, trailing one of her talons down his chest.

His body cooling rapidly now that he wasn’t working, Declan edged away from her questing fingers and grabbed his coat. Shrugging into the extra layer of protection—from more than the chill—he glanced at the almost finished display. Nothing like the houses he usually built, but it still filled him with a comfortable sort of pride.

“That’s right. My aunt and uncle have a great idea, they just needed a little of my woodworking expertise.”

“You’re wasting your time. My daddy always wins the holiday contest. You know that. He claims it’s because I dress up as an angel and wave at the judges.”

Declan grimaced. He remembered one year she’d shown him what she wore under that costume. He’d had a hell of a time getting those feathers out of his … stuff.

“This is a new year,” was all he said, though. “The Coles have got as much of a shot as anyone.”

“We’ll see,” Sylvie claimed with a friendly smile. “I just wanted to stop by and say hi. And to invite you to the party over at Mike’s Bar to kick off the season. I’ll save a seat for you, okay?”

He gave a noncommittal shrug, knowing he wouldn’t go. Mike’s had been his father’s favorite drinking hole. Declan didn’t want to see it any more than he wanted to see Sylvie naked again.

Nope, the only woman he wanted to see naked was Mari, and Mari alone. He glanced across the street again, wondering where the hell she was.