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“So do I.” Jealousy nips at my cheeks out of nowhere, making them smart. I disguise the green monster with a high-pitched laugh, however. “But we’re not going todoanything about it, right? I mean, we misbehave to get his attention once in a while, because it forces him to spend time with us…which we love. Butanything more would be weird, right? He was married to our mom. We call him Daddy.”
“Yeah,” Charlie scoffs. “It would be totally weird.”
I settle back. “Right.”
“But, like…what if somethingaccidentallyhappened? Like there was a terrible storm and I crawled into his bed because I’m scared. And when I reach for his hand, I hold his dick, instead. We look at each other while lightning flashes—”
“Okay, you’ve thought about this a lot.”
“But now that I’ve crossed the line, we just cross them all. You know?”
I frown at my sister, the green monster thrashing around now, highly agitated. “I’m older than you. If he crosses the line with anyone, it’s going to be me.”
“Oh, right, a couple of months makes a huge difference when he’s twenty-four years older than both of us, Bella.” Joe is off the phone now and walking toward the vehicle while Charlie wets her lips, watching him approach with a growing flush on her face. “No. It’s going to be me.”
I gape at Charlie. “Care to make a wager?”
“A what?”
“A wager.” What in the name of everything holy am I doing? I don’t know, but two things are occurring to me at once. One, now that I know Charlie wants to sleep with our stepfather, too, I am inundated with permission to go there myself. To a place where he’s not quite so off limits. “Whoever seduces Joe first…” I begin.
“What is the prize?”
We let out a breathy sound simultaneously. “Heisthe prize.”
Said prize nearly rips the door of the police car off the hinges in the process of opening it. He props a meaty forearm on the roof of the vehicle and leans down to speak with us, but when he sees my breasts have been exposed by the slipped towel andmy back is arched, presenting my tits to the air, he inhales an unsteady breath, his Adam’s apple moving high and low in his throat. I curse the fact that his eyes are hidden behind his sunglasses, because I would do anything for confirmation that they’re glued to my breasts. My thighs. All my exposed parts. “I got the mayor to drop the charges,” he says, finally. Then he slams his fist on the roof of the car. “But don’t feel too relieved. Wendy is going to drive you home. And you’re not going to like dealing with me there, instead.”
“Doubt that,” Charlie murmurs.
“Bring it on,” I say out of the side of my mouth.
3
Charlie
Bella and I sit side by side on the couch in our living room, trying not to smile too broadly while Joe paces, reading us the riot act in that unbelievably deep baritone, his boots leaving impressions on the rug. Wendy dropped us back off at the house a half an hour ago and we were allowed to shower and put on fresh clothes. Bella opted for a tank top with no bra and yoga pants. I’m in a bralette and gym shorts. Our hair is still wet and neither one of us is happy about that, but we’re thrilled about what’s coming.
Joe rakes five frustrated fingers through his hair. “Out of all the houses with pools in Portsmith, why would you pick the goddamn mayor’s, girls?”
“He has the best pool,” Bella says, blinking up at him innocently.
“There’s a slide,” I add in a whisper.
This is our favorite game. Make Joe angry, make Joe yell.
Sniffle and give him puppy dog eyes until he feels guilty and gives us what can only be described as a miracle drug. Joe being sweet and apologetic. Guilty for yelling at us. This whole recurring scene is what causes us to go out and make mischief every chance we get.
If I’d really stopped to think about why we engage in this nonsense, I would have known long before today that me and Bella both want Joe. In the biblical sense. There are a whole lot of daddy issues wrapped up in this kind of ridiculous behavior, but neither one of us seems to care. We lost our mother a year ago and everyone gave us too many free passes in our grief. Now we’re drunk on power.
At least we’re aware of our own flaws, right?
“You have passes to the public pool. It’s very nice,” our stepfather points out. “You couldn’t have gone there?”
“Not naked,” I say. “We wanted to skinny dip, Joe.”
“And when you want something, you get it, right?” He stops in front of us, planting his hands on his hips. “You girls must indulge every single whim that flutters into your heads?”
Bella blinks. “Is that a trick question?”
