Free Stepbrother Needs (His Twisted Game, Book Three) by Chloe Hawk Page A

her.
    “You’re a real asshole, Cole,” she said.
    “I know.”   But I wasn’t listening, and she knew it.   She followed my gaze across the room to
where Avery was standing.
    “What is she doing here?” she asked.   “She’s only the second assistant!”
    “I brought her.”   I took another swig of my drink.
    “For what?   She doesn’t know how do anything yet.”
    I shrugged.   “Go home, Kalia,” I said.   “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    I drained the rest of my drink and set
the empty glass down on a nearby table.   And then I went to go get Avery.

 
    AVERY

 
    Jeffrey’s breath smelled like beer, and I
tried to pull away from him, but he herded me over to the side of the room.
    “Relax, Avery,” he said.  
    I tasted bile in the back of my
mouth.   Relax, Avery.   That’s
what he’d said to me that summer day.   I could still remember the sun beating down on my shoulders, the sky so
blue, the humidity so heavy in the air that it made my
clothes stick to my skin.   That
day, and Jeffrey, were the reasons I hated summer, why I got depressed when the
sun was out, why I preferred days that were cold and gloomy.
    “I am relaxed.”   I tried as hard as I
could to keep my voice even, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing
how much he was affecting me.   I scanned
the room for Cole, hoping he would see me and come over, but there were so many
people here now that it was hard to keep my eyes on him.  
    I finally spotted him, still talking to
Kalia over by one of the elegantly set tables.   She was gesturing with her hands and talking animatedly
– whatever their conversation was about, it seemed serious.   Was Jeffrey right?   Were they fucking?   I imagined Cole taking Kalia into the
closet, the same closet where he’d just been with me, sliding his fingers up
inside of her, making her come.   Jealousy burned through me, which was ridiculous.   He wasn’t mine.   And how could you be jealous of
something that didn’t belong to you?
    “Cole,” Jeffrey said, shaking his head in
disbelief as we watched Cole with Kalia.   “That dude gets so much prime pussy.”
    “What do you want, Jeffrey?” I asked.   I pulled my eyes away from Cole and
Kalia, turning my back to them so I wouldn’t have to see what they were
doing.   If I saw him touch her,
even just brush the back of her hand, I was going to go insane.
    “Have lunch with me,” Jeffrey said,
giving me an easy smile, the kind of smile you would give an old friend.   But we weren’t old friends.   Not even close. “Tomorrow.   I know an amazing Italian place.”
    “No.” I shook my head.   “No fucking way.”
    He leaned in close to me again, and I saw
his eyes flick down to my chest.   “If you want to keep your secret
safe, you’ll do whatever I say,” he said, his breath hot against my neck.  
    I glanced over my shoulder, weighing the possibility
of seeing something between Cole and Kalia that would upset me against the fact
that Cole might come over here if he saw I needed help.
    Kalia looked gorgeous – she was
wearing a gold dress with black sequins down the sides that nipped in tight at
the waist and accentuated her lithe figure.   Her golden blond hair was swept back into a side bun,
setting off the delicate gold earrings that dangled from her ears.   She looked chic and elegant and
effortless. I felt big and disheveled just looking at her.
    “He’s not a good guy, you know,” Jeffrey
said, catching me looking at Cole.
    “What?”   I forced my attention back to Jeffrey.
    “Cole.   I know you always worshipped him growing up, but he’s bad
news, Avery.   He’s not a good
person.”   He shook his head sadly,
like I was a child who needed to be told the truth.   “The sooner you figure that out, the safer you’ll be.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”
I said.   “And I don’t – didn’t -- worship him.”
    “Oh, please,” Jeffrey said, grabbing