Chapter 6
When people said eventually karma would catch up and pay her back for every bad deed she’d done, Sydney had always imagined it was a somewhere-down-the-road kind of deal.
But no. She was currently in one of the seven levels of hell as Mr. Mustache attempted to charm her with a story about how he had a big, fat…wallet.
Oh, he posed it as being the question on the card he wanted to hand her, but considering he attempted to tuck said card into her cleavage before she slapped his hand away, the man’s self-preservation instincts were running dangerously low.
Across the room, Madison caught sight of the situation and hurried toward them.
Before the organizer made it even halfway, a clear masculine voice sounded in Sydney’s ear.
“Hey, Syd. Got a question for you.” Declan rumbled up beside Sydney, thrusting out a hand to Mr. Mustache.
“Hey there, bro. Hate to interrupt, but my friend here needs to get in on this. You know how it is, looking out for your pals and all. Syd, there’s a nice lady over there I want to introduce you to. ”
Declan’s arm slipped around her back and guided her well away from her supposed current chatting partner.
When Declan stopped, Sydney was eye to eye with a woman in her late thirties who blinked in surprise.
“Oh. Hello,” the woman offered.
“Lisbeth, this is my friend Sydney. I know it’s completely sideways, but the card you gave me asking about my favorite food made me think of Sydney. She’s good friends with one of the restaurant owners here in town.”
Lisbeth still look shocked, but she politely faced Sydney. “You are?”
Sydney had the presence of mind to clue in, although she wasn’t sure if Declan had come to her rescue or if she was coming to his. “Yes. Are you new in town? Have you heard of Buns and Roses?”
“I saw it, but I wasn’t sure what it’s all about.”
“You’ll love it. Casual, but super tasty.”
Declan stayed silent as Sydney and Lisbeth chatted, a muscular wall of protection as he stood guard beside them and nodded when appropriate.
Across the room, Slimy Mustache Dude glared daggers but wisely chose to head to the bar to grab his second drink instead of coming over to make a fuss.
When the music changed up again, Sydney rolled with the punches and took the out while it was available. She caught Declan by the arm. “Change of plans. You ready to leave?”
“Fifteen minutes ago,” he muttered, striding after her toward the door.
Maddy spotted them but simply shrugged. Sydney made a mental note to stop in and have a talk with the young woman in the week to come.
They hadn’t meant to mess up the social event. Sydney would find a way to make up for their faux pas.
Barely out the door, Declan’s arm slipped around her waist and attached her to his side. “You have somewhere in mind?”
“Out of there,” she admitted. “Want to go for a drive?”
Because she was far too wired up to go home and try to sleep.
He helped her into his truck. Silence enveloped them, peaceful and content. Never awkward, never making her feel as if she had to work hard to fill space with noise.
Instead, she stared into the sky as the few clouds drifted slowly, the edges beginning to be painted with the promise of sunset. Speed dating had been hugely awkward. She was grateful that Declan had been there, and not just to rescue her ass.
Unbidden, an idea popped to mind. Down the road, when she could consider dating, she’d want it to be with someone like him.
The tentatively hopeful thought was immediately followed by a rush of terror shooting ice up her spine.
Okay. That was clear enough.
She leaned her forehead against the window and mindlessly watched fence posts flick by like dominoes waiting to fall.
The truck came to a stop, and she struggled out of her hypnotic state. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere we can enjoy the smart portions of this evening and not have to deal with the bullshit.”
Next thing she knew, Declan had opened her door and was offering a hand. He guided her to the dropped tailgate, and she didn’t protest as he lifted her up into the back of the truck.
Laughter escaped. “Declan Skye, you sly devil. When did you do this?”
She certainly hadn’t noticed on the ride into town. The truck bed had a thick camping mattress on the base and pillows strategically placed to create a backrest.
He seemed pleased to have surprised her. “You came straight to the truck and hopped in. It’s been there all night.”
Sydney kicked off her shoes and wiggled into a comfortable position. She patted the spot beside her. “Time to explain your cryptic comment. What are the smart things we’ll keep enjoying?”
“I don’t have to explain what kind of bullshit we don’t need to put up with?”
Yeah, no. “What’s this?” she asked as she took the whatever it was he handed her. Turned out it was one of the cards that Madison had given them. “You still want to do the cards?”
He left his boots by the tailgate and settled his bulk beside her, moving a few pillows into better positions. “The entire evening wasn’t a terrible idea. I just think there were some people there that were up past their bedtime or needed to check their manners.”
“Thank you for not giving any etiquette lessons, no matter how much they deserved it.” Sydney turned her attention to the card in front of her, pulling the ones out of her pocket as well. “Very well, let’s have some meet-and-greet practice.”
“Fuck that. Let’s just get to know each other better.”
He sounded as if he’d had enough, and she didn’t blame him.
Out of all the Skye brothers, Declan was the one who kept the most to himself.
Walking into a setting with all those strangers must’ve been pretty overwhelming.
“Sounds good to me. First question from me. Out of all the official holidays, which one do you like the most, and which one would you toss out the window?”
“I like Thanksgiving.” Instant response, firm and solid.
“Not so much because of the historic reasons, but it’s gotten to be more meaningful the older I’ve gotten.
It’s important to be grateful and give thanks for the things we have while we have them.
We never know how long we have with people, so the reminder to actually say we love them—it’s a lesson I really learned. ”
God. She could relate to that. Both the fact that people could be gone in an instant and appreciating them while they were there.
“I intensely dislike Valentine’s Day,” Sydney informed him.
“Sharing we care about friends is important, but not because there’s a capitalistic, Hallmark-created holiday. I wish it would vanish.”
Declan look thoughtful. “Sadie loved all holidays. but she thought like you that it wasn’t about what you could buy. She took a great deal of delight in making things. She wasn’t good at all of it, but the gifts were always put together with love.”
He’d mentioned Sadie more than he had in the entire year she’d known him. “People like that are special. I adore how Petra is constantly looking for the perfect candle. Or how Tansy knows each of our favorite treats, and they magically appear on the days we’re feeling shitty.”
“I get a kick out of how Tansy gets revenge when you do something to piss her off.” Declan brushed his thumb over the back of Sydney’s knuckles, and she suddenly realized they were holding hands.
“Jake said something about the proper way to make lasagna, and to this day she deliberately mucks it up. It’s still tasty as hell, and I could eat a pound of it by myself, but it was something stupid about the layers of cottage cheese instead of ricotta or hell if I know what.
She puts the dish on the table and watches him gobble it down, and then she grins because she made it wrong and he loves it. ”
“Tansy is a bright star in our universe,” Sydney said seriously.
Declan eased back on the pillows, his fingers stroking up her arm and over her shoulder to pull her shoulder strap back into place. “I’ve never seen that dress before. It’s pretty.”
His fingers traveled up farther. Stroking her neck, across her cheek. He traced his thumb over her lips, gaze fixed firmly on her, following every touch, every caress.
When he slid his hand to the back of her head and tilted her face upward to him, she followed his lead. She leaned into his kiss, curled herself up against him. Rested one hand on his chest where the beat of his heart thumped against her palm.
The kiss deepened, and Sydney gave in. She offered herself up to his control, to the tease of his tongue against hers. When he pulled her across his body, she let her thighs fall open so he rested intimately between her legs.
Kisses teased down her neck, followed by the straps of her dress being pushed aside. Declan nipped along her collarbone, down to the front of her bra to the exposed hollow between her breasts.
“Tell me you want me,” Declan whispered urgently.
“Yes. I need you.”
He pushed off her bra straps, exposed her breasts, and then his mouth was on her. Nipping, teasing, sucking until she squirmed. She drove her fingers into his hair and tugged him from one side to the other whenever the ache became unbearable.
A series of curses escaped her lips as he slid under her, tossing the layers of her skirt aside and hauling her forward until his mouth landed on her pantie-covered sex.
“Declan.” She moaned as he jerked aside the gusset and swiped his tongue between her folds, landing unerringly on her clit. With both his hands clasped on her ass, she couldn’t move. Not that she wanted to, trapped in place by pleasure and the promise of a mind-blowing orgasm.
Cool air swirled over her naked torso, and she cupped her breasts, pinching her own nipples as Declan did his best to drive her wild. He speared his tongue deep, then slid a hand under the layers of her skirt to rub her clit with raw determination.
Release hovered, but the need to give to this incredible man made her push herself off him enough to twirl and undo the button on his jeans.