“All right,” I said with a shake of my head.
“Then I wager a kiss with Zoey again,” Ben said.
“Sure thing, kid,” I said. I would just go ahead and let him win, and then I’d lay down the ground rules about them kissing. “Deal.”
“I’m the dealer.” Zoey said cheerfully.
Ben passed the deck to her and she dealt us each a hole card and a top card. I had a six on top, and a ten on bottom. I was going to draw until I busted. I just hoped that Ben wouldn’t bust before I did. He was looking at his Ace on top and thinking with his tongue out.
“Do you want any?” Zoey asked him.
Ben looked nervous. “Uh… no.”
“Daddy?” Zoey said.
“Hit me.”
She flipped a card over for me. An eight. Perfect.
“Another?” she asked.
“No.”
“Dealer takes one,” she said, giving herself a four. “Um, I mean dealer takes two.” She took another card. “Okay, show them.”
She flipped her hole card to reveal a total of 19. Ben had 20. I had 24. Ben gasped. “Yes!” he shouted.
“Wow, good job!” Zoey said, grinning.
I merely smirked. “Well?”
“So, I can do it?” he asked. “I can kiss her?”
“If she lets you.”
Zoey smiled at me. I think she knew I busted on purpose. She climbed up from her seat and Ben climbed up too. I looked away as he stepped toward her, drew her in his arms, and eagerly mashed his lips into hers. He was like a hungry hippo, mauling my daughter.
“Ow, careful!” Zoey said. “You bit my lip.”
“Sorry,” he said, trying to kiss her again.
I rolled my eyes and rubbed my forehead.
Zoey grunted and stumbled back. “Okay, not so much tongue.”
“Uh, sorry.”
They both breathed and sat back down. Zoey was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Ben was licking his lips.
“All right, listen up you two,” I said, getting ready to start my speech about trusting them to follow the rules of when they could kiss.
“So what’s the next bet?” Ben asked.
“What?” I said. “What’s the next bet?”
“Well, we’re not done,” he said. “I mean, we want to do more.”
I glared at him. Zoey looked shy.
“The game is over,” I said.
“Come on, I win once and you quit? I thought you were a better sport than that. Geez, I watched you kiss her, your own daughter, and I still came back to play.”
I was getting very annoyed with this little bastard. “You should quit while you’re ahead. You really want to keep playing?” I was going to teach him a lesson now.
“Yeah. I told you, I’ve been practicing.” He had a cocky smirk.
“The stakes?”
“If I win…” He smiled. “Zoey has to strip for me.”
“Ben!” Zoey said.
“What the… You little shit!”
“What? You two were cuddling and kissing the other night, and I didn’t say anything. Zoey, you said you wanted us to be more intimate.”
Zoey’s eyes bulged and I gave her a glare.
“Only with my daddy’s approval!” she said quickly, looking down.
“All right, you little bastard,” I said, my anger catching in my voice, “you want to bet big? If I win, you strip and walk home naked and stay there. You got it?”
He swallowed. “Okay.”
“Wait, what do I get if I win?” Zoey said.
“You get to see my dick of course,” Ben said confidently.
I was grinding my teeth. Why was I putting up with this little punk?
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