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She followed his gaze and saw that she was still naked.
She’d forgotten.
She was too scared to think properly right now. She wasn't even sure she was capable of remembering how to put on her clothes.
As though sensing her quickly growing panic, Brian picked up her sweatpants and sweater and brought them to her, gently easing the sweater over her head, then taking her hands and sliding them through the sleeves.
“Hold onto my shoulders,” he said as he knelt down.
She did, and he took hold of one of her ankles, slid the pants up one leg, and then repeated the process with the other.
He was so sweet.
As amazing as the hot sex had been, this was why she loved Brian because he genuinely cared about people and wanted to help them.
“Thank you,” she said when he stood.
“Anytime.” He leaned down and tenderly kissed her forehead.
Hayley waited for Brian to shrug into his clothes, then waited for him to join her at the door. She knew the drill, he was the bodyguard, and thus he was the one who opened the door, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to be right behind him waiting to find out what had happened.
“What took so long?” Arianna demanded when Brian finally got the door open.
“Ari?” Hayley asked, confused. Her sister looked fine as did Brady and Aurora Crowley and their twenty-one-month-old daughter Star.
“What’s going on?” Brian asked, ushering everyone into the apartment and closing and locking the door behind them.
“Nothing,” Brady replied. “Arianna is staying with us until the cops get Jay Turner in custody, and she wanted to come by. We thought you might feel a little un-Christmassy here without a tree, so we decided to bring you one and stop by for a visit.”
“What if he followed you here?” Brian demanded, probably a little more forcefully than he should have, considering he was talking to his boss.
Brady rolled his eyes. “As if I was stupid enough to let him follow us. Even if he did know about us, and even if he did know Ari was staying with us, and even if he did find out where we lived, and even if he did know that we were coming to the safehouse, and even if he did try to follow us, do you really think I wouldn’t have noticed?”
“Point taken,” Brian acknowledged.
He might be ready to accept Brady and Aurora bringing Arianna here, but she certainly wasn't. “Why did you bring my sister here? What if he did somehow manage to follow you? What if he knows Ari is staying with you? What if he goes after her again?”
“I'm fine, Hales, don’t worry.” Arianna shot her a wide smile, but Hayley saw the hint of fear lurking deep in her sister’s blue eyes.
“Really, Hayley,” Brady added, “everything is fine. I won't let that man hurt your sister, I promise. I’m watching out for her just the same way I would for Aurora or Star.”
“Cookie, Mama,” the toddler said, pointing to the box in her mother’s other hand.
“We didn't just bring your sister and a Christmas tree, we also have cookies,” Aurora said with a smile intended to smooth things over.
Hayley let out a long, controlled breath.
She supposed everyone was right.
No one would be able to tail Brady without his knowing, and she was glad that the couple had opened their home to her sister until this whole mess was sorted out, especially considering they had a little girl to worry about.
“Cookie, Mama,” Star said again, a little more forcefully, and she tried to squirm on her mother’s hip to get to the box of cookies.
Hayley couldn’t help but smile at the sweet little girl.
“Okay, I guess it’s nice that you came. I was missing having a Christmas tree, and I do love cookies,” she admitted.
“See, it was a good thing we came over.” Arianna beamed and came to give her a hug. Hayley squeezed her sister tightly and held on a little longer than was necessary for a hug. She was so unbelievably glad Ari was okay. If Jay Turner had managed to get her into his van, she never would have forgiven herself. As it was, she was struggling to.
