Page 3 of Get Undressed With Me

She sniffed, not happy about his attitude, but he wasn’t calling the cops. Brittany was smart enough to take the wins when they came.

When she stepped out of the apartment, his hand gripped her arm again, stopping her.

“Leave the key.”

They stood like that for a moment, staring at each other, and for some reason, Brittany could feel herself breathing hard, like she had just gone for a run. Her arm where he held it was warm, sparks zapping from the contact. It must be rage. She hated being touched by people she hadn’t given express permission to, and though she had never minded a casual touch from Gus in the past, their relationship was so different now. That must be why she was reacting so strongly.

Keeping her eyes locked to his, she reached into her bra cup and extracted the key. To Gus’s credit, he kept his eyes on hers, never dropping them to where her low-cut top was currently advertising the goods. He simply took the key from her and let her arm go.

“It didn’t have to be this way, Britt.”

“It sure as fuck didn’t. Ask your brother why it is.”

She was stomping toward the exit before he shut the door.

Outside the building, she spent the walk to her car fuming at Gus’s attitude, his dismissal of her. Although she should’ve anticipated it. Gus and Robbie were tight, with Gus very protective over his younger brother. If Robbie told him Brittany was a crazy, bitter ex, there was no reason for Gus to think otherwise. Even if he knew Brittany. Even if they had once been friends. Or at least friendly.

It’s fine. Brittany was used to not being top priority. There was no reason to think Gus would view her differently.

She forced her thoughts to Robbie and how he would react when he heard about what she did. He would definitely freak out. As controlled and rational as Gus was, Robbie was the opposite, a live wire of reaction and emotion that could get exhausting to those around him. He was going to lose it, which Brittany looked forward to. She had been the one to buy everything for him, and it was all insured under her name. And as far as she was concerned, Robbie deserved it, especially after hearing what he told Gus about their breakup.

Clout. As if it raised her profile even one follower that she had dated some lame streamer with the emotional maturity of a zucchini. Brittany was a fashion influencer who spent her days helping her followers put together outfits from underwear to outerwear, find deals, and dress their very best. None of them gave a shit about Robbie the gamer.

Robbie hadn’t been anyone when Brittany had started dating him. Just a cute guy who liked to have fun and slept on a futon in a studio apartment. But he had gained popularity over the last year, propelling him into the ‘professional streamer’ category. And Brittany had been the proud and supportive girlfriend every step of the way.

And then Robbie started pulling away. Said he felt like she was crowding him. He was suddenly busier and busier, often too busy to meet up with her. Robbie had started dating shortly after they broke up, which stung but wasn’t unexpected. After all, Brittany knew he was a man who liked to be taken care of, and it was only a matter of time before he found someone willing to do so. And Brittany was resolved to be the bigger person.

But then Devery had texted her…

Brittany tried to shake it off, not willing to go back into her rage when there was no outlet for it. Gus was at Robbie’s, and he had caught her. Gus was hard to read, but Brittany had thought they had a good rapport. She thought he knew her well enough to know she didn’t go off like this without a good reason. But here he was, just another one of the Lozano boys who only pretended to give a shit about her.

Well, fuck Gus. And fuck Robbie. Brittany was entering her villain era, and she was done with mediocre men playing a role in her life.

CHAPTER 1

GUS

ONE MONTH LATER

“Absolutely not.”

Gus banged through his condo, looking for his damn keys. Everything in his place was normally organized and clean, a fact that his best friend, Val, often gave him shit about. But now his brother, Robbie, was in town, a few days earlier than normal for Kickoff, and wasn’t able to check into his hotel room yet. Though Gus always told him he was welcome to crash on his couch, he was secretly glad Robbie preferred to stay closer to the convention center where the event was held. Robbie was his brother and he loved him, but Robbie was also… a lot.

Case in point, Robbie had been staying at the condo for only one night and had somehow managed to move almost everything in Gus’s living room, and now the spot where Gus hung his keys was empty. Gus deeply hated when things weren’tin their proper place, and now he had no fucking idea where the keys were.

“You didn’t even let me ask the question.”

Gus rolled his eyes, thankful he was only talking with Val on the phone and not FaceTiming her.

“I already know what you’re calling about. You call every year. I told you, I don’t want to work Kickoff.”

Gus was willing to work most any day, even holidays, but he loved Kickoff. It was the one weekend where he got to immerse himself in the pop culture he enjoyed. The games, the comics, the movies, everything he loved quietly during the year he let himself love out loud for Kickoff. The weekend was crazy and chaotic and he looked forward to it every year.

Of course, this year was going to be different, what with Robbie and Brittany broken up, but still. Gus was determined to have fun.

But now Val, his best friend and boss and all-around pain in the ass, was calling for a favor. Val ran a local security company, and she was often hired to work Kickoff for the various high-profile people who came. But Daryl’s wife had gone into labor early, which left her short on security for her Kickoff clients.

“Gus, come on, I’d owe you one.”

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