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Holly shook her head. “I was hoping you wouldn’t hear that, but sound carries. Delilah is boisterous, but she’s a kind, loyal, amazing friend.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. I know you wouldn’t suffer anyone in your inner circle who was a jerk.” Declan chuckled. “Present company excluded.”
“I don’t think you’re a jerk…anymore,” she amended with a smirk.
Declan patted her hip. “Wow, high praise. Just wait until you get a mouthful of these pancakes.”
“I do love breakfast foods, especially the sweet stuff.”
“Speaking of sweet stuff,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. But before his lips touched hers, Holly burst out laughing. He reared back, frowning. “What’s so funny?”
“That was insanely corny.”
Declan pursed his mouth, hiding his amusement. “Damn, I was going for nice guy, maybe even a little flirtatious. Forgive me, I’m new at this whole thing.”
“What whole thing? You’ve had girlfriends in the past, right?” Declan jerked in surprise and her eyes widened. “I didn’t mean I was your girlfriend. I should have said you’ve dated girls. Or—crap. Don’t mind me, always sticking my foot in my mouth.”
“I’ve dated women, but we’ve never been…playful. I’m usually a serious guy—”
“You, really?” Holly said sarcastically. “I would have pegged you for class clown in high school.”
“Back to what I was saying, Elf,” he said, pinching her butt cheek. “I’m new to the flirty, fun stuff. Most of the women I’ve dated were practical, we had things in common, and I was comfortable with them.”
“Bored, right? Isn’t that the word you’re looking for?”
Declan didn’t want to admit that out loud and instead asked, “What about you? No overly sweet, corny guys in your past, huh?”
“One or two, but they didn’t last long. I think your butter is burning.”
Her words registered at the same time the charred scent hit his nostrils, and he released her to remove the pan from the stove and rinse it out. “Shit.”
“At least you didn’t waste any batter.”
Declan put the pan back on the stove and gave her a mock glare. “I’m going to have to kick you out while I’m cooking. You’re too distracting.”
“Why, thank you,” Holly said, stretching onto her tiptoes. “See, that’s the perfect mix of spice I’ve come to expect from you.”
Declan gave her the kiss she silently asked for, lifting her up off her feet.
Until the doorbell rang.
He dropped her back to the ground with a laugh. “You’re popular this morning.”
“Hey, it’s still my birthday,” Holly said, stepping backwards away from him and disappearing down the hallway. Declan heard Holly talking to someone at the door, the musical lilt of her laughter echoing through the house and a deep voice responding.
Declan poured a small amount of batter into the pan. When another peal of laughter rang out, a spike of jealousy impaled him. Against his better judgment, he walked over to the edge of the hallway, listening to Holly and the man talk.
“I’m not sharing a room with you to protect you from Sally, Sam,” Holly said firmly and Declan stiffened. “Besides, I’ve already got the rooms assigned.”
“I can’t have my own room,” Sam pleaded. “If I’m alone, I know three shots into the party I’ll try to crawl into bed and find her between my sheets waiting for me.”
“I’m supposed to be the dramatic one between the two of us, but after the other night at Brews and Chews, I don’t want to get in the middle of this. You need to be honest with her.”
“I told her I wasn’t interested.”
“Then what’s the problem?” she asked.
“It’s almost as if she thinks I’ll change my mind. But if I’m hanging with the beautiful, kind, funny Holly Winters—”
