My Brothers Best Friend: Cole & Alicia- A Wattpad & Inkitt Sensation! (The Temptation Series Book 1), page 1
My Brother’s Best Friend
Linzvonc
Copyright © 2021 by Linzvonc
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Design: Linzvonc using Canva
Editors: S.Glide & L.Carter
Beta readers: A.Fernandez & J.Cormack
For my readers. Thank you for supporting me through everything, I adore you all.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Linzvonc
Chapter One
“So I have two Martha Mighty Meals, with extra onion rings and two cokes. That’s twenty-five dollars, please.”
The guy in front of me was a regular and managed to stick in an inappropriate comment whenever he was in, despite his girlfriend sitting waiting patiently in the booth for him.
“I’ll give you thirty-five if you write your number on the receipt.” He winked, and I resisted the urge to kick his ass.
“Twenty-five bucks, sir,” I repeated through gritted teeth as he leered at me. He counted the notes out slowly as he made a show of licking his fingers to get the notes separated.
I sighed with annoyance as I waited, feeling uncomfortable. It was awkward enough when you had to serve guys like this or mean bitches who seemed to pity you for wanting to earn money flipping burgers. The candy cane-type uniform didn’t help, which was far too snug around my breasts. I’d asked Rich, my boss, for a new size about a thousand times, but he insisted the budget was too tight and the top was just fine.
Another pervert.
Finally, the douchebag moved away from the counter. I sighed with relief until I glanced up to see some girls from school waiting in line.
The mean bitches.
“Aw, it’s so cute that you work here. I mean, I get it. You need the money. But I bet you don’t get much, do you? How do you even survive?” asked Toni Swizer, the head bitch of our school.
“Well, the funny thing about that is, I’m saving so I can get away from the likes of you and your girls. Now, what would you like, air with a Diet Coke? Or will it be the salad, hold the vegetables?” I smiled as she narrowed her eyes at me.
“I will have chicken salad and Diet Coke. But, judging from your tight uniform, I’d stop eating any perks you are getting. Now then, Miss Piggy, how much do I owe you?”
My cheeks burned as her group of girls tittered around her.
“I’ll get this. You grab the two Martha meals.” Dallas declared, leaning forward towards Toni. “Fifteen ninety-five.”
“What? For a salad?” Toni snapped as Dallas grinned.
“I’m charging for your attitude, bitch,” she muttered under her breath as Toni glared at her. I smirked to myself as Dallas continued to grin.
“Fifteen ninety-five, Miss.”
Dallas was a riot to work with and made my days more bearable. She was in college and told me how she had dealt with bitches like Toni many times at school. One time she said she was going to put full-fat mayonnaise over Toni’s salad, just to fuck her up.
I grabbed a tray, loading it with food before making my way through the tables to the douchebag’s table. He had his tongue down his girlfriend’s throat, so I slammed the tray down on the table, hiding my smile as they jumped apart.
“Two Martha Mighties, extra onion rings, and your drinks. Enjoy.”
I hurried towards the back of the restaurant, noticing Alex had just arrived to take over from me.
“Sup, Alicia,” he grunted as he tugged on an apron, yawning while pushing his white-blonde hair back into the stripy hat we had to wear.
“I’m just glad I’m done. See you next week.” I pushed the back door open, breathing in the fresh air with relief.
I made my way to the bus stop, tugging my hat over my ponytail, shoving it into my backpack. I sat on the bench, wishing the bus would hurry up. I had a test that I needed to study for in the morning, and I needed to get on with it if I wanted to pass.
The journey home wasn’t too bad, but it reminded me how badly I needed to learn to drive. I’d begged my brother, Christian, for months to teach me, but he kept coming up with excuses. He was in college and seemed to constantly party. To be fair, he was usually too drunk or hungover to drive most of the time.
My mom and dad had separated a few years back, and we had chosen to stay in our hometown with our dad, Phil. Our Mom, Gloria, had decided that was just fine by her, and she had moved to LA with her current boytoy.
The only problem was, Dad worked all hours to pay the bills, meaning we barely saw him. I liked working because it meant I didn’t feel guilty every time I saw how tired he was. My brother delivered pizzas a couple of times a week, as Dad insisted we finished school before working any more hours.
I made my way into the house, racing to the downstairs restroom before doing anything else. After relieving myself, I washed my hands and pushed the door open, freezing when I saw someone standing by the fridge that I hadn’t seen in years.
It can’t be.
“Cole?” I stuttered, my eyes widening at the sight of his bare tanned torso. He glanced over at me, a toothpick in between his teeth as he grinned. He slid his sunglasses off, allowing me to see his soft brown eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“Alicia.”
My name rolled off his tongue, and I shivered involuntarily. His voice was lazy, as though he couldn’t be bothered to talk. He leaned against the fridge door, popping the lid from the orange juice as I watched him drink. Finally, he stopped, smirking while he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“I remember when you used to follow me everywhere,” he smirked when I stared at him in shock. His eyes trailed over my uniform while I glared at him. “You’ve certainly grown.”
“I remember when your shorts fell off in the pool, and I saw your dick.” I smiled sweetly as his jaw dropped. “I hope for your sake that it’s grown.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Cole winked.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the tattoos that spread all over his chest and arms. My heart rate increased when he walked over to me, dragging the orange juice carton along the counter as he did.
“How old are you now?” Cole tilted his head, studying me as I swallowed. He smelled like peppermint and his own scent—something that needed bottling and selling all by itself.
“Eighteen.”
“Damn.” He whistled as I heard my brother’s voice from the hall.
“Barbecue is up; where are those rolls at, Cole?” Christian drawled, walking in to see Cole and me standing close to one another at the end of the counter.
“Cole, I don’t need to tell you to keep away from my baby sister, do I?” Christian said as I glared at him.
“Urgh, Christian,” I groaned, pushing past Cole as I strode towards the stairs.
My brother had zero sense sometimes.
Christian shrugged and pulled out a few beers. “Come down for some food when you’re ready, Alicia. It’s just the usual suspects. Oh, and this prick.”
I heard them play-fight as I rolled my eyes, jogging up the stairs as I tried to ignore my beating heart.
Just a guy. Just Cole.
Just a barbecue with Cole freaking Cassidy!
Chapter Two
I showered quickly, washing the stench of fried food from me. I washed my hair and put it in a messy bun before pulling on my denim shorts and a tank top.
I could smell the chicken on the grill, and my stomach rumbled. Christian always made the best grilled chicken skewers there were, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
My stomach tightened at the thought of seeing Cole again, but I tried to push the anxiety away.
Cole. Where to start?
Cole had gone to school with Christian, and I had spent most of my life crushing on him big time. He was the subject of most of my fantasies, and the fact that he was an incessant flirt just fed my desires. Obviously, I was his best friend’s little sister, and when they left school, he went off to college miles away. I had been so sad, constantly logging onto his Facebook to see if he had a girlfriend, sending him messages that he didn’t reply to before I realize
Now he was back.
Why?
I jogged down the stairs, making my way outside to see my brother sipping a beer as he operated the grill. He turned and nodded at me as he swept his eyes over his friends with a warning, silently daring them to say anything to me. He was incredibly protective of me, which was sometimes stifling. I’d never had a serious boyfriend, instead having one-night stands and hookups to satisfy any yearnings I had.
But Christian didn’t know about that.
My eyes connected with Cole’s immediately, and my stomach flipped. Why did he still have this effect on me? Cole looked back at Aaron, who was gazing at me, before raising his eyebrows.
“Hey, Alicia,” Aaron said, as his cheeks reddened slightly. I smiled at him as I reached over for a beer, sinking into my usual spot by the back door.
Aaron was cool and didn’t make me uneasy despite checking me out when Christian wasn’t looking.
“Hey.” I smiled back before I lifted the cool glass bottle to my lips.
“Little Alicia drinking beer.” Cole mused as Aaron snorted beside him.
“Where have you been, man? Alicia isn’t so little anymore.”
Cole gazed at me as his eyes drifted over my body, making me feel incredibly exposed. He then narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw, turning his gaze to Aaron.
“Yeah, I noticed,” Cole muttered. “Shame she’s off-limits, huh?”
Christian watched from the grill, his face unreadable.
“Dude. She’s like our little sister. A hot little sister, but you know.” Justin, another one of my brother’s friends, shrugged. I liked Justin; he was a bit of a stoner but meant well all the same. They were all like older brothers to me, and I liked having them around. “Maria isn’t, though. Damn, where is she, Alicia?”
I rolled my eyes as Cole watched me pop a cherry tomato in my mouth. I met his eyes, and he looked away, rubbing his chin as he turned his attention to Justin.
“Maria Santiago? The little cheerleader?” Cole questioned as he took a plate of meat from my brother gratefully. “Cheers, bro.”
I found myself staring at his fingers, noticing how large his hands were. I knew that if he slid them around my waist—
“Again, not so little. These girls are all legal now. She’s in her final year, like Alicia,” Aaron reminded Cole.
“Maria is with Enzo. Her boyfriend. Who also isn’t so little.” I smirked as Christian handed me a plate stacked with skewers. “Thanks, Chris,” I murmured as I slid the hot meat into my mouth from the skewer.
“Hmm,” Aaron muttered as he bit into a burger, sauce spilling out over his shirt. “Fuck!”
I handed him some napkins as he dabbed at it before shaking his head in exasperation.
“Enzo King?” Cole raised his eyebrows at Christian. “He was in our year.”
Christian nodded as he sat down, digging into his food.
“If he hadn’t got with Maria, I absolutely would’ve,” Christian stated as I stared at him in disbelief.
“Excuse me—what?” I demanded as Christian had the audacity to shrug. “That’s my friend. You know the rules, totally off-limits.”
“What, you guys have rules?” Aaron joked as he gave me a wink. “I’m all for breaking the rules, Alicia.”
Christian gazed at him as he sucked sauce from his finger slowly, answering before I could respond.
“I’m all for breaking your jaw.”
Cole snorted as Aaron held his hands up, chuckling as he did.
“My bad.”
“Sorry, Aaron, you’re not my type.” I sighed as Christian sent me a dark look. “I’m not into the tall, dark, and handsome pretty boy.”
Justin hooted as Aaron puffed his chest out playfully.
“Baby, if you ain’t into this, you must be a lesbian.”
“She’s not into any of you,” Christian barked, giving me a final glare.
If only he knew how many fantasies I’d had over his best friend.
I finished my skewer, leaning forward to pick my beer up. I could feel Cole gazing at me, but I refused to look in his direction. He had the tall, dark and handsome thing down to a T. But he wasn’t a pretty boy.
Oh no.
His dark eyebrows sat above the deep brown eyes that I had dreamt of so many times before, framed by thick dark lashes that most women would kill for. His lips were full, his jawline firm. His hair was as black as night, his olive skin deepened by the sun.
My eyes flickered over to him, noticing a tattoo on his calf.
Fuck.
“What’s with all the tattoos, Cole?” I asked with what I hoped was disinterest. I glugged my beer as the doorbell rang, and Christian rose to get it.
“What’s with the interest, Alicia?” Cole shot back, gazing at me. My heart rate sped up to the point where I thought I might lose consciousness and collapse at his feet. Too cliche, don’t do it, heart.
“You aren’t the first guy to get tattoos. I was just making conversation.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, let me ask you something.”
Cole leaned forward as Aaron and Justin exchanged a look, my lips parting slightly as my breathing accelerated.
“Where’s your boyfriend, honey? Or are all the little boys too scared of your brother to go there?”
The blood rushed through my ears as I stared at his mouth, my brain screaming at me to respond.
“Oh, they’ve gone there. Just none of them are boyfriend material.” I shrugged as he blinked in surprise.
Christian walked back in, followed by my friends Gail and Maria. I shot my brother a dark look, who held his hands up in mock surrender. Maria looked like she had been crying; her beautiful green eyes were swollen and red. Gail was wringing her hands as she looked at me with desperation.
“My room,” I ordered as Cole sent me a smirk. “Girls,” I added, sticking my tongue out at him as he chuckled softly.
I grabbed three beers, and Maria and Gail followed me to my room. My heart was pounding from the banter with Cole, my brain demanding to know why he was flirting with me so much.
He’s a player, that’s why.
“He’s cheating on me, for real!” Maria wailed as she flopped down onto my bed.
Gail sent me a worried look from across the room. My eyes widened as I frowned, sitting in front of Maria. Her caramel brown curls were pushed into a loose ponytail, her cupid bow lips quivering as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Calm down, Maria. How do you know?” I asked, taking her hand into mine as Gail sighed.
“Maria went through his phone. He’s been messaging Saph.”
This made Maria wail again, and I held her in my arms as I stared at Gail open-mouthed.
“Saph?” I whispered as she nodded.
“Yeah. Our Saph.”
Chapter Three
“Saph wouldn’t do that,” I insisted, as Gail raised an eyebrow at me. I swallowed as I felt a phone thrust into my hands.
“Here’s the proof. I took screenshots.” Maria choked out as I reluctantly scanned the messages.
SAPH: No, she will never know. It’s incredible; you’re amazing.
ENZO: Make sure you book a double bed...for obvious reasons ;)
SAPH: You dirty man! But yeah, I’ve booked a romantic double. You’re welcome.
ENZO: I can’t wait. Counting the days!
I lifted my eyes to see the hurt in Maria’s eyes as I exhaled. There had to be an explanation for this; there was no way Saph would ever do the dirty on any of us.
“He’s always said she was hot,” Maria said as I frowned, pulling my phone out to text Saph.
ALICIA: Saph, Maria has found texts on Enzo’s phone between you. I’ve told her you’d never do that to her, can you ring her asap?
