Read Online Gift Wrapped for Christmas: A Contemporary Romance by Mona Ingram - Free Book Online Page A

the dirt. Brent was acting
like that now, and it was more than a little appealing.
    “Well, I’d better get upstairs.”
Brent’s words startled her out of her reverie. “I enjoyed helping you, Maddie
LaRocque.” He picked up the ladder.
    “Here, let me take that. I can
manage.” She reached for the ladder, and their fingers brushed together,
igniting a spark of awareness that crackled in the air between them.
    He glanced quickly toward their
hands, and his eyes darkened. “I’ve got it.”
    “Okay, thanks.” She tried not to
watch him as he walked away, but she wasn’t that disciplined. She judged him to
be well over six feet, and every inch of him was appealingly masculine. His
soft leather bomber jacket revealed a very nice butt.
    Maddie LaRocque, you’re
shameless , she told herself and scurried inside her shop so she wouldn’t be
standing there staring when he came back. It was becoming easier to understand
why Lily had been bowled over the first time she saw Chase. These Drummond men
had something, and they had it in spades!
    “’Bye, Maddie.” He popped his
head around the corner and gave her a jaunty wave. “Nice to meet you.”
    “Me too.” She gave him what she
hoped was a normal smile. “And thanks for the help.”
    “Any time.” The elevator opened,
and he jogged across the lobby to catch it. Was she going to be distracted
every time the elevator opened?
    Oh, yeah.
    * * *
    “Brent, you’re back.” Chase
looked up as Brent came into the office. As usual, his brother looked as though
he’d been out on the prairie, letting the wind blow through his hair. Sometimes
Chase wished their positions were reversed, but he was the older brother and
had been groomed to become the company head ever since he could remember.
    “I saw Annie downstairs. She
asked me to tell you she’s at the rink with some kids from school.” Brent paced
around the office, looking at the items on display as though he’d never seen
them before.
    Chase glanced toward the windows.
“Are they supervised?”
    “Until four thirty.”
    “One of us will have to go and
get her, I suppose.” Chase looked at his brother hopefully. “Could you do it?
I’m right in the middle of something here.”
    “Maddie volunteered to go over at
four thirty.” Brent sat down abruptly. “Where did she come from?”
    “Maddie volunteered? That was
nice of her.”
    “Annie seems to like her.” Brent
watched his brother. “Where did she come from?”
    Chase leaned back in his seat.
“She was working for that accounting firm on the sixth floor and was laid off a
few days ago. She’s leased the space downstairs for two months.”
    “She’s attractive.” Brent picked
up a glass paperweight from his brother’s desk and toyed with it. “Are you
interested in her?”
    “No, but...” his eyes narrowed.
“Why do you ask?” Chase threw back his head and laughed. “This is rich! What
about–“
    Brent held up a hand. “I know, I
know. But there’s something about her.” He frowned and looked into the
distance. “She seems real. I liked her.”
    Chase leaned forward. “You’re
right about that. You know David downstairs in the lobby?”
    Brent nodded.
    “He told me that Maddie
introduced herself and asked him his name within two days of coming to work in
this building. She says hello to him every day. How many people do you think do
that?”
    “Probably none.” Brent and Chase
were both fond of the old pensioner.
    “Well, enough chit-chat.” Brent
rose, and there was a gleam in his eyes. “I’ll be in my office for the next
hour then I think I might mosey on over to the rink.”
    Chase shook his head. “You be
careful. “
    “Always.”
    Chase watched his brother leave
the office. He hadn’t seen him so enthusiastic in ages.

Chapter Eight
    Fine snow started to drift down
as Maddie made her way to the rink. She could hear childrens’ voices well
before she saw them, and smiled. She chose a spot on the top row of the