Page 32 of Get Undressed With Me

Robbie rolled his eyes. “That was a completely different situation.”

“How is that different from this? Other than the fact that I’m not sleeping with Brittany?”

Even as he said the words, images flashed in his mind. Brittany’s lips. Her long legs wrapped around his waist, holding him tight. Her lipstick smeared from kissing him, her skirt rucked up from his hands.

“It’s different.”

They stared at each other a moment, both pissed and tense and angry and a thousand adjectives in between.

Finally, Gus grunted. “I told you, we’re not hanging out. Her mom hired the company for protection. She has a stalker.”

“Seems like a pretty flimsy excuse to hire security over some guy.”

Gus studied his brother, wondering. “It never seemed like a big deal that your girlfriend was scared of some creep sending her dirty paintings and explicit notes?”

Robbie scoffed, showing what a dumbass he was.

“Brittany doesn’t get scared. She’s the one people are scared of.”

Brittany’s face from earlier that day flashed through Gus’s mind, her eyes wide with worry, how her entire body froze at the sight of the flowers. Robbie really was an idiot.

“I guess that answers that.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means she was scared, Robbie, and she clearly didn’t feel like she could show that to you.”

Robbie immediately tensed.

“Don’t tell me about my relationship with Brittany. It was none of your fucking business.”

“From the sounds of it, it was barely your business.”

“Fuck you.”

Robbie stormed to the door, steam practically billowing off his head, but he paused before he left, not turning around.

“Just… don’t sleep with her.”

Gus sighed, suddenly very tired. “Nothing’s happened.”

“But you want it to.”

Gus was ready to deny it, but the words were somehow stuck in his throat. And Robbie immediately sensed his hesitation.

Robbie’s face fell into a scowl. “Fucking great.”

He stormed toward the door, about to make a classic Robbie exit, but stopped and threw Gus a look over his shoulder.

“She likes the spotlight, Gus. It’s the only thing she cares about. Likes and profiles and followers. She’s not going to be happy with some regular guy. Don’t let her hurt you.”

He was gone before Gus could react, the door slamming behind him. Gus was left alone with his second thoughts and third thoughts all fighting for supremacy. But the one thing that held him by the throat was the possibility Robbie was right.

Gus liked Brittany as a person. She was funny and strong and charming and extremely easy to be around. But he couldn’t like her more than that, or want her as more than just a friend, because Robbie was right. Because besides being his brother’s ex, he was just regular guy Gus. He liked his job. He liked living in his condo, in a quiet town that got loud once a year with his favorite convention. He didn’t like paying attention to his social media. He was nothing like Robbie, which meant he wasn’t Brittany’s type. Brittany lived her life in front of the camera. She had a million fans. Hell, hundreds of people had shown up for a meet-and-greet today just to spend time with her. She needed someone who could meet her on her level.

And that wasn’t Gus.

For all that Robbie was a shithead, he had still given Gus a great reminder that he needed to not get attached to Brittany, because she wouldn’t be getting attached to him.

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