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Leaving her office, my heart raced, equal parts relief and anxiety swirling inside me, because what the fuck did I just do?

“Note to self. Always ask a man’s last name and occupation,” I muttered, storming down the hall, pushing open a metal door with bold black letters.

When I barged into the locker room, a chorus of shouts followed, but I ignored them all. I was a woman on a mission, and no one was stopping me from reaching my destination.

“Where’s Dalton?” I barked at Roberts. The look of shock on his baby face would have been hilarious if I wasn’t so pissed. The walk over here had only added fuel to my fire.

I was ready to fight a full-grown man.

“Now, Roberts.”

“Uh—he’s over there.” He pointed. “Cap uses the one on the left.”

He’d barely gotten the second part out, and I was already halfway across the room, yanking open the curtain. Steam billowed out of the tiled stall, hot water sprinkling my face.

“What the hell, Jime—Ari?” Dalton scrubbed a hand down his face, looking at me as if I’d grown a second head.

“You are going to fix this, do you understand?” I seethed, jabbing a finger into his chest. “I worked too damn hard to get this job and finally move out of my parents’ home to have it all fall apart on the first day. Do you know what it’s like to be twenty-five and have to sleep in a twin-sized bed at your parents’ house? Of course you don’t because you’re apparently the son of the man who owns this whole damn thing.” My voice rose another octave higher as I waved my arms around. “And yeah, currently, my bed is about the same size, but at least when I want to leave the house, I don’t face an interrogation. I mean, I love my family, but damn, now that I know freedom…I’m not going back, Dalton. Do you hear me?”

I was out of breath by the end of my rant-turned-information dump.

It happened sometimes when I was overly worked up.

I was honestly surprised I hadn’t switched to Spanish midway—or maybe I had.

He blinked a few times, his lips twitching in a way that told me he was trying not to laugh. Which only pissed me off more. “Darlin’…I’m going to be honest. I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you, darlin’ me.”

Of course, he didn’t. HR would only speak to the woman involved. Because why on earth would they talk to the man in this situation? Pinching the bridge of my nose, I unleashed a string of Spanish curses under my breath.

“Ariella, babe?” came Jimenez’s voice from beside me. “There a reason you’re in the men’s locker room? I don’t know how HR would⁠—”

“Oh, are you worried I’ll get fired, Jimenez?” I snapped, turning to unleash my fury on him. “Because that’s exactly what they tried to do.”

Professionalism had left the building. Hell, it wasn’t even in Texas anymore.

Silence fell over the room.

“What? What do you mean they tried to fire you?” Dalt growled, reaching for the knobs on the wall. And like blinders being lifted, I was suddenly aware of the droplets rolling down his chiseled chest, making their way to⁠—.

“Oh my god, you’re naked.” I slammed my eyes closed, covering them with my hand for good measure. I needed to go to confession because, honestly, I wanted to peek through my fingers and see a bit more.

Jimenez burst out into a fit of laughter at my expense. “Mami, what did you think you would see when you ripped open the shower curtain? Cap in a pair of swim shorts?”

My stomach swooped at the thought of what I’d almost seen, and a tinge of disappointment that I hadn’t looked lower.

Dalton cleared his throat. “You can look now.” A white towel hung low on his hips, and I had to fold my arms over my chest to hide the effect it had on my nipples. “Jimenez, go tell the guys to get some damn clothes on.”

“Sure, Cap. I’ll let them all know you’ll beat their ass if they flash your girl,” he teased, yelping when I grabbed an extra towel off the hook and snapped it at him. “Fuck, you got my nipple.” For good measure, I did it again. “Ow, shit. How are you so good at that?” he asked, covering both with his hands like a makeshift chest plate.

“I’ve got an annoying brother and primos who are a lot like you. Perfected this shit years ago.”

He backed away, shaking his head. “She’s all yours, Cap. But I’d be careful, bet she’s deadly with a chancla, too,” he said, leaving a half-naked—and wet—Dalton and me alone.

“Okay, Ari,” Dalton said, gingerly gripping my chin between his thumb and forefinger, directing my attention back to him. “Start from the beginning so I can fix this.”

But all that move did was make my head fuzzy and my heart beat faster.