Sibling Rivalry

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

IT WAS SATURDAY morning, and it was beautiful outside, a perfect day to kick back by the pool and soak in some rays. Karla squeezed herself into the skimpiest bathing suit she could, grabbed a towel and the latest smut book she was reading—or pretending to read—and headed to the condominium’s pool. The sun was beating down on the concrete and she was at least glad she remembered her sandals. It was barely nine in the morning and, while the sun was somewhat hot, it wasn’t unbearable, yet. She should at least be able to get in a couple of hours of free tanning before melting back into her condo.

As she slipped through the gate opening, she heard the squeal of a little girl. There goes a peaceful morning. She sighed as she glanced around to see who made the noise. She didn’t know most of the people who resided at the Sea Breeze—her choice, of course. She didn’t see a need yet. So, she doubted she knew whoever it was who had the same idea as her about enjoying the pool. Except she did know the father, or at least recognized him, even if she didn’t know the toddler. She never met Abigail Asher, but she had seen her father around the complex. Even if she hadn’t, Aimee described him enough that Karla would have known him on sight anyway.

She grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows a little. Well, this morning just got better. Time to find out what my sweet sister is keeping all to herself.

Clint was in the pool, throwing a beach ball back and forth with his daughter. He waved at Karla as she walked by and she grinned to herself as she saw that his eyes lingered on her exposed flesh. Her bathing suit selection for that morning was definitely a good choice.

Karla draped her towel along one of the chaise lounge chairs on the side of the pool, making sure her ass pointed outward for Clint’s appraisal. She didn’t drag it out, but she didn’t rush stretching the towel out, either. When she sat down, her legs pointed in his direction, and she made sure they were parted just enough not to be obvious but enticing. She already screwed up with her sister once, she wasn’t eager to cross that line again. Not yet, anyway. She’d have to see if Clint was worth it, first.

“Good morning,” she said, as she reached for her book. “A great day to be in the water.”

“It is at that,” Clint said, smiling as he tossed the ball back to his daughter. “Karla, right?”

She glanced down at her bathing suit top. “I know there isn’t room for a name tag.” She turned her gaze back to Clint. “How did you know my name?”

“Well, you’re not Aimee, because your hair is dark, not blond. You can’t deny you’re sisters, however. The price of twins, I suppose. It’s probably a good thing you’re a brunette or no one would be able to tell you two apart.”

She bounced her head up and down slightly, agreeing with what he said. “I started dying it right after high school. Didn’t need my boyfriend accidentally kissing Aimee.”

He chuckled. “And did that happen a lot?”

She shrugged. “Not really. Aimee never really dated much. She was the studious type.”

“And you weren’t?”

“Life is more fun outside the classroom—unless you’re dating the teacher, that is, but that didn’t happen until college.” She smiled, a seductive tease that hopefully told him she liked older men. She even parted her legs a little more, adjusting her bathing suit bottom as she did, her eyes still on his smile.

Clint coughed a little as he averted his gaze from between her legs and reached for the ball Abigail threw his way. “Congratulations, by the way. Aimee says you got a new job. Bartending at Sand Dune, right?”

So, Aimee tells him about me. Interesting. “Thanks. I start Monday night. Should be fun. I’ve never done it before, and I like new challenges.”

“Change can be good. Keeps us from growing stagnant.”

“A change seems to have put a bounce in Aimee’s step, lately.” She smiled at him and then opened her book. “Whatever you’re doing, you shouldn’t stop.” By George, I think he actually blushed. She glanced down at her book but couldn’t focus on the words. Clint returned to his game of catch with his daughter, choosing not to comment on her statement. Was her sister really getting some? Good for her. Karla stared at Clint over the edge of her book. He possessed strong shoulders and a firm chest that led to arms she could see herself getting lost in. His eyes sparkled, especially when he interacted with his daughter, and Karla found the way his bangs kept falling into his eyes adorable. Add the fact that he offered stability and seemed to have a plan for the future, and she could see why Aimee was attracted to him. He was everything her sister wanted for her life. Cute, but boring.

So why did he want Aimee? Why did Mitch want Aimee, for that matter? What was the sudden appeal her sister had on men? Had Brad tried to make a pass at Aimee, as well?

The sun caressed Karla’s skin as it rose higher into the sky. A light breeze brushed the palm trees above her, as a few more people took up empty chairs and kids screamed before cannon balling into the deep end. Most joined the game of catch that Clint Asher had going with his daughter, and he gladly included all the kids who wanted to play. Karla watched him over the top of her book as he laughed and threw kids into the air, and Abigail squealed with delight because it was her father—her single father, Karla reminded herself—who was the center of attention and playing with them. Is that it? Clint is looking for a mother for his little girl and Aimee seems to be the safe bet. Was he playing her sister, manipulating her emotions in order to fill a void in his family life?

It’s not that Karla didn’t think men were attracted to Aimee or necessarily needed an ulterior motive in order to go out with her. She knew men liked being around Aimee. She was cute. Funny. Even sensible. Men liked sensible when they were looking to settle down. After they had their fill of hot and unpredictable, that is. Twenty-somethings weren’t looking for life commitments. They were looking to party and to crawl between as many legs as they could before they actually did settle down.

She watched Clint for a few more moments. He had a three-year-old. Responsibility was thrust upon him when his daughter arrived and her mother ran away. He had sensible up to his eyeballs. What he needed was the adventure that came with the unpredictable, which led Karla back around to her original question. What was he doing with Aimee?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Her cell phone rang, jarring her out of a deep sleep. Aimee rolled over, groaning with the movement that her body did not want to be making. She had nowhere to be and no intention of coming up with something. It was a pajama and smut book kind of Saturday.

The night had not gone as she hoped, but it was still late before she crawled into bed. She smiled as she laid her head back down on the pillow, thinking of the way Clint kissed her, the way he held her, the pressure of his lips against hers.

The cell phone still rang. She reached for it, her muscles screaming that they weren’t ready for the day to begin, yet. She wasn’t ready, either. Through eyes that needed to be forced to focus, she glanced at the screen. Mitch Greenway. She dropped back onto the pillow, a loud groan escaping her lips. She did not need this so early in the morning. She rolled her head to the side and stared at the clock. 10:15. Okay, so it wasn’t so early in the morning. She still didn’t need to deal with Mitch Greenway. She wasn’t sure what to do about him and the date yet.

She tossed her phone onto the nightstand as she rolled to her side, placing her feet on the carpet as she sat there. She needed coffee. Lots of coffee.

The condo was quiet. Karla must have already left for whatever trouble she was getting into that day. Aimee felt sorry for whoever the poor sap was whom her sister clamped her hooks into now. However, she felt herself lucky for being able to enjoy a quiet morning. There was so much on her mind that she needed to work through, and she didn’t need her sister around filling her head with negativity. Or games.

She trudged from her bedroom to the kitchen, hoping her sister had left her some coffee, but doubting it. There was some leftover bacon on the stove, however, so Aimee helped herself to it while she filled the coffee pot. She was staring at the water pouring out of the faucet as her thoughts drifted back to Clint’s kiss and his hands caressing her ass. Would he have made love to her if Abigail had not screamed from her nightmare? Oh god, she hoped so.

Her phone dinged with a text notification. For crying out loud, Mitch. Go away. Why was he being so persistent? It’s not as if they had been in a relationship or even friends before that one date, a date that ended in disaster. He actually had more of a history with her sister in such a short time than with Aimee. So, why was he not getting the hint?

Glancing at her phone, she couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto her face. It was Clint. Guess who is down at the pool?

She groaned. Well, at least she knew where Karla was. Be careful. She bites, she sent back. Setting her phone back on the counter, she reached for the canister of coffee. As she scooped the grounds into the filter, she wondered if Karla being at the pool was a coincidence or a planned run-in. Aimee purposefully kept what happened between her and Clint away from her sister. There was no way Karla knew what was going on, so it was probably just that she wanted to get some sun and he was down there with Abigail. She flipped the power switch on her Mr. Coffee.

Her cell phone rang again, and she snatched it up, assuming it was Clint making some crack about Karla biting. “You do have your rabies shot, right?” She laughed as she reached for a mug.

“Um, no. Why, is there something I should know?”

She made a mental note to make sure to check to see who was calling before answering. “No, sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

“And here I figured I’d worn you down and that’s why you answered.”

“Next time, I’ll make sure to see who’s calling,” she said with a sigh of exasperation.

“That hurts. I thought we had moved past all the animosity.”

She took a deep breath. She had forgiven him. She was only frustrated at the situation in which she found herself. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s just been an off day or two.”

“Well, I hope that doesn’t mean you’re canceling on me. I was just calling to confirm our date.”

“I don’t know. As I said, it’s been an off couple of days. I just think…”

“But you already said you’d join me. You can’t give me a chance to explain if you don’t first give me a chance.”

He was right, of course. She did say she would go. Yet, what about Clint? She didn’t want to risk things with him just as they were starting to get interesting. But what if things with Clint were just what he said, hanging out and having fun. Did she want to pass up a chance that Mitch was real?

“Tell you what,” Mitch said when she didn’t say anything right away. “I’ll be at the Wet Spot at nine tonight. If you show up, then I’ll buy you a drink. If you don’t, well, then I’ll leave you alone. I hope I see you tonight, though.” The line went dead.

Aimee stared at the coffee maker as it beeped. She had no idea why he was being so persistent, but she did know that she would not be at the Wet Spot later that night. He had her sister. He would not get her, as well.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and then headed to the bathroom. Perhaps a hot shower would wash the frustration of Mr. Greenway from her mind. She didn’t need the drama in her life. Not now. Not since Clint was slowly entering her life. She just wished she knew what that meant. It was one thing to ask her to babysit his three-year-old. It was quite another to ask her out—the two of them—alone.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Her blond hair draped over her shoulders. She scooped some strands into her hand, thinking she needed a haircut. She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the counter. Running her hands over her stomach, she knew she needed to hit the treadmill, as well. She closed her eyes and remembered Clint’s hands on her. They were the first hands on her in way too long.

What would Mitch’s hands feel like on her body? She had to admit, even though he frustrated her, something about Mitch Greenway still sent heat shooting between her legs. She would be lying to herself if she didn’t confess that his pursuit of her excited her. What girl didn’t like to be chased? What she didn’t understand, however, was why he was chasing her. He already had her sister. There was no way Aimee could compete with that. Karla had f****d him in his open garage. Aimee would have been petrified in such an open environment and probably would have put a halt to it even in a closed garage.

She turned on the faucet and ran cold water over her face. What was she thinking? She had something with Clint. Or at least she had the beginnings of something. Why was she even thinking about Mitch? It didn’t make sense.

Staring at herself in the mirror, she knew she was crazy. However, she also knew she had talked herself into meeting Mitch for that drink. She’d keep her word, her curiosity demanded it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“He asked you out. Again. You have got to be kidding me.” Karla paced back and forth, flailing her arms in her frustration. “I don’t friggin’ believe it.”

Aimee sat at the table, a bacon sandwich in front of her along with a glass of water. She enjoyed another hour of peace and quiet before her sister barged into the apartment smelling like coconuts and sweat. It was a rather pungent combination. Aimee told her about Mitch’s call earlier and the invitation to meet him for drinks. She left out the part where he had told her to meet him, however. She didn’t need a repeat of their dinner date.

“I let the son of a b***h spank me!”

Aimee choked on the bite of sandwich she was chewing. When the coughing fit subsided, she stared at her sister, dumbfounded. “You did what? When did this happen?”

“Yesterday. I went to his garage to apologize and he spanked me. He said my rude behavior at the restaurant would be forgiven if I let him beat my ass.”

Aimee stared at her sister. She didn’t know what to say or to even think. “You went to where he worked, during the day, and allowed him to spank you. What the hell were you thinking? What if someone came in?”

Karla shrugged. “Then they would have seen me bent over, my bare ass being beaten with a belt.”

“You stripped?”

“No, don’t be silly. He just hiked up my skirt. Will you forget what I did for a moment and focus on the issue at hand. Mitch Greenway is trying to sleep with both of us.”

“You’re unbelievable.” She dropped her sandwich on her plate and carried it to the kitchen counter, her appetite suddenly gone. She wasn’t sure who she was more furious at—her sister or Mitch. Yet, she wasn’t surprised at the behavior of either one. Her sister was the slut everyone could screw around with and Mitch was a man. They wanted to f**k whoever they could f**k.

“I’m unbelievable? Why me?”

Aimee leaned on the counter, a deep sigh escaping her. “First you screwed him, attempting to keep him from going out with me, and then you went over there and used your body to get his forgiveness. Why? Are you wanting to date him? If so, go for it. If you’re not, then what does it matter if I do or not? You’re just screwing around with him so you can force some rule we made in high school down my throat. You’re manipulating Mitch and me, and it’s childish. We’re not in high school anymore.”

“Of course we’re not in high school anymore. We’re still sisters, though, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to allow some man to screw us both. That’s just too close for comfort. It seems icky.”

“Nothing about s*x is icky to you. Nor do you have boundaries. Remember the summer after graduation when you sneaked Jacob into our room. We both fell asleep in your bed, but that didn’t stop you from allowing him to crawl under the blankets with us, getting you off with his fingers. I was in the same damn bed and that didn’t stop you for a second. And for the record, you don’t determine who I sleep with and who I don’t. It’s none of your business.”

“Yes, it is my business. You’re my sister.” She crossed her arms and gave Aimee a smirk. “Are you saying you’re hiding something from me? Are you being naughty and not telling me?”

Aimee stared at her sister, her heart pounding a staccato rhythm in her chest. Did she know about Clint? No way. She couldn’t know. Unless, of course, he said something to her while they were at the pool. No, he wouldn’t. Would he? She didn’t want her sister knowing her business before, and now she really didn’t want her to know. But what if it was already out? She just stood there and glared at Karla. Her sister was playing her, but she didn’t have a clue as to what the game was. “Stay out of my business, Karla.”

Karla just smirked at her. “Your business seems to be mixed up in mine. I should be telling you to stay out of my business, don’t you think? After all, I’m the one who brought Mitch into the picture. I’m the one who made contact and took the first step in getting him to look at your car. I’m the one he slept with and the one he met out for a night of dancing.”

“And you’re the one he spanked and then the very next day he called to ask me out.”

Karla shrugged, her face a mask of nonchalance. “He’s a male. He’ll sniff around any v****a he thinks he can score with, including yours.”

“You can be such a bitch.”

“Going to go sleep at Mom’s again?”

“You know, you’re my sister. We’re supposed to be on the same side. I’m supposed to be able to tell you anything, instead of worrying about you turning things against me.”

“And you’re supposed to follow our rules.”

Aimee growled, her whole body a knot of frustrated tension. She wasn’t doing this anymore. She grabbed her glass of water and pounded a path to her bedroom. She needed to get away from her sister before she really said something she would not be able to take back. She had no clue as to why her sister was being such a b***h. She was creating strife between them for no apparent reason. There was no way she had hopped from Brad to Mitch so quickly, nor fell hard enough for Mitch to be fighting for him like she was.

Aimee entered her bedroom and flipped on her radio. And why the hell am I fighting for him? I didn’t even want him until she made it clear she did. I’m being just as childish as she is. And I have a man who wants to truly spend time with me and not make me a notch on his belt. She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling very stupid.

She understood the rule they made in high school and how it became a game among some boys to try and get both sisters in bed. Everyone wanted to tumble the twins. Karla and she talked quite a bit and always made sure the other knew who they were interested in and might be going out with. That put the boy off the other sister’s list of possibilities. They stuck to that rule religiously, but then again, after high school, it was never really an issue. They didn’t run in the same circles, so they never met the same men. Furthermore, Aimee had not had a real date in the last two years, ever since she moved back home. Maybe that was why she was making such a big deal out of it. Karla could have any guy she wanted, and she usually did. Aimee, however, didn’t date much and now she had two guys panting after her. She wasn’t sure what to do.

Karla would f**k them both and not even bat an eye. Aimee fought a battle within herself as to what would be betrayal to one of the men, along with feelings of guilt over her decisions. What would one of the guys say if they knew she went out with the other one? Was she supposed to be exclusive with them? It never came up. Should she bring it up? Yet, the only one who seemed to want her to be just his was Clint and, to be honest, she only assumed that. She wasn’t even sure what Mitch wanted.

This is why she didn’t date. It was too nerve-wracking.