Page 153 of Sinful Like Us

Jane chokes on a noise. “Charlie!”

“It’s porn, Jane. It’s there to arouse. I’m just asking what our brothers would want to know for the sake of this game.”

“For the sake of your own curiosity,” Jane counters.

“That too.” Charlie is unabashed.

I run my fingers through my hair. “No, I didn’t jerk off to it.”

“Because there were other people in the room?” Charlie asks.

Jane groans and flashes me an apologetic look.

I’m fine, honey.“Because I didn’t. It was ten years ago. If you want to know if I was hard, I don’t remember. Is that good enough?”

“I’m satisfied with your answer, if Jane is.”

“I’m highly satisfied, thank you,” she says without hesitation. She’s what I care most about, and she gives me an assured nod.

I didn’t completely fuck this into the ground. That’s something.

“One more.” Charlie nods towards the cards.

I pick the last one and I silently read the words.

Take three nudes and send them to Jane.

Unholy fuckingshit.

“Charlie, he can’t do this,” Jane says after reading the card in my grip.

I can.

I will.

I’m not worried about me. I’m concerned abouther.She can’t join me in this. Not a fucking chance. Her brothers might have thought twice about this card, had they known she’d be a part of the game.

Charlie’s shoulders rise in an apathetic shrug. “Then he loses.”

“I’m doing it.” Resoluteness bleeds from every word.

“What?” Her lips part, eyes widening tenfold. “You want to?”

“I’m happy to send you nudes of myself. It’s not a problem.”

“You’re certain?” She’s in a daze, disbelieving.

“Yeah.” It’s easy for me. I meant what I told her on tour—when my bare ass and the nicknamejockstrapcirculated online and on entertainment TV. I didn’t care.

I was just glad it didn’t happen to her.

She smiles but as her turn to make a decision approaches, her lips falter and flat-line.

I wait for Jane to tell me that this is something she absolutelycan’tdo. Can’t fathom. We just went through a whole discussion about her parent’s sex tapes, ones that wereleakedonline. I know Jane’s feelings about nudes.

I know she wouldn’t dare. Not for a second. Because as soon as there are naked photos of her on any device, she’s created a probability where they could be leaked. No matter how small that probability, it’s always been too great a risk for her.

I know that.