Familiar male voices.
Son of a bitch.
Ireland ran around the island and ducked.Because Bran Cade was about to walk in the house. What in the hell was he doing here?
After what happened on the booze cruise, she thought he’d keep an extra-long distance from her. But she’d recognized his deep, sexually charged voice anywhere. Okay, she only imagined Bran’s voice was sexually charged because images of his hot mouth on hers came to mind when she heard it, but was that her fault? No, it washisfault. She’d been trying to get away from him in the lake. He was the one to jump in after her.
The voices grew louder and Cali cocked her head to the side. “What’re you doing?”
“Shhh! Isn’t it obvious?” Ireland whispered. “I’m hiding.”
Before Cali could say another word, the sound of the door opening interrupted them.
This was stupid. What if Bran saw her hiding? He’d realize he affected her, and that was annoying.
She frowned.Better not get discovered.
Ireland considered the layout of the kitchen-living room combination, and whether she could crawl her way to the hallway without detection.
Definitely not.
Cali looked toward the front door. “Hi, Bran. How are you doing?”
Jaeg came around the island and kissed Cali on the cheek. He raised an eyebrow at Ireland.
Busted.No way could she escape now.
Ireland stood and fluffed her hair. “Oh, hey. I was just, uh…doing squats.” She bent her knees with her hands held out, and rose slowly.
Stupidest lie ever.
Bran glanced at Jaeg, accepted the beer he’d handed him, then looked back at Ireland. His gaze dropped to her wine yoke. “You’re exercising…and drinking wine?”
“Yeah.” She elbowed Cali. “Doesn’t everyone?”
Cali did a squat. “We have wine yokes,” she said lamely, and Ireland mentally rolled her eyes. “You want one for your beer, Bran? They’re super handy, right, Jaeg?”
Jaeg shot her a look. “What? No.” He moved toward Bran, urging him out of the kitchen. “Have you seen the place? How about a quick tour?”
When they were out of the room, Cali winked. “Jaeg uses his yoke when it’s just the two of us.”
Ireland cringed.
“Not in a sleazy way. When we’re watching TV.”
Somehow Ireland couldn’t envision tall, manly Jaeg using a wine yoke, but she took Cali’s word for it.
“Now, tell me what’s going on,” Cali said. “The wine yokes aren’t that embarrassing. Why were you hiding?”
Ireland let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t want to see Bran.”
“You said you thought he was cute at the pizza joint. He’s not as friendly as Hunt, but…”
“Are you sure I said that?” Ireland gulped her wine, swallowing past the burn. “Either way, it doesn’t matter, because he’s a jerk.”
Cali’s nose wrinkled. “Bran?” She angled her head, as though mentally searching. “I never took him for a jerk, but he better not be. Do I need to unleash a whoop-ass on him?”
Ireland grabbed Cali’s shoulders. “Hell no. Keep your tiny butt where it is. I don’t care about Bran or what he did.” Not entirely true, but Ireland was working on convincing herself of it.
