Page 53 of The Publicity Stunt

Bri takes a step back. "The moment you got caught? If you hadn't gotten caught, you wouldn't have even told me, would you?"

"That came out wrong. It was all a mistake."

Kace finally steps forward to make himself known. "Yeah, you did make a mistake. You fucked up, Duffy, but she's not yours anymore. She's mine."

"You think you've got a leg up because you play a sport for a living? Get real."

"Her security won't need to kick you out because I'll body check you myself. Into a fucking wall. Get away from her now!"

Easton puts his hands up and steps back. "Bri, think about what I said. What you really need, okay?"

Rather than respond to him, she turns, wraps her arms around Kace's neck, and kisses him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to surprise you."

"Color me surprised. Or, as your dad would say, I'm 'tickled pink.'"

She quotes his dad? Damn, if he thought she couldn't seem any more perfect, she just topped herself. "I have a proposition for you about the time off from the tour whenever you have a moment."

"I really need to shower. Like, really need to shower. I'm surprised you haven't run away in disgust yet, but I'm all yours afterwards."

Even at her worst, she smells better than sweaty hockey equipment and thirty disgusting men. Besides, he wants to have her in the shower as well as afterwards. "You forget I play professional hockey. Baby, this is like a field of flowers compared to what I'm used to. But I don't know if I can wait until after the shower to give yourself to me."

Smiling, she wiggles her eyebrows. "Oh, it never ceases to amaze me how easily you can find ways to get me naked. Not that I'm complaining, but it is a real skill you have, Kace Lyons."

"You son of a bitch!" Nia screams from down the hall, her heels clicking and clacking as she runs towards them.

Bri turns in surprise. "Easton's already gone. Kace got rid of him by threatening bodily harm, Nia."

"She sounds scary when she's mad."

"Kace Lyons intimidated by Nia?" she laughs and turns to the woman who barely seems out of breath. She must run daily in those weapons she calls heels. "See? He's gone."

"No, he's standing right in front of you."

Kace looks down at Bri, who looks equally confused and points a finger to his chest. "Are you talking about me?"

"You tell Neo he's on my shit list, too. He said you could be trusted, and he's as big of a liar as you are." Nia lifts a walkie talkie device to her mouth and says, "Bobby, I need you and the rest of the team at Bri's dressing room right away."

"Nia-"

She cuts Bri off by saying, "Let go of my artist."

The panic on Bri's face knocks him off-balance. "There has to be a mistake. Easton showed up, but we sent him away. Kace scared him away, actually. I have no idea why he came in the first place, though."

"The baby isn't his," Kace says and wraps his arm around her shoulders. "Brett sent me the article."

"It's not?"

"I said, let her go!" Nia screams.

He lifts his arm from Bri and holds his hands up in surrender as Bobby and five others in black suits grab Kace and yank him away from Bri. "What the fuck, man?"

"I told you what would happen if you ever hurt Bri," Bobby says. "And I just knew you'd do it. It was only a matter of time before it happened."

"What are you talking about?" he asks, trying to free himself, but the men have death grips on his arms.

Bri looks at Bobby. "Let him go, Bobby. I don't know what's going on, but Kace hasn't done anything."

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