Based: A Stepbrother Romance (Extreme Sports Alphas) by B. B. Hamel

skills.”
    She gave me a look. “I mean the high scores.”
    I grinned. “Yeah. Except this bastard.” I nudged the case with my hip.
    She laughed again. “Look at you. Good at piano and pinball. Weird combination.”
    “I’m a man of many talents.”
    She looked away, probably sensing the double meaning behind my words. “Good one. I have a quick question for you,” she said, changing the subject.
    I crossed my arms. “What’s up?”
    “What are you doing two weeks from now?”
    I laughed. “Nothing. I play piano and pinball because I can’t exactly do much else.”
    “Feel like going to a charity thing?”
    I cocked my head at her. That was interesting. Why was she inviting me out somewhere?
    “Depends on what it is.”
    “It’s your mom’s thing. I found a venue for her, got everything scheduled.”
    “You work fast.”
    “Yeah, well, Jules has been pretty intense about it. Got me pretty motivated.”
    I laughed. “She can be a taskmaster.”
    “Yeah, seriously. A little scary, actually.”
    “So why do you want me to go?”
    “I don’t know. I mean, none of my friends are home for the summer, and I need someone to go with. I figured . . .” she trailed off.
    “Are you asking me to be your date?”
    She gaped at me for a second. “No! I mean, no, it’s not like that.”
    “Seems like it is, Brie baby.”
    “Come on, asshole.”
    I should’ve said no. I should’ve walked away as fast as my broken legs would take me. Especially after Cliff had just told me to stay away from her. And especially since Cliff could easily have me sent off to jail.
    “So you’re asking for a favor?”
    “Yeah. This is my favor.”
    I should’ve said no.
    “Well, then my hands are tied. I said I’d do anything.”
    “This isn’t a date. Just as friends.”
    “I’ll do whatever you want, Brie.”
    She bit her lip and I felt my cock stir. I wanted to push her down on that pool table and taste her perfect little pussy. I wanted to feel every inch of her skin. And I wanted to get the fuck out of there before I did something completely idiotic.
    “Okay. Cool. I’ll let you know more about it later.”
    “Sounds good.”
    She paused and looked like she wanted to say something else. I raised an eyebrow at her, not trying to hide the fact that I was taking in her body. If I was going to fuck myself over, I was at least going to get a good view out of it.
    “Thanks, Lincoln. See you later.”
    “No problem, Brie baby.”
    She pushed off the pool table and walked fast out of the room. I watched her go, savoring the movement of her sweet ass.
    “Fuck,” I said to myself out loud.
    I turned back to Batman and began to play again, but my heart wasn’t in it.
    All I could think about was how badly I wanted Brie, and how impossible that was. And yet there she was, asking me to be her date to a charity event. My mom’s event, but still.
    I was capable of going as her friend. We were stepsiblings, after all.
    Maybe if I lied to myself, I’d start to believe it.

Chapter Nine: Aubrie
     

     
     
    Charity Event #1
     
    I stood stationed near the front door about a half hour before the start of the event with a clipboard in my hands and a walkie-talkie earpiece shoved down my ear canal. I felt like an idiot talking into it, like I was a crazy bag lady or something, but I kept reminding myself that I was doing a favor for Jules. Apparently there was going to be some talk by a popular environmental activist later in the evening, which was the big headlining reason for people to show up.
    Tickets were 200 bucks a pop. Proceeds went to nature preserves all across Colorado. Without a doubt, I was the poorest person in attendance, if you didn’t count the other staff. Maybe even if you did, since I didn’t exactly have any of my own money. Going to school full time didn’t leave much room for anything else.
    I was supposed to be greeting everyone as they entered and pointing out the coat check, but I was a little