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"Mmm, I wish we could take a shower together. Having you all wet and slippery in my arms...dirty."

Groaning, she slaps my shoulder. "Stop it!"

I grin and lick my fingers. "You taste good, Mermaid Girl."

"You better clean up before I get you out of these clothes."

"Baby, don't tease." I kiss the tip of her nose and climb from her. "Don't go anywhere."

"We're in my bedroom. I have nowhere else to go."

I roll my eyes. "Smartass!" I say with a chuckle.

Bea lieson her side and watches me come back into her bedroom. She smiles softly and my heart flutters in my chest. I'm half in love with this girl. While I've been cleaning up, she's taken off her underwear and is now wearing a vest and shorts, her red hair tumbling around her.

I give her a shy smile and sit down on the bed. I pull her into my arms and enjoy her lying next to me. Instead of prolonging what I have to say, I just get on with it. “Mom thinks your dad will frame one of us for murder if he catches you with us. With me."

She shudders and leans in closer. "I'm not going to let that happen, Essex. I'll make sure the police in another town know what's going on if it looks like it's going to happen. I promise. I won't keep quiet. I'm eighteen. I don't need Richard's permission to be with you."

"We need to see everything on your mother's phone, Bea. Documents, everything... you should at least call the FBI guy and tell him about your mom." Pause. "If you need me to, I'll make the call for you." I kiss her forehead.

"I can't keep anything here. I don't trust Richard not to find it. Evelyn would help if we asked her, but I'm not ready. We have to figure this out on our own first." Pause. "Where do we start?" she asks.

"Use your mom's phone and call the FBI guy... Does your mom have email?"

"Yeah. I don't know the password though."

"Hmm, what's Richard doing tomorrow?"

"It's a workday, so he'll be at the office."

"I'll meet you on the street across the river from here at ten. We'll go to my place and look up those names and see what else is on the phone."

"I'll be there...I'll have to get Violet to come with me. Richard is used to me spending time with her."

"I'm not sure telling anyone else about the phone is a good idea."

"Maybe Galen can distract her.” Bea wiggles her eyebrows.

My eyes widen. "She's hot for Galen? No way!" I laugh.

"Galen is the one who is hot for my girlfriend." She giggles and snuggles closer. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

"I've got you, Mermaid Girl."

"I don't think I've told you how much I love it when you call me that."

I sigh. "The image of you emerging from the ocean, red hair cascading down your back, bright emerald eyes fixed on me, and a green dress that clung to your figure and ruffled up to your hips. I can't get it out of my head." I take a moment. "I caught a glimpse of those green panties and those long legs. You were mine from that moment on. My sexy little mermaid."

"Speaking of green panties, you wouldn't happen to know where they went?"

I grin. "I wanted something from you, so I put them in my pocket."

"Oh, boy!" She giggles and falls asleep while I'm wide awake.

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BEATRICE

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