Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

June pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

It wasn’t that long ago that she was stressing about when she’d be able to leave DC and where she was going to go. Now, here she was in Maine, with the most amazing man she’d ever known, with a roof over her head—a very fancy and comfortable roof, at that—and sitting around a huge table with six of the nicest people she’d ever met.

She’d slept like a rock the night before in the comfortable guest bed, waking up this morning to the smell of bacon and coffee. The hotel aside, she couldn’t recall the last time someone had made her breakfast. She was feeling well and truly spoiled. In fact, the only downside to staying with Cal was that she was lonely. Going to bed in the huge guest room, sleeping in the king-size bed by herself, felt . . . wrong.

All it had taken was one night in Cal’s arms, and she’d been ruined.

But she wouldn’t complain. Not one word of protest would ever leave her lips. She’d never pressure Cal for anything he didn’t want to give freely, even if her heart ached for it.

They’d spent the morning talking about Newton, his life growing up in England, the king and queen of Liechtenstein, his job at Jack’s Lumber, his friends, and some of the trips he’d guided on the Appalachian Trail.

June soaked in every scrap of information. Cal was fascinating, and she loved hearing about his experiences. The only thing he wouldn’t talk about was his time in the Army, but June understood. His military career had ended so abruptly, and horrifically, she didn’t blame him for not wanting to talk about it.

She’d had a harder time talking about herself. Compared to him, she was utterly humdrum. She’d lived her entire life in DC and didn’t feel like she’d done anything. But with his gentle urging, she’d told him more about her dad. She didn’t remember her mom but shared the things her father had told her about the woman. She’d talked about her love of kids and the elderly. About her favorite meals to cook, how she adored winter and disliked the heat and humidity of summer.

After lunch, Cal had gone into his office to make a few phone calls. June entertained herself with one of the hundreds of books he had in his library. He’d come out of his office a few hours later and informed her that they were going to have company for dinner. JJ, Bob, Chappy, Carlise, and April were coming over.

She’d immediately panicked, her brain going a million miles an hour with all the things she’d need to do to get ready to entertain. Of course, Cal had noticed. He’d put his hands on her shoulders and reminded her that she wasn’t in DC, she wasn’t working for her stepmother anymore, and she didn’t need to make sure everything was spotless or cook a four-course meal.

His reassurances went right in one ear and out the other. These were his friends. She had a feeling they were coming over to make sure she wasn’t taking advantage of Cal . . . and she didn’t blame them. He was rich. And a prince. And she was nobody.

Despite being a skilled cook, June was in for a new experience preparing the meal. It had been a long time since she’d had help, and Cal made her laugh nonstop. Not to mention his constant bumping into her and brushing against her. Even though the kitchen was large, and they had plenty of room to maneuver, she still found him in her personal space every time she turned around. Not that she minded.

His friends had arrived just as they finished prepping the meal, and now they were all sitting around a large table in the open space between the kitchen and the sitting area.

“So, tell us about yourself, June,” April said with a friendly smile.

“No,” Cal said before June could say anything. “We aren’t doing this.”

“Doing what?” April asked innocently. “I’m trying to get to know her.”

“No, you aren’t, you’re preparing to interrogate her.”

April laughed. “If I was doing that, I’d ask for her age, her mom’s maiden name, her social security number, and how much money she has in the bank,” she said, without sounding the least bit annoyed. “Come on, Cal, loosen up.”

“It’s okay,” June said, giving him a small smile.

Chappy laughed abruptly, winking at Cal. He was sitting on the other side of the table, next to Carlise. He’d barely taken his eyes off his fiancée all night, and June thought it was sweet. “The shoe’s on the other foot now, isn’t it?” he said.

“Can it, mate,” Cal growled.

Carlise smiled. “They all came up to Riggs’s, I call Chappy Riggs, cabin to check me out,” she told June. “There was a huge blizzard, and when JJ realized that I was alone up there with Riggs, he freaked out. They all came up to make sure I wasn’t a serial killer or torturing their friend. I thought it was sweet, but Riggs was highly annoyed.”

June understood. They didn’t know her. The last thing they knew, Cal was going to DC for some kind of bodyguard job, and now he was back with a stowaway. They understandably wanted to know what was going on. She was glad Cal had such good friends.

“I’m not a serial killer,” she said. “My name is Juniper Rose, but please call me June. My mom’s maiden name was Smith. She died when I was little; I don’t really remember her. My stepsister was the one Cal went to DC to protect, but she and my stepmother were lying about a stalker, and Cal figured that out pretty fast. I had already been planning to leave the only home I’ve ever known, and Cal offered to help me. So . . . here I am. I’m not planning to take advantage of his generosity. As soon as I can find a job and get on my feet, I’ll get out of his hair.”

She thought she heard Cal growl again under his breath, but then he was speaking. “April, we need to have words about that hovel you thought would be appropriate for June,” he said.

“Easy, man,” JJ muttered.

June was surprised to hear a thread of warning in the other man’s tone. He’d been nothing but gracious and friendly from the moment she’d met him tonight. But now he sounded as if he was two seconds from challenging Cal.

“You didn’t see it, JJ,” Cal said, apparently not fazed by his friend’s tone. “The house was practically falling apart.”

“It was within the budget you gave me,” April argued. “And also, the only place available last minute without a background check.”

“You could’ve told me it was a piece of shite,” he countered, his volume rising.

June reached over and put her hand on his thigh without thinking, only wanting to comfort him. “It wasn’t that bad,” she said calmly.

“Not that bad? If there was heat, I’d be surprised,” Cal grumbled.

“Well, it looks like things turned out all right in the end,” April said, shrugging.

Cal narrowed his eyes at her, and his expression said perhaps something had just occurred to him . . . but he didn’t say anything more.

“I truly appreciate you trying to help. I mean, you don’t know me at all,” June added, wanting to smooth over the awkwardness. She didn’t like that these longtime friends were disagreeing.

“What did you do down in DC?” Carlise asked, filling the ensuing silence. “Maybe we can help find something for you here.”

“Not much to do here,” Bob muttered under his breath.

That’s what June was afraid of. She already loved the small town, what little she’d seen of it, but if she couldn’t find a job, she’d probably have to move to a bigger city. Looking around the table, she felt her embarrassment spike and her cheeks warm. These men and women were probably much more educated than she was. She hadn’t done anything with her life. Not really.

“Um,” she hedged, trying to figure out a way to change the subject.

“She was an unpaid servant under her stepmother’s thumb,” Cal said, his voice rife with irritation. “She did all the cooking, shopping, cleaning, errands—everything.”

June felt her cheeks grow hotter. She was so embarrassed. It wasn’t as if she’d been a prisoner. She could’ve left at any time. But she’d chosen to stay. She felt incredibly stupid at the moment.

April spoke, unwittingly preventing June from literally running away from the table. “Hmm, do you guys know Meg King?”

“Doesn’t she run Hill’s House?” JJ asked.

“Oh yeah, I knew the name sounded familiar,” Bob agreed.

“That’s her. I ran into her at the store last weekend, and she was telling me she’s having the hardest time finding someone to help keep the residents entertained during the day,” April said.

“Hill’s House is a private retirement home of sorts,” JJ explained to June. “There are only six people who live there at any one time. There’s a permanent employee who lives with them, Meg, making sure they’re taking their meds and seeing to anything else they might need. It’s not a nursing home. Everyone who lives there is ambulatory, they just need a little help to make sure they’re safe.”

“Oh, that sounds nice,” Carlise said.

“I’ve been there,” Bob agreed. “It is nice. It doesn’t smell like a lot of old folks’ places do.”

“That’s rude,” April said with a frown.

“What?” Bob argued. “I’m just saying that it’s a nice place for people who shouldn’t live on their own anymore, but don’t want to go into a nursing home or assisted living.”

June bit back a grin. She liked how honest everyone was with each other. Aside from JJ’s protectiveness where April was concerned, they didn’t take offense when people disagreed with them, and they bantered back and forth like she imagined brothers and sisters might. Once upon a time, she’d hoped to have the same kind of relationship with Carla, but of course that hadn’t happened.

“Anyway,” April said, turning back to June. “Meg said she couldn’t find anyone willing to come in during the day and help out.”

“Why not?” Carlise asked.

April shrugged. “I’m guessing it probably doesn’t pay a ton, and most of the younger people around here are looking to leave—go to Bangor or other larger cities, or work at the ski resort. And people get weird about working with the elderly.”

“Why?” JJ blurted.

“No idea.”

“What would the job entail?” Cal asked.

June glanced at him, surprised at how interested he seemed. Was he that eager to see her leave? She swallowed hard, trying to keep her disappointment from showing on her face.

“Nothing medical,” April said. “Playing games, talking with the residents, maybe taking them on outings . . . stuff that will help keep them busy so they’re not sleeping all day.”

“You’d be great at that,” Cal said, turning to June. “You had no problem starting up a conversation with Edgar at the hotel. You helped him eat without hesitation and made him feel as if he was the most important person in the room.”

She stared at him, trying to read his expression.

“If nothing else, you could work there while you looked for something you might enjoy more and build your savings at the same time. And living here will save on rent money.”

June let out the breath she’d been holding, so relieved she felt almost light headed. He didn’t want her to move out immediately. Thank goodness.

“If you think you might be interested, I can introduce you to Meg,” April said. “She’s super sweet.”

June pried her gaze from Cal’s and turned to look at April. “I think I might like that. Thank you so much.”

“You’re more than welcome,” April said with a smile.

June jerked in surprise when she felt Cal’s large hand cover hers on his leg. She hadn’t even realized she was still touching him. His thumb caressed the sensitive skin on the back of her hand, and goose bumps broke out on her arm.

“Have you started translating a new book lately?” April asked Carlise.

“She translates books from French into English,” Cal said quietly in June’s ear as Carlise began to talk about the last book she’d finished.

June was impressed. But she also felt a little more intimidated. April and Carlise definitely had their lives together. They had great jobs, and she . . . well, she didn’t really know how to do anything.

She nodded and smiled in all the right places as Carlise wound up her discussion about the book she’d just turned in.

“You guys ready to get hitched?” Bob asked when she was done.

“Yes!” Both Carlise and Chappy said at the same time.

Everyone laughed.

“My mom couldn’t get a flight until Saturday morning though,” Carlise said. “JJ’s picking her up in Bangor and bringing her straight to the cabin. We’ll have the ceremony there, and she’ll stay with April—thank you so much for that! Oh, and just a reminder, this is not a dress-up kind of wedding,” Carlise said sternly. “Jeans are perfectly fine.”

“Thank God,” Bob said.

JJ leaned over and smacked his friend on the back of the head, and everyone laughed again.

“Having it at the cabin where you guys met and fell in love is perfect,” April said. “And I for one am grateful I don’t have to put on a dress. I can’t remember the last time I wore one, and I don’t intend to change that anytime soon.”

“You’d look good no matter what you wore,” JJ said.

June blinked at the undercurrent of . . . well, she wasn’t sure what she heard in JJ’s voice.

She didn’t get a chance to think about it long before April asked, “You’re coming, right, June?”

“Oh, um . . .” Cal had asked her to go, but now she wasn’t sure. It was going to be a very small and intimate affair, and she didn’t want to intrude.

“She is,” Cal answered for her.

“Yay!” Carlise said. “I can’t wait for you to meet Baxter and to see Riggs’s cabin. It’s so cute and awesome. And it’s gorgeous up there. You’re going to love it!”

April asked Carlise how her mom was doing, which gave June the opportunity to turn to Cal and ask, “Baxter?”

“Their dog. Long story, but he was a stray who saved her life . . . twice.”

June blinked at that. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Wow. Okay.”

“And if you don’t want that job at Hill’s House, we’ll find you something else. You don’t have to take it just to be polite,” he said earnestly.

“I think I do want it,” June reassured him. “But I don’t have any experience with anything like that.”

“You’re perfect for it. You’re kind, and everyone who meets you loves you.”

She wasn’t sure about that, but warmth bloomed inside her at the compliment.

“I’ll find an apartment or something as soon as I can,” she felt obligated to say. “You didn’t go to DC expecting to come home with a roommate.”

“No rush. You can stay here for as long as you want. That is . . . if you want.”

June nodded before she’d even thought about it. “I want to stay.”

He smiled at her. “Good. I want you to stay too.”

She felt as if she was drowning in his eyes. His hand was still on hers, and she wondered if he could feel her blood pumping faster through her veins. If she twisted her wrist, they’d be holding hands. For a moment, it felt as if they were the only two people in the world.

“What do you think, Cal?” JJ asked.

His gaze left hers, and he turned to his friend.

It took June a second to regain her senses. The short moment between them was intense, but she’d seen the sincerity in his eyes when he’d told her she didn’t have to leave his home. It should’ve felt awkward to be living with a man she barely knew, but she felt as if she’d known Cal for years. Around him, she felt safe . . . the same feeling her dad always gave her. Except Cal definitely didn’t feel like a father figure.

Talk around the table turned to the weather and the upcoming hiking season. It seemed people were requesting reservations for guides on the AT earlier than they had in the last couple of years. Which meant the guys would be busy making sure the section of trail they were responsible for maintaining was cleared of debris and the white swatches of paint on the trees were clear and easy to see. It also meant they’d be gone more often, taking turns leading the hikers.

It sounded like Chappy, Cal, Bob, and JJ’s business was extremely successful. They’d survived an unbelievably horrific ordeal and come out on the other side stronger than before. June was proud of them, even if she didn’t really know them all that well.

“That was delicious,” Carlise exclaimed when they were all finished with dinner. She patted her belly. “If I’m not careful, I’m gonna put on a hundred pounds living here. It’s not like I’m out hiking and chopping up trees like some people,” she teased.

June flushed uncomfortably. Any time the topic of weight had come up when she’d lived with her stepmother and stepsister, she ended up on the receiving end of some very nasty comments. Carla constantly complained that June’s dishes were too calorific, accusing her of trying to make her fat like June was. Elaine frequently mentioned how June could be cute—not pretty, mind you, but simply cute—if she lost weight. A lot of it.

Her mom was a big woman. June took after her, and even though she tried to watch what she ate and was constantly busy, she never seemed to be able to lose the extra pounds. It was frustrating, and being around Carla hammered the point home even more that she would never be the kind of woman society deemed acceptable.

“You’d be beautiful no matter what you weighed,” Chappy reassured Carlise. “And when you’re pregnant with our child, you’ll be even more irresistible.”

“Wait, are you pregnant?” April practically shouted.

“No, no, no. Not yet. It’s been like a second and a half since Riggs and I even got together,” she said with a laugh. “But yeah, we want kids,” she said a little dreamily, looking up at her fiancé.

“This is so exciting,” April said with a huge smile.

June couldn’t help but smile as well. Seeing Chappy and Carlise together, and blissfully happy, made her a little envious.

She felt Cal’s gaze and turned to see him staring at her with an unreadable expression.

“What?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

June didn’t have a chance to question him further, as the guys all stood up and started clearing the table.

“Oh, I can get that,” she insisted, standing and reaching for the plates Bob held.

“We’ve got it. You go and relax with Carlise and April,” Cal ordered.

“But—”

“Come on,” Carlise said, coming over to June’s side and linking their arms. “The guys’ll take care of it. I want to talk to you more. Get to know you.”

The thought of not cleaning up after a meal was so foreign, June felt almost weird just standing there, watching the guys all shuffling toward the kitchen with dirty plates. Their willingness to help was so . . . nice.

Escorted by Carlise, June sat on the end of the couch.

April sat on the other end, smiling gently at her. “You haven’t had it easy, have you?” she asked.

June was momentarily surprised. She figured they’d start out with polite small talk. But April sounded serious. She shrugged. “Not as bad as others, I’d guess.”

“When did your dad pass?”

“A long time ago. I was fifteen, he’d been married to Elaine about a year.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. That had to have been incredibly hard,” Carlise said with a frown.

“Yeah. He was my world. I was lost for a while and threw myself into helping around the house. The next thing I knew, I blinked, and I was turning thirty. That sounds really crazy, but it’s true. I was so entrenched, helping to raise Carla and doing everything to make my stepmother’s life easier, that I didn’t realize how much of myself I’d lost.”

“It’s never too late to make changes in your life,” April said. “I’m forty-six and was married to a guy who took everything I did for granted, then he barely blinked when I said I wanted a divorce. I started over, and I can’t tell you how much happier I am now.”

“How old is your stepsister?” Carlise asked.

“Twenty-four.”

“Oh, so she’s quite a bit younger than you.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you’re here now, and it’s awesome,” April said firmly. “No looking back.”

June smiled at them.

“Your family was really lying about having a stalker?” Carlise asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. Carla kind of had Cal’s cousin wrapped around her finger. Then I overheard them talking about ‘catching’ a prince and all the things Carla would do when she was a princess,” June admitted.

April’s easygoing countenance turned hard. “Did they even know that Cal has practically nothing to do with the royal family? That he pretty much only participates in that kind of stuff when there’s a coronation or an important wedding or something?”

“They don’t care. Carla loves attention. Craves it. She decided she wants to be a princess, so she and my stepmother will do pretty much anything to make that happen,” June told them.

“I don’t think it works like that,” Carlise said. “I mean, what, did she think Cal would arrive, feel sorry for her that she had a stalker, and propose?”

June shrugged. “Kind of? She’s very pretty—on the outside, I mean. She’s slender, has beautiful blonde hair and big blue eyes. She’s tall. Oh, and of course she has big boobs too . . . fake, but big. I’m pretty sure she planned on using sex to help her case.”

June hated to think of Carla and Cal together in that way, but she had little doubt it was a big part of her stepsister’s strategy. To mesmerize him with her body and give him blow jobs until he couldn’t see straight, as if that would make marrying her a foregone conclusion.

Although she supposed there were plenty of men in the world who could be swayed with good sex. She just didn’t see Cal as being one of them.

“Well, she was doomed to fail in that regard,” April said with a huff. “Cal’s too sensitive about how he looks to get naked with anyone. Forget about a woman he just met.”

“I’ve never seen him in anything but long pants and shirts since I met him,” Carlise said softly.

“I saw his back. Just once. He was changing his shirt after he and the others were caught in a rainstorm last summer while on a job. It was awful,” April said with a small shudder. “It looked as if he’d been whipped over and over and over.”

June wasn’t comfortable talking about Cal like this. And knowing he was sensitive about how he looked wasn’t a revelation. She’d definitely figured that out for herself, even in the short time she’d spent with him.

“Anyway,” she said, trying to move the topic away from his scars, “Carla and Elaine probably aren’t happy in the least that Cal left.”

“And even less happy that you went with him, I’d guess,” Carlise said.

“So you think they’ll do anything to retaliate?” April asked, her brows furrowing.

“I’m thinking Carla will contact Cal’s cousin, the one she met online, and try to get him to intervene on her behalf. She and Elaine might even go so far as to mail threatening letters to themselves to make it look like there really is a stalker. Cal overheard them plotting to provide some kind of proof. But I doubt they’d come all the way up here to do anything to either of us. Carla will probably cry a lot and put on quite a show to urge Cal to go back.”

“It won’t work,” April said with a firm shake of her head.

“You don’t think so?” June asked.

“Nope. Once Cal’s done, he’s done. Nothing they say will entice him to return to DC. Especially now that he knows how they treated you.”

“I don’t know if that matters . . . ,” she hedged.

“Seriously?” April asked, looking incredulous. “You don’t see the way he looks at you?”

June swallowed hard. “He just feels sorry for me. He’s helping me out until I can get back on my feet.”

“Nope,” April said with a shake of her head. Then she turned to Carlise. “How much time was it, exactly, between when you met Chappy and when he proposed?”

“Counting the three days he was unconscious or not?” she asked with a laugh.

“Not.”

“About eleven days.”

June’s eyes widened.

“See?” April asked.

June didn’t. She hadn’t realized how fast Carlise and Chappy’s relationship had progressed, but regardless, that had nothing to do with Cal.

“The guys . . . when they fall, they fall hard. And fast. And Cal’s halfway there already. I can tell just by looking at him. You guys didn’t drive straight here from DC, did you?”

“No. We stayed at a hotel.”

“One room or two?” April asked.

Now June was definitely uncomfortable. “One. There was some sort of athletic competition going on, and there weren’t any more rooms.”

“Right. Look, I’ll be blunt here. I’ve known Cal and the others for a while now. They’re good men. The best. After what they went through, they’re each a little broken in their own way. But Cal . . .” She paused and shook her head. “It would be tough for anyone to break through the walls he’s got up. Between women wanting him for his money or title, and because of the hell he went through—which I don’t even know much about, because those guys are loyal to a fault and don’t talk about it—I think Cal planned to be alone forever. But you can’t give up, not with the way he looks at you. Even if he tries to push you away for your own good. Push back. Make him see that his scars don’t matter. That you don’t care.”

June wrung her hands in agitation, clearly distressed now. She hated talking about Cal behind his back, and she didn’t like gossip. Nothing good ever came from it. She’d learned that from Carla.

“And now I’ve freaked you out. I’m sorry,” April said contritely. “I just . . . I love Cal like a brother, and I’ve never seen him as captivated with someone as he is with you. All I’m saying is not to give up on him. Don’t listen to him if he tries to tell you he doesn’t want anything serious. He does. I can tell. And if you want him back the same way, you need to hold on tight. Understand?”

June wasn’t convinced April was seeing the reality between her and Cal. But the thought of him liking her, even a little, felt good. Really good. And if she actually thought Cal wanted her but was denying himself because of some belief that he wasn’t good enough, or because she might push him away after what had happened to him, she’d hold on for all she was worth.

For now, she simply nodded, wanting this conversation to be over.

“I know this is short notice, but would you guys like to come over to Riggs’s apartment and hang out with me tomorrow night? As a kind of bachelorette party? I don’t know anyone else here, and if I tell Riggs that I’m having a girls’ night in, he can go and hang out with his friends without feeling guilty. Things did move really fast with us, and I want his friends to know that just because we’re getting married, their relationship is still solid. He’s not going to spend all his time with me and not hang out with them anymore.”

“I’d love that,” April said, then added wryly, “Although are you sure you want someone old like me at your bachelorette party?”

“You aren’t old!” Carlise scolded.

“Girl, you could be my daughter,” April returned.

“Hardly,” Carlise said with a snort.

“You’re sixteen years younger than me. My comment stands.”

“Fine, but seriously, April, it’s not as if you have one foot in the grave, and you aren’t ready to move into Hill’s House or anything yet.”

“Sometimes around the guys, I feel ancient,” April said quietly, looking over to the kitchen where the four friends were laughing and talking, obviously giving the girls time to have their own chat.

June saw that her eyes were locked on one man in particular. “JJ doesn’t look much younger than you,” she ventured.

April turned her head and laughed, although it sounded forced to June.

“Right. Men like younger women, period. Stories about older women getting the young hot guys are only for romance novels.” She turned to Carlise. “What time do you want us there tomorrow? And what do we need to bring?”

“I was thinking around dinnertime? Six or so? We could eat, then break out the drinks. So just bring whatever drink you enjoy. We can hang out, watch movies, talk, whatever.”

“Sounds great,” April said. “I’m happy for you, Carlise. You and Chappy are perfect together.”

“Thanks.”

“I think I’m going to head out,” April said. “I’ll see you both tomorrow night. It was so nice to meet you, June, and I’ll talk to Meg about that job at Hill’s House and get you two in touch. Do you have a phone?”

June frowned. “No. I had one, but I left it in DC because I didn’t want Elaine or Carla to be able to get in touch with me. All they’d do is yell, insult me, and insist I come back to make their breakfast and do their laundry.”

“Smart. Okay, I’ll have her get in touch with Cal so you can discuss a time and a place for you two to meet up and talk about the position,” April said.

June wasn’t surprised that she was so good at her job. She seemed incredibly organized and decisive.

After they all stood, April gave Carlise a quick hug and, to June’s surprise, leaned in and hugged her as well.

“You going?” JJ asked April as he approached.

“Yeah, it’s getting late, and I want to get an early start at the office tomorrow.”

“I’ll follow you home,” JJ told her.

“Not necessary,” April said.

“Even so, I’m still going to. See you guys tomorrow?” JJ asked the men.

“I need to head up to the cabin to make sure things are all set out there,” Chappy told him.

“I was thinking about taking June over to Rumford to shop for necessities she didn’t get to bring with her,” Cal said.

June blinked in surprise at that. He hadn’t talked to her about going anywhere. Not that she’d mind—there were some things she could use that she didn’t bring. But she hadn’t expected him to want to spend the day with her after he’d been gone for a few days.

“I’ll be in the office as usual,” Bob said with a grin.

“April and June said they’d come over for a bachelorette night,” Carlise told her fiancé. “So you guys can hang out tomorrow night and do . . . guy things.”

“Whoooo! Strippers!” Bob teased. When no one laughed, he shrugged his shoulders. “It was a joke, jeez! It’s not like there are any strippers around here anyway. And with me being the only unattached guy, it wouldn’t be any fun.”

June frowned at that. Bob wasn’t the only single guy. There was JJ—though on second thought, he seemed very interested in April. And there was Cal. She looked at the man in question and found him glaring at Bob.

“Right, so . . . where should we meet?” Chappy said with a grin.

“We can hang out here,” Cal offered.

“Cool,” Chappy told him, then slapped him on the back. “It’s a plan. I’ll bring the beer. If you want something else, you’re on your own.”

“Beer sounds good to me,” Bob said.

“I’ll be DD,” Chappy told his friends.

“Always the protector,” Carlise said with a smile, snuggling into his side.

“It’s your bachelor party,” Bob protested. “You should be able to drink.”

But Chappy merely shrugged. “Not really interested in getting hammered the night before I get married.”

“Oh, all right. On that note, I’m going to jet too,” Bob said. Then he smiled and turned to June. “It was nice to meet you.” To her surprise, he leaned in and kissed her cheek, then kissed the other one.

“Bob,” Cal practically growled.

“What? It’s the English way, right?”

Grinning, JJ approached and did the same thing.

Chappy quickly followed suit.

June knew she was blushing, but it wasn’t every day she was kissed six times by three extremely handsome men.

“You guys are arseholes,” Cal muttered.

His friends didn’t seem fazed by the insult. They simply waved goodbye and all headed out the door.

When everyone left, she glanced at Cal after he shut the door behind them. “Are you mad?”

“No.”

“You look mad,” she observed. And he did. His brows were furrowed, and his lips turned down.

“They were messing with me,” he told her.

“How so?”

“Kissing you like that.”

“Oh. But they were just following your customs, weren’t they?”

“Yes and no. They mostly kissed you because they knew it would irritate me.”

June shook her head. “Why would that irritate you?” she asked.

“Because I don’t want anyone kissing you but me,” he said bluntly.

June stared at him in disbelief . . . and a little bit of excitement. “It didn’t mean anything,” she said softly.

“I know. But I still didn’t like it.” Cal moved closer and lifted a hand to swipe his thumb over one of her cheeks, as if he could wipe away anyone else’s touch.

Feeling brave, and not sure where it was coming from, she placed her hands on his chest. When it came to this man, she found herself wanting to be different. Wanting to be the kind of woman he’d consider being with. “Maybe you should do something to erase the feel of their lips on my cheeks.”

“Like?” he asked with a grin and a raised brow.

June shrugged. “Maybe cover their kisses with your own?”

She held her breath as she waited for his response. To her dismay, he didn’t move for a long moment.

Just when humiliation was creeping in, he stepped further into her personal space. He didn’t speak, just lowered his head ever so slowly.

June held her breath as his lips brushed her right cheek. Then he nuzzled her hair out of his way, and she felt him kiss the sensitive skin under her ear. She tilted her head, one hand clutching the material of his T-shirt. A small, desperate noise escaped her throat.

Cal moved to her other cheek, kissing her there as well. He lifted a hand to the back of her neck, holding her tightly, and kissed her forehead. Then her nose, then back to the first cheek.

She was breathing fast, and tingles shot through her body. Everywhere his lips touched, she felt branded. She’d been kissed before, but it had never felt like this. As if the anticipation might just kill her.

“Cal,” she whispered—then his lips were on hers. He sipped and nipped at her lips, but he didn’t enter her mouth. Even though the kiss was chaste, she felt it all the way to her toes. It was the most romantic kiss she’d ever received, and June wanted more.

He lifted his head before she could beg him to continue. His breath sighed over her as he asked, “Like that?”

She opened her eyes and stared up at Cal. “Huh?”

“Do you still feel their kisses on your skin?”

She couldn’t feel anything but Cal. She shook her head.

“Good. You have a nice chat with April and Carlise?”

June wanted to insist she didn’t want to talk about the other women . . . about anything. That she only wanted to continue what they were currently doing. That she wanted his tongue in her mouth, his hands on her body. She wanted everything. But she swallowed hard and said huskily, “Yeah.”

“Things looked intense at one point. You were frowning so hard, I almost came over to see if you were okay.”

The notion that he was watching out for her felt good. “It was fine. We were talking about Elaine and Carla.” She had a feeling that wasn’t what had made her frown so much. It was April’s revelations about Cal. The ones that made her feel both guilty and protective.

“You don’t have to worry about them anymore. I’ll take care of them.”

June nodded.

He hadn’t moved away from her, still had his hand on the back of her neck. It felt amazingly possessive, and June had never felt safer than she did at that moment.

He stared down at her for a long moment. Then slowly pulled her into a hug.

June went willingly, burrowing her nose in the side of his neck as he leaned over her. She was enveloped by him, and she wasn’t sure what had brought on this small intimacy, but she would treasure this moment for as long as it lasted.

“What are you doing to me?” he mumbled into her hair.

She didn’t get a chance to answer, not that he probably expected her to, because Cal pulled back and gave her a tender smile. “I’m going to head up to shower. Kitchen’s all cleaned up, doors are locked. I’ll see you in the morning. Okay?”

Surprised, because it was still pretty early, all June could do was nod yet again.

He let go of her and turned toward the stairs that led up to the second floor and the bedrooms. It seemed to June that he was running, even if his pace was unhurried. But from what? Her? That seemed impossible. She was completely harmless.

It was confusing being around Cal. One second, he was kissing and hugging her, and the next, he acted as if he couldn’t stand to be in the same room.

Sighing, June wandered into the kitchen. He’d said everything was put away, but she had to check for herself. She wiped down the already clean counters and looked around for something else to do. Not finding anything, she went into the sitting area and picked up the book she’d been reading earlier.

She heard the water turn on upstairs, and instantly the words on the page lost all interest. All she could think about was Cal, naked in his shower.

April’s words about the scars on his back sprang to her mind, and June found her eyes filling with tears. She hated to think about Cal being hurt. She hated even more that he might think less of himself because of what others had done. Didn’t he know he was the most incredible man she’d ever met? That she didn’t care one second about what he looked like under his clothes?

Probably not. His entire life had been about outward appearances, something June understood more than most people. Being a member of the royal family meant being in the limelight, being held to different standards than others. Any imperfection could be seen as a flaw, something to criticize. She hated that for him and vowed to do what she could to make him understand that she wouldn’t judge him for anything.

After the water turned off, June waited to see if maybe Cal would join her back downstairs. When he didn’t, she eventually headed up to her own room. She’d enjoyed meeting his friends and looked forward to spending more time with April and Carlise and the guys, but the one person she wanted to get to know better was the man she was living with . . . who seemed a million miles away right now.