Even though I wanted to. I desperately wanted to rebel against everything he said and did, which was probably part of why I was so excited every time Nate said something sexual right in front of him. I loved how cocky and confident Nate was, even if it was completely over the top and embarrassing. It excited me, and I craved some excitement in my life.
But I couldn’t imagine a day alone with him on a boat. I knew that he would try to get in my pants, or I guess in my swimsuit, all day long. And I wasn’t sure I could keep him off me. Now that we were stepsiblings, though, maybe he would start to back off.
“Okay,” I said reluctantly. “I’ll take him.”
Dad beamed. “That’s my girl. Well, this was delicious, but I have some work to do.” He stood up. “Ladies.”
Lucille blew him a kiss, and I smiled as he left. I took another bite of my lunch and then quickly stood up to follow.
“Be nice to that boy,” Lucille said suddenly.
“Excuse me?”
“Nathan. He doesn’t understand people like us. He’s always been a problem.”
I frowned at her. “He seems like he has it together. He’s a Navy SEAL. That’s a huge deal.”
She shrugged her shoulders and looked out at the ocean. “Maybe in some circles it is. But to me, he’s just one big disappointment.”
I stared at her, shocked that she’d outright admit to that, before turning and walking away without another word.
“Okay, so where’s this thick hunk of sexy-ass muscles at? I want a quick peek at what he’s packing.”
“Come on, Lydie,” I said, giggling. “Calm it with that.”
“I can’t calm myself. I know there’s a hunk nearby. I need to at least see what we’re working with before I can get myself under control.”
“Maybe self control is something you need to work on. Remember puking in the bushes?”
“I will never forget that moment as long as I live.”
“You looked like a dolphin diving in there. With puke coming out, obviously.”
“It wasn’t my finest moment.”
I leaned back in my chair, smiling to myself, the sun reflecting off the suntan lotion I had spread all over. The pool moved in slow lapping circles from the light breeze as Lydie and I sat in reclining chairs along its edge. After that awkward as hell lunch, I had decided I needed a little buffer from the family, and Lydie had been more than delighted to come over.
Of course, she had her own motives. She wanted to meet my new stepbrother, which both annoyed me and made me laugh. She had no clue what she was getting herself into. Nate wasn’t like the guys she normally messed around with. She was used to being able to control those guys and to get her way.
But I really doubted anyone could control Nate. It seemed like he did pretty much whatever he wanted to do. He would definitely walk all over Lydie and then some.
“Whatever happened with those guys you brought into the VIP, by the way?” I asked her.
“Ugh, they were creeps.”
“What did they do?”
“The one guy, remember the tan one?” I nodded. “Well, he said he wanted to put his dick in my butt. Like, totally out of nowhere, he just said it.”
“What?”
“Seriously, Claire. It was so disgusting. He leaned into me right after we took a shot and whispered in my ear, ‘Girl, your ass is so fat I want to stick my dick in it.’ I started puking right there.”
I burst out laughing. It was the most absurd thing I had ever heard in my entire life.
“Did he think that was going to work?” I managed to ask through laughter.
“I have no fucking clue. He was so gross. I’m actually almost glad I started throwing up. Made it clear how I felt about him.”
“Got you away from them, too.”
“Totally. The second I told them I felt sick, they dumped me in the bathroom and ran out of there. Vomit is basically dickhead repellent.”
“Assholes.”
“Don’t even say that word.”
I rolled over, laughing again. I looked up toward the ocean, and suddenly the laughter died in my chest.
“I’m so sick of guys like that,” Lydie was saying, but I hardly heard her. I was too busy staring at Nate walking up the path toward the house, his shirt wrapped around his head like a turban, his chest glistening with sweat.
“Hello? Claire? I’m busy bitching about the finer points of the male animal’s psyche and you look like you just saw a ghost.”
“Oh, uh, sorry.”
“What are you . . .” Lydie started to say, but trailed off when she noticed Nate. “Oh damn. Hot fucking damn.”
Lydie dipped her sunglasses down, her mouth gaping.