June doesn’t know that Jake is my brother. None of the women know.
And I have no desire to see my brother’s junk. That’s just creepy.
“Please…” June whines. “None of the staff will do it. No fraternizing and all. Evangeline will have their asses.”
“Ariel would hate that anyway,” I say.
“Are you feeling better?” June asks, finally acknowledging me.
“I’m fine,” I say curtly. “Dehydrated is all. I’ve had quite a shock.”
“You’ve had a shock?” June shakes her head. “If that isn’t just like you, Misty. Think of the guys. They just found out that their long-lost friend is alive!”
I roll my eyes.
June is just being June, of course, but my God the woman grates on my nerves. I know what the other women think of me. I haven’t been exactly friendly.
Truth be told, I don’t know how to be.
June is over being concerned about me—if she ever was—and has turned back to Jake.
“I’m asking you—politely, mind you—to do a very small favor for Ariel’s bachelorette party,” she says to him. “You don’t have to do a real striptease if you don’t want to. Just some shirtless bartending. Maybe a few pelvic thrusts if the energy feels right.”
“Oh my God,” I mutter under my breath, sinking farther into my bed. “You’ve completely lost it.”
June ignores me. “It’s not like anyone else is stepping up.”
“I already told you,” I interject, louder this time. “Ariel. You know she’d hate it.”
June turns her glare on me. “And what exactly do you know about what Ariel likes?”
“We’ve all been here together for weeks,” I retort. “You ought to know a little about each of us by now.”
June glares at me.
For a moment, I think she’s about to erupt like a damned volcano and tell me exactly what she thinks of me…and it won’t be flattering.
But she calms down a moment later. “I’m trying to make Ariel’s last night before marriage as much fun as possible. I’d prefer not to be insulted by someone who overdosed on drama this morning.”
Okay, I was wrong. Sheisgoing to say what she thinks of me.
“I fainted,” I say through gritted teeth. “I was dehydrated.”
Jake lets out a low whistle. “Do you two need a ring and a bell?”
I shoot him a look. “Stay out of it, brother.”
June’s head jerks toward me, brows lifting high. “Brother?”
Jake stiffens beside me.
June tilts her head, slow and predatory. “Did you just say brother?”
I sigh, dragging a hand down my face. “Yeah. I did.” What the hell? They’re all going to find out anyway.
Jake runs a hand through his hair, muttering, “You didn’t have to tell her.”
“I wasn’t about to sit here while she tried to get you to pop and lock in a thong for Ariel,” I say. “That’s something I don’t need to see.”
