Page 26 of Get Undressed With Me

“You ran into a friend and slandered the local bakery.”

“Why did she look like you were going to eat her?”

“I have predator energy. Focus, Lozano, there’s paperwork to fill out.”

She pushed a stack toward him, and he took it, letting the subject drop. Val was a vault when she didn’t want to talk about something, and whatever was going on between her and Dev was clearly on Val’s ‘no talking’ list. Gus settled in for the familiar routine of the paperwork, grateful to be distracted from thinking about Brittany.

And how good she felt in that damn elevator.

CHAPTER 6

BRITTANY

Since Brittany had gotten back to her hotel room pretty early and was too tired and freaked out by the roses to do any exploring on her own, she settled into her corner of the hotel room to work on her new designs. A few quick sketches later, she had sent them off to her mom for her thoughts and notes and then began to get ready for her dinner with Min and Hayden that night at Hayden’s brother’s restaurant.

While she was washing her face, Kyle came back into the room and cornered her in the bathroom.

“So that guy this morning. He your boyfriend?”

Brittany didn’t hesitate. “None of your fucking business, Kyle.”

“It’s my business if some rando is going to be hanging out in our room, threatening me.”

She sighed. Kyle was a prick, but he had a point. However, they weren’t close enough for Brittany to feel comfortable explaining why she needed security.

“He’s overprotective is all. I’ll ask him to chill when we’re here.”

“So heisyour boyfriend?”

“Again, not your fucking business.”

He leaned over her then, putting his hands on either side of her at the sink and leaning in to smell her hair in a way that instantly made Brittany’s skin crawl.

“If you need someone to treat you right, baby, I’m here and willing.”

Not hesitating, she elbowed him, hard, in his gut. He doubled over, moving away from her to try to catch his breath. She immediately shoved him out of the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

“Brittany, what the fuck was that about?” He was yelling through the door, but his breath was still wheezing, which made sense. Brittany had hit him pretty hard.

“You’ve lost bathroom privileges.”

“Is this how you react when a guy hits on you?”

“Only the sleazy ones.”

She could hear him grumbling at that and tried to focus on her makeup. Kyle was an ass, but he was mostly harmless. He just didn’t know how to take a hint unless it literally slammed into him.

An hour later, Brittany stepped out of the bathroom, relieved to find that Kyle had already headed out to his evening plans, most likely involving impressionable women with lower standards than they deserved.

She headed out to the lobby. Brittany hadn’t mentioned this dinner to Gus, mostly because she wanted a night with her best friend where they could talk freely without worrying about him overhearing whatever tea she felt like privately spilling about his brother. She rationalized to herself that she would use arideshare both ways, not talk to strangers, and not be alone if she wasn’t in the car.

As she climbed into her rideshare, Brittany’s phone rang, showing it was Kathleen. Thinking that she was just calling to confirm she received the designs, Brittany answered… which turned out to be a big mistake.

“Brittany, what is this?”

“What is what, Mom?”

“These sketches you sent me. These aren’t serious, right?”

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