Page 22 of Get Undressed With Me

In the seconds it took Gus to reach her side, the men had moved closer to Brittany, talking fast… faster than an innocent person would need to talk.

“We paid for the meet and greet. Just relax.”

He shrugged his shoulders like whatever happened wasn’t a big deal, but Brittany looked ready to shove dynamite in his mouth. She stood her full height—which was taller in heels, but probably only up to Gus’s shoulder, and pushed herself into the guy’s space, her outrage clear.

“A meet-and-greet is just that—meeting and greeting, and a picture. That does not give you permission to put your gross hands on my ass.”

Gus glanced around, noticing the cameras out already, filming the scene, and decided to wait until Brittany said her piece. She was a hothead, but she tended to have a point, even when her temper took over like it had in this moment. Sometimes, people needed to be yelled at.

Still, the guy tried to play it off, reaching his hand for Brittany’s shoulder in a move he probably thought would calm her down.

“Baby, look, you’re blowing this way out of proportion.”

“I said don’t put your fucking hands on me.” In the blink of an eye, Brittany grabbed the guy’s hand and twisted it in a way that Gus knew would hurt like hell but not cause permanent damage. “Consider your meet-and-greet canceled. Get the fuck out of my face before I make you bleed in front of the whole internet.”

Gus was impressed. Brittany angry was always a sight, but she must have extra fuel in her engine from the flowers. And right now, in her knee highs and heels, she looked like an avenging goddess ready to smite those who would oppose her.

Unfortunately, the guy was an idiot. His face screwed up with the rage of unrequited lust, and he attempted once again to grab Brittany.

“Listen, you bitch—”

Gus was moving before he could finish, grabbing the guy and hauling him away from Brittany in a move he learned during his old bouncing days. He shoved the guy into the arms of the waiting security guards at the door.

“Get this guy out and revoke his pass.”

The guards nodded, taking the asswipe away, his face contorting as he realized his time at Kickoff was completely over. Gus turned back to Brittany to make sure she was doing alright and then realized he shouldn’t have worried. She was already smiling with the next group, posing for a picture while one of thewomen told her what a hero she was. Gus shook his head at the sight. Brittany was a scrapper, and he couldn’t help but admire her for her ability to bounce back.

Her eyes wandered to him just then, and Gus felt a shock through his entire system. The kind of feeling when you’re falling asleep and suddenly jolt awake—like your body was slowly dying without you realizing, and now you finally had what you needed to survive. The air practically crackled with tension and Gus couldn’t look away, drawn into her in a way that he didn’t want to end.

The whole moment was maybe a second long before Brittany snapped back to the people she was talking to. Gus found himself shaking his head, trying to make sense of it without actually thinking too hard.

His sugar was low. Or maybe he was dehydrated. That must be it. He sure as hell wasn’t finding himself attracted to his brother’s ex, who had only dated him for clout. The one who had used Robbie for followers and then sabotaged his game system when he called her on it.

Gus shook his head again, trying to clear out the cobwebs that were forming around his thoughts of Brittany. He was there to do a job, so he would do it. Keep her safe and whole and then get the hell out of her sphere. Because if this weekend had taught him anything so far, it was that he sure didn’t belong there.

When the meet-and-greet was finally over, Gus was waiting for Brittany outside the curtained-off green room while she changed back into her sneakers. When she emerged, she looked all the levels of tired she hadn’t wanted to show to her fans. He held up her water bottle.

“I filled it up.”

She nodded, taking the bottle without saying much, tapping her fingers on the side in a distracted way. Clearly gearing herself up for a question.

“What did you find out about the flowers?” she finally asked.

“They were sent from a local florist. I’ve already left a message saying I wanted to meet about a private matter. I’ll go talk to them after I drop you off at your hotel room.”

Brittany was already shaking her head, lifting her chin with the stubborn tilt that he knew spelled trouble.

“I want to come with you.”

“You just spent three hours putting on a show for people. You’re exhausted. I’m going to walk you to your hotel room, you’re going to rest, and then I’m going to check the florist.”

“I’ll let you know when I need to rest, Gus. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“On the contrary, killer,” he said, leaning toward her, purposefully getting in her space. “As long as some asshole is sending you notes saying he wants to fuck your throat raw, I’m calling the shots. When your safety is on the line, I’m not going to cater to your ego. Yell all you want, but the guy could be hanging around the shop waiting to see if you show up. Fuck, he could be one of the employees there. And you’d do nothing but feed his obsession in those short-shorts and bite-me lips. So I’m going to walk you to your hotel room, and you’re going to rest while I go ask some questions.”

They were in a standoff, Brittany’s arms crossed over her chest, pushing her breasts up in a way that Gus wished to god he didn’t notice. She was pissed, but there was a flicker of heat in her eyes that was making his breath come faster than usual.

Finally, she relaxed, and he could sense victory.

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