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

a crab-stuffed mushroom off the tray of a passing waiter.   “You loved Cole growing up.   You followed him around like a little
puppy.”
    “I did not!”   I was shocked.   I didn’t love Cole growing up.   I resented him.   I hated the way the girls in my class drooled
all over him, hated how he would show up at the neighborhood pool and cause all
my friends to abandon their magazines and suntan lotion just so they could
flirt with him.   I hardly had any
friends growing up, and the ones I did have, well -- I always had to wonder if
they were only spending time with me because they were hoping it would get them
closer to my stepbrother.
    “Whatever.”   Jeffrey shrugged like it was no big deal.   He finished the rest of his mushroom
and washed it down with a swig of the beer he was holding.   “So, coffee tomorrow?”
    “No.”
    “Really, Avery?” he said, sighing.   “Can we just stop this little
charade?   Because
I’d really hate for your big hero Cole to find out our little secret.   I don’t think he’d like that too much,
would he?”   Jeffrey reached into
his pocket and pulled out his wallet, sliding out a crisp white business
card.   “Call me in the morning,” he
said, pressing the card into my hand.   As he did, his grip tightened around my fingers, holding on for longer
than was necessary.
    “What’s going on?” a voice asked from
behind me.   It was Cole, his eyes
flashing with steely suspicion as he looked down at Jeffrey’s hand in
mine.  
    “Nothing,” I said quickly, pulling away
from Jeffrey.   I’d somehow ended up
with his card in my hand.   I wanted
to drop it on the floor, to show Jeffrey that I had no intention of calling
him, but I couldn’t.   I didn’t want
Cole to know anything weird was happening.   “I ran into Jeffrey and we were just saying hello.”
    I smoothed my dress down, wishing I had a
drink to sip, or something to hold in my hands.   I felt fidgety and nervous.
    “Nice to see you, man,” Jeffrey said, holding his hand out to Cole, who shook
it.  
    “Nice to see you,” Cole said, but there
was a hardness to his voice and his smile didn’t reach his eyes.  
    I wondered if something had happened
between the two of them to make them hate each other.   Cole hadn’t seemed upset when I’d brought up Jeffrey’s name
on the way over here, but now he was acting like Jeffrey was the enemy.   And all those things Jeffrey had said
about Cole not being a good guy – it definitely hinted at some kind of
bad blood between the two of them.
    “Gearing up for the IPO?” Jeffrey asked
easily.
    “Yes,” Cole said shortly.    “It’s been exhausting.   So if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll
call it a night.”   He looked at me
pointedly.   “Are you coming?”
    “Yes,” I said.   I turned to Jeffrey.   “It was good to see you, Jeffrey.   Take care.”  
    As I turned and headed for the door, I
let Jeffrey’s business card fall from my hand and flutter to the floor.
    I was hoping that would be the last time
I ever had to see him.
    But something told me it wasn’t going to
be that easy.

 
    ***

 
    Once we were in the back of the town car,
Cole pushed up the partition so that we were alone, separated from the
driver.   He didn’t say anything,
and instead just turned and stared out the window, brooding.
    The silence stretched between us, growing
more and more uncomfortable.   After
a while, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I was just about to speak when Cole
beat me to it.
    “Stay away from him, Avery,” he said, his
voice a dark warning.
    “What?”
    “Jeffrey.   Stay away from him.”
    “I wasn’t… I didn’t intend on talking to
him.   He came up to me.   I didn’t even know he was going to be
there.”
    “Then why did you have his card?”
    “He made me take it.   He pushed it into my hand.”
    “I don’t want excuses.   Just stay the fuck away from him,
Avery.   I’m serious.”
    He pulled